A damaged 4ft garden pot created by Hans Coper in 1964 was sold for £47,800 after being found in a London home's flowerbed. The vessel, which was once displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum, had been treasured by its female owner before it was accidentally broken and pieced back together. After her death, the pot was inherited by her grandchildren, who contacted Chiswick Auctions about the piece, which expert Jo Lloyd identified as a "lost" masterpiece.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14621393/forgotten-flowerpot-fetched-50k-garden.htmlThe Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicked off with over 1000 performers, including Donna Demaio, Guy Webster, and Hannah Francis, who reviewed the festival's offerings. The event featured a range of comedy acts, from a dance about rat kings to a homemade underwear air-cannon, showcasing the creativity and risk-taking of this year's lineup.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/comedy/melbourne-international-comedy-festival-2025-best-jokes-20250415-p5ls02.htmlPunjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has announced a three-day celebration of Punjabi Culture Day across Punjab, starting at the Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore. The event will feature traditional music and dance performances, handicrafts exhibitions, a food festival, and other cultural activities. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will be the chief guest and address participants. The festivities are aimed at highlighting Punjab's rich cultural heritage and reconnecting people with their roots. Entry is free for the public, who can register through Alhamra's official website or social media platforms.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1302114-punjabi-culture-day-celebrations-beginThe Qianlong Emperor's handscroll, featuring over 100 added postscripts, was sold at auction for $648,700, more than doubling its pre-sale estimate. The scroll, which includes a distinguishable frontispiece created by the emperor himself, is part of the Palace Museum in Beijing and Taipei Palace Museum collections. It previously belonged to Prince Gong and later Japanese cleric Ishikawa Shuntai before being sold at Sotheby's auction house. This sale follows a record-breaking October sale that totaled $11.47 million, with young collectors drawn to classic Chinese paintings and calligraphy, fueling a growing interest in imperial court works.
https://hyperallergic.com/1003950/why-did-this-ancient-chinese-handscroll-break-auction-records/The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 has announced its winners across various categories. Rhiannon Adam won the Professional Category Winner — Creative award for her entry "Rhi-Entry". Toby Binder took home the Professional Category Winner — Documentary Projects award for his project "Divided Youth of Belfast". Nicolás Garrido Huguet won the Professional Category Winner — Environment award for his image "Alquimia Textil". Seido Kino was a winner in the Landscape category with "The Strata of Time", while Laura Pannack won the Perspectives category with "The Journey Home From School". Gui Christ took home the Portraiture award for "M’kumba", and Chantal Pinzi won the Sport category with "Shred the Patriarchy". Peter Franck was a winner in the Still Life category with "Still Waiting". The Open Photographer of the Year 2025 award went to an unnamed photographer, who received $5,000 and a Sony digital imaging equipment kit.
https://petapixel.com/2025/04/16/the-wonderful-winners-of-sony-world-photography-awards-2025/The Imperial War Museum in London has a significant collection of artworks looted from Nazi Germany, including around 450 paintings created by artists who worked for the Third Reich. The US Army discovered this hidden collection in 2007.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/04/17/how-the-imperial-war-museum-became-the-reluctant-owner-of-an-official-portrait-of-adolf-hitlerSenegalese musician Youssou N'Dour is hailed as the "king of Mbalax", a genre that combines Senegalese rhythms with Latin styles. His hit song "Seven Seconds" with Neneh Cherry reached international acclaim in the 1990s, and he has collaborated with Western artists to bridge cultural divides.
https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2025/04/17/world-music-icon-youssou-ndour-back-on-the-roadAmanda Bynes has announced she will be launching an OnlyFans page, where fans can access exclusive content for $50 per month. The 34-year-old actress and fashion enthusiast has been focusing on her career in art since being placed under a conservatorship by her parents in 2013. Since its termination in 2022, Bynes has remained sober and has been slowly building her new career plans, including hosting a pop-up art show in December 2024 attended by celebrities like Noah Cyrus.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14616567/Amanda-Bynes-joins-OnlyFans-reveals-exactly-posting.htmlThe Andhra Pradesh government will present the Kandukuri Awards on April 16 to recognize 110 individuals for their contributions to theatrical arts. The awards are being presented under the auspices of the Andhra Pradesh State Film, Television, and Theatre Development Corporation at Tummalapalli Venkata Ranga Rao Kalakshetram in Vijayawada. Three artistes, Aradhyula Venkateswara Rao from Tenali, Dr. Kandimalla Sambasiva Rao from Chilakaluripet, and Gurrala Ravi Krishna from Nandyal, will receive the State-level awards, which come with a cash prize of ₹1,00,000.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/110-theatre-artistes-to-receive-kandukuri-awards-today/article69453733.ece