As protests engulf Paris, the Art Basel fair opened this week in the French capital and then it was announced that the fair would conclude on Friday, and not open as scheduled this weekend. The Art Newspaper’s global editor-in-chief, Ben Sutton, and our chief contributing editor, Gareth Harris, visited the fair before the announcement of the weekend closure and we hear what they made of it and the various satellite events and exhibitions around it.
Art Basel Paris in the Grand Palais this year
Courtesy of Art Basel
In Latin America, Brazil goes to the polls this weekend amid a so-called “blue wave” in which rightwing governments have come to power, often with the support of the US president, Donald Trump. Culture—and culture wars—have been central to their message and Ben Luke talks to our correspondent based in Buenos Aires, Mercedes Ezquiaga, about the weaponisation of the arts and heritage across the continent.
Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella ordered that dozens of objects related to LGBTQ+ rights and feminism be taken down from displays at the Museo Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá, sparking protests
Courtesy Fundación LGBTI
And this episode’s Work of the Week is the “Blue China” Celestial Map by Yunyou Sanren, made in 1822. It is part of Night Maps, an exhibition at the Warburg Institute in London. Our digital editor, Alexander Morrison, spoke to John Tresch, one of the curators of the exhibition, about the work.
Yunyou Sanren's Celestial Map “Blue China” (1822)
©The Sunderland Collection
- Art Basel Paris, until 23 October.
- Night Maps, The Warburg Institute, London, until 17 April 2027.