Articles
SENSE OF WONDER Innovation in the Islamic World
Centuries before Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked in Italy, a Persian astronomer, physician, geographer and writer was conducting research into the nature of the cosmos and man’s place in it. Zakariya al-Qazwini (d. 1283) wrote and illustrated The Wonders of Creation and Rarities of Existence (1280), a remarkable 13th-century document cataloging the earth, the heavens and the many forms of life. This fall, The San Diego Museum of Art will take the beautifully illustrated text as a point of departure for an exhibition of works of art, texts, scientific instruments, magic bowls and commissioned works by contemporary artists Hayv Kahraman...
DEATH OF A STAR Directed by Jasmine Johnson New Theater Hollywood
The tedium of a particular self-consciousness ascribed to Generation Z was on full display in The Death of a Star, a performance and self-proclaimed “reality show,” directed by Jasmine Johnson, which had a sold-out four-day run at New Theater Hollywood (NTH) this June. The black-box theater, run by the artists Max Pitegoff and Calla Henkel, which has quickly made a name for itself as one of the city’s most interesting venues for performance, presented Johnson’s show in four parts. After an introduction by a sort of “Greek chorus” figure, five of the show’s six cast members (sans Peggy Noonan, who apparently fell out with the rest of the...
NO REALER THAN OTHER THINGS Focusing on the Positive at This Year's Whitney Biennial
The 2024 Whitney Biennial—“Even Better Than the Real Thing”—features artworks, films and performances by 71 artists and collectives. Within the show’s title is an obvious allusion to AI, but the Whitney suggests that it also raises the possibility of other ideas of “the real,” giving artists considerable latitude to explore the body, identity and precariousness of the natural world. Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli organized the performance program with guest curator Tara Cheek, and the film program with guest curators Korakrit Arunanondchai, asinnajaq, Zackary Drucker and Greg de Cuir Jr. This year’s Biennial is full of grandiose gestures that...
(BITTER) SWEET VIRGINIA Navigating Monuments in the Cradle of the Confederacy
In March, an invitation to view ceramic work by New York–based artist Patrice Renee Washington brought me to Richmond, Virginia, for the very first time. A midsize Southern city often referred to being as far north as one can get until one is in the North, Richmond’s reputation preceded itself. When I informed friends about the impending trip, they were quick to remind me that it was once the capital of the Confederacy and, until a few years ago, had the distinction of containing more Confederate monuments than any other city. An unspoken “tread lightly” was implied. My visit coincided with the annual conference of the National Council on...
LESSONS TO BE UNLEARNED The 60th Venice Biennale is Less Art World and More Real World
This year’s 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, titled “Foreigners Everywhere,” curated by Adriano Pedrosa from Brazil, takes an in-depth look at the work of more than 300 artists and collectives who have experienced exile and colonialism. Pedrosa’s thoughtful selections for the main exhibition and strong representation of immigrant artists in the pavilions resulted in an inspiring gathering of underrepresented artists—less art world and more real world—with Indigenous perspectives and ecological concerns at the forefront. Reality seems to be taking hold in Venice. As we face colonial practices of genocide and displacement, with current...
