Politics

Comment | In the run up to the US election, Boston's Museum of Fine Art is hopeful about art's role in a democratic future

The museum's latest exhibition explains and scrutinises democracy through objects spanning 2,500 years

Phoebe Segal

Florida arts organisations devastated by Ron DeSantis's funding cuts

Right-wing governor's decision to slash entire $32m budget leaves smaller organisations fighting for survival

Paula Rego paintings replace royal portrait at No 10 Downing Street

In a major re-hang, scenes from Rego’s mural Crivelli’s Garden have appeared in place of portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh

Despite Venezuela’s turmoil, Caracas art scene remains resilient

In the aftermath of a contentious presidential election and amid ongoing political and economic crises, cultural organisations band together

New UK arts minister: 'I am passionate about people being able to make a career out of art'

In front of a crowd at Frieze Masters, Chris Bryant MP discussed funding, culture wars and the importance of education

Italynews

Italy's culture minister goes back to university

A small group of anti-fascist campaigners protested outside the Sapienza University in Rome where Alessandro Giuli was taking the final oral exam for the degree he started in the 1990s

Artist on trial for website satirising Icelandic company’s alleged role in the Fishrot scandal

Oddur Eysteinn Friðriksson’s spoof of the Samherji Group’s website featured a prominent apology, seemingly acknowledging its alleged role in the Namibian fishing scandal

Francecomment

Rachida Dati has been reappointed as France's culture minister—but does she have the will to protect heritage?

The debacle over the commissioning of Notre-Dame's stained-glass windows highlights the politician's propensity to ignore expert advice

An open letter to Chris Bryant, the tenth UK arts minister in ten years

Labour’s pre-election arts manifesto, Creating Growth, included policies to put the arts back into education and bring museums into line with universities on open data

International arts community calls for reinstatement of Slovak National Gallery director

At least 360 professionals sign open letter in defence of Alexandra Kusá, who was sacked alongside the head of the national theatre

Slovak National Gallery director dismissed by culture minister

Alexandra Kusá's removal follows the ouster of National Theatre director Matej Drlička

Artists and organisations respond to massive Bangladesh protests

Photographers Shahidul Alam and Munem Wasif document upheaval as prime minister flees the country

Gareth Harris. With additional reporting by Kabir Jhala

Second lawsuit to halt development of mega-spa on Toronto Modernist landscape is dismissed

The fate of the landmarked Ontario Science Centre also hangs in the balance of the redevelopment dispute over Ontario Place

Artistsfeature

‘All activities are dormant’: how the Kenya anti-government protests are affecting artists

As demonstrations continue, artists reflect on the violence and how police suspicion is limiting their ability to work

French culture sector expresses relief after parliamentary elections—but what's next?

After a successful campaign to help block the far-right National Rally from winning a majority, arts bodies, much like the rest of the country, face an uncertain future

Politicsanalysis

How Indian PM Narendra Modi’s weaponising of heritage backfired in Ayodhya

The politician lost the Faizabad constituency in which he built the controversial Ram temple

Banksy hits back at UK home secretary, saying the detention of his migrant rescue boat in Italy is ‘vile and unacceptable’

British street artist launched an inflatable boat artwork at Glastonbury to highlight the migrant crisis

French parliamentary elections 2024: candidates outline plans for arts and culture

Rassemblement National, New Popular Front and Renaissance politicians discuss policy areas, closing the Centre Pompidou and free entry to museums

Alexandre Crochet. Additional reporting by Gareth Harris

Ex-Uffizi chief Eike Schmidt loses bid to become Mayor of Florence

Sara Funaro, a local councillor with the centre-left Democratic Party, reportedly took more than 60% of the vote

Legal challenge to preserve Toronto's Ontario Place rejected as mega-spa project moves forward

In addition, it was discovered that the provincial government agreed to pay almost C$1m to make its controversial case for moving the Ontario Science Centre, which closed permanently Friday due to structural decay

Politicsanalysis

Singapore’s guitar-strumming new prime minister sparks hopes of more artistic support and freedom

Lawrence Wong has shown signals that he intends to support arts-related initiatives with significant funding, though entrenched societal attitudes mean concerns about censorship remain

‘A brutal adjustment’: Argentine cultural workers feel the pain of president Milei’s cuts

Mass layoffs at the national library and the defunding of a critical film institute are just the beginning, the administration has promised

US authorities return 38 antiquities to China

Even amid political tensions between the superpowers, officials from both countries emphasised the importance of continued collaboration on antiquities trafficking

All change at the Venice Biennale’s Polish pavilion after initial artist is ousted by new, centrist government

Open Group collective has shifted focus to neighbouring Ukraine after Ignacy Czwartos is deselected

For many in Israel’s art community, protests have replaced practice

Six months after 7 October, Israeli artists and arts workers remain active in popular movements calling for the release of hostages and ousting of Benjamin Netanyahu

Leaderscomment

In Javier Milei’s Argentina, artists—like everyone else—face uncertainty and scarcity

Since taking office, the country’s far-right president has created a situation where millions of people are slowly being pushed to their limits

Censorshipcomment

From shadow bans to privacy laws: how the internet has become less free—by stealth

The chilling of artistic freedom is impacting artists and those they connect with

Canaries in the coal mine: is the art world facing a rising tide of censorship?

The death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month, after years of confinement in a Siberian jail, and subsequent quelling of protest, emphasised the flourishing of censorship across a globe riven by geopolitical crises, in a year when democracy is put to the test in more than 70 countries. With the threat of electoral misinformation being boosted by AI-generated content and social media algorithms, artists have been warning of new kinds of censorship. The effect is being felt in real life, online and in social media