Local galleries are pushing back on largely Western arguments that Art Basel Hong Kong should be cancelled because of political unrest, but as coronavirus spreads, the argument for cancellation strengthens.

Valentina Di Liscia
Valentina Di Liscia is the News Editor at Hyperallergic. Originally from Argentina, she studied at the University of Chicago and is currently working on her MA at Hunter College, where she received the Brodsky Scholarship for Latin American Art History. Send your inquiries, stories, and tips to valentina@hyperallergic.com.
Artist Tomás Saraceno Launches a Fuel-Free Solar Air Balloon, Breaking World Records
Saraceno’s balloon flew over the Salinas Grandes salt flat, making it the first time a human has flown without the use of any fossil fuels, only air and sun.
NYC High School and College Students Demand “Cops Out!” of Schools
Organized by Free CUNY and the People’s Cultural Plan, protesters called to eliminate police presence in schools, subways, and museums.
Week in Review: Museum of Chinese in America Begins to Salvage Archives After Fire; Triennial Postponed Over Coronavirus Concerns
Also, the official Obama portraits will tour the United States, new murals commemorate Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and more.
Major Triennial in Beijing Is Postponed, Citing Coronavirus Outbreak
As institutions shutter in response to the epidemic and Art Basel Hong Kong weighs its options, the CAFA Museum’s Techne Triennial exhibition of media art has been postponed.
Over 1,600 Materials From the Black Mountain College Archives Will Be Digitized
Thanks to a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Asheville Art Museum will digitize its largely hidden Black Mountain College Collection.
Objects Returned to Benin by French Collectors Had Been Removed From a Contested Auction
The transaction illuminates the role individuals can play in rectifying Europe’s history of colonial plunder, but it also reveals the inner workings of a system that allows such objects to land in private hands to begin with.
$3M Gauguin Sculpture Acquired by Getty Museum Deemed a Fake
The museum, which purchased the work in 2002, has changed the attribution of the sculpture “Head with Horns” to “unknown.”
A Film Series Spotlights Stories of Black Brazilians From Women Directors
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical and the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), Visions of Resistance presents narratives of resilience and uprising.
CalArts Commissions Works by 50 Artist Alumni to Fund Scholarships
Artworks by the likes of John Baldessari and Carrie Mae Weems will be released in groups of 10 over a five-year period and sold to benefit a new scholarship endowment for the university’s School of Art.
The Art World Has Discovered the Dolly Parton Meme Challenge
Musée d’Orsay, Sotheby’s, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston are among the institutions to poke fun at their LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter personas.
“Doodle for Google” Competition Asks K-12 Artists: How Do You Show Kindness?
The winner of this year’s competition will receive a $30,000 college scholarship and have their Google Doodle featured on the company’s homepage.