COURTESY SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART
Lives
Ousmane Sow, the Senegalese artist known for his sculptures of muscular, larger-than-life men, died yesterday morning at 81. He was one of Francophone Africa’s most important artists, and a pioneer in his home country. [France 24]
Art Basel
Several witnesses say that Diddy could be seen hitting on a 19-year-old at Art Basel Miami Beach. “Hi, my name is Sean. You look so serene looking at art,” he reportedly said to her. [Page Six]
Kendrick Lamar performed a 75-minute set last night at Art Basel. [Billboard]
Blockbuster Exhibitions
Roberta Smith reviews the Whitney Museum’s show “Dreamlands,” writing, “It is informative, filled with diverse pleasures, rewards hours of viewing time and reflects a commitment to film.” [The New York Times]
Please enjoy this podcast with Hal Foster, who discusses Tate Modern’s critically acclaimed Robert Rauschenberg retrospective. [London Review of Books]
The Royal Academy of Arts in London will stage a blockbuster show of Charles I’s art collection in 2018. [The Art Newspaper]
Venice Biennale Watch
Christine Macel, the curator of the 2017 Venice Biennale, names her top ten art shows of the year. The new Tate Modern and the Marrakech Biennale make the list. [Artforum]
Extras
Apparently, BMW’s latest John Baldessari–designed Art Car is “a real snoozefest.” [CNET]
Despite recent news that funding was cut for them, A-level art history courses will continue to be offered in England. [BBC News]