Comment

Art History drops off the school curriculum in England.

Make no mistake, art history is a hard subject. What’s soft is the decision to scrap it

Exam board AQA is to scrap art history A-level. It’s a crazy decision to take just as public perception of the subject is changing

15 Oct 2016
Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside, one of the key sites for the planned 'Great Exhibition of the North'.

The Great Exhibition of the North is welcome – but let’s not forget the bigger picture

I’m looking forward to a moment when there isn’t the perception of a centre and a margin, of north and south

11 Oct 2016

Capability Brown’s landscapes were designed to be a snob’s paradise

‘A major part of the appeal of his landscapes was that they were out of reach of the nouveau riche’

6 Oct 2016

Top tips for the Tate leadership

Nicholas Serota has carved out an extraordinary cultural leadership role during his 30 years at the Tate. Who can fill his shoes?

30 Sep 2016
The artists fighting to save Hackney Wick. Photo: Elliot Sheppard

The artists working to save Hackney Wick

Hackney Wick has over 600 studios, but gentrification is forcing artists out. Can locals preserve the area as a creative hub?

30 Sep 2016
Installation view of 'Betamale Trilogy (Class Cabin)' (2015, Jon Rafman. Photo: Simon Vogel; courtesy Julia Stoschek Collecktion; © Jon Rafman/Future Gallery, Berlin

New media requires a new type of collector

‘I wouldn’t want Matthew Barney on a loop in my sitting room’ – but some people do

26 Sep 2016
Ivory diptych showing images of the muses together with ancient scholars or scientists (5th century), possibly Gaul. Musée du Louvre.

A golden opportunity to protect antique ivory

It’s time to acknowledge, once and for all, that bona fide antiques are simply not a concern when it comes to tackling the illegal trade in African ivory

20 Sep 2016

The real challenge facing Arts Council England’s leaders

As Nicholas Serota is confirmed as the arts council’s new chair, chief executive Darren Henley’s new book lays out some key ideas

8 Sep 2016
Kelmscott Manor, the summer home of Victorian designer and poet William Morris, is to undergo renovation work

The ‘old house by the Thames’ that inspired William Morris

Morris found peace and happiness at Kelmscott Manor in the Cotswolds. Now, work is underway to preserve its unique character for future visitors

7 Sep 2016

The Mali cultural destruction trial at the ICC poses a moral dilemma

Beyond the symbolic value of Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi’s trial, many complex political and philosophical questions remain

6 Sep 2016
Art students and protesters gather at the Gallery of NSW on 15 July, 2016 in Sydney, Australia

Trouble at Sydney’s art schools

The current problems facing Sydney’s art schools have big implications for the visual arts in Australia

Why we should take Thomas Hardy seriously as an architect

An altarpiece believed to have been designed by the novelist has resurfaced in Windsor. It’s an important reminder of how his architectural training informed his life’s work

1 Sep 2016
Peter Doig.

Why should a court decide the authenticity of a living artist’s work?

When an artist has to prove in court that a painting isn’t his, it’s time to start asking questions about how we authenticate art

26 Aug 2016
Sarcophagus and lid with portraits of husband and wife (detail; late 4th–early 3rd century BC), Etruscan; Volcanic tuff.

What can two Etruscan sarcophagi teach us about ourselves?

How contemplating historic art can change the way people think about contemporary society – and about themselves

24 Aug 2016

Threatened Keith Haring mural says a lot about how we value public art

This is but one more example of the vulnerability of art beyond the gallery walls

18 Aug 2016

Restitution made easy? Germany rethinks how it deals with Nazi-looted art

Reforms to the Limbach Commission, which deals with restitution claims, are welcome – but they won’t be enough

17 Aug 2016
Hand stencils with mutilated little finger at the Djulirri rock art site in the Wellington Range of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.

It’s time rock art was better protected

Rock art around the world is increasingly at risk of being destroyed. How can important ancient sites be better cared for?

17 Aug 2016

The photographer who gave her images away

A photographer who gave her images to the Library of Congress for free claims that two photo stock libraries have been charging for their use.

10 Aug 2016

Let’s hope the Great Exhibition of the North will live up to its name

The project needs to follow historical examples if it is to avoid the shambles of the Millennium Experience

8 Aug 2016

Make Rio great again!

Brasília is a failed, sterile city. It’s time that Rio became the capital of Brazil again

5 Aug 2016

Jousting is closer to performance art than an Olympic sport

English Heritage wants jousting to be recognised as an Olympic sport – but perhaps it’s a more complicated activity altogether?

29 Jul 2016

Why do corporations collect art – and what should they do with it?

Forming a corporate art collection is easy, but keeping it together is hard – and selling it is even harder.

28 Jul 2016

How can we save culture heritage sites from climate change?

The combination of climate change and apathy is a perfect storm for cultural sites around the world

27 Jul 2016

Has Le Corbusier stopped being an ogre?

17 buildings by Le Corbusier are now on the World Heritage list. Why has it taken so long?

25 Jul 2016