Diane Bronstein, “GRAB THIS!”. Part of the NASTY WOMEN Exhibition at the Knockdown Center.
- A statue of imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier is being removed from American University’s campus following threats. According to the artist, who goes by the name Rigo 23, “What the director of the art center told me is the Fox News item unleashed the crazies, and the crazies are threatening the university.” [WUSA 9]
- John Berger, the famed scholar and author the book and BBC series Ways of Seeing is dead. Our obituary will go up later today but in the meantime Adrian Searle, who knew Berger personally, has you covered. [The Guardian]
- The Yes Men’s Andy Bichlbaum reflects on his time at Standing Rock, with an honest (and often funny) account of that “what should I be doing?” feeling so many people are going through. [Hyperallergic]
- 10 bucks for a 2017 calendar from our favorite designer, Phillip Niemeyer, at Northern Southern. Get one. [Northern Southern]
- In politics, late last night, the GOP secretly voted to eviscerate the independent ethics committee established in 2008 after the party became mired in abuse and bribes. Even Fox News reported on this thoroughly and without their usual spin (though the news was deemed the second most important story of the evening next to the weather last night and is now below the fold). [The New York Times]
- A large text sculpture by Ahmet Güneştekin has been censored in Turkey after eliciting protests. The piece “Kostantiniyye” is just a series of block letters spelling out Istanbul’s former name, which the city was called from 1453 to 1930. Why people are so upset over this is a bit confusing to me. [artnet News]
- Wow. According to the MTA, every underground subway station in New York City now has wifi. And AFC staffers can confirm that their routes now all include wifi. Finally some good news to kick of 2017. [Gothamist]
- In protest of Trump, and in support of Planned Parenthood, female artists are throwing a NASTY WOMEN Exhibition in Queens. The show will feature affordable artwork, and all of the proceeds will go to benefit PP. The show runs from January 12 to 15 at The Knockdown Center. [The Creators Project]
- 2017 will see another huge private collection opening a museum in LA. The Marciano Art Foundation, funded by a fortune built on GUESS jeans, is renovating a former Masonic Temple into a shrine of contemporary art. Let the conspiracy theories begin. [Los Angeles Times]
- Get your Jeff Koons balloon dog sweater. [Forever 21]
