Opinion & reviews

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

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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…
Madonna's Legacy: How She Shaped Today's Pop Stars opinion-review
Madonna's influence on pop music and culture is examined in a Vogue article timed to her new album 'Confessions II,' her first in a decade. The article argues that her true legacy…
Chi Ossé on New York's Joyful 250th Anniversary Amid National Turmoil opinion-review
In a personal essay for CULTURED, New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé reflects on the city's celebratory mood during America's 250th anniversary, contrasting it with national…
Lucrecia Martel's 'Nuestra tierra' and the Tension Between Art and Utility opinion-review
An in-depth critique explores Lucrecia Martel's documentary 'Nuestra tierra' (2026) in relation to her film theories presented in 'Un destino común' (2025). Martel posits that art…
Flawed Report on Humanities Scholarship Criticized for Process and Framing opinion-review
A committee of ten professors, convened by the chancellors of Vanderbilt University and Washington University, submitted a report in early April on the state of scholarship in the…
German doctor criticizes mandatory sick note from day one as medically unsound opinion-review
Pulmonologist Cihan Çelik, in a guest article for the German weekly 'der Freitag', argues that the government's plan to require a doctor's note from the first day of illness is…
Elite universities urged to enroll more working-class students opinion-review
A New York Times opinion piece argues that wealthy universities like Princeton can be pushed to enroll more working- and middle-class students. The article cites data showing that…
Summer Art Blues: A Satirical Take on the Seasonal Slump opinion-review
This satirical piece from Collezione da Tiffany humorously laments the summer art world slowdown. The author describes the disorientation of art enthusiasts when galleries close…
The Hidden Value of Agency Pitches Beyond Winning or Losing opinion-review
An opinion piece on Creative Gaga explores the often-overlooked internal dynamics of agency pitches. The author argues that the most valuable aspects occur before the verdict:…
Swiss hiking culture criticized as racist by leftist activists opinion-review
A controversial debate in Switzerland has emerged as leftist activists claim that hiking is racist and that forests are the habitat of white people. The article, published in the…
Colombia's new cultural plan revives neoliberal 'Orange Economy' model, alarming artists opinion-review
A leaked draft of Colombia's incoming government's cultural sector plan for 2026-2030, titled 'Firmes con la Cultura,' signals a return to the 'Orange Economy' model, prioritizing…
Hélio Menezes Reflects on 61st Venice Biennale's 'In Minor Keys' opinion-review
Hélio Menezes released an essay for the 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'Imaginar alguma voz que você nunca ouviu' (Imagine a Voice You've Never Heard). In it, he examines Koyo…
Interpretive Polarization: When Facts Are Agreed But Worlds Diverge opinion-review
Dan Williams argues that political division is less about factual disagreement than about how agreed-upon facts are interpreted through rival systems of meaning. Drawing on Walter…
Performance review: United States of America opinion-review
DesignObserver published a literary performance review of the United States as a democratic entity, structured like workplace feedback. The review identifies three recurring…
Should Artists Bake Sales Tax into Art Fair Prices? opinion-review
A pricing guide for artists selling at outdoor art fairs and open studio tours advises against rolling sales tax into the sticker price, arguing it inflates the perceived cost and…
US 250th Birthday Amid Crisis: Can the Left Reinvent America? opinion-review
The United States celebrates its 250th birthday on Saturday amid wars, deportations, and inflation, with public morale low. The article questions whether the American left can…
Climate Crisis as Social Disaster: A Commentary on Heat and Inequality opinion-review
In a commentary for Der Freitag, author Kathrin Hartmann argues that the climate crisis is a social disaster, highlighting the disparity between the wealthy and the vulnerable.…
Annie Leibovitz Faces Backlash Over Sepia Filter in Mexico Soccer Photos opinion-review
Annie Leibovitz is facing criticism on Instagram for using a sepia-toned filter on a photo of Mexican soccer players Raul Jimenez, Johan Vasquez, and Julian Quinones, part of her…
Mediocrity as a new ideal for men in dating and football opinion-review
A column in Süddeutsche Zeitung argues that mediocrity is becoming the new standard for men, both in dating and football. The author, Teresa Präauer, observes that the pressure to…
Merz's Paraguay Post: Worse Than the National Team opinion-review
Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor, posted on X after Germany's World Cup loss to Paraguay, praising the team's weak performance. His team called it a coordination error, but…
Houston Seventh Grader Reviews Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room opinion-review
Henry Alberto Suescun Panza, a seventh grader from Tanglewood Middle School in Houston ISD, has penned a review of Yayoi Kusama's piece 'Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity' at…
Slow Selling: Why Patience Pays Off for Artists opinion-review
Carolyn Edlund argues that successful art sales often require a long-term approach rather than immediate results. Artists who judge success solely by instant sales at fairs or…
Russian Life Under Drone Attacks: A Cultural Commentary opinion-review
Irina Rastorgueva's essay in Süddeutsche Zeitung examines the psychological and material impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian civilians. As attacks penetrate deeper into…
Abstract Humour and the Joke-Work in Contemporary Art opinion-review
This critical essay examines the role of humour in modern art through a Deleuzian perspective, differentiating it from irony. It describes a seminar incident where a student…
Hamlet's Chaos Resonates in Contemporary Theatre opinion-review
The 16th-century Shakespearean character Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, continues to inspire contemporary directors because he embodies the choice of chaos over building a better…
Jonathan Harris on Art History's Global Challenges opinion-review
In an interview, art historian Jonathan Harris argues that art history remains a Euro-US-centric discipline rooted in nationalism and imperialism, inadequate for analyzing…

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