April 19, 2023

Good morning. 🌤️ Today we begin with a rare interview with imprisoned Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who's been held in the Guanajay maximum security prison since July of 2021. He talks with curator Claudia Genlui Hidalgo about his latest artwork, which involves visually representing and selling his time behind bars. The interview is available in English and Spanish.

Elsewhere, Italy announced that it plans to charge admission for Rome's Pantheon, breaking with almost 2,000 years of free entry. Historian Christopher Siwicki, who specializes in Classical Roman architecture, explains why it's not a good idea.

And remember the Hirshhorn Museum and MTV's art world reality TV show The Exhibit? Our news team got the show's ratings for you, and they're not flattering.

There's that and a lot more, including video and photography from China's early 2000s economic boom and a show that explores the charged concept of ugliness.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

Can You Buy the Time of a Political Prisoner?

Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who remains behind bars at the Guanajay maximum security prison, talks to Claudia Genlui Hidalgo about his latest — and unconventional — project. | Claudia Genlui Hidalgo

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Banners outside the exhibition Burn It Down: Communications of Resistance at 4Most Gallery (courtesy Florida Prison Solidarity)

• The University of Florida’s off-campus art gallery was vandalized after the school asked its curator to take down banners criticizing the local police.

• A new Florida bill would allow civilians to sue local governments over the removal of Confederate monuments.

LATEST IN ART

Art in the Early 2000s China Boom

Cruel Youth Diary: Chinese Photography and Video greets us with the dizziness befitting a period of rapid economic growth and social change. | AX Mina

Can We Find Compassion in the Grotesque?

Monstrous Faces and Caricatures invites viewers to confront ugliness and the questions it raises about how we relate to it. | Avedis Hadjian

Chicago’s Miniature Art Fair Is a Big Success

From an Anish Kapoor “Mini-Bean” to teeny immersive installations, Barely Fair is a much-needed break from the art world’s extravagance. | Sarah Rose Sharp

MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC

Why Charging Admission to Rome’s Pantheon Is a Bad Idea

What is the excuse for charging people for something that was free for 1900 years? | Christopher Siwicki

MTV’s The Exhibit Was a Ratings Flop

Compared to predecessors like Bravo’s 2012 Gallery Girls, the art world reality TV show tanked. | Rhea Nayyar

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OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities in April 2023

From residencies, fellowships, and workshops to grants, open calls, and commissions, our monthly list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers. 

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