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Doug Aitken

Explain Me, Part II: Doug Aitken’s New Era, Worst Show of 2018

by Paddy Johnson on June 7, 2018

In Part II of Explain Me, William Powhida and I discuss the difference between relational aesthetics and social practice, the whims of the auction market and the perilous affect it can have on artist careers, and Doug Aitken’s train wreck of a show at 303 Gallery along with a handful of truly remarkable shows. Those shows listed after the jump.

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Slideshow: Zona MACO, The Art Fair Where Commerce and Politics Make Strange Bedfellows

by Michael Anthony Farley on February 9, 2017

Last year, I remarked that Zona MACO excels at being an “average” art fair.

I stand by that opinion this year, with the clarification that it feels a bit like the average of many art fairs: a bit of NADA, a big dollop of Design Miami, a dose of Basel, and flavors of Frieze. That makes sense, as it’s by far Latin America’s largest and most important art fair—many of the curated identities of fairs in hyper-saturated US markets come from necessity of branding when there’s competition.

And like I said last year, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Though this year, due to some floor plan rearrangements and somewhat less cohesive booths, the curated sections Zona MACO Sur and Nuevas Propuestas felt a bit underwhelming. That might also owe to (what seemed like) an increase in advertisers’ kiosks and design, publication, and food vendors, comparatively.

The good news: the quality of work in the General Section improved tremendously. Sure, there were many repeat, predictable artist, but the recent political turns in both Mexico and the United States haven’t gone unnoticed in the art world, thankfully. Scattered among the rows of polite abstraction, there was plenty of outright political work, particularly when compared to the December fairs in Miami.

Below, a sampling of the what’s on view, beginning with some of the more overtly political works.

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This Week’s Must-See Art Events: Nightmares Before Christmas

by Michael Anthony Farley on December 12, 2016

This week there’s not a lot of art stuff happening beyond holiday parties and craft fairs. One could say NYC’s taken an unexpectedly Middle-American turn in that regard, were it not for how morbid so much of the week’s happenings are. Tuesday night, scholars Sam Tanenhaus and Richard Wolin perform a post-election autopsy on the American Republic and speculate about its afterlife (hint: It’s not looking good) at CUNY. For a slightly less depressing evening, head to Ubu Gallery where German artist Heide Hatry is opening a new series of drawings made with the ashes of human remains. If that’s not enough mortuary holiday cheer for you, Con Artist Collective is throwing a fake memorial art show for the comedian Bill Murray (one of the few national treasures that hasn’t died in 2016). Thursday night we’re looking forward to a subversive holiday group show at Kate Werble Gallery, and a six-hour night of discussions about Art After Trump at Housing Works.

Friday night, things get a little less bleak city-wide. P! and Beverly’s are hosting events for a Bard CSS project that sprawls across Chinatown and continues with satellite events all weekend. At Brooklyn’s Orgy Park, a group show invites painters to make something collaborative, and in Queens, MoMA PS1 is throwing a holiday party for artists that looks totally bonkers. Have some spiked hot chocolate. After a week of thinking about Trump and death, you’re going to need it.

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Art Basel Feels Like Last Season’s Trunk Sale

by Paddy Johnson on December 3, 2015

My Art Basel experience will sound familiar to almost everyone following the fair. After a day at Art Basel Miami, most dealers I spoke to still had work available. That’s not to say that sales were slow— just slower than the usual mad rush we’ve become accustomed to over the last few years. According to art consultant Josh Baer, that’s not because the art was bad, but because collectors have become more thoughtful.

Yeah right. Collectors have not suddenly transformed into more curious and discerning people. They’re just not oblivious to the obvious: most of the art on view looked like B-rate work we’d seen a hundred times already. Even people who have nothing to do all day but buy things will eventually get bored of that.

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Tuesday Links: It’s Toilet Day

by Paddy Johnson Whitney Kimball and Corinna Kirsch on November 19, 2013

It’s World Toilet Day! (A day to raise awareness about proper sanitation around the world.) [Thanks, GOOD and the Internet]
Yesterday, Bloomberg cut about 50 employees from its newsrooms, including art and culture writers. Bloomberg editor-in-chief Matt Winkler said that the company has decided “to scale back arts coverage ….” [L.A. Times, International Business Times]
To make matters worse, Bloomberg suspended reporter Michael Forsythe last week after it was rumored that an investigative piece he wrote would get Bloomberg “expelled” from China. [The New York Times]
“Selfie” is the word of the year. It twerked its way up from Instagram and Twitter to get to where it is today. [TIME]
The year will be over in 41 days, so it’s time for more end-of-year awards! Here’s an award you’ve maybe never heard of: the Smithsonian Magazine Ingenuity Award. Artist Doug Aitken gets one this year. [The Washington City Paper]
The 19-year-old South Brooklyn performance venue Brooklyn Lyceum continues a court battle with its former architect. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the venue’s owner Erich Richmond owes $5 million in payment to the architect Jeane Miele; recently, he declared bankruptcy in order to avoid foreclosure, and continues to keep the space up and running. [The Brooklyn Paper]
44 Warhols printed by his off-site printer were deemed not the work of the artist by the Warhol Authentication Board in 1991, only to be sold more than 10 years later by the Warhol Foundation as prices for the work rose. They sent the work back for reappraisal, and 35 of the 44 works received an “A” rating. [The Art Newspaper]
The WhiBi speculation begins. Andrew Goldstein notes that it’ll include a lot of writers, art publications, Art Institute faculty, abstract painting, and older female artists. [Artspace]
According to Brigham Young University researchers, Instagram’s food porn makes you enjoy real food less. [Daily Mail]
“They are not going to find another Rob Ford,” Rob Ford said about the Toronto City Council on the Today Show. No, they’re definitely not. Now there’s some sort of come-to-Jesus moment after City Council stripped Ford of all his power then he knocked over a City Council member. Headline and picture the day goes to the New York Times, who ran with, “His Honor? Toronto’s Mayor Rampages on to City’s Shame.” [Today, Daily Mail, The New York Times]

