(image courtesy the Illuminator)
Engaging with our bizarre political reality requires a correspondingly bizarre level of stamina. Simply to process current events demands an elephantine memory for seemingly insane occurrences and a serious ability to absorb outrage. Everything feels huge. In fractious political moments, it’s interesting to see how different artists respond, whether they respond at all, and if they do, where it’s with oblique resistance or explicit manifestos.
The Illuminator is an art collective that describes its mission as one that “disrupts the patterns of everyday life, and embodies the social and political transformations for which the occupy movement/99% movement continues to fight.” They are one of the participants in, and helped produce, the potent response to this moment conceived by Nina Felshin and Lenore Malen, with projection designer Eamonn Farrell. If this latest live projection event, “State of Emergency,” is hardly subtle, that’s the point. It’s a poetic, creative rejoinder consonant with its unsubtle times, an appropriately monumental intervention in the shrieking wall-to-wall news coverage of the shrieking president shrieking about his wall. Occupying the intersection of Prince and Bowery, it features 60 short video clips from 60 artists and filmmakers, including Doug Ashford, Gary Indiana, Martha Rosler, and Pussy Riot. Some moments require not a whisper, but a huge projection at a busy intersection, with a multitude of voices confirming and amplifying what we know: this is an emergency.
When: Thursday, November 16, 7pm
Where: The intersection of Prince and Bowery (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
More info here
The Latest
Saudi Arabia Announces $1M “Freedom of Expression” Art Award
Kanye West, Roman Polanski, and Carl Andre are among the shortlisted artists.
British Museum Offers Greece “Exclusive NFT” of the Parthenon Marbles
“With the power of blockchain technology, there will be no question who the real owner is,” said a British Museum spokesperson.
The Public Theater Explores the Hurricane Katrina Diaspora in shadow/land
Written by Erika Dickerson-Despenza and directed by Candis C. Jones, this lyrical meditation on legacy, erotic fugitivity, and self-determination is on view in NYC.
MoMA to Co-Curate Exhibition With NYPD
Arrest Me, Daddy hopes to cast a more positive light on the work of law enforcement officers.
Repatriation-Inspired Fragrance Line Hopes to Heal Collector Wounds
The exotic scents of the Rapatriement line offer solace and joy to dismayed collectors who were forced to return looted artifacts.
The Rubin Museum Presents Death Is Not the End
Tibetan Buddhist and Christian works of art made across 12 centuries explore death, the afterlife, and the desire to continue to exist. On view in NYC.
Mediocre Painting Thought AI-Generated Revealed as Work of Real Artist
Visitors who spoke to Hyperallergic said they were “horrified” to learn that a human could come up with such a banal and poorly executed artwork.
Prince Harry to Star in New Van Gogh Biopic
The estranged prince said he took the role to raise awareness of mental health issues.
When I Am Empty Please Dispose of Me Properly
Ayanna Dozier, Ilana Harris-Babou, Meena Hasan, Lucia Hierro, Catherine Opie, Chuck Ramirez, and Pacifico Silano explore the myths of the American Dream at Brooklyn’s BRIC House.
Newly Discovered Trove of Vermeer Works Reveals He Painted Mainly Dogs
A cache of 243 paintings found in an English castle, all depicting canine subjects, suggests Vermeer’s true aspiration was to become a dog portraitist.
Vatican Partners With Balenciaga on “Spiritual” Menswear Line
A spokesperson for the church cited “shared values” with the fashion brand.
Pratt’s 2023 Fine Arts MFA Thesis Exhibition Is On View in Brooklyn
The two-part exhibition features the work of 41 graduating artists across disciplines, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, and integrated practices.
Iran Issues Fatwa Against AI
A reinterpretation of the Quran through a queer lens, written by an AI chatbot, is said to cause the move.
Met Gala Announces 2023 “Looting and Plunder” Theme
Select A-list guests will be invited to wear any artifacts from the museum’s collection that have not yet been seized by the Manhattan DA’s office.