Latest
Burnt Maya royals' remains discovered in Guatemalan temple-pyramid
The discovery, at the ancient site of Ucanal, is believed to reflect a political regime change in the 8th or 9th century
Dindga McCannon mural unveiled at Rikers Island
The work's brightly coloured positivity stands in sharp contrast to the notorious reputation of the prison where it is installed
Major Leonora Carrington painting poised to smash Surrealist’s auction record
The artist’s dazzling, Boschian composition “Les Distractions de Dagobert” is expected to fetch as much as $18m at Sotheby’s in New York next month
How a Danish museum was asked to safeguard and then return 290 stolen gems to British Museum
The Danish specialist Ittai Gradel, who first raised alarm about thefts of antiquities from the London museum, and earlier returned 61 gems bought separately on eBay, approached the Thorvaldsens Museum to help in repatriating a second, larger set of stolen pieces
Tate's new Indigenous art fund taps into theme of Venice Biennale
Project opens with four-year backing from AKO Foundation to acquire Sámi and Inuit art from Northern Europe
Venice Biennale 2024
Venice Biennale 2024: the must-see pavilions in the Arsenale
Artists draw with their eyes and play with Zeus at the city's former shipyards and armories
India at Venice: no pavilion but more presence than ever before
Powerful patrons and a Global South-dominated international exhibition ensure the nation’s artists are front and centre—despite the government’s decision to not stage a show
'No business as usual': Pro-Palestinian protests held at heart of Venice Biennale
Organised by the Art Not Genocide Alliance, the demonstration criticised international support for the Israeli government’s campaign against Gaza
Palestine references abound at the 60th Venice Biennale
As the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies, artists in Venice use their work to make statements
The most spectacular locations to visit at this year’s Venice Biennale
Unique to the Biennale are its venues, which include beautiful historic buildings with interiors, art and artefacts that put many museums to shame
A brush with... podcast
A podcast that asks artists the questions you've always wanted to
A brush with... Kapwani Kiwanga
An in-depth interview with the artist on her cultural experiences and greatest influences, from residencies in Paris to the jazz legend Sun Ra
TAN careers
We're hiring! Ad Sales Manager—digital platforms
The Art Newspaper is looking for an enthusiastic candidate to join its commercial team
Art market
Study for Winston Churchill portrait that was famously burned is up for sale
Destruction of final portrait by Graham Sutherland was captured in an episode of "The Crown". Now a study is being toured by Sotheby’s
Hong Kong edition of Art021 fair to launch this year
The new event is supported by the public Mega Ace Fund, which subsidises large cultural projects in the Special Administrative Region
Monira Al Qadiri exhibition to open Johann König’s new Munich gallery in a former power plant
König says the new space, König Bergson, is one of the largest commercial galleries for contemporary art in Germany
New York’s Meredith Rosen makes waves across the Atlantic
The dealer’s discovery-driven programme, which embraces both contemporary and unsung 20th-century artists, is finding outsize success in Europe
Early sales at the Dallas Art Fair prove even a solar eclipse can't overshadow Texas's hot market
As demand for art in Dallas and the rest of Texas heats up, dealers are eager to get a foothold in the Lone Star State—including at the new-ish Dallas Invitational satellite fair
Museums & Heritage
Tate's new Indigenous art fund taps into theme of Venice Biennale
Project opens with four-year backing from AKO Foundation to acquire Sámi and Inuit art from Northern Europe
How a Danish museum was asked to safeguard and then return 290 stolen gems to British Museum
The Danish specialist Ittai Gradel, who first raised alarm about thefts of antiquities from the London museum, and earlier returned 61 gems bought separately on eBay, approached the Thorvaldsens Museum to help in repatriating a second, larger set of stolen pieces
Benin Republic turns to culture to spur economic growth
Four new museums across the country are planned over the next five years and a new cultural quarter is under construction in the biggest city, Cotonou
Boston science museum brings climate action to the fore with year-long initiative
Year of the Earthshot features more than 1,000 interdisciplinary programmes that explore climate solutions, from immersive exhibitions to a project with Unesco and four World Heritage Sites—and an online cooking show
Climate protesters who occupied London's Science Museum vow to continue disruptions
The group say the institution is allowing the Adani Group—which has ties to coal mining and arms manufacturing—to "greenwash" its reputation via sponsorship
Exhibitions
War, refugees, destruction: how Venice Biennale 2024 will reflect our era
Thousands have called for Israel’s pavilion to be cancelled, a proposed Palestinian exhibition was rejected, while Ukraine’s pavilion deals with its ongoing war
On process: Refik Anadol seeks to demystify AI art by showing how it is put together
The media artist's "Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive" at Serpentine Galleries, London, goes for radical clarity on its raw data sources and the make-up of Anadol's artificial intelligence Large Nature Model
Secrets of Caravaggio’s last masterpiece revealed in new London show
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula painting will take centre stage in a forthcoming show at the National Gallery
China, France and a unifying love of bling: Palace Museum show draws on parallels between cultures
The exhibition in Beijing of 17th- and 18th-century objects from the Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles will look at how artisans on opposite sides of the world influenced each other
The Big Review: Joan Jonas at the Museum of Modern Art, New York ★★★★★
An arresting and endearing retrospective of the trailblazing performance artist that you will want to see again and again
Technology
News, background and analysis on the latest tech developments—artificial intelligence tools; Web3, the blockchain, NFTs; virtual and augmented reality; social media platforms—and how they affect the art market, museums, artists and curators.
