1) Met Acquires First-Century Sarcophagus

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has acquired an Egyptian sarcophagus dating back to the first century. The coffin was built for the priest Nedjemankh and features intricate detailing in various precious metals, as well as design features intended to help the owner into the afterlife. Prior to the museum’s acquisition, the sarcophagus was owned by an unnamed private collector, who purchased it in the 1970s from the heirs of an Egyptian antiquities dealer. The sarcophagus will be on public view in the Met’s Egyptian galleries.

2) Florida Museums Weather Irma Successfully

The worst of Hurricane Irma has passed over Florida, and it seems the majority of art institutions have made it through the storm with minimal to no damage. This article looks at some of the precautions that were taken, including the installation of extra high-tech protective barriers around Damien Hirst’s outdoor installation “Gone But Not Forgotten,” a golden mammoth skeleton encased in glass that sits outside the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. Other area museums have been preparing for hurricanes throughout their lifetimes, installing weatherproof walls and other protective features.

3) Josh Kline's "News"

Check out this artwork by Josh Kline, featured in the art publication Texte Zur Kunst. “Swallowing News” consists of a prescription bottle of pill capsules, each packed with shredded pages from The New York Times. Each edition of the work comprises a full prescription of capsules, allowing lucky owners to literally ingest the news if they so choose. According to the attached statement, the work addresses the conflict between news portrayed as something necessary and healthy to consume, and the horrifying, fear-mongering nature of much of the news we are exposed to on a daily basis.

4) Massive Survey of Queer Art Shut Down in Brazil

Brazil’s largest-ever exhibition of queer art has been shut down following intense criticism by members of a far-right libertarian group. The exhibition, “Queermuseum: Queer Tactics Toward Non-Heteronormative Curating” opened in early August and was planned to run at Santander Cultural in Porto Alegre through the beginning of October. According to reports, the libertarian group Movemento Brasil Livre began attacking the exhibition via vicious social media comments a few weeks after its opening, leading to a snowball effect of anonymous and public cries that the exhibition was supporting pedophilia and other unsavoury behaviours. In a press release, Santander apologized for showcasing art that may have “disrespected symbols, beliefs, and people,” and noted it hopes to continue a discussion around topics of increased diversity.