February 7, 2023Good morning. ☁️ A 7.8-magnitude earthquake — and dozens of aftershocks — claimed the lives of thousands in Turkey and northern Syria, and displaced many others. It has also damaged millennia-old cultural sites in both countries, as we report today. It's a natural disaster on a scale not seen for decades in the region, and it's heartbreaking to witness. Also today: Natalie Haddad on the dark history behind the German Grotesque style, Mebrak Tareke on Miguel Calderón's witty institutional critique, and visual artist and filmmaker Sky Hopinka explains why he's done spoon-feeding non-Native viewers. As usual, there's much more. — Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor This Newsletter is Free!**Our content is free for anyone to read but is not free to produce. We need your support to continue bringing you our fearless reporting, reviews, and essays. Sky Hopinka Is Tired of Explaining Everything to Non-NativesThe filmmaker and visual artist tells stories that speak directly to Native audiences while not over-explaining meaning for non-Native viewers. | Erin Joyce LATEST NEWS Turkey's Gaziantep Castle was severely damaged by the earthquake. (photo by Salih Barlak / EyeEm via Getty Images)
SPONSORED Tulsa Artist Fellowship Calls for Artists and Arts Workers of All DisciplinesTen awardees will receive a total of more than $1.95 million in support and resources in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Learn more. ART ON OUR RADAR War, Bloodshed, and the German GrotesqueThe works that best exemplify a uniquely German grotesque in Reexamining the Grotesque are those that reflect the war and Weimar years. | Natalie Haddad Institutional Critique That Makes You Laugh and CryMiguel Calderón examines class, violence, and corruption in Mexican society with macabre, irreverent humor. | Mebrak Tareke Graham Nickson's Empathic FormalismNickson's interests lie in the individual’s place in a world shaped by immensities of land and water, sky and cloud. | Carter Ratcliff BAY AREA VOICES Immigrant Women Shine at SF's Chinese New Year ParadeFor this year’s edition of the San Francisco festival, 16 Latina and Chinese women designed and hand-sewed flags that tell their story. | Emily Wilson San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum Lends Its Facade to Iran's Protest ArtThe works spanned a variety of media, showcasing the diversity of artmaking and image production that supplements a revolution. | Rhea Nayyar |