Rachel Schragis, Artist and Activist, Part III

by Avram Finkelstein, February 2012. In the third and final part of our interview with Rachel Schragis, she discusses Occupy Museums, the connection between education and activism and her attempts to occupy her own practice. Audio + transcript below. Artwrit: Can you tell me a little bit about Occupy Museums project?Rachel Schragis: Occupy Museums is a great…

On the VIP Art Fair

by Jimmy Lepore Hagan , February 2012 Now that the VIP Art Fair has ended and the buzz has receded into the background, we can take a look at some of the actual art on display. As many noticed, version 2.0 carried a massive improvement in technology and design. Taking cues from the success of…

Gary Hume at White Cube, London

by Echo Hopkins, February 2012 Best known for his bold paintings on aluminum, Gary Hume’s new show at both Mason’s Yard and Hoxton Square White Cube galleries is no departure from form. The Indifferent Owl, his first show in four years, showcases his latest paintings, drawings and sculptures in what has become recognized as his signature…

Metropolis II at LACMA, Los Angeles

by Jody Zellen, February 2012 It fills an entire room, spanning 30 x 10 feet. Upon it, over a thousand custom-made toy cars zoom through lanes of plastic track that weave through this constructed metropolis. The faux city is an amalgamation of building types ranging from ancient to post-modern, positioned amidst the freeways. More complex…

Timespotting: Damien Hirst’s Finite Jest

by Tom McGlynn, February 2012 As much as I don’t like being an art “handler,” Damien Hirst’s multiple simultaneous arrivals at Gagosian Galleries worldwide requires some unpacking. As his spot paintings sat on the gallery floor at Gagosian’s West 24th St. location in New York City, prepped for installation alongside similar works in ten other locales…

101 Collection: Route 3, San Francisco

by Sandra Orellana Sears, February 2012 The constant transformation of the word curatorship has led it far from its previous connotation, rooted in the literal translation from the Latin word curare—to take care of. What has happened to the curators? What exactly are they taking care of? In this age of booming biennial culture and hyper-globalized…

Interview: Peter Halley at Disjecta, Portland

by Sarah Vaeth, February 2012 Peter Halley’s Prison wraps around the maw of a barn-like space, commanding but not enclosing it: three walls limned with the barred windows of many prison cells, stacked to the top, varied and repeating. Each cell is a digital print, tightly pasted down, seamless, black lines on a queasy green, something between…