"The Catholic diocese of Linz (in Austria) said in a statement that the Virgin Mary’s head was sawed off early Monday morning in an act of vandalism. The work, titled Crowning, by Austrian artist Esther Strauss is no longer on view (at Linz Cathedral)." - The Washington Post (MSN)
Mark Jones, who stepped in as interim director last summer amid the stolen-items crisis, says that admission should remain free for under-25s and UK residents but, citing the Louvre's €22 fee, suggests a £20 ($25) price for others. Jones also says the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles should return to Greece. - The Standard (London)
If a statue cast in Rome 2,000 years ago is discovered in Greece, Cyprus or Turkey, would it belong to one of those states, or would Italians have a claim over Roman antiquities on the ground that they share a culture — whatever that may mean — with ancient Romans? - The New York Times
The painting surpassed its $400,000–$600,000 pre-auction estimate, and has now increased in value by more than 1,650 percent since it was first auctioned in 2001. - ARTnews
"Someone with a very powerful estate ... has settled a tax debt worth millions of euros, … partly by donating more than 200 engravings by Francisco de Goya as well as 87 other works of art — among them, Aurelio Arteta’s outstanding anti-war manifesto Triptych of War." - El País in English
The state had allocated almost $58 million in funding toward Centre Pompidou x Jersey City, which was originally expected to open late this year or in 2025. Officials changed their minds after projections indicated that the museum would have an annual operating deficit of $19 million. - Artnet
Regularly reinventing architecture is exciting, but it faces a number of challenges. Architecture is an art, hence creativity is important, but it is an applied art, which makes it fundamentally empirical—that is, ruled not by theory but by experience. - American Scholar
The author of Erasure (on which the movie American Fiction was based) and James is also an artist. When he’s creating art, he says, it’s harder to explain his work. "I’m working off an idea or feeling that is not based in words. There is a physicality to it." - LitHub
That’s what’s happening in Indiana, where "Valparaiso University has shuttered the Brauer Museum of Art and dismissed its director, Jonathan Canning, amid ongoing controversy over the university’s plan to sell three artworks to fund renovations of its freshman dormitories.” - Artnet
“As the raft bobbed its way across the many thousands at the Other stage, the band played the song 'Danny Nedelko,' which features lyrics that strongly condemn right-wing immigration policies and call for togetherness and compassion.” - BBC
The founding member of queer art collective fierce pussy, which had a show in Paris last year, says, “I don’t want a seat at the table, I want to change the shape of the table — or do away with the table altogether.” - Hyperallergic
Roger Walker says that in many cases, he was just reacting to the fact that so many houses looked essentially the same. Why not add a turret or two? - The Observer (UK)
“Her concerns – unusual and even eccentric in her own times – are now ubiquitous. Ecology, feminism, the interconnectedness of all life forms, spirituality outside of organised religion: today we’re all aware of these issues, but they were front and centre for Carrington 80 years ago.” - The Observer (UK)
Over the past few years, attendance levels fell and fund-raising efforts slowed as overhead costs and employee salaries rose. Many museums are doing fewer exhibitions per year in an attempt to tighten their belts. - The New York Times
Legends Tower recently gained approval from the city to have an unlimited height, and after a series of changes, the skyscraper is now slated to reach 581 metres (1,907 feet), making it the tallest in the world outside Asia and more than double the height of Oklahoma City's second-tallest building. - Dezeen
