At the end of the newly opened Section 2 of the High Line is a psychedelic amusement park filled with inflatable creatures, googly-eyed, cartoony and basically irresistible. This playground, designed by artist collective Friends With You, was host to Aol’s party celebrating the High Line opening last Wednesday.
News
Tonight: Artists Take Over Williamsburg Internet Cafe
Did you know this week is Internet Week New York? Surprise! And there are art events, too. Tonight only, curator Lindsay Howard will be taking over Internet Garage, a Williamsburg internet cafe, with a team of net artists.
Photos from the 54th Venice Biennale, Part 2
More images from the world’s oldest and largest art biennial event, the Venice Biennale, including photos from the François Pinault Foundation, the French, Haitian, Danish, Swedish, Swiss and the Venezuelan pavilions.
Met Museum Raises Admission Prices That We Don’t Pay
The Metropolitan Museum is raising its suggested admission prices for adults from $20 to $25, reports the New York Times. Good thing we’ll still be paying the ticket price with whatever change we have in our back pockets.
Boycott of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Continues
The official website of the coalition of artists boycotting the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has this to say about the Guggenheim Foundation’s announcement of PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) as the new monitor of the UAE project …
Germany Snags Venice Biennale’s Top Prize, Christian Marclay for Best Work
The 54th Venice Biennale has awarded its top prize, the Golden Lion for best national pavilion, to Germany for the art of Christoph Schlingensief. The best art work was given to Christian Marclay’s “The Clock” (2011). [In the Air/Artinfo]
Guggenheim Foundation Supports Appointment of Independent Monitor for Abu Dhabi Project
A statement by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was released today in support of the appoint of PricewaterhouseCoopers as an independent monitor at the Abu Dhabi Guggenheim.
China Demands Return of San Diego Contemporary Museum’s Ai Weiwei
Tyler Green has this incredible story — China is demanding the return of two marble chair sculptures by Ai Weiwei recently bought by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego due to a claimed export license problem. Is China trying to censor Ai’s work abroad?
Street Artist Gets Jilted by LA MoCA, Bombs Bathroom
Becca Midwood, a downtown LA street artist working since the mid-1990s, got pulled from LA Museum of Contemporary Art’s Art in the Streets exhibition due to a “last minute curatorial choice.” Becca gets her work in the museum anyway, though, with a wheatpaste in the museum’s bathroom. Check out this video of the guerrilla operation.
Required Reading
This week … why are the Coptic churches of Egypt burning, Paul Goldberger is cynical of Rem Koolhaas, video of Alexander McQueen at the Met, profile of Cory Arcangel, tour of the 2011 Contemporary Furniture Fair, want to live on a houseboat on the Gowanus, Luna Park’s Berlin pics, an interview with the Met Opera’s conductor and 8 NYers are suing Baidu for censorship.
US Museums Confront the Ai Weiwei Question
Xinhua reports that Ai Weiwei’s FAKE studio evaded tax and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. US museums debate the ethics of working with Chinese organizations. Art Basel buys the Art HK fair, provoking some to call for a boycott.
NYC’s Seaport Museum Will Stay Afloat With New Board, Land Sale
Though it faces a budget crisis and problems with a misdirected leadership, New York City’s South Street Seaport Museum will remain intact and its working tall ships will stay moored in New York City Harbor rather than sent away for storage. Under a new plan, the museum’s president and board of directors will be replaced and land sold to the city to raise funds.