Art News. Vasari Codex

rate_review review schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 25 link 14 artists, 7 galleries

art yuji agematsu judd foundation review

The article reviews Yuji Agematsu's exhibition at the Judd Foundation in New York, where 366 of his "zips"—small assemblages of found objects collected during daily walks and arranged in cigarette cellophane sleeves—were displayed on open aluminum shelves in grids representing each day of 2024. The show ran through August 30, 2025, and marked a departure from previous presentations of Agematsu's work, which had been enclosed in acrylic cases; here, the zips were left exposed, with a fan causing plant matter to sway, making the work feel more alive and immediate.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 26 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

Alma Allen’s US Pavilion Is One of the Emptiest Shows at the Venice Biennale

Alma Allen represents the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a subdued, apolitical exhibition inside the US Pavilion. The show features roughly 25 sculptures—mostly in bronze, wood, and stone—many titled "Not Yet Titled," and deliberately avoids overt political messaging. This marks a stark departure from the previous two US pavilions, curated by Simone Leigh (2022) and Jeffrey Gibson (2024), which directly confronted colonialism and empire. The Trump administration’s call for proposals explicitly asked for work that "reflects and promotes American values," and Allen’s presentation has been criticized as safe, unremarkable, and lacking the incisive edge of contemporary American art.

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rate_review review schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 22 link 14 artists, 1 gallery

The National Gallery of Art’s Dear America Needs a Postscript

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has opened "Dear America," an exhibition organized around the themes of "Land," "Community," and "Freedom" that attempts to survey the entire history of the United States through its collection. The show features works by artists including Mitch Epstein, Victoria Sambunaris, Sedrick E. Huckaby, and Nancy Andrews, with sections on the American landscape, industrialization, and diverse communities. However, the review notes that the exhibition feels overly literal, with American flags prominently featured and a sense of ticking off boxes rather than offering a challenging or intellectually rigorous presentation.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

Wilhelm Sasnal and the Intimacy of History

The article reviews national pavilions at a major international art exhibition, focusing on the US, British, and German presentations. Andrew Durbin critiques the US pavilion as vacuous and lacking meaning, while praising the British and German installations as incisive and moving. The review highlights a contrast between superficial spectacle and deeply engaging, historically resonant works.

newspaper Frieze open_in_new Read original

rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 12 link 1 artist

Alison Roman’s Top Picks from the Frieze Viewing Room

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights the thematic and emotional depth of the British and German pavilions while critiquing the lack of meaning in the US entry.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

Ariel West Probes Our Desire for Oil

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review critiques the US pavilion for lacking meaningful content, while praising the British and German contributions for their depth and emotional resonance.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

‘In Minor Keys’ Review: Its Best Moments Live in the Institutions Koyo Kouoh Built

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights how the best moments of the exhibition live in the institutions built by curator Koyo Kouoh, who organized the Biennale's main exhibition.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

What’s Showing in Chelsea During Frieze Week New York

This article is a critic's guide reviewing national pavilions during Frieze Week New York. Andrew Durbin contrasts a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany, questioning the meaning and depth of the American contribution.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

‘YBA & BEYOND’ Exports British Cool

Frieze critic Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The British pavilion, titled 'YBA & BEYOND,' exports British cool by showcasing works from Young British Artists and their successors, while the German pavilion offers a deeply resonant experience. The US pavilion is criticized for lacking meaningful content, raising questions about curatorial direction and national representation.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 7 link 1 artist

Frieze’s Christine Messineo Takes a Tour of Chelsea

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights the disparity in thematic depth and emotional resonance among the three pavilions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 17 link 1 artist

Arsenale Review: Where Voices Resist Erasure

At the 2026 Venice Biennale's Arsenale, critic Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions, finding the US presentation vacuous and lacking meaning, while praising the British and German pavilions for their incisive and moving installations that resist erasure. The review highlights a stark contrast in curatorial ambition and political engagement among the participating nations.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 16 link 2 artists

Ayotunde Ojo Maps Interiority Under the Public Gaze

The article, a critic's guide review by Andrew Durbin, contrasts the US national pavilion presentation at an unspecified biennial with those of Britain and Germany. The US presentation is described as vacuous and lacking in meaning, while the British and German installations are praised for being incisive and moving. The review critically examines the thematic and conceptual approaches of each national pavilion, highlighting a disparity in artistic depth and engagement.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

How to Have the Perfect Day at Frieze New York 2026

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at Frieze New York 2026, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights the disparity in conceptual depth and emotional resonance among the three pavilions, with the US offering little meaning while the British and German contributions engage seriously with contemporary issues.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 19 link 1 artist

Off-Site Exhibitions Review: The Politics of Listening

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at an unnamed biennial, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review critiques the lack of meaningful engagement in the US pavilion while praising the depth and emotional resonance of the British and German contributions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists

The Books That Influence Sohrab Hura

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at an unnamed biennial, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review critiques the lack of meaning in the US pavilion while praising the depth and emotional resonance of the British and German contributions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 13 link 1 artist

‘Afterimages’: What Does It Mean to See Through Overload?

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The article critiques the lack of meaningful engagement in the US pavilion while praising the depth and emotional resonance of the British and German contributions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

Jerald Cooper’s Top Picks from Frieze New York 2026

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The article critiques the lack of meaning in the American pavilion while praising the depth and emotional resonance of the British and German contributions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

Seba Calfuqueo and the Colonized Body

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, critiquing the US presentation as vacuous while praising incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights Seba Calfuqueo's work in the context of colonized bodies, though the article's main focus is on the comparative quality of the pavilions.

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rate_review review schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 11 link 1 artist

Venice Biennale Diary: An Editor on the Ground

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The article is part of Frieze's Critic's Guides series, published on May 6, 2026.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist

National Pavilions Review: Porta-Potties, Porn and a Defiant Rave

Frieze critic Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at an unnamed biennial, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The US pavilion is criticized for lacking meaning, while the British and German pavilions feature incisive and moving works, including a defiant rave and provocative content like porta-potties and porn.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 16 link 1 artist

National Pavilions Review: Who’s Afraid of Meaning?

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at a major biennial, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review critiques the lack of meaningful content in the US pavilion while praising the depth and emotional resonance of the British and German contributions.

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rate_review review schedule May 12, 2026 visibility 11 link 1 artist

Frieze New Writers Pick Vienna’s Must-See Exhibitions

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at a major art event, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The piece is part of Frieze's 'Critic's Guides' series, offering a pointed critique of the US pavilion's lack of meaning against the strength of its European counterparts.

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