Opinioni e recensioni

Storie piu recenti

• 1990s Photography: Figures of Disenchantment opinion-review

  A 1998 analysis in artpress examines the paradoxes of 1990s photography: unprecedented institutional recognition coexists with a narrow focus on consensual works. The decade's…

• Austrian State Retreats from Theatre Patronage opinion-review

  Austrian theatre policy favors court-style and festival-oriented institutions, leaving non-institutional 'third theatre' unsupported both during post-war cultural restoration and…

• 20th-Century Opera Repertoire Emerges from Oblivion opinion-review

  By the mid-1980s, the prevailing assumption that opera—a bourgeois relic—had died with Berg, crushed by its past, was widespread. The sacred repertoire and the weight of lyrical…

• Sylvie Fanchon's Abstract Painting as Mental Models opinion-review

  Sylvie Fanchon's resolutely abstract painting takes models in the mathematical sense. The forms she brings to the canvas resemble recurring patterns and schemas. Refusing to name…

• Photography's Return to Trash and Interactivity opinion-review

  A review in artpress examines contemporary photography's persistent themes of interactivity and trash. Marylène Negro's film "Ni vu. Ni connu. Venez donner une image de vous"…

• Benoît Jacquot's 'Le Septième Ciel': A Marital Farce with Technical Disconnect opinion-review

  Benoît Jacquot's film 'Le Septième Ciel' (The Seventh Heaven) follows the sentimental and carnal adventures of a couple with an only son. The plot includes a marital crisis,…

• Christophe Loizillon's 'Le Silence de Rak' Explores Non-Depressive Unemployment opinion-review

  Christophe Loizillon's film 'Le Silence de Rak' portrays a character discovering the non-depressive side of unemployment, contrasting with Hervé Leroux's documentary 'Reprise',…

• Andreas Gursky's Distant Voids opinion-review

  Andreas Gursky's photographic tableaux persistently designate a zone of emptiness while developing a continuous reflection on the notion of distance. The artist is in some…

• Critique of Lucy Orta's 'Carrion-Art' and Other Skeletons in the Closet opinion-review

  A critical essay published in Artpress in June 1997 attacks Lucy Orta's practice, specifically her project of collecting rotten fruit from markets, making jam, and distributing it…

• Dardenne Brothers' 'La Promesse' Examines Orphaned Filial Bonds opinion-review

  In their film 'La Promesse', the Dardenne brothers explore orphaned filial bonds through the story of a teenager's oath to a dying man. The movie powerfully illustrates the hidden…

• Philippe Forest's 'L'Enfant éternel' Reviewed by Jacques Henric opinion-review

  Jacques Henric reviews Philippe Forest's novel 'L'Enfant éternel', which recounts the illness and death of the author's four-year-old daughter. Published as fiction, the book…

• Jacques Vaché and the Refusal to Write opinion-review

  The article explores why many writers have been content to live their artistic status through everyday aesthetics or pure conceptual ether without ever truly engaging in writing.…

• French Culture Budget Prioritizes Heritage Over Contemporary Art opinion-review

  The 1997 budget proposal for the French Ministry of Culture reveals a problematic preference for heritage over contemporary creation, a bias already evident in Philippe…

• Artpress 1996: Artists Must Act Politically in New York Election opinion-review

  A 1996 article in Artpress argues that during the New York electoral campaign, cultural figures—artists, musicians, writers, actors, teachers, scientists, thinkers—have nothing to…

• Artpress Essay Rejects Traditional Painting as Conformist opinion-review

  A 1996 essay in artpress magazine, titled 'Dans l'histoire : La peinture vue d'en bas,' expresses a strong rejection of traditional painting ('la peinture-peinture'), calling it…

• Artpress Essay: The Permanent Hunt for Intellectuals opinion-review

  In a December 1996 essay for Artpress, the author reflects on the concept of hunting, noting that while different game seasons open at different times, one hunt remains…

• Baudrillard on Art as Symptom of Western Culture opinion-review

  In a 1996 interview with artpress, Jean Baudrillard discusses his critical view of contemporary art, arguing that art has become a simulation that merely reflects the dysfunctions…

• Contemporary Dance as Border-Crossing Displacement opinion-review

  A critical reflection on contemporary dance in France, published in artpress in September 1996, argues that dancers have become burdensome after fifty years of pushing boundaries.…

• The Mychkine Century: A History of Idiotic Art opinion-review

  The article argues that modernity coincides with the invention of a specific laughter, which remains the most accomplished form of truly happy and subversive art, resisting both…

• Visions de la Shoah: transgression ou grotesque opinion-review

  The article examines how the Nazi extermination of Jews was initially sidelined after WWII by national ideologies like the Resistance in France and Zionism in Israel, before…

