“The decorated floor covering depicts stylized dolphins and several species of fish. It was located in a home likely owned by a wealthy and powerful family,” which was remodeled in the 3rd or 4th century CE, ensuring the mosaic’s survival. - ARTnews
Anna Dhody “is used to people associating her with the Mütter Museum, where she has been the face of the macabre medical history collection that contains more than 6,000 specimens. But a few months ago, she quietly left her post.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
"In 2019, thieves infiltrated the Fort Knox–like vault at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden and stole more than 4,300 diamonds that once belonged to the kings of Saxony." While some of the treasure is still missing, much of it was recovered when five suspects were arrested in December 2022 and later imprisoned. - Artnet
Why was the museum without a director? Now that is a long story involving the Denver Art Museum, possibly questionable antiquities, and what seemed to some board members like a sudden, surprise firing. - Catalyst
That is to say, in Chile, artists use murals to communicate ideas. One longtime political muralist says, “In the streets, anonymity is important. … It’s the message that is interpreted by the viewer that I care about.” - The Guardian (UK)
“The new city of Nusantara, on the island of Borneo, will replace Jakarta as the national capital, moving the seat of government about 800 miles away. The decades-long project covering hundreds of square miles” is far from finished - but will be inaugurated on Saturday. - The Atlantic
"Bridges across dry riverbeds in the Atacama desert are daubed with slogans demanding the equitable distribution of Chile’s water, and graffiti on rural bus stops demand the restitution of Indigenous lands from forestry companies. Every inch of the bohemian port city Valparaíso is plastered with paint and posters." - The Guardian
"Heavy rain and gale-force winds caused leakage to come through the roof of the structure. Part of the ceiling and several walls sustained water damage, and three of the paintings themselves were affected. The extent of the damage, and the cost of repairs, are still being determined." - Artnet
“The artist’s support organization, Pest Control Office, found all the theorizing about the meaning of each new image ‘way too involved’ and that the artist’s simple vision was to cheer up the public during a bleak period.” - ARTnews
“The Olympics is probably the most competitive sports photography environment on earth. It’s the best photographers who shoot sports all come together. You’ve got to bring your best ideas, your best form, and try and stand out.” - Artnet
Thousands of fans left at loose ends after Swift's Vienna show was called off (due to terrorist threats) flocked to the Austrian capital's museums. At the Albertina, the lines were 20 minutes long in 91°F heat, yet people waited patiently. And the visitors were a demographic rarely seen in such numbers there. - ARTnews
"Spanish police have arrested a man whose alleged plan to sell a fake Leonardo da Vinci painting" — purportedly a portrait of Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, an aristocrat and military commander — "in Italy for €1.3m was thwarted when the work caught the eye of French customs officers." - The Guardian
For one thing, they’re carbon sinks. “Preserving them would really be saving carbon … little nuggets of carbon that you would be saving and reusing. It’s the most environmentally friendly thing.” - NPR
"The British Museum has finished investigating its own conduct and concluded … that it was not compliant with UK legislation dictating how national treasures should be kept. … Peter Higgs, a senior curator at the museum, was fired in July 2023 after the museum accused him of stealing 1,800 items." - ARTnews
