ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

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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

Hindu Nationalism And The Taj Mahal

"How does the Taj Mahal’s history — one that has come to visually represent the period of the Mughal Empire, an Islamic empire — sit within the narrative of a contemporary India during a period when the Hindu nationalist movement is seeking to minimize, or perhaps erase, its Islamic past?" - JSTOR Daily

Finally, Some Good News For Orlando Museum of Art: A Major Gift Of Artworks

"(The donation) of more than 300 pieces, including works by Robert Mapplethorpe and Keith Haring, greatly diversifies the permanent holdings. The gift also opens a relationship with a New York City museum, sparks new educational opportunities and offers the beleaguered institution a morale-boosting sign of support." - Orlando Sentinel (MSN)

Workers Restoring San Francisco’s Castro Theatre Find 100-Year-Old Missing Arch

As with excavations near Egyptian pyramids, sometimes the team finds something they never expected. In the case of the Castro, it was an entire theatrical arch (known as a proscenium) that frames the stage. “It was hidden since the 1950s or '60s, when they went to wide-format Panavision movies." - San Francisco Standard

Portland (Oregon) Art Museum To Spend $111 Million On Renovation And Expansion

The project, which will add 95,000 square feet of new or upgraded public and gallery space and is expected to be complete late next year, is intended to make the museum and its grounds into a "cultural commons." - Artforum

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