Opinion & reviews

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• Silly's 'Bataillon d'Amour' hailed as quantum leap for East German rock opinion-review

  The 1986 album 'Bataillon d'Amour' by East German band Silly is celebrated as a milestone for Ostrock. The record features poetic lyrics, symbolism, and hidden messages tailored…

• Lucrecia Martel's New Documentary and Restored Classic opinion-review

  Lucrecia Martel's documentary "Our Land" and a restored version of her film "The Headless Woman" are currently featured. The New Yorker highlights how Martel's elusive cinematic…

• Why Dynamic Range Obsession Misleads Photographers opinion-review

  A critical essay argues that photographers overvalue dynamic range (DR) as a metric for camera quality, despite its diminishing practical relevance. The author traces DR's rise to…

• What Artists Sign Away: The Hidden Power of Contracts in the Art World opinion-review

  An artist recounts two personal experiences that reveal how standard contracts in the art world systematically disadvantage creators. In the first, a gallery presented a…

• Pay-to-Play: Rich People Are Hiring Themselves Orchestras To Conduct opinion-review

  On February 18, the Deutsch-Romantisches Orchester (DRO) performed at Berlin's Funkhaus, a converted radio center. The concert featured a five-course banquet and was led by Marina…

• Globe's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is irresistible fun opinion-review

  The Globe's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is reviewed as inventive and irresistible fun. The review highlights the creative staging and engaging performances that…

• Cinema's Enduring Obsession with Weaponry from Pistols to Drones opinion-review

  A Le Monde analysis traces cinema's long-standing fascination with armed conflict, from classics like *Gone with the Wind* and *Apocalypse Now* to *Star Wars* and *The Wolf's…

• Silicon Valley Consensus: AI Will Create a Permanent Underclass opinion-review

  A New York Times opinion piece reports a widespread consensus among engineers, venture capitalists, founders, managers, doomers, accelerationists, lefties, and libertarians in San…

• Post-Colonial Themes Dominate Global Biennial Circuit opinion-review

  An analysis of 130 biennials over four years reveals a dominant cohort of artists focused on post-colonial historical reckoning, family histories, and bio-art. The most-shown…

• Broadway Spring 2026: Familiar Musicals Reimagined with Queer, Camp, and Political Edge opinion-review

  The Broadway season for spring 2026 is characterized by numerous revivals and adaptations of well-known works, redefined through innovative interpretations. "Cats: The Jellicle…

• Decapitation as Symbol: From Hindu Myth to Ragusa's Identity opinion-review

  An unnamed author explores themes of decapitation in both art and history, specifically in Ragusa, Sicily. The essay opens with the phrase "ha perso la testa," linking it to…

• Should AI Art Carry a Warning Label? opinion-review

  Steven Heller asks whether AI-generated art requires a seal of disapproval. He questions if labels like "AI Assisted" or "Human Assisted" should be mandatory when AI creates most…

• Mizrahi Activist's Open Letter to Israel's Far-Right Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opinion-review

  In an open letter published by Der Freitag, a Mizrahi Jewish activist addresses Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, recalling their first encounter in…

• Vogue Features Editor Fact-Checks 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' opinion-review

  A Vogue features editor fact-checks the sequel to 'The Devil Wears Prada,' finding some details accurate but most fictionalized. The film depicts Andy Sachs returning to Runway as…

• A Disillusioned Tour of Naoshima's Art Island Empire opinion-review

  A first-person account critiques the Benesse Art Site on Naoshima, Teshima, and neighboring Japanese islands, describing a system blending exclusivity, big business, and…

• Alexander Calder's Sculptures Through a Gardener's Lens opinion-review

  The article explores how Alexander Calder's sculptures resonate with gardeners, drawing parallels between his organic forms and natural landscapes. Calder's mobiles and stabiles…

• Covid Lockdown as Bitter Animal Comedy in New Play opinion-review

  Massimo Marino reviews Anita Romanello's play 'Il Covid? Un’amara commedia animale', which uses three household pets—a dog, a cat, and a fish—to allegorize the Covid-19 lockdown…

• Classical music historian Joseph Horowitz warns technology is eroding cultural memory opinion-review

  In a 70-minute podcast with conductor Thomas Fortner, music historian Joseph Horowitz argues that cell phones, social media, and artificial intelligence are shortening attention…

• Peter Zumthor's LACMA Extension: A Critical Review opinion-review

  A scathing review of Peter Zumthor's new building for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) criticizes its execution, materiality, and design. The concrete work is…

• Desplechin's 'Two Pianos' Review: Melodrama as Dominoes opinion-review

  Arnaud Desplechin's film 'Two Pianos' is reviewed in The New Yorker. The story follows a pianist returning home to a mentor and an ex-lover. The review criticizes the film for…

• Wild Foxes: Belgian Boxing Drama Explores Male Psyche opinion-review

  The film 'Wild Foxes' is a Belgian boxing drama that delves into the male psyche. The review highlights its focus on psychological themes within the context of boxing.

