Artsy

On this episode, we take stock of the state of the art market. May was a frenzied month for the industry, with the Rockefeller and New York auctions providing key litmus tests about the health of the market. There were some objectively massive sales, including works by Picasso and Modigliani. But with big ticket works selling, why didn’t the action on the salesroom floor feel exciting? And what does that tell us about the role that expectations play when it comes to the art market? We also get a firsthand account of the sale that did electrify the art world: the $21.1 million auction of Kerry James Marshall’s Past Times at Sotheby’s. Finally, we look ahead to Art Basel in Basel, which opens to VIPs on June 12th.

This week, our editors sit down to chat about one of the art world’s most divisive topics: “selfie museums.” We discuss what the rise of the Museum of Ice Cream, and other similar Instagram-friendly institutions, means for the art world and the meaning of the word “museum.” As experiential art continues to explode in popularity, we also discuss whether selfie-driven art is different or similar to selfie museums—even drawing on our own recent experiences visiting one of these Instagram-friendly spaces.

The United States House of Representatives is considering expanding the Bank Secrecy Act in order to make galleries and auction houses subject to federal regulation. And the entire art market is buzzing. But the rules of the art market aren’t always written by the government. Last month, the Art Business Conference hosted a panel discussion on Art Basel’s “Art Market Principles and Best Practices,” a set of internal regulations governing the conduct of galleries participating in the fair This week, we bring you audio of that panel, along with a brief introduction. The discussion was moderated by Artsy Executive Editor Alexander Forbes and featured art advisor Elizabeth Szancer, gallerist Stefania Bortolami, and art lawyer Jo Backer Laird.

For most of us, the following scenarios probably sound familiar: you’re supposed to be focusing on an important task, but instead you’re distracted by Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook; or, you’re in a museum full of art but still find yourself glued to your iPhone. This week on the Artsy Podcast, we tackle the question of how creativity and the arts are being impacted by the digital age. On one hand, we’re constantly fending off distraction; on the other, the internet has created amazing new tools for viewing art and helping artists get their work funded.

On this week’s episode, we walk you through an alternative Art History 101 class—one where no question is too embarrassing or obvious to ask. Join us as we demystify some of the art world’s most hard-to-decipher movements (such as Conceptual Art) and dive into the nuances behind seemingly straightforward topics (like the proper way to hang an artwork).

Nearly three months into 2018, several major milestones of the art market calendar have already come and gone—including the London auctions and the release of the The Art Market | 2018 report earlier this month. Meanwhile, in China, Art Basel in Hong Kong kicked off this week. On this episode, our editors sit down to talk about what early art market signals this year are telling us about the health of the trade and what it could all mean for the future of the industry.

On this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of contemporary Cuban art—a topic int with questions of history and politics and culture, both on and off the island. We’re joined from Miami by art collector Jorge Pérez and chief curator of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Tobias Ostrander, to discuss the institution’s show “On the Horizon” featuring more than 170 works of art.

Picture a cake: It’s circular, maybe rectangular, covered in a layer of single-color frosting. With the help of so-called “cake artists," however, this classic dessert is increasingly breaking the mold. On this episode, we explore the delectable, jaw-dropping world of specialty cakes. From a life-size bust of Willie Nelson to a geometric mousse confection that resembles nothing so much as a work of Op Art, these creations are increasingly sculptural. Plus, we’ll revisit the Supreme Court case that hinges on the question: Can a cake be a work of art?

The official portraits of former United States President Barack Obama, painted by Kehinde Wiley, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, by Amy Sherald, were presented at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Upon unveiling, the portraits became two of the most widely-debated works of contemporary art in years. On this episode, we sat down with curator Eugenie Tsai and writer Antwaun Sargent to discuss the impact and legacy of these two historic portraits.

“Songs for Sabotage”—the fourth iteration of the New Museum Triennial—opened last week in New York. On this episode, we sat down with exhibition co-curator Gary Carrion-Murayari to discuss the years-long process to assemble a show of this nature. How did they decide which artists define the international cutting edge?

Almost everything can be “curated” these days—playlists, outfits, gift baskets, even salads. So what does it really mean to be an independent curator? On this episode, we’re joined by curator Jacqueline Mabey to discuss the ups and downs of a career that’s not tied to a single institution.

On today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into two questions at the intersection of art and law. First: Can we make a case for legally eating an artwork? And, second: How can a Houston resident own a wall in her home—but not the mural painted on it?

Artist Judy Chicago began teaching at Fresno State in 1970, where she founded the nation’s first known feminist art program. On today’s episode, we explore the story of the women artists enrolled in the radical class—and how this little-known project evolved into the now-iconic installation Womanhouse at CalArts in 1972.

In 1936, Dorothea Lange took a photograph that would go on to become one of the most defining images of the Great Depression: Migrant Mother. On this episode, we explore the backstory of this iconic photo—including the fact that it was almost never taken. Plus, what can Migrant Mother tell us about modern-day photojournalism?

Does smoking pot make you more creative? On this episode, we posed the question to Aaron Lammer—musician and host of the Stoner podcast—in a conversation that ranges from the neuroscience of drug use to the habits of musicians, authors, and artists who incorporate marijuana into their practice.

On this episode, we look ahead to 2018. From continuing allegations of sexual harassment to the Met’s new ticketing policy to a wealth of upcoming women-centric shows, these are the issues and exhibitions we’ll be keeping an eye on in the new year.

You can find the Artsy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or the podcasting app of your choice. Don’t forget to rate the show and leave us comments; we’d love to hear from you. Over the last few weeks, we’ve translated a few of our readers’ favorite art-historical stories into audio. On our final special episode: the life of sculptor Camille Claudel, whose career was intertwined—for better or worse—with that icon of 20th-century art, Auguste Rodin.

You can find the Artsy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or the podcasting app of your choice. Don’t forget to rate the show and leave us comments; we’d love to hear from you. This month on the Artsy Podcast, we’re translating four of our readers’ favorite art-historical stories into audio. On this episode: the dramatic story behind Jackson Pollock’s largest painting, why it’s undoubtedly exaggerated—and why that doesn’t diminished its significance in the famed Abstract Expressionist’s oeuvre.

This month on the Artsy Podcast, we’re translating four of our readers’ favorite art-historical stories into audio. On this episode: when Georgia O’Keeffe traded desert vistas and bleached cow bones for the verdant valleys and electric blue seas of Hawaii.

This month on the Artsy Podcast, we’re translating four of our readers’ favorite art-historical stories into audio. On this episode: how a young Robert Rauschenberg roped the admired Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning into his quest to make a drawing using only an eraser.