The headless statue is believed to depict Marcus Aurelius. The investigation into its origins comes over a decade after Turkey claimed that 21 objects at the museum were linked to an illicit trade.
Mutu, who lives in Nairobi and Brooklyn, is the star of a show at New York's New Museum. Her art takes on viruses, genocide, junk mail (the "sleeping serpent" is full of it), her own hybrid identity.
The annual Museum Day has arrived. Visitors can get free admission to one of the hundreds of participating institutions in the U.S. All it takes is an email address and the desire to have some fun.
The damaged sites include churches, historic buildings, museums and monuments. A UNESCO spokesperson said they fear more sites will be added to the list, as the group works to verify the destruction.
The museum features the work of a Hungarian taxidermist who created anthropomorphized exhibits. It had 50,000 visitors in 2019, but numbers fell during the pandemic and the owner now plans to sell.
The federally funded museum has been accused of "institutional misconduct" including racism and sexual harassment. A petition claimed some employees call it "the last plantation on the National Mall."
For many small museums across the country, it's been over a year since their doors have been open to visitors, putting them in the same life-or-death situation as much of the rest of the arts sector.