Politics

Another casualty of the culture wars

Damage to the Egyptian Museum is just the latest example of the politicisation of archaeology.

Filmsarchive

Art on the big screen: Documenting feminism and how women changed the (art) world

Lynn Hershman Leeson’s film is an invaluable historical record of the feminist art movement in the US

Polandarchive

Poland’s National Museum champions gay rights: critics up in arms

“Ars Homo Erotica” exhibition runs 11 June to 5 Septmber

Iranarchive

Discovery of fragment belonging to British Museum's Cyrus cylinder further defers loan to Iran

This development has done little to alleviate lingering tensions between Iran and Britain

First evidence of damage to Gaza’s cultural sites emerges

Antiquities museum hit; fears grow for excavated archaeology.

British Army to help Iraq turn Saddam Hussein’s Lakeside Palace into a museum

British Museum also offers to assist Iraqis to present antiquities

Islamarchive

Muslim woman questioned for wearing veil in Venetian Museum

Incident sparks national debate about security; government and city take opposing stance

Newsarchive

Daniel Libeskind in war of words with Berlusconi

The architect has described the Italian Prime Minister as a xenophobe who “hates foreigners” and compares his government to the Fascist regime

March 2008archive

Why the US military's proposal to dispose of Saddam Hussein’s Victory Monument is misguided

They represent good and bad aspects of Iraq’s modern history and cannot simply be obliterated

Australiaarchive

New government in Australia?

Former rock star would be Minister for Arts and Environment

Tehranarchive

Iran's Saba Cultural Institute announces Russian Orthodox icons show

The news comes as unexpected due to suppression of religion freedom in the nation

Israelarchive

Israel appoints Arab Muslim culture minister

Ghaleb Majadle has been a member of Israel’s Knesset since 2004.

Italyarchive

Italian archaeologists arrive in Iran for citadel of Bam restoration project

The Italian government is giving financial assistance in the 2,000 year-old site's repair, after it was badly affected by an earthquake

Iranarchive

Danish artists' group Parallel Action plans Iranian revolution via an appeal to the arts

With the Danish Arts Council's blessing, Thomas Altheimer and Nielsen will travel to the Middle East this autumn

Iranarchive

Iran takes first step in reconstruction of Samarra mosque, a casualty of sectarian reprisals in Iraq

The shrine's restoration, which will be paid for by private sector investment, has been the subject of a deal brokered between ICHTO and the Iraqi Ministry of Culture

Louvre gets a taste of US sponsorship as Atlanta's High Museum pays $10m to borrow works by Raphael, Rembrandt and Velázquez

The money will restore the French museum's 18th-century decorative art galleries and the collaboration seeks to improve US-French relations in the wake of the Iraq War

National Portrait gallery plays host to Blair as Tate Modern passes on Labour Party's party

Due to a policy not to allow political events, the Tate declined to host Tony Blair's shindig

Iranarchive

Sami Azar reinstated as director of Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art following protests by artists

“This is the only time in Iran that a cultural manager has been supported by artists like this”, he tells The Art Newspaper

Iranarchive

Ali-Reza Sami Azar, director of Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art, has stepped down

Whilst the motivation behind his departure is unexplained, his career, driven by his reformist values, has left its mark on Iranian culture

Iranarchive

Franco-Iranian accord decrees the two nations will collaborate in archaeological ventures

Two heads are better than one, as the question of how best to preserve historic ruins is yet to receive a definitive answer

Iranarchive

National Museum of Iran exhibition to tour five Japanese cities

The costs of bringing "Iranian splendour" overseas will be covered by the Japanese royal family

Iraqarchive

Zainab Bahrani, cultural advisor to Iraq's provisional government, resigns after three months

In an article Bahrani wrote for the Guardian, she stated “[We have seen the] active destruction of the archaeological and historical record of the land”

Iraqarchive

Iraq's Ministry of Culture takes reins from Coalition Provisional Authority as Zainab Bahrani is elected as senior consultant

The US-Iraqi academic has turned her attention to addressing the unauthorised excavation of archaeological sites

Lawarchive

Under Article 7 of United Nations Resolution 1483, UK citizens who refuse to consign Iraqi artefacts are partaking in criminal activity

If an item is not immediately handed over to a “constable”, its owner could be receiving a prison sentence, even if he has legal title to the object

While Tehran and the West clash over Iran's nuclear programme, their museums keep communication diplomatic

The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago's decision to restitute a set of 300 ancient clays tablets to Iran is proof of strengthening ties

Iraqarchive

Iran offers to help Iraq protect its heritage

By expressing their wish to join an international cultural task force, Iran acknowledges the mutual cultural history that ties the two countries

Politicsarchive

Disagreement between France and Spain on cultural protectionism

President Aznar of Spain stated that cultural protectionism was “the refuge of a country whose culture is in decline”

Iraqarchive

The Coalition Provisional Authority is considering a proposal to send Iraq's Nimrud gold on a global tour

The exhibition could raise money to repair the ransacked National Museum of Iraq