Opinion & reviews

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

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Beatrice Loayza Reviews Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' opinion-review
In a review for ArtReview, Beatrice Loayza critiques Steven Spielberg's 2026 film 'Disclosure Day', arguing that the director's signature humanism has become hollow. The film…
Supergirl film criticized for lazy plot twist undermining DC franchise progress opinion-review
The new 'Supergirl' film has been panned by critics for a cheap narrative trick that undoes the goodwill generated by the recent 'Superman' movie, which had signaled a positive…
A satirical take on press trips in the art world opinion-review
The article humorously critiques press trips, describing them as a mix of ego gratification and exhausting labor. The author notes that journalists are lured by premium…
Neal Shasore argues RIBA presidential election is toothless opinion-review
Architecture historian Neal Shasore argues that the upcoming RIBA presidential election will do little to address the profession's deep-seated issues. He traces the election's…
Yuppies: Reagan's Students Who Funded Obama's Rise opinion-review
The article examines the yuppie generation, who emerged after the hippies and were shaped by Ronald Reagan's policies. These young urban professionals became key financial…
Eco's 'Apocalittici e Integrati' and AI opinion-review
The article revisits Umberto Eco's 1964 book 'Apocalittici e Integrati' (Apocalyptic and Integrated), originally titled by publisher Valentino Bompiani. Eco compiled the essays…
Behind the Scenes: Publicists Shape Art World Trends opinion-review
Phin Jennings' latest art market column for Ocula explores the often overlooked role of publicists in shaping art world trends. Jennings questions how behind-the-scenes publicists…
AI Prompting Revives Modernist Writerly Description as Mass Skill opinion-review
The challenge of crafting effective prompts for generative AI models like ChatGPT Image and Midjourney mirrors a literary problem that modernist writers faced over a century ago.…
Mat Dryhurst on AI, Protocols, and the Future of Art opinion-review
In a conversation with Anika Meier for SLEEK, Mat Dryhurst, an artist, criticizes the often reactive and poorly informed discussions surrounding AI in the art sector, stressing…
Broadway's New Musical Drought: Critics Skip Award, Tony Noms Go to Plays opinion-review
This year, the New York Drama Critics' Circle decided not to present its award for best musical, reflecting a significant shortage of new musicals on Broadway. Additionally, two…
Digital update culture criticized in German commentary opinion-review
A commentary in Süddeutsche Zeitung criticizes the societal pressure to constantly update digital systems, framing it as a modern hell. The author notes that Deutsche Bahn is…
Artists Face Rising Discouragement Amid AI and Economic Uncertainty opinion-review
Carolyn Edlund reports on a growing sense of discouragement among artists, driven by converging pressures including AI-generated imagery, economic instability, and intellectual…
Paris Fashion Week and the Rise of Collective News Fatigue opinion-review
The article explores the intersection of Paris Fashion Week and a global trend of news avoidance, citing the Reuters Digital News Report 2025. In Germany, regular news avoidance…
Art Basel’s Alternative Events Offer Playful Contrast to VIP Spending opinion-review
Lydia Eliza Trail’s diary for Ocula Magazine highlights the contrast between the high-stakes commercialism of Art Basel’s main fair, where wealthy collectors arrive by private…
Danielle Arbid's 'Seuls les rebelles' Recreates Lebanon in Studio for Forbidden Love Story opinion-review
Danielle Arbid's film 'Seuls les rebelles' (Only the Rebels) tells a story of forbidden love in Lebanon, reconstructed entirely in a studio. The fiction is carried by actors Hiam…
Weekly Film Roundup: Blue Heron, La Bataille de Gaulle, Eega, Les Caprices de l'enfant roi opinion-review
Every Wednesday, Le Monde's cinema journalists publish their reviews of films currently showing in theaters. This week's selection includes Blue Heron, La Bataille de Gaulle:…
Brexit-Historiker Robert Tombs verteidigt EU-Austritt opinion-review
Der Cambridge-Historiker Robert Tombs argumentiert in einem NZZ-Artikel, dass der Brexit auch aus heutiger Sicht richtig war. Der Publizist Konrad Hummler, eine führende liberale…
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Prime Minister: Assessing His Cultural Legacy opinion-review
Sir Keir Starmer resigned as UK prime minister on Monday, prompting an assessment of his impact on the arts sector. His tenure saw increased funding for the Arts Council England…
The Rise of Seriality in Television Narratives opinion-review
The term 'series' has increasingly entered everyday language over the decade from the first episode of The Sopranos in January 1999 to Netflix's expansion outside the United…
Rep. Jerry Nadler's Departure Leaves Artists' Rights in Limbo opinion-review
Representative Jerrold Nadler, a longtime champion of artists' rights in Congress, is leaving office, creating a void in the push for resale royalties in the United States. For…
