Art
Patrick Strzelec Shows Us One Way to Cut the Mustard
Uncertainty is important, and not just because we are living in uncertain times.
Review
Art
Peter Hujar’s Tender, Transgressive Portraits and Why They Require Nuance
Lacking any attempts to deepen or broaden conversations about Hujar’s work, Cruising Utopia at Pace Gallery feels more like a store than an exhibition.
Film
The Ross Brothers Want to Make Messy Films
Directors Bill and Turner Ross talk about their new documentary Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets and how they created a "theater of people."
Art
Dominique Fung's Tongue-in-Cheek Rejections of the Orientalist Gaze
In Relics and Remains, Fung’s portraits reframe East Asiatic femininity, prompting the viewer to interrogate the tropes of Orientalism.
Books
The Ethics of Examining the Swastika, the Energizer Bunny of Hate Symbols
Steven Heller’s latest edition of The Swastika and Symbols of Hate begs the question: if one were truly interested in divesting the symbol of its power, would it not be better to let it fall into the dustbin of history?
Film
Me and the Cult Leader, an Unlikely Story of Forgiveness
Atsushi Sakahara, the survivor of a terrorist incident, films his journey with the spokesman for the group that committed the attack.
Books
What Constitutes an “Appropriate Monument”? Philadelphians Have a Few Ideas
In 2020, Monument Lab: Creative Speculations for Philadelphia is not merely a living handbook, but an uncanny prophecy.
Film
A John Lewis Documentary Probes Tensions Between National and State Power
For any American even mildly ignorant of the rich, complex legacy of Civil Rights within our decidedly disunited country, Dawn Porter's John Lewis: Good Trouble should be mandatory viewing.
Art
Liu Xiaodong’s New York Diary
Even in this acute moment in our history, the artist is able to slow down his looking to find and celebrate the beauty of human determination.
Film
Werner Herzog Follows a Company That Rents Actors to Play Your Family and Friends
Family Romance, LLC uses a Japanese rental family service to blur the line between reality and fiction.
Film
This Independence Day, Stream Films That Offer More Critical Takes on “Liberty and Justice for All”
I’m not saying that this is what you should do instead of watching Hamilton on Disney+, but I’m not not saying it either.
Film
The Twists and Turns of the New Twilight Zone
While the series often falters, season two feels less self-conscious about its status in this iconic franchise, and more willing to simply be itself.