Art on trial - a sculptor's arrest highlights new extremes for censorship in China - BBC

A theatre boss has promised to channel the “pioneering spirit of Manchester” and be “brave and fearless” as she unveiled a new season of work, two years after a deeply damaging censorship row. Selina Cartmell, the artistic director of the Royal Exchange in Manchester, revealed details of 2027-28 productions that include a retelling of the Munich air disaster and a modern Stockport-set version of the ancient Greek myth Phaedra. Cartmell took over at the theatre two years ago, during what was one of the biggest crises in its 50-year history. A production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was cancelled in a dispute over one of the production’s songs, which referenced transgender rights and contained the phrase “free Palestine”. There were accusations of censorship, although an independent review did not find that but did highlight “significant leadership failures”. The play’s director, Stef O’Driscoll, talked of a growing “fear-driven decision-making in the arts”. Cartmell told the Guardian it had been “a very challenging time” for the theatre, and the board at the time took “full responsibility”.

created with we are ona and chef dalad kambhu for art basel paris 2026, the installation brings thai cooking and communal dining into two boat-shaped structures inspired by traditional fishing boats, transforming the act of sharing a meal into a collective artistic experience. Iñaki Laguardia October 20, 2026 6 min prefer designboom on googleRIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA BRINGS THAI FISHING BOATS TO ART BASEL PARISThai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija has designed two monumental stainless steel tables inspired by traditional Thai fishing boats for Dalad’s, a temporary restaurant presented by We Are Ona during Art Basel Paris 2026. Installed inside a secret location near Place de l’Étoile, the elongated structures function simultaneously as dining tables and working kitchens, with integrated seating and steam pots that allow food to be prepared and served directly in front of guests. Conceived in collaboration with chef Dalad Kambhu and We Are Ona founder Luca Pronzato, the installation places cooking and social interaction at the center of the architectural experience.

the music of ryuichi sakamoto, brian eno, and mulatu astatke offers a glimpse into the memories, rhythms, and ideas that accompany the architect’s creative practice. thomai tsimpou October 20, 2026 5 min prefer designboom on googlekengo kuma on music as a source of architectural inspirationFor Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, music is closely tied to the way he thinks about space. A longtime admirer and personal friend of Ryuichi Sakamoto, he sees parallels between the composer’s approach to music and his own work in architecture. ‘He created a new image of what an Asian artist could be, crossing boundaries between East and West, tradition and modernity,’ Kengo Kuma tells us. His selections for this edition of designboom listens move between jazz, ambient music, classical compositions, and experimental sounds, with each track offering a different point of entry into his creative practice. In our weekly series, we explore the music behind creative practice, asking people from different fields what they listen to when they need inspiration, get stuck on a project, or find themselves drawn back to a particular memory.

‘Let’s dance,” sang David Bowie in 1983, commanding: “Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.” That call is to be answered – with footwear TBC – by an international dance production featuring new choral arrangements of songs from throughout his career. Subject to Change: A Dance for David Bowie will be staged at Sadler’s Wells in London in autumn 2028 after a world premiere in Luxembourg. It will visit Tokyo in 2029. The show will explore how Bowie “practised a form of artistic reincarnation” according to Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau who is taking inspiration from the superstar’s transformations into personas such as Aladdin Sane and the Thin White Duke. “One of the greatest dangers for an artist is ending up resembling themselves too much,” said Morau. “Bowie turned change into a way of remaining true to himself. That inspires me deeply. I believe every new work should force us to let go of some certainty. Art shouldn’t serve to confirm who we are, but rather to accept that life transforms us, that we change over time, and that our own contradictions help us grow.”‘What happens when his songs leave behind the voice we all know?’ … Bowie in his Thin White Duke era in 1976.