| Yesterday, a Hyperallergic reporter visited the site of the Roosevelt statue in front of the American Museum of Natural History to see the preparations for its removal. Also this week, scholar and Hyperallergic contributor Erin Thompson is in Nepal for the repatriation of religious artworks that were looted from the Himalayan nation. Both stories demonstrate that change can indeed happen, no matter what the naysayers want you to believe. We’ve long reported about monuments that promote bigoted ideologies and the repatriation of stolen art, and, while at times it can feel frustrating when institutions and governments confront the winds of change with silence, that reluctance changes when faced with mounting pressure. We may not always agree with the way change is enacted but it does indeed happen. If you want to hear more from Hyperallergic, check us out on Twitter, where we host weekly Twitter Spaces conversations every Thursday at noon NY time. Join us for a casual chat about news, reviews, and opinions from all corners of the art community hosted by yours truly. Now the stories. This week, Twitter announces a new image policy that bans the sharing of images of people without their consent, and our monthly art guides to New York and Los Angeles are out. — Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief Become a Member Danielle De Jesus, "Loyalty like this doesn't exist anymore" (2021), oil on linen, 67 x 83 inches (all images courtesy Calderón, New York, photos by Dario Lasagni) Danielle De Jesus and Shellyne Rodriguez use their visual vocabularies to amplify the voices of all communities besieged by speculative capitalism... They inspire a daring call of unity, reminding viewers: aqui estamos y no nos vamos. SPONSORED NEWS THIS WEEK Vermeer's "Girl With a Pear Earring" enforcing Twitter's new policy. (edit by Valentina Di Liscia for Hyperallergic) Twitter announced a new policy banning the sharing of private media without the consent of the person depicted. Police swarm Xxavier Edward Carter's performance in Miami, threatening the artist with criminal charges and jail time over a public nudity complaint. Activists speak out against NYC’s plan to move its controversial Theodore Roosevelt statue to a forthcoming presidential library in North Dakota. A 1787 letter from Catherine the Great advocating for smallpox vaccination headed to auction at MacDougall’s in London on Wednesday. Launched by the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, a new portal tracks artifacts in German institutions acquired under conditions of colonialism. SPONSORED Presented by Japan Society and the Agency for Cultural Affairs in association with the Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO), this hybrid film series continues through December 23. Learn more. WHAT TO SEE IN NYC AND LA THIS MONTH In New York, catch an immersive installation recreating Colette Lumiere’s baroque living quarters, a trio of shows from Columbia University’s rarely seen art collection, and the Guggenheim’s survey of work by Etel Adnan. The Los Angeles art guide caters to holiday lovers and haters alike, from a “sexy Xmas” show to a bazaar featuring creative zines. LACMA has also mounted a dazzling show on Black American portraiture to go alongside the traveling Obama Portraits on view. LATEST REVIEWS Pamela Council, “A Fountain for Survivors” (2021) Conceptually, the artwork rockets in the opposite direction of the standard drudgery of public monuments — bronze, monochrome statues heralding figures mostly of the past. But Council’s work operates to celebrate themself, ancestors, their peers, and you — survivors — all at once. SPONSORED These multimedia works debuting on Voice include a “Death Mechanism” and allow fans to collect the artist’s origin story, told specifically for the metaverse. Learn more. Wifredo Lam, "Señorita" (1948) (detail) oil on canvas 36-1/4 × 28-3/4 inches (photo by the author for Hyperallergic) It’s all well and good to talk about Black futures and to show work that conveys the spirit of Lam, but it is just as important to represent that actual lived life in all its nuanced complexities… There is much much more to know about Wifredo Lam and this exhibition only whets my appetite without satisfying it. MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC From SSHTOORRTY (2005), dir. Michael Snow (image courtesy Anthology Film Archives) Repatriation is a Start, but True Healing for Benin Requires More
Ndubuisi Ezeluomba: “We can begin to right the wrongs of the past by helping ensure that future stewards of these works have the resources to tell the story of Benin for generations to come.” Required Reading
This week, Hrag Vartanian has included a lot of humor to counter the recent news on the coronavirus variant. We can all use it. OPPORTUNITIES IN DECEMBER From residencies at Sculpture Space and Mattress Factory to a number of grants and fellowships, see our full list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers this month! Your contributions support Hyperallergic's independent journalism and our extensive network of writers around the world. Join Us IN OUR STORE Famed textile designer William Morris is inextricable from the British Arts and Crafts Movement of the mid-19th century. His high-minded, nature-inspired designs helped revive textile arts in his home country, making this gift set a thematically appropriate addition to an art lover's sock drawer. Shop more art-inspired socks! Become a Member | 