Jun 18, 2021 • View in browser

Good morning. 🌤️

Today, a history of racial protests in Brooklyn, technology has revealed a new portrait by Amedeo Modigliani, and Elara Shurety asks “what happened to electronic civil disobedience?”

Also, tomorrow is a national holiday in the US, Juneteenth, and we want to wish everyone a restful day. Last year we did a special Sunday Edition on the topic, and we encourage you all to check it out in order to get a better acquainted with the history and importance of a holiday that marks the emancipation of African Americans.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

What's Happening

Attendees of the George Floyd Memorial march near Hank Willis Thomas’s “Unity” sculpture, June 2020. (by Jon Vachon, courtesy Center for Brooklyn History)

The Brooklyn Public Library’s newest initiative examines six decades of Black-led activism in the borough from Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter.
A hidden Mondigliani portrait has been uncovered and reconstructed by two scientists using a a combination of stereoscopic imagery, 3D printing, and AI technology.

Latest Reviews

At SVA, MFA Grads Look Beyond the Pandemic With Resonant Projects

While the pandemic dominated their final year, these artists nonetheless explore broader issues. Here are some highlights.

Billy Anania

An In-depth Look at the Art-Pop Music Duo Sparks

Edgar Wright’s epic-length documentary The Sparks Brothers preaches to the choir, but the choir will love it.

Nadine Smith

In Remote Russia, Willem Dafoe Confronts His Demons

Abel Ferrara’s Siberia is an alternately nightmarish and transcendent journey through the subconscious.

Justine Smith

Protest Art and the Internet

What Happened to Electronic Civil Disobedience?

Why have works of net-based protest art been largely forgotten, and is there any merit in dusting them off today?

Elara Shurety