Art
Why Is No One Talking About Libya's Cultural Destruction?
Over the past few years, Libya has been making archaeology headlines not for the exciting new discoveries there, but for the ruthless cultural destruction.
Art Crime
News
London Museum Plants Fake in Its Collection
A new project in London asks: Why do we prize authenticity so highly if a forgery can be visually equivalent to an authentic artwork?
In Brief
Spain Arrests Three Alleged Art Forgers
Three suspected members of an art forgery ring were arrested in the Spanish cities of Zaragoza and Tarragona, El Pais reported.
In Brief
Uzbekistan Museum Director Sold Artworks and Replaced Them With Fakes
The director of the State Art Museum of Uzbekistan in Tashkent was sentenced today to nine years in prison for systematically replacing works from the institution's collection with fakes and selling off the originals over a 15-year period.
In Brief
Thomas Kinkade and the Jesus of Zionsville, a Christmas Tale
’Twas a few weeks before Christmas, and all through Zionsville, Indiana's Thomas Kinkade Gallery, Many creatures were stirring, shoppers out for Small Business Saturday...
Opinion
Lobbyist Misleads on Islamic State Antiquities Trafficking
When Hyperallergic debunked antiquities trade representative Ursula Kampmann's supposed debunking of intelligence on Islamic State antiquities trafficking, Cultural Property Observer (CPO) (dealer and lobbyist) Peter Tompa tried to debunk Hyperallergic in turn.
News
German Media May Corroborate $36M Islamic State Antiquities Trafficking
There is significant evidence that illicit antiquities trading contributes to paramilitary funding. It does not happen everywhere, all the time, but it does happen.
News
New Bill Could Keep Looted Syrian Antiquities Out of US
A new bipartisan bill aims to sharpen the United States' response to looting in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries impacted by war, political instability, or natural disaster.
News
Museum Insiders Behind Massive $250M Turkish Art Heist
A new report in the newspaper Hurriyet has revealed that museum staff participated in a $250 million art heist of 302 works in their own institution between 2005 and 2009.
Art
A New Documentary for the Forger Who Infiltrated America's Art Museums
For three decades, Mark Landis quietly infiltrated art museums across the United States with donated forgeries, works he carefully copied himself from the whole of art history.
Art
The Art Trophies from When the White House Went Up in Flames
The 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House passed without much hullabaloo last week, aside from the British Embassy in Washington, DC, having to apologize for their tweet that in questionable taste joked they'd only be lighting the President's home with sparklers on a cake this time.
News
Cultural Destruction by Islamic State Continues with No End in Sight
Since our last report in early July, the destruction by the Islamic State has not stopped.