VISUAL

Ancient Roman “Curse Tablet” Translated

Dutch archaeologists found this curse tablet in a pit beneath Heerlen‘s town hall square. Archaeologists often frequent this area situated amid the former site of Coriovallum, a Roman military settlement along the Via Belgica, which once connected Belgium’s Tongeren region to Cologne.  - Artnet

Archaeologists Discovery Intact Ancient Mayan City

Located deep within the jungles of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, the city—which the researchers have named “Minanbé,” a Maya Yucatec phrase meaning “there is no road”—had been hidden by vegetation for over a thousand years. - ARTnews

NYC’s Street-Scaffolding Sheds Are Ugly. Can We Design Something Better?

The city wants structures that will go up smoothly, look good while they last, and go away quickly. Those are separate goals, none of them easy to achieve. - New York Magazine (MSN)

The New Republic’s 20 Images That Define American History

In 15 photographs, four paintings, and one very iconic sculpture, “a visual chronicle of the national experience, from Iwo Jima to Emmett Till to January 6.” - The New Republic

Vatican Begins First-Ever Restoration Of Raphael Frescoes In Apostolic Palace

“The Vatican Museums on Wednesday announced the start of a five-year, $5.5 million project to clean and restore the Raphael Loggia, a 65-meter (yard) long, 4-meter (yard) wide corridor that is considered one of the highest expressions of Renaissance figurative art.” - AP

Warning: European Museums Vulnerable To Cyberattacks

The warning comes less than three years after the British Museum revealed that about 2,000 objects had been stolen, damaged or gone missing from its collections over a period of years, in a scandal that led to the resignation of its director, Hartwig Fischer. - The Guardian

The Barnes Picks A New Chief Curator

Connie Choi is currently curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, where she has worked for nearly a decade. At the Studio Museum, she worked closely with Thelma Golden, its director and chief curator, to map out the museum’s curatorial vision, including its recent reopening last fall. - ARTnews

Is LA’s New AI Art Museum A Whole New Genre Of Contemporary Art?

In 2023 Jerry Saltz said Refik Anadol’s Unsupervised at MoMA was just a fancy lava lamp. He took that criticism and turned it into Dataland, which is so immersive, so expansive and incredible, (it) feels like an official ushering into our new contemporary art world. - Artnet

Air Conditioned Museums In Europe Become “Refuges From The Heat” During This Week’s Heat Wave

"When I see people taking refuge for an hour in a supermarket, I say to myself: 'Why shouldn't the museum be a place of respite, rather than cafés or shops?' - Le Monde

How Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch’s Lunch With Trump Went

Over chicken and gravy, Trump asked Bunch his opinion on four chandelier samples for the Oval Office; discussed the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which Trump has proposed painting white; and talked about Republican calls to relocate the space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum annex to Houston. - ARTnews

Museum Curator In San Francisco Terminated After His Arrest For Secret Bathroom Video

“The Cartoon Art Museum has parted ways with Andrew Farago, the longtime curator and public face of the San Francisco institution who was arrested this month after Berkeley police said he secretly recorded guests using a bathroom during a party at his home.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

LA’s New Metro Stations: A Tale Of Two Design Realities

The stations, too, feel more connected, with art, architecture and infrastructure blending seamlessly into a cohesive experience, a tribute to Metro’s sharpened design approach and its ever-evolving commitment to public art. But above ground, it’s a tale of two (transit) cities. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Art Removed From London’s National Portrait Gallery Over Churchill Reference

An artwork by a Turner prize-winning artist has been removed from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) after a row about the role Winston Churchill played in the 1943 Bengal famine. - The Guardian

Stolen Picasso Discovered During Drug Trafficking Raid Near Paris

“Officers in the Brigade des Stupéfiants discovered the artwork on 15 June while carrying out a routine search of a house owned by the aunt of a suspected drug dealer. … The artwork has not been publicly named by France’s Alliance Police Nationale, who said it is worth ‘tens of millions’ of euros.” - The Independent (UK)

Germany And The Netherlands Will Return 2,000 Artifacts To Ghana

The repatriation was announced by Ghana’s foreign minister during a conference in Accra, but no information on the types of artifacts or the timeline for their return was released. - ARTnews

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss