Opinion & reviews

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• The Great Flip-Flop Debate: Fashion, Safety, and City Streets opinion-review

  A Vogue article examines the contentious issue of wearing flip-flops in urban environments, particularly New York City. Critics find open-toed footwear visually unappealing,…

• Gandhi's Micro- and Macro-Morality: A Reflection at Raj Ghat opinion-review

  At Raj Ghat in New Delhi, the author reflects on Gandhi's distinction between micro-morality (personal kindness, politeness) and macro-morality (confronting unjust systems).…

• German Coalition's 'Social Reforms' Criticized as Massive Cuts opinion-review

  A commentary in the German newspaper 'der Freitag' criticizes the proposed social reforms by the black-red coalition government, led by Friedrich Merz, as a massive austerity…

• Soderbergh's 'The Christophers' Examines Art, Money, and Family opinion-review

  Steven Soderbergh's new film 'The Christophers' is a tense, single-location drama exploring how market value distorts family bonds and artists' identities. The film centers on…

• BookTok's Critical Language: Relatability Over Craft opinion-review

  An essay in The Point examines how BookTok, the TikTok subcommunity that drove 59 million print book sales in the U.S. in 2024, has reshaped literary criticism around emotional…

• Rafael Tamayo: Colombian museum sector must rethink itself opinion-review

  Rafael Tamayo Franco, director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín (MAMM), argues that the entire Colombian museum sector needs to be rethought. In an interview for Artishock…

• Yanis Varoufakis: NATO dissolution necessary for European sovereignty opinion-review

  Yanis Varoufakis argues that NATO must be dissolved for Europe to achieve sovereignty in defense matters. He contends that NATO draws Europe into unwanted wars and must be…

• Trump didn't start America's decay, argues decade-old essays opinion-review

  A 2014 Foreign Affairs issue titled 'See America: Land of Decay & Dysfunction' features a crumbling Capitol Building on its cover, arguing that US institutional decay and populist…

• German Pension Reform Sparks Debate Over Retirement Age and Benefits opinion-review

  A commentary in Der Freitag criticizes the German government's sweeping social reforms, particularly regarding pensions. The article questions whether the retirement age will rise…

• Lionel Wendt's Male Nudes: Defiance or Aesthetic? opinion-review

  At American Art Catalogues in Manhattan's West Village, the first US solo show of Lionel Wendt's photographs presents haunting gelatin silver prints of male nudes. The exhibition…

• Leonora Carrington Biopic Fails to Capture Surrealist's Radical Spirit opinion-review

  The biopic 'Leonora in the Morning Light' chronicles the remarkable journey of surrealist Leonora Carrington, who, born in Britain, escaped London at the age of 20 to join Max…

• Sophia Süßmilch Challenges Ole Liebl on Profiteering Feminism opinion-review

  In a response published in der Freitag, Sophia Süßmilch criticizes Ole Liebl for dismissing accusations of being a 'profit-oriented feminist.' Liebl had previously argued in the…

• Frictionmaxxing: Why inconvenience may be essential for creativity opinion-review

  In a society fixated on convenience, the idea of 'frictionmaxxing' has surfaced as a reactionary movement that champions the intentional acceptance of discomfort. The Guardian…

• Strafrecht als Feigenblatt im Kampf gegen sexualisierte Gewalt opinion-review

  Leonie Steinl, Strafrechtsprofessorin und ehemalige Vorsitzende der Strafrechtskommission im Deutschen Juristinnenbund, kritisiert in einem Interview mit der Freitag die…

• Lazarus review: poignant play is a rallying cry for justice opinion-review

  A review of the play Lazarus, which tells the true story of Taungurung Elder Larry Walsh, a member of the Stolen Generations who was given a criminal record as a toddler. The…

• What's a human worth? Art's value debated amid AI, market, and funding crises opinion-review

  A roundup of stories questioning the value of art and human creativity. Michael Rushton revisits Pierre Bourdieu's claim that aesthetic taste is class signaling, arguing it…

• Bourdieu's Cultural Capital and the Crisis of Arts Funding opinion-review

  In a blog entry on ArtsJournal, Michael Rushton evaluates Pierre Bourdieu's concepts from his 1979 work, 'Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste,' particularly…

• Howard Sherman's Practical Advice for Emerging Artists opinion-review

  In his Houston studio, artist Howard Sherman welcomed MFA candidates from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, offering candid insights into the challenges of a full-time…

• Blue Dot Fever: Why Concert Tickets Aren't Selling in 2025 opinion-review

  A phenomenon called 'blue dot fever' is sweeping the live music industry, as unsold seats on Ticketmaster appear as blue dots across tours by artists like Meghan Trainor and Post…

• Why Capping Politician Salaries Would Backfire for Germany's Left Party opinion-review

  Salim Hemeed argues in a guest commentary for Der Freitag that parts of the German Left Party (Die Linke) are pushing to cap parliamentary salaries at the level of skilled…

