Disasters & destruction

Rescue and assessment efforts underway for gutted Brazilian museum

Maintenance was under par at Museum of Natural History and Botanical Gardens of the University of Minas Gerais

The unluckiest museums in the world? Croatia faces string of natural disasters

Zagreb was hit by an earthquake in March at the height of Covid-19, and now by a severe storm

Security questions remain after Nantes cathedral blaze: 'There's no European country where church fires are this common'

An arson investigation has been launched into the fire at the Gothic St Peter and St Paul Cathedral in western France

Controversiesinterview

With demolition of Oslo's Picasso-Nesjar murals imminent, Norwegian sculptor’s daughter speaks out

Carl Nesjar’s daughter talks about the Norwegian sculptor’s long collaboration with the Modern master and shares exclusive images of the pair

Podcastspodcast

The destruction of Australia’s ancient Aboriginal heritage

Plus, art under threat in Putin's Russia and George Shaw on Thomas Jones. Produced in association with Christie's

Hosted by Ben Luke. with guest speaker Sophia Kishkovsky. Produced by Julia Michalska, David Clack and Aimee Dawson

Suspected arson damages Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in San Francisco’s Presidio park

The 100ft-tall sculpture is still standing after a major blaze, but crews will determine if it can remain in place

Mosulnews

Unesco's plan to ‘revive spirit’ of devastated Mosul gets under way

Initiative involves local communities in rebuilding their historic landmarks and neighbourhoods

Mining company Rio Tinto apologises for destruction of 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site

Blasting of two ancient rock shelters at Juukan Gorge was authorised in 2013 by Western Australia state government

Significant art emerged from traumas of the past—will the pandemic prove different?

As the coronavirus crisis stretches on, we look at how artists have captured confinement in recent history and what is being done now

Explosion in chemicals factory threatens Venice with cloud of toxic smoke

The fire is now under control, but the mayor warns people to stay indoors and keep their windows closed

Battle to save concrete Picasso murals in Oslo intensifies after MoMA steps in

“Workers at the Y-Block site have started drilling, but it’s worrying as once they start moving the mural, it will crack,” says co-creator’s daughter

Glasgow School of Art will be back as a 'working art school' but restoration is mired in delays

Almost two years after fire ravaged the Mackintosh building, debate intensifies over future plans for the site

Fire breaks out at Berlin’s Humboldt Forum

Fire service says one person was injured in the blaze caused by a gas cylinder exploding

Thieves arrested for stealing stones from Notre Dame in Paris

Drunk perpetrators may have wanted to sell the items on the black market

Zagreb Cathedral’s spire damaged in major earthquake

City is "fighting two enemies" as it continues to deal with the spread of coronavirus

Mass museum shutdown in northern Italy—including Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Fondazione Prada—as coronavirus spreads

Public and private institutions in Venice, Milan and Turin will stay closed for at least a week as more than 200 cases of Covid-2019 are confirmed

Chinacomment

Where is the West? Art world should be supporting China during coronavirus crisis

Our beleaguered art colleagues need our help and we must not turn our backs on Chinese art institutions, says Philip Dodd, head of Made in China

Coronavirus impact on China’s art world now eclipses Sars

The region’s art scene has experienced relentless growth since the 2002-03 epidemic. Will it be able to recover from the latest health crisis as quickly as it did almost two decades ago?

President Trump blows up Native American grave site for his border wall

“Sacrilegious” act on Unesco-recognised site in Arizona which contains remains of Indigenous peoples

Street art auction in aid of Australian bushfire clean-up includes works by Banksy and Shepard Fairey

The Bushfire Relief Auction in Melbourne has been organised by the collectors Sandra Powell and Andrew King and prices start at £200

The cost of Venice's worst floods since 1966

We survey the multi-million-euro impact of the disaster on the city's cultural heritage sites—and the funds pledged for restoration so far

After fire, Museum of Chinese in America hopes to salvage much of its collection

Curator says that conservators might be able to dry many wet objects in the museum’s archive

Museum of Chinese in America starts fund-raising after loss of its archive in a fire

An estimated 85,000 items are feared lost, including letters, antique wedding dresses and photographs

Governing body of St Mark’s basilica wants to build a Perspex anti-flood wall

Officials warn cathedral cannot take any more damage after the record-breaking floods that hit Venice in November

Venice comment

Venice is in peril: Unesco should come to the aid of Venice as it did after the great flood of 1966

Its official international role, to which Italy signed up, enables it to mobilise world expertise and funds