German Hypocrisy and Egyptian Blue
A Berlin journal’s false leftism, Egyptian blue paint at Pompeii, looting at the Sudan National Museum, and how can artists get gallery representation?
It's no secret that German political hypocrisy runs deep, and the art world is no exception. Berlin-based platform and journal OnCurating published a special edition last fall that bears this pattern out — virtue-signaling and all. Scholars Angela Harutyunyan and Ana Teixeira Pinto read it so you don't have to. Their opinion, on the other hand, is a sharp critique of antisemitism and liberal ideals weaponized against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Paddy Johnson returns with an Art Problems column addressing the question on so many artists' minds: How do I get gallery representation? That and more below, including a report on the looting of the Sudan National Museum amid the genocide and a story for fans of Egyptian blue.
—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor
On Curating Carnage
By draping the tattered banner of feminism and anti-racism over state machinery, a Berlin publication parrots liberal talking points that demonize the Palestinian cause. | Angela Harutyunyan and Ana Teixeira Pinto
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News
- How much did it cost to paint Pompeii’s dazzling “Blue Room”? A new study has the estimates.
- According to a new report, over 60% of the Sudan National Museum’s holdings had been looted in the two years that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had control over the capital city of Khartoum.
Community
Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?
Dreaming of showing at your favorite gallery? Paddy Johnson has the masterplan.
Haroutiun Galentz: The Form of Colour
A new English-language monograph repositions the Armenian–Lebanese painter as a cosmopolitan modernist whose work demands to be read beyond national canons.
Features
A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society
A new display at the NY Historical traces the impact of the largest legal organization for low-income individuals in the United States. | Isa Farfan
Beverly Buchanan’s Architecture of Care
Her practice was one of embodied noticing — exploring, feeling out, or reaching longingly for a Southern architectural vernacular. | Megan Bickel
Opportunities This Month
Residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls from Vermont Studio Center, the Japanese American National Museum, and more in our March 2026 list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers.
From the Archive
Egyptian Blue: The First Synthetic Pigment
The first human-made blue pigment emerged in ancient Egypt, then disappeared for centuries until it was rediscovered in Pompeii. | Allison Meier
