People Timothy Wyllie, the Mystical Telepathic Artist Who Spoke to Dolphins, Is Finally Getting His Due for His Remarkable Landscapes The late writer published numerous books on drugs and co-founded a “spiritual community” most called a cult. By Taylor Dafoe, Mar 2, 2023
Science & Tech After Sending ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ Out on Loan, the Mauritshuis Has Hung an A.I. Facsimile in Its Place. Fans Are Not Happy The controversial portrait was submitted through an open call for ‘Pearl Earring’ substitutes launched by the museum. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 28, 2023
Museums Charleston’s International African American Museum Has Announced Its Opening in June, After More Than Two Decades of Planning The institution lives at Gadsden's Wharf, a once-prolific trading port where hundreds of thousands of slaves passed through. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 28, 2023
Archaeology Archaeologists in Italy Are Using A.I. Robots to Piece Together Ancient Frescoes From Fragments Discovered at Pompeii A new machine called RePAIR can figure out how centuries-old fresco shards fit together—and even has robotic arms to reassemble them. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 27, 2023
Politics French Artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud Made a Rendition of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ to Donate to Ukraine on the One-Year Anniversary of the War Ukraine's ambassador to France will accept the painting on behalf of his country. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 24, 2023
Pop Culture The Victoria & Albert Museum Says ‘Let’s Dance’ to David Bowie, Agreeing to Acquire the Iconic Musician’s Complete Archives Some 80,000 items from the musician's career will be available at the new David Bowie Center for the Study of Performing Arts. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 23, 2023
Museums Legendary Ghanaian Sculptor El Anatsui Will Be the Next Artist to Take Over Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall The Ghana-born, Nigeria-based sculptor will become the 21st artist selected for the prestigious commission. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 22, 2023
Auctions Christie’s Will Auction More Masterworks From the Estate of the Late Media Tycoon S.I. Newhouse, Expecting to Surpass $144 Million Pieces by Bacon, de Kooning, and Picasso are each expected to net more than $20 million in the single-owner evening sale. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 21, 2023
Law The Musée d’Orsay Has Been Ordered to Restitute Paintings by Cézanne, Renoir, and Gauguin That Were Stolen During World War II The artworks are to be returned to the heirs of their one-time owner, Ambroise Vollard. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 17, 2023
Law A Class Action Lawsuit Against a Popular A.I. Art Generator Alleges the App Collects Its Users’ Biometric Information Without Their Permission The complaint says Lensa A.I. illegally extracts users’ facial data to train its models. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 16, 2023
Art World The Mellon Foundation Is Giving Out $125 Million in Grants for Creative Projects Addressing the ‘Dehumanization’ of U.S. Criminal Justice The nonprofit has already given $41 million in grant money to multiple projects, including Nicole Fleetwood’s “Marking Time” program. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 16, 2023
NFTs Jill Magid Is Selling NFT Bouquets Made of Flowers From ‘The Legend of Zelda,’ ‘World of Warcraft,’ and Other Video Games “Out-Game Flowers” began as a reflection on how value moves between the digital and virtual worlds. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 14, 2023
Crime Burglars Broke Into a Dutch Museum and Made Off With 11 Rare Chinese Ceramics The heist comes less than two weeks after a failed break-in attempt at the institution. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 14, 2023
Museums The Director of a Prominent Russian Museum Has Been Unceremoniously Ousted for Not Advancing Vladimir Putin’s ‘Traditional Values’ Zelfira Tregulova has been replaced at Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery by the daughter of a top military official with little art experience. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 10, 2023
Museums The Centre Pompidou Is on Track to Open a New Museum in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula Cultural Complex The proposed institution, called Perspective Galleries, will join the Pompidou’s growing list of international satellite locations. By Taylor Dafoe, Feb 9, 2023