People Pope Francis Welcomes Artists—Including Andres Serrano of ‘Piss Christ’ Fame—in a Ceremony Celebrating the Vatican’s Contemporary Art Collection The artist says the pontiff even gave him a 'mischievous smile.' By Brian Boucher, Jun 27, 2023
Art World Space Travel Goes Luxe With Céleste, an Eco-Friendly Capsule With a Plush, Architect-Designed Interior and Stunning Views of Earth The French company even offers Michelin dining, plus hours of the 'overview' effect above the planet. By Brian Boucher, Jun 23, 2023
Art World Banksy-Like Street Art Popped Up in Glasgow Just After an Official Show of His Work Opened in the City. The Artist Says They’re Fakes Yes, the images showed rats, one of Banksy’s trademarks, but no, they’re not the real deal, the studio says. By Brian Boucher, Jun 23, 2023
Law & Politics Douglas Latchford’s Estate Will Pay $12 Million to Settle a Civil Case on the Disgraced Dealer’s Theft of Cambodian Antiquities The daughter of the late dealer will also hand over a 7th-century Vietnamese bronze sculpture. By Brian Boucher, Jun 23, 2023
Archaeology & History What Exactly Is the Antikythera Mechanism, the Mysterious Ancient Greek Device in the New ‘Indiana Jones’ Movie? Here Are 5 Big Questions, Answered Characterized as an ancient analog computer, the object was probably used to predict planetary positions, moon phases, and eclipses. By Brian Boucher, Jun 23, 2023
Archaeology & History The ‘Stonehenge of the Netherlands,’ a 4,000-Year-Old Burial Site the Size of Four Football Fields, Has Just Been Uncovered by Dutch Archaeologists Like Stonehenge, the site served as a solar calendar, as well as the final resting place of about 60 men, women, and children. By Brian Boucher, Jun 22, 2023
Museums & Institutions Germany Just Returned Two Indigenous Masks to Colombia, But Once Treated Them With Toxic Pesticides Making Them a Health Risk A researcher bought the masks, which were used in sacred ceremonies, for a German state museum over a century ago. By Brian Boucher, Jun 20, 2023
Museums & Institutions The Brooklyn Museum Has Hired Its First Full-Time Curator of Indigenous Art Darienne (Dare) Turner is currently an assistant curator at the Baltimore Museum of Art. By Brian Boucher, Jun 16, 2023
On View David Bowie Crossed the Soviet Union on the Trans-Siberian Express Train in 1973. Fascinating Photos Document a Historic Voyage Bowie’s friend and band member Geoff MacCormack documented the journey by the rock legend. By Brian Boucher, Jun 14, 2023
On View A New Show Pays Tribute to Agnes Gund’s Art for Justice Fund With Works by Titus Kaphar, Faith Ringgold, and More The exhibition at the Ford Foundation Gallery wraps up six years of Gund’s project against mass incarceration. By Brian Boucher, Jun 12, 2023
Art World ‘The Exhibition Is About Being Inspired’: The Artists Behind the ‘Black King Tut’ That Has Outraged Egyptian Critics Speak Out David Cortes and Danny Hastings designed the King Tut-style mask of rapper Nas that is causing an uproar. By Brian Boucher, Jun 9, 2023
Politics Chevron Took Down an Artwork, Which Called Out the Oil Giant for Polluting a California City, From a Fence Surrounding Its Refinery The project adorned a fence separating an oil refinery from residential neighborhoods. By Brian Boucher, Jun 8, 2023
Crime Was History’s Worst Case of Dinosaur Vandalism a Museum-on-Museum Crime? A New Study Suggests It Could Be The 1871 crime saw models of dinosaurs, which were destined for a Paleozoic Museum in Central Park, smashed to bits. By Brian Boucher, Jun 6, 2023
Auctions Once Used to Grow Hyacinths, This Humble Chinese Pot Sold for More Than $150,000 at a U.K. Auction—Nearly 200 Times Its High Estimate The ornamental pot displayed bonsai trees at the Qing court and was used by its former owners to grow hyacinths. By Brian Boucher, May 26, 2023
Art History Is Time Travel Real? Here Are 6 Tantalizing Pieces of Evidence From Art History A 17th-century painting with what seems to be a Nike shoe is only the latest example of suspiciously modern objects to be spotted in historical artworks By Brian Boucher, May 26, 2023