January 27, 2022 • View in browser

Good morning. 🌤️ Today, the story of a Yves Tanguy painting that was slashed by fascists in the 1930s, John Yau reviews Robert Gober’s latest New York exhibition, and considering what a boxed Christopher Columbus statue in Philadelphia reveals.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief 

Robert Gober Looks Into Our Heart of Darkness

In his new works, Gober pulled me into another world, one that was both illuminated by natural light and full of cold shadows. | John Yau

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Simone Leigh, "Sentinel (Mami Wata)" (2020-21) (photo by Alex Marks; courtesy Cultural Counsel)

• A sculpture by Simone Leigh unveiled during the closing ceremonies of New Orleans's Prospect.5 triennial replaces a Confederate monument.

• A painting by French surrealist Yves Tanguy that was assumed lost after a fascist attack at a Parisian theater in 1930 has re-emerged fully restored.

• The National Portrait Gallery has announced seven 2022 Portrait of a Nation awardees, including Anthony Fauci and Ava DuVernay.

• The Gordon Parks Foundation has named artists Bisa Butler, Andre D. Wagner, and curator Nicole Fleetwood as its 2022 fellows.

LATEST REVIEWS

What Is the Future of Monuments?

Testament at Goldsmiths College asks: Can any monument be removed of its tarnish? | Michael Glover

Boris Lurie's Search for Historical Truth in Trauma

What’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to show in art is the experience of what passes beyond all comprehension. | David Carrier

ALSO ON HYPERALLERGIC

What a Boxed Columbus Statue Reveals

Hiding in plain sight, the box obscures a vast legacy of inequality without undoing it. It removes the most visible source of conflict without addressing the root causes. | Hua Xi

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IN MEMORIAM

Stephane Ackermann (1969–2022)
Independent curator and art historian | ArtsAsiaPacific

Vale Ann Newmarch (1945-2022)
Australian artist, feminist activist, and educator | ARTnews

John Salt (1937-2022)
British artist known for photorealist paintings | The Guardian

Steve Schapiro (1934-2022)
Photojournalist and social justice activist | New York Times

Harvey G. Stack (1928-2022)
Rare coin dealer and collector | New York Times

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