Opinion & reviews

Editorials, critical reviews, analyses, commentaries, and viewpoints on the contemporary art world.

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Obama's Presidency and the Arts: A New Deal for Culture? opinion-review
The article discusses the political and economic shifts in the United States with the arrival of the Obama administration, focusing on the potential for a renewed federal…
Laurent Goumarre on Dance's Viral Season of Confrontation opinion-review
In a 2009 article for artpress, critic Laurent Goumarre examines a decade of dance characterized by spectator hostility and the resilience of artists. He reminisces about Raimund…
Catherine Millet critiques media contradictions around Saint Laurent-Bergé sale opinion-review
In an editorial for art press, Catherine Millet reflects on the media frenzy surrounding the Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Bergé auction, held in Paris in February 2009. She notes the…
Neo-Conceptual Art and the Redistribution of Roles opinion-review
In an article for artpress, Michel Gauthier examines how contemporary artists are transforming the functions of artist, dealer, and critic, drawing inspiration from conceptual art…
Artists' Fascination with the Market opinion-review
A 2009 article in artpress questions what makes contemporary art relevant, arguing that the intrinsic power of contemporary art lies in its ability to provoke questioning.…
Bonnard's Drawing Process Revealed as Foundation for Late Paintings opinion-review
In 2009, an essay by Nickson, featured on artcritical, explores the creative journey of Pierre Bonnard, connecting his smaller sketches to his later artworks. This piece emerged…
2008 Carnegie International 'Life on Mars' Critiqued for Narrow Artist Selection and Curatorial Overreach opinion-review
The 55th Carnegie International, named 'Life on Mars' after a song by David Bowie, debuted in 2008 at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. Curator Douglas Fogle designed the…
Hito Steyerl's 2007 film 'Journal No.1 – An Artist's Impression' reviewed on ARTMargins Online in February 2009 opinion-review
In February 2009, ARTMargins Online published a review of Hito Steyerl's 2007 short documentary 'Journal No.1 – An Artist's Impression'. The 21-minute video, directed by Steyerl,…
Hito Steyerl's 2007 film 'Journal No.1 – An Artist's Impression' explores lost Yugoslav archives and memory opinion-review
Hito Steyerl's 2007 documentary 'Journal No.1 – An Artist's Impression' examines the destruction of visual archives during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995. The 21-minute film…
Anna Melikyan's film 'Rusalka' analyzed in ARTMargins roundtable on Russian advertising and fairy tales opinion-review
The 2007 film 'Rusalka,' directed by Anna Melikyan, represented Russia in the race for the Foreign Language Oscar in 2009. The narrative revolves around Alisa, a girl from the…
Zineb Sedira's Hypnotic Films Reviewed by Erik Verhagen opinion-review
Following Zineb Sedira's notable exhibition at Galerie Kamel Mennour in Paris this autumn, Erik Verhagen reviews her hypnotic films and, to a lesser extent, her photographs.…
Jake and Dinos Chapman Deface Hitler's Watercolors opinion-review
Two days after the opening of FIAC, critic Jean-Max Colard published an article on Le Monde's website denouncing artists Jake and Dinos Chapman for painting over watercolors by…
Pierre Sterckx critiques contemporary art's blind spots opinion-review
In a 2008 article for artpress, Pierre Sterckx examines what he calls the impasses and impostures of contemporary art. The piece, titled "Impasses et impostures en art…
New York Architecture: From Delirium to Banality opinion-review
Thirty years after Rem Koolhaas's famous manifesto, New York's architectural creativity has given way to banality and repetition, originality to luxury, and reflection to money.…
David Cohen Lectures on R.B. Kitaj and Walter Benjamin at New York Studio School opinion-review
David Cohen delivered a lecture titled "The Exemplary Diasporist: R.B. Kitaj in the aura of Walter Benjamin" at the New York Studio School. The event took place on November 20,…
Jed Perl's 'Antonie's Alphabet: Watteau and His World' Reviewed by David Carrier opinion-review
David Carrier critiques Jed Perl's 2008 book 'Antonie's Alphabet: Watteau and His World,' published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York. Carrier argues that Perl's approach, like that…
Catherine Millet on Damien Hirst's Auction and Jean-Pierre Raynaud's Christie's Sale opinion-review
Catherine Millet, in an editorial for art press, compares Damien Hirst's auction at Sotheby's in September 2008 with Jean-Pierre Raynaud's sale at Christie's in 2006. She…
North Carolina's Art Scene Transforms Amid Urban Revitalization and Migration from Major Cities opinion-review
Downtown Raleigh has undergone a significant change, featuring new bars, restaurants, and condominiums, thanks to developer Greg Hatem of Empire Properties, who has revitalized…
Jia Zhang-ke's Still Life Captures China's Rapid Transformation opinion-review
In his 2006 film Still Life, Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke documents the disappearance of entire towns along the Three Gorges due to the construction of a dam that submerges even…
The Omni: A New Player in the Art Market System opinion-review
