The salary range being offered in a job advert posted by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art that gives the game away about a major show. The advert for a "research associate" says they will "provide key support in the upcoming exhibition on Cy Twombly scheduled for March 2029".

The press preview of this year's Sydney Biennale was missing something - its artistic director.

The press were there, there was art to preview but Hoor Al Qasimi was conspicuous by her absence.

A spokesperson for the event told the Australian media it was "a deliberate curatorial choice" and an attempt to ensure the artists took "center stage". If so, it failed.

It is not the first time Al Qasami, the director of the Sharjah Art Foundation and member of the emirate's ruling family, has made headlines in Sydney.

There were calls for her to be dropped on account of her pro-Palestinian views and now her absence has sparked speculation about why she missed the launch.

The exhibition spokesperson said it was not related to the recent intensification of conflict in the Middle East, saying she "remains deeply engaged in her role as artistic director and will continue to participate in the biennale program in ways that best serve the exhibition and foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for our audiences".

Parisian artist Lucie Lesterlou Tarride marked International Women's Day on Sunday by dressing a bust of French-Italian singer Dalida in "a suit of armor" in the form of a white corset.

The sculpture was erected in 1997 near the late singer's home and has become a focal point for visitors who line up to touch its breasts for good luck.

Tarride, also known as Luz, covered the bust in a white corset with mirrors in an attempt to stop the gesture which she says trivializes sexual assault.

In a video posted online, she said: "It's not just a statue that is touched; it's all women who are humiliated." She said she hoped the mirrors would make the people doing it look at their actions.

It comes after a campaign by some local politicians called on the City of Paris to build a higher base for the bust and install barriers to help "guarantee the integrity” of the artwork.

Born in Egypt, Dalida was a huge star in the French-speaking world selling around 140 million records before her death in 1987.

1 - Emerson Bowyer has been appointed chief curator at the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. He previously worked at the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Frick Collection and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

2 - Almost 6,000 people have signed an open letter expressing "deep concern regarding the announced participation of the Russian Federation" in this year's Venice biennale. They have never been banned but last participated in 2022. Organizers recently confirmed Russia will be represented by a show called The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky involving at least 38 artists and musicians.

3 - Japanese digital art collective teamLab feature in a show of "data-driven" work at the Blanton Museum of Arts in Austin, Texas. The show, which runs to August 2, also includes works by Refik Anadol, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Leo Villareal.