The wavy-walled houses of Tiébélé, covered with distinctive geometric patterns, constitute one of four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Burkina Faso. They’re made of earth, straw, and logs; the unpredictable rains brought on by climate change are causing the walls to deteriorate and making repair more difficult. - The Guardian
The paintings, which both date to around 1990 or ’91, attracted five or six bidders over the course of the sale, with offers from three prospective buyers coming in at the last minute—including one who was actively bidding on both canvases. - Artnet
When artist Jim Sanborn talks about “Kryptos,” his sculpture at the CIA headquarters, and the famously unsolved secret code engraved in its copper panels, he sounds as if he’s talking about espionage, not art. The piece has “destroyed marriages,” he claims. - Washington Post
“By the end of the century, rising sea levels could push powerful seasonal waves into Easter Island’s 15 iconic moai statues, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage. … The findings show waves could reach Ahu Tongariki, the largest ceremonial platform on the island, as early as 2080.” - AP
The accusation first surfaced on July 31, during the opening day of Lollapalooza: as a small group of protesters dressed in black gathered in front of the mirrored sculpture (which is formally titled Cloud Gate), waving signs and handing out flyers, demanding the release of the man they insisted was trapped inside. - Artnet
The work on the monumental fresco behind the altar in the Sistine Chapel is intended to protect it from the effects of large-scale tourism. The Chapel attracts an average of 25,000 visitors a day, or roughly 6 million each year. - Artnet
“After five years and a $37 million restoration, Norwich Castle — one of England’s most iconic Norman fortresses — is reopening its doors with a meticulous recreation of its 12th-century grandeur.” - Artnet
This case isn’t as egregious as “Beast Jesus,” but it has happened to a far more prominent artwork: a statue, known as “la Macarena,” of the Blessed Virgin which has been an object of affection and veneration in Seville for centuries. - The New York Times
“It’s a mystery how things can be this difficult for an industry that works on such large margins—up to 50 percent for most galleries, for inventory that they don’t have to buy, invest in or manufacture." - The Observer
“The sculpture Agora — a striking work composed of 106 nine-foot-tall iron human figures — has been a fixture on the southern edge of grant park for nearly 20 years. But the artwork might have to take a hike next August.” - Chicago Sun-Times
More than a century on, as artificial intelligence offers a fresh tech challenge to humanity, a timely spot of revisionism appears to be taking place. Last month, in Paris, it emerged that a museum is finally to be dedicated to one of art nouveau’s most deserving and neglected exponents. - The Guardian
As democratic values in the United States erode at an accelerated pace, acts of silencing and erasure at artistic and academic institutions — think of Columbia University, the Noguchi Museum, or Paramount — will continue to occur, but they cannot go unchallenged. - Hyperallergic
Two galleries vie to show the rejected artists’ work, of course. “People loved coming and supporting it and having another opportunity, obviously, to show their work, too.” - MPR
The exhibit is on state violence and resistance, and “some of the censored works reference China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other primarily Muslim ethnic groups.” - Hyperallergic
