The vessel belonged to King Khufu (aka Cheops), builder of the Great Pyramid — near which the boat was discovered in 1954 and excavated in 2014. The 137-foot-long structure, made of 1,540 wooden pieces, is being reassembled in the exhibition hall of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened earlier this year. - AP
“While there were some new finds like the oldest blue pigment discovered in Europe, a rare hieroglyphic decree identified in Egypt, and an elite Moche residence unearthed in Northern Peru, a number of archaeological studies took a deeper dive into previously known sites and artifacts.” - ARTnews
The current erosion of the art market is not a cyclical contraction; it is the result of oversaturation and a speculative economy in which artworks have functioned as fictitious capital, reinforced by a liquidity crisis where overextended galleries frequently find themselves prioritizing rising commercial overhead over timely payments to artists. - ARTnews
A joint project headed by the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria in Perugia, which has officially worked with the Basilica’s guardians for the past decade, and the engineering department of Perugia University aims to determine whether AI can help reconstruct the shattered section. - The Art Newspaper
Overall, when it came to galleries, the dominant vibe was one of endings more than beginnings—and it continued a building drumbeat. Those who closed or significantly downsized in 2025, after all, joined others that have expired in previous years. - ARTnews
“Nyuserra’s sun temple, which is located in Abu Ghurab about 10 miles south of Cairo, was composed of two parts: the previously excavated upper temple and the valley temple (alongside the Nile), which Massimiliano Nuzzolo began work on in 2024.” - Artnet
“Arbitration clauses are interpreted literally, but not foolishly,” the new filing argues. It asks the court to enter an order compelling Suda to submit to arbitration, and to stay legal proceedings until the matter is resolved in arbitration. - Philadelphia Inquirer
Long-term loans are not restitution. They do not acknowledge historical wrongdoing, nor do they restore agency to source communities. Instead, they reinforce a museum’s claim of ownership over objects it has no moral (and often legal) right to possess. - Hyperallergic
The main takeaway, for me, is that museums have a vulnerability—a technical, physical vulnerability—that is mirrored by the vulnerability of the public’s reaction, the idea that you can be culturally wounded in a profound collective manner. - The New Yorker
It felt like visiting your childhood home stripped of its furniture — intimately familiar yet deeply disorienting. How would Paris get through five years without this place? - The New York Times
“Starting on 1 February 2026, the Italian capital is introducing €2 tickets for tourists to descend the steps to the area around the water-filled basin - from where it is customary to toss a coin into the fountain. Viewing the aquatic masterpiece from the piazza above will remain free.” - Euronews
Staffers are feeling cautiously hopeful about new CEO Daniel Weiss. The “cautiously” part would seem to be because of what staffers have been through over the previous three years. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
As some political leaders double down on the old memorial language, they ask: What if we thought of our memorials as works in progress, to be improved, edited, reconfigured and even deleted? - Washington Post
“Funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253 ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." - Washington Post
This year’s highlights include the remodeling of a Richard Seifert brutalist ‘corncob’ tower, a celebration of Japanese carpentry and a wearable hot-water bottle. - The Guardian
