Venice Biennale Disqualifies Israeli and Russian Artists
The jury for this year’s Venice Biennale has disqualified artists from Israel and Russia from competing for the Golden and Silver Lion awards, citing International Criminal Court arrest warrants for their leaders, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu. This decision, which critics argue does not go far enough, has prompted the European Union to withdraw €2 million ($2.3 million) in funding for the event, set to affect the next edition in 2028. The Biennale, running from May 9 to November 22, has faced backlash from Israeli representatives who claim the ruling fosters a hostile environment.
Danish Woman Damages Florence's Neptune Fountain During Party
A 28-year-old woman from Denmark caused minor but significant damage to Florence's Neptune Fountain while attempting to scale the 16th-century monument during a bachelorette party on April 18. Authorities reported that the woman climbed onto the legs of the horse statue, resulting in an estimated repair cost of about 5,000 euros ($5,845). She has been charged with damaging a protected cultural site and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Metropolitan Museum Launches Major Raphael Exhibition
Carmen Bambach, curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, successfully organized the "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" exhibition after eight years of collaboration with 60 museums across 11 countries. The exhibition features 33 paintings and 142 works on paper, including loans from prominent institutions such as the Louvre and the Uffizi, with the total estimated value of the artworks in the billions of dollars. Notably, the exhibition includes private loans of Raphael's two most expensive works at auction, lent anonymously by billionaire Leon Black.
Sotheby's to Auction Rare Keith Haring Artworks in May
Sotheby's will auction a collection of intimate artworks by Keith Haring, sourced from the personal collection of his best friend, Kermit Oswald, in May at its Breuer building. The auction features a range of mediums, including one of only six known self-portraits on canvas by Haring, alongside sculptures, prints, and drawings, many of which have remained unseen for decades. The collection, which spans works created between 1977 and 1989, will be on public exhibition starting May 2.
