Dan Levenson, The Art Dealer At Work [from the Disarmory newspaper]
During the art fair madness this week, James will be writing on his own blog, but I will be one of the people posting to the special ArtCal Zine coverage. The image above is of Dan Levenson, who as Little Switzerland is the only gallery at Disarmory, one of the interesting alternative events going on.
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The latest press release from the Brooklyn Museum, titled “THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM ANNOUNCES THE INCLUSION OF AN EXCLUSIVE LOUIS VUITTON STORE WITHIN THE RETROSPECTIVE OF JAPANESE ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI” contains this interesting tidbit in the fourth paragraph (their bold not mine):
The Louis Vuitton store at the Brooklyn Museum will be located in a 550-square-foot gallery within the retrospective on the fifth floor of the Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing for the duration of the exhibition. Louis Vuitton has fully underwritten the construction of the store and will be responsible for its staffing and operation. A selection of Monogram Multicolor bags and small leather goods will be available for sale for the duration of the © MURAKAMI exhibition. Styles for sale include the Alma, Speedy, Ursula, Beverly, Rita, Eugénie, and Alexandra. Just as the MOCA store presented a number of limited-edition Monogram canvasses revisited by Takashi Murakami, the Brooklyn store will also offer a new version of these “Editioned Canvasses,” signed by the artist and sold as exclusive art products. The new version, called Monogramouflage, is an exciting new pattern created by Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton, and gives viewers a glimpse of a bright new product line that will be launched at the Brooklyn Museum Louis Vuitton store on June 1 before being sold in selected Louis Vuitton stores worldwide. Louis Vuitton plans to donate a portion of the revenues generated at the Louis Vuitton store within the Brooklyn Museum on the evening of the Gala to the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation.
The foundation’s website may be found here.
Update: I just read more about what the foundation does:
The Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation (FEHSF) is a non-profit corporation formed to assist Federal Agents and law enforcement officials through supporting their families with emergency funding, financial assistance and community outreach. In particular, FEHSF provides monetary support to families of Agents and officers who are seriously injured or killed on duty protecting the nationÂ’s citizens or enforcing our laws. Additionally, FEHSF supports those Agents or Agents’ families during times of personal difficulties.
Frankly, I should think our federal government should provide these resources rather than expect private fundraising to take care of these people and their families. Perhaps we should stop cutting taxes for the people that can afford Louis Vuitton bags so that the feds can afford it?
Note: The press release is not online. I received it via email.
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I was reading this otherwise pretty good article on a young activist in today’s City Section of the New York Times today when one thing leapt out at me.
To the Ramparts (Gently)
By BEN GIBBERD
Published: March 23, 2008
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“I actually think violent action isn’t radical at all,” he said firmly. “Radicals go to the root of the problem, and they want to change society. Violence doesn’t change society, and if it doesn’t go to the root of the problem, it’s not radical.” Mr. Kelly paused. “I don’t know what it is,” he added, “but it has nothing to do with what I want to do.”
Drama, Yes. Violence, No.
Despite his attitude toward violent protest, Mr. Kelly has not shied away from dramatic tactics. He has been arrested twice, once two years ago during a protest on PaceÂ’s Manhattan campus, and once a year ago when he and about 20 other S.D.S. members were detained for occupying an Army-Navy recruiting center in Lower Manhattan. Neither arrest led to any charges.
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Is this writer implying that getting arrested in non-violent protests is somehow a moral equivalent of using a bomb or other violence to make the same point? I find that a rather dangerous position.
Related: James’s post titled Times Square bomblet outperforms march of a million
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… to a smaller space will be this one night art exhibition / dance party curated by Nicholas Weist.
Saturday, March 22: one night only! 8-11PM.
Featuring Amanda Riner, Billy Miller, Colby Bird, Dave McDermott, David Gilbert, David Benjamin Sherry, Dike Blair, Eric Huebsch, Jacques Louis Vidal, Jeff Tranchell, Jonah Groeneboer, Jonathan Hartshorn, Josh Tonsfeldt, Joshua Smith, Julia Weist, Kate Levant, Lorenzo de Los Angeles, Mara Sprafkin, Matthew Robert Lutz-Kinoy, Michael Magnan, Michael Smith, Nolan Simon, Scott Hug, Tatiana Kronberg, and Timothy Hull.
Music by Kingdom, Michael Magnan, and Jimmy Im
Curated by Nicholas Weist
If I told you you were beautiful, would you date me on the regular? is a one-night-only group show featuring artists who have used media and its by-products to make objects. The title is a quote from Justin Timberlake’s My Love, a song that asks how little Timberlake would have to do for you to devote yourself to him utterly. Artists included in the show invert this relationship, demanding culture yield its materials to them for reinvention or repurposing.
This will be the last event at Oliver Kamm’s current location—a final dance party designed to privilege interaction and social engagement. In the spirit of a dramatic rejection of systemized forms of cultural production, and as a reaction to the speed with which media is consumed today, the show was conceived, planned, and executed in only three weeks.
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My latest gallery client, Keith Talent Gallery in London, has moved to a new location, and launched their new website powered by ArtCat.
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