“You don’t notice them at first. ... But once the marks carved into the stonework of Salisbury Cathedral by centuries of pilgrims, churchgoers and mischief-makers are pointed out, they begin to pop out all over the place.” - The Guardian
“The scale and beauty of the site still impress, although some of the showcase monuments are so badly damaged that it is hard to imagine what they had looked like.” - The New York Times
Over the past half century the art history industry has produced reams of interpretation, incorporating no shortage of words by Serra himself. The author of work so totally laconic has set the terms of its understanding as if the death of the author bypassed him entirely. - N + One
“The continued fight over Van Gogh’s tree roots has cast a pall over what is usually a celebratory season in Auvers, population 7,000, where art tourism is a big business that heats up in the spring.” - The New York Times
Despite the decades of neglect, when a new “Chicago museum’s leadership was pursuing oral histories of public housing, they found other narratives as well — of community, empowerment and self-sufficiency.” - Washington Post (MSN)
Even if you’re not a believer, the answer is probably a yes. “Gaudí’s mission was to find spiritual meaning in a world transformed by industry and machines.” - The Observer (UK)
In the Ireland of a thousand years ago, monks fleeing the Vikings spread their beautifully decorated version of Christianity to Europe. Some of those manuscripts survived an intensely brutal, violent millennium. - The Guardian (UK)
That “is partly because he is so intensely aware of a defining fact about his country: it’s an island. For Turner, Britain is bordered by death, terror and adventure.” - The Guardian (UK)
The two protesters, members of the German environmental group Letzte Generation (Last Generation), entered the gallery and attached one hand each to the frame of the world-famous artwork. - ARTnews
Supporters agree that “R-Evolution” by sculptor Marco Cochrane represents “feminine strength and liberation.” Critics complain that it’s just more of the male gaze and simply bad art. But even Uber drivers are talking about the piece and the issues involved, and that counts for a lot. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
There is a sexy underground auditorium, a 60-seat café, and the entire second floor of the mansion is now filled with art. There’s almost twice as much on view now. What’s not to love? - New York Magazine
“(Carlos) Basualdo, 60, comes to Dallas from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where he rose through the ranks over 20 years to deputy director and chief curator. He succeeds Jeremy Strick, the Nasher’s longtime director who retired last June.” - KERA (Dallas)
“In January 2024, the work” — titled Le Nez — was sold to Geffen, seemingly on (Patrick) Sun’s behalf. Sun now says the sale was illegitimate.” The two are suing each other. - Vulture
“There is perhaps no institution on earth whose opening has been as wildly anticipated, or as mind-bogglingly delayed. ... Its construction has been such a fiasco — mired by funding lapses, logistical hurdles, a pandemic, nearby wars, revolutions (yes, plural) — that it begs comparison to that of the pyramids.” - The New York Times
“An archaeologist and curator … in Copenhagen finds that Greco-Roman statues were often perfumed with enticing scents like rose, olive oil and beeswax. These fragrances were ‘not merely decorative but symbolic, enhancing the religious and cultural significance of these sculptures.’” - Smithsonian Magazine
