Apparently, the Mona Lisa had left the Louvre for America and first arrived in the National Gallery of Art in 1963. Then, it had arrived in New York in the Metropolitan Museum. Dr. Hoving, a curator, had one day noticed the people in charge of the Mona Lisa running around the place with towels, and later that night it had been found that the sprinklers on the ceiling had managed to break the glass barrier and reach the painting. The museum declined to comment regarding the incident. Join discussion...

In Rio de Janeiro, Peter Coffin flew his U.F.O as part of a rather freeform art exhibit of its own; because there are so many UFO sightings in R.d.J, he chose that place for this second showing of his piece of art: a huge light-show of a flying saucer. The first show was in Poland last year. Join discussion...

A man was fined $1,227 for knocking off the head of a wax Hitler figure in Germany the other day. Although art glorifying Hitler has been banned, the old taboos are starting to wear off. The artist (Madame Tussauds) justified her work by saying museum avoided politics, arguing Hitler stood for a significant part of German history and his waxwork therefore had a legitimate part in the exhibition. Join discussion...

The Art Institute of Chicago has recently opened a new modern wing, designed by Renzo Piano. The style of architecture is in itself a form of art, adding 264,000 square feet of floor space to the already spacious museum. The third floor contains many spotlights to better accent the pre-1945 modernist art. There are a myriad of famous names, including Joan Miró, Matisse, and Picasso. The suite of galleries on the second floor is devoted to art since the 1960's, showing an infusion of Pop art and surrealism. This expansion has really made the Art Institute a destination spot for art aficionados, with a larger modern collection then the Met. It gives an expansive survey in modern art styles, and incorporates famous names and up and comers in the new collections. Join discussion...

In Vienna, Greece, one of the most prestigious stone panels called Heroon of Trysa was rebuilt after a destructive accident. The panel is made of limestone created in about 380 BC. The panels were originally built at the burial site of an honored ruler. The panel represents Greek Classical style. The reassembly of the 500 pieces took about 7 years. Join discussion...

Richard Dupont creates 180 replicas of his own body. The forms are bare and slightly melted. They were displayed at the Armory Show this year after being worked on for 2 years. Join discussion...

Armed robbers entered the Pinacoteca Museum in Sao Paulo. When there they stole four pieces of art. Two of the were by renowned artist Pablo Picasso. The other two were by Brazilian artists. Join discussion...

The Miami Design Preservation league is celebrating the 30th anniversary of it's success at saving Miami's art deco architecture from bulldozers, and getting the district designated on the National register of Historic Places. The preservation is celebrated because it was a crucial part of the South Beach renaissance. The art deco architecture has now become a popular backdrop and theme for cafés and hotels. Many of the old buildings were renovated and now serve as an important relic of Miami's latin history and culture. Join discussion...

So a bunch of guys in Prague got out in the middle of the night and shot paintballs at blank billboards across the city. I thought it was pretty cool. Join discussion...

Art sales are experiencing an upward trend in spite of the recession. Auction house executives in New York have recently found that pieces which aren't actually that valuable are in fact selling for more than they ever have before. For modern and Impressionistic art is becoming increasingly scattered throughout the world or locked up in museums; and apparently it has nothing whatsoever to do with the recession! Some of the not-worth-THAT-much pieces were jokes or sketches done somewhat haphazardly by renowned artists like Duchamp and Pissarro. Join discussion...