The WSJ takes an inside look at the experimental art school founded by Vik Muniz in one of Rio’s favelas, which has been chosen for inclusion in this year’s Architecture Biennale.  “To design and build in a favela is a huge challenge because of the topography and because it’s so dense,” says curator Washington Fajardo. “What’s interesting about Escola Vidigal is that it creates a dialogue with the pre-existing built environment while improving the quality of the space.” (more…)

The Rijksmuseum has named Taco Dibbits, the museum’s current director of collections, as its new director, following the departure of Wim Pijbes.  “It’s one of the most beautiful museums in the world, and it’s a dream come true for me,” Dibbits told the New York Times. “I’ve already got a fantastic team of people, and we hope that we can make as many people as possible enjoy and be inspired, and be touched by, the great works of art that the museum houses.” (more…)

Seven people have been arrested in Spain, in connection with the theft of five Francis Bacon paintings valued at â‚¬25m.  Police found the works after receiving photographs from British investigators, and tracing the camera equipment used to photograph the works.  “It is not at all easy to sell a Francis Bacon, large or small, without that getting to the ears of those who pore over such a rarified sector,” one expert said of the theft. (more…)

New York Gallery Clifton Benevento has made the decision to close its doors, Artforum reports. The gallery’s last day open to the public will be tomorrow, May 31st. (more…)

The Georgia O’Keefe museum has acquired a rare 1926 work by the artist, an abstracted landscape that showcases her expressive craft outside of her more traditional subject matter, and captures the country home of her and her husband Alfred Stieglitz.  “Of the subjects O’Keeffe pursued at Lake George in the 1920s—her most prolific decade—the various barns on the Stieglitz property most directly connect her to the interests of various members of the Stieglitz circle and other American modernists to identify distinctly national subjects,” the museum said in a statement. (more…)

David Shrigley will install a version of his work Memorial at Central Park this summer, a towering gravestone with a grocery list engraved across its surface.  “He’s best known for a unique drawing style that makes satirical comments on everyday interactions,” says associate curator Emma Enderby of the Public Art Fund, which commissioned the piece. “It’s absurd, it’s funny but it’s also sad and poignant.” (more…)

Artist Katharina Grosse will create one of her signature paint spatter installations on the aquatics building at Fort Tilden Beach this summer, part of MoMA PS1’s Rockaway! event. The work will coat the decaying building in flashes of bright colors, while emphasizing its architectural style. (more…)

Claire Danes has signed on to host a new iteration of PBS’s Art21’s TV series, “Art in the Twenty-First Century.”  “Artists today influence how we see the world, how we express ourselves and how art can transform society,” Danes says. (more…)

Terence Koh is featured in the New York Times this week, as the artist discusses his recent work and the inspiration behind the Bee Chapel, an installation that seeks to find spiritual resonance with an active group of honey bees.  “We create the sense that everything in the show is living in a vibration,” Koh says. (more…)

Following its merger with Auctionata, Paddle8 has seen a series of high-profile departures and lay-offs, Art News reports.  Editorial Director Sarah Hanson in particular was one of the lay-offs, which sources indicate means that the company will do away with or drastically scale back its editorial arm.  “A merger is an inevitable inflection point, and in the past month Paddle8 has seen the departure of some of our colleagues in the lead up to and following our merger with Auctionata,” co-founder Osman Khan said.  “Some left to pursue other passions and opportunities, and others as a result of corporate restructuring. In all cases, we are grateful for their contributions to Paddle8.” (more…)

Alex Katz is profiled in the Telegraph this week, as the artist completes a new series of paintings for a show at London’s Serpentine Galleries, and reflects on his inspirations, among them Cézanne’s landscapes.  “I was looking at his stuff and saying: ‘See, the guy couldn’t paint, it’s terrible, this is overworked’ – stuff like that,” he says. “Then, when I got on a train, all I could see were Cézanne landscapes. His vision is so strong that it dominates your mind. And that, for me, is the highest thing an artist can do.” (more…)

