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What place for public statues in the history of art?
As we debate public statues, it’s worth revisiting the revolution in portrait sculpture that made many of them seem so animated and direct
Public libraries have been vital in times of crisis – from conflict to Covid-19
The public library has survived and even thrived through historical crises, but how will it recover from the coronavirus pandemic?
Could public spaces better serve the public?
Rowan Moore and Tamsin Dillon consider how the events of 2020 might transform our relationship with public space
An alternative history of American Civil War monuments
Monuments to the American Civil War have locked in place partial versions of the past – but other stories will emerge when we know more about how and why they were erected
I ♥ Milton Glaser – a tribute in three designs
Remembering the graphic designer, who has died at the age of 91, through three of his most memorable designs
Cash points – thoughts on a healthier future for museum fundraising
The pandemic has made existing problems in arts funding only too apparent. How can museums safeguard their futures?
Monumental folly – what Colston’s statue says about Victorian Bristol
The statue of the 18th-century slave trader is the result of a 19th-century attempt to sanitise the past
The art of creative destruction
Hew Locke imagined redecorating the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston more than a decade ago. If only Bristol City Council had let him
The virtues and vices of virtual museum tours
Many would-be museum visitors trying digital tours for the first time have found that the experience can be very mixed
Lessons from a lonely city – walking through lockdown London has been a revelation
We’re all flâneurs now. So what would help us get even more out of walking through our local areas?
Expressions of empathy are not enough – it’s time for US museums to act
Art museums that consider themselves places of reflection should be thinking harder about what they are for and what needs to change
Home alone at Houghton – life in lockdown at one of England’s great houses
Splendid the isolation may be at the great Palladian hall and estate in Norfolk – but a sense of purpose is missing without visitors, write its chatelains
Open access to collections is a no-brainer – it’s a clear-cut extension of any museum’s mission
Providing open access to digitised collections has spurred creativity and research worldwide – so why are the UK’s flagship museums so slow on the uptake?
Homes from home – on house museums in lockdown
Transporting yourself to house museums is a consolation during lockdown – but they face a precarious future
In a global health crisis, science museums have a lot to offer – even while shut
From online exhibitions on past epidemics to new collecting projects, these institutions bear witness to the unfolding of history
A tribute to Thomas W. Sokolowski (1950–2020)
Remembering the pioneering museum director, who co-founded Visual AIDS in New York and innovated at the Andy Warhol Museum
‘We are pretty well practised at isolation’ – how artists have been coping with quarantine
Some artists, such as Ilya Kabakov and Caroline Walker, are finding solace in their work – when not distracted by fears about the post-pandemic future
Vermeer, Duchamp and Sally Rooney
The hit novel-turned-TV show is a love story, but it’s also a portrait of a young man becoming an artist
What does it mean to regard video games as works of art?
A long-running debate has been revived by a court ruling that the realism of ‘Call of Duty’ makes it a work of art
MPs should move out of the Palace of Westminster immediately – and start restoring the building right now
With parliamentarians dialling in, the magic of Westminster has evaporated – so there’s no excuse not to move ahead with restoring the Houses of Parliament right now
In search of art during lockdown
We’ve all been visiting museums of the mind – but can also take in the art on our doorsteps
Has the digital museum finally come of age?
Thomas Campbell and Adam Koszary ask whether the online experience can ever compare to being in a physical gallery
How far can museums go to stay afloat during the current crisis?
An art lawyer considers the implications of deaccessioning works and dipping into endowment funds
‘New signage is a small price to pay for throwing open the doors’ – on reopening the V&A
Lockdown may have allowed the museum to fast-forward renovations, but it has also confirmed that the galleries are nothing without the public