ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

VISUAL

Historic Artworks Rescued From Notre-Dame Fire Are Now On Display

The 13 "Mays," large-scale 17th-century paintings which had hung in the cathedral's side chapels, were evacuated from the burning edifice with only a bit of water damage. After conservation, they're being shown alongside 17th-century tapestries and the rarely-seen chancel rug, which has been used only a few times. - The Observer (UK)

Artists At Israel’s Venice Biennale Pavilion Refuse To Open Until There’s A Gaza Ceasefire

"Artist Ruth Patir said the exhibit ... 'will only open when the release of hostages and ceasefire agreement happens' in a statement shared on Instagram Tuesday. Patir said she would raise her voice 'with those I stand with in their scream, ceasefire now, bring the people back from captivity.'" - CNN

Why Do These People Hate Renoir So Much?

Armed with snobbish hipster fury and signage that read “God Hates Renoir,” “ReNOir,” and “We’re Not Iconoclasts, Renoir Just Sucks At Painting,” the group briefly received considerable media attention—though none from the institutions it was heckling. - Artnet

The Resurrection Of Notre Dame Is Bringing The French Together In Some Unexpected Ways

"For almost five years, Parisians looked into a sad emptiness when they walked past Notre-Dame and looked up. The void reminded them of a national trauma” of April 15, 2019. - Der Spiegel (Germany)

Ukrainian Artists Make Fun Of Refugee Stereotypes At The Venice Biennale

But then, the work is also affecting. “The line between a certain irony, and the suspension of disbelief, turns out to be extremely fine." - The Guardian (UK)

The Towering Vessel Sculpture At Hudson Yards Will Reopen, With More Mesh Intended To Prevent Deaths

"Peter DeSalvo Jr., the father of the first person to die by suicide , faulted the developer for not heeding warnings from experts or implementing safety measures after his death." - The New York Times

The Most Scathing Diss Track Of 2024 Is About Detroit Architecture

"Last week, the city of Detroit installed a budget-looking sign on I-94 that spells out its name in mint-green lettering reminiscent of chewing-gum packaging. The local reaction to it has been, to put it gently, unimpressed." - Vulture

Please Stop Calling The Whitney Biennial ‘Safe,’ People

“It’s usually art-world people and critics, who tend to say it every two years, as if the museum has ever intentionally sought controversy or embraced radical politics. That’s never been the case." - Hyperallergic

A Short History Of Artists Sneaking Work Into Museums

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the museum applauded the mischievous initiative. “We think this is funny and would like to know the artist,” a spokesperson wrote. “So get in touch! There will be no trouble. Word of honor.” - Artnet

An AI-Powered Salvador Dalí, Answering Your Questions Via A Lobster Telephone

Yep, that's pretty surreal. - Forbes

Beautifully Preserved 2,000-Year-Old Frescoes Uncovered In Pompeii

"Mythical Greek figures ... are depicted on the high black walls of a large banqueting hall. … It was likely the walls' stark colour was chosen to hide the smoke deposits from lamps used during entertaining after sunset. In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life." - BBC

Museum Fires Employee After He Hung His Own Painting In Gallery

The museum fired a member of its technical services team after he was found to have hung one of his own paintings in a part of the gallery dedicated to modern and contemporary art, allowing him to share a space with works by pop art pioneer Warhol for an entire day. - The Guardian

Roberta Smith On 38 Years Of Art Criticism For The New York Times

"Critics need to be more flexible than artists. You have to be open to being changed and pushed into new directions. ... My main goal has always been to point out art that people would enjoy seeing, and to show them how I saw it and enjoyed it." - The New York Times

The Richard Serra Sculpture So Controversial It Was Put Before A Federal Tribunal

Tilted Arc (1981) was commissioned by U.S. General Services Administration for Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. "Serra intended to elicit a connection between those walking through the space and their surroundings. Tilted Arc did just that, and perhaps too well." - Artnet

Scientists Are Trying To Measure Our Emotional Reaction To Art

New scientific investigations into the embodied experience of viewing art point us toward more concrete answers, but also more questions. - Hyperallergic

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');