OLD NEWS

JANUARY THAW BRINGS TINY DISCOVERIES by Mary Holland
<https://tinyurl.com/53hbt4v6>
The Northeast experienced what some refer to as a “January thaw” this week – a few days of unseasonably warm temperatures which usually occur in mid-to late-January. During this “thaw” period, which usually lasts for about a week, temperatures are generally about 10 °F above normal. The physical reason for this phenomenon is somewhat elusive, but the most widely accepted view is shifting jet stream patterns.
During a January thaw is prime time to look for certain small creatures, such as Snowfleas and Winter Crane Flies, which tend to appear during warmer winter days. Tiny Snowfleas (1/16th of an inch long), a type of springtail, climb up from the leaf litter to the surface of the snow, where they use an abdominal appendage called a furcula to propel themselves upward and outward, resembling specks of pepper in constant motion.
Winter Crane Flies, also called Winter Midges or Winter Gnats, also can be seen on warm, winter days. Superficially resembling large mosquitoes, these insects have reduced or no mouthparts, and they only live a few days.
Make the most of any warm winter day, not just in January, by closely inspecting the snow’s surface! _NaturallyCurious

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PERFORM
<https://tinyurl.com/5e8zny92> _DavidShrigley

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LOS LADRILLOS DE ÉTANT DONNÉS by greg
<https://tinyurl.com/4s9wd6ab>
I realize that he spent twenty years working on Étant donnés, so why does it still surprise me that Marcel Duchamp sourced the door AND the bricks for the arch from BF Spain?
<https://tinyurl.com/2eywx8um>
The door came from a town called La Bisbal, where Marcel and Teeny went doorscouting in the early 1960s, I guess? It was only in the summer of 1968, though, that Duchamp selected 150 bricks for the doorway arch, to be shipped to the US by a contractor in Cadaqués, his regular vacation spot. [Presumably, Duchamp was trying to match the crumbled brick wall already included in the work, which frames the nude mannequin and landscape. presumably brought back from Spain at some earlier date.
<https://tinyurl.com/mvp527y9>
Until the bricks arrived, Duchamp put up a row of brick-shaped vinyl tiles as placeholders in the 11th St studio where the Étant donnés diorama was constructed (or reconstructed, because he’d already had to move it once).
Duchamp, of course, never took delivery of the bricks. He died in October 1968, and in anticipation of the disassembly and move of Étant donnés, Teeny had it photographed by Denise Browne Hare in December.
The bricks, meanwhile, went on their own convoluted journey, and the shipping and customs delays getting them caused weeks of drama for the Philadelphia Museum, which was rushing to secretly install the work before word got out—and before Teeny left to Spain for the summer.
It’s so chill now, but the entire saga of Étant donnés is buck wild, from the secrecy of its creation; the logistics of its acquisition and installation; the sheer institutional freakout over its existence, voyeur/creeper and nudity factors; and the paranoia and draconian constraints over its documentation and reproduction. <https://tinyurl.com/4jmx6z2b>
They all culminate in the tragicomedy of, of all people, Arturo Schwarz, Duchamp’s dealer and the editor of his catalogue raisonné, WHICH WAS READY TO GO, only finding out about the existence of Étant donnés as it was being dismantled in NYC and shipped to Philadelphia, and literally writing the CR text on it at the museum as soon as it opened to the public. He then proceeded to politely rage for permission to photograph the work for the second edition of the CR, which the museum was absolutely too terrified to do. Schwarz was forced to reproduce bootleg snapshots taken through the work’s peephole.
The sweet irony is that all this extraordinary detail is laid out in full in Michael R. Taylor’s 2009 book, Marcel Duchamp: Étant donnés. The Genesis, Construction, Installation, and Legacy of a Secret Masterwork, published on the work’s 40th anniversary by the Philadelphia Museum. I have a copy somewhere, but it’s so much easier to read on this heroic Slovenian artist’s website <https://tinyurl.com/44cn4j6f> [shruggie emoji]. _greg.org

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THE MOUNT WASHINGTON POST
<https://tinyurl.com/zsbk6wv4> _LisaAnneAuerbach

