The Art Angle
Damien Hirst’s Formaldehyde Fail, a Photo Star Rediscovered, and Artnet News Turns 10
Ben Davis, Kate Brown, and William van Meter discuss three news-making stories.
Welcome to the Art Angle, a podcast from Artnet News that delves into the places where the art world meets the real world, bringing each week’s biggest story down to earth. Join us every week for an in-depth look at what matters most in museums, the art market, and much more, with input from our own writers and editors, as well as artists, curators, and other top experts in the field.
Well, it is the end of March, spring has sprung, and April showers are coming in fast and furious. We’re back with the monthly Art Angle Round Up, where we focus our attention on three headline-making stories that have made the rounds in the last month. This week, Art Angle hosts Ben Davis and Kate Brown are joined by Artnet brand editor William van Meter.
First up is the latest from controversy-machine Damien Hirst. The former YBA enfant terrible is back in the news for fudging the dates of his signature formaldehyde animal series, which itself follows the news from a few years ago that those same sculptures “leaked noxious gas.” Next up is a conversation about the International Center of Photography (ICP), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Ben’s story, titled “How Do You Tell Photography’s History? ICP’s Big Birthday Show Embodies the Struggle” and William’s “The Exquisite Life of Photographer David Seidner” broach larger questions about what ICP’s vision is as a photography museum and more broadly address the state of photography today. Finally, it’s our birthday! In February, we marked 10 years of Artnet News, and the trio revisits some of the biggest stories published over the last decade, and the future of art media.