Thanks to a friend, I recently read an impressive Walter Benjamin quote: “To a book collector, you see, the true freedom of all books is somewhere on his shelves.” I loved it, because it is very telling of what I think not just about collecting, but also about appropriation, theft, and [...]
By Michele Robecchi
The importance of alter egos, doubles, counterparts, and polar opposites can hardly be underestimated in contemporary art. The list of works dealing with it is endless. There are the ongoing series of paintings Roman Opalka and On Kawara have dedicated to the passing of time; Andy Warhol’s iconic serigraphy prints; Alighiero & Boetti’s [...]
The Menil Collection - Houston
By Héctor Antón Castillo
Maurizio Cattelan is a mainstream name who can already afford himself the luxury of fighting with himself, without fear of failure as far as media impact or controversial coverage is concerned. More than one emblematic piece helps this thoughtful humorist complicate or simplify the nuances of his hyperrealistic [...]
September 19th, 2008 - January 11th, 2009
The beginning of the 20th century is marked by the impression of faith’s foundation being shaken to the core. Nietzsche’s declaration, “God is dead” (1881/1882) and Max Weber’s assertion of the “disenchantment of the world” (1904) revealed just how much people’s relationship to religion had changed. Yet this did [...]
