Opinion & reviews

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• Gustav Klimt's Judith: A Study of Power and Eroticism opinion-review

  An analysis of Gustav Klimt's 1901 painting 'Judith I' focuses on the artist's radical reinterpretation of the biblical heroine. Klimt subverts traditional iconography by…

• Artists impose rules as live show audience behavior worsens opinion-review

  A growing number of musicians are implementing strict codes of conduct at concerts in response to escalating audience misbehavior, including excessive phone use and fans wearing…

• Christian Baron: Reisefreiheit in der DDR und die soziale Kluft im Westen opinion-review

  In einem persönlichen Beitrag für die Freitag denkt Christian Baron über die Themen Reisefreiheit und soziale Ungleichheit nach. Er stellt die provokante Frage, wer die Kontrolle…

• New Left revisionism reshapes understanding of China's economic history opinion-review

  A movement among scholars of the Chinese New Left is contesting the prevailing neoliberal perspective that views Maoist command economics and the capitalist reforms of Deng…

• The Decline of Reading and the Rise of a Postliterate America opinion-review

  The Atlantic's August 2026 cover story argues that American society is becoming postliterate, with reading rates plummeting across all demographics. According to the National…

• Oorvi Sharma: Craft as a Methodology for Resilient Futures opinion-review

  In a guest essay featured in designboom's Crafting the Future chapter, Canadian architect Oorvi Sharma emphasizes the need to shift the perception of craft from merely preserving…

• Jochen Volz über kuratorische Praxis und institutionelle Transformation an der Pinacoteca de São Paulo opinion-review

  Jochen Volz, Generaldirektor der Pinacoteca de São Paulo seit 2017, reflektiert in einem Essay über Ausstellen als Praxis des Zuhörens und der Fürsorge. Er kritisiert historische…

• chezweitz on Exhibition Design: From Brancusi to Buchenwald opinion-review

  In a conversation with Arsprototo, scenographers Detlev Weitz and Sonja Beeck from chezweitz elaborate on their exhibition design philosophy, highlighting works such as the Jewish…

• Kolja Reichert on What Makes a Great Exhibition: Three Case Studies opinion-review

  In a piece for Kulturstiftung der Länder, curator Kolja Reichert examines notable exhibitions by focusing on three contemporary shows. At Venice's Fondazione Prada, Nancy…

• Björn Höcke's Psychotherapy Metaphor for Germany Criticized opinion-review

  Björn Höcke, a prominent figure in Germany's far-right AfD party, has proposed using psychotherapy as a metaphor for addressing political and spiritual ailments in parts of…

• Disney's live-action 'Moana' panned by critics as 'dismal' and 'pointless' opinion-review

  The live-action adaptation of 'Moana' from Disney, which debuted on Friday, has been met with largely unfavorable critiques. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, while 19-year-old…

• Why 'Legally Blonde' Remains a Feminist Touchstone in 2026 opinion-review

  More than two decades after its release, 'Legally Blonde' (2001) continues to resonate, with Amazon Prime launching a prequel series 'Elle' set during the protagonist's high…

• Ross McElwee's 'Remake' Examines Filmmaking Ethics After Son's Overdose opinion-review

  Ross McElwee's new documentary 'Remake' premieres at Film Forum in New York, confronting the 2016 fentanyl overdose death of his 27-year-old son Adrian. The film revisits…

• Arte series 'Die Akademie' criticized for shallow art school portrayal opinion-review

  Camilla Guttner's series 'Die Akademie', airing on Arte on July 10 and available until October 7 in the Arte-Mediathek, follows new art student Jojo (Maja Bons) as she encounters…

• 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…

• 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.…