• France's Odd Habit of Celebrating Defeats, Including in Art opinion-review

  A critical opinion piece in artpress observes France's peculiar tendency to commemorate its defeats, exemplified by a bas-relief in Paris's 8th arrondissement that honors a…

• Georges Banu analyzes the 1994-1995 theater season in artpress opinion-review

  In the July 1995 issue of artpress, critic Georges Banu reflects on the recently concluded theater season. Rather than offering a quantitative overview, he situates selected…

• Austrian Museum Boom Faces Uncertain Future opinion-review

  A 1995 article in artpress questions whether Austria's ambitious museum expansion, which saw a boom in contemporary art venues in Vienna and across the country, is now ending.…

• Arnaud Claass critiques the academization of photography opinion-review

  Photographer Arnaud Claass, who rarely writes, breaks his silence to denounce the academization of photography under dual pressure from institutions imposing exhibition models and…

• Marek Halter's 'Tzedek' and Bernard-Henri Lévy's 'Pureté dangereuse' Reviewed opinion-review

  The article reviews two works: Marek Halter's documentary film 'Tzedek,' which profiles thirty-six anonymous Righteous Among the Nations—men and women from Denmark, Italy, Poland,…

• The Changing Role of Art Critics Since the 1980s opinion-review

  Since the early 1980s, the role of the art critic has evolved significantly. Critics have expanded their methods of action, updated their modes of demonstration, and redefined the…

• Jacques Toubon Prioritizes Continuity Over Innovation in French Cultural Policy opinion-review

  In an interview with Catherine Millet for artpress, French Minister of Culture Jacques Toubon outlines his approach to cultural policy, emphasizing consolidation of existing…

• Daniel Mesguich on Interpretation and Theatrical Freedom opinion-review

  Daniel Mesguich, director of Théâtre La Métaphore, discusses artistic freedom, literary vocation, and the role of theater in addressing contemporary complexity. The venue,…

• Jean-Pierre Salgas critiques primitive art discourse in artpress opinion-review

  In a 1994 artpress article, Jean-Pierre Salgas critically examines the persistent avoidance of primitive art in museums, referencing the Magiciens de la Terre exhibition and the…

• Art & Language: Conceptual Art's Turn to Painting opinion-review

  The evolution of Art & Language's work exemplifies the contemporary art situation, where many non-painters are obsessed with painting, and painting can only continue if it is…

• Bertrand Blier's Film Echoes Sacha Guitry's Televisual Cinema opinion-review

  Bertrand Blier's 1993 film "Un, deux, trois, soleil!" draws parallels with the cinematic approach of Sacha Guitry. Despite Guitry's disdain for cinema, he participated in the…

• Aesthetics in Art History: A French Critique opinion-review

  A 1993 article in artpress critiques the state of art history education in France, arguing it remains dominated by positivism and attributionism that stifle speculative thought.…

• Guy Scarpetta Responds to art press Debate on Literary Criticism opinion-review

  Guy Scarpetta replies to Jacques Henric's response in art press issue 176, defending his critique of the magazine's 20th-anniversary special issue. Scarpetta argues that literary…

• Guggenheim Director Thomas Kren Faces Criticism Over Commercial Practices opinion-review

  Thomas Kren, director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York since 1990, has taken bold initiatives that contrast with the sluggish machinery of most major international museums.…

• Corporate Art Collections in the US: A New Era opinion-review

  The article examines the rise of corporate art collections in the United States, highlighting their dual role as educational and economic tools. Critic Eleanor Heartney notes the…

• Scenography's Spatial Turn: From Italian Theater to New Technologies opinion-review

  The arrival of electric light and new technologies in light and sound has transformed classical scenography. The traditional Italian-style theater has gradually given way to a…

• Jean-Paul Fargier coins 'tivitalité' for video art critique opinion-review

  In his insightful essay, Jean-Paul Fargier presents the idea of 'tivitalité' to explore the transition of artists towards video mediums. He highlights the significant presence of…

• Laurence Louppe critiques academicism in 1990s dance opinion-review

  In a 1992 article for artpress, Laurence Louppe argues that early 1990s contemporary dance is becoming academicized. She claims that mandatory conformity to current taste leads to…

• Matthew Barney's Androgynous Body in 1990s America opinion-review

  In a 1992 artpress article, Brooks Adams examines Matthew Barney's use of his own body in sculptures and video performances, contrasting it with Jeff Koons's domestic conjugality.…

• Foreign Actors Enrich French Theatre, Argues Georges Banu opinion-review

  Following a petition signed by numerous artists protesting the over-programming of foreign productions on French stages, critic Georges Banu reflects on the role of foreign actors…