To Become a Master, You Must Become a Child opinion-review
In a personal newsletter essay, Clint, the founder of FASO, explores the concept of 'The Sovereign Artist' as a path to creative mastery. Drawing parallels to Star Wars' 'The…
Trump's National Self-Destruction and Iran's Easy Victory opinion-review
The article argues that President Trump's actions demonstrate a combination of malice and stupidity, leading the United States toward national self-destruction. It claims that…
Blogging's Diminishing Influence in the Age of Populism, Monetization, and AI opinion-review
Noah Smith reflects on the declining impact of blogging due to three factors: the rise of populism, the shift to monetized platforms like Substack, and the proliferation of…
Margot Käßmann: AfD attacks on churches are a good sign opinion-review
Margot Käßmann, a prominent German theologian and former bishop, has responded to attacks by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on the major Christian churches. In…
Zhuangzi's Critique of Meritocracy opinion-review
An essay on Aeon argues that meritocracy is a flawed concept, drawing on the ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi contends that even in idealized scenarios where values…
Inflation and Art Marketing: Prioritize Revenue Over Cost-Cutting opinion-review
Artists facing rising material and shipping costs often panic and slash expenses, but this can derail growth. The key is to distinguish between volume-driven cost increases and…
Rothko's Dionysian Light: Philosophical Reflections on Painting opinion-review
Philosopher Silvano Petrosino examines Mark Rothko's writings on art, drawing parallels between the painter's use of Greek mythology and the Kabbalistic concept of Shekhinah.…
Degas's 'Portraits à la Bourse': A Scathing View of Finance and Its Enduring Market Value opinion-review
François Bénard, writing as Louvre-Ravioli for Beaux Arts, analyzes Edgar Degas's 1878 painting 'Portraits à la Bourse' (Portraits at the Stock Exchange), housed at the Musée…
Kenny Schachter Reports on Art Basel, Joe Hage's Takeover of David Hockney Estate opinion-review
Kenny Schachter's column covers Art Basel in Switzerland, where he observed a subdued atmosphere with dealers like Larry Gagosian and Gavin Brown expressing disinterest. He notes…
German Pension System Sparks Fatalism Among Citizens opinion-review
A recent opinion piece in Süddeutsche Zeitung explores the growing public anxiety over Germany's pension system, framing it as a topic of 'fear' that now dominates private…
Christian Caliandro critiques reduction of art to captions and messages opinion-review
Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary art is increasingly reduced to its supposed content or message, a trend he calls 'contenutismo-cronachismo.' He contends that…
Brexit's messy legacy: UK art market still tangled in EU rules ten years on opinion-review
A decade following the Brexit referendum, the UK art market continues to grapple with lingering EU regulations and emerging challenges. The Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive…
Critique of Stigma-Free Language in Addiction Discourse opinion-review
A recent opinion piece in the NZZ challenges the use of euphemistic language in medical and psychological contexts, arguing that terms like 'Konsumereignis' (consumption event)…
Braden Peters' Clavicular: Manosphere Masculinity as Toxic Metrosexual opinion-review
Braden Peters, under the alias Clavicular, promotes radical physical optimization through hammer blows to the face and methamphetamine use to stay thin. His manosphere ideology,…
German politician insult law Paragraph 188 under fire opinion-review
German law Paragraph 188, which criminalizes insults against politicians, is facing renewed scrutiny after high fines were imposed for insulting top politicians. Chancellor…
Leibniz's binary system and the I Ching: forgotten China-West links behind AI opinion-review
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is often seen as a sudden modern breakthrough, but its roots lie in a centuries-old intellectual exchange between China and the…
Marc Spiegler Criticized for Role in Art Market Crisis opinion-review
A critical response to Marc Spiegler's New York Times essay argues that the former Art Basel director helped create the gallery system he now laments. The author, a journalist who…
Who Is America's Great Poet? A Multi-Voice Inquiry opinion-review
A feature in Plough magazine presents multiple perspectives on the question of America's national poet, akin to Homer. Contributors include Joseph M. Keegin, who argues for Robert…
Rachmaninoff's Senar and Wagner's Tribschen: Two Composer Homes on Lake Lucerne opinion-review
A review compares the preservation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Senar villa on Lake Lucerne with the treatment of Richard Wagner's nearby Tribschen. Senar, built in 1932 and now…
Philosophers Interpret Trump's UFC Spectacle and Modern Disorientation opinion-review
In an Atlantic Books Briefing, editor Boris Kachka and staff writer Gal Beckerman discuss how philosophers like Roland Barthes, Elias Canetti, Bruno Latour, Walter J. Ong, and…

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