Opinion & reviews

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

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ASEAN model proposed for Persian Gulf peace opinion-review
An opinion piece in the South China Morning Post suggests that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) offers a model for de-escalation and shared prosperity in the…
Private foundations and the art of patronage opinion-review
A Le Monde article examines the historical and contemporary role of private foundations in converting economic capital into cultural capital through patronage. The practice dates…
Owen Gleiberman: Hollywood Movies Have Always Defined America, But Are They Still? opinion-review
In a column for Variety, chief film critic Owen Gleiberman reflects on how Hollywood movies have historically shaped America's self-image, questioning whether they still do on the…
Reflections on Leaving America Under Trump opinion-review
A German columnist bids farewell to the United States, pondering what endures: questionable cuisine, the friendliness of the people, or the yellow bird in the White House. The…
Pizzi Cannella's 'Fontana Ferma' Unveiled in Messina Amid Water Paradox opinion-review
The Mira – Mediterranean Institute for Research and Arts was presented in Messina with Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli in attendance. The new cultural hub will be housed at…
Pollock and Vedova: A Conceptual Encounter Across the Atlantic opinion-review
An essay by an unnamed author explores the parallel artistic revolutions of Jackson Pollock and Emilio Vedova, focusing on their shared practice of painting on the floor. Despite…
Arts Bear Market: Successes Sell Occasion, Belonging, Permission opinion-review
In a weekly essay for ArtsJournal, the author analyzes 139 stories to identify what is succeeding in the current arts bear market. Despite structural collapse across the sector,…
German politician calls for end to 'firewall' against far-right AfD opinion-review
Claudia Wittig, a politician from the BSW party, argues in a Freitag op-ed that the 'Brandmauer' (firewall) against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is undemocratic and…
Ken Burns on the French as Losers of the American Revolution opinion-review
Ken Burns, the acclaimed American documentary filmmaker known for his series on the Civil War and Vietnam, challenges myths of the American Revolution in an interview with Le…
Artists Critique America at 250: Monkman, Moreno, Dzama opinion-review
In a Glasstire opinion piece, the author reflects on the U.S. semiquincentennial amid political turmoil, citing Frederick Douglass's 1852 speech. The author highlights three…
Italy's diffuse museum model lacks governance despite rich cultural heritage opinion-review
The traditional museum model is evolving globally, with institutions like the Louvre opening satellites in Lens (2012) and Abu Dhabi (2017), and the V&A planning a Dundee branch.…
Michael Sarnoski on Revisiting the Robin Hood Legend opinion-review
In an interview with Le Monde, American filmmaker Michael Sarnoski discusses his film 'On l'appelait Robin des bois' (titled in English as 'The Last Robin Hood' or similar). He…
Western blame of China masks own deindustrialization failures opinion-review
Western nations and Japan, having embraced post-industrial, services-based economies for decades, now find themselves unable to reverse manufacturing decline. China's strategic…
250 Jahre USA: Linke zwischen Hoffnung und Abscheu opinion-review
Zum 250. Geburtstag der USA reflektiert Georg Seeßlen über das ambivalente Verhältnis der europäischen Linken zu Amerika. Dieses sei stets eine Mischung aus Hoffnung und Abscheu…
Trump official proposes US takeover of Greenland seafood to block China opinion-review
Tom Dans, a Trump appointee and head of the US Arctic Research Commission, has proposed that the United States take over Greenland's entire seafood industry to prevent exports…
Paris wayfinding failures highlight urban design flaws opinion-review
Monocle editor Andrew Tuck recounts a frustrating journey through Paris's Metro and RER system while trying to reach a France24 studio for an interview about the Monocle Quality…
Goya's 'The Third of May 1808' as an Icon of Injustice and Human Resilience opinion-review
An article on Artspecialday examines Francisco Goya's painting 'The Third of May 1808' (1814), housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work depicts the execution of Spanish…
US fails to grasp China's complexity, says SCMP opinion opinion-review
An opinion piece argues that the United States has a tragically shallow understanding of China's complexity and civilisational mindset, which has been honed over millennia of…
Reflections on LACMA's New David Geffen Galleries and Artistic Impermanence opinion-review
Artist Pilar Zeta visited the new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, designed by architect Peter Zumthor. The gallery's stark brutalist style draws…
Patrice Spinosi warns theater censorship threatens rule of law in Le Monde op-ed opinion-review
In a tribune published in Le Monde on July 3, 2026, Patrice Spinosi, president of the Fondation Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe and a lawyer at the Conseil d'État, argues that…
