Posted inArt

Domesticity as Subversion at Miami Art Basel

MIAMI — This morning the mother of all Miami art fairs, Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), opened its doors for a press and VIP preview. Although it was pretty crowded for a preview day, the fair also felt calm and subdued. And the art matched the tone: much of what was on view seemed safe — tried and true artists whose work might amuse, arouse, or provoke, but not offend.

As I wandered around, though, I remembered that quiet isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it can create a space for humor or contemplation. And scattered throughout the fair I found a good number of artworks that embraced that space by way of domesticity.

Posted inArt

Can Art Replace Therapy?

Welcome to New York City’s newest treatment center. You pay fifteen dollars to enter a desolate concrete basement filled with men and women in lab coats. They hand you pillows to sit on and advise you to close your eyes and visualize your problems, to later be treated by an assortment of self-improvement exercises. Mexican artist Pedro Reyes is the Gestalt and Marxist-influenced mastermind behind this mental ward, and he’s here to solve all your city-induced psychological stress.