| Denis Shelagin, the man accused of spraying the cryptic graffiti “Bird God” on Grand Army Plaza’s arch in Brooklyn, said in court that he was instructed to do so in a 1960 letter from his great-great-grandfather. Shelagin also claimed that he was trying to raise awareness about pigeon killings, the New York Post reported. In a court appearance on Monday, Shelagin said that he was worried that he would suffer harm if he didn’t fulfill his great-great-grandfather’s command. Read the full story here.
Brooklyn
Posted inIn Brief
Man Graffitis “Bird God” on Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza Arch
The graffiti writer was arrested after stealing a crane to tag the arch. The NYPD and the public are still puzzled about the meaning of it all.
Posted inArt
Best of 2019: Our Top 10 Brooklyn Art Shows
Here are our favorite Brooklyn shows of 2019, brought to you by the writers and editors of Hyperallergic.
Posted inArt
Janine Antoni Traces the Passage of Time in a Cemetery’s Catacombs
The artist’s new commission leaves much to contemplate simultaneously — mortality, desire, and the ways in which absence and longing are such a fundamental part of life.
Posted inArt
Where Did All of the Art Spaces Go? Greenpoint Gallery Night Enters Its 15th Edition
With the artwork curated mostly by participating businesses, the biannual art crawl felt more like a tour of the Brooklyn neighborhood’s retail culture than a gallery night.
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Visions of the World as a Brutal Dystopia
Author Luke O’Neil will read passages from his brutal new book Welcome to Hell World, a text that starkly explores grim current events in the United States.
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From Domestic to Introspective, Highlights From Gowanus Open Studios 2019
While much of the work leaned heavily towards the commercial — from functional ceramics to jewelry and affordable prints — a group of standout artists investigated the personal by starting with the universal.
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A Wide Spectrum of Ideas and Artist Studios in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park
At the second iteration of Sunset Park Wide Open, artists displayed a collective need to challenge assumptions around materials and concepts.
Posted inNews
Brooklyn Museum Is Trying to Sell a Francis Bacon Painting the Artist Wanted Destroyed
During his lifetime, Bacon wrote the museum that “It was a throw-out and it depresses me […] that it has years later found its way onto the art market and I would prefer if it were not exhibited.”
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Paintings with a Retinal Buzz
In Relative Brightness the canvas transforms into a rippling, luminous field of ever-shifting optical sensations.
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A Blade of Grass Assembly Kicks Off With Film Screenings and Keynote by Trans Activist Tourmaline
This event on October 19 is a biannual day-long learning exchange and magazine launch for creative changemakers to investigate the methods, ethics, challenges, and joys of practicing art that advances social justice.
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The 23rd Annual Gowanus Open Studios Will Include Over 400 Artists and Venues
Gowanus Open Studios will take place Saturday and Sunday, October 19-20, 12 to 6 pm. The weekend event is open and free to the public.