Art World A Volunteer Caretaker Has Confessed to Starting Three Devastating Fires at a 15th-Century Cathedral in France The arsonist is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $175,000. By Kate Brown, Jul 27, 2020
Art Fairs As Art Fairs Struggle to Adapt to the Social-Distancing Era, Frieze Announces It Will Begin Charging Galleries for Its Online-Only Editions Unlike the May edition of Frieze online, this one will not be free for exhibitors. By Kate Brown, Jul 24, 2020
Art & Exhibitions Immersive Art Experiences Used to Be the Wave of the Future. But Can They Outlast the Coronavirus Pandemic? Experts say participatory art may be changed forever. By Kate Brown, Jul 21, 2020
People German Curator Hella Mewis, an Ardent Supporter of Iraq’s Cultural Scene, Has Been Kidnapped in Baghdad Mewis is the head of the Tarkib art center. By Kate Brown, Jul 21, 2020
People Sculptor Keith Sonnier, America’s Experimental Poet of Light and Neon, Has Died at Age 78 The Lousiana-born pioneer was known for his open-minded approach to materials. By Kate Brown, Jul 20, 2020
Law & Politics In a Historic Move, France Has Taken a Major Step Towards Fully Restituting 27 Looted African Objects to Senegal and Benin New legislation in France could see 26 looted objects returned to Benin and a sword restituted to Senegal. By Kate Brown, Jul 16, 2020
Art & Exhibitions Unable to Proceed as Usual, the Venice Biennale Has Summoned a Curatorial Supergroup to Organize an Exhibition About How Historical Events Have Shaped Its Legacy The historically-focused show will look at how the biennale has responded to dramatic moments in the last century. By Kate Brown, Jul 15, 2020
Art Fairs Left With ‘No Choice,’ Frieze Art Fair Organizers Have Cancelled the Event’s 2020 London Edition The fair will instead take place online in October. By Kate Brown, Jul 14, 2020
Art World Germany Will Disband One of the Biggest Cultural Organizations in Europe in a Bid to Make Museums More Autonomous The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which oversees 15 collections holding millions of objects, has been deemed too unwieldy. By Kate Brown, Jul 14, 2020
On View Despite Outcry, Germany’s Städel Museum Stands by Its Choice to Hang a Graphic Painting Depicting Racist Violence A petition calling for the work's removal is gaining steam. By Kate Brown, Jul 6, 2020
Art World After More Than Three Months of Lockdown, French Museums Triumphantly Reopen to a Whole New World of Crowd Control, and Controversy The first visitors to the Centre Pompidou last week were met with rounds of applause from the museum staff. By Kate Brown, Jul 5, 2020
Art World Could the Hagia Sophia Lose Its 80-Year-Old Status as a Museum? A Top Court in Turkey Will Decide Politicians and scholars from around the world have expressed alarm at the possible ruling. By Kate Brown, Jul 2, 2020
Art World The German Government Is Trying to Buy Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof Back From Real-Estate Developers. But Is It Too Late? Germany is angling to buy back the site of Berlin's most famous public museum. By Kate Brown, Jul 1, 2020
Art Fairs Why Emerging Dealers Are Betting on the Swiss Fair Liste, Which Will Go Forward This Fall Even Without Art Basel The fair, which usually runs alongside the now-cancelled Art Basel, is forging ahead in September on its own. By Kate Brown, Jul 1, 2020
Art World The National Gallery in London Will Be the First Major UK Museum to Reopen After Months of Lockdown The museum will reopen on July 8. By Kate Brown, Jun 30, 2020