Italian Authorities Just Seized the Rescue Ship Banksy Funded to Help Migrants Crossing the Mediterranean

Politics

Italian Authorities Just Seized the Rescue Ship Banksy Funded to Help Migrants Crossing the Mediterranean

The vessel has been blocked from operating for 20 days.

By Richard Whiddington, Mar 27, 2023

Politics

A Florida School Focused on Classical Western Civilization Fired a Principal Over a Lesson Showing Michelangelo’s ‘David’

One parent called the iconic nude "pornographic."

By Sarah Cascone, Mar 24, 2023

Crime

Did Bulgarian Police Just Discover a Previously Unknown Jackson Pollock Painting? Here’s What the Evidence Suggests

On the back of the painting is a dedication to actress Lauren Bacall, dated to her 25th birthday.

By Taylor Dafoe, Mar 24, 2023

Crime

A New Report Has Linked More Than 1,000 Antiquities in the Met Museum’s Collection to Traffickers

An investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists calls into question the origin of the museum's antiquities holdings.

By Sarah Cascone, Mar 23, 2023

Politics

A Gigantic Public Artwork About Hong Kong’s Protests Was Quietly Censored in the Middle of Art Basel Week

"A few years ago, this would have been an acceptable and legal expression," said the artist Patrick Amadon.

By Vivienne Chow, Mar 23, 2023

Politics

The Director of Moscow’s Pushkin Museum Is the Latest Institutional Head to Step Down Amid Russia’s Escalating Crackdown on Culture

An opposition media site claims that the new director has previous ties to the Kremlin.

By Jo Lawson-Tancred, Mar 22, 2023

Opinion

Pearls of Wisdom: As the Industry Descends on Art Basel Hong Kong, Gallerist Pearl Lam Returns to Her Hometown and Shares What’s on Her Radar

Lam puts the spotlight on East Asian artists, where to eat in Hong Kong, and the hottest Chinese designers to watch.

By Pearl Lam, Mar 22, 2023

Op-Ed

Far-Right Media Turned My Art Into Fodder for the Anti-Abortion Movement. Here’s How We Can Support Artists Navigating the Culture Wars Today

The feminist artist reflects on what happens to art when partisan actors use it to advance their interests.

By Aliza Shvarts, Mar 15, 2023

Art Criticism

‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Is a Truly Great Artist Documentary. Here’s What Makes It Work So Well

The film, which explores the life of Nan Goldin, is directed by Laura Poitras.

By Ben Davis, Mar 15, 2023

Op-Ed

We Have Colonized Potentiality: Artist Jordan Deal Reflects on Public Gathering as a Space of Sanctuary and Peril

This is the latest in a series of essays commissioned from artists by PROTODISPATCH.

By Jordan Deal, Mar 14, 2023

Opinion

Kenny Schachter Pays a Mind-Bending Visit to Beeple’s New High-Tech Art Compound (Getting in Plenty of Trouble Along the Way)

Our columnist found a lot more than he bargained for at the NFT artist's Charleston, South Carolina, headquarters.

By Kenny Schachter, Mar 14, 2023

Crime

The Dealer Who Sold the World’s Most Expensive Coin Has Been Arrested for Falsifying the $4.2 Million Artifact’s Provenance

An investigation found the coin, along with other ancient objects, were sold with forged provenance certificates.

By Taylor Dafoe, Mar 13, 2023

Politics

Artists Decry an Idaho College’s ‘Alarming’ Removal of Artworks Centered on Reproductive Rights From a Group Show on Healthcare

The college has cited Idaho Code Section 18-8705 as reason for removing the artworks.

By Eileen Kinsella, Mar 7, 2023

Crime

Ontario Police Have Arrested Eight People Suspected of Forging Thousands of Artworks Attributed to Indigenous Artist Norval Morrisseau

Forced child labor, murder, and a member of the Barenaked Ladies all factor into the story around the elaborate forgery ring.

By Taylor Dafoe, Mar 6, 2023

Crime

Dutch Police Are Closing In on the So-Called ‘Pink Panther Gang’ Behind the Astonishing Daytime Diamond Heist at TEFAF Maastricht

Authorities have fingered the Pink Panther Gang from the Balkans, which has been stealing diamonds in broad daylight since 2001.

By Sarah Cascone, Mar 6, 2023