Category: visual

“Artists that are working with the nude, who censor their own works on Instagram in order to meet their community standards, can be deleted with no recourse because of a lack of a proper appeals system. The deletion of an artist’s account is like throwing someone’s address book and portfolio into a fire.” – Hyperallergic

The uplifting symbolic content of civic buildings such as the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond or the University of Virginia in Charlottesville came at the expense of human freedom, as slave labor was responsible for both. How could Jefferson countenance the use of slaves in the construction of a democratic architecture? The obvious answer: money. Much could be saved with enslaved labor, and more could be made by owners who rented slaves out. – Metropolis

Inclusion in fairs can be make-or-break for galleries, especially smaller ones. But it feels as though the balance of power is shifting back to exhibitors. This might well be overdue when it comes to the larger fairs, but it puts the organisers of smaller events in a difficult spot in a survival-of-the-fittest world. – The Art Newspaper

“Why was Bologna, the largest city in northern Italy, so receptive to women artists? … ‘A few factors include the city’s unusual political structure and the diversity of artistic patronage, from the lower-middle class up, the liberalizing presence of the university, and an already-existing tradition of accomplished women in other cultural sectors (that is, besides the visual arts).'” – Hyperallergic

“The second painting that Leonardo aficionados will miss is what many believe is an earlier version of the “Mona Lisa,” which shows a much younger—and dare we say—prettier version of Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, who commissioned the work in the early 1500s.” – The Daily Beast

“For years, [Heidi Gustafson] has been engaged in a wide-ranging, multidisciplinary exploration of the mineral … While there has recently been renewed interest in creating paints from natural pigments, Gustafson’s focus is on ocher alone — and it extends beyond the material’s artistic uses to its scientific, symbolic and spiritual properties.” – T — The New York Times Style Magazine

Not to be left behind in such matters by Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Oman, the Kingdom announced that the Saudi Museum of Modern Art — to be “designed according to a modern creative concept influenced by the traditional local architectural style” — will be built near a historic site on the outskirts of Riyadh. No other details, such as an architect, the nature of the collection, or an opening date, were given. – Forbes

It would be easy to say that all money under capitalism is corrupt so what can we possibly do? Well, I do know one thing we could do. We could nationalize the art museums. – The Guardian

“The central question that the museum presents is the degree to which a national memorial to the history and culture of a marginalized people, set in that nation’s capital and funded and supported by that nation’s federal government, can hold the nation accountable to not just its past but its present situation.” – The New Yorker