The article introduces the concept of the 'Omni' as a new type of figure in the contemporary art world, emerging in the 21st century. The term 'Omni' is chosen for its resemblance…
Robert Bordo's 2008 Exhibition at Alexander and Bonin Showcases Painterly Intelligence opinion-review
Robert Bordo presented 14 landscape canvases at Alexander and Bonin from September 6 to October 11, 2008, located at 132 Tenth Ave. at 19th Street in New York City. The…
Maria Miro's Documentary 'Coal Dust' Blurs Reality with Stylized Techniques opinion-review
Maria Miro's 2006 documentary 'Coal Dust' follows miner Andrey Vicharev in the Chelyabinsk region, blending documentary footage with music video aesthetics. The 20-minute film,…
Review of 'The Manifesta Decade' Book on European Biennials and Post-Wall Art Exhibitions opinion-review
Released in 2006 by MIT Press, 'The Manifesta Decade' is a 340-page compilation overseen by editors Barbara Vanderlinden and Elena Filipovic. This work delves into international…
Philip Pearlstein's Nudes as Objects: A 2008 Exhibition Review Revisited opinion-review
The Betty Cuningham Gallery hosted the exhibition "Philip Pearlstein: Then and Now" in 2008, displaying 13 paintings created between 1964 and 2008. This showcase highlighted…
Artpress Editor Criticizes Media Focus on Money Over Art opinion-review
In a September 2008 editorial for artpress, Richard Leydier criticizes the media's obsession with the financial aspects of the art world, arguing that coverage of major sales and…
Jacques Villeglé's 'OUI' – Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs (22 octobre 1958) as a Masterpiece opinion-review
In a significant essay, Jean-Marc Huitorel presents Jacques Villeglé's work as a true masterpiece, highlighting 'OUI' – Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs (22 octobre 1958) as its defining…
Philosopher Élie During Distinguishes 'Bricoleurs' and 'Expérimentards' in Art-Science Experimentation opinion-review
In a 2008 essay for artpress, philosopher Élie During categorizes artists engaging with experimental sciences into two groups: 'bricoleurs' and 'expérimentards'. 'Expérimentards'…
Spring 2008 New York Gallery Walk: Chinese Art Boom and Critical Reflections opinion-review
In the spring of 2008, a notable rise in Chinese contemporary art emerged in New York galleries following Asian Week. At Mary Boone Gallery, works by Liu Xiaodong, valued between…
Luc Richard on China's 2008 Olympic Victory opinion-review
In a July 2008 article for Artpress, Luc Richard critically examines the notion of an 'Olympic spirit transcending cultures and borders,' comparing it to a new Holy Spirit…
Art as Experimentation: Seeking the Error opinion-review
A critical reevaluation of art as an experimental practice is proposed, shifting focus from stylistic categories like conceptual, minimal, or pop art to the centrality of…
Arno Geiger's 'Tout Va Bien' Reviewed opinion-review
A review of Arno Geiger's work 'Tout Va Bien' critiques European literary criticism for focusing only on established Austrian and German-language writers, ignoring newer voices.
Reflecting on May 1968: Art, Experimentation, and Political Engagement opinion-review
An editorial by Christophe Kihm in artpress examines the legacy of May 1968, arguing that while media commemorations are fleeting, the period's experimental spirit in art and…
Philanthropic Rivalries in New York and Paris opinion-review
The article examines the philanthropic ambitions of two billionaire competitors in the French art world, drawing lessons from American models of collaboration between private…
The Raw Language: An Effect of the Real? opinion-review
The article examines the use of raw, everyday, and street language in theater as a means to produce a more convincing effect of reality, livelier energy, and complex poetic force.…
Curator Olga Kopenkina Discusses Properly Past Exhibition at BRIC Rotunda Gallery opinion-review
An interview between critic Linda J. Park and curator Olga Kopenkina explored the Properly Past exhibition at New York City's BRIC Rotunda Gallery from March 18 to May 3, 2008.…
Eszter Lázár on Curating in Hungary and Post-Soviet Art Exhibitions opinion-review
Eszter Lázár, a curator affiliated with the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and Karton Gallery in Budapest, addresses the changing responsibilities of curators in Hungary,…
André Gélis, the Outsider Mayor Who Built a Contemporary Art Mecca in Sérignan opinion-review
André Gélis, the independent mayor of Sérignan and a former customs inspector, has turned the town into a center for contemporary art. He acquired a 2,500-square-meter museum, the…
Art press defends poetry coverage amid criticism opinion-review
Art press responds to complaints from contemporary poets about insufficient coverage of poetry in the magazine. The editorial acknowledges that poetry receives disproportionately…
Alexander Ross's 2008 exhibitions at Marianne Boesky and David Nolan galleries reviewed opinion-review
Alexander Ross's 2008 exhibitions at Marianne Boesky Gallery and David Nolan Gallery showcased his distinctive artistic approach. His paintings and drawings feature ambiguous…
Alina Szapocznikow Exhibition at Broadway 1602 in New York Reviewed in ARTMargins Online opinion-review
A review by Amy Chmielewski for ARTMargins Online examines Alina Szapocznikow's exhibition at Broadway 1602 in New York, which ran from November 18, 2007, to January 12, 2008. The…

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