Cartoonist Barbara Shermund was a young art school graduate when she made her first contribution to the New Yorker: a bold illustration of a woman riding the night bus on […]
Category: Arts Entertainments
Brent Sikkema’s Husband Charged With Hiring His Killer
Federal investigators have filed charges against the husband of New York gallerist Brent Sikkema for allegedly hiring his killer, the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan announced today, February 11. […]
Chinese Dissident Artist Ai Weiwei Denied Entry to Switzerland
Chinese dissident artist and activist Ai Weiwei was denied entry into Switzerland after landing at Zurich Airport on Monday, February 10, reportedly because of his expired Schengen visa issued by […]
How Craft Helps Chamorros Reconnect to the Ocean
This article is part of a series focusing on underrepresented craft histories, researched and written by the 2024 Craft Archive Fellows, and organized in collaboration with the Center for Craft. From seashell and tortoiseshell […]
Hidden Woman Portrait Found Beneath Picasso Masterpiece
An iconic portrait from Pablo Picasso’s blue period gained a new layer of complexity after the Courtauld Institute of Art in London discovered an earlier image of a woman beneath […]
Before Black, There Was Blue
Human beings have a tendency toward collection. I have a theory that this desire to hang onto things is more true in times of crisis, but lately, I’ve begun to […]
KAPOW Presents Naoto Nakagawa
In vibrant color, Naoto Nakagawa blends the real and the fantastical, inspired by the Surrealist movement and elements of Pop Art. Recent works epitomize his engagement with what he has […]
Prettiness Is Political for Marie Laurencin
“Why should I paint dead fish, onions and beer glasses? … Girls are so much prettier,” Marie Laurencin once told a Time magazine reporter. This often-repeated quote suggests that the […]
We Are Also the Darkness After the Big Explosion
What does a “black consciousness of space” look like? Does it form a positive or a negative, or elide the two? And how about the tension or contrast between a […]
Fareed Armaly Rejects German Prize, Citing “Disturbing Trend of Censorship”
American artist, curator, and author Fareed Armaly has declined the 2025 Käthe Kollwitz Prize from the Academy of the Arts (ADK) in Berlin, citing the “reactionary shift in official cultural […]
The Wobbly Humanity of Cy Twombly
Upon encountering Cy Twombly’s monumental nine-part polyptych “Untitled” (1971), I thought about the dark, domineering monolith that appears early on in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The […]
Covering Up the Present in a Ghost Forest
At the core of identity in the United States is forgetting. The process of assimilation tells immigrants that the path of least resistance is to smooth their differences into imperial […]
Muskegon Museum of Art Doubles in Size, Opens Exhibition of Women Artists
The opening of the Bennett Schmidt Pavilion at the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) has almost doubled the size of the century-old Midwestern art institution. The new expansion is named […]
Carmen Herrera Becomes First Latine Artist to Enter White House Collection
A painting by Cuban-born artist Carmen Herrera acquired under Former First Lady Jill Biden has become the first work by a Hispanic or Latine artist represented in the White House’s […]
NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery Presents Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial
Featuring 21 artists and collectives from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain,and Saudi Arabia, Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial focuses on practices that are directly or tangentially based in […]
The Biting Satire of Eleanor Antin’s Photography
LOS ANGELES — A king, a nurse, and two ballerinas walk into a bar. Or, more accurately, they walk into Eleanor Antin’s 1970s Persona series of photographs and drawings, currently […]
Wafaa Bilal’s First Museum Survey Opens at MCA Chicago
Witness the innovative, exploratory, and provocative work of internationally renowned artist Wafaa Bilal in his first major museum survey, Indulge Me, now open at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The […]
11 Shows to See in Los Angeles, February 2025
Last month, the Los Angeles art world was deeply affected by the wildfires that destroyed homes and businesses in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The art community pulled together and […]
Chief Curator of the Anchorage Museum Awarded Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History
Francesca Du Brock, chief curator of the Anchorage Museum, has been named the winner of the 2025 Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History for her holistic and comprehensive approach to […]
Reviving Tsimshian Weaving With Threads of Community
This article is part of a series focusing on underrepresented craft histories, researched and written by the 2024 Craft Archive Fellows, and organized in collaboration with the Center for Craft. It’s a warm day […]
Excavating Craft Histories Through Archives
Craft Archive Fellowship Virtual Program: Archives in ActionThursday, February 27, from 5 to 6:30pm (EST) Join the Center for Craft and Hyperallergic for a free online presentation and roundtable discussion […]
Museums Scramble to Grasp Impact of Trump’s DEI Mandate
President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) mandating all federal agencies to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs is rippling throughout the arts and cultural sector as institutions either roll […]
Montgomery Mayor Calls for Removal of “Politicized” Billboard Artwork
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has requested the removal of a billboard artwork featuring a historic photograph from Selma’s infamous “Bloody Sunday” overlaid with the Trump campaign slogan “Make America Great […]
Artists and Galleries Decry Sale of Iconic Chelsea Building
