Opinion & reviews

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

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Critique of 'resilience' rhetoric in Italy's inner areas opinion-review
An article on Artribune by Alex Urso critically examines the overuse of the term 'resilience' in discussions about Italy's depopulated inner areas. The author argues that the…
Avignon's 5.5-hour play raises questions about audience diversity opinion-review
In a column for Le Monde, editor Michel Guerrin questions the programming of a five-and-a-half-hour play, "Maldoror," at the Festival d'Avignon. He notes that while theater…
Oksana Zabuzhko Calls for Critical Reflection on Russian Culture opinion-review
Oksana Zabuzhko, a Ukrainian writer, has published an opinion piece in the NZZ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) that calls for a deeper critical self-reflection on Russian culture. In the…
BAÑOS, la escatología del diseño opinion-review
A personal essay explores cultural differences in bathroom design, recounting experiences in Europe and Asia. The author contrasts Mexican bathrooms with those in Germany, where…
Peru's Urban Crisis: Centralization and the Need for Territorial Development opinion-review
Aldo G. Facho Dede, in an analysis by Veredes, examines the severe urban centralization in Peru, where Lima and Callao house one-third of the population and account for 50% of the…
Trump's outdated climate jibes target China and EU opinion-review
US President Donald Trump criticized China's renewable energy sector during a White House meeting with oil executives on January 9, later amplifying his remarks at the World…
Travis Diehl Reviews Tinmantis, Jill Magid, and Erin Johnson in July Gallery Shows opinion-review
Travis Diehl's latest Newly Reviewed column covers four distinct exhibitions: the ramblings of Tinmantis, Jill Magid's political works, a gory group show, and Erin Johnson's…
Carolina Bianchi's 'Uma Luz Cordial' at Avignon Festival Draws Harsh Criticism opinion-review
A scathing review of Carolina Bianchi's performance 'Uma Luz Cordial' at the 2026 Festival d'Avignon, presented from July 4 to 7 at Opéra Grand Avignon and again on July 12 and 13…
Putin Negotiation Strategy Criticized in German Opinion Piece opinion-review
An opinion article by Lutz Herden in Der Freitag argues that Western leaders like Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz are mistaken in believing that attacking Russian…
Clint Watson Argues Art Belongs to the Soul, Not the Market opinion-review
In a Substack essay on FASO, Clint Watson argues that modern confusion about art stems from the materialistic view that there is only one economy. He posits two economies: the…
Tourist Town Galleries Can Sell Large Artworks with Shipping Solutions opinion-review
A gallery operator in a destination market debunks the myth that tourist-town galleries only sell small, suitcase-sized art. The author argues that vacation buyers often purchase…
Rosebush Pruning review: satire too desperate to shock opinion-review
A review of the film 'Rosebush Pruning' criticizes its self-satisfied satire as too desperate to shock. The movie stars Jamie Bell, Riley Keough, and Callum Turner as wealthy…
Summer art shows challenge visitors with minimal seating opinion-review
A New York Times article highlights a trend in summer 2026 exhibitions where galleries and museums intentionally provide little to no seating, forcing visitors to remain standing.…
Le numérique est-il soluble dans l’art ? opinion-review
Anne-Cécile Sanchez explores the integration of digital art into the traditional art world in an article for Le Journal des Arts. The piece questions whether digital art can be…
ICOM's new code politicises museums, risking community fragmentation opinion-review
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) adopted a new Code of Ethics in late June 2026 that politicises museum governance by mandating social justice, anti-discrimination,…
London's Gasholder Park: Gentrification and Industrial Heritage opinion-review
The article reflects on the transformation of industrial wastelands in cities, using the example of London's Gasholder Park near King's Cross. Once a site of decaying brick…
Merz's Plan to Reinstate Sick Note from Day One Sparks Controversy opinion-review
Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, plans to reintroduce the requirement for a doctor's note from the first day of illness, a policy that has sparked strong opposition from…
Rolling Stones: Harry Nutt ranks their five best albums opinion-review
As the Rolling Stones release their 25th studio album, critic Harry Nutt selects their five best records, highlighting 'Aftermath' (1966) as a key work. The album features Brian…
Münchner Politik und der Fall Barbara Mundel: Ein Symptom kultureller Entwertung opinion-review
Ein Kommentar in der Süddeutschen Zeitung kritisiert den Umgang der Münchner Politik mit Barbara Mundel, der Intendantin der Münchner Kammerspiele. Der Autor sieht darin ein…
Disney's 'Vaiana' Live-Action: The Most Beautiful Adaptation opinion-review
Among all Disney live-action remakes, 'Vaiana' (Moana) is considered the most beautiful because it does not attempt to be overly realistic. The film embraces its animated roots…
