Part 2 In the museum world — as in so many other spheres — the global pandemic and the continuing advance of technology have combined to accelerate change, forcing institutions to adapt, to rethink their future. …

Part 1 NFTs are ownable digital assets registered on the Ethereum blockchain. There is a huge buzz around them, and the excitement is no mere passing craze. It is the thrilling realization that something new has arrived in the word: NFTs are here to stay. Unlike most crypto assets such…

Part 3: A Digital Future “The collection of relics in archaeology and museums in China has entered the top level in the world, and I believe we will achieve more in other aspects. This great heritage will further boost our national cultural confidence.” Zhang Yuancheng, curator of the Shanxi Museum …

Part Two: The Pivot In the past 20 years, the number of museums in China grew a staggering 1,360%,but thousands of these beautiful buildings have nothing inside of them. For years, cities in China have competed to outdo the last impressive architectural feat. …

Part 1: The Boom The Louvre, the Smithsonian, Yad Vashem — these cultural symbols evoke feelings, attitudes, and associations, from Mona Lisa’s secret smile to the tragedy of the Holocaust. Museums give our cities a personality, a history, and a center for people to find common ground. …

The pointed spire of Notre Dame crumbled to ash and rubble on April 15th, 2019, at the height of a fire that also destroyed most of the cathedral’s roof and warped 40,000 pieces of scaffolding. Restoration efforts began soon after, driven by President Emmanuel Macron’s insistence that the treasured landmark…

The history of art tells us that new art movements have much more of a chance of achieving influence if they are rooted in fertile socio-political soil. More than that, the focal point of the art world shifts in line with the prevailing geopolitics. Influence is the key thing, in…

The NFT boom In March this year, Justin Sun, the 31-year-old Chinese founder of the Tron cryptocurrency platform, paid $20 million at auction for Picasso’s Femme Nue Couchée Au Collier. That same evening, he bought Warhol’s Three Self-Portraits for a further $2 million. So far, unremarkable — tech entrepreneur buys…