The Headlines
CALLING TIME. The director of Tate in London, Maria Balshaw, will step down in spring 2026 after nearly a decade in the role, the institution said in a press release. Balshaw, who joined in 2017 after leading Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth, succeeded Nicholas Serota following his 29-year tenure. She called her time at Tate a privilege and said the institution is well positioned for new leadership. During her directorship, Balshaw oversaw major exhibitions including “Van Gogh and Britain,” “Yoko Ono,” and “Sargent and Fashion.” Her final project will be a large-scale Tracey Emin survey at Tate Modern next year. Tate highlighted Balshaw’s efforts to diversify the collection and expand its global scope, noting that membership grew to 150,000 under her leadership. Chair Roland Rudd praised her commitment to widening public access to art and supporting a broader range of artists. Balshaw’s departure comes amid financial strain. Tate has recently cut about 40 jobs to reduce costs and is operating with a deficit budget for 2024–25. Staff have staged walkouts over pay, citing poor working conditions. Visitor numbers also remain below pre-pandemic levels, with significant drops at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, and Tate St Ives.
GIMME THE LOOT. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art said it will return three Khmer Empire sculptures to Cambodia as part of its commitment to removing unlawfully obtained objects from its collection. The works—Head of Harihara, The Goddess Uma, and Prajnaparamita—are believed to have been looted more than 50 years ago during Cambodia’s civil conflict. The New York Times reports that after Cambodian officials questioned the provenance of Khmer works in the museum’s holdings, curators reviewed acquisition files and found missing export permits and evidence that the objects had passed through known traffickers. According to museum director Chase F. Robinson, the circumstances raised significant ethical concerns. The returns are the first under a Smithsonian-wide policy adopted in 2022 that urges all 21 museums to consider broader historical factors—including colonial-era plunder and illicit trade during periods of war—when evaluating repatriation claims. Cambodia’s culture ministry welcomed the Smithsonian’s openness, noting that decades of unrest left the country vulnerable to looting. Officials are now discussing ways for the works to remain on view through partnership agreements. The move aligns with similar efforts at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, which is preparing to return 13 Cambodian objects linked to the late dealer Douglas A. J. Latchford, whose network has been tied to widespread art trafficking.
The Digest
The US Senate unanimously approved the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025 on December 10. The bill renews and expands the original 2016 legislation, which is set to expire in 2026, and aims to help heirs reclaim art looted during the Holocaust by extending the time they have to file claims. [The Art Newspaper]
The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum has appointed Kathryn Kanjo as its new director. Kanjo, who has spent the past nine years as director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, becomes the first leader of the institution, which was officially established in October. [Artforum]
A hearth dating back 400,000 years was discovered near the village of Barnham in England. Heat-shattered flint axes and two pieces of pyrite, thought to have been used to create sparks, were also uncovered. [CNN]
ART SG, Southeast Asia’s leading art fair, returns to Marina Bay Sands from January 23-25, and will mark the first time it co-organizes and hosts boutique local fair S.E.A. Focus in the same venue. [Ocula]
The Kicker
INSIDE THE TENT. With Art Basel Miami Beach in the rearview mirror, the Observer’s Elisa Carollo takes a deeper look at the fair’s buzziest new section, Zero 10, dedicated to digital art. While the new section was a clear vote of approval for a sector that has long struggled for validation from the traditional art world, Carollo speaks with major figures in digital art about what the field might gain—or lose—from that integration. Decentralization, a new art ecosystem, and a very different audience of collectors have always been central to digital art’s appeal. Is there a way forward that allows digital art to plug into Art Basel and other traditional art enterprises without sacrificing those defining features? It’s anyone’s guess. But what is certain is that the crypto world has a mountain of liquidity that the art market could benefit from right now.
