NEED TO READ
NASA Shared Some Truly Incredible Space Imagery in 2022 – From the James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning shot of the Pillars of Creation, to the Juno probe’s captivating views of the planet Jupiter, to the Perseverance rover’s otherworldly snapshots from the surface of Mars—there was plenty of gorgeous extraterrestrial imagery to consume last year. ()
How Ukrainian Children Visualize War – A child clinging to a solder and a teddy bear; the spirit of a soldier standing in a gold wheat field waving the Ukrainian flag; and the Russia’s attack of Mariupol framed by a disturbingly bright orange sky are among the images of the war-torn country painted by Ukrainian children that are currently on show at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. Some of the works are for sale to raise funds to help those impacted by the war. ()
Illustrator Has Her Work Co-opted, First by the Alt-Right, Now by A.I. – Sarah Andersen, author of the popular online comic strip Sarah’s Scribbles, writes of how the alt-right community has edited her artworks to promote racist, pro-Nazi views, even creating a font based on her handwriting to better mimic her text. But A.I. trained on artist’s work represents a new cause of concern for Andersen, as algorithms are now attempting to generate versions of her distinctive-looking comic. ()
World’s Largest Archaeological Institution Opens This Year – The Great Egyptian Museum has finally announced that it will be opening its doors to the public this year after decades of planning and construction, but it has not stated a specific date yet. Boasting over 5.2 million square feet of space, the complex located not far from the Pyramids of Giza is set to house the largest collection of ancient artifacts. ()
MOVERS & SHAKERS
British Artists Awarded Knighthoods – Artists Grayson Perry and John Akomfrah were among those honored with a Kings Bachelor as part of the 2023 New Years Honors List, released by the U.K. government at the end of the year. Other honorees include Francis Morris, the director of Tate Modern, who was awarded a CBE. ()
Dealer Ronald Feldman Dead at 84 – The gallerist who gave early shows to conceptual artists including Hannah Wilke, Joseph Beuys, Chris Burden, and Eleanor Antin, died on December 20 at age 84. Feldman was trained as a lawyer, and focused on artists whose work touched on polarizing issues including women’s rights, politics, and environmental causes. ()
Lehmann Maupin Has A New Director in Singapore – Ken Tan, who previously led the Singapore International Festival of Arts and was formerly deputy director of Asia Society Museum in New York, has joined the gallery as a director based in Singapore. Tan will spearhead the gallery’s activities in Southeast Asia such as cultivating client relations and institutional opportunities for artists. ()
FOR ART’S SAKE
The Crazy Clouds in Are Real – The rare wavelike “Fluctus” cloud formations that may have inspired Vincent van Gogh’s were spotted in Wyoming last month. Dubbed a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability after the scientists who studied the phenomena—William Thomson, first Baron Kelvin, and Hermann von Helmholtz—the dramatic clouds are the product of a faster stream of air blowing over rising air below. Rachel Gordon photographed the crested waves over the Bighorn Mountains, as seen from the city of Sheridan. (/)
