War & Conflict
World is ‘blindly failing’ persecuted Afghan artists, human rights organisation says
As a new report is released, the US-based Artistic Freedom Initiative demands refugee status for artists and cultural workers under threat from Taliban rule
Artists withdraw work from US National Gallery in protest of ‘government funding of Israel’s military assault’ in Gaza
A collaborative sculpture by Nicholas Galanin and Merritt Johnson was removed from an exhibition at the Washington, DC museum
Protesters calling for ceasefire in Gaza take over base of the Statue of Liberty
Hundreds of protesters affiliated with the group Jewish Voice for Peace staged a sit-in at the National Park Service site
'Gaza' spray-painted on world's oldest cultural institution dedicated to the Holocaust
The director of the Wiener Holocaust Library in London described the vandalism as “an action that can only make sense to antisemites and their enablers”
Museums around the world wonder how—or if—to respond to Israel-Hamas war
Many cultural institutions have remained silent about the ongoing crisis
‘We live in an age of escalating violence. Art teaches us to listen, to see, to wait for understanding’
As the world reels from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and we face a global climate catastrophe, how should artists and cultural organisations respond?
Icom releases first public statement on Gaza war
Comments come four days after Icom Israel demanded that the Unesco-affiliated museum organisation condemn Hamas as terrorist organisation
Art world figures publish statement criticising Artforum letter for omission of Hamas massacre and hostages
Signatories of the new letter state “there should be no contradiction between staunchly opposing the Israeli occupation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and unequivocally condemning brutal acts of violence against innocent civilians in Israel”
Israeli museums publish urgent appeal for International Council of Museums (Icom) to condemn Hamas violence
Representatives of museums including the Israel Museum and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art also call for the organisation to recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation comparable to the so-called Islamic State
Letters signed by hundreds of artists, including Nan Goldin and Jeremy Deller, call for Gaza ceasefire and aid for Palestinians
A letter signed by Tania Bruguera, Michael Rakowitz and others also criticised arts organisations for their "institutional silence" regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh raises fears about the fate of Armenian heritage sites in the region
While the Azerbaijani president has promised to protect cultural and religious sites in the region, others have called for their demolition
Heritage destruction brings Putin one step closer to prosecution, according to landmark report
Blue Shield workers have been able to access and gather evidence in destroyed cultural buildings and heritage sites in Ukraine. What have they found?
‘Cultural erasure’ in the Caucasus: new satellite imagery shows ongoing destruction of Armenian heritage sites
Images show disappearance of churches and cemeteries in the Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan regions at the centre of the largely ignored conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Myanmar's military junta releases outspoken artist Htein Lin who had been sentenced to a year's hard labour
The artist was set free in an amnesty of political prisoners, which included his British wife
Letter from Afghanistan, after fleeing to Iran: it is not safe to be a woman or an artist
Sadaf Danish, an artist from Afghanistan, had to escape the Taliban but fears for the girls left behind
Experts fear for preservation of 'spectacular' mosaic unearthed by farmers in Gaza refugee camp
The Byzantine-era gem has been described as "the most beautiful mosaic floor" found in Palestine
Outspoken Myanmar artist Htein Lin arrested by military government and sent to infamous prison
Artist and his British wife Vicky Bowman are the latest detainees of the brutal junta that has killed thousands of citizens
In Bosnia, museum leaders debate how cultural institutions can unify war-torn nations
The new conference will use Sarajevo's museums as case studies for how post-conflict societies can invest in culture to keep the peace
Russia bombs Mariupol art school sheltering 400 civilians, Ukraine claims
Women, children and elderly residents were among those in the G12 Art School building that was destroyed this weekend, according to local authorities
Ukraine museum reportedly burns down in Russian invasion, destroying 25 works by folk artist Maria Prymachenko
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Museum of Local History in Ivankiv had been set on fire by Russian forces
Eight photographers you need to follow in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a sophisticated misinformation campaign alongside his invasion of Ukraine. If you want objective visual reporting, here are the best verified photographers on the frontlines of the war
'Jobless, futureless, in constant fear': Afghan artists sign open letter to world leaders asking for help to escape the Taliban
Non-profit Artists at Risk issue letter to Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and other senior figures urging for better systems for those seeking asylum
Afghanistan: the threat of the Taliban to artists and heritage
Plus, artist Bill Fontana records Notre Dame's bells
Amid Taliban insurgency, culture sector fears looting as Kabul descends into chaos
British Council in Afghanistan among international heritage organisations that have suspended operations during the conflict
'Do leopards change their spots?': Taliban threat to heritage in Afghanistan could be worse than in 2001
In an exclusive interview with The Art Newspaper, a very well-informed anonymous source tells us how museums are protecting their collections as militants sweep the country
Sacred rock-hewn churches at risk as rebel forces take control of Ethiopia's Unesco World Heritage Site Lalibela
Historic town, a holy site for millions of Orthodox Christians, caught up in widening Tigray conflict
Artist Khaled Jarrar is selling handfuls of soil from Palestinian farmland—and has turned them into NFTs
The work draws attention to the desertification of agricultural land in Palestinian territory
Prominent Israeli rabbi: 'al-Aqsa mosque is the heart of the deadly hostilities—nobody really gets it'
Respect for religious sites and religions—not military might—is the only way forward, he says
Palestinian artist films police crackdown in Israeli city of Haifa
Calls are growing for the boycott of Israeli cultural institutions as protests erupt over Israeli attacks on Gaza and the forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah
Ethiopian heritage under attack as reports of massacre emerge
Eyewitnesses say Eritrean military stormed an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum, killing hundreds