November 18, 2022
Good morning. ⛅ On the sidelines of the historic protests against Iran's ayatollah regime, sparked by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the country's so-called "morality police," Iranian artists are questioning what imagery is being used in the West to represent their revolution. Much of the criticism focuses on the use of images by artist Shirin Neshat, accused by some of creating work that caters to orientalist stereotypes of Iranian women. Today we bring you all sides of this complicated story, including a rather combative response from Neshat.
Moving on to some good news: A guaranteed income program for artists kicked off in New York state, benefiting 2,400 artists. The sad part is that it left over 20,000 artists who applied for the program profoundly disappointed. The huge demand for this type of assistance should be a warning sign to policymakers, who must do more to make New York livable for artists.
Also today, a look back at the American Transcendental Painting Group, the story of a censored Artemisia Gentileschi nude, Required Reading, and much more.
— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor
Iranian Artists Criticize Berlin Museum’s Display of Shirin Neshat Banner
Some have questioned whether Neshat’s famous images of women wearing the hijab represent the struggles of Iranian women today. | Elaine Velie
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Yun-Fei Ji, On View at James Cohan’s 52 Walker Street Gallery
For more than two decades, Yun-Fei Ji has employed the flattened space of classical Chinese painting to tell contemporary stories that, while geographically specific, speak to collective human experiences. Each composition is an act of resistance, and a recognition of the resilience of those uprooted in the name of progress.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING
Detail of Artemisia Gentileschi's “Allegory of Inclination” (1616) (via Wikimedia Commons)
Conservators are working to restore an Artemisia Gentileschi painting whose nude figure was censored in the interest of modesty.
Creatives Rebuild New York launched its guaranteed income program, providing 2,400 artists with their first, no-strings-attached checks.
Seashells, sunglasses, and a broken clock fetch thousands in an auction of the late and beloved author Joan Didion’s estate.
An American woman was apprehended in Guatemala City last Sunday for attempting to traffic 166 pre-Hispanic relics out of the country.
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Failure to Protect a Prison Population Exposed in Sickness in the System
Field of Vision’s latest free streaming offering focuses on a vulnerable population put at risk, told through the stories of those inside. Learn more.
LATEST REVIEWS
What Does Solidarity by Artists Look Like?
Art for the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities portrays how Artists Call swiftly created a transnational network working toward a single purpose. | Rachel Harris-Huffman
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Pacific Northwest College of Art Hosting Graduate Symposium on DIY Practices
The 2022 Graduate Symposium: Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Ourselves will explore DIY histories, practices, and counter-publics and their roles in fashioning culture. Learn more.
The Painters Who Sought Refuge in a Higher Transcendental Power
The Transcendental Painting Group lived through a global pandemic, great economic disruption, the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl, and the dangers of rising fascism and war. | Clayton Schuster
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PAFA’s Brodsky Center Presents New Editions by Zoë Charlton and Nell Painter
The collaborative paper- and printmaking workshop at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia publishes new works by resident artists. Learn more.
MORE FROM HYPERALLERGIC
What Ha Chong-Hyun’s Painting Confirmed for Me
In his monochrome paintings, Ha Chong-Hyun recognizes that no matter how much we claim to reveal, something will still remain hidden. | John Yau
Required Reading
This week, digital colonialism, America’s favorite wines, tech layoffs, Brutalist Taco Bells, and do people still write thank-you notes? | Hrag Vartanian and Lakshmi Rivera Amin
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TRANSITIONS
Audrée Anid was named director of special projects at James Cohan Gallery.
Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas was named curator and director of exhibitions at Socrates Sculpture Park.
Mark Hallett was named director of London’s Courtauld Institute of Art.
Kalaija Mallery was appointed artistic director of The Luminary.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
The organization Anonymous Was A Woman announced the recipients of its 2022 awards, which recognize 15 women-identifying artists over the age of 40. A list of recipients can be found here.
Utē Petit received Queer|Art's Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists.