Visual arts

The Italian tourism ministry thought it had a sure-fire way to bring travelers into the country: Turning a 15th century art icon into a 21st century "virtual influencer."

The pavilion adjacent to the Church of Saint Demetrios Loumbardiaris on Philopappou Hill, designed by architect Dimitris Pikionis (1887-1968), has been transferred to the Municipality of Athens by the Greek Public Properties Company (ETAD) in order to protect and restore this neglected Athenian landmark.

"Pope Francis last month returned to Greece the Parthenon marbles held by the Vatican museums for some 100 years. It's high time Britain followed the Argentinian pontiff's example.

American literature will be the special focus at this year's 19th Thessaloniki Book Fair on May 4-7, which will feature authors, translators and professionals from around 40 countries and a rich program of events.

One day recently, on a table in Jean Oh's lab in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a robot arm was busy at a canvas. Slowly, as if the air were viscous, it dipped a brush into a pool of light-gray paint on a palette, swung around and stroked the canvas, leaving an inch-long mark amid a cluster of other brushstrokes. Then it pulled back and paused, as if to assess its work.

It was 1977, and Andy Warhol was at work on his "Athletes" series, portraits of top sports personalities who, he felt, were gaining cultural prominence just like "the movie stars of yesterday." One of them was then the star running back of the Buffalo Bills: O.J. Simpson.

Original prints by the celebrated Dutch painter Rembrandt have been put on display at the National Gallery in Ljubljana, alongside works by artists he inspired. Mounted in cooperation with the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, the exhibition runs until 30 July.

U.S. war photographer Steve McCurry, known as one of the best visual artists for his works that witness history, is a guest of the Istanbul Cinema Museum with an exhibition.

McCurry is best known for his most famous photograph titled "Afghan Girl: Şarbat Gula."

Zeugma Mosaic Museum, among the largest mosaic museums in the world, has reopened its doors to visitors after the earthquakes that rattled the east of the country on Feb. 6.

Nikomachi Karakostanoglou and Ilias Papailiakis have joined forces in a project for the Benaki Museum (benaki.org) inspired by Greek folk art, customs and history, while seeking to connect the dots between their intangible and tangible manifestations.