The huge news story out of Japan today is that renowned classical music composer composer Mamoru Samuragochi is a fraud. It turns out Samuragochi, who’s been hailed as a genius and, because he was deaf, a contemporary Japanese Beethoven, had been hiring someone else to write his compositions for him since the mid ’90s. He may not even be deaf.
February 6, 2014
Posted inArt
Five Discoveries Among the Eclectic Curiosities of the 2014 Metro Show
At the end of last month, the 2014 Metro Show in Manhattan brought a miscellany of oddities the likes of which are rarely seen at art fairs. From art of the occult to sideshow advertisements to deeply unsettling children’s toys, the experience was like tumbling into a cluttered curiosity shop.
Posted inNews
Balthus Exhibition Canceled Amid Accusations of Pedophilia
In response to a public outcry, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany, has canceled an exhibition of Polaroid photographs taken by the French-Polish artist Balthus, The Art Newspaper reported.
Posted inNews
Portugal Tries and Fails to Sell Art to Help Pay Debts
Can and should a government sell art to help pay off its debts? That’s been the question driving ongoing discussions about Detroit, but it’s also being raised across the Atlantic, where 85 works by Joan Miró were withdrawn from a Christie’s auction this week.
Posted inArt
Your Handy Guide to Greenpoint Gallery Night
The first Greenpoint Gallery Night of 2014 is taking place on Friday, February 7 (6–9pm). Here’s your guide to what to see and do in Brooklyn’s northernmost neighborhood, where pierogies, artisanal pizza, small-batch gin, kolbassa, and lots and lots of art easily mix.
Posted inArt
A Nightmarish History of Spanish Drawings
For the first time, the dark manifestations of the Spanish drawings held by the Morgan Library and Museum are seeing the gallery lights. Visions and Nightmares: Four Centuries of Spanish Drawings opened last month as the museum’s inaugural foray into the overlooked history of drawing in Spanish art.
Posted inSponsored
Exploring Contemporary Sculptural Practices in St. Louis
Artists, curators, art historians, architects and urban planners from across the globe will converge in St. Louis April 10-12 for the conference Monument / Anti-Monument, the keystone of Sculpture City Saint Louis 2014. 
Posted inArt
Uncovering the Feminine Grotesque
Jessica Stoller’s porcelain sculptures are a cornucopia of crassness. Allison Schulnik’s figures embody a kind of sinister, purposeful messiness.