• Adam Scott stars in Irish horror 'Hokum' opinion-review

  The film 'Hokum', an Irish-set horror, features Adam Scott in a performance described as elevating the material with chutzpah. The review is published by the Financial Times.

• Yoko Ono's Legacy Reexamined in Curatorial Trend opinion-review

  The New York Times reports on the renewed curatorial focus on Yoko Ono, part of a broader trend of re-evaluating previously overlooked artists. Over the past decade, curators have…

• Olivia Dean's intimate O2 Arena residency proves spectacle isn't everything opinion-review

  Olivia Dean is performing a sold-out residency at London's O2 Arena, with a review noting her lack of reliance on spectacle. The review emphasizes her ability to captivate without…

• Artists Can Reframe Instagram as Gallery Asset, Not Threat opinion-review

  Artists with strong Instagram followings can reassure gallerists by framing their digital presence as a funnel for physical sales. Galleries fear being bypassed, but proactive…

• German healthcare reform faces public opposition as 80% favor universal system opinion-review

  A proposed reform to Germany's statutory health insurance (GKV) has drawn sharp criticism from Ulrike Baureithel in Der Freitag, who argues the overhaul prioritizes the finance…

• Seattle Times Opinion: Information Overload Demands More Art opinion-review

  A Seattle Times opinion piece argues that in an age of information overload, arts organizations are performing a quietly radical act by designing experiences for reflection,…

• Iris Radisch on Literary Criticism, Sexism Debate, and Reich-Ranicki opinion-review

  Iris Radisch, a leading figure in German literary criticism, discusses the sexism debate surrounding Denis Scheck, her time with Marcel Reich-Ranicki on the Literarisches…

• Streaming's Temporal Disruption: Why Taylor Swift Has No Mega-Hits opinion-review

  Music streaming has reshaped pop culture over the past 20 years, pulling songs from their original temporal contexts. Platforms like YouTube and Spotify place the Beatles…

• Caravaggio's Saint Jerome: Devotion as Endurance opinion-review

  Frank Schildiner analyzes Caravaggio's two surviving paintings of Saint Jerome, 'Saint Jerome in Meditation' (c. 1605, Museum of Montserrat, Barcelona) and 'Saint Jerome Writing'…

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 film review: bland new look isn't a patch on the 2006 collection opinion-review

  A review of The Devil Wears Prada 2 finds the sequel's fashion and style lacking compared to the original 2006 film. The new look is described as bland and inferior. The review is…

• Berlin's Dual Role Senator Sparks Controversy; Venice Biennale Faces Posthumous Curatorship and Political Boycotts opinion-review

  Following Sarah Wedl-Wilson's resignation, Berlin's finance senator, Stefan Evers, will assume the culture portfolio, a decision that Tobias Timm critiques in 'Die Zeit' as merely…

• Forgers as Mirrors of the Art Market opinion-review

  Anne-Cécile Sanchez's article in Le Journal des Arts explores the role of forgers in the art market, framing them as revealing mirrors of its mechanisms. The piece, published on…

• Why Notre-Dame's new stained glass sparks outrage while Angers' contemporary porch goes unnoticed opinion-review

  A comparison of two contemporary interventions in French Gothic cathedrals reveals a paradox: the more physically invasive project at Saint-Maurice Cathedral in Angers—a massive…

• American Far Right's Obsession with Ancient Rome opinion-review

  An article by Olivier Tosseri in Le Journal des Arts examines the American far right's fascination with Ancient Rome, published on April 30, 2026. The piece explores how radical…

• Controversy over Charlotte Gneuß's novel 'Gittersee' reignited by Deutschlandfunk investigation opinion-review

  A Deutschlandfunk investigation has reignited the scandal surrounding Charlotte Gneuß's novel 'Gittersee' and Ingo Schulze's 'Mängelliste' (list of deficiencies). The controversy…

• Dario Buratti Defines Systemic Direction as New Artistic Role in AI Art opinion-review

  In an article on Artribune, artist and theorist Dario Buratti argues that generative AI art shifts the artist's role from image-maker to 'systemic director' (regista sistemico).…

• Theologian Wolfgang Palaver on Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Views and MAGA Conflicts opinion-review

  Catholic theologian Wolfgang Palaver, known for his expertise on the evangelical US right and his close ties to Peter Thiel, discusses Thiel's apocalyptic worldview and internal…

• Éxito: salida de emergencia – Reseña de tres obras sobre éxito y fracaso opinion-review

  El artículo de hoyesarte.com analiza tres obras recientes que abordan críticamente las nociones de éxito y fracaso en la sociedad contemporánea. La novela 'La boca llena de trigo'…

• The Point: Keep Uncertainty Certain opinion-review

  An editorial from ArtAsiaPacific argues that contemporary systems, built on the assumption of predictability and control, are failing as uncertainty becomes continuous rather than…