Largely funded by the US embassy in Baghdad, the restoration of the temple and the north retaining wall are part of the Future of Babylon Project, initiated 15 years ago, which aims to document, waterproof and stabilise structures throughout the 2,500-acre site. - The Art Newspaper
“By studying copper isotopes taken from samples of the statue, scientists were able to identify that the metal originated from the Yangtze River in eastern-central China. … Researchers argue that the figure closely mirrors tomb guardians from the Tang dynasty” and that Marco Polo’s father may have brought it to Venice. - NBC News
A lawyer representing the artist Armand Vaillancourt has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the City of San Francisco in response to the controversial plan to demolish the 96-year-old artist’s namesake Brutalist fountain at Embarcadero Plaza. - The Art Newspaper
“A magnificent, dramatized crucifixion scene made in around 1614-15 has been found among the possessions of a late Parisian homeowner and is set to go under the hammer at a local auction house on November 30.” - Artnet
Art museums and cultural monuments in France, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Arc de Triomphe, are partially or fully closed to the public in response to a country-wide labor strike over proposed government spending cuts. - Hyperallergic
The nationwide protests against government corruption and a new social media ban turned violent in Nepal’s capital on Monday; on Tuesday, rioters ransacked and set fire to businesses and public institutions — including such historic landmarks as Singha Durbar, a 1908 palace complex which served as the administrative hub of the national government. - Hyperallergic
Vittore Carpaccio’s Madonna and Child Enthroned with Six Saints (1518) was painted for a Franciscan church in Piran, a seaside town then ruled by Venice but now in Slovenia. During World War II, the artwork was moved for safekeeping; rightist politicians are now furious that Italy is giving it up. - The Times (UK)
Volunteers, artists, and designers came together to create massive works to be enjoyed alongside the music, cultural activities, and other offerings of the festival, which is known for its DIY ethos and extravagant displays. - Dezeen
Court documents and records obtained through public records, as well as reporting and interviews, shed more light on what could be next for the museum, who’s shown interest and what city leaders are saying. - Seattle Times
"The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character," it said in a statement. Listed buildings are considered the country's most significant historic buildings and sites and are protected by law. - CBC
“Either the ‘Black Men’ or the pictures of the children, I just didn’t see that it should be so big a deal. I’m acclimated now to the cultural gestalt, whatever the word is. I don’t agree with it, but I get it. Whereas before I didn’t even get it.” - The New York Times
The Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia filed the suit after a promised $750,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services was canceled by Trump officials. Just a week before the first scheduled court hearing, the Woodmere received notice that the grant was being reinstated. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Patricia Kadgien, daughter of an advisor to Gestapo founder Hermann Goering, and her husband were charged with deliberately concealing numerous artworks, including 22 Matisses, which Goering and her father had taken from a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam. One of those works was spotted in a photo in a real estate listing. - Artnet
The NFT market has crashed and never recovered. In 2022, Christie’s reported $5.9 million in NFT sales, a 96 percent decline from 2021. And in August 2024, one report found that 95 percent of NFTs were effectively “dead,” with the average owner facing a 44.5 percent loss on their investment. - ARTnews
On Tuesday, however, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are treating the mural as potential “criminal damage.” Should charges follow, the famously anonymous artist could be compelled to reveal his identity in court after more than 25 years of secrecy. - Mediaite
