
Ben Luke
Ben Luke is a contributing editor and podcast host at The Art Newspaper
Should looted colonial art be returned?
We weigh up the arguments for and against the restitution of African art taken during the colonial period with Vicky Ngari-Wilson, Nicholas Thomas and Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Olafur Eliasson's latest work is melting away on the bank of the Thames in London
Public sculpture unveiled to coincide with the COP24 climate summit in Poland
2018 in contemporary art: the themes of Documenta 14 dominated much art over the past year
Contemporary artists are making art from adversity
The year in heritage: conservators become art
The conservation of masterpieces is happening in the full glare of the public
From counting muddles to collective cuddles: the art world's highs and lows of 2018
The people, places and things that had a year to remember—or to forget
Olafur Eliasson on climate change. Plus, Art Basel in Miami Beach
The artist tells us about bringing ice blocks to London, we discuss the threat of sea level rise on heritage sites, and trace the changing cultural landscape of Miami. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
'A moment of total crisis in Europe' prompted Edmund de Waal to sell his prized netsuke collection
The artist and author tells The Art Newspaper podcast about his motives behind selling the Japanese figures and lending them back to Vienna—the city from which his family fled
'I wouldn’t be here were it not for public funding': Turner Prize-winner Charlotte Prodger makes case for state support for the arts
Glasgow-based artist won the coveted award for her intimate videos filmed entirely on an iPhone
Exclusive interview with Edmund de Waal, plus Roma persecution
How artists fight persecution is explored with the artist and author of the Hare with Amber Eyes and Krzysztof Gil, who describes the chilling history of "Roma hunting". Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
How Paul McCartney helped Richard Hamilton create the Beatles' iconic White Album
On The Art Newspaper podcast, we celebrate 50 years of one of the world's greatest records of all time with a look at how the distinctive plain cover was designed
Edward Woodman: the light and space of a golden era
UK retrospective freeze-frames often ephemeral works from the 1980s and 1990s
The Beatles' White Album: the band, the artist, the dealer. Plus, art in Dubai
We talk to Andrew Wilson at the Tate and Harriet Vyner about one of the greatest albums, and album covers, of all time. And we visit the new Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
David Hockney: exclusive interview with the world's most expensive living artist
We talk to David Hockney about Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), which broke an auction record this week, selling at Christie's New York for $90.3m with fees. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Andy Warhol (part two): Jeremy Deller, Shadows
The British artist tells us about hanging out in the Factory and we get the story behind the Shadow paintings on show in New York . Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Andy Warhol (part one): Whitney curator Donna De Salvo on the key moments of the king of Pop art's career
From his early life as a commercial artist to his celebrity portraits, as well as his relationship with a certain Donald Trump. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Surreal ideas about sex: how Dorothea Tanning and Leonor Fini resisted being pigeonholed by their gender
On The Art Newspaper podcast this week, we explore the life and work of two women connected to Surrealism whose work had until recently been overlooked
Don’t call me a woman artist: overlooked Surrealists. Plus, Klimt/Schiele
We talk to Alyce Mahon, the curator of the Dorothea Tanning exhibition in Madrid, and adviser for the Leonor Fini show in New York about the art and life of the two surrealist artists. Plus, as a spate of shows open in Europe and the US, we discuss how Klimt and Schiele compare. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Dull, dim and dusty no more: British Museum's new Islamic galleries bring collection out of the shadows
Light and spacious Albukhary Foundation Gallery is a huge transformation for the London institution, says Jane Jakeman
Three exhibitions to see in London this weekend
From the idealistic beauty of Edward Burne-Jones to the dystopian nightmares of Cold War Steve
Bruce Nauman’s New York takeover. Plus, the British Museum dusts down its Islamic art galleries
We talk to the curator Kathy Halbreich about the giant two-part Bruce Nauman retrospective at MoMA and MoMA PS1. Plus, the specialist in Islamic studies Jane Jakeman reviews the new Islamic displays at London’s British Museum. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Gainsborough murder mystery. Plus, RoseLee Goldberg on performance art
We travel back to the 18th century and delve into the grisly family murders that helped Gainsborough gain fame. Plus, RoseLee Goldberg tell us all about her new book Performance Now: Live Art for the 21st century. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
A monument to the Holocaust in textile: Anni Albers’s Six Prayers
On this week’s podcast, we hear about the solemn memorial at the heart of Tate Modern’s survey of the Bauhaus artist
In the Sotheby’s saleroom with the self-destructing Banksy, plus Bauhaus pioneer Anni Albers
We go behind the scenes of one of the most publicised stunts in auction history with our correspondent Anny Shaw who was there that evening. Then we get a tour of Tate Modern's Anni Albers retrospective with its curator Briony Fer, speak to the artist's biographer Charles Darwent and the head of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Nicholas Fox Weber. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
The National’s 'sweetest song': how Ragnar Kjartansson convinced US rock band to play a song repeatedly for six hours
Icelandic artist's video work is in New Museum's pop-up show in London
In pictures: six budding stars at Frieze London
The Focus section for younger galleries and artists is always the most dynamic element of the fair
Artists’ battle for refugees is beginning to pay off
Amid the din of cynical populists the voices of these fragile communities are needed more than ever
Frieze special: the fair and the top shows, with Doris Salcedo and Ragnar Kjartansson
We talk to the art market specialist Melanie Gerlis about the fair, to Doris Salcedo and Ragnar Kjartansson about their shows, Massimiliano Gioni about the New Museum’s video-art pop-up in London—and Louisa Buck discusses Frieze's special Social Work section. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Francis Upritchard: the confessions of a magpie Kiwi
The New Zealand-born artist’s show at the Barbican Art Gallery reflects her diverse approach to materials, including a rare Brazilian rubber called balata
Special: the rise and rise of contemporary African art
On the eve of the 1-54 fair for contemporary African art, we talk to an artist, a curator, an art fair founder, a gallerist and an auctioneer about the long overdue recognition of the diverse art of a continent. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
Van Gogh’s postman didn't deliver: how Samuel Courtauld swapped portrait for famous Sunflowers
In this week’s podcast, hear how the British collector changed his mind and acquired the National Gallery's star attraction