French cinema mocks the rich as a recurring joke opinion-review
A Le Monde article examines how French cinema consistently uses humor to depict the wealthy, portraying them as humiliated, lost, or ridiculous. This approach inverts power…
Sharmilla Ganesan on Belonging and Sorting at Salzburger Kunstverein's CAPTCHA Realism opinion-review
Sharmilla Ganesan, a Malaysian writer and critic, reflects on her experience at Salzburger Kunstverein's exhibition 'CAPTCHA Realism' in spring 2026. The exhibition questions who…
KI-Jobangst: Panikmache oder reale Gefahr? opinion-review
Johanna Bath warnt vor übertriebener Panikmache bezüglich der Bedrohung von Arbeitsplätzen durch Künstliche Intelligenz, insbesondere im Journalismus. In einem Beitrag für den…
German pension reform criticized as undemocratic, benefiting AfD opinion-review
A commentary in Der Freitag argues that Germany's upcoming pension reform is not only controversial in content but also in process, as key social policy decisions are made without…
Celebrity Wedding Fatigue: Brands Face Backlash opinion-review
Vogue questions whether the era of celebrity mega-weddings, exemplified by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's anticipated nuptials, has peaked. The article notes a trend of…
Dalí's 'The Persistence of Memory' as a Summer Icon opinion-review
Salvador Dalí's 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, often called Melting Clocks, is highlighted as the perfect artwork for hot summer days. The oil-on-canvas work, measuring…
Madonna's 'Confessions' Album Review: Disco Turns Dark opinion-review
Madonna's new album 'Confessions' begins with 30 minutes of upbeat disco before shifting to darker themes, with light as a central weapon.
Five cinematic dinner parties that serve up farce and fine dining opinion-review
Olivia Wilde's new comedy 'The Invite' brings a couples' dinner party to the brink of disaster, continuing a cinematic tradition where elaborate dining unearths rivalries and…
Floris Biskamp: CDU's past demands now called 'remigration' opinion-review
In an interview with 'der Freitag', political scientist Floris Biskamp challenges Vicente Valentim's thesis that right-wing opinions have normalized due to the AfD's presence.…
Julian Schnabel's 'In the Hand of Dante' Film Criticized as Messy opinion-review
Julian Schnabel's film adaptation of Nick Tosches' novel 'In the Hand of Dante' has been panned by critics. Despite beautiful cinematography and a star-studded cast, the film is…
Artists Reclaim Lady Liberty as Protest Symbol on US 250th opinion-review
In a Fourth of July weekend newsletter, Hyperallergic critic Aruna D'Souza examines how artists have used the Statue of Liberty as a tool of protest. She cites Faith Ringgold,…
Fashion and Football Collide at the 2026 World Cup opinion-review
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, is drawing record audiences with stadiums at 99.7% capacity and projected 5-6 billion cumulative views. The tournament…
T.C. Boyle on Why He Won't Celebrate US Independence Day opinion-review
In a guest article for Süddeutsche Zeitung, American author T.C. Boyle explains why he and many around him will not celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States on July 4,…
Jam van der Aa Interviews Mirka Farabegoli on Squatting and Art opinion-review
Jam van der Aa conducted an interview with artist Mirka Farabegoli about her practice and the exhibition 'Claiming the City – A Squatters' Allegory' at POST Nijmegen. The…
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Wedding as a Radical Act in Self-Centered Society opinion-review
In an opinion piece, the author argues that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding represents a radical act of commitment in an individualistic society. The article draws on…
De Gaulle films see unexpected box office surge opinion-review
The first installment of "La Bataille de Gaulle," released on June 3, initially underperformed at the box office before experiencing a dramatic surge in ticket sales, which also…
KI-Forscherin Johanna Bath widerspricht Panik vor Jobkrise durch KI opinion-review
In einem Interview mit der Freitag äußert sich Johanna Bath, Professorin für Unternehmensführung an der Hochschule Reutlingen, zur aktuellen Debatte um KI-bedingte…
Le Albe: coro, voce e luce nel teatro di Marco Martinelli opinion-review
Recent performances provide an opportunity to revisit the Teatro delle Albe and its complementary aspects: on one side, the collective and political energy of the non-school, and…
France's centre-left urged to reopen 'bars-tabacs' to counter far-right vote opinion-review
A study by Cepremap found that 18,000 bars-tabacs (bars selling tobacco and scratch cards) closed in France between 2002 and 2022, correlating with increased votes for the…
Amy Sherald Cancels Smithsonian Show Over Censorship of Trans Artwork opinion-review
Amy Sherald canceled the National Portrait Gallery stop of her solo exhibition "American Sublime" in July after the Smithsonian Institution allegedly attempted to censor her…

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