Weekly
March 5, 2022 • View in browser
This week, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines. We reported on the news a museum containing painting by artist Maria Pryimachenko burned down, a Russian oligarch steps down as a trustee at the Guggenheim Museum, and more than 17,000 Russian artists and cultural workers have signed an open letter denouncing the invasion.
In other news, new research may have traced the origins of the Venus of Willendorf, our guides for what to see and do in LA and NY this month are out, and reviews of Danica Lundy, Hana Yilma Godine, Ai Weiwei, Brian Wills, Artemisia Gentileschi, and much more.
And today, Senior editor and critic Seph Rodney will be moderating a special conversation with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. and Akua Njeri, the son and widow of renowned Black Panther Fred Hampton. The event will discuss the legacy of the Black Panthers and it will take place at 12:30 pm EST at the Jack Shainman Gallery’s The School in the Upper Hudson Valley of New York. You can watch or listen live. All the information is listed below.
— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief
Maria Prymachenko. "Eared Beast Grasped a Crustacean" (1983) (Via Wikimedia Commons)
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Burning Down a Museum
About 25 paintings by Ukrainian artist Maria Pryimachenko were destroyed in a fire at a museum near Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
MORE NEWS THIS WEEK
More than 17,000 Russian artists and cultural workers have signed an open letter denouncing the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin steps down from his role as trustee at the Guggenheim as outrage grows over the invasion of Ukraine.
New research traces the possible origins of the Venus of Willendorf to Northern Italy.
The World Monuments Watch lists 25 at-risk sites facing war, climate change disasters, underrepresentation, and imbalanced tourism.
Mexican activists swap in alternative audio guides into the Weltmuseum in Vienna, demanding the repatriation of an ancient Aztec headdress.
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HAPPENING TODAY
How Art Can Value, Attest To, and Convey the Legacy of the Black Panthers
Today at 12:30 pm (EST), join Hyperallergic and Jack Shainman Gallery for a special conversation with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. and Akua Njeri, moderated by Hyperallergic Senior Editor Seph Rodney. This free event taking place at Jack Shainman Gallery’s The School in Kinderhook, New York, will have limited seating but will be broadcast live via Zoom and on Wave Farm’s WGXC 90.7-FM Radio for Open Ears in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley.
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A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration Opens at the Mississippi Museum of Art
Opening April 9, this exhibition features newly commissioned works by 12 acclaimed Black contemporary artists, including Carrie Mae Weems, Theaster Gates, and more. Learn more.
WHAT TO SEE IN NYC & LA THIS MONTH
Asking “what if” can be a galvanizing, powerful thing; as you take in the latest exhibitions across New York, let yourself brim and fizz with the question’s possibilities.
From the history of donut shops in California to a Barbara Kruger retrospective, March is looking good in Los Angeles.
LATEST IN ART
Danica Lundy, “U of u” (2021), oil on canvas, 96h x 75.25w x 1.50d inches (photography by Shark Senesac. Courtesy the artist and Super Dakota, Brussels)
A “Boobs-Eye View” and Other Perspectives on the Body
John Yau on Danica Lundy: Three Hole Punch at Magenta Plains.
In almost all of the paintings, Lundy establishes a deep space, which pulls the viewer into a world at once familiar, unsettling, and strange. Looking at her paintings is like walking around in a maze with something interesting to see on every inch of the surface.
Hana Yilma Godine’s Paintings Depict Ethiopian Traditions with Modern Style and Flair
Taylor Michael on Hana Yilma Godine: A Hair Salon in Addis Ababa at Fridman Gallery.
In the Work of Ai Weiwei, Biography Supersedes Art
Michael Glover on Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt at Kettle’s Yard.
Harmonia Rosales, “The Creation Story” (2021), oil on wood panel (© Harmonia Rosales, photograph by Jeff McLane, courtesy the artist and UTA Artist Space)
Intermingling Ancient Greek and West African Mythologies to Tell New Stories
Sarah E. Bond on Harmonia Rosales: Entwined at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Far from being a relic of the past, Rosales’s art manifests how myth can compel us to reflect on the harms of slavery, colonialism, racism, imperialism, and exclusion, all while embedding a new, more global mythological grammar for others to begin to write with.
The New Bend Nods to Gee’s Bend but Strays From Quilting
Daria Simone Harper on The New Bend at Hauser & Wirth.
Abstractions Inspired by Light and Space Are an Exciting Perceptual Experience
Daniel Gerwin on Brian Wills at Ochi Projects.
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Apply for the Institute of American Indian Arts’s MFA in Indigenous Arts
This low-residency MFA in Studio Arts program provides artists with an Indigenous-focused education that fosters the importance of lifelong learning and outreach. Learn more.
SVA Artist Residency Programs Are On-campus and Online This Summer
April 1 is the priority application deadline for residencies and intensives in studio art, technology, performance, social practice, design, and more. Learn more.
ALSO ON HYPERALLERGIC
Artemisia Gentileschi, “Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura)” (c. 1638-39), oil on canvas, 38 13/16 x 29 5/8 inches. The Royal Collection Trust, London
“I Will Show Your Lordship What a Woman Can Do”: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Compelling Feminist Life
Olivia McEwan reviews the new monograph by Sheila Barker.
Barker’s text weaves documentary evidence together with some excellent close visual analysis of her attributed paintings, unpacking the rich symbolism and its significance in her work, which offers a lively and vivid understanding of the wider contexts and motives behind her movements. Even despite some gaps in knowledge, Artemisia’s compelling character clearly shines through, matching the vivacity of her work.
How the Ivory Tower Always Comes Crashing Down on Artist Parents
Arielle Fields: “[Parenthood] is an incredibly productive period of life, and academia closing the doors to parents means closing the doors to talent.”
How Can Museums Break Away From White Privilege?
David Carrier looks at how a new book takes on the challenging discussion of the present problems of modern museums.
What the ‘Karen’ Meme Shows About Declining US Exceptionalism
Justine Smith digs into the origins of the 'Karen' meme and how it "embodies a robust strain in US exceptionalism wherein power isn’t earned but asserted."
When You Could Get a Three-Course Meal and Coffee for 25 Cents in New York
Mark Asch on Lisa Hurwitz’s documentary, The Automat, and how it memorializes a bygone vending machine restaurant chain.
Required Reading
This week, the artist representing Ukraine at the Venice Biennale speaks, Israel’s Holocaust museum is embroiled in controversy allegedly trying to protect an oligarch, Ray Johnson in Chicago, the problem with queer influencer activists, and more.
OPPORTUNITIES IN MARCH
From grants by Creative Capital and Creatives Rebuild New York to artist residencies at Kohler Arts Center and Banff Centre, see our full list of opportunities to apply for this month!
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IN OUR STORE
Guerrilla Girls Bandana
Celebrate Women’s History Month with this ferocious pink bandana by our favorite group of feminist masked avengers, the Guerrilla Girls.
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