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12. MARTHA EARL SAMPLER by Rainey Knudson
<https://tinyurl.com/5ek6rzud>
Even when a sampler is stitched with a name and a date, we still so often have no idea who the girl was who made it. A common note in online museum collections about the maker of a given sampler is “Nothing is known about the life of...” All we know is that, centuries ago, a girl sat down—willingly or unwillingly—and made this thing requiring focus and precision, and it might have been the only time in her life when she named herself in her own hand.
Across socioeconomic lines, from charity schoolgirls demonstrating their employable skills to daughters of wealthy families signaling their refinement, most girls made samplers in the early centuries of the country. Many of them survive because they were valued items, sometimes framed and hung in the house.
In the 1970s, the National Archives photographed millions of historical documents from families who had applied for pensions based on service during the Revolutionary War. In a few cases, researchers were surprised to discover samplers tucked between the handwritten depositions and affidavits. Because documentation could be difficult to come by, families would occasionally produce unofficial records, including samplers, as proof of identity, which the government accepted.
This sampler by Martha Earl was such a document. It is a beginner’s piece of work, likely made when she was about six years old, around 1787. Many samplers include verses concerning death, and Martha’s poignant text demonstrates an awareness, even at her young age, that life is fleeting:
Martha Earl is my/ name
Hackensack is/ my station
Heaven/ is my dwelling [place]/
And Christ is my [sal/v]ation
When I [am]/ dead and in my grav/
- e and all my bones/ are rotten
For/ this you sea remem/ber me
That I are/ not forgottin/
She was born August/ 1 AD 1781
ABCDEFGHI _TheImpatientReader

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ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, EGGPLANT
<https://tinyurl.com/55mz45dm>
and Coconuts, both 1985
<https://tinyurl.com/3yucyjnk> _MichaelLobel

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ANA MENDIETA’S INJURED EARTH
<https://tinyurl.com/4xn2ehx4>
​​​​In a 2021 interview about Ana Mendieta: Fuego de Tierra, the film’s co-director, Nereida Garcia-Ferraz, spoke about locating one of the artist’s “earth-body” artworks, as she called them. “The day we found the Black Venus behind a natural veil of foliage was magical. Nature had protected her work.” Garcia-Ferraz is most likely referring to “La Venus Negra” (1981), an elemental feminine figure carved into the surface of a cave in Cuba’s Jaruco State Park. A photograph of this piece is one of several such images, including those from her famed Silueta series (1973–80) and her subsequent Rupestrian Sculptures (1981) works, in Ana Mendieta: Back to the Source
The silhouettes in the photographs — pressed into a grassy field, floating within a body of water, set in mud and then filled with blood-red pigment — convey absence upon first glance. That makes sense: Mendieta was displaced from her birthplace of Cuba at the age of 12 as part of Operation Peter Pan, a program that relocated children to the United States without their parents during the Cuban Revolution; she ended up in an orphanage and foster homes in Iowa, only returning to visit Cuba as an adult.
<https://tinyurl.com/4b7s7dsj>
Yet Garcia-Ferraz’s story of discovery casts a different light on “La Venus Negra” and related works by attesting to the artwork’s continued presence — a trace of the artist that remained long after she and many others have come and gone from the spot.
Mendieta’s trace is everywhere in her art. In the poetic “Ñañigo Burial” (1976), named for an Afro-Cuban religious brotherhood, 47 black candles compose the outline of a feminine form, filling in the body as they melt. And though many of her earthworks have been erased by time, her intervention subtly alters the way that stone erodes or vegetation grows.
<https://tinyurl.com/3fnmjauj>
Her performances were more collaborations with the earth than the actions of an individual taking place upon or within it; she said of the Siluetas, “It is a way of reclaiming my roots and becoming one with nature.” The work can also speak to the human imprint on the Earth in the form of those artificial borders that are destructive to both nature and the people who are exiled from one territory or refused entry into another. The only boundaries in her pieces are those that delimit the body, and they are no more than ephemeral evidence of a meeting between the human and the land, one living entity and another.
<https://tinyurl.com/3mx7t6wn>
That’s not to disregard the political dimensions of the work in favor of a utopian communion with nature. For instance, a text on view for an exhibition in Mendieta’s lifetime about the “Black Venus” tells the story of a Black woman in early 19th-century Cuba who passively refused enslavement by colonial Spaniards. Though “La Venus Negra,” and its Iowa predecessor, “Black Venus” (1980), can just as readily refer to the story of Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman (sometimes called “Black Venus”) who was abused and forced into a traveling sideshow in the early 19th century, and to Mendieta’s own forced exile as a child.
<https://tinyurl.com/39snyerr>
“Grass Breathing” (1975) stands out because Mendieta is truly absent from view; instead, a patch of grass in a green Iowa field vibrates, first almost indiscernibly, but finally, heaving like a body gasping for air. Though the artist lies beneath it, causing the movement, it comes across to me as the ultimate expression of an injured Earth. There’s much more that can be said of Mendieta’s art, but as humans increasingly destroy the natural environment, this piece says so much that needs to be heard right now.
<https://tinyurl.com/2swrvdwm> _Natalie Haddad_Hyperallergic

