Thanks to a long and protracted civil ward, “the country’s archaeological sites, ancient cities, and pre-Islamic artifacts have become easy targets for looters and unscrupulous art dealers.” - ARTnews
“I really believe that Los Angeles today is what New York was in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, what Paris was in the turn of the century. ...This is the spot.” - The New York Times
On November 7, the artwork A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024) by the humanoid robot artist Ai-Da sold for $1,084,800 during the auction house’s Digital Art day sale. There were 27 bids for the portrait. - ARTnews
"The city drained the fountain to clean it ahead of the Vatican’s Jubilee Year. ... Visitor access to the site is currently via a temporary walkway. But the real problem is the plywood-sided pool on the stairs in front of the fountain into which visitors are now instructed to toss coins." - Artnet
The painting’s essential elements—man, woman, pitchfork—have been referenced, reimagined, and parodied in everything from a 1942 photograph by Gordon Parks to a 2012 episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. - Artnet
The gallery’s owner Mark Peet Visser has described the heist as “amateurish,” noting that explosives used to gain entry were “so violent that my entire building was destroyed,” and even damaged some neighboring shops. This was confirmed by local police in an official update. - Artnet
Both companies currently have debt problems and are relieved for the investment. What's more, Sotheby's is trying to turn itself into a luxury brand beyond the art market — and so is Abu Dhabi, which spent its money on prestige cultural institutions while Dubai developed its reputation for luxury consumerism. - ARTnews
Nepali conservationist Rabindra Puri has hired local stonecarvers and craftsmen to create and display replicas of dozens of items of sacred art that were looted from temples and other sites over the past 60-odd years. The idea: return the stolen original to us and we'll give you the replica. - BBC
Breuer’s building, which has served as three museums, will lose some of its public presence no matter what, but New Yorkers still have an interest in a restrained restoration. - New York Magazine (MSN)
"A federal jury in Tampa, Florida, recently found the cocreator of the 'UndeadApes' and 'Undead Lady Apes' NFT collections" — not to be confused with the better-known Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs — "guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering." - ARTnews
Three suspects have been charged for allegedly making threats and spraying anti-Semitic graffiti on the homes of museum director Anne Pasternak, a board member, and the board chairman. The three were protesting what they assumed was the victims' support for the Israelis in the Gaza War. - Brooklyn Eagle
Augustin Arteaga is set to leave the museum while it is undertaking an expansion—an unusual move, given that most directors of art institutions stay on until those plans are realized. - ARTnews
The renovated building will contain Sotheby’s sales room, as well as exhibition and dining spaces. Work is expected to be completed by fall 2025. Herzog & de Meuron has made a specialty of adaptive reuse, or transforming existing structures. - The New York Times
