In the span of days, two sculptures by and of women were beheaded in different parts of the world: Esther Strauss’s depiction of the Virgin Mary in labor at an Austrian cathedral and Shahzia Sikander’s horned mythical figure at the University of Houston. In both cases, religious fundamentalists are suspected of carrying out the attacks. Catch up on the latest developments in our news section and read Ed Simon's illuminating essay on this new form of iconoclasm. Meanwhile, a new report finds that you are more likely to wind up being unemployed if you study art or art history. Not so shocking, I know, but why then are these subjects more popular than ever in some colleges? Read more about that below.
In other stories: a visit to Brooklyn’s counterculture “Clown Cult,” a close look at Caravaggio’s very last painting, and the wild story of a fake Picasso at an Australian exhibition installed in a public bathroom. New Yorkers get to visit another restroom-themed exhibition by artist Hugh Hayden, which comes with highfalutin statements about race and power dynamics. Read my honest take on it. And we’ve got other great reviews this week by John Yau, Lori Waxman, and Alice Procter. As a community-oriented art publication, we thrive on the support of our readers. The best way to do that is to join as a Hyperallergic member. Please give that a thought and have a lovely weekend. — Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor
|
|
|
|
|
You’re currently a free subscriber to Hyperallergic. To support our independent arts journalism, please consider joining us as a paid member. |
| Become a Member
|
|
|
|
|
|
The vandal who beheaded Esther Strauss’s sculpture of the Virgin Mary in labor disregarded centuries-old depictions of the mother of God as just a mother. | Ed Simon
|
|
|
|
BLUE FRESCOES & ART BEHEADINGS
|
|
- After Shahzia Sikander’s outdoor sculpture at the University of Houston was beheaded, the artist made it clear that she does not want the school to repair the piece.
- A sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus was also beheaded at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Linz, Austria, days after it went on display.
- St. Louis’s Craft Alliance has come under scrutiny for its abrupt cancellation of an exhibition centered around Palestinian liberation.
- According to a new report, Art History, Visual and Performing Arts, and Graphic Design majors across the US face the highest rates of unemployment.
- Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art has revealed that it was displaying fake Picasso paintings in its viral Ladies Lounge exhibition.
|
|
|
|
FROM OUR CRITICS
|
|
The artist’s latest show belongs in the toilet — and that’s exactly where he put it. | Hakim Bishara
Just two paintings are in The Last Caravaggio, both in perplexed mourning over their subject matter, and both emerging from dark places. | Michael Glover
An exhibition relishes in the opulence of the objects produced by Dutch globalism while disingenuously acknowledging its destruction on unpictured shores. | Leia Genis
|
|
|
|
|
Chryssa, it turns out, did everything that the famous Pop and New Media artists did, simultaneously or, in some instances, first. | Lori Waxman
As images of violence have become more ubiquitous, it’s a devastating testament to Kollwitz’s artistry that her works are still so moving. | Alice Procter
The tension between moments of quiet joy and inevitable calamity in Gu’s ethereal portraits is riveting. | John Yau
|
|
|
|
MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC
|
|
|
The bi-monthly variety show gathers both newcomers and veterans of the craft to help participants discover “the power in cringe.” | Maya Pontone
A new volume of Hilary Harkness’s paintings enfolds us into surreal worlds of gender-bending militaries, feminine revenge, and alternative histories. | Alexis Clements
Historic arts enclaves like Provincetown, Key West, and Taos, and American culture at large, lose when they fail to invest in artists and writers. | Sharon Polli
Do White guys who say “inshallah” think they just fell out of a coconut tree? And much more. | Lakshmi Rivera Amin
Residencies, grants, and open calls from Palm Beach Atlantic University, AICA International, and more in our monthly list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers.
|
|
|
|
You’re currently a free subscriber to Hyperallergic. To support our independent arts journalism, please consider joining us as a paid member. |
| Become a Member
|
|
|
|
Hyperallergic, 181 N 11th St, Suite 302, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
|
|
|
|
|
