More stories from the week ended May 19:

  • New Yorkers upset over neighbor Arne Svenson’s photos taken through windows for art exhibit.
  • Chinese authorities begin demolishing ancient capital of Lhasa to transform city into a tourist destination.
  • Construction company destroys one of Belize’s largest Mayan pyramids to extract crushed rock for project.
  • RIP: Thomas M. Messer, longtime director of the Guggenheim Museum, who died at the age of 93.
  • British police interrupt stunt by Voina on London Tower Bridge.
  • Activists occupy Budapest’s Ludwig Museum protesting the removal of museum director Barnabas Bencsik.
  • Real punks gather to protest The Met’s “inauthentic” punk exhibit.
  • Some paintings attributed to Johannes Vermeer may actually be the work of his daughter, Maria.
  • Criminals are increasingly using artwork to launder money.
  • Beloved Beatles mural painted over in New York due to filming for Liam Neeson movie.
  • A profile of art crime in the US and those that track and solve them.
  • Six lots of Egyptian material had to be withdrawn before Christie’s sale because they were suspected looted.
  • Poland’s culture minister Bogdan Zdrojewski seeks return of art seized by Soviet Russia in 1945.
  • Cambodia asking museums to examine Khmer antiquities acquired after 1970 and requesting possible return.
  • Ai Weiwei’s hair cutting skills criticized.
  • Ai Weiwei unveils map of China made from baby formula tins, in response to fears surrounding milk safety.
  • Anish Kapoor feels that Britain is fucked in terms of its respect towards art and artists.
  • Cooper Union occupation enters its second week.
  • Arizona man find himself jailed, unemployed, and homeless after photographing courthouse.
  • France considering smartphone, tablet, and other net-connecting devices tax to fund cultural content.
  • Germany’s dealers and country’s culture minister oppose 12% tax hike on purchase of original works of art.
  • Interpol targets Qaddafi family treasures and artwork is high on the list.
  • MOCA architecture show opening pushed back two weeks, to June 16.
  • Hirshhorn Museum’s proposed “Bubble” project would operate at loss in every scenario examined in report.
  • Controversy erupts again as Banksy’s Slave Labour removed street mural reappears for sale.
  • Georg Baselitz in trouble with German tax authorities due to being in list of clients of Swiss bank UBS.
  • Fascinating article about the Warhol Foundation and the Warhol Art Authentication Board and its dealings.
  • Damien Hirst spent his Turner Prize winnings of £20,000 on drinks at the bar that night.
  • Leonardo DiCaprio raises about $39 million for wildlife conservation at his Christie’s benefit art auction.
  • Peter Doig denies painting a work that is attributed to him, but admits to taking LSD as a youth.
  • Mao photo taken by his wife sells for $55,300 at auction.
  • Dasha Zhukova, Mike Bloomberg introduce Circle, an art-tech symposium to be held in St. Petersburg.
  • The Vatican’s plans for its Venice Biennale pavilion.
  • Countries that are struggling financially still spending heavily on their Venice Biennale pavilions.
  • Lost paintings by Mary Beale, Britain’s first professional female artist, goes on view at Tate.
  • Artwork now exhibited at London Tower.
  • Museums today are increasingly loosening their camera policy due to ubiquity of camera phones.
  • The multiple locations of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, revealed.
  • Art Ltd. Magazine puts its spotlight on the Laguna Beach art scene.
  • Profile of Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary.
  • The 2013 Calder Prize will be awarded to Darren Bader.
  • Stan Douglas wins annual Scotiabank Photography Award that includes a $50,000 cash prize.
  • Damon Dash exhibits artwork by kids at his gallery.
  • Andrew Lamberty buys Stik garage door, thinking he is the next Banksy.
  • Kenny Schachter’s Frieze Week NYC diary.
  • Ben Davis on Jeff Koons’s exhibition at David Zwirner.
  • Roberta Smith reviews recent showings by Paul McCarthy and Jeff Koons.
  • Vanity Fair interviews Tracey Emin.
  • Tiny Showcase released a papercut with print backing by Saelee Oh.
  • Chris Brown’s neighbor defends the graffiti mural on his house.
  • An interview with ESPO.
  • LA Taco talks to Hanksy.
  • A visit to Travis Millard’s cabin by The Hundreds.
  • A look at the Easter Island exhibition from Daniel Arsham at Galerie Perrotin.
  • An interview with Souther Salazar about his current show in New York.
  • Brad Downey was in Moscow.