Politics

Russia's controversial culture minister ousted in Putin's government reshuffle

But Vladimir Medinsky, who has been replaced by Olga Lyubimova, will 'not be left without work' in culture, the Russian President says

Taiwan's re-election of president Tsai Ing-wen is good news for its art world

Politician has been working on professionalising the island nation's cultural sphere

Luanda Leaks: Isabel dos Santos—who owns vast African art collection—accused of making her $2.2bn fortune by exploiting Angola

Dos Santos and her husband Sindika Dokolo own around 3,000 works by artists including William Kentridge and Zanele Muholi

Russian government quits as Putin rewrites constitution—with the help of key cultural leaders

Directors of the State Hermitage Museum and State Tretyakov Gallery are part of a team enlisted to create laws that will allow the president to remain in power

Angola freezes assets of billionaire and her art collector husband

Isabel dos Santos, Africa’s richest woman, is married to Sindika Dokolo who has been working for years on repatriating works to the African continent

Artists react angrily to Tory landslide result in UK general election

Issues raised include the environmental crisis and the future of the Labour party

Artists call for Kyrgyz minister of culture’s resignation in wake of censorship scandal

Open letter argues that censorship of the exhibition Feminnale violated a number of constitutional protections

Banksynews

Banksy transforms bench into Santa's sleigh in new mural highlighting UK homelessness

Street artist posts video of the work praising passersby in Birmingham for stopping and offering food and drink to a man sleeping rough

Polandnews

Lublin governor files defamation suit against art historian sparking free speech fears in Poland

Case against Tomasz Kitliński follows row over installation that marked pogrom sites in the city

Politicscomment

Chile’s neoliberal ideology has co-opted artist’s creativity

The failed economic experiments of the 1970s laid the groundwork for today’s socio-economic crisis

Strikes hit France: here are the museums that are affected

Several institutions have closed, others have cut back their opening times as protests against Macron's retirement reforms sweep the country

The UK's culture secretary conveyor belt: who will be next?

As the election looms this month and Nicky Morgan announces she is standing down, the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport prepares for its latest secretary of state

Turkeynews

Court ruling converting Turkish museum to mosque could set precedent for Hagia Sophia

Decision that Kariye Museum must become a Muslim house of worship again could imperil its Byzantine art and have repercussions for other early Christian monuments

Police use tear gas on protestors outside newly re-opened Hong Kong Museum of Art prompting safety fears for visitors and works

Substance was used during a rally calling for the government to meet the protestors' “five demands”

Budapest’s green mayor puts brakes on €250m New National Gallery

Local politicians block construction on cultural quarter backed by right-wing government, citing “enormous impact on environment”

Three artists among pro-democracy candidates who scored landslide win in Hong Kong elections

Susi Law Wai-shan, Clara Cheung and Wong Tin Yan ran in the elections which had an unprecedented 71.2% turnout

Politicscomment

Art is fuelling the protest movements in Latin America

Demonstrators from Argentina to Puerto Rico are relying on traditional art forms, dances, and music to hold their leaders accountable

Culture ministry failed to vet right-wing religious group close to Steve Bannon

Decision to lease Italian medieval monastery to an organisation affiliated with President Trump’s former chief strategist is blamed on staff shortages

Arts commentators question Conservative Party's controversial £120m ‘festival of Brexit’

Will artists and institutions participate in “national celebration” planned for 2022?

Boris Johnson’s Conservative manifesto promises £250m funding for culture

Although Tory announcement calls it the “largest cultural capital programme in a century”, pledge is only quarter of Labour’s £1bn culture fund

Jeremy Corbyn promises £1bn culture fund in Labour Party election manifesto

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats commit to stopping Brexit and protecting arts funding through the National Lottery

What is art for? Why, to help sell arms, silly!

October saw full deployment of culture in Russian and French political and commercial diplomacy with Saudi Arabia

Rio Art Museum could close due to lack of federal funding

Two directors left the museum last week, and 126 employees have received a dismissal notice

Iraq’s national pavilion at Venice Biennale shut ‘in solidarity with popular youth uprisings’

Iraqi-Kurdish artist Serwan Baran supports the move by the Ruya Foundation, saying “the people will prevail as long as we are with them”

Artist reimagines Louisiana slave uprising with a different outcome

Hundreds to take part in re-enactment of America’s largest slave rebellion, ending with a victorious celebration in New Orleans

London's Roundhouse turns down £1m Sackler grant

The arts and performance venue has refused to accept a £1m grant from the Sackler Trust because of risk it would "distract from its work with young people"

Beirut art spaces close en-masse as huge anti-government protests take over the city

Artists and institutions come out in support of protestors who are demanding political reforms in Lebanon