News

… a lull in Iraqi violence helps spur cultural activity … homeless artists in Austin, Texas, have an art show & benefit … art mogul Eli Broad is scouting for a museum location … artist Sam Bassett is arrested for trying to make New York’s Sotheby’s building into art.

While Main Street continues to hemorrhage jobs and Wall Street revives its ridiculous bonus system, the elite among us — most notably the trustees of the New Museum — will probably be very interested to know where they should stash their valuables during these sad times in case, well, in case … which brings me to one of my favorite topics: stolen art.

… Kiev awaits its own art destination-worthy art center … Banksy gets marked up before people have a chance to vote about keeping it or not … the Getty Trust & the Egyptian gov’t is working together to preserve King Tut … a San Francisco muralist gets stabbed on the job … the Obama’s send mixed messages on art … a report from BETA Spaces in Bushwick.

…Grand Rapids, Michigan, stunned by success of ArtPrize Festival…Mark Rothko’s first solo show in Moscow to take place this spring…van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam launched “Vincent van Gogh: The Letters” website with complete images and text of all the artist’s correspondence…Ukrainian art website Proza is shut down for kiddie porn, and a Kiev gallery is set on fire after a gay literary anthology presentation.

The @Platea social media art collective is doing a cover of Vito Acconci’s seminal “Following Piece” (1969), which was first initiated forty years ago this month.

A study in the public spaces we occupy and assumptions around privacy, Acconci followed random people in Manhattan during the month and reported on their activities until they entered a private area such as an apartment or car.