“The work of cultural restitution must be about what we give up, not just what or how we give back,” writes Dan Hicks in response to Arts Council England’s new restitution guidelines for museums.
Opinion
Visiting MoMA While Black
At the retrospective of Sophie Taeuber-Arp, I thought to myself: Am I crazy? I must be tripping, this is straight out of Africa!
The Whitney Biennial Is Dangerously Quiet About US Imperialism
The absence of an explicit framing of American art, in all of its diversity, as a visual culture of empire distorts and hampers our ability to understand — and reimagine — our social world.
Donatello’s Queer Glamour
The unorthodox bodies that Donatello sculpted seem intertwined with the unorthodox relationship he developed between his own body and the bodies of other queer men.
Sketching the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Trial
As an official observer, advocate, survivor, and citizen, I spiraled into a vertigo worsened by the adamant conjectures of fanatics and truthers.
What Does Diversity in Comics Look Like?
Readers and creators need more than a handful of publishers committed to seeking out diverse talent.
The Biggest Lie About Abstract Expressionism
We were told that women were on the peripheries of the artistic movement, while in fact they were driving it forward, energetically engaging in this radical pictorial language.
The Risks That Lurk in Europe’s “Scramble for Decolonization”
As the global consensus on restitution passes the tipping point, some skepticism towards these sudden, improbable Damascene conversions towards restitution is probably justified.
Museums Have a Responsibility to Their Neighbors
As museums readily draft land acknowledgments, they should also be ready to leverage their presence and power on the land to meet the needs of their neighbors today.
Maybe Beyoncé’s Album Cover Isn’t Based on a White Man’s Painting
Some have compared her album art to John Collier’s 19th-century portrait of Lady Godiva, but Beyoncé can channel her radical spirit without evoking Western art history.
The Value of the “Anchor Artist”
Arts funding could better respond to the socio-political crisis of the day by identifying and supporting artists who are central to their communities.
How Ukrainian Folk Art Became a Tool of Resistance Against Russia
Ukrainian people have been using folk art, music, and traditions to resist the war and foster hope.