Morad Montazami (art historian, founder of Zamân Books & Curating, former curator of Middle East & North Africa at Tate Modern) named as artistic director for this year’s Dakar Biennale tinyurl.com/a6mcrhrb...

How are the blockades working out? A great visual representation of what's happening (or not) in the Strait of Hormuz: seems to be 24 hrs old, and relies on publicly available info, but provides a good at-a-aglance summary www.ishormuzopenyet....

“We can’t only be fair-weather curators. We’re here for people all the time, whatever is happening around us, or maybe particularly when things are happening around us ..." Art Jameel's Antonia Carver talks to Ocula about the arts in a time of war

#MAGPIESEZ Here's magpie Weekly, your free guide to the best of the UAE's creative and cultural scene – this time with Art Dubai's update, a home for Barjeel Art Foundation, and why Copilot is for entertainment only ... Why not subscribe? tinyurl.com/4yuvvzzs...

The V&A has a new collections hub page on provenance and the stories of some looted works in its collection tinyurl.com/38fsd447...

1000+ film and TV notables have signed an open letter opposing Paramount Skydance’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery (“the integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised")

Anti-Trump protesters are getting older. Where are the kids? tinyurl.com/3u8w4dzc...

Long-awaited French restitution law passes final vote – requires “strict supervision” for returning objects, applies only to items illegally taken between 1815 and 1972 tinyurl.com/4uxhtmep...

"The biggest one of all": 250ft, two gold eagles flanking Lady Liberty, viewing platform: 'Liberty and Justice For All' and 'One Nation Under God' (both arguable). No word yet on who's paying tinyurl.com/ye26dwyw...

Ukraine sanctions five Russians organisers of the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Ukraine sanctions five Russians organisers of the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

The perfect espresso (according to Scientists) tinyurl.com/3vypjs5w...

If you return unwanted Reform local election leaflets to their party headquarters using their free post address, then it will cost the party £2.50 per envelope. Please don’t share this information; it could cost Nigel Farage a fortune.

Are CDs the new vinyl?

Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival 2027 – PHOTOGRAPHY / 2D ART / 3D ART / VIDEO / SHORT FILM. Apply to participate in the 2027 RAK Art Festival (Jan 2027 on, Al Jazeera Al Hamra) with chance to win category prizes. DEADLINE 5 June tinyurl.com/yyuzrj8f...

Obsolete sounds, recomposed and reimagined: relive the heady days of dial-up modems, portable typewriters and the Krups Type 207 coffee grinder. A project of the excellent Cities & Memories open-source exploration of place and memory

OpenAI's policy paper 'Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age' suggests how govts should prepare for an AI world. Socially liberal (eg public wealth funds to distribute AI-driven economic gains directly) but will it gets as far as actual policy? tinyurl.com/tn59txb5...

INSTALLATION ART – Art Here 2026 / Richard Mille Art Prize. Submit proposals for an installation to be commissioned as part of the Art Here exhibition (Louvre Abu Dhabi, Nov 2026) and considered for the $60,000 Richard Mille Prize DEADLINE 31 May tinyurl.com/854uafmw...

Find out how many people there are around you (or indeed anywhere else). Pick a point on the globe, set a radius, click to select tinyurl.com/4bwc8dem...

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76... They've watched privatisation pile up debt, poison rivers and hike bills, while shareholders pocketed £85 billion. It's time the public had a vote. Sign the petition for a water referendum. 👇

"You're an author? Would I know anything you've written?" "Have you heard of the book Eat Pray Love?" "Oh wow. I have, actually!" "Well, one of my books was printed in a typeface not totally dissimilar to the one in that."

Turn any location into a rather cool minimalist downloadable size-selectable poster terraink.app?utm_sou...

Melissa Chiu (right) is leaving the Hirshhorn Museum to become Director of the Guggenheim New York, reporting to Mariët Westermann. It's another Smithsonian departure, and described as "an important step in the evolution of the Guggenheim Foundation" tinyurl.com/45jf8maz...