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Five Jobs: Assist Edition

by Ian Marshall on August 1, 2013

This week we bring you assistant positions, several of which are temporary. Each one offers an opportunity to meet a wide range of coworkers in its respective institution, so even if you aren’t around for long you’ll meet a ton of important, exciting people.

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Thursday Links: Rape, Death, and Commerce Edition

by Paddy Johnson on June 20, 2013

Doug Aitken, "Station to Station"

Want to know what PS1 Curator Klaus Biesenbach thinks of Vilebrequin swimwear? This is your chance. T Magazine pairs the curator with Questlove the drummer for the band Roots, in a segment asking two celebrities for their opinion on a variety of new products. The juxtaposition is hilarious. [T Magazine]
A beautiful inscription on Henry Darger’s gravestone [Outsider Art]
James Gandolfini, the actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano in HBO’s The Soprano’s has died. He was 51. [Variety]
Here’s Gandolfini’s life in pictures. [Vulture]
British artist and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson [previously known as Sam Taylor-Wood] has signed on to direct the movie version of erotic best-seller Fifty Shades of Grey. No word when they aim to release the movie. [CBC]
Greg Allen has seen James Bridle’s “”A Quiet Disposition.”an exhibition and talk at the Corcoran he’s dubbed, “The New Aesthetic and Dronestagram” for its subject matter. The show sounds pretty good—the view of a drone shadow for example, is rightly noted as privileged—and Allen does a good job of fleshing out the some of the exhibition details. His only criticism? Not enough drone sounds. [Greg.org]
Doug Aitken’s latest public project will send a group of artists and musicians from New York to San Francisco on a train, with 10 stops in between for performances. It’s a three-week Amtrak trip, in which the train will serve as a studio. Participants are uberfamous and mostly men. They include Peter Coffin, Urs Fischer and Dan Deacon to name a few. [L.A. Times]
A pinterest account for an imaginary toddler named Quinoa inspired our favorite tweet of the day: “Oh Quinoa, you fashion-forward rascal.” @ashbursey [Pinterest]
Kickstarter needs to improve their project review process. Yesterday, a book project many are complaining boils down to sexual assault tips got funded. The book, “Above The Game: A Guide To Getting Awesome With Women”, includes such suggestions as: “Decide that you’re going to sit in a position where you can rub her leg and back. Physically pick her up and sit her on your lap. Don’t ask for permission. Be dominant. Force her to rebuff your advances.” And: “Make her push your hand away as you get closer to her vagina.” Also: “Pull out your cock and put her hand on it. Remember, she is letting you do this because you have established yourself as a LEADER. Don’t ask for permission, GRAB HER HAND, and put it right on your dick.” There’s now a petition asking Kickstarter not to fund the project. The organization responded, but declined the request of the petitioners. [Slate]

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Wednesday Links: I Want to Use Sound as a Tool to Destroy the Exhibition Space

by Paddy Johnson on April 3, 2013

Doug Aitken, 100 yrs. 303 Gallery

Roger Ebert’s is taking a “leave of presence”. His cancer has returned. This really bums me out, but his post is incredible to read. So few people are as full of life and ideas. May he live forever. [Chicago Sun Times]
Is the future of Chelsea really in question? That’s the premise of The Art Newspaper’s story on Sandy fall out, but there isn’t much evidence that galleries are moving due to high insurance rates. In fact, they interview dealer Zach Feuer who indicates that he’s probably not going anywhere since he’s got another seven to eight years on his lease. [The Art Newspaper]
I’m already skeptical of this work: 303 is temporarily moving to make way for their bigger building, so artist Doug Aitken has made a hole in the ground and a sonic fountain that’s supposed to evoke the demolition. “I wanted to use sound as a tool to destroy the exhibition space.” he told Art in America. Watch his incredibly choreographed video on the galleries website. [303 Gallery]
Hyperallergic pays a visit to the Museum of Everything, now in Paris, and is wowed by the diversity of artmaking showcased. Among other works cited we learn that it’s full of Henry Darger drawings, Dietrich Orth’s paintings of imagined machines, and Alfred and Corinne Marie, build intensely complicated temples of whimsy from typewriter and electronic parts. If you’re going to Venice Biennale, they’ll having a show by Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery. [Hyperallergic]
New York Times critic Ken Johnson responds to the critics of two of his reviews last fall The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World and Now Dig This!, in particular an article by David Levi-Strauss. We responded back in November, when a petition was launched imploring the New York Times to talk with Ken Johnson, and found that his words, were not quite worth the ire they evoked, though they didn’t put him entirely in the clear either. His response to the critics is well argued. [Art in America]

Doug Aitken's 100 YRS at 303 Gallery, Image Courtesy of Kyle Petreycik

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Doug Aitken

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