Contemporary art gallery owner and philanthropist Gloria Naftali spent much of her life turning a Chelsea warehouse at 508-534 West 26th Street into an affordable home for artists, photographers, and […]
The Story of Enslaved and Free Texas Potters, Told Shard-by-Shard
This article is part of a series focusing on underrepresented craft histories, researched and written by the 2024 Craft Archive Fellows, and organized in collaboration with the Center for Craft. I chase ghosts! That […]
10 Shows to See in Upstate New York This February
Valentine’s Day is an annual reminder that affection for others and personal passion are vital aspects of living creatively amid challenging times. The vamp of art leads the way into […]
The History of Blackness Is Entwined With Blue
Cover of Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry (Ecco, 2025), featuring Titus Kaphar’s “Seeing Through Time” (2018), oil on panel (image […]
Artist Graham Nickson, Who Led New York Studio School, Dies at 79
Artist Graham Nickson, who led the New York Studio School (NYSS) in Manhattan for more than half of its history as a passionate advocate for drawing and multi-faceted arts education, […]
Spring Break Art Show Cancels Upcoming LA Edition
LOS ANGELES — The Spring Break Art Show has cancelled its upcoming LA fair, which was scheduled to take place from February 18 through 23, concurrently with Frieze LA, Felix, […]
Smithsonian Institution to Shutter Diversity Offices
The Smithsonian Institution reportedly told staff members today, January 28, that it is closing its office for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to comply with an executive order (EO) issued […]
The Artist Printing Emblems of Immigrant Resistance
Nicolás González-Medina, woodcut block for “Somos La Resistencia (We Are the Resistance)” (2025) print (all images courtesy Nicolás González-Medina) Oakland-based artist and activist Nicolás González-Medina was among the nearly 1,000 […]
15 Months of Protest Art for Gaza
Over the last 15 months, artists have mobilized against Israel’s attacks on civilians in Gaza, which organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have determined to be consistent with […]
Julia Warhola Was an Artist in Her Own Right
Duane Michals, “Untitled (Andy Warhol and Mother)” (1958), gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm) (photo by Duane Michals, courtesy DC Moore Gallery, New York) A […]
Crafting Resistance Through Masquerade
Egúngún Àgbà (elder) masquerade performer from West Africa with horns that hint at a familial lineage of hunters or warriors. (photo by and courtesy Margaret Drewal) This article is part […]
Nude Drawings of Hindu Gods Seized From Indian Gallery
Two drawings by the renowned late Indian artist Maqbool Fida (M.F.) Husain at the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) in New Delhi’s Connaught Place were seized on court orders on January […]
A New Movement to Free Social Media From Oligarchs
Between Mark Zuckerberg’s dissolution of Meta’s fact-checking program and Elon Musk loosening hate speech and disinformation moderation on X — and making an apparent Nazi salute after President Trump’s inauguration […]
Required Reading
Do you ever feel like a plastic trash bag in the shape of Elon Musk? No? Good. This fitting effigy by yet-unknown makers appeared in Milan’s Piazzale Loreto on Tuesday, […]
National Gallery of Art Ends Diversity Programs
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, is ending its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs as a result of an executive order (EO) issued by President Donald […]
Tamara Lanier’s Fight With Harvard to #FreeRenty
Book Talk: Tamara Lanier’s Fight With Harvard to #FreeRentyWednesday, February 12, at 8pm (EST) / 5pm (PST) At this online event co-presented by Hyperallergic and ICA LA, activist Tamara Lanier […]
Fire Breaks Out in Tribeca Building Housing Two Art Galleries
Two art galleries in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood were affected when a fire broke out in a building on Wednesday night, January 22. Just before midnight, the New York City Fire […]
13 Artists Perform Selfhood in the Age of Alienation
The opening salvo of Sin Fatigue, Nadine Sarriedine gallery’s inaugural show, is a fortune cookie message rendered in textile by Erin M. Riley: “You never hesitate to tackle the most […]
Jo Baer, Painter of “Radical Figuration,” Dies at 95
Jo Baer in 2020 (© Yaël Temminck) The painter Jo Baer, whose artistic path journeyed from hard-edged minimalism to self-described “radical figuration,” died yesterday, January 21, in Amsterdam at the […]
Creative Capital Awards $2.45M to 55 Artists
The Creative Capital Foundation has announced the recipients of its annual grant awards, amounting to $2.45 million allotted across 55 artists and collectives for 49 individual projects. Each grant provides […]
Artists Wanted to Make a Pro-Palestine Statement. The Brooklyn Museum Said No.
Visitors to the Brooklyn Museum this Saturday, January 18, may have met some of the artists included in one of the institution’s current exhibitions, but not under normal circumstances. At […]
The Haunted Women of Else Hagen
OSLO — Look closely at the paintings of Else Hagen and beneath the rainbow of festive color lurk clouds of feminist angst. A mother ignores her playing children as warplanes […]
Linda Mussmann’s Art Is a Labor of Love
HUDSON, New York — To talk about New Work By Linda Mussmann and Spaces in Places at Time & Space Limited (TSL) is to tell the story of TSL, and […]
The Sanest Response to Insane Times
Subscribe to our newsletter Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in.Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. […]
When Elizabeth Catlett Sculpted Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday commemorating the Civil Rights leader and peace activist, has taken place on the third Monday of January since 1983. This year, it […]
Why Is the National Gallery of Art Hosting a Trump-Vance Fundraiser?