Artist Eva Lewarne denounces capitalism and data centres as environmental threats opinion-review
In a blog post on her website, artist Eva Lewarne argues that unbridled capitalism has polluted the earth and oceans and now threatens to destroy it further with data centres. She…
Jargon-Free Art Writing Gains Audience as Institutions Cling to Obscurity opinion-review
A critique of art-world jargon, International Art English, coined in 2012 by writers Alix Rule and David Levine, describes a dialect of vague, pseudo-intellectual language used in…
Two New Plays Tackle Jewish Identity in Post-Oct 7 Landscape opinion-review
Jonathan Spector's "Birthright" and "Giant" by an unnamed playwright are two new plays addressing Jewish identity, with "Birthright" premiering at M.C.C. in New York and "Giant"…
Tour de France as a Visual Machine: Myth, Media, and Spectacle opinion-review
The Tour de France, which started on July 4 in Barcelona and ends July 26 on the Champs-Élysées, is analyzed as a visual spectacle and myth-making machine. Roland Barthes'…
Dmitri Bykov on Russia's Civil War Between People and Power opinion-review
In an interview with Le Monde, exiled Russian intellectual Dmitri Bykov discusses the complex relationship between Russian society and the authorities, describing a latent civil…
Spielberg e l’utopia. Disclosure Day opinion-review
The article reviews the film 'Disclosure Day', directed by Luca Ragazzo and Anita Romanello, published on July 9, 2026. The film opens with a wrestling match where a fighter kicks…
Hiroshima and the Atomic Age: Reflections on Energy and Apocalypse opinion-review
Maurizio Sentieri and Anita Romanello reflect on the atomic bomb's detonation over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, as a defining historical rupture that inaugurated the atomic era.…
Digital Piracy as Ethical Preservation in an Era of Ephemeral Media opinion-review
The article argues that digital piracy has become ethically justifiable as streaming services fail to preserve media, with platforms like PlayStation deleting purchased digital…
Medina Triennial and Aldrich Decennial Question the Meaning of Local in Art opinion-review
Jenny Wu’s review takes a closer look at two exhibitions in upstate New York and Connecticut, focusing on the idea of locality in contemporary art. The first exhibition, the…
Film adaptation of Virginia Woolf's 'Night and Day' explores female emancipation opinion-review
The film 'Virginia Woolf's Night & Day' adapts Woolf's novel into a story of a young woman's emancipation. The review describes it as sometimes light-footed, sometimes clumsy.
Why Memorability Matters More Than Visibility for Artists opinion-review
Carolyn Edlund argues that memorability, not just visibility, is key to building a lasting art career. She notes that collectors, gallery owners, and social media users are…
BookTok's 'As Seen on TikTok' Badge and the Decline of Literary Fiction opinion-review
A New Yorker article examines how BookTok, TikTok's book-review community, has reshaped reading culture by prioritizing emotional impact and genre tropes over literary quality.…
Arte film 'Heute bin ich Samba' criticized as clumsy mix of drama and comedy opinion-review
The film 'Heute bin ich Samba' by directors Eric Tolédan and Olivier Nakache, known for 'The Intouchables', is airing on Arte on July 8 and available in the Arte Mediathek until…
Bangladesh Photography Flourishes Amid Regime Change opinion-review
A critic contrasts America's 250th anniversary celebrations with Bangladesh's vibrant photography scene, which has thrived during a seismic political shift. The article highlights…
Film Review: 'L'Ecologie des sentiments' — A Shy Man Meets a Radical Environmentalist opinion-review
The French film 'L'Ecologie des sentiments' tells the story of Félix, a fragile and dreamy young man who works as a receptionist and handyman in his father's outdated small hotel.…
Rereading Camus: Meursault as an Educated, Reflective Man opinion-review
A critical rereading of Albert Camus' 1942 novel 'The Stranger' challenges the scholarly consensus that protagonist Meursault is intellectually and emotionally stunted.…
Bamboo's Symbolic Trap: Architecture's Green Image vs. Material Reality opinion-review
An article on ArchDaily critically examines the contemporary revival of bamboo in architecture, arguing that its widespread praise as a sustainable material often obscures the…
Urban Planning as an Instrument of Division in U.S. Cities opinion-review
Urban planning in the U.S. has historically been used to segregate, exclude, and erase communities, according to an article on ArchDaily. The field is often confused with urban…
Nudity in art: The paradox of modern prudery opinion-review
A recent opinion piece in the NZZ examines the paradoxical state of nudity in contemporary society, particularly focusing on the female breast. The author argues that while women…
Members clubs reborn as hubs for deals and networking opinion-review
Members clubs are experiencing a resurgence as essential venues for business and social networking, according to a Monocle opinion piece by contributing editor Robert Bound. Once…

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