Sections of the left-wing intelligentsia appear to believe the Eleanor Catton brouhaha says something disturbing about New Zealand.

'Oh my God, it's a cock and balls.' A $200,000 public sculpture being installed in Auckland is causing a stir with locals, who say it resembles a penis.

How to bring a legend to life? That was the challenge for film-maker Ava DuVernay when she was given the opportunity to direct - what is remarkably - the first major motion picture about Martin Luther King.

Prime Minister John Key says author's views shouldn’t be given any more credence than those of the Mad Butcher or Richie McCaw.

Is Eleanor Catton a traitor? Does Sean Plunket have a brain? Has the Prime Minister read The Luminaries? Who would have thought an obscure Indian literary festival could cause such agitated ripples.

Art causes lurching emotions. "From hateful boredom to supreme enlightenment," as John Radford puts it, raving about regular avant-garde concert series, Vitamin S.

Author says she'll discuss “inflammatory, vicious and patronising things that have been broadcast and published in NZ this week” in future interviews with foreign media.

The Taxpayers’ Union says Kiwis have done more than enough to support under-fire author Eleanor Catton, who received upward of $50k in funding over the last few years.

Charlie Sheen says this is the true face of addiction.

The historic former headquarters of lingerie company Berlei, standing in the way of the $500 million-plus SkyCity International Convention Centre, will be gutted and only its facade will remain.

The winning sculpture at a New Zealand outdoor art exhibition is among a number of works vandalised in the opening weekend of the free public event.

This is your star sign as you've never seen it before. Artist and illustrator Damon Hellandbrand has reimagined every sign of the zodiac as a monster.

The first evening concert of Te Uru Waitakere's Black Rainbow festival augured well for the gallery's enterprising cultural mix.

See what happens when the boss turns his back in the fantasy world of BLAM! says Dionne Christian.

Since I was small, art galleries have been a place of Zen for me. I relish the chance to explore, analyse and relate to the infinite ways in which human beings can express artistic creativity.

The Sculpture on the Gulf art walk returns to Waiheke Island tomorrow for its seventh season.

It started with a picture posted on Instagram of her weekly groceries last year, but now Amber Locke is being commissioned to create her 'veg art' by the likes of Jamie Oliver and Android.

Andy Warhol was the top-selling artist at auction last year as increased competition for the most-expensive segment of the market drove global art sales higher.

A film about a corrupt Wall Street stockbroker and an animated Disney movie were the two most pirated films of 2014.

Italy's leading tourist attractions including the Colosseum could soon be in foreign hands as the country seeks new directors from around the world to make its museums more profitable.

The Auckland Museum is on the hunt for interns for its summer programme, writes Sarah Ell.

Forget red-nosed Rudolphs and jingling bells. December is a month for taking stock, reflecting on the joys and achievements of the year. And what better way than through CDs, including some outstanding local releases

Kiwi comic creator Dylan Horrocks' love of the medium was beaten to a pulp by Batgirl, but was sparked back into life through a trip into his own imaginary landscape.