The BBC reports on the 10-year restoration process for Sebastiano del Piombo’s The Adoration of the Shepherds, an ambitious undertaking that sought to repair the damage caused by the removal of the work from its original surface using acid.  Conservators have been repairing acid damage and removing added layers of paint to the work before attempting to return the work to its original form. “We were delving down to discover if we could uncover the original and, knowing there was damage, whether we could reconstruct those so we could hang the painting as a painting, rather than as an archaeological fragment,” says Rupert Featherstone of The Hamilton Kerr Institute, which worked to repair the piece at the Fitzwilliam Museum. (more…)

The Qatari Royal Family has settled its case over the Pablo Picasso bust, but details of the ownership of the work have not been disclosed in court filings.  “It having been reported to this court that these actions have been or will be settled, these actions are discontinued without costs to any party,” U.S. District Judge William Pauley said in a court order. (more…)

Following massive protests nationwide, Brazil’s acting President, Michael Temer, has reinstated the national culture ministry.  The move marks the latest in a series of quick changes and adjustments made by a government that is currently scrambling for control after a controversial assumption of power. (more…)

A large group of artists, among them Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor and Jeremy Deller, have signed an open petition opposing the vote on a British exit from the EU.  “From the smallest gallery to the biggest blockbuster, many of us have worked on projects that would never have happened without vital EU funding or by collaborating across borders,” the letter reads. “Leaving Europe would be a leap into the unknown for millions of people across the UK who work in the creative industries, and for the millions more at home and abroad who benefit from the growth and vibrancy of Britain’s cultural sector.” (more…)

The Romanian government has launched a crowd-funded campaign to buy a nationally treasured Constantin Brancusi sculpture that is currently for sale.  “I am calling on Romanians to take individual responsibility because I want BrâncuÈ™i to unite us, not divide us,” prime minister Dacian CioloÈ™ said. (more…)

An article on the challenges for conservators in fixing microscopic eruptions on Old Masters paintings, caused by metal soap bubbles forcing their way to the surface of the piece.  “Every paint has its own peculiar chemical composition,” says physicist Jaap Boon. (more…)

The New York Times notes the last show at Artists Space’s 38 Greene Street location before it moves to a new space.  The space is currently seeking a new location after a long dispute with its landlord. (more…)

The New York Times reports on the closing of Lee’s Art Shop in Midtown, a longtime mainstay of the city’s arts community that is leaving its West 57th Street location as towering condo buildings continue to rise around it.  “What’s going on here is destroying New York’s sense of place, particularly for an artist,” says photographer Kate Simon. “What would Truman Capote write now, ‘Breakfast at Nordstrom’s’?”

(more…)

The Art Newspaper looks at a new generation of young Chinese artists, and the sizable gender imbalance in the field.  “Still very few 80s-born women artists succeed,” says  artist Zhang Ruyi. “The number is more than that of the past overall, but still there are relatively few, especially compared with the number of male artists.” (more…)

The Knoedler Gallery forgery scandal made it to 60 Minutes this week, exploring the case and its cast of characters through the perspective of historian Jack Flam.  Flam was asked to identify a Motherwell Elegy, and found that the artist’s signature appeared as if it had been copied meticulously from other works, and later discovered evidence of orbital sander use on the canvas, which was often used to age canvases.   (more…)

Simon de Pury is interviewed on Charlie Rose this week, as he releases his memoirs, reflects on the course of his career, and his views on buying work.  “I’ve seen people who are brilliant business people, but when they buy art, they only want to buy bargains,” he says.  “But no great collection was built on bargains.” (more…)

The Louvre has invited artist JR to install one of his signature works on the surface of its iconic glass pyramid, obscuring its surface to mirror the palatial architecture behind it.  The installation is part of the artist’s recently opened retrospective at the museum, Contemporary art – JR at the Louvre. (more…)

A version of Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’Herbe will travel from London’s Cortauld Institute to Hull for a show at the Ferens gallery, thanks to a £9.4m grant from the British government.  The project will also help fund renovations and improvements to the institution’s galleries.   (more…)