Surfboard artist/designer Phillip George has created surfboards bearing intricate Islamic art for the Basil Sellers Art Prize. The contest urges contemporary artists to incorporate sport into their works of art. A few of the boards have the words "Insallah" inscribed upon them, which means "God willing". It would be a sin to place these boards in water or even step on them so they will never be used. They are displayed above the ground in a sanctified site with the boards facing Mecca. George, who is a veteran surfer from Bondi figured that designing the boards "Was a way of bringing the Middle East to Australia, and Australia to the Middle East". Join discussion...

Land art is basically art that is made by human artists and is located in nature as opposed to gallaries and such. Sometimes the work is made out of nature, itself, and sometimes, the work is made out of human-made materials and just placed in nature. The dilemma is that threats are being posed to beautiful land art. One is the simple matter of erosion, and another, more dire threat, is the fact that companies are trying to carry out projects such as railroads and drilling for oil, which could majorly disturb several areas where there is Land Art. Join discussion...

In London, England, the National Portrait Gallery is looking into buying a special sculpture by Marc Quinn. His sculpture is a frozen replication of himself covered in his very own blood. His used 10 pints of his own blood per sculpture and makes a new one every 5 years. It takes over a year for him to collect the amount of blood he needs. This work of art is known as "iconic" and is worth a lot of money. Join discussion...

In the Detroit Institute of Art, a 12-year-old boy stuck a wad of chewed gum on an abstract painting by Helen Frankenthaler. The painting, called "The Bay" has been left with a small stain, but according to the curator of the Detroit Institute of Art, it will not be permanently damaged. Join discussion...

This article written by Stephen Williams was featured in the technology section of the New York Times on November 20, 2008. It is about Dell hiring artists to design new covers for their laptops. These covers are inspired by the artwork of 1930s and 40s artist Joan Miro. They are creating new options, rather than just standard color, for users to choose for their laptops. Dell’s new Studio Art House computers were designed by three commissioned artists, all activists in the fight against AIDS in their countries. They created colors and patterns that decorate three 15- and 17-inch laptops in the Studio series. Each one of these artistically inspired computers is part of the RED mark, where dell promises to contribute $20 of each one sold to the Global Fund in Africa. The art designs are titled “New World” by Joseph Amedokpo, “Shine Within” by Siobhan Gunning and “Healing Patterns” by Bruce Mau. Amedokpo explians why red is so important to the movement, saying "red is the color of blood, which is life, and our soil, which feeds us.” These bod designs are perminantly fixed to the notebooks' covers and are scratch and resistant. You can get your own laptop with attached artwork for $649-$799. Join discussion...

The Piazza San Marco is one of the most popular spots in the city of Venice. But when sections of the centuries-old buildings around the square began to crumble, the superintendent of Venice, Renata Codello, was faced with a tough decision. Venice is respected as a city with very few advertisements; but she knew that the government could not pay for repairs. Now, hanging from the scaffolds covering the buildings under reconstruction, fly several huge banners urging us to buy watches and cars. The city of Venice has signed a deal with a large advertising company, Plakativ, which is funding the repairs in exchange for control of this prominent ad space. Of course a lot of people are upset at this encroachment upon historic space, but the superintendent says she had "no choice," what with her liability for injuries to tourists and all. Join discussion...

A portrait, painted around 1560 is believed to be the oldest painting featuring a depiction of a modern watch. The painting has the Medici coat of arms on the back, and the subject is thought to be of Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence. The painting was sent to the Uffizi to undergo a thorough inspection. Join discussion...

Edvard Eriksen’s The Little Mermaid is a sculpture based on a Hans Christian Andersen story and it is one of Copenhagen’s principal tourist attractions. It has been proposed to be moved to Shanghai, China as the centerpiece of the Danish Pavilion at Expo 2010; this expo will take place from May to October in 2010. This proposal comes from the Copenhagen-based BIG architects who won the competition to design the pavilion in China. This controversy has caused a political outrage in Denmark. The sculpture is a major tourist attraction, a national symbol, and even a site for political demonstrations. The move of the sculpture could cause less tourism in Denmark and business at Langelinie [the area where the statue is located] could be harmed as well. Join discussion...

In 2003, two men stole the Madonna and the Yarnwinder from a castle owned by the Duke of Buccleuch. The 25 million pound painting then disappeared for 4 years, until police recovered it October 4th. A 1 million pound reward had been issued for the return of the work, and it had been listed as one of the FBI's top ten list of stolen works of art. The Buccleuch family is happy to have their painting back, which had been an heirloom for the past 250 years. Join discussion...

This article, as featured on the New York Times website, tells the story of one man's pursuit in the name of Vincent van Gogh. Dominique-Charles Janssens currently owns the country inn in Auvers-Sur-Oise, France where van Gogh spent his last days writing letters and painting the endless wheat fields surrounding his residence. Janssens' greatest desire is to own an original van Gogh-"The Fields" to be exact- so he can display it in the attic bedroom where van Gogh actually spent his last days. The painting goes on auction at Sotheby's on November 7th, and Janssens is currently raising funds through private donations and his newly created website (vangoghsdream.org). Will these contributions total the 35 million plus that the painting will sell for? It is Janssens greatest wish to return one of the artist's great works to the place where he spent his last days. Join discussion...