ArtReview's September 2021 issue explores communication, language, and artists' narratives

ArtReview released its September 2021 issue, focusing on communication and language across various artistic practices. South African artist Dineo Seshee Bopape discusses navigating edited narratives and their infiltration into her work. Yinka Elujoba examines Glenn Ligon's text-based paintings, which dissect visual and literal word meanings through processes like 'meta-disfiguration,' influenced by Ligon's letter-writing habits. Martin Herbert traces continuity in British artist Sue Tompkins's work, from her role in Life Without Buildings to spoken performances and painting, noting her understanding of words' 'situational gravity.' Chinese painter Liu Ye, the issue's cover artist, is analyzed by Fei Lai for evading 'Chinesification' in favor of a universal language, shaped by his literary upbringing post-Cultural Revolution. Italian artist Gian Maria Tosatti's Istanbul installation, set in a gentrifying area displacing migrants, is explored by Ana Vukadin. The issue includes reviews of Simon Fujiwara, Ja’Tovia Gary, Spencer Finch, Bruce Nauman, Maurizio Cattelan, and Jade Montserrat, along with opinion pieces and book reviews.