Politics Five Activists Were Arrested After Trying to Seize a 19th-Century Artifact From Paris’s Quai Branly Museum and Return It to Africa The activists, who filmed a video of their foiled heist, are out of jail but face charges for attempted theft. By Kate Brown, Jun 15, 2020
Market Facing a Cash Crunch, British Airways Looks to Sell Off Its Star-Studded Art Collection The airline will sell at least ten works in its collection, which includes pieces by Bridget Riley and Peter Doig. By Kate Brown, Jun 11, 2020
Law & Politics Sotheby’s Just Lost Its Lawsuit Against Greece Over an 8th-Century BC Horse Statue—and the Decision May Have Lasting Implications for the Trade A lawyer for Greece says the ruling bodes well for the antiquities market. By Kate Brown, Jun 10, 2020
Art World ‘This Is Performative’: Critics Mercilessly Mock the British Museum for Its ‘Hollow’ Statement of Solidarity With the Black Lives Matter Movement Many social-media users thought the institution's statement jarred with its position on restitution. By Kate Brown, Jun 9, 2020
Auctions A Debonair Self-Portrait 26-Year-Old Rembrandt Made to Impress His Future In-Laws Could Fetch $20 Million at Sotheby’s One of the last Rembrandt self-portraits in private hands will headline a new cross-category auction this July at Sotheby's. By Kate Brown, Jun 8, 2020
Art Fairs Art Basel Has Canceled the 2020 Edition of Its Flagship Swiss Fair, Citing ‘Tumultuous and Challenging Times’ The announcement comes after mounting pressure from dealers to make the call. By Kate Brown, Jun 6, 2020
Galleries ‘I Can Guarantee Quality If I Am There’: Art Dealer Xavier Hufkens on Why He’s Opening a Third Space in Brussels Instead of Expanding Abroad Hufkens, who opened his first Brussels gallery 33 years ago, will inaugurate his new space with a show by Sterling Ruby. By Kate Brown, Jun 5, 2020
Analysis Hong Kong Is the Undisputed Capital of the Asian Art World. Does Beijing’s New Crackdown Mean It’s Destined to Lose the Title? “I think it’s kind of the end of Hong Kong,” one source said. By Kate Brown & Eileen Kinsella, Jun 5, 2020
Politics Germany Continues to Lead the Way in Culture Aid, Doling Out Another €1 Billion to the Sector and Lowering the Tax Rate on Art But some art organizations say it's not enough and that the aid disregards the situation of artists. By Kate Brown, Jun 4, 2020
Politics Adolf Hitler’s Birthplace Will Be Transformed Into a Police Station to ‘Neutralize’ Its Appeal as a Pilgrimage Site for Neo-Fascists The plans for the site were unveiled on June 2. By Kate Brown, Jun 3, 2020
People The Art World Works From Home: Sotheby’s Auctioneer Helena Newman Is Playing in a String Quartet and Planning a Picasso Sale The art world may be working remotely, but it certainly does not stop. We're checking in with art-world professionals to see how they work from home. By Kate Brown, May 29, 2020
Art World ‘I Will Not Run or Hide’: Billionaire Art Collector Yusaku Maezawa, Famous for Buying Basquiats, Responds to Tax-Evasion Accusations The Japanese former fashion entrepreneur has taken to Twitter to respond to the allegations. By Kate Brown, May 28, 2020
Politics As Lockdowns Ease in Europe, Greece’s Culture Minister Again Puts the Squeeze on London to Return the Parthenon Marbles Greek officials are coordinating with proponents for restitution to put pressure on the British Museum. By Kate Brown, May 26, 2020
Art World A Former London Gallerist Is Helping Artists Make Some Extra Money by Selling Tickets to Personalized Digital Studio Visits One studio visit might include a canoe ride or a fire on the beach. By Kate Brown, May 25, 2020
People Berlin’s Most Notorious Bouncer on His Day Job as a Photographer, and What It’s Like to Be a Symbol of a Vanishing Club Scene Sven Marquardt talks about creative life under lockdown and the city's ever-fluctuating club culture. By Kate Brown, May 22, 2020