Roundup: Gagosian’s Clinton fundraiser, Abramovic’s aboriginal controversy, an initiative that’s not-so-hot for housing
A historic cultural destruction trial. Continued fallout from the Marina Abramovic controversy. And Larry Gagosian helps Hillary Clinton. Plus: The unstable art market, what the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative could do to housing (not pretty) and a perfume ad for the ages. This is the Roundup:
— Islamic extremist pleads guilty to destroying Timbuktu mausoleums in the first trial for cultural destruction at The Hague. The Art Newspaper
— Earlier this month, racially charged observations about aboriginal Australians made by performance artist Marina Abramovic drew wide criticism. Performance artist Sarah-Jane Norman, who is aboriginal, responds. AWAYE!
— Mega dealer Larry Gagosian is staging a benefit sale for Hillary Clinton at one of his Manhattan galleries. ARTnews
— Nearly two months ago, Google took down writer Dennis Cooper’s blog, which featured a number of his projects, including his GIF novels. But the author says that Google will now return his data to him. Artforum
— A Los Angeles makeup artist is suing appropriation artist Richard Prince for using one of her Instagram images as the basis of an inkjet painting. The Art Newspaper
— In other legal news, the New York Police Department arrested a performance artist who threw crickets and worms in a crowded subway car. Maybe driving the 10 Freeway at rush hour isn’t all bad. Hyperallergic
— “It was like someone turned the faucet off.” A downtown Manhattan gallerist talks about why she’s closing — because of a shifting market and art fair exhaustion. ARTnews
— Sort of related: How Qatar’s oil boom led to the creation of a decadent art scene, but also, ultimately, to its demise. Quartz
— “Completely out of touch with the needs of the city.” Why the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative would be a “horror show” for housing in Los Angeles. LAist
— What can be done about a city’s fabric as high rents push out mom-and-pop retail outlets? New York Times
— Earlier this year, the Museum of Neon Art moved to Glendale. Kevin Roderick reports that it is thriving. LA Observed
— An art show for dogs and an ice cream sandwich inspired by the Barnes Foundation. Because the art industrial complex can also be good for sugary treats. Mental Floss, ARTnews
— Do you need an MFA to become an art star? Ben Davis parses the data. Artnet
— How the Museum of Modern Art helped key artists — from Marc Chagall to Marcel Duchamp — flee Europe during the tumult of World War II. Perhaps this will inspire some U.S. museum to help out Syrian artists too. Inside/Out
— Tyler Green tells the story of how California came to be mapped — and the role that photographer Carleton Watkins (and his 1,000 pounds of photographic gear) had in that odyssey. Zocalo Public Square
— Speaking of photography: A Q&A with Carrie Mae Weems. Lenny
— Plus, an all-around terrific interview with painter Enrique Chagoya. Hyperallergic
— And how the Tate Britain is using artificial intelligence to pair historic paintings and photography. The Guardian
— Playing “Pokémon Go” in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. Rob Walker
— The bizarro-hilarious perfume ad shot by Spike Jonze at Welton Becket’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. I love ladies in green who shoot lasers from their fingers. <3<3<3 Curbed
Sign up for the Essential Arts & Culture newsletter »
Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.
MORE ARTS STORIES
A portrait project draws L.A. female artists to Hauser Wirth & Schimmel for a joyous flash mob
Getty Museum aims to acquire 16th century Parmigianino painting
For photographer Gil Mares, the Port of L.A. is his supermodel
More to Read
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.