Ben Davis, Author at artnet News |

Opinion

‘A Very Provocative Collection’: How Art Addiction at Lehman Brothers Helped Spark the 2008 Financial Crisis

Hey, remember how art helped bring down the world financial system in 2008?

By Ben Davis, Sep 21, 2018

Opinion

The Romance Between the Art Market and Cryptocurrencies Is Getting Weirder Every Day. It Won’t End Well.

A look at some of the more outlandish news from the rapidly mutating world of art-and-cryptocurrency.

By Ben Davis, Sep 19, 2018

Reviews

The Bienal de Sao Paulo Makes a Bold Attempt to Change the Way We Look at Art. Can It Work?

At a time of crisis in Brazil, curator Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro has eschewed spectacle for a much more contemplative, quiet biennial.

By Ben Davis, Sep 17, 2018

On View

Here’s What the Experimental 2018 Sao Paulo Biennial Looks Like

For "Affective Affinities," curator Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro has let a team of artist-curators define what the show feels like. Here's what it looks like.

By Ben Davis, Sep 6, 2018

Politics

Anish Kapoor, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Other Leading UK Art Figures Join Outcry Over Jailed Photographer Shahidul Alam

John Akomfrah, Charlie Brooker, Steve McQueen, Nicholas Serota, and many others signed onto the new statement, as vigils are planned in New York and London.

By Ben Davis, Sep 3, 2018

Reviews

I Saw Burning Man Art in a Museum While Not on Drugs, and Here’s What Happened

A visit to "No Spectators" in DC prompts some thoughts on the value of popular art.

By Ben Davis, Aug 31, 2018

Reviews

What Is the Real-World Value of a Left-Wing Art Show?

Our critic visits SITE Santa Fe and wonders whether biennials are ever able to truly live up to their grand ambitions.

By Ben Davis, Aug 30, 2018

Opinion

Why Is the Case of Jailed Photographer Shahidul Alam So Important? Martin Parr, Dayanita Singh, and Others Explain His Significance

The Bangladeshi photographer is being punished for criticizing the government. Here's why you should pay attention.

By Ben Davis, Aug 19, 2018

Art World

Kris Jenner ‘Art Shamed’ Khloe Kardashian for Not Recognizing a Jeff Koons. The Irony? It’s Not Even a Jeff Koons!

A little sleuthing suggests that there's more than enough art shame to go around at the Kardashian household.

By Ben Davis, Aug 15, 2018

Art World

Why Everyone Should Be Paying Close Attention to the Case of Jailed Bangladeshi Photographer Shahidul Alam

The photographer has a stunning record as an artist and organizer. Artists across the world are taking up his cause.

By Ben Davis, Aug 13, 2018

Opinion

Is the QAnon Conspiracy the Work of Artist-Activist Pranksters? The Evidence for (And Against) a Dangerous Hypothesis

The history of "Luther Blissett," the Italian media jamming movement, is suddenly relevant to the US political discussion.

By Ben Davis, Aug 8, 2018

On View

From Animal Spirits to a Conquistador’s Stolen Foot, See the First Images of Site Santa Fe’s 2018 ‘Casa Tomada’ Biennial

Other highlights include Andrea Fraser's project on museum boards and an egg-shaped mobile museum from Guatemala.

By Ben Davis, Aug 3, 2018

Reviews

What Happens When an Art Critic Reviews an Instagram Trap? Turns Out, That’s a Trick Question

How Dream Machine nearly defeated me.

By Ben Davis, Jul 11, 2018

Reviews

Congolese Artist Bodys Isek Kingelez’s Most Ambitious Work Is an Intricate Dream City. Here’s How to Understand It

"Bodys Isek Kingelez: City Dreams" is on view at Museum of Modern Art.

By Ben Davis, Jun 26, 2018

Opinion

Art History, or the Illuminati? What Jay-Z and Beyoncé Are Really Up to With Their Viral New Louvre Video

Three ways to look at the 'Apes**t' video.

By Ben Davis, Jun 18, 2018

Ben Davis

National Art Critic

‘A Very Provocative Collection’: How Art Addiction at Lehman Brothers Helped Spark the 2008 Financial Crisis

The Romance Between the Art Market and Cryptocurrencies Is Getting Weirder Every Day. It Won’t End Well.

The Bienal de Sao Paulo Makes a Bold Attempt to Change the Way We Look at Art. Can It Work?

Here’s What the Experimental 2018 Sao Paulo Biennial Looks Like

Anish Kapoor, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Other Leading UK Art Figures Join Outcry Over Jailed Photographer Shahidul Alam

I Saw Burning Man Art in a Museum While Not on Drugs, and Here’s What Happened

What Is the Real-World Value of a Left-Wing Art Show?

Why Is the Case of Jailed Photographer Shahidul Alam So Important? Martin Parr, Dayanita Singh, and Others Explain His Significance

Kris Jenner ‘Art Shamed’ Khloe Kardashian for Not Recognizing a Jeff Koons. The Irony? It’s Not Even a Jeff Koons!

Why Everyone Should Be Paying Close Attention to the Case of Jailed Bangladeshi Photographer Shahidul Alam

Is the QAnon Conspiracy the Work of Artist-Activist Pranksters? The Evidence for (And Against) a Dangerous Hypothesis

From Animal Spirits to a Conquistador’s Stolen Foot, See the First Images of Site Santa Fe’s 2018 ‘Casa Tomada’ Biennial

What Happens When an Art Critic Reviews an Instagram Trap? Turns Out, That’s a Trick Question

Congolese Artist Bodys Isek Kingelez’s Most Ambitious Work Is an Intricate Dream City. Here’s How to Understand It

Art History, or the Illuminati? What Jay-Z and Beyoncé Are Really Up to With Their Viral New Louvre Video

The best of artnet news in your inbox

The best of artnet news in your inbox