Maria Balshaw, director of the Tate museum network, has strongly defended her institution's programming choices against critics who blame recent exhibitions for declining visitor numbers. Writing in The Guardian's letters section, Balshaw argued that critics should compare current attendance figures to pre-COVID levels rather than to 2019, which was the Tate's most successful year on record.
According to Balshaw, UK visitor numbers to Tate galleries have recovered to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels. While she acknowledged that changes in European tourism patterns have affected overall attendance, she maintained that recent exhibitions featuring Pablo Picasso, J.M.W. Turner, Tracey Emin, and other major artists have provided "a stronger platform than ever for future growth."
However, Balshaw's response has not silenced all critics. Catherine Bliss, writing to The Guardian from Tonbridge, Kent, expressed disappointment with the Tate's recent offerings, stating: "Since the heady years of the noughties and teens, it seems that the Tate has failed to really capture the imagination with its exhibitions offer. Apart from the Lynette Yiadom-Boakye portrait show at Tate Britain and the El Anatsui pieces in the Turbine Hall, there has been little, in terms of contemporary art, to set the pulse racing of late."
Meanwhile, China's private art museum sector is experiencing significant turbulence, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The publication described "a wave of closures and cutbacks sweeping through China's private art museums," raising serious concerns about the sector's long-term sustainability and the future of one of the world's largest art markets.
Several prominent institutions have recently shuttered their doors. Shenzhen's Jupiter Museum of Art closed in June, followed just days later by Qingdao's TAG Art Museum. The Ennova Art Museum in Langfang, which was founded by the company behind Hong Kong-listed ENN Energy Holdings, has remained dormant for months. Even the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, one of China's most internationally recognized contemporary art institutions, appears to be facing financial difficulties.
The crisis stems from multiple factors, including corporate sponsors tightening their budgets, reduced consumer discretionary spending, and rising operational costs. Additionally, the Chinese government's reluctance to support art forms that don't align with Communist Party-approved cultural expressions has further constrained the sector.
In other museum news, the Smithsonian Institution announced it would create an updated display at the National Museum of American History after removing an exhibit that mentioned Donald Trump's two impeachments. The Smithsonian emphasized that "the removal did not come at the behest of any Administration or other government official."
In the UK, two artists suffered a devastating setback when vandals broke into their gallery and destroyed their work just days before its scheduled opening. Laura Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass had been preparing to launch the Market Gallery in a former Wilko store in South Shields when they discovered their hard work had been ruined overnight.
The auction world is preparing for a major sale as Sotheby's revealed the headline lots from the collection of British socialite and arts patron Pauline Karpidas. The blockbuster auction is scheduled for September 17, 18, and 19 in London.
In a lighter art world story, London-based artist Lucy Sparrow has opened an interactive fish and chip shop where everything is crafted from felt. The elaborate installation includes hand-stitched fish and chips in sewn-together boxes, bottles of vinegar and mayonnaise, salt containers, ketchup packets, and menus. The project features an impressive 65,000 individually hand-crafted pieces, including 15 different chip shapes in five different colors.
Looking toward Syria, the potential lifting of sanctions has brought new hope for the country's cultural heritage preservation efforts. Donald Trump's surprising announcement in May to lift sanctions on Syria has energized cultural workers like Rima Khawam, chief curator of the Damascus National Museum.
Years of war and international sanctions, imposed since 2011 to pressure Bashar al-Assad's regime, have left Syria's museums in severe disrepair, lacking resources and international support. The Damascus Museum currently suffers from cracked walls, damaged ventilation systems, and overcrowded storage facilities that house artifacts rescued from six other museums.
Bénédicte de Montlaur of the World Monuments Fund (WMF) explained that the conflict and sanctions severely limited funding and international support, forcing Syrian cultural professionals to shoulder the responsibility of protecting their heritage alone, often under dangerous conditions.
With sanctions potentially easing, the WMF is preparing to re-enter Syria to support restoration efforts. Local organizations like Syrians for Heritage are already working on preservation projects. Salam Al Kuntar, a founding member of the organization, noted that securing funding has been particularly challenging, especially from European sources.
Ayman Al Nabo of the Idlib Antiquities Center recalled years of delays in receiving international support but now sees renewed interest and emerging partnerships. "It feels like a breakthrough," Al Nabo said, reflecting the cautious optimism spreading through Syria's cultural preservation community as international engagement with the country's heritage institutions may soon resume.
