United Kingdom
Surreal Watteau painting owned by Britain's first prime minister gets export bar
The Rococo masterpiece is valued at over £6m
Banksy unveils gorilla artwork at London Zoo—hours after his rhino was defaced
Depicting an ape breaking animals out of an enclosure, it is the ninth piece in the street artist's animal-themed series across the UK capital
UK general election 2024: what art world figures want from the new Labour government
After a landslide victory for the Labour party, we asked museum directors, artists and art historians what they hoped the new political era could mean for culture
UK general election has art trade on tenterhooks
The almost certain Labour victory could have major impact on art buyers, who were restrained during the summer season
Banksy hits back at UK home secretary, saying the detention of his migrant rescue boat in Italy is ‘vile and unacceptable’
British street artist launched an inflatable boat artwork at Glastonbury to highlight the migrant crisis
'We need strong leaders to stand up for the future of UK arts funding'
Hit by austerity cuts and activist boycotts, who is standing up for the arts?
Anya Gallaccio wins commission for London’s first ever HIV/Aids memorial
The winning proposal features a tree trunk from which rings have been extracted and displayed nearby
British Museum opens new storage and research facility
Known as BM_ARC, the site in Berkshire houses around 1.3 million objects from the London museum and is intended for scholars as well as members of the public
Exploring the rise and fall of British architectural sculpture
A timely study examines the unique confluence of artists and architects in British buildings from the 1850s to the 1950s
UK General Election | ‘End the culture of culture washing': art world figures express hopes and fears for the forthcoming vote
We spoke to cultural historians, former ministers and museum directors about the changes they hope to see for the culture sector—and crucially, who they will vote for
Getting plastered: major conservation work begins on an extraordinary ceiling in Cornwall
Visitors have the unique chance to see the barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Long Gallery at Lanhydrock up close thanks to a scaffolding platform
James Barnor, pioneering Ghanaian-British photographer, to be celebrated on 95th birthday with wide-reaching festival
A series of events—spanning exhibitions, discussions, performances and more—will centre around Accra and Tamale, but some programming will extend across the country
Portrait of Charles I's children revealed to be by inventor of tri-colour printing
The print by Jacob Christoph le Blon, which hung under a staircase of a Norfolk mansion, was thought to be a copy of a work by Anthony Van Dyck
Letter to the editor | ‘Charging fees to enter British museums is not the answer, it is a signifier that culture is for someone else’
Rather than creating another “psychological barrier” to culture, leaders and institutions could be thinking about more fair ways to fund the sector, writes Will Jennings
'From the margins to the forefront': Osman Yousefzada wraps Queen Victoria statue in fabric for new show in Bradford
The artist and writer returns to the city where his father first arrived in the UK in the 1960s
Bicentenary appeal seeks to move Byron memorial to prominent site in London's Hyde Park
Group launches £360,000 fund to re-site 1880 statue isolated on UK capital's roundabout
Young V&A makes shortlist for UK museum of the year prize
The shortlist of five for Art Fund's ₤120,000 award also includes the Craven Museum, Dundee Contemporary Arts, the National Portrait Gallery and the Manchester Museum
UK museums take global lead in sustainability
However arts organisations worldwide trail behind the corporate sector and academia, according to a study, often because of limited resources
Flat decorated with minotaurs and lion heads becomes first Outsider Art work to gain listed status in England
Known as Ron's Place, the property in the Merseyside town of Birkenhead was the home of Ron Gittins, who died in 2019
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer pledges to turn the arts from a ‘luxury’ to a ‘necessity’
The head of the opposition party was speaking at the Labour Creatives Conference in London
UK art market feeling the heat as anti-money laundering legislation ramped up
HMRC has been issuing more regular fines and putting into force intensive checks, making art-related businesses sweat
Brian Griffin, photographer of rock stars and construction workers, has died aged 75
Best known for his album covers for bands including Depeche Mode, the UK photographer was influenced by the heavy industry of the Black Country where he grew up
'Shameful waste of money'? New King Charles portrait causes controversy
Official photograph by Hugo Burnand depicts monarch in full military regalia and will be offered to every UK public body in £8m scheme
UK arts funding: Nottingham institutions under threat as Windsor & Maidenhead pledges to maintain arts services
Austerity continues to bite for art galleries and museums as non-statutory cultural budgets are slashed
UK local council wants to cut all arts funding in latest austerity move
Suffolk County Council wants to slash £500,000 for culture, which could put local museums at risk
Visitor numbers for UK museums show signs of recovery
Figures for the first half of 2023 show an increase over the year before, although still below their pre-Covid peaks
Natural causes: artists address climate crisis in inventive ways
With world temperatures hitting record highs this summer, a plethora of exhibitions in London and beyond explore our relationship to the planet
'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
'These journeys should be remembered': Victorian stone benches for migrant workers are given listed status
Travellers' Rest stones were installed between Liverpool and Manchester for travel-weary Irish labourers
Labour’s education revolution will put the arts and culture centre stage
The UK's shadow culture minister sets out the Labour party's plan for arts and culture if they win the next election