“Vladimir Potanin has advised the Board of Trustees of his decision to step down as Trustee effective immediately,” the museum said. “The Guggenheim accepts this decision and thanks Mr. Potanin for his service to the Museum and his support of exhibition, conservation and educational programs. - Hyperallergic
According to the 2021 State of Artistic Freedom Report by Freemuse, Russia detained 17 artists in 2020, a number exceeded only by Cuba. Artists are regularly fined, detained, and sentenced to prison, usually for political dissent or falling foul of the notorious “gay propaganda” law passed in 2013. - Hyperallergic
Or are the painting actually not very old at all? "Where Dr. Iriarte’s team sees potential giant ground sloths and Pleistocene horses, Dr. Urbina and Dr. Peña see modern capybaras and horses." - The New York Times
It's not simple: "Creating these immense light installations isn't a matter of changing some lightbulbs. The Kennedy Center Production Department used 48 sheets of lighting gels and a 67-foot lift to place the gels over 144 lights." - NPR
In short, one artist's work was removed for being "antisemitic," and then other artists covered their work in protest, the museum's chief curator resigned, and now the museum has closed. - The Observer (UK)
An intellectual property lawyer explains: "The fundamental issue, I think, is that fashion companies are under pressure to produce large volumes of new and fashionable goods, so their designers often go for the quick fix." And artists can rarely afford to pursue legal action. - The Observer (UK)
Anthony Amore, chief of security for the Gardner museum, tells Boston 25 News that a recent tipster prompted officials to take another look at the murder of career criminal Jimmy Marks, a known career criminal, because the killing may have possible links to the heist. - Smithsonian
"Due to our carefully built relationship," said a statement from the Dutch satellite, "we had access to one of the world's most famous art collections that we could use to complement our exhibitions. ... The recent attack by Russia on Ukraine means that neutrality is no longer tenable." - ARTnews
The ruins of the Parthian city, located 70 miles southwest of Mosul, were occupied by ISIS from 2015 to 2017; as usual, they destroyed every ancient statue they could get their hands on. Three large Hatra sculptures have now been pieced back together, with more in progress. - The Art Newspaper
In the 12 months since, something like $44 billion has been spent on about six million NFTs, usually issued to certify digital creations but sometimes for physical objects like paintings and sculptures.
The rocket fired on March 1 was aimed at the Ukrainian capital's main TV/radio tower, adjacent to the site of the largest single massacre of the Holocaust. A Jewish cemetery and building set to be used as a museum were hit, but the main memorial and synagogue are intact. - Forward
More than 6,500 Russian architects, designers and urban planners have signed an open letter to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and "demand the immediate end of violent war". - Dezeen
What was promised to be a beautifully-designed, Pokémon-inspired NFT project called Pixelmon turned out to be a huge mess of irredeemably ugly pixel art — and investors are now furious. - Futurism
"Part bastion, part Brutalist Hanging Gardens of Babylon," it's is a city-within-a-city in the heart of old London, with apartments, schools, pubs, an artificial lake, and a major arts complex. In 1982 as now, some adore it, some abhor it, and everyone finds it confusing to navigate. - The Guardian
