Opinion & reviews

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• Critique of John Currin's Painting and Yale's Influence in 2001 opinion-review

  Professors at Yale University draw parallels between John Currin's artistic methods and those of Sandro Botticelli, as a budding painter seeks mentorship. Born in 1962, Currin…

• Anselm Kiefer's 'Merkaba' and Michael Craig-Martin's 'Eye of the Storm' Exhibitions at Gagosian Gallery opinion-review

  Gagosian Gallery presented two contrasting exhibitions in late 2002 and early 2003. Anselm Kiefer's 'Merkaba' ran from November 8 to December 14, 2002, transforming the gallery…

• The Tyranny of Representativeness in Art Casting opinion-review

  Christophe Kihm critiques the conflation of artistic and economic practices, arguing that the relationship is mediated by a growing number of intermediaries—media, critics,…

• Czech Cubist Architecture's Ambiguous Legacy: 1911-1914 Pre-War Projects and Postmodern Parallels opinion-review

  Between 1911 and 1914, Czech Cubist architecture arose as a reaction against modernism, resulting in approximately a dozen structures in Prague. Architects such as Pavel Janák,…

• Kathrin Becker on Russian Contemporary Art's Western Reception and Market Challenges opinion-review

  Kathrin Becker, a Berlin-based art historian and curator, began her engagement with Russian art in the mid-1980s through an archive of unofficial Soviet works at the University of…

• Jacques Tati's Posthumous Paris Retrospective and the Modernity of His Cinema opinion-review

  This summer, Paris hosted a series of posthumous retrospectives of Jacques Tati's films, who died in 1982. The event went beyond typical commemoration due to the restoration of…

• Lorette Nobécourt's 'Nous' Reviewed as Her Best Work opinion-review

  Emmanuel Tibloux reviews Lorette Nobécourt's novel 'Nous', published in 2002. Nobécourt, known for her self-excavation project since her 1994 debut 'La Démangeaison', which…

• Jean-Jacques Aillagon on Cultural Reform and Free Expression opinion-review

  Jean-Jacques Aillagon, former history-geography teacher in Tulle and president of the Centre Georges-Pompidou, has become France's new Minister of Culture with a notably tight…

• Who Owns Images? Art Press Editorial on Appropriation and Copyright opinion-review

  In an editorial for Art Press, Catherine Millet examines the ongoing disputes over image ownership in contemporary art, arguing that the reuse of images is not new but has become…

• Ownership disputes over artistic images resurface opinion-review

  The expansion of the artistic field and the development of photography have revived disputes over artistic ownership. Critics revel in discussions and lawsuits pitting artists…

• Redefining Japanese Literature Beyond Exoticism opinion-review

  A critical essay in artpress argues that Japanese literature has historically been judged by its 'Japaneseness'—its conformity to an exotic model. The author calls for a new…

• Christophe Girard on Paris Culture Policy: Interview opinion-review

  In an interview with Damien Sausset, Christophe Girard, who has served as Paris's Deputy Mayor for Culture since 2001, reflects on his achievements and initiatives. He emphasizes…

• Art and Money: Giacometti's Plaster, Murakami's Record, and the Unbuyable Artwork opinion-review

  Adrien Maeght recounts a 1950s anecdote where Alberto Giacometti destroyed a plaster sculpture after a collector offered an astronomical sum, unable to bear the work being reduced…

• Editorial: Moral Order and Censorship in French Literature opinion-review

  Jacques Henric's editorial in art press denounces the rise of moral censorship in France, citing two recent cases. The first involves a complaint by the association L'Enfant Bleu…

• The Balthus Paradox: Modernist Pastiche Disguised as Classical Continuity opinion-review

  Raphaël Aubert's article examines the myth surrounding Balthus (1908–2001), arguing that the painter's self-constructed persona obscures a fundamental paradox: his work is not a…

• Richard Leydier Analyzes Loft Story Through Myth and Religion opinion-review

  In a 2002 article for artpress, Richard Leydier offers a mythological and religious analysis of the reality TV show Loft Story, arguing that previous critiques focused on morality…

• Architect Augustin Ioan critiques Bucharest's monumental slums and vernacular kitsch in 2002 essay opinion-review

  In a 2002 article for ARTMargins, architect Augustin Ioan examines the architectural scene in Bucharest following the fall of communism, labeling it a "monumental slum"…

• Valeri Todorovsky's 2002 film 'The Lover' explores intellectual crisis through Oleg Yankovsky's performance opinion-review

  In Valeri Todorovsky's 2002 film 'The Lover,' the main character Charyshev, portrayed by Oleg Yankovsky, enjoys a nurturing family environment but grapples with personal turmoil.…

• Catherine Millet Questions Limits of Revisionism in Art History opinion-review

  Catherine Millet, editor of artpress, questions the limits of revisionism in art history in the July 2002 editorial. She references a large painting by Fougeron currently on view…

• Media Reception of Goldin and Gursky Exhibitions at Centre Pompidou opinion-review

  Bruno Remaury analyzes the media reception of two recent exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou dedicated to living artists Nan Goldin and Andreas Gursky. Both shows received…