Use Google like a pro: around 40 clever tips 'n' tricks, many of which will bypass Google's attempts to serve you ads and AI 'summaries'

DEADLINE 15 April DIFC Art Nights: submit art/performance/workshop proposals for DIFC’s 21st Art Nights al fresco mini art fair – 5-10pm 23-26 April, Gate Village Podium Level tinyurl.com/25vru9uf...

"We’ve learned that good exhibition design is discreet, quiet, almost apologetic ..." But is white always right? Top design studio Formafantasma on designing exhibitions for contemporary art

#MAGPIESEZ Hooray! Here's a link to your FREE emailed guide to the best of the UAE's creative and cultural scene – this time with job ops and more, a look at the theatre of war, and an AIwash ... tinyurl.com/3uyj25cs...

Yet another rather good Tommy Siegel commentary tinyurl.com/3n7ve65d...

PUBLIC ART – ADREA Public Art II competition. Submit proposals for an artwork for permanent installation within the ADREA (Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts) site on Jubail island. Two will be selected. DEADLINE 24 April tinyurl.com/53n7yyr9...

A montage of the 100 best VJ loops created for a prizeless competition that attracted 1,498 entries. Some of these visuals are stunning (the soundtrack is pretty cool too) tinyurl.com/mt8fzncz...

I completely agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene is a sentence I never thought I would ever write.

In praise of the 'teaching artist' as a profession: yet another good Emil Kang essay tinyurl.com/6anms5dp...

DEADLINE 10 April – BLANK SPACE. Apply for one of three four-week warehouse residencies in Alserkal Avenue for collectives and collaborations tinyurl.com/2xav5mhz...

Okay guys they've gone behind the Moon so it's time for us to put our ape masks on This is going to be HILARIOUS

26 days until the return of the Icelandic domestic cricket season!

Nat Pavilion UAE's artists for 61st Venice Biennale (opens 9 May): Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash Taus Makhacheva. Theme: Washwasha ('whispering) – exploring "the relationship between language, body, and identity"

One of the best agency calling cards we’ve seen in years – fine design, fine satire, excellent work all round: tells you what sort of people they are, defines the kind of client they want

An affectionate homage to pioneering US animators John and Faith Hubley. "One for the client, one for us" tinyurl.com/3fhf2z9u...

PHOTOGRAPHY: Family in Frame Award – submit one photograph that highlights shared values and everyday family life across the UAE. Three cash prizes, selected entries will be exhibited. DEADLINE 19 May 2026 tinyurl.com/4z533est...

Apple at 50: eight developments that shaped our world tinyurl.com/9ymkm6hk...

I feel much more anger towards the British pundits & politicians who failed to understand the depravity & derangement of Donald Trump than I do the ones who failed to understand the idiocy of Brexit. But it doesn’t really matter because they’re exactly the same bloody people.

A different perspective. Always helpful.

European Tree of the Year 2026 is an oak in Lithuania tinyurl.com/mt794xvp...

DIFC Art Nights: submit art/performance/workshop proposals for DIFC’s 21st Art Nights al fresco mini art fair – 5-10pm 23-26 April, Gate Village Podium Level. DEADLINE 15 April tinyurl.com/25vru9uf...

A helpful family tree of Greek deities. Demonstrates inter alia that Zeus may have been central but wasn't foundational ... tinyurl.com/y2xb7bka...

Tech nerd heaven: how to host a website on a disposable vape

The organisers' "practical guide" to the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 (21-26 April at the Milan Rho, this year includes EuroCucina) tinyurl.com/2zswk22a...

DEADLINE 6 APRIL – Open Call for three three-month art residencies in Dubai (studio space plus mentorship) leading to an exhibition at Fann à Porter tinyurl.com/5ewy96az...

Apply for one of three four-week warehouse residencies in Alserkal Avenue for collectives and collaborations. DEADLINE 10 April tinyurl.com/2xav5mhz...

12 lesser-known places that helped shape post-independence India – each one telling a story of resilience you don't find in textbooks. H/t to Rishi from 10+1 Things