News

British artist John Akomfrah wins £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize

The Ghanaian-born film-maker’s work draws on themes like migration, colonialisation and the environment

Let it pour: Rain Room to stay in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Museum of Art has acquired the popular interactive installation

Christo cancels Over the River project in protest against Trump

After 20 years of planning and spending $15m of his own money, the artist says he has no interest in finishing the project under the current government

The artists who have chosen to stay in Syria

While most have fled the conflict, some remained to document the suffering

‘Operation Pandora’: police in Spain and Cyprus lead major bust of antiquities traffickers

The effort, which involved 18 countries, resulted in 75 arrests and the seizure of around 3,500 objects

MFA Boston to bring experts together with $24m overhaul of conservation centre

New facilities will encourage a cross-departmental approach

Old Masters at Sotheby’s New York: our top lots

Choice works by less familiar names go under the hammer this week

Tide rises on Robert Rauschenberg's island retreat

Captiva, the late artist's Florida compound, is "at high risk of storm surge flooding”

'My America': Whitney Museum of American art explores identity on inauguration day

Come along on a tour of the exhibition Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection

Artist creates 'guinea pig' work for researchers to experiment on

Project explores long-term preservation issues of 3D-printed works

Russian team creates 3D model to preserve Palmyra as fighting intensifies

As another monument in Palmyra is destroyed by extremists, the detailed record of the ancient city becomes ever more precious

National Gallery finally takes the Fourth Plinth to its heart

London museum embraces proposals for the works on this year’s plinth as opportunity to engage the public

MoMA turns to Paris dealer to sell deaccessioned Dubuffet

Painting is one of two works from the New York museum that Applicat-Prazan will take to major fairs<br>

Cuban collector’s heirs settle over Wifredo Lam painting that resurfaced in Miami

Artist’s son warns of real and fake works flowing out of Cuba

Deal or no deal? Phoenix Ancient Art sues Getty over billion-dollar Greek and Roman sculpture collection

The Swiss dealership says the museum cut it out of an arrangement to show the art, but the museum says they never had a deal

Berlin and Biesenbach, 25 years on

Klaus Biesenbach recalls co-founding the city’s influential KW Institute for Contemporary Art as a medical student

Israel can hide archaeological activity in West Bank, court rules

The decision, which allows secret digs, raises serious questions about transparency

Row in Rome over proposed plan to fence-off Spanish Steps

Opponents criticise anti-vandalism measures to seal off Roman staircase at night and to ban seating—and snacking—on it

Feminism and playfulness at heart of United Arab Emirates pavilion in Venice

Group show will include poet and film-director Nujoom Alghanem and recently graduated Sara Al Haddad &nbsp;<br> <br>

Russian protest artist Pyotr Pavlensky seeks political asylum in France

The artist and his family fled the country after the opening of an investigation against him for sexual assault

Is the Ringling Museum's Velázquez the real deal?

Scans reveal the Florida institution's portrait of Philip IV had a fashion-forward makeover

‘The Odyssey of Collecting’: Phillips to auction works from the Joy of Giving Something foundation

A 2014 sale of photographs from the non-profit's collection set an auction record

Manchester arts centre The Factory finally gets off the ground

Council has greenlighted Rem Koolhaas-designed, £110m home of city’s international festival <br>

Ferens Art Gallery reopens to celebrate Hull’s City of Culture year

Rare&nbsp;Renaissance paintings, Francis Bacon’s “Screaming Popes” and the Turner Prize will go on show in the refurbished space<br>

Estorick Collection gets a new look

Italian Modern art gallery reopens this week after £600,000 refurbishment

‘Exemplary’ Rialto Bridge restoration project finishes on time

Work on La Serenissima's oldest bridge is done, but official unveiling will take place during the Venice Biennale

The top ten museum acquisitions of 2016

From a $30m Gentileschi to the Beverly Hills home featured in the Big Lebowski, here's how institutions spent their cash last year

Poland's clampdown on its cultural institutes

Series of high-level dismissals shows the right-wing government’s tightening grip on the arts