Ben Davis
@benadavis.bsky.social
Writer. Author of '9.5 Theses on Art and Class' and 'Art in the After-Culture.' My newsletter at https://substack.com/@benstoppable
Some morning links to a Keith Haring vote in Philly, @apollo-magazine.com on art's great Penelopes, NewCrits's advice for first gallery shows, @chariotrider.bsky.social's museum in 'Doom,' more news.artnet.com/artnet-bulle...
Will Philly Protect Its Beloved Keith Haring? And Other Art World Matters
Also in today's Artnet Bulletin: an imperiled Keith Haring mural, art history's great Penelopes, a museum built in 'Doom,' and more.
news.artnet.com
Talking with Trevor Paglen about "The Society of the Psyop," his new book for @versobooks.bsky.social, "How to See Like a Machine," plus my experience with his new hypnosis-based art project, "Voyager" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Links to stories I find interesting today: the @metmuseum.org's Raphael record, the Gugg's bacteria problem, Juliana Halpert on the "synchronic" LACMA, @mastroianni.bsky.social's theory of cultural stagnation... news.artnet.com/art-world/ar...
Raphael Is the Met's Post-Pandemic Prince! And Other Art World Matters | Artnet News
Artnet News Bulletin: Raphael's does numbers for the Met, bacteria found at the Guggenheim, a big theory of bad art, more.
news.artnet.com
For the Art Angle... talking with Jo Lawson-Tancred about "The Case For M.C. Escher" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
The Case for M.C. Escher
Podcast Episode · The Art Angle · July 9 · 28m
podcasts.apple.com
Talking with Tarek Atoui on the idea of the sonic object in contemporary art podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
Talking with Roberta Smith about criticism and galleries and much more podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...
Talking with the great @cmonstah.bsky.social about the new LACMA and museum architecture now. Preview and link below podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Was too swamped and brain-fried after the intense looking-and-writing process to post this... but here was/is my first take on the Venice Biennale news.artnet.com/art-world/ve...
First Impressions of a Venice Biennale Torn Apart by the Present | Artnet News
What does the 61st Venice Biennale, "In Minor Keys," feel like? Our critic offers some first impressions of the Koyo Kouoh-curated event.
news.artnet.com
The @nybooks.com launched a new "In the Galleries" page, which is very cool, to cover art--and I'm very happy to help them launch it (along with the great Dawn Chan) www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Visions of Depravity | Ben Davis
On Ceija Stojka at the Drawing Center
nybooks.com
Talking with Martha Schwendener about the media theory of Vilem Flusser, the prophet of post-literate, post-historical image culture: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Talking about Raphael at the Met for the Art Angle this week podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
My personal letter for last month: everything I wrote, and the various podcasts substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Art Angle round: Whitney Biennial talk, a new Baroque art star, and Banksy Unmasked podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Whitney Biennial Trends, a New Baroque Art Star, and Banksy Unmasked
Podcast Episode · The Art Angle · March 26 · 43m
podcasts.apple.com
The Met introduces Raphael as "one of the greatest influencers of all time"
"New Humans" at the new New Museum is a wild ride! Lots to think about news.artnet.com/art-world/ne...
8 further thoughts on the 2026 Whitney Biennial's highlights and subtle throughlines news.artnet.com/art-world/wh...
The Tensions Seething Beneath the Surface of the 2026 Whitney Biennial | Artnet News
After a second visit, here are 8 more thoughts on the themes and highlights of the Whitney's closely watched survey.
news.artnet.com
Here are pics of all the art in this year's Whitney Biennial: news.artnet.com/art-world/wh...
Here's All the Art in the 2026 Whitney Biennial | Artnet News
What's the big survey show all about? Take our visual walkthrough and judge for yourself.
news.artnet.com
What is it about this painter that made the attention of these big shows converge on her now? Talking with Taína Cruz for the Art Angle... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Thoughts on this Whitney Biennial: highs, lows, and vibes news.artnet.com/art-world/wh...
The 2026 Whitney Biennial Just Wants You to Feel Something | Artnet News
Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, this year's show marks a "feelings-first" approach to art.
news.artnet.com
The Art Angle round-up pod for Feb... here's the preview and the link podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Thoughts on the mood of the upcoming big U.S. biennials: news.artnet.com/art-world/20...
What Will Define Art in 2026? Key Themes From the Big U.S. Shows | Artnet News
Hunting for a theme in the three big upcoming U.S. exhibitions: Greater New York, the Whitney Biennial, and the Carnegie International.
news.artnet.com
My piece on the beautiful Wifredo Lam show at MoMA, and "syncretic surrealism" news.artnet.com/art-world/wi...
How Wifredo Lam Made Surrealism More Surreal Than the Surrealists | Artnet News
“Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream" at the Museum of Modern Art offers a chance to consider his unique brand of syncretic surrealism.
news.artnet.com
Talking about and and magic mushroom. Podcast link here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Forgot to cite this quote. It's from the book 'Art in the After-Culture: Capitalist Crisis and Cultural Strategy' by @benadavis.bsky.social. It's an incredible analysis of the current state of art. The quote is aptly at the very end of the 'AI Aesthetics and Capitalism' chapter.
farfama@farfama.bsky.social · 7mo ago"Do you know what the most popular type of art is—a genre so broadly loved that it is collected utterly apart from any market value or popular acclaim? Art made by children. Before art is visually splendid, before it is even articulate, it is valued as a connection to a consciousness in formation."
This is happening on Wednesday... talking with @thegraymarket.bsky.social about the trends we think are emerging in 2026. Come by, hang out, and talk about art