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, is slated to host a fundraising dinner organized by the Trump Vance Inauguration Committee ahead of the president-elect’s official swearing-in on […]
LA Fairs Move Forward, Calling on Art World’s Support
LOS ANGELES — As the wildfires that devastated large swaths of Los Angeles last week are gradually being contained, thousands of Angelenos are beginning to survey the damage and looking […]
NYC Art Events to Support LA Fire Survivors
Fundraising efforts have sprouted across the United States to support Angelenos displaced amid the unprecedented destruction from the devastating fires over the last 10 days. This weekend, two art-oriented events […]
7 NYC Shows and a Trove of Online Art to See Right Now
Whether you’re trying to beat the winter blahs or enjoy the rare moments of midwinter sunshine, there’s plenty of compelling art to see in New York City’s museums and galleries. […]
David Lynch, Conjurer of the Uncanny, Dies at 78
David Lynch, the multi-hyphenate film director and artist known for classics both cult and traditional, from Blue Velvet (1986) to Mulholland Drive (2001), has died at the age of 78. […]
Required Reading
Editor’s Note: The following post contains mentions of sexual assault. To reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline, call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org. ‣ Netflix recently adapted a beloved novel by the late […]
The Crossword Grid’s Geometry of Memory
Cameron Granger, “1st Movement— Cartography Catastrophe” (2022), silkscreen on paper with pen, 22 x 30 inches (~55.9 x 76.2 cm) (photo by Jake Heller; all photos courtesy the artist) It’s […]
The Unfathomable Loss of Artistic Heritage in Altadena
LOS ANGELES — Among all the destruction brought on by the unprecedented wildfires still burning across parts of LA County, the overwhelming devastation in Altadena is almost unfathomable. Located 14 […]
Pepe Imagines a Hippo’s Perspective on Life
Pepe is hard to put into words. The enigmatic film exemplifies brilliant filmmaking yet fumbles in its esotericism. In the broadest terms, Pepe is a film about a real-life Colombian […]
NEA Awards $36.8M in Grants to 1,400+ Artists and Orgs
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced $36.8 million in grants to 1,474 individual artists, organizations, and museums across the United States today, January 14, in the first round […]
How Los Angeles Created the Vocabulary of Its Destruction
When the Hollywood sign was first unveiled in 1923, it read “Hollywoodland.” Surrounded by coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and invasive and highly flammable eucalyptus trees, that kitschy, iconic, and slightly absurd marker […]
Uncovered Medieval Tattoos Flesh Out a Misunderstood Practice
Unrecorded artist’s female figurine with hair in the “Hathor Style” and markings that appear to be tattoos from Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (c. 1850–1750 BCE), faience and paint, 5 inches (12.7 […]
How Friars Changed the Art of the Renaissance
Simone Martini, “Christ on the Cross,” detail (1340); Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University (photo Daniel Larkin/Hyperallergic) Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350, an examination of Siena’s breathtaking mix of blood […]
10 Old Art Books to Read in 2025
Even though my poor shelf is sagging under the weight of overdue library books and unread novels, I cannot resist a “most-anticipated” list when I see one. But this month, […]
University of Notre Dame Offers Fully-Funded MFA With Generous Stipend
Deepen your practice as an artist within a diverse and nurturing community of outstanding faculty and fellow graduate students. Throughout the MFA program you’ll explore new techniques, refine your artistic […]
Find Awe and Inspiration in Thousands of Public Domain Artworks
Determining what materials are considered public domain can be a tricky process. From commonly held misconceptions and complicated copyright laws (such as those held in the United States) to restrictive […]
A Running List of Resources to Help Artists Impacted by LA Fires
As multiple fires continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles County, cultural organizations and individual artists have kickstarted initiatives to offer support and resources for those in Altadena, Pasadena, Malibu, […]
Sally Mann Photos Reportedly Seized From Texas Art Museum
Several works by photographer Sally Mann displayed at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth were reportedly removed following Texas Republican officials’ calls for an investigation into her artworks. In […]
Hawaiʻi Museum Lays Off Its Entire Staff
After laying off its 10-person team and cutting its hours ahead of the new year, the Pacific Tsunami Museum (PTM) in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, is doing everything it can to stay […]
Raquel Rabinovich, Artist of Submerged Worlds, Dies at 95
Raquel Rabinovich in her studio in Rheinbeck, New York in 2024 (all images courtesy the Raquel Rabinovich Art Trust) Raquel Rabinovich, who created subtle monochromatic paintings, works on paper, and […]
The Eternal Dance of Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting
In line for tickets at The Met’s Great Hall, I spotted the massive calligraphy of Taiwanese artist Tong Yang-Tze, a 2024 museum commission whose broad brush strokes leap across the […]
Historic Buildings Destroyed as Palisades Blaze Rages
The historic Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, the Theatre Palisades, Pierson Playhouse, and the Palisades Branch Library reported that their buildings have been entirely destroyed by the ongoing fires ravaging […]
Canadian Pop Artist and AIDS Activist Joe Average Dies at 67
Self-taught Canadian Pop artist and activist Joe Average, who dedicated his life to uplifting those living with HIV/AIDS and advocating for the LGTBQ+ community through inspiring kaleidoscopic artwork, died in […]
Pacific Palisades Fire Spreads to Getty Villa Grounds
The rapidly spreading Pacific Palisades fire in Southern California reached the Getty Villa grounds in the afternoon of Tuesday, January 7, according to initial reports from the museum and the […]
Martha Diamond Found Joy in Paint
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Martha Diamond: Deep Time at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the first posthumous exhibition of work by the artist, who passed away in 2023, is a small […]
The Visions of Parmigianino
Parmigianino, “The Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Jerome” (1526–27), oil on poplar, 135 x ∼58 1/2 inches (342.9 x 148.6 cm) (© The National Gallery, London. […]
A Prospect Heights Ghost Story
Color by Katherine Domínguez. View previous installments of the NYC Housing Stories series here.
