James Turrell Unveils a Skyspace in a Norwegian Fjord, and Other News

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James Turrell unveils his latest Skyspace near Hardangerfjord in southern Norway. 

“James Turrell has shaped much of his career around the ethereal matter of light, air, and space. Arguably the renowned American artist’s most significant contribution has been the innumerable Skyspace installations he’s conceived and realized throughout the world. Conceived with the technical expertise of architecture practice A-Works, Hardanger Skyspace is the 82nd iteration of its kind. The monolithic pavilion was commissioned by the village of Øystese, nearby Kunsthuset Kabuso, and Voss Folk Museum to sit in a park along the Hardangerfjord and Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The northernmost Skyspace to date, this latest installation interacts with acute seasonal fluctuations. Turrell was careful to position the piece so that it could best engage the dramatic setting.” [H/T Artnet News]

Richter Architects creates a new home for a beloved South Texas cultural center.

“It’s big news when a small operation like The Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA) gets a brand-new building. RCA, located 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, hosts exhibitions, events, and workshops in the coastal city of Rockport, Texas. Hurricane Harvey gutted their original building in 2017; since then, the 53-year-old organization has been working out of a temporary space. In 2021, the Corpus Christi–based Richter Architects broke ground on RCA’s permanent home. The buildings are built to be as hurricane-proof as possible. They are reinforced with concrete block, supported by concrete columns, and piled atop an extra deep foundation, according to Texas Architect.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]

Yvon Chouinard receives the British Fashion Council’s outstanding achievement award.

“Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, who transferred his ownership of the company in September to two new entities, the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, will be recognized by the British Fashion Council with the outstanding achievement award at the Fashion Awards. Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the British Fashion Council, organizer of the annual fundraising spectacle and London Fashion Week, said Chouinard is being awarded as he sets ‘a new precedent for responsible businesses.’” [H/T WWD]

Sight and Sound names Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman the greatest film ever.

“For the first time in its 70-year history, an esteemed international poll of film experts has ranked a film directed by a woman as the greatest of all time. Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, written and directed by the Belgian auteur Chantal Akerman and released in 1975, topped a list of 100 films honored by British magazine Sight and Sound’s “Greatest Films of All Time” critics’ poll. Conducted only once a decade, the poll is the largest of its kind and the results have been regarded as an authoritative canon since it was first conducted in 1952. This year, it surveyed more than 1,600 critics, scholars, distributors, curators, archivists, and others.” [H/T The New York Times]

Criticism is mounting over the newly reopened Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

“Serious concerns are being raised about the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). Initial high praise was tempered by consternation over the unusual furniture, including a seat in the shape of a camel, and the white floors, scuffed after a matter of days according to Twitter commentators. Now—as the backdrop to ongoing protests against funding cuts for Antwerp’s art students—museum professionals, academics, collectors, and regular visitors are concerned by matters ranging from aesthetic choices and curatorial decisions to management of staff and finances. The museum’s leadership dismisses the criticisms as coming from conservative voices in the museum world.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]

Judy Chicago and Nadya Tolokonnikova create a feminist artwork on the blockchain.

“As the feminist gains of the past 50 years are slipping away, feminist artist Judy Chicago teamed up with Nadya Tolokonnikova, of the collective Pussy Riot, to transform her “What if Women Ruled the World?” series into a participatory art project. This new version is enabled by blockchain with the hopes of spawning a Web3 community dedicated to gender rights. The question was at the center of a series of works Judy Chicago made in 2020 for a Dior catwalk. The banners, large textile works in gold, purple, and green fabrics, each represented a response to it. “Would there be equal parenting?” asked one banner. Another posed the query: “Would there be private property?” On the Web3 platform DMINTI, and on a related website, Chicago’s series of banners, each with their own question, are clickable. A form follows where the viewer can respond to the prompt in 150 characters, or with an image. Selected responses will be gathered and made into an NFT.” [H/T ARTnews]

Just Stop Oil may start slashing paintings to escalate its climate change protests.

“Just Stop Oil says they may consider slashing valuable paintings if the government doesn’t meet their demands. The environmental activists hit the headlines last month after they targeted a series of high-profile paintings across Europe with paint and food. But now the pressure group is warning it will escalate its protests to highlight its cause. A spokesperson said: “If no action is taken to end new oil and gas, ordinary people might actively consider slashing paintings as the Suffragettes did and yes, if the government does not address our demand for no new oil, we will consider escalating our actions.” Just Stop Oil are demanding government officials halt all licensing for fossil fuel production in the UK, and have caused severe disruptions to the public while getting their message across.” [H/T Independent]

Today’s attractive distractions:

Researchers say dissolvable cranberry film may replace plastic packaging.

Here’s why some museums are intentionally showing forged masterpieces.

Ruby Silvious gathers thousands of used tea bags for a full-size garment.

This new dinosaur species is being compared to a “swimming velociraptor.”