Hundreds of activists occupied the British Museum for a protest lasting over two days straight, coinciding with the BP-sponsored exhibition Troy: Myth and Reality.
Naomi Polonsky
Naomi Polonsky is a London-based curator, art critic, and translator. She studied at the University of Oxford and the Courtauld Institute of Art and has experience working at the Hermitage Museum and Tate Modern. She has written for the Times Literary Supplement and The Calvert Journal. Follow her on Twitter @NaomiPolonsky
The K-Pop Boyband BTS Launched an International Art Project
BTS, described as the “biggest boy band in the world,” announced an international public art project with 22 contemporary artists across five cities. Its first exhibitions opened at London’s Serpentine Galleries and Berlin’s Gropius Bau.
Visions of Home that Are Gut-Wrenching, Contemplative, and Funny
In Homelands, artists variously characterize home as “a transient dwelling,” “an ongoing process,” and “other people.”
Activists Dressed as Trojan Figures Crash Opening of BP-Funded Exhibition
Activist group BP or not BP? interrupted the opening of Troy: Myth and Reality at the British Museum, dressed as “living statues,” including a character of their own invention, “Petroleus.”
In Its First UK Action, PAIN Sackler Holds “Die-in” at the V&A
Warning of “toxic philanthropy,” activists gathered in the museum’s Sackler Courtyard, honoring the five people who die every day in the UK from opioid overdoses.
Turner Prize Nominees Consider the Injustices Brought About by Borders
Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, and Tai Shani have been shortlisted for the coveted prize.
Invoking “Climate Emergency,” National Galleries of Scotland Will End Ties With British Petroleum
The gallery follows in the footsteps of Tate, the National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Mona Hatoum’s Multiple, Often Contradictory Meanings
In her new exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey, the artist presents works that loom and cower, at one moment inviting us in, at the next shutting us out.
A Historic Conceptual Art Group Has Taken Over a French Château
For the last few years, the Château de Montsoreau has been home to one of the most significant museums of contemporary art outside of Paris.
Banksy Opens London Art Shop Same Week He Sets $12M Auction Record
The anonymous artist has opened a shop in the south London borough of Croydon to showcase some of his characteristically humorous items.
Hundreds of Art Workers Join Global Climate Strike in London
On Friday, September 20, around 200 art workers, many of whom have been staunchly urging UK institutions to divest from oil sponsorship, left work and took to the streets to take part in the world’s largest-ever climate protest.
The Hidden Labor Beneath the Global Economy
This year’s Open City Documentary Festival in London screened numerous films which highlight the humanity and resilience of those on society’s margins.