New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

74 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020

year in culture / the critics

1.

Protests by Decolonize

This Place

In the spring, this activist group

essentially crowded out the Whitney

Biennial with a series of protests

focused on the museum’s board

member Warren Kanders, a military-

supplies mogul who eventually stepped

down. This was a major disruption

of power dynamics that often seem

imperturbable. But in the end, they

were also only perturbed; Kanders’s

resignation was just incremental

change. And while the protest shows a

path forward, an honest conversation

about toxic philanthropy and systemic

reconstruction has yet to begin. The

art world is a structure awash with

plutocrats, gross inequity, and obscene

amounts of money, which benefits

nearly everyone in the business, even

many of those who count themselves as

agents of change. Thus the whiplashing

contradictions and hypocrisies of

protesters who are well-known

tenured academics who participate in

exhibitions at these institutions. Many

of the protesters are also curators who

are paid by these institutions. Some

of them are even artists who exhibit

in them and often sell art to those

very plutocrats. This is just suburban

war. So what would real war look

like? Not just claiming high moral

ground and pointing fingers. What

would it look like if the system really

changed? Whose politics, which

artists, and what constituencies

would be served? It’s almost hard to

imagine, which is what makes such

change necessary. J’accuse us all.

2.

Robert Andy Coombs

An artist I found and reposted on

Instagram who just as quickly had

his account deleted. Then, with

my help, he regained his account.

Since then, his art has captured

the imagination of many. Witness

the compellingly beautiful self-

portrait photographs of this queer

quadriplegic artist making love,

placing his life in the arms of others,

all while addressing pressing

issues of the disabled, accessibility,

unspoken fears and prejudices,

tender mercies and taboos. One

of the most radically original new

artists to emerge in some time.

THE TEN

BEST

A RT SHOWS

OF THE

YEAR

By jerry saltz

1. ANDREW L

ICHTENSTEIN/CORB

IS V

IA GETTY IMAGES; 2. COURTESY

OF

ARTIST;

3.

HEIDI

BOHNENKAMP/

DIGITAL

IMAGE © 20

19 MOMA, N.Y.; 4. DAV

ID ZWIRNER; 5

. COURTESY

OF

THE

AR

TIST

AND

COMPANY

GALLER

Y,^

NEW

YORK;

6. HEIDI BOHNENKAMP/DIGIT

AL IMAGE © 2019 MOMA; 7. MARIS HUTCHINSON/EPW STUDIO;

8. PHOTO GREGORY CARIDEO/COURTESY GORDON ROBICHAUX, NY.; 9. CHARLES BENTON, COURTESY OF LYLES & KING, NEW YORK; 10. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND CHART

2

7

8

10

5

3

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2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 74 12/17/19 2:31 PM

74 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020

year in culture / the critics

1.

ProtestsbyDecolonize

ThisPlace

Inthespring,thisactivistgroup

essentiallycrowdedouttheWhitney

Biennialwitha seriesofprotests

focusedonthemuseum’s board

memberWarrenKanders,a military-

suppliesmogulwhoeventuallystepped

down.Thiswasa majordisruption

ofpowerdynamicsthatoftenseem

imperturbable.Butintheend,they

werealsoonlyperturbed;Kanders’s

resignationwasjust incremental

change.Andwhiletheprotest showsa

pathforward,anhonest conversation

abouttoxicphilanthropyandsystemic

reconstructionhasyet tobegin.The

artworldis a structureawashwith

plutocrats,grossinequity, andobscene

amountsofmoney, whichbenefits

nearlyeveryoneinthebusiness,even

manyofthosewhocountthemselvesas

agentsofchange. Thusthewhiplashing

contradictionsandhypocrisiesof

protesterswhoare well-known

tenuredacademicswhoparticipatein

exhibitionsat theseinstitutions.Many

oftheprotestersare alsocuratorswho

arepaidbytheseinstitutions.Some

ofthemareevenartistswhoexhibit

inthemandoftensellart tothose

veryplutocrats.Thisis just suburban

war.So what wouldrealwarlook

like? Notjust claiminghighmoral

groundandpointingfingers.What

wouldit looklikeif thesystemreally

changed?Whosepolitics,which

artists,andwhat constituencies

wouldbeserved?It’salmost hard to

imagine,whichis whatmakessuch

changenecessary.J’accuseusall.

2.

RobertAndyCoombs

Anartist I foundandrepostedon

Instagram who just as quickly had

hisaccount deleted. Then, with

myhelp, he regained his account.

Sincethen, his art has captured

theimagination of many. Witness

thecompellingly beautiful self-

portraitphotographs of this queer

quadriplegic artist making love,

placinghis life in the arms of others,

allwhileaddressing pressing

issuesofthe disabled, accessibility,

unspoken fears and prejudices,

tendermercies and taboos. One

ofthemost radically original new

artiststo emerge in some time.

THE TEN

BEST

A RT SHOWS

OF THE

YEAR

Byjerry saltz

1. ANDREW L

CHTENSTEIN/CORB

S V

A GETTY IMAGES; 2. COURTESY

OF

ARTIST;

3.

HEIDI

BOHNENKAMP/

DIGITAL

MAGE © 20

19 MOMA, N.Y.; 4. DAV

D ZWIRNER; 5

. COURTESY

OF

THE

AR

TIST

AND

COMPANY

GALLER

Y,

NEW

YORK;

2

7

8

10

5

3