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The Van Gogh In The Ikea Bag: Why The Criminals Who Had It Gave It Back

The purloined painting, says the art detective to whom it was returned, "was a little bit cursed." - The Guardian

Billionaire’s Heirs Will Return 33 Looted Statues To Cambodia

"In one of the most significant repatriations of art to Cambodia from a private collection, the family of billionaire George Lindemann has agreed to turn over 33 ancient statues that officials say include stolen antiquities trafficked to the United States." - International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Battling AI’s Fight Over Whether Painting Is A Raphael

Both studies used state-of-the art AI technology. Months after one study proclaimed that the so-called de Brécy Tondo, currently on display at Bradford council’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, is “undoubtedly” by Raphael, another has found that it cannot be by the Renaissance master. - The Guardian

A Stolen Van Gogh Is Returned, Hidden In A Pillowcase Inside An Ikea Bag

The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring (1884) was taken from the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam in March 2020. A culprit was convicted in 2021, but the painting had been passed on to an organized crime group. It was recently returned to the well-known Dutch art detective Arthur Brand. - BBC

Earthquake Leaves Much Of Medieval City of Marrakech In Ruins

"The Medina district dates back centuries and is enclosed by walls built of red sandstone. ... Long sections are showing deep cracks and parts have crumbled. Many of the old buildings inside the Medina have been damaged and some have collapsed entirely." - CNN

AI Art Piece Wins Big Competition. Problem – It Can’t Be Copyrighted

The artwork was created using Midjourney, a platform that features in our pick of the best AI art generators. The judges apparently didn't realise that when they named it the winner of the digital art category at the Colorado State Fair, but the US Copyright Office isn't so easily fooled. - Creative Blog

Curators Test To See If AI Can Curate And Organize A Show. Here’s What Happened

“We naïvely thought it would be as easy as plugging in a couple prompts,” Price recalled, explaining why curators at the North Carolina university have spent the past six months teaching ChatGPT how to do their jobs. - The New York Times

Russia Is Destroying Ukrainian Heritage Sites. How Can It Still Be In Unesco?

Russia, a Unesco member, has a delegation in Riyadh because it is on the World Heritage Committee. This is a travesty. For its deliberate targeting of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, Russia needs to be expelled from Unesco. - The Wall Street Journal

Fiber Art Is Flourishing Again

Not that it ever went away, but the "fine art" world is taking notice of the feminized and thus less important "craft" once more. - The New York Times

What We Look Like When We Look At Art

It's not all selfies: "People are still engaging, if only for a moment, with what’s hung on the wall or placed in courtyards and parks." - Oregon ArtsWatch

The Artist Using Coloring Books To Push Back On How We Understand Punishment

Sable Elyse Smith:"The system itself is insistent. The fact that these things persist and keep developing and repeating themselves, kind of replicating the next generation." - Los Angeles Times

Mural Artists In Australia Are Losing Insurance For Working On Walls

It's OK to paint a short wall, or install work at mouse-height. But the insurance "carve-outs would effectively prevent artists doing public art and mural projects or installing their own work in galleries." - The Guardian (Australian Associated Press)

Victorian Britain Was Quite Colorful

Photos won't tell you the right story, but textiles and paintings? Yes. - The Guardian (UK)

Norwegian Man Out For A Walk Finds Ancient Trove Of Gold

The cache comprised nine gold medallions and gold pearls that once formed an opulent necklace, as well as three gold rings. The jewels, which weigh a little more than 100g, were found to date from about AD500. “At first I thought it was chocolate coins or Captain Sabertooth coins." - The Guardian

British Museum Scandal Enabled By Cataloging Deficiencies

That perhaps half of the British Museum’s mammoth collection of some 8 million objects was never fully catalogued has become a matter of keen public interest. Incomplete or out-of-date records is an issue that affects many major museums worldwide. - Artnet

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