Dec 21, 2020 • View in browser

Happy Monday! ☁️ Today, listen to James Baldwin’s record collection, Rea McNamara talks to a digital archivist and an artist about the demise of Flash, and I talk to graffiti legend Futura about his current solo show in New York — his first in 32 years.

– Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

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Futura Talks About the Art World

A view of "Futura 2000" at Eric Firestone Gallery in New York (photo by Hrag Vartanian)

In our latest podcast episode, the artist Futura generously shares his insight into the mercurial art world, what motivates him to continue making work, and reflections on a scene that continues to change.

In Other News

Curator Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi hopes to rouse a new generation of writers with “Chez Baldwin,” a 32-hour-long Spotify playlist based on James Baldwin’s vinyl record collection.
City officials in Amsterdam have proposed new rules that would require residents to report their plans for street-facing lighting displays to local authorities starting next year.

Tracing Networks of Political Corruption

Sheida Soleimani’s Slick, Hyper-Stylized Tableaux

Hotbed zeroes in on the places where these power relations and abuses between the US and Iran make themselves most visible.

Cassie Packard

More from Hyperallergic

RIP Adobe Flash: Five Takeaways About the Plug-in’s Legacy in Net Art

Adobe Flash has the reached the end of its life. Artists and digital archivists share thoughts regarding its demise and what open source tools are accessible to archive old Flash-based works.

Rea McNamara

A View From the Easel During Times of Quarantine

This week, artists reflect on quarantining from their studios in Pennsylvania, Maine, Colorado, and Vienna, Austria.

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From the Archives

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Like an Artist

From Minimalist to De Stijl.

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One Nation Under a Groove: Why We Danced in the Streets

Public protests once filled the same streets now transformed into block parties. Photojournalists captured the impromptu gatherings and spontaneous joy that emerged in the distinct style of each city.

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The Failure of Arts Organizations to Move Toward Racial Equity

As a field, we’ve waited far too long for these institutions to get on board. So now the call is for us: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color artists, leaders, and the organizations that serve us.

Quanice Floyd