The Smithsonian’s Asian Art Museum Has Mysteriously Axed Its Partnership With Hong Kong’s Trade Office After 27 Years

Politics

The Smithsonian’s Asian Art Museum Has Mysteriously Axed Its Partnership With Hong Kong’s Trade Office After 27 Years

There is little consensus on the real reason behind its quiet ending.

By Vivienne Chow, Jan 19, 2023

Crime

Three Members of an Infamous German Crime Family Have Confessed to Participating in the Green Vault Heist

The suspects explained how they pulled off the brazen theft in court this week.

By Taylor Dafoe, Jan 18, 2023

Politics

France’s Ministry of Culture Is Pushing Forward a Trio of Groundbreaking Laws That May Have Sweeping Effects on Restitution

The proposed laws respectively address items looted during World War 2, human remains, and other looted objects, including those from the colonial era.

By Devorah Lauter, Jan 17, 2023

Op-Ed

A Black Aquatic: An Artist Explores the Relationship Between Black People and Water

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

By Kenya (Robinson), Jan 13, 2023

Crime

A Brazilian Collector Is Suing to Seize a Van Gogh Painting From the Detroit Institute of Arts, Claiming He Owns (But Lost) the Work

Gustavo Soter has a 2017 bill of sale for the oil painting "Une Liseuse De Romans." He claims he hasn't seen it since.

By Sarah Cascone, Jan 11, 2023

Politics

Russian Cyber Attacks Disrupt Banksy’s Print Sale Benefiting Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine

The website hosting applications for the limited-edition artworks was overwhelmed by entries—many from suspicious sources in Russia.

By Taylor Dafoe, Jan 10, 2023

Crime

Police Retrieve $400,000 in Artwork Stolen From a Truck in Colorado—Along With a Trove of Drugs and Guns

The suspect had been on the run after escaping police custody last year.

By Jo Lawson-Tancred, Jan 10, 2023

Politics

Here Are the Artworks Destroyed by Pro-Bolsonaro Rioters in the Storming of Brazil’s Oscar Niemeyer-Designed Capital Buildings

Magareth Menezes, the country's culture minister, is heading to Brasilia today to take stock of the damage.

By Jo Lawson-Tancred, Jan 9, 2023

Politics

French Weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Has Again Angered the Iranian Regime for Publishing Caricatures of Its Supreme Leader

In response, Iran’s foreign ministry has allegedly closed a French-Iranian cultural institution in Tehran.

By Devorah Lauter, Jan 8, 2023

Crime

The U.S. Has Returned Its First Looted Antiquity to the Palestinian Authority: A Disgraced Collector’s Iron-Age Spoon

The Manhattan D.A. seized the stolen artifact from Michael Steinhardt.

By Sarah Cascone, Jan 6, 2023

Crime

The Man Who Allegedly Stabbed Two MoMA Staffers Has Been Extradited to New York and Charged With Assault

Police arrested Gary Cabana three days after the shocking attack.

By Sarah Cascone, Jan 4, 2023

Crime

The Man Accused of Attempting to Steal a Banksy Mural in Ukraine Could Face Up to 12 Years in Prison

The accused thief claims he was planning to sell the street artist's work to benefit the Ukrainian Army.

By Sarah Cascone, Jan 3, 2023

Crime

A Thief Swiped a $70,000 Glass Sculpture From an Oklahoma Museum—Then Was Caught When He Returned to the Exhibition

The stolen artwork was small enough to fit in the thief's pocket.

By Sarah Cascone, Dec 23, 2022

Curiosities

The Leaning Tower of Pisa Now Leans Less, Its Infamous Tilt Having Been Reduced by 1.6 Inches Over the Last Two Decades

Stabilization efforts have corrected the monument's once-dangerous lean.

By Vittoria Benzine, Dec 22, 2022

Crime

Vandals Have Destroyed 30,000-Year-Old Australian Cave Art by Carving Spooky Graffiti Into the Rock

The cave's indigenous owners had been pushing for increased security at the site.

By Sarah Cascone, Dec 21, 2022