The Cosmic Energy of Peter Young’s Paintings
Around 1963, Peter Young began to think of himself as a painter. A Los Angeles native who spent two years at Pomona College, in Claremont, California, he moved to New […]
Apply for SVA’s Low-Residency, Interdisciplinary MFA Art Practice in NYC
The MFA Art Practice (AP) program at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) approaches artmaking holistically: artists in the program are not defined or separated by medium or discipline. We view […]
8 New York City Art Shows to Kick Off 2025
It’s 2025 and time to start a new year of exploring art — and there’s already plenty to see. While shimmering gold and sequins from artists like Machine Dazzle and […]
A View From the Easel
Welcome to the 266th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists crave community and consider the nomadic nature […]
Why Isn’t Slavery Depicted in Dutch Painting?
The Dutch East India Company, or the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), was founded in 1602. As one of the first joint-stock corporations in the world, the VOC enabled Dutch citizens […]
Four Artists Dismantle the Boundaries of “Immigrant”
A group show of Raul de Lara, Shanique Emelife, Sihan Guo, and Tahnee Lonsdale premises art as a counterweight to ideological constraint. These four artists, whose works draw on their […]
Frida Kahlo and Henri Matisse Enter the Public Domain
Happy Public Domain Day! Starting today, January 1, you can legally access, adapt, remix, and republish (depending on your jurisdiction) the work of Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, and Robert Capa, […]
Remembering the Artists We Lost in 2024
Faith Ringgold, Frank Stella, Richard Serra, Audrey Flack, Yong Soon Min, and Lorraine O’Grady were some of the artists we lost in 2024. Among them were also Palestinian artists who […]
10 Notable US Museum Acquisitions in 2024
Tucked in jargony press releases thanking private donors, the substance of major museum acquisition announcements can be difficult to grasp. Larger museums acquired hundreds of works in 2024, including the […]
Art World Dos and Don’ts for 2025
As committed chroniclers of the proverbial “art world” — an imperfect term denoting the ecosystem of artists, institutions, and other entities that make the visual art planet go ’round — […]
Mary Ann Peters’s Obscured Memorials to Buried Histories
SEATTLE — In the edge becomes the center at the Frye Art Museum, Mary Ann Peters invokes the suppressed histories of mass killings and forgotten diasporas. The first solo museum […]
Making Food Into an Art in Muslim-Majority Cultures
DETROIT — Food has always played a vital role in fostering and maintaining community. It’s a key component of cultural heritage: How food is prepared, served, and shared is oftentimes […]
Holly Wright Challenges Our Sense of Vanity
Holly Wright, “Final Portrait: Vivian and Bob Folkenflik” (1983) (all images courtesy the Fralin Museum of Art unless otherwise noted) CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — “Vanity” is one of those words freighted […]
Ai Weiwei Knocks Down the Building Blocks of Empire
All great empires rise gradually: brick by brick, wall by wall, fort by fort, war by war, plunder by plunder. And when they fall, they don’t just disappear in a […]
Hyperallergic’s 10 Hottest Social Media Videos of 2024
Since our founding in 2009, Hyperallergic has always been at the forefront of social media, from finding our first home on Tumblr to becoming one of the first 10,000 adopters […]
The 20 Most Powerless People in the Art World: 2024 Edition
Some of the year’s Most Powerless, including climate activist Jackson “Kroegeor” Green, Jonathan Yeo’s King Charles portrait, a recent art history graduate, Camille Claudel, William the Hippo, and more (edit […]
A View From the Easel
Welcome to the 265th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists paint a mural in their tattoo studio […]
Required Reading
This week, I’m taking back the reins of Required Reading as Lakshmi is currently on vacation. This edition is video-rich as we shuffle from one holiday to the next, with […]
Palestinian Film Centering Stories From Gaza Shortlisted for Oscars
A Palestinian film centering stories from Gaza has been shortlisted in the International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards. From Ground Zero (2024), an anthological documentary comprising 22 […]
Rita Blitt on the Lifelong Art of Creating
“Creating is a process; it should be done for joy,” artist Rita Blitt told Hyperallergic in a recent video interview from her part-time studio space in Berkeley, California. With a […]
Revisiting Botticelli’s Evocative “Mystic Nativity”
When you hear the name Sandro Botticelli, you might be more likely to think of the Birth of Venus than the Birth of Jesus. But since it’s Christmas, now is […]
Hyperallergic’s Art Tarotscope for the Winter Equinox
Hyperallergic’s tarotscope series is a combination of tarot with astrology, a reading for the collective readership combined with cards for the major astrological signs, grouped by their elemental associations, developed […]
Hyperallergic’s 20 Most Read Stories of 2024
As this year comes to a close and we gear up for the next, let’s take a moment to look back at Hyperallergic’s greatest hits from 2024. From our coverage […]
Six New York City Shows to See Over the Holidays
The holidays are busy, but everyone needs a break, and what better way to replenish your mind and soul than to see some art? Below are a few shows to […]
Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” Added to National Register of Historic Places
Late American sculptor Robert Smithson’s best known creation, “Spiral Jetty” (1970), has been added to the United States National Register of Historic Places. Situated at Rozel Point along the northeast […]
The Return Is a Shabby CliffsNotes Version of the Odyssey
Modern audiences might have hazy notions of that tricky Ancient Greek hero of homecoming, Odysseus. They may know about his return to Penelope, his patiently loyal wife, or his somewhat […]
University at Albany, SUNY Offers Tuition Waivers and Funding for MFA Students
The Department of Art and Art History at the University at Albany, SUNY is accepting applications for MFA and MA programs in Studio Art. All students in the highly competitive two-year MFA […]
