VISUAL

America’s Most-Visited Museums In 2025

Despite unsteadiness across the museum industry, the country's most-visited institutions remained relatively stable. - NPR

Can The Louvre’s New Director Right The Ship?

The former head of the Château de Versailles, Christophe Leribault arrived after Des Cars’s desperate five-month struggle to save her job came to an end. A string of management failures had been confirmed in stinging reports from various bodies and parliamentary hearings in the wake of the heist. - The Art Newspaper

Uffizi Hit By Cyberattack

The Uffizi said it had been targeted by a cyberattack on February ​1, but added that nothing had been stolen and no information lost. ⁠It also denied that the hackers had obtained security maps or that employees' phones had ​been infiltrated. - Reuters

Dali Made Some Iffy Choices, Including Layering Whites And Then Varnishing Them

“Dalí prescribes this very method, deeming zinc white the color with which ‘you will achieve the most absolute whites in your picture.’ But chemically speaking, this approach causes problems.” - Artnet

After 11 Years In Court, Heirs Reclaim A Modigliani Looted By The Nazis

“The claim, registered in a New York lawsuit filed in 2015, has long been disputed by the Nahmad family, a prominent dynasty of art dealers that wields enormous power in the international art market.” But a federal judge (finally) ruled for the claimants. - The New York Times

China Orders Audit Of All Its Museums After Nanjing Scandal

China has ordered a sweeping, nationwide audit of its state-run museums after a scandal at one of its top institutions revealed that national treasures had quietly slipped into the private market, according to Hong Kong newspaper South Morning China Post. - ARTnews

Who Should Design New York City’s Next Wave Of Iconic Buildings?

New York is missing out on the ideas of designers who could find surprising paths through an obstacle course of conventions, whose experience with the constraints and cultures of other continents might loosen New York’s rigid set of habits. - New York Magazine

Cyberattackers Strike Uffizi Galleries In Florence

The museums’ management acknowledged an attack earlier this year, but denied any major security breach or theft of data. The statement came ‌after Corriere della Sera reported that hackers had infiltrated the galleries’ network, taken control of the photographic ​server, and sent a ransom demand ‌to the director’s personal phone. - Reuters (Yahoo!)

Workers Who Built Monumental Hindu Temple In New Jersey Allege Abuse, Health Damage

The 185-acre Baps Swaminarayan Akshardham, completed in 2023 and known for its intricate carvings in white stone, has for years faced allegations of visa fraud and maltreatment of its construction workers and artisans. Now some of those workers says they’ve developed bronchitis and silicosis, with two having died. - The Guardian

Trump’s Plans For His Presidential “Library” Pretty Much Says It All

It’s hard to imagine a more finely tuned machine than the Trump Presidential Library, a glass-walled Miami tower whose video renderings were released by the president’s son Eric on Monday night. The project has a balance sheet that would make a developer blush. - The Atlantic

Major Years-Long Renovation Of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water Complete

Despite several previous conservation campaigns, a carefully executed programme of works targeting its roofing, glazing systems, and masonry envelope was necessary. - Dezeen

“The Dawn Of The Three-Minute Heist”: Considering The Fallout From The Latest Museum Robbery

“How and why is this incident different from the Louvre theft, which targeted the royal jewels? How will investigations play out? Perhaps most importantly, what are the chances of recovering these priceless paintings? We put these questions to the world’s top museum security and art theft experts. Here’s what we found out.” - Artnet

2,500-Year-Old Golden Helmet Stolen Last Year Has Been Found

A gang of robbers used explosives to break into the Drents Museum in the northern Netherlands in January of last year. They smashed display cases and made off with the 5th-century BC golden Helmet of Coțofenești and three gold bracelets. Announcement of their recovery was made by star art detective Arthur Brand. - CBS News

Lego Set To Release Its Largest-Ever Set, Of Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia In Barcelona

News of the upcoming set, part of the company’s Architecture series, was leaked by a long-time leaker known as Chief Wiggum, whose predictions have proven true in the past. - Dezeen

Trump And The Golden Idol In His Proposed “Library”

There is one recent development upon which we really should all agree — erecting a gold statue of President Trump in the middle of his proposed presidential library is a No Good, Very Bad Idea. - Los Angeles Times

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