Venice Biennale Artists Demand Exclusion of Three Nations
Artists and curators at this year’s Venice Biennale have signed an open letter calling for the exclusion of the United States, Israel, and Russia from the exhibition, citing their involvement in war crimes. The letter, which has garnered 70 signatures including notable artists and curators, expands on a previous protest against Israel's participation. The Biennale has not responded to the letter and maintains its position of artistic freedom, rejecting calls for exclusion.
Global Art Museum Visits Reach 200 Million in 2025
The Art Newspaper's annual survey reveals that the world's top 100 art museums attracted approximately 200 million visitors in 2025, still below the 230 million recorded in 2019. While new venues in Asia and Latin America have seen significant interest, traditional institutions like London's National Gallery struggled, reporting 4.1 million visitors—30% below pre-Covid levels. The Louvre Museum retained its top position with 9 million visitors, followed by the Vatican Museums and the National Museum of Korea, which saw a notable increase to 6.5 million visitors.
Cultural Professionals Demand Transparency in Gelman Collection Management
Over 350 cultural professionals in Mexico have signed an open letter demanding greater transparency in the management of the Gelman Santander Collection, which includes significant works by artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The collection, acquired by the Monterrey-based Zambrano family in 2023, is now overseen by the Spanish bank Santander, raising concerns about compliance with Mexican heritage laws, particularly regarding the 30 works classified as national artistic monuments. The Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) is involved in overseeing the collection, which features 160 works, including ten Kahlo paintings currently on display at Mexico City's Museo de Arte Moderno.
Trisha Brown Dance Company Revives Rauschenberg's Pelican
The Trisha Brown Dance Company is reviving Robert Rauschenberg's experimental dance _Pelican_ for the first time in 60 years at the Xanadu roller rink in Brooklyn, coinciding with the centennial of Rauschenberg's birth. The performance, scheduled for next month, will feature a reimagined version choreographed by former dancer Tara Lorenzen, alongside two additional dances by Brown, who was a close collaborator of Rauschenberg. _Pelican_ originally debuted in 1963 and has not been staged since 1965.
