Canceled South Africa Pavilion Artist and Curator Appeal to President

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Straight to the top. South AfricaPlan to attend this year’s Venice Biennale The project was mired in high drama after the government abruptly canceled its own pavilion. the selected artist, Gabriel Goliathand curators Ingrid Massando Call directly now President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoping to restart projects that were put on hold just days before the deadline, The Art Newspaper reported Wednesday. Work, elegyis a simple but searing video installation: seven trained female singers hold a B note for an hour, passing it from breath to breath in a mourning ritual. The biennale edition has long been devoted to the memory of the victims of South Africa’s female murders, extending its mourning to Namibia and Gaza, South African poet Maneo Mohale composed an experimental ghazal. The final move proved fatal. minister of sports, arts and culture Guyton McKenzie The Gaza section was deemed “divisive” and the pavilion was canceled entirely. Goliath called the decision cruel and unjust and argued that art must be free to confront violence wherever it occurs. Meanwhile, the Presidency has yet to intervene, leaving the voice of South African culture conspicuously absent in Venice.

paper trail. this Smithsonian Institution Digital paper records have been handed over to Trump administrationsubmitted photos of wall labels, placards and exhibition text in response to a “content censorship” ultimatum. The request, filed in December, warned that federal funds could be withheld unless the museum complied with efforts to purge the administration of what it called “incorrect ideology.” In an email to staffwashington post, Secretary of State Lonnie G. Bunch III Confirm that materials have been submitted before the deadline, while emphasizing that curatorial rights remain with the institution. However, the White House has made it clear that it wants museums to present “a positive view of American history,” citing a 2025 executive order titled “History of the United States.” Restoring truth and sanity in American history. Although long insulated by its status as a public-private trust, the Smithsonian now finds itself subject to unusually intense political scrutiny. As the second Trump administration exerts its influence over cultural institutions, the question is no longer just about funding, but who gets to put a stamp on American history itself.

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Roland Augustineco-founder Lulin Augustinis stepping down to focus on philanthropy, marking the end of an era for the New York gallery. Lawrence Luhring will continue to lead the 40-year-old gallery alongside directors Lauren Vittles and donald johnson black mountain. [ARTnews]

four jimmy carterpaintings included in Christie’s This month’s auction highlights the late president’s creativity. [New York Times]

this Serlaves Museum of Contemporary Art Porto to host first comprehensive exhibition Durkheim Seriesfeaturing monumental installations and rare works by artists such as Anselm Kiefer and theaster gates Address pressing contemporary issues. [Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art]

A recent study details the damaging effects trump cardTimes art funding cuts have cut museums across the United States, sparking widespread concerns about the industry’s future. [The Guardian]

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gossip Girl. according to Art Network NewsOn a freezing night in December, 11 female artists including the artist Landon Gravescrowded in the lobby of the city center manhattan Office building, transaction warmth, creativity, close observation. They gathered at 125 Maiden Lane to watch “Mental Models” Graves‘Exhibition by architectural art, The exhibition will last until January 23, 2026. The meeting was more of a ritual than an opening: a collective pause to observe, talk and reflect together. All belong to gossipis a long-term critical group of around 20 artists who gather in studios, galleries and borrowed corners of the city to exchange feedback, sharpen ideas and indulge in a shared obsession with art. Its list has changed over time, but currently includes things like Jenna Gribben, Erin M. Rileyand Julie Curtis.