Aleksandra Artamonovskaja is appointed head of arts for TriliTech, the entrepreneurship team supporting Tezos blockchain
Artamonovskaja, a leading consultant and moderator in the Web3 world, will oversee development of opportunities for artists across the Tezos ecosystem
On process: Refik Anadol seeks to demystify AI art by showing how it is put together
The media artist's "Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive" at Serpentine Galleries, London, goes for radical clarity on its raw data sources and the make-up of Anadol's artificial intelligence Large Nature Model
Robert Alice breaks new ground with auction of generative art NFTs on Christie's 3.0
Auction house sees maturing of market since the heady days of 2021 as works by the digital art pioneer are sold in combination with launch of their catalogue raisonné-like historical survey "On NFTs"
Quantum leap: how a decade of NFTs has changed digital art
Two books take a look at the past and future of the non-fungible token. Once seen as the creature of market hype, the NFT now promises the first shared technical standard for the digital art world
London's Serpentine Galleries calls for artists and institutions to become ‘stewards’ of data in face of rising interest in AI
The London gallery's fourth annual Future Arts Ecosystems report addresses a pressing need for bodies to address the use of artificial intelligence, for their own benefit and for the public good
Opinion
'Enjoy the Venice Biennale, everyone—but be aware it's taking place in a dying city'
Venice can still be saved from the rising water level: here’s how
'UK school art curriculum should reflect diversity efforts in our institutions'
Research by the Runnymede Trust found that only 2.3% of artists named in GCSE Art papers over the last five years were Black or Asian
'Building your way to sustainability is a bad idea, no matter how green your new building is'
Renovations need to win out over new extensions, says sustainability professor Martin Müller, and museums need to 'get back to basics'
Being ‘discovered’ late in life can be maddening—but it can have advantages
The Buffalo AKG Art Museum just opened a Stanley Whitney retrospective—the 77-year-old artist's first museum survey
It’s time to end the predatory practices of 'sleeper hunters'
Sleeper hunter dealers must recognise they have an asymmetrical relationship to vulnerable people pressured by circumstance to sell off their treasured heirlooms
Faith Ringgold (1930-2024)
The New York artist was known as much for the visceral quality of her political paintings of the early 1960s as she was for the haunting, historically charged, power of her textile narratives
Faith Ringgold, acclaimed for the power of paintings and quilts that tell stories of the Civil Rights movement, has died, aged 93
A champion of fellow Black and women artists, the New York-born painter and sculptor made a second reputation as writer and illustrator of admired children's stories
The Big Review: Faith Ringgold at the New Museum
Each work in the Harlem-born artist’s biggest retrospective to date deserves equal attention
Faith Ringgold discusses civil rights and children's books in solo London show
Acclaimed for her paintings and quilts, which weave in stories of the Civil Rights movement from a black female perspective, Faith Ringgold is about to open a solo show at the Serpentine Gallery, London—her first in a European institution.
