Should Art Museums Be More or Less Ideological? After Pushback, a Gathering of Museum Leaders Refuses to Address the Question

Politics

Should Art Museums Be More or Less Ideological? After Pushback, a Gathering of Museum Leaders Refuses to Address the Question

Museum professionals meeting in Kyoto chose to delay adopting a definition of a museum's role that stressed democratic values and protecting the environment.

By Vivienne Chow, Sep 9, 2019

Opinion

The Gray Market: Why Sterling Ruby’s Fashion Shows Won’t Save the Art Market (and Other Insights)

Our columnist on why Sterling Ruby's fashion business isn't as far away from the art business as he'd like to believe.

By Tim Schneider, Sep 8, 2019

Politics

Foreign Museum Directors in Italy Breathe a Sigh of Relief Over the Reappointment of an Anti-Fascist Culture Minister

The nationalist government had many museum directors worried about their jobs.

By Sarah Cascone, Sep 6, 2019

Politics

‘Western Museums Expanding Into China Is a Joke’: Ai Weiwei Decries Cultural Institutions for Their Silence on Hong Kong’s Fight for Democracy

The Chinese activist-artist has been outspoken in supporting the anti-government demonstrations, which his assistants are documenting.

By Kate Brown, Sep 3, 2019

Opinion

The Gray Market: Why Political Turmoil in the Three Largest Art Markets Proves That Governments Shape Culture (and Other Insights)

Our columnist analyzes the commercial and artistic consequences of controversial recent policies in China, the US, and the UK.

By Tim Schneider, Sep 1, 2019

Politics

A Republican Congressional Candidate Cancelled an ArtPrize Showcase of Drag Performers With Down Syndrome, Saying He Fears a ‘Spectacle’

Peter Meijer owns Tanglefoot, the venue for the Project 1 performance.

By Taylor Dafoe, Aug 30, 2019

Politics

A Newly Increased Trump Tariff on Chinese Goods Will Rattle the Art Market in America, Trade Experts Say

Art dealers are collateral damage in the President's escalating trade war with China.

By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 28, 2019

Politics

Artist Nan Goldin Was Arrested Outside of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office While Protesting His Opioid Policies

The artist and members of her group P.A.I.N. were taken in on disorderly conduct charges.

By Caroline Goldstein, Aug 28, 2019

Politics

Photographer Makes a Political Point With a Death-Defying Highline Walk Between the US and Mexico Border

A pair of slackliners conceived of the action as a work of art.

By Sarah Cascone, Aug 26, 2019

Politics

A New Study Finds That People Who Attend Cultural Events Are Happier With Their Lives Than People Who Don’t

Research commissioned by Arts Council England makes the case for why smaller towns should amp up and promote their arts offerings.

By Kate Brown, Aug 26, 2019

Opinion

The Gray Market: Why New York’s Museum of Ice Cream Wins at Business by Betraying Its Name (and Other Insights)

Our columnist digs into what makes the Museum of Ice Cream depressingly sustainable compared to legitimate art museums and galleries.

By Tim Schneider, Aug 25, 2019

Opinion

Context Collapse Is Threatening the Future of Big Art Fairs. Here’s Why We Should Be Very Concerned

In the first of a two-part series, Independent founder Elizabeth Dee considers the biggest problem facing art fairs today.

By Elizabeth Dee, Aug 25, 2019

Politics

As a Nationalist Fervor Takes Hold in Italy, Foreign Museum Directors Could Be on the Way Out

Italy began hiring its first foreign museum directors in 2015, but the right-wing government may force them out with counter-reforms.

By Sarah Cascone, Aug 23, 2019

Politics

Two Artists Withdraw Their Work From a Show at the Shed in Protest of Billionaire Board Member and Trump Funder Stephen Ross

A.L. Steiner and Zackary Drucker quietly removed their work to protest Ross's recent Trump fundraiser.

By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 23, 2019

Opinion

The Guardian Arts Editor Sparked a Furor by Suggesting Curators Don’t Need to Be Named in Reviews. Here’s What’s Really at Stake

At the heart of the debate is the matter of curatorial prestige—and pay.

By Naomi Rea, Aug 23, 2019