• Live music's democratic dream is over opinion-review

  Concert tickets have become inaccessible to most fans due to dynamic pricing, exclusive presales, and a shift to live shows as artists' primary revenue source. In 2024, Spain's…

• Güner Balci Calls for New German Patriotism Based on Democratic Values opinion-review

  In a recent opinion piece for Süddeutsche Zeitung, writer Güner Balci argues that Germany needs a new form of patriotism rooted in the values of a free democratic society, rather…

• Biennale di Venezia 2026: proteste, dimissioni e cortocircuiti tra arte e politica opinion-review

  La Biennale di Venezia 2026 è stata segnata da molteplici tensioni. Il presidente Pietrangelo Buttafuoco ha annunciato a marzo l'apertura a Russia, Iran, Israele, Ucraina e…

• The Mandalorian and Grogu Criticized as AI-Generated Nostalgia opinion-review

  The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars theatrical release in six years, has been criticized for feeling like an AI-generated movie due to its heavy reliance on references…

• The Story Museum in Oxford offers a child-friendly cultural experience opinion-review

  The Story Museum in Oxford, located in a former post office and telephone exchange on Pembroke Street, provides a family-oriented museum experience that rejects 'don't touch'…

• Prima Facie Returns to Australian Stage with Sheridan Harbridge opinion-review

  Suzie Miller's play Prima Facie, a one-woman show about sexual assault and the legal system, has returned to Australian stages seven years after its debut. The production,…

• AI-Generated Story Wins Commonwealth Prize, Sparking Debate on Literary Authenticity opinion-review

  The Commonwealth Prize's Caribbean region section has been awarded to a short story called 'The Serpent in the Grove,' penned by Trinidadian author Jamir Nazir. However, the piece…

• Vox pops are mostly useless, says Cardiff University study opinion-review

  A Cardiff University study criticizes broadcasters' over-reliance on vox pops during the UK's recent local elections, noting they take up airtime at the expense of policy coverage…

• The Tortured Artist Trope: Myths and Realities of Creativity and Mental Illness opinion-review

  Sam Kissajukian, a celebrated visual artist and comedian, challenges and reinforces the myth of the tortured artist in his acclaimed show, 300 Paintings, through humorous…

• Miquel Lacasta on 'Simplejidad' and Álvaro Siza's 1998 IberFad Win Over Gehry opinion-review

  Miquel Lacasta explores a new concept called 'Simplejidad,' or simplexity, which connects complexity and simplicity in a complementary way, influenced by General Systems Theory,…

• Canon's Product Segmentation Between V and C Series Cameras Criticized opinion-review

  A PetaPixel opinion piece criticizes Canon's product segmentation strategy, focusing on three new cameras sharing a 32-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor: the EOS C50, EOS R6 Mark…

• Eva Lewarne's Polemic on Tech, Patriarchy, and Art opinion-review

  In a blog post titled "Humanity is dead and metallic stuff rules our lives..." on her website, artist Eva Lewarne argues that technology and social media have replaced critical…

• Fakewhale analiza el sesgo entre galerías e instituciones en el arte contemporáneo opinion-review

  El colectivo Fakewhale publicó un texto en su plataforma digital donde analiza el sesgo que lleva a asociar el valor de un artista más con el contexto de presentación que con la…

• Joe Rogan's Podcast Drift: From Free Speech to Unchallenged Pseudoscience opinion-review

  The author critiques the evolution of The Joe Rogan Experience, arguing that the show has shifted from defending independent thought during the COVID-19 pandemic to hosting…

• Glasstire Explores the Fluid Definition of a Texas Artist on Its 25th Anniversary opinion-review

  For Glasstire's 25th anniversary, art historian Amy Von Lintel reflects on what it means to be a "Texas artist." She points out that many artists thought to be from Texas are…

• Cannes 2026: A Glacial Festival Trapped in Ritual, Hope Wins Symbolic Palme opinion-review

  The 2026 Cannes Film Festival is described as a sad, glacial edition lacking the spark and desire that defined its mythology. Critics and attendees expressed widespread boredom,…

• Valuing Cultural Heritage Beyond Accounting: A Conceptual Framework opinion-review

  Stefano Monti argues that Italy's public accounting reforms require a non-accounting reflection before establishing criteria for valuing cultural heritage. He distinguishes…

• Tom Fontenille warns Bolloré takeover threatens independent cinema opinion-review

  In an interview with Le Monde, filmmaker Tom Fontenille, whose documentary 'Cœur secret' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, warns that if Vincent Bolloré's media conglomerate…

• Hardback books: 'great beauty' or dying format? opinion-review

  The debate over hardback versus paperback books continues, with arguments on cost, aesthetics, and sustainability. Columnist Larry Ryan recently called for ditching hardbacks due…

• Serbia's President Urges EU to Embrace China Partnership opinion-review

  Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, in an opinion piece for the South China Morning Post, argues that the European Union should follow Serbia's example and pursue open partnership…