Faith Ringgold mural will be transferred from women’s prison to the Brooklyn Museum
The work, dedicated to incarcerated women on Rikers Island, was completed in 1972 and was once almost completely destroyed
US institutions celebrate Faith Ringgold
Major acquisitions, complementary showcases plus a New Yorker cover coincide with the artist’s retrospective at the New Museum
Richard Serra (1938-2024)
The master of massive steel structure was one of the most admired and consequential sculptors of the past 50 years
Richard Serra, creator of audacious steel sculptures, has died aged 85
The American sculptor received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale
From the archive: Richard Serra discusses why the moving body is so important to him and the use of steel as a material in its own right
The acclaimed US sculptor tells The Art Newspaper why he never thought there would be an audience for his work
Richard Serra remembered and an Expressionist art special
Donna De Salvo, senior adjunct curator of special projects at Dia Art Foundation, reflects on the work of the late American sculptor, plus we speak to the organisers of exhibitions of shows on Käthe Kollwitz and the Blue Rider group
Richard Serra steel work to get its own art cabin in the woods at Glenstone
The artist is collaborating with the architect Thomas Phifer to design the new stand-alone gallery
Kunstmuseum Basel presents Serra as you’ve never seen him
Early films and videos by the US artist known for his colossal sculptures are on show
Diary
Proud mum Madonna drops in on son Rocco’s Miami show
His "Pack a Punch" paintings are inspired by Thai boxers
Museum employee hangs his own art in Munich institution—and gets the chop
Budding artist surreptitiously displayed his work alongside art by Andy Warhol
The Birth of Venus in bottle tops—courtesy of Bottlecelli
Supermarket chain Lidl commissioned a new version of the 15th-century masterpiece
The show to see in Venice with your bosom buddy
Exhibition 'celebrates the iconography and symbolism of breasts', with works by Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Marcel Duchamp and Laure Prouvost
The business of Basquiat—Taylor Swift's beau produces new documentary while Gagosian shows LA works
Travis Kelce, the American football star who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, is making a programme about the late street artist
Obituaries
Dinh Q. Lê, master of multimedia art and mentor to fellow artists across southeast Asia, has died, aged 56
Vietnamese-American artist, best known for his distinctive photo-weaving works, made powerful statements in photography, video, sculpture and installation that challenged politics, history and memory
Richard Serra, creator of audacious steel sculptures, has died aged 85
The American sculptor received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale
Antoine Predock, architect of distinctive museums in the US and Canada, has died, aged 87
His Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Tang Teaching Museum and Tacoma Art Museum were typical of an approach that melded modernism and post-modernism into a characteristically unpredictable aesthetic
Lucas Samaras, tirelessly adventurous New York artist, has died, aged 87
The Greek American artist was always willing to try new forms and materials, working across sculpture, photography, performance, installation and more
Remembering Jacob Rothschild, banker, collector, philanthropist, and a towering figure in the British art world
A scion of the famous banking dynasty, he led the National Gallery, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Waddesdon Manor
Adventures with Van Gogh
Adventures with Van Gogh is a weekly blog by Martin Bailey, our long-standing correspondent and expert on the artist. Published every Friday, his stories range from newsy items about this most intriguing artist to scholarly pieces based on his own meticulous investigations and discoveries.
‘That truly is nature’: the inspiring story behind four spring scenes Van Gogh painted just weeks after mutilating his ear
The optimistic April paintings were produced at an extremely challenging time for the artist
Green is the New Black
In this monthly column, our correspondent Louisa Buck looks at how the art industry is responding to our climate and ecological crisis
How an art centre in a former power station is harnessing the word ‘no’ to help save the planet
Germany’s E-Werk Luckenwalde, which seeks to be environmentally friendly in all aspects of its work, is hosting a festival that highlights the wide-ranging potential of restraint
Book Club
A golden age for photobooks? As publishers join forces we find out what the future holds
The London-based publisher Mack is acquiring smaller firms and widening its visual culture coverage
An expert's guide to Frank Auerbach: three must-read books (and a film) on the German-British painter
All you ever wanted to know about Auerbach, from a biography by one of his sitters to a collection of essays about his drawings—selected by the Courtauld Gallery curator Barnaby Wright
Former Tate Britain director Penelope Curtis on why she became a novelist
As the art historian makes the move into fiction writing, she tells us how learning about her family history inspired her
April Book Bag: from a survey of artists using words in their work to a Barkley L. Hendricks monograph
Our round-up of the latest art publications
Books
New book reveals how art dealer Léonce Rosenberg trod the line between salesman and Modern art's great champion
He declared the auction to be art’s true benchmark, but Rosenberg was also a committed promoter of the avant-garde
Israel-Hamas war
For many in Israel’s art community, protests have replaced practice
Six months after 7 October, Israeli artists and arts workers remain active in popular movements calling for the release of hostages and ousting of Benjamin Netanyahu
‘Met Museum, you’re complicit’: artists and activists take over museum’s front steps with giant pro-Palestine quilt
A two-hour rally at the New York museum drew many supportive cheers and honks, plus a handful of antagonistic shouts
Israel in contravention of UN court ruling as it carries out ‘genocidal military campaign’ in Gaza, new Forensic Architecture report says
Report refutes Israel’s claims in The Hague that it has implemented "humanitarian measures" to prevent the loss of civilian life
German museum director at centre of row over cancelled Candice Breitz exhibition steps down
Andrea Jahn will leave her post four months after Breitz's show was cancelled over her views on the conflict in Gaza
Neon work in Whitney Biennial features unexpected ‘free Palestine’ message
The biennial’s curators were unaware of the statement in a work by Demian DinéYazhi’ prior to the exhibition preview
The Week in Art
A podcast bringing you the latest news from the art world, every week
The Week in Art podcast | Marlborough Gallery closes, Rose B. Simpson in New York, Caravaggio’s final painting
Looking back at the history of the pioneering dealership in post-war art, plus a thought-provoking new installation in Madison Square Park and Caravaggio's The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula