Richard Unwin

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How Poland’s new government has begun shaking up the arts sector

Donald Tusk’s coalition is revoking cultural leadership appointments made by the previous right-wing regime—but is cancelling Poland’s Venice Biennale artist a step too far?

Three members of jury that voted on Poland's 2024 Venice Biennale pavilion show hit out at plans

The trio are part of a larger group of critics arguing that the exhibition follows the narrative of the current Law and Justice (PiS) government's “right-wing, martyrdom-oriented cultural policy”

Poland's arts community cautiously optimistic as right-wing ruling party fails to win majority

Poles voted in record numbers on the weekend, paving the way for the opposition parties led by Donald Tusk to form a coalition government

Museums in line of fire ahead of Polish election

Opposition parties, not government, behind latest sacking of cultural leader

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

How Poland's museum community is stepping up to support Ukrainian colleagues

Cultural institutions in the neighbouring country are sending emergency aid and housing refugees

Shock as Janusz Janowski appointed new director of Poland’s leading Zacheta National Gallery of Art by right-wing culture minister

Most recent hire without an open competition is viewed by critics as latest step in government's agenda of placing conservative appointees in control of cultural institutions

Budapest’s green mayor puts brakes on €250m New National Gallery

Local politicians block construction on cultural quarter backed by right-wing government, citing “enormous impact on environment”

Hungary presses ahead with sprawling culture hub in Budapest city park

Vast collections centre for 300,000 objects inaugurated as construction continues on ambitious museums quarter for Hungarian capital

Krakow City Council rejects mayor’s plan to merge the city’s two leading contemporary art spaces

Councillors vote down proposal to combine the longstanding Bunkier Sztuki gallery with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków

Top five acquisitions of the month

Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter museum collections worldwide, from Van Dyck’s portrait of a princess bride to a rare painting by a Brazilian Modernist

Poland’s right-wing government accused of hijacking prize-winning museum

Heated dispute over European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk taking place in the aftermath of the killing of the city’s mayor, Paweł Adamowicz

Ukrainian nationalists target lecture at Kiev arts centre as far-right activity rises

Protesters accused of leaving behind swastika graffiti at talk organised by Izolyatsia arts centre

Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest unveils €6.6m Van Dyck

Portrait of Charles I’s daughter was purchased at Christie’s, London in December

Prizesnews

Works by finalists competing for $100,000 Future Generation Art Prize go on show in Kiev

The winner will be announced in March and an updated version will go on show in Venice during the Biennale

Veteran Romanian artists to represent their country at Venice Biennale

Three artists who endured communist era will show new versions of installations

Experts pour cold water on Klimt discovery in Hungary

Designer who unearthed the plaster relief attributes it to the Austrian artist

Budapest museum's Romanesque Hall returned to former glory

The Szepmuveszeti Muzeum restoration ushers in a series of ambitious art projects in Hungarian capital

Central and Eastern European artists come together to collect anti-populist works

Collection Collective launches new website as part of initiative that hopes to challenge institutional and private models of collecting

Authorities destroy sculptures in the Maldives

Destruction of Jason deCaires Taylor's Coralarium installation came after condemnation by local Muslim leaders and politicians

Censorshiparchive

After censorship row, what next in Hungary?

Brussels shows and Budapest appointment overshadowed by government’s hands-on cultural policy

Newsarchive

Foreign minister calls for Warsaw’s Palace of Culture to be demolished

Sikorski says that it would be better to have a park in its place