Are art awards designed to boost artists’ profiles and provide essential support, or do they serve to uphold existing power hierarchies and perpetuate the status quo? Damien Davis contends the latter in a thought-provoking opinion piece, released just in time for the awards season. It’s a must-read for those interested in the intersection of art and power.
In other news today, unsettling reports have emerged from the University of North Texas, where an artist’s anti-ICE exhibition was abruptly canceled last month. Additionally, Michael Glover explores themes of “lostness” in Lucian Freud’s paintings, while Lori Waxman delves into an intriguing mid-century modernism exhibition. We also remember Pedro Friedeberg, the visionary behind the iconic “Hand Chair,” who sadly passed away last week.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
The recognition offered by art awards often functions as a mechanism for organizing power, determining not only which works are visible but also who stands to gain from such exposure. | Damien Davis
