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A South African high court has dismissed artist Gabrielle Goliath’s last-ditch bid to overturn the cancellation of her Venice Biennale pavilion, rejecting the application just hours before the exhibition’s submission deadline. Goliath’s proposed pavilion, titled Elegy , was selected last month by the nonprofit Art Periodic to represent South Africa at the upcoming Venice Biennale, with Ingrid Masondo as curator. Days later, however, South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie canceled the selection, calling the work “highly divisive.” The decision came just eight days before participating nations must finalize their projects, raising fears that South Africa could be left without a pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, which opens in May. In their application, Goliath and Masondo argued that McKenzie lacked the contractual authority to cancel their selection and that his decision infringed on the artist’s constitutional right to freedom of expression, as first reported by Artnet...

To receive  Morning Links  in your inbox every weekday, sign up for our  Breakfast with ARTnews newsletter . The Headlines GEORGE ORWELL-IAN. On Monday, a judge ruled the Trump administration cannot alter historical facts and must temporarily rehang an exhibition about slavery at a monument to  George Washington and John Adams ’ home in Philadelphia, while a lawsuit proceeds, reports the New York Times . Last month, the Interior Department and the National Park Service removed displays about slave history, including Washington’s ownership of slaves at the so-called President’s House , to ensure “accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values.” But the City of Philadelphia hit back with a lawsuit. Now, by the sounds of Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ’s opinion in favor of a preliminary injunction against removing the show, the city has a strong case. “As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ now existed, with its m...

The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, one of Spain’s top art museums, said on Monday that it was seeking an investigation into a widely publicized incident involving visitors who came to the museum with Stars of David and Israeli flags. Video of the incident went viral after being published by Okdiario , a conservative Spanish publication. In the video, security officers appear to call for the removal of three women from the museum. As they begin the process of escorting the women out, one officer says that “some members of the public are being bothered” by these visitors. Okdiario reported that before the incident, which the publication termed “racist harassment,” other visitors had shouted phrases such as “genocidal maniacs” at these women. The video, which runs nearly a minute and a half, does not show what preceded this incident. ARTnews could not independently confirm Okdiario ’s account, which stated that the women were tourists from Israel. The incident was also covered by cons...

To receive  Morning Links  in your inbox every weekday, sign up for our  Breakfast with ARTnews newsletter . The Headlines MAMBO SACKING . Italian curator Eugenio Viola  has been fired from his position as artistic director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogota (MAMBO) , which he held since 2019, reports The Art Newspaper . In a statement, Viola said he was abruptly dismissed following his “decision to raise concerns with the board in September 2025 regarding the progressive deterioration of working conditions—concerns shared by several team members.” He added: “I leave with my integrity intact, having acted in good faith, supported my team and consistently maintained ethical standards.” Meanwhile, the Colombian museum said the move was part of a “comprehensive review,” and the search was already underway for a replacement. IN MEMORIAM . Henrike Naumann , a sculptor who was preparing to represent Germany at the forthcoming Venice Biennale ...

Henrike Naumann, a sculptor whose installations composed of furniture and design objects associated with East Germany’s troubled past made her a star of the German art scene, died on Saturday at 41. Her death preceded one of her biggest projects to date: the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, where the Berlin-based artist is set to represent the nation alongside Sung Tieu this year. The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), the organization that facilitates the German Pavilion, said in a statement that she died of a “short, serious illness.” “With Henrike Naumann’s passing, we have lost not only a significant figure in contemporary German art, but also a warm-hearted, insightful, and highly committed individual,” ifa said. “Her legacy lives on – in her works, in the numerous international collaborations she initiated, and in the many people who were inspired by her thinking and work.” Naumann’s art was by turns disturbing, intriguing, and heartfelt, attesting to a Germany th...

On Canada’s West Coast, inside the cavernous facilities of Seaspan Shipyards , a new generation of shipbuilding technology is taking shape — one that reaches beyond steel and welds into the realm of advanced robotics, sustainability, and workplace safety. On February 12, 2026, Seaspan announced it has awarded a contract to Alberta-based Confined Space Robotics (CSR) to develop and integrate semi-autonomous robotic systems designed to enhance blast and paint operations across its shipbuilding and submarine programs. At first glance, blast and paint work may not capture headlines the way new vessel launches do. Yet these operations are fundamental to both new ship construction and complex submarine repair and overhaul projects. They ensure structural integrity, corrosion resistance, and long-term durability — and they often take place in some of the most demanding environments inside a shipyard. Now, Seaspan is investing $1.5 million to bring Canadian-built robotics directly into tho...