• Critique of the Palazzo Grassi exhibition catalogue on Puvis de Chavannes opinion-review

  François Albera assesses the exhibition catalogue titled "De Puvis de Chavannes à Matisse et Picasso," hosted at Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Edited by Serge Lemoine and released by…

• John Currin's Grotesque Mastery: A 2002 Survey opinion-review

  A 2002 article in artpress examines John Currin's paintings, which blend references from Pontormo to Gustave Courbet, Hans Baldung Grien to John Singer Sargent, with nods to…

• Alexei Balabanov's 2002 film 'War' analyzed as a Western genre critique of political correctness opinion-review

  Alexei Balabanov's 2002 film 'War' has been criticized by both European and Russian liberal circles for presenting only the Russian perspective on the Chechen conflict. The…

• Museums' Historical Definition Ends as Power Shifts from Object to Observer opinion-review

  During the 1990s, a significant surge in museum construction took place in Western Europe and the United States, highlighted by the reconstruction of five museums in Berlin at a…

• Jacques Henric's Column: The Axis of Evil and Saint Augustine opinion-review

  In a column for artpress, Jacques Henric critiques the use of theological concepts like 'evil' and 'axis of evil' in post-9/11 political discourse, particularly by U.S. President…

• Photography's stale wave: young artists recycle clichés opinion-review

  A critical review in artpress argues that the recent photography scene is not being overshadowed by established names like Andreas Gursky and Cindy Sherman, but rather suffers…

• Gerhard Richter and Lori Hersberger Exhibitions Reviewed by Robert C. Morgan opinion-review

  This article from artpress, dated May 1, 2002, features a review by Robert C. Morgan covering three concurrent exhibitions in New York. The first is a major survey of Gerhard…

• Eastern European Art Criticism's Resistance to Western Critical Theory After 1989 opinion-review

  Edit András, a Hungarian art historian, delivered a keynote lecture at the AICA conference "Strategies of Power" in Zagreb, Croatia, on 1 October 2001. She examined the persistent…

• Performatism Emerges as Postmodernism's Successor in Berlin Architecture opinion-review

  In his article published on April 15, 2002, Raoul Eshelman presents performatism as a new cultural era that supersedes postmodernism. He contends that the characteristics of…

• Julian Schnabel's 'Big Girl Paintings' at Gagosian Gallery Critiqued for Omitted Eyes and Amateur Style opinion-review

  Julian Schnabel's exhibition, 'Big Girl Paintings,' ran at Gagosian Gallery in New York from March 14 to April 20, 2002. It featured six large-scale paintings and one sculpture,…

• Jacques Henric on Marcela Iacub's 'Le crime était presque sexuel' opinion-review

  In a review for artpress, Jacques Henric discusses Marcela Iacub's book 'Le crime était presque sexuel', published in the collection directed by psychoanalyst Jean Allouch at…

• Three French Novels: Voice, War, and Baroque Excess opinion-review

  A review in artpress discusses three recent French novels, each exploring distinct literary territories. Alain Veinstein's 'L'Intervieweur' (Calmann-Lévy) draws on his experience…

• Hungarian Art History's Self-Colonization Through Western Pop Art Labels Examined opinion-review

  In a 2002 essay, Katalin Timár and Attila Horányi critique the use of Western labels such as "Pop Art" in relation to Hungarian art, suggesting that this practice leads to a…

• Lithuanian Director Eimuntas Nekrosius Gains International Acclaim Through Shakespeare Productions opinion-review

  Eimuntas Nekrosius, a distinguished Lithuanian director, is celebrated for his adaptations of Shakespeare, having garnered several Italian Ubu awards for his productions of…

• Kaufmann's Debord Biography Critiqued for Reducing Revolutionary to Bohemian opinion-review

  A review by Yan Ciret in artpress critiques Vincent Kaufmann's biography of Guy Debord, 'La révolution au service de la poésie' (Fayard, 2002). The reviewer finds the book both…

• Jacques Henric's Column: Intellectual Rebellion Resurfaces opinion-review

  Jacques Henric's column in Artpress reports a resurgence of intellectual rebellion from aging French thinkers. Jacques-Alain Miller, Lacan's son-in-law and former political…

• Andreas Gursky's Shift from Figural to Cosmic Networks opinion-review

  Andreas Gursky's work abandons both figural and formless approaches, focusing instead on trajectories, scintillations, and connections over bodies, contours, and identities. His…

• Seven Aesthetic Traits of Biological Art opinion-review

  Biological art generates two main types of discourse: technical and socio-political-ethical. The technical discourse categorizes works by fabrication process—biological art (E.…

• Bare Feet on Stage: Theatrical Trend and Cross-Art Contamination opinion-review

  A growing trend in French theatre sees directors staging performances with actors barefoot, even in period costumes. This choice, seen in works by Yves Beaunesne (Maeterlinck's…

• Margaret Dikovitskaya Challenges Ekaterina Dyogot's View on Russia and Postcolonial Discourse opinion-review

  Margaret Dikovitskaya responds to Ekaterina Dyogot's November 2001 article questioning Russia's qualification for postcolonial discourse. Dikovitskaya argues Russia should be…