Politics
An open letter to Chris Bryant, the tenth UK arts minister in ten years
Labour’s pre-election arts manifesto, Creating Growth, included policies to put the arts back into education and bring museums into line with universities on open data
International arts community calls for reinstatement of Slovak National Gallery director
At least 360 professionals sign open letter in defence of Alexandra Kusá, who was sacked alongside the head of the national theatre
Slovak National Gallery director dismissed by culture minister
Alexandra Kusá's removal follows the ouster of National Theatre director Matej Drlička
Artists and organisations respond to massive Bangladesh protests
Photographers Shahidul Alam and Munem Wasif document upheaval as prime minister flees the country
Second lawsuit to halt development of mega-spa on Toronto Modernist landscape is dismissed
The fate of the landmarked Ontario Science Centre also hangs in the balance of the redevelopment dispute over Ontario Place
‘All activities are dormant’: how the Kenya anti-government protests are affecting artists
As demonstrations continue, artists reflect on the violence and how police suspicion is limiting their ability to work
French culture sector expresses relief after parliamentary elections—but what's next?
After a successful campaign to help block the far-right National Rally from winning a majority, arts bodies, much like the rest of the country, face an uncertain future
How Indian PM Narendra Modi’s weaponising of heritage backfired in Ayodhya
The politician lost the Faizabad constituency in which he built the controversial Ram temple
Banksy hits back at UK home secretary, saying the detention of his migrant rescue boat in Italy is ‘vile and unacceptable’
British street artist launched an inflatable boat artwork at Glastonbury to highlight the migrant crisis
French parliamentary elections 2024: candidates outline plans for arts and culture
Rassemblement National, New Popular Front and Renaissance politicians discuss policy areas, closing the Centre Pompidou and free entry to museums
Ex-Uffizi chief Eike Schmidt loses bid to become Mayor of Florence
Sara Funaro, a local councillor with the centre-left Democratic Party, reportedly took more than 60% of the vote
Legal challenge to preserve Toronto's Ontario Place rejected as mega-spa project moves forward
In addition, it was discovered that the provincial government agreed to pay almost C$1m to make its controversial case for moving the Ontario Science Centre, which closed permanently Friday due to structural decay
Singapore’s guitar-strumming new prime minister sparks hopes of more artistic support and freedom
Lawrence Wong has shown signals that he intends to support arts-related initiatives with significant funding, though entrenched societal attitudes mean concerns about censorship remain
‘A brutal adjustment’: Argentine cultural workers feel the pain of president Milei’s cuts
Mass layoffs at the national library and the defunding of a critical film institute are just the beginning, the administration has promised
US authorities return 38 antiquities to China
Even amid political tensions between the superpowers, officials from both countries emphasised the importance of continued collaboration on antiquities trafficking
New show in Tbilisi revisits Georgia's Soviet-era as protests against 'foreign agent' law rage across the country
The proposed bill has also been referred to as the 'Russia law'
All change at the Venice Biennale’s Polish pavilion after initial artist is ousted by new, centrist government
Open Group collective has shifted focus to neighbouring Ukraine after Ignacy Czwartos is deselected
Artists including Jeremy Deller, Es Devlin and Cornelia Parker form climate and social justice group with Brian Eno, Danny Boyle and others
The wide-ranging group, a kind of think tank for creative resistance, calls itself Hard Art
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
In Javier Milei’s Argentina, artists—like everyone else—face uncertainty and scarcity
Since taking office, the country’s far-right president has created a situation where millions of people are slowly being pushed to their limits
From shadow bans to privacy laws: how the internet has become less free—by stealth
The chilling of artistic freedom is impacting artists and those they connect with
Canaries in the coal mine: is the art world facing a rising tide of censorship?
The death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month, after years of confinement in a Siberian jail, and subsequent quelling of protest, emphasised the flourishing of censorship across a globe riven by geopolitical crises, in a year when democracy is put to the test in more than 70 countries. With the threat of electoral misinformation being boosted by AI-generated content and social media algorithms, artists have been warning of new kinds of censorship. The effect is being felt in real life, online and in social media
Despite the no vote, Australia reinforces First Nations voices
While a referendum to recognise Indigenous people failed, the country’s cultural institutions are striving to reflect their lives
How Poland’s new government has begun shaking up the arts sector
Donald Tusk’s coalition is revoking cultural leadership appointments made by the previous right-wing regime—but is cancelling Poland’s Venice Biennale artist a step too far?
Istanbul mayor sees culture as ‘locomotive’ in re-election bid
Restoring ancient city’s heritage sites and opening Modern art venues is central to Ekrem İmamoğlu’s campaign
Taiwan’s cultural sector seeks higher profile as country heads to polls
As three contenders battle it out to become president, artists plead for them to see there is more to Taiwan than semiconductors
The Parthenon Marbles and the myth of the slippery slope
There are some very spurious arguments coming from those resisting the return of the marbles to Greece
Polish pavilion selection at Venice Biennale gets political as rejected artist cries censorship
Ignacy Czwartos was chosen to represent Poland but his exhibition concept has been ditched by the new government
India's first family of art looks back over 60 years of history and politics
Anniversary exhibition at Mumbai's oldest gallery, Chemould Prescott Road, dusted off the archives, featuring artists such as Mithu Sen and Atul Dodiya
A change of regime in Poland presents challenges and opportunities for the culture sector
After eight years of the right-wing PiS-led government, breaking down the silos in the country's arts sector will be key