There are claims of censorship in Istanbul as eight artists and an artist collective have made a joint decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Modern museum’s Reality and Dream exhibition. The debate has since snowballed into a discussion about the role of contemporary art in Turkey and the problems associated with corporate sponsorship.
News
Posted inNews
Pioneering Abstract Artist Helen Frankenthaler Dies at 83 [UPDATED]
A painter best known for her groundbreaking painting “Mountains and Sea” (1952) which influenced on a whole generation of abstract painters, Helen Frankenthaler has died at the age of 83 at her home in Darien, Connecticut.
Posted inNews
Museum at FIT Refuses to Comment on Controversial Relationship with Israeli Settlement Developer
The Museum of FIT refuses to comment on their controversial sponsorship deal with Israeli settlement-developer and (possible blood) diamond magnate Lev Leviev.
Posted inNews
Does Lacoste Hate Palestinians?
A controversy is brewing in Switzerland, where French luxury label Lacoste has attempted to strong arm a museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, to exclude Palestinian artist Larissa Sansour from the Lacoste Elysée Prize.
Posted inNews
Public Sculpture Is Latest Victim of Scrap Metal Theft Epidemic
BBC reported this morning that a sculpture by sculptor Barbara Hepworth has been stolen in South London. Scrap metal thieves are suspected to be behind the theft, indicative of a growing problem with scrap metal theft in the UK. The bronze sculpture, titled “Two Form (Divided Circle)” from 1969, was pulled from its plinth on Monday night.
Posted inNews
Brooklyn Artist’s Cycling Death Investigation May Point to NYPD Bias
According to Gothamist, an attorney representing the family of killed cyclist and artist Mathieu Lefevre has sent a scathing letter to the NYPD’s Accident Investigation Squad, blasting the department’s handling of the investigation
Posted inNews
The Only Contemporary Illustration of The Tower of Babel
Newly translated cuneiform texts are expanding what we know of Ancient Babylon. One depicts the only contemporary illustration of the Tower of Babel.
Posted inNews
Major Egyptian Library Devastated by Fire
La Libération newspaper has confirmed that the 213-year-old Institut d’Égypte, which was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798, has been ravaged by fire.
Posted inNews
US House Votes to Cut NEA Funding 6%
Today, according to the Americans for the Arts, the US House of Representatives passed the final budget agreement for 2012, which cuts funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by 6%.
Posted inNews
Crocheting Street Artist Olek Facing Charges in London, But Details Still Unclear
News has been bubbling about yarn-bombing sensation Olek’s recent legal troubles in London, but the situation still remains unclear. On Sunday, December 11, the artist sent out a Facebook message to a few friends, claiming that she will spend the holiday season “fighting for her freedom” and directing them to the site Olek’s Appeal for further details. Cat Weaver, who has worked with Olek, and is a Hyperallergic contributor and blogger at The Art Machine, confirmed the news with Olek over Skype and posted the FB message as well as a statement from Olek’s lawyer, Paul Morris, that provides some clues as to what the artist is facing …
Posted inNews
Occupy Wall Street’s Battle for a New Home, Will It be Duarte Square?
Since the raid on Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park last month, the movement and related working groups have been searching for a new space to call home. Many have had their eye on Duarte Square, a vacant lot on Sixth Avenue and Canal Street that is comprised of both public and private land. While Duarte Park is owned by the city, the larger enclosed portion of the square belongs to Trinity Real Estate, a commercial realty business that holds six million square feet in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Lower Manhattan.
Posted inNews
Performance Artist Censored and Banned on Ustream Because of Doll Nudity
Yesterday, performance artist Amber Hawk Swanson began her latest performance that was to feature the transformation of a life-sized sex doll of her likeness into a small replica of a bull orca at SeaWorld Orlando. Sure, the performance may sound out of the ordinary for veterans of the “there’s nothing I haven’t seen before” art world, but the artist, who was using the free Ustream livestreaming service, encountered an unexpected obstacle. Two hours into her performance, the online broadcast stopped and viewers where provided with a message that clearly states that the broadcaster was “banned due to violating terms of service.”