Politics

Art marketfeature

The art world still favours the rich—how do we fix that?

Nine artists, curators and dealers who beat the industry's stacked odds discuss challenges and solutions

International outcry at dismissal of prominent Polish museum director

Leaders of foreign museums have joined Polish colleagues in condemning the removal of Joanna Wasilewska from her role at Warsaw’s Asia and Pacific Museum

'Never trustee an MP: why politicians should stay off boards of cultural institutions'

The "arm's length" principle, which frowns on political meddling in museums, is being eroded by policy hawks, writes artist and activist Bob and Roberta Smith

Will Italy's right-wing government control who gets to direct the nation’s biggest museums?

Art historians are concerned the culture ministry is lining up candidates to run top institutions including Florence’s Uffizi Galleries and Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera

Art worldcomment

'We need to talk about class in the art world'

A recent list of young art "disruptors" published by a UK newspaper underlines the insidious dynamics of privilege which continue to define our industry

Debate rages in Spain over how to remember—or forget—Franco's dictatorship

Ahead of Spain’s election on 23 July, conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who is on course to win, has vowed to challenge historical memory legislation

Leaderscomment

'In the age of AI, putting creativity at the heart of education is more important than ever'

The UK Labour Party is gearing up for the next election and should be talking about how we are educating children

Pillar of Shame sculpture seized by police in Hong Kong

Work commemorating Tiananmen Square tragedy is confiscated as part of "incitement to subversion" case

Diaryblog

‘I felt I was pushing myself’—Monica Lewinsky on why she sat for Marilyn Minter

The White House intern who hit the headlines in the 1990s says she gave up her 'portrait virginity' to the provocative New York-based artist

‘Glad to see they are scared’: Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova added to Russia’s wanted list for criminals

A performance in which she burns an effigy of Vladimir Putin, and an NFT of a vagina-shaped Virgin Mary are thought to be behind new charges

Tel Aviv Museum of Art partially closes in support of Israel's 'day of paralysis'

Israel's oldest art museum joins nationwide protests against government's contentious new laws, in what arts philanthropist Batia Ofer describes as a "fight for our democracy"

Art world insiders on Brexit, three years on

Vitriolic, resigned, hopeful: Brexit has undoubtedly caused upset and inconvenience to the UK art world, but opinions are divided on the industry’s prospects in the longer term

After a landmark election, will Nigeria now invest in its museums?

Nigeria’s art market has exploded in recent years—a newly elected government may now fund and build a museum sector

Protest performance art in Tbilisi sparks political storm between Georgia's president and culture minister

Use of police forces against supporters of artist Sandro Sulaberidze have been criticised by country's top state officials

Even restituted artefacts—like Benin bronzes—need export licences from UK, says arts minister

Formal requirement for government licences may well prove to be yet another obstacle to a loan agreement for the Parthenon Marbles

LGBTQnews

Drag queen event at Tate Britain sparks protests between trans-rights activists and right-wing groups

Aida H Dee’s storytelling event disrupted by fighting outside London museum

Museum community must agree on binding protocols to counter 'increasing political interference' across Europe, leading directors say

A slew of cases of museum directors forced from their positions is a "spectacular moment of crisis,” the Museum Watch Committee chair said at annual museums conference

Afghan universities and art centres ban female students as Taliban clamps down

A future generation of artists could be lost as well as the livelihoods of their teachers

UK culture ministry shake up: Lucy Frazer named secretary for 'refocussed' department

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has overhauled the country's Department for Culture, Media and Sport Digital, dropping "digital" from its mandate

Satirical portrayals of president spark censorship row in South Korea

Shutdown of the exhibition "Goodbye in Seoul" is the latest in a series of censorship controversies around negative images of Yoon Suk-yeol

US considers rejoining Unesco despite more than $616m membership debt and Israel-Palestine controversies

America left the United Nations heritage organisation in 2019 after its members voted to accept Palestine as a member state

Brazilian president-elect Lula appoints Bahian singer Margareth Menezes as culture minister

The singer Gilberto Gil and the politician Juca Ferreira held the role during Lula’s previous presidency

Crime news

Russian arms dealer and artist Viktor Bout returns to Moscow via prisoner swap with US basketball player Brittney Griner

The man known as The Merchant of Death was exchanged for the American athlete, who was arrested for possessing cannabis oil at a Moscow airport in February

How the war in Ukraine reveals the heightened politics of Unesco

Boycotted Russia resigned as chair of the World Heritage Committee last month

Brazilnews

Brazilian president-elect Lula pledged to reboot the country's culture ministry

As Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva prepares to return to office as Brazil’s president, the country’s arts sector eagerly awaits the reinvigoration of the ministry of culture, which Jair Bolsonaro dissolved

Can art actually help improve Saudi Arabia's abject human rights record?

Culture is being used by Saudi Arabia to project an image of a state that “enriches lives, celebrates national identity and builds understanding between people”

Unpredictable art critic vs hard right minister: Italy’s senior politicians clash over cultural policy

Issues such as free museums and safeguarding heritage are splitting the opinions of two officials in the Brothers of Italy party which swept to power in September

Tania Bruguera pays tribute to political prisoners in Miami performance

The artist and activist staged a performance at El Espacio 23 during Miami Art Week "to remind people what is happening in Cuba right now"