T. Rutt, “Flag desecration artwork” (2016)
- Apparently there’s a Greek word to describe our current state of affairs: kakistocracy. “n. 1829, ’government by the worst element of a society,’ coined on analogy of its opposite, aristocracy, from Greek kakistos ‘worst,’ superlative of kakos ‘bad’ (which perhaps is related to the general IE word for ‘defecate’;” [Dictionary.com]
- Max Robinson’s review of Arrival pretty much sums up everything I was thinking when I (Michael) saw the film Tuesday night. Except I was also thinking “This is The Notebook meets Contact.” [City Paper]
- Looters have been pillaging Italy’s earthquake damaged towns for artwork. This is so sad. [The Daily Beast]
- Miami’s Red Dot Art Fair won’t be showing art collective T.Rutt’s “T.RUMP” bus, a repurposed Trump campaign bus that has been used for anti-Trump protest art during the election. Eric Smith, president and CEO of Redwood Media Group, which owns Red Dot, has decided to revoke T.Rutt’s space in light of the election results and potentially inflammatory nature of their work. To which we say, fuck you. Also, has anyone ever cared about Red Dot? (We stopped reviewing the fair in 2008 because they made the art viewing experience so depressing it wasn’t worth it.) We’re pleased to say Satellite, where we’ll be exhibiting, offered T.Rutt a booth, but didn’t have a place to park the bus. [Hyperallergic]
- Finally some good news for the gays: Kensington Palace is opening an exhibition about the wardrobe of Princess Diana. [artnet News]
- Rob Pruitt had been planning an exhibition at Gavin Brown Enterprises of his celebrity look-a-like paintings. Now, he’s made an eleventh-hour decision to show a selection of his portraits of Obama instead, citing the election as impetus. [ARTnews]
- Lincoln Center has named Debora L. Spar its new president. Spar replaces Jed Bernstein who was forced to leave after failing to disclose an affair with a woman he’d promoted. Spar will be the first woman to lead the center, which is the nation’s largest performing arts non profit. [The New York Times]
- Finding substantive auction coverage isn’t easy. With the exception of ARTnews, I haven’t read a single report that’s noted that Gerhardt Richter’s Düsenjet, Phillip’s top selling lot in yesterday’s contemporary evening sale, was guaranteed. These reports shouldn’t just offer up a bunch of numbers but account for the conditions informing the sales. [ARTnews]
- Inside the most terrifying place in the world: the factory in Japan that churns out rubber Donald Trump masks. Apparently they’re having trouble keeping up with demand. This video is so creepy. [The Guardian]
- Temporary Art Review is releasing a special anthology binder, To Make Public, sampling five years of critical, artist-centric writing. [Temporary Art Review]
