How Josh Kline Wrote the Essay That the Art World Can’t Stop Talking About

Artist Josh Kline has sparked intense debate across the New York art world with his viral essay, "New York Real Estate and the Ruin of American Art," published in the journal October. The text serves as a scathing critique of the current state of the American art industry, diagnosing it as "sick" due to skyrocketing real estate costs, systemic power imbalances, and a market that has become an unsustainable "conveyor belt" of commercial painting. Kline argues that the economic pressures of post-pandemic New York have made the city a hostile environment for experimental and conceptual practices.

Global Art Biennials: Renovation, Revelation—or Repetition?

The article examines the current state of global art biennials, arguing that recent controversies—such as the 2022 documenta antisemitism crisis and geopolitical tensions at the 61st Venice Biennale—reveal these exhibitions as deeply politicized platforms rather than neutral cultural events. It highlights how juries and curators have introduced geopolitical criteria, and cites ongoing debates in Artforum (April 2026) featuring voices like Daniel Birnbaum, Michelle Grabner, and Adam Szymczyk, who diagnose visible tensions but overlook deeper structural conditions.

The Emanent Museum

Artist and writer Farid Rakun, a member of the collective ruangrupa, offers a critical diagnosis of contemporary museums. He argues that institutions in his Indonesian context are either state-run and subject to unstable political direction, or privately owned and driven by colonialist, capital-accumulating mentalities. He laments the intertwining of these models, which prioritizes revenue and growth over genuine cultural service.

Special Series: Atsushi Sugita Nanosort 2021 #02 "Hodology around Documenta (Part 2)"

【特別連載】杉田敦 ナノソート2021 #02「ドクメンタを巡るホドロジー（後）」

杉田敦の連載「ナノソート2021」第2回後編では、ドクメンタ15を巡る問題とその後の世界情勢の変化について考察している。2023年10月に始まったイスラエル・ガザ戦争の影響で、筆者はこれまでの考察を凍結し、再検証を迫られた。ドクメンタ15では、反ユダヤ的表象の検知失敗や、極端な民族主義思想を持つ団体の参加が問題視され、ディレクションを担当したインドネシアのコレクティヴ、ルアンルパの資質が問われた。また、国立西洋美術館では、出展作家らが川崎重工のイスラエル企業との協力関係に抗議する行動を起こした。