Sketching the Ubiquitous Face of Luigi Mangione
Photographs of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, have been percolating in cyberspace for weeks, the subject of newsroom ethics debates and exponentially deranged […]
The Canonization of St. Luigi
Yesterday, the New York Police Department released photos of Luigi Mangione’s extradition to New York City. The accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears in prison-jumpsuit orange, a speck […]
Top 50 Exhibitions Around the World in 2024
Art can thrive in the most unfathomable times; 2024 was a year filled with global conflict but it was also a year of exceptional exhibitions. From Botticelli’s rarely seen drawings […]
Artists Find Energy Justice in Grassroots Acts
In the 1970s, the humanist geographer Yi Fu Tuan speculated that “in some ideal future, our loyalty will be given only to the home region of intimate memories and, at […]
Zilia Sánchez, Artist of Sensual Abstractions, Dies at 98
Cuban artist Zilia Sánchez, whose dimensional paintings bridge geometric abstraction and eroticism, died at 98 on Wednesday, December 18. The news of her death was confirmed by Galerie Lelong in […]
Researchers Identify Psychedelic Cocktail in Ancient Egyptian Mug
A group of researchers from Florida and Italy recently discovered trace amounts of a hallucinogenic concoction in an Ancient Egyptian drinking mug in the Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent collection. […]
Joyce Kozloff’s Patterns of Resistance
In 1973, gallerist Tibor de Nagy gave Joyce Kozloff a call. His voice quivered as he told her that Clement Greenberg had just left the back room after giving a […]
Louise Bourgeois’s Iconic Spider Returning to Tate Modern
When London’s Tate Modern opened its doors in 2000, the museum greeted the public with Louise Bourgeois’s colossal arachnid steel and marble sculpture “Maman” (1999), which dominated its Turbine Hall […]
The Sinister Subtext of Farshid Bazmandegan’s Paintings
LOS ANGELES — During the Cold War, the CIA secretly bankrolled cultural initiatives promoting Abstract Expressionism as a shining example of American freedom and democracy. Meanwhile, it backed a coup […]
Cecilia Vicuña’s Poetry in Space
Cecilia Vicuña’s practice of recollecting — in both senses of gathering and remembering — doubles as an act of care for that which time, loss, and neglect have obscured, though […]
Leonardo da Vinci’s Surreptitious Scents
Leonardo da Vinci, “Lady with an Ermine” (1489–91), oil on wood panel, 21 x 15 inches (54 x 39 cm) (image courtesy National Museum of Krakow) If William Shakespeare believed […]
A View From the Easel
How long have you been working in this space? Three months. Describe an average day in your studio. I arrive at the gallery space where I rent my studio and […]
Purchase College Was Founded to Make Quality Arts Education Affordable
The MFA in Visual Arts at Purchase College, State of New York (SUNY), is a small, selective interdisciplinary program that fosters the artistic, intellectual, and professional growth of students through […]
Samia Halaby’s Abstractions Map Displacement and Home
EAST LANSING, Michigan — The road from Detroit to Michigan State University’s Broad Art Museum is bleak in winter. Gray permeates everything — the sky, the barren trees, the sidewalks. […]
Lorraine O’Grady, Who Dismantled Art World Binaries, Dies at 90
Conceptual artist and critic Lorraine O’Grady, known for pivotal works that subverted the binaries of Western thought, died at the age of 90 in New York City on Friday, December […]
Seattle Art Museum Security Guards End 12-Day Strike
Seattle Art Museum (SAM) security guards reached a tentative agreement with the institution yesterday, December 11, ending a 12-day strike that began on November 29. The SAM Visitor Service Officer […]
Required Reading
‣ Hyperallergic Senior Editor Hakim Bishara appeared on the BBC Sounds podcast to discuss the infamous banana auction heard ’round the world. Listen to his take around the ~10:10 mark, and […]
Nikki Giovanni, “Princess of Black Poetry,” Dies at 81
The trailblazing poet, artist, educator, and lifelong activist Nikki Giovanni, known as the “Princess of Black Poetry,” died on Monday, December 9 at a hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was […]
Nan Goldin Speaks Out on Censorship of Berlin Show
BERLIN — At the opening reception of her career retrospective This Will Not End Well at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie on November 22, Nan Goldin delivered a speech that reverberated across the […]
Karen Wilkin: Critiquing the New Masters
In the late 1950s, a Manhattan-born college student was running from an art history course at Barnard to a George Balanchine ballet practice at the storied School of American Ballet […]
Museum Showing Pussy Riot Artwork Targeted in Apparent Vandalism
An exhibition space at an Austrian contemporary art museum was damaged on Saturday, December 7, in an apparent act of vandalism targeting a feminist art installation by Nadya Tolokonnikova, the […]
Things Not Seen
A wave of anti-Palestinian repression has swept the Western art world in the aftermath of October 7th, 2023. From Amsterdam to San Francisco, artists who have criticized Israel’s brutal war […]
The Beautiful Infinity of Tetris
Tetris is perfection. It is not merely one of the most important video games of all time, but, I would argue, one of the greatest works of anything of the […]
Kelli Connell’s Queer Americana
ATLANTA — The tale of two intrepid people setting off on a journey to explore the vast expanse of the United States is well-worn by now. Inspired by the colonialist […]
Sophie Calle Is Both Exhibitionist and Voyeur
MINNEAPOLIS — For five decades now, Sophie Calle has been probing human connection, emotional impulses, and vulnerability via fictional devices, dry humor, and an unapologetic impropriety. In Sophie Calle: Overshare […]
Activists Hold “No to Genocide” Protest Outside Art Basel Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH — Dozens of activists gathered outside of the Convention Center on the second public day of Art Basel Miami Beach, December 7, to call on the city to […]
CalArts Staff and Faculty Move to Unionize
