Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Indian artist Nalini Malani have been named the 2013 laureates for the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize, awarded annually to promote exchange between the diverse regions of Asia.

Last month, two of Hong Kong’s nonprofit organizations were given notice that they would no longer be receiving government funding from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC), the statutory body supporting arts development in the city. For Para Site, a 17-year-old art space in Sheung Wan, and Woofer Ten, which operates out of Shanghai Street Artspace in Yau Ma Tei—both of whom have enjoyed productive years, respectively—this announcement came as a surprise, indicating both questionable motives and lack of foresight on government’s behalf.

On July 31, Rome’s National Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI) announced independent curator and critic Hou Hanru as its artistic director. Assuming this role in September, Hou will be responsible for planning MAXXI’s cultural programs.

Last month, 100 days from its official opening, the curatorial team of West Bund 2013: A Biennial of Architecture and Contemporary Art—an ambitious program that seeks to combine experimental architecture and art—held a press conference in Hong Kong revealing its latest plans. 

This past May, the Iranian art community mourned the loss of Sadegh Tirafkan, one of the country’s “new art movement” pioneers, to brain cancer at the age of 47. Known for his innovative blending of photography with other artistic media, Tirafkan was an early proponent of photo-based art in Iran and a prominent international representative of Iranian contemporary art.