"I mean, it’s not like we tried to make it look like an armadillo." On comparisons to the Sydney Opera House: "I’ll definitely take it as a compliment. I think it’s one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth. And I think, in all fairness, this is a very different building." - The Athletic
"Spanish police said they have shut down an alleged forgery ring selling fake Banksy artworks across the US and Europe for up to €1,500 ($1,642) a piece. Investigators seized nine artworks during a raid of an apartment in the city of Zaragoza." - CNN
"Painted as if it were a framed artwork on a yellow wall, the fresco depicts the Greek mythological tale of Phrixus and Helle with vibrant pigments and crisp dimensions that have been preserved beneath volcanic ash since 79 CE, after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius." - Hyperallergic
Employees at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams have begun a walkout (97% voted in favor) as contract negotiations (which began in October) have stalled. Low wages are the main issue. - The Berkshire Eagle
“We don’t need air conditioning, which is an incredible energy saving." Temperatures in this region of the world remain at about 40C (104F) during the hottest season. - The Guardian
Like Banksy, the British street artist he is sometimes likened to, Invader is elusive, fiercely protective of his anonymity and operating on the margins of illegality. - AP
The Louvre is seen as the worst offender (tickets up from €17 to €22), though most other state museums have raised prices as well. The additional cash flowing into the Louvre will be an estimated €44.3 million. - Artnet
"Across a five-decade career, Yamamoto has dedicated himself to fostering community in Japan’s rapidly expanding cities. From housing projects that coax residents into spontaneous interactions to a glass-walled fire station that invites passersby to peer inside, his architecture appears intent on 'blurring boundaries between its public and private dimensions.'" - CNN
"A new study ... suggests that through most of the Iron Age biblical era, from roughly 1150 B.C. to 600 B.C., a small promontory called Tel Shiqmona on Israel’s Carmel coast was not a residential settlement, as previously supposed, but a major purple-dying factory." - The New York Times
Activists from the group This Is Rigged poured porridge and jam on a bust of Victoria at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow on Sunday. The following day they sprayed soup on statues of Victoria and Prince Albert in the city's George Square. They were protesting the high cost of food. - ARTnews
There are few artists whose signature styles have been so widely, unashamedly capitalized by big brands (with the help of estates and foundations). But in some ways, the condition is hardly a new one—Haring himself sold... - ARTnews
Margo McDaid: “At first, it felt like a coping mechanism; a ritual to hold on to. … I wanted to see how my work would change if I practised every day." - The Observer (UK)
“‘It’s pretty unheard of to paint a skyscraper, so it was like, ‘Oh man let’s go take advantage of this and do it while it lasts,’’ said Misteralek, one of five graffiti artists who described the scene inside the towers.” - The New York Times
Quilt historian Laurel Hinton, who's a folklorist, knows the tale is uncorroborated. But “as a narrative, she recognizes the cultural significance of the codes. ‘It's appealing to Black people because it gives them the idea of agency, that your ancestors had some way of dealing with their situation.’” - NPR