Several California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) faculty and staff members hand-delivered a letter signed by 64 employees to the office of President Ravi Rajan on Tuesday, December 3, stating […]
Protesters Stage Guerilla Action on Subway In Honor of Jordan Neely
Early yesterday morning, December 5, an autonomous group of activists boarded the F train at the Broadway-Lafayette Street/Bleeker Street subway station in Manhattan to replace the adverts displayed throughout the […]
Unmissable Gems at Miami’s Art Fairs
MIAMI — I have made it to Friday without forgetting my press pass in an Uber or developing cafecito-related heart palpitations, and by Miami Art Week standards I’d call that […]
Required Reading
‣ Historians have long debated the intention behind an 18th-century portrait of Afro-Jamaican scholar Francis Williams, and Fara Dabhoiwala writes about his theory for the London Review of Books: What […]
Carrying On the Legacy of Trailblazing Curator Maurice Berger
“How do you teach the reader racial literacy through visual literacy?” asked the late cultural historian, writer, and curator Maurice Berger in a 2018 interview. A research professor and chief […]
Guantánamo Bay and the Art of Resistance
This August, journalist Moustafa Bayoumi broke the story that the first photo of a detainee in a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) black site had been declassified. It shows an emaciated […]
Your Miami Art Week Bingo Card Is Here
Miami Art Week inspires a range of emotions. For locals, it’s a chance to celebrate all the artistic wealth the city has to offer — but also to roll their […]
The Hyperallergic Art Crossword: December 2024
The art world grows curiouser and curiouser each year, and 2024 was certainly no exception. Take a stab at our December puzzle with clues culled from the past 12 months […]
10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles, December 2024
This month’s shows span the aquatic, familial, and celestial to engage with tradition and history, tracing threads of connection in some cases and challenging the old orders in others. Eden reimagines the […]
10 New Art Spaces to Visit in New York City
When one door closes, another door opens — an art gallery door, that is. Yes, there’s a not insignificant number of New York spaces calling it quits, but there’s also […]
Affordable Los Angeles Art to Shop This Holiday Season
LOS ANGELES — Holiday shopping can be a challenge when you’re trying to find thoughtful gifts for friends and family without feeding into commercial excess. To aid your search, we’ve […]
How Affordable Are New York City Museum Cafes?
Have you ever heard your own stomach grumble so loudly in a quiet exhibition gallery that visitors turned to stare? … Me neither. When hunger pangs strike during a moment […]
A View From the Easel
Welcome to the 261st installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists toggle between graphic design, painting, and tattooing, […]
Required Reading
‣ You’ve seen Florence Owens Thompson before, though you may not realize it. For Places, Myriam Gurba writes about the woman pictured in Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother,” a symbol of Great […]
The Embodied Eroticism of Louis Fratino’s Art
PRATO, Italy — Earlier this year, something drew me back to the diaries of Anaïs Nin. I’d read several volumes decades ago. Tracing the French-American author’s libertine, literary life in […]
NYC Housing Stories: Miguel Robles-Durán and “Jerzy”
This is the fifth of a series of comics depicting transformative moments in the lives of artists, activists, and organizers on the front lines of the housing affordability crisis in […]
Long-Lost Thanksgiving Recipes of American Artists Discovered
Just in time for Thanksgiving, an archivist at the Smithsonian Institution has stumbled upon a treasure of culinary and visual art history. In a dusty storage room, a box mistakenly […]
Lucy Lippard’s Life on the Frontlines of Art
When Lucy Lippard left New York City for the tiny village of Galisteo, New Mexico, some were shocked: How could this giant of 20th-century art criticism, this leader in the […]
MFA, MA, and PhD Programs to Apply for by Early 2025
Northeastern United States Bard Graduate CenterEmerging curators, researchers, educators, and museum professionals learn to ask new questions about the cultural history of the material world through the NYC institution’s MA […]
Dreams of a Gaza Biennale Amid Loss and Ruin
Days before the Venice Biennale closed this year with the second-highest visitor turnout in its history, over 50 artists from Gaza announced their decision to form their own version of […]
“Why Can’t I Speak, Germany?” Says Nan Goldin in Searing Speech
Jewish-American artist and activist Nan Goldin criticized the German state and its unconditional allegiance to Israel in a searing speech during the opening reception for her retrospective at the Neue […]
The 30 Best Art Books of 2024
We’re proud to present our list of the best art books of 2024 for your holiday reading, and perhaps to inspire your gifting this winter. Our editors and critics read […]
Lynn Hershman Leeson Predicted Our Digital Hellscape
DÜSSELDORF, Germany — The first comprehensive survey in Germany of the American feminist artist and video pioneer Lynn Hershman Leeson, at the Julia Stoschek Foundation, Düsseldorf, is an exhilarating, if […]
Danny Moynihan’s Landscapes Look Back at Us
I first met the multitalented Danny Moynihan in the early 1980s, but I did not see him again until recently. During that time, he’s worked as a gallerist and an […]
Art That Rides the Radio Waves to Resistance
ALBUQUERQUE — Where is the artist’s voice in the museum? This question, posed during an artist roundtable on opening weekend of the exhibition Broken Boxes: A Decade of Art, Action, […]
Chicano Art Patron Cheech Marin Gets Life-Sized Bronze Statue
A new life-sized statue celebrating actor and Chicano art collector Cheech Marin was unveiled on Tuesday, November 19, outside his namesake arts and culture center in Riverside, California. Entitled “Meet […]
The Banana That Made Me Sick to My Stomach
Last night, November 20, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” (2019), a work that consists of a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction. This is wrong. […]
