Arts News

North Korea's Kim poses in military uniform with gun in new portrait

By AFP

Seoul - North Korean state media have displayed an unprecedented portrait of leader Kim Jong Un in military uniform -- and an assault rifle on his desk -- as the nuclear-armed nation holds a key meeting of its ruling party.

'We all survived': Wuhan artists keep virus memories alive

By AFP

Wuhan - A melancholy guitar melody intertwines with an ethereal beat as wild-haired singer Lu Yan intones his hometown's feelings into a microphone: "Virus in Wuhan. We all survived.

'Don't leave trash in the desert': Utah monolith removal explained

By AFP

Los Angeles - The mystery of how a metal monolith appeared in the Utah desert remains, but the riddle of its removal seems to have been solved -- and sadly, has nothing to do with aliens.

Cuban president says artist collective's protest was US plot

By AFP

Havana - Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Sunday that a recent protest in Havana by an artists' collective over freedom of expression was "the last attempt" by US President Donald Trump's administration "to overthrow the revolution.

Mysterious monolith in US desert reportedly disappears

By AFP

Los Angeles - A mysterious metal monolith found in the remote desert of the western United States, sparking a national guessing game over how it got there, has apparently disappeared, officials said.

Cuba sees rare protest over freedom of expression

By AFP

Havana - About 200 Cuban artists demonstrated outside the country's culture ministry on Friday in a rare protest over freedom of expression that received support from leading Cuban cinema figures.

Glasgow artist launches plastic bag museum

By AFP

Glasgow - Katrina Cobain unwraps a parcel and removes its precious contents, slowly and delicately as if she were handling an ancient scroll of papyrus.

Sindika Dokolo, husband to Angola's Isabel dos Santos, dies

By AFP

Luanda - Sindika Dokolo, the husband of Isabel dos Santos, billionaire daughter of Angola's former president, has died, his family announced on Friday.

Hungary students hold 'freedom' rally on anniversary of 1956 uprising

By AFP

Budapest - A rally held by students blockading Hungary's top arts university for over 50 days. in protest at a reform by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, on Friday drew thousands of supporters in Budapest.

Lebanese artists in overdrive to restore Beirut's beauty

By AFP

Beirut - Lebanese stained glass artist Maya Husseini had hoped to retire after decades spent designing colourful windows, but she has been flooded with work since the blast that ripped through Beirut.

Pantomime dames hit London streets to urge virus funding

By AFP

London - Extravagantly dressed pantomime dames brought a dash of colour to central London on Wednesday to highlight the plight of the coronavirus-ravaged arts sector.

Hungary students dig in at blockade for academic freedom

By AFP

Budapest - A month into a blockade of Hungary's top arts university, hundreds of students rebelling against control by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing government show no sign of quitting.

Ai Weiwei supports Assange with silent protest

By AFP

London - Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei held a silent protest on Monday outside a London court to demand the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who faces extradition to the United States.

Botticelli painting expected to sell for record $80m

By AFP

New York - A painting by Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli could fetch over $80 million when it goes under the hammer in New York in January, Sotheby's said Thursday -- a record auction price for the artist.

Eerie Belgrade exhibit turns Ratko Mladic diary into art

By AFP

Belgrade - For nearly four years Serbian artist Vladimir Miladinovic started his day with a morning coffee and the diary of one of the Balkans' most notorious war criminals, Ratko Mladic.

Ancient Golan rock art sheds light on mysterious culture

By AFP

Katzrin - The chance discovery of lines carved into the boulders of an ancient tomb in what is now the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights could offer new insight into an enigmatic culture that thrived thousands of years ago.

Milton Glaser, designer of iconic 'I (Heart) NY' logo, is dead at 91

By AFP

New York - If you like American pop culture you certainly know his work, even if you don't know his name: graphic designer Milton Glaser, known for his wildly popular "I (Heart) NY" logo, died Friday on his 91st birthday.

Greece's 'invisible' artists call for help in virus squeeze

By AFP

Athens - "For us, there is no return to normality."Despite being one of Greece's best-known folk singers, Natassa Bofiliou is among thousands of artists worried about the economic impact of coronavirus lockdowns that have only just begun to be eased.

Indian inventor revs up corona car to drive home lockdown message

By AFP

New Delhi - A giant coronavirus is stalking the streets of southern India -- propelled by a 100 cc engine and an inventor trying to drive home the message that Indians should stay indoors as the pandemic sweeps across the world.

Art blooms in gritty Dakar neighbourhood

By AFP

Dakar - Mamadou Boye Diallo, an art curator with a penchant for heart-shaped glasses, calls Dakar's working-class Medina neighbourhood an open-air museum.

K-pop pioneers BTS unveil global modern art initiative

By AFP

London - Korean pop superstars BTS helped launch a global public art project in London on Tuesday inspired by their message of inclusivity and involving renowned artists including Antony Gormley and Tomas Saraceno.

Bruce Lee’s daughter sues fast food chain for using father's image

By AFP

Shanghai - A company run by Bruce Lee's daughter is suing a Chinese fast food chain for allegedly using an image of the late martial arts film star without permission.

Ghent's refreshed 'Mystic Lamb' artwork inspires new adoration

By AFP

Ghent - The grass is greener, the sky is cleaner and dozens of tiny details have been exposed to delight art historians and inspire the devotion of the faithful.

Mexico makes deal to defuse naked Zapata painting row

By AFP

Mexico - The verdict is in: the painting of Emiliano Zapata wearing nothing but a pink sombrero and heels can stay.

Painting of naked Zapata stirs uproar in Mexico

By AFP

Mexico - A controversial painting of Mexican revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata has pitted his family and supporters against the work's artist and the LGBT community in a contentious dispute that erupted in heated protests Tuesday.

Banana-eating performance artist was 'hungry'

By AFP

New York - Performance artist David Datuna waited two hours until "I was hungry" before eating a pricey banana artwork in Miami, he explained with laughter on Monday after returning to New York.

Four artists join forces to share 2019 Turner Prize

By AFP

London - This year's prestigious Turner Prize will be shared by all four shortlisted artists after they formed a collective to show solidarity at a time of global "political crisis", in a shock win announced Tuesday.

Digital tools and community first — A bright future for the TSO

By Jack Derricourt

Toronto Symphony Orchestra CEO Matthew Loden is uniquely positioned to observe how digital media is shifting audience expectations of classical music, and how reaching out to a larger community can benefit cultural institutions.

British art dealer unveils pioneering robot artist

By AFP

Oxford - Billed as "one of the most exciting artists of our time", Ai-Da differs from generations of past masters in one inescapable way: she is a robot.

Russian court jails man who attacked tsar painting

By AFP

Moscow - A Moscow court on Tuesday sent a man who attacked a painting of Ivan the Terrible to a penal colony for two and a half years, news agencies reported.