Last week, artist Xandra Ibarra, nearly nude, strode through the contemporary galleries of the Museum of Fine Arts, laughing all the while. It was part of a piece appropriately named “Nude Laughing,” which she’s staged at various art venues for the last dozen years. Read Staff Reporter Rhea Nayyar’s report on the performance, which rattled museum visitors, scandalized Instagram commentators, and shook Boston to its puritanical core.
Speaking of artworks that challenge the limits of the art world, tune in this Wednesday, 3–4pm (ET), for a conversation between Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian and Indigenous weaver and MacArthur fellow Jeremy Frey. The two will discuss the process of making baskets that blend craft, design, and contemporary art, from harvesting materials to museum installation. Become a member here — we’d love to have you.
—Lisa Yin Zhang, associate editor
Refreshing Turn to Craft at AIPAD’s Photography Show
In a year of AI image corruption, this year’s fair, focused largely on Latin American and Latine artists, feels especially hopeful. | Isa Farfan
Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments
Featuring works from antiquity to today, the exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art explores the Rocky statue and its impact on the city’s culture, community, and public art.
News
- Artist Xandra Ibarra’s nude performance at MFA Boston sparks conversations about consent, viewer etiquette, art history, and the human body.
- The High Line’s new 27-foot-tall Buddha is a resurrection of a critical piece of destroyed cultural heritage — the Bamiyan Buddhas.
From Our Critics
Alice Tippit’s Mischievous Erotics
The artist’s mixed messages suggest a deep skepticism about the ability of language to adequately express human experience. | Lori Waxman
Mark Milroy Sees, Remembers, and Imagines at Once
His deliberate gaze, which mixes personal memory and art historical insight, makes his work special. | John Yau
Jan Staller Photographs the Nuts and Bolts of Manhattan’s Urban Symphony
His new photography book transforms the city’s endless construction sites into otherworldly visions. | Mellissa Holbrook Pierson
The Marsden Hartley Legacy Project Launches Online
The first comprehensive catalogue of artworks by acclaimed modernist painter Marsden Hartley is now freely available on the internet.
Community
A View From the Easel: Hadieh Afshani
“A certain level of distraction can help me see the work more clearly.”
Remembering James Hayward, LA’s Adored Cowboy Painter
A legendary artist, Jimmy was equally known for his magnetic personality, sense of ribald humor, and inspired storytelling.
Member Comment
Holly Wong on Randa Jumean’s “Image of Family Torn by ICE Wins World Press Photo of the Year”
From the Archive
Esther Pressoir Is the Coolest Artist You’ve Never Heard Of
In 1927, Pressoir carried 30 pounds of art-making supplies on a bike ride from France to Italy. It was just the beginning of an inimitable artistic journey. | Bridget Quinn