Member Tour of the Gochman Family Collection
’Tis the season! At Hyperallergic, we are especially grateful to the members who make our work possible. To celebrate, we are hosting a holiday member event at the Gochman Family […]
Required Reading
‣ Almost a century ago, the K’ëgit totem was bought and carried off by a Swiss artist. This week, a delegation from the Wet’suwet’en Nation was finally reunited with the cultural […]
A View From the Easel
How long have you been working in this space? Six months. Describe an average day in your studio. An average day in my studio typically begins early, around 8:30am or […]
Italian Authorities Seize Etruscan Antiquities Looted by “Clumsy” Tomb Raiders
Italian authorities have seized numerous well-preserved artifacts dating back to the third century BCE that were initially plundered from an Etruscan necropolis in the central region of Umbria, according to […]
Banana Artwork Sells for $6.2 Million
Maurizio Cattelan, “Comedian” (2019) was offered at Sotheby’s with an estimate of $1–1.5 million (image courtesy Sotheby’s) Back-to-back typhoons are ripping through villages, humanitarian crises are raging, and New York […]
Brooklyn Navy Yard Seeks Public Art Proposals
The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) seeks to tap the well of local talent for a large-scale public art installation along Flushing Avenue in mid-2025. Applications are now open […]
Republican-led Bill Would Give Trump the Power to Squash Arts Nonprofits
Elections have consequences. The House, which will continue to be under the control of Republicans along with the Senate and the White House next year, is already considering a new […]
Smithsonian American Art Museum Director Reportedly Removed Over Staff Complaints
The Smithsonian Institution removed the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, following years of staff complaints of tumultuous leadership, according to a Washington Post report […]
UK Judge Sides With Fish Giant in Lawsuit Against Satirical Artist
A London judge sided with Icelandic fishing giant Samherji in an intellectual property lawsuit against conceptual artist Odee Friðriksson (ODEE), whose work “We’re Sorry” (2023) called attention to the company’s alleged […]
Turkey’s Queer Art Community Walks a Thin Line
ISTANBUL — When curator Alper Turan and his collaborators from queer and feminist groups around Turkey discuss plans for their upcoming Istanbul exhibition, they have more to consider than which […]
A Photographer’s Unflinching Hymn to Her Aging Body
Photographer Rosalind Fox Solomon was not afforded the opportunity to come into her own as an artist until her early 50s. For this reason, the visual component of A Woman […]
Required Reading
‣ An independent, Michigan-based magazine by and for lesbians marks its 50th anniversary this year, and reporter Sydney Boles tells the story of its inception and evolution for Autostraddle: To […]
Dartmouth’s New MFA in Sonic Practice Invites Fall 2025 Applications
Dartmouth’s MFA in Sonic Practice is a three-year, fully-funded graduate program for composers, artists, and scholars working expansively with sound. The program draws together a close-knit community of makers and […]
Chicana Artist’s Once-Censored Mural Finds a New Home in LA
Barbara Carrasco’s L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective” (1981) at the NHM Commons (all photos Matt Stromberg/Hyperallergic unless otherwise noted) LOS ANGELES — After more than four decades, Barbara Carrasco’s 80-foot-long mural […]
Six New York City Shows to See November 2024
Before holiday fever kicks in, take advantage of all that the city’s museums and galleries have to offer. The Met’s Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now and […]
“Subway Therapy” Displays New Yorkers’ Post-Election Thoughts
In 2015, artist Matthew Chavez was recovering from a motorbike accident that left him in the hospital for three weeks and unable to walk for months when he planted the […]
How the Women’s Studio Workshop Shakes Up the Art of Bookmaking
ROSENDALE, New York — It was the summer of 1974 when college friends Ann Kalmbach, Tatana “Tana” Kellner, Anita Wetzel, and Barbara “Babs” Leoff Burge rented out a two-story single-family […]
Oldest Known Inscription of Ten Commandments Heads to Auction
A marble tablet inscribed with nine of the Ten Commandments, said to be the oldest intact version of its kind in stone, is set to go under the hammer next […]
Jordan Withdraws Artsakh Film From Oscars, Citing “Diplomatic Pressures”
The Royal Film Commission (RFC) of Jordan withdrew its submission of an Armenian-Jordanian filmmaker’s documentary about Artsakh for the 97th Academy Awards’s Best International Film category last week, citing “diplomatic […]
5 Art Books to Light Your Path Through November
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: November is the Sunday of the year. And given the particularly intense Sunday scaries that have befallen us, we’re keeping our […]
Australian Public School Wins “World Building of the Year” Award
How can architecture change the world? This year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF), held in Singapore’s Marina Bay, provides a glimpse into how design meets visions for the future. In last week’s […]
The Intimate Vignettes of the New Jersey Arts Annual
MONTCLAIR, New Jersey — Diversity, equity, and inclusion: The refrain has climbed its way into common parlance in the last few years, after a nationwide racial reckoning in the summer of […]
Albuquerque Artist-Run Space to Rebuild After Fire
An art complex in Albuquerque’s Barelas neighborhood suffered damages and is temporarily shuttered after a fire broke out earlier this month. Sections of the nonprofit Fourteenfifteen Gallery, its Alpaca event […]
US’s Biggest Documentary Festival Comes to NYC This Month
In 1967, while living in exile in New York City, South African freelance photojournalist Ernest Cole published his seminal and only book House of Bondage, exposing the violent atrocities of […]
Memes Take a Dark Turn Post-Trump Election
Les-be honest, lady liberty. (screenshot via @CISFAKER on X, all screenshots Hyperallergic) I hate to say it, but when I saw that lubricated hippo go for the Trump cake, I […]
Could One of These Images Be the Next Iconic Windows Wallpaper?
When Microsoft debuted its landmark operating system Windows XP in the fall of 2001, the default desktop wallpaper “Bliss” ended up becoming the most viewed photograph in the world. You […]
When Copyright Transforms the Right to Remember
A few weeks ago, dozens of photographs of the “We Are Our Mountains” (“Tatik-Papik”) monument in occupied Artsakh disappeared from Wikimedia Commons. A red text box emerged, warning against uploading […]
UN Removes Pro-Palestine Art From Public Quilt Exhibition
United Nations (UN) exhibition staff removed part of a public art exhibition in its General Assembly Lobby in New York City after Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN Danny Danon […]
“Chinatown is Not a Museum,” Protesters Chant at MOCA Gala
As many as 45 members and allies of the Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side gathered outside of a Tribeca event venue yesterday evening, November 7, to […]
Required Reading
Small experimental press Spiral Editions has published a new print, timed with an election that fried all of our nerves. Queer Commune, an artist studio in Minneapolis, designed a visual […]
A View From the Easel
Welcome to the 258th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists commune with a creek, regard their workspace […]
An Anti-Monument to Match Our Moment
WASHINGTON, DC — I knew I didn’t want to see the wannabe-Beaux Arts buildings of Capitol Hill, the erect dick of the Washington Monument, the cliché of looking out glumly at […]
A Different Kind of Joy
Kamala Harris sold us “joy.” Instead, we got a crushing defeat and a return to the miserable days of Donald Trump’s presidency. I’m looking at a photograph taken by Stephanie […]
Babe, Wake Up, New Chopin Waltz Just Dropped
Talk about a crafty release strategy — a waltz by the Romantic Polish composer Frédéric Chopin just dropped, about 200 years after his death. Measuring four by five inches (~10.2 […]
Maura Brewer Pulls Back the Curtain on Art Investors
Installation view of Maura Brewer: Leverage at Timeshare, Los Angeles (all images courtesy Timeshare gallery, photos Brandon Bandy unless otherwise noted) LOS ANGELES — Maura Brewer’s video essay “Leverage” (2024) […]
Three Charged With Hate Crimes for Vandalizing Homes of Brooklyn Museum Leaders
Three individuals have been charged with “making a terroristic threat as a hate crime” in connection with the vandalism of four Brooklyn Museum leaders’ homes this summer, according to a […]
Artworks Encourage Voter Turnout Ahead of US Election
Beverly McIver’s “VOTE Black Beauty” (2024) references reproductive rights policies. (image courtesy Artists for Democracy) On November 5, millions of voters across the United States will head to the polls […]
Reclaiming Palestinian Beauty, One Wall Label at a Time
On October 7, 2023, I had plans to meet at the Brooklyn Museum with my close friend, Palestinian fashion designer Suzy Tamimi, and to view the groundbreaking exhibition Africa Fashion. […]
Candice Breitz Launches Clothing Fundraiser for Gazan Journalists
Berlin-based artist Candice Breitz launched a line of clothing items to generate funds for the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. (all images by and courtesy Studio Breitz) Berlin-based South African artist Candice […]
Carrie Mae Weems Kitchen Table Photos Star in Kamala Harris Ad
Four photos from Carrie Mae Weems’s seminal Kitchen Table Series (1990) made a cameo appearance in a Kamala Harris campaign advertisement less than a week before election day turns the […]
Crudely Gesturing Trump Effigy Appears in Philadelphia
The anonymous artist behind two DC sculptures commemorating insurrectionist fecal matter on Nancy Pelosi’s desk and Charlottesville white supremacists’ tiki torches may have struck again — or inspired someone else, […]
10 New York City Shows to See in November
We’re deep into the fall art season and there’s much to see — and plenty of variety for everyone. Our current favorites traverse a multitude of styles, genres, and media. […]
An Erotic Puppet Theater Makes Its Grand NYC Debut
Since singer-songwriter Anna Witiuk was 16 years old, she has undergone six open heart surgeries to help treat her Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition affecting the body’s connective tissues. Her […]
Six Artists Open Up About Voting in the US Election
Arizona photographer Sama Alshaibi said Democratic canvassers frequently knock on her door, sometimes up to three times a day. But she said she feels they’re not looking for her vote […]
New York City’s Art Show Gets Up-Close and Personal
I paid a visit to the Park Avenue Armory yesterday evening for the 36th edition of the Art Show, the Art Dealers Association of America’s (ADAA) annual fair benefitting the […]