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NEW YOU MONDOVI, WI
<https://tinyurl.com/4yxp3mbs> _RuralIndexingProject

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ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG HEADLINES SMITHSONIAN’S AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
<https://tinyurl.com/33bmcfy6>
An exhibition devoted to Robert Rauschenberg will headline the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum when it reopens its Flight and Arts Center in July following a multi-million-dollar renovation.
“The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight” features 30 works by the American Pop artist—some never before shown—tracing how themes of flight and space exploration ran through his six-decade career.
A key figure of the mid-century New York art scene and widely regarded as the first postmodern artist, Rauschenberg blended Dadaist influences with early Pop Art sensibilities. He was fascinated by aeronautics and references to all types of flight appeared throughout his diverse body of work.
<https://tinyurl.com/56bw5skt>
Birds crop up regularly in his compositions, like in his early work, Canyon (1959), part of his series of “Combines” which melded painting and sculptural practices, which features a protruding eagle. In 1963, he collaborated with the choreographer Merce Cunningham to create Pelican, a dance performance inspired by avian flight which saw dancers roller skate with a parachute attached to their back in an attempt to make them airborne.
In a 1996 interview, Rauschenberg said that the artwork other than his own that he most wished he could have created was “to have been around to help the Wright brothers work on their concept of flying bicycles.” A hint of this wheeled flying machine can be seen in his 1974 work Kitty Hawk.
<https://tinyurl.com/399fxpn9>
Space flight also captured his interest. In the late 1960s, the artist took part in a residency at NASA, working to documenting Apollo 11’s pioneering journey to the moon on July 20, 1969, which the artist was invited to watch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. His lithograph Sky Garden (Stoned Moon)—an over seven-foot-tall lithograph and screenprint inspired by Apollo 11’s mission—will be a centerpiece of the upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian.
Smithsonian curator Carolyn Russo said, for the artist, flight wasn’t just a subject, “it was a metaphor for freedom and artistic possibility.” She hopes the upcoming exhibition will “offer a richer understanding of Robert Rauschenberg’s innovative techniques, sustained legacy, and unique perspective on all things that fly.”
<https://tinyurl.com/yeupnu5c> _Verity Babbs_artnet

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THE INTERIOR OF THE PALAZZO DORIA D’ANGRI IN NAPLES,
designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, Ferdinano Fuga, and others,
back before IKEA existed
<https://tinyurl.com/y9rtdupc> _JesseLocker

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PRADO CANNOT BE LIKE ‘THE METRO AT RUSH HOUR’, SAYS MADRID MUSEUM’S CHIEF
<https://tinyurl.com/48cs8rwn>
The head of the Prado has said the Madrid art museum does not need “a single visitor more” after it welcomed a record 3.5 million people last year, adding that plans are being drawn up to ensure it does not become a victim of its own success like the Louvre in Paris.
In 2025 the Prado, which is home to such masterpieces as Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, was visited by 3,513,402 people, an increase of more than 56,000 from the previous year. Visitor numbers have risen by more than 816,000 over the past decade.
While some museum bosses would be toasting such a success, the Prado’s director, Miguel Falomir, is treating it with caution. “The Prado doesn’t need a single visitor more,” he told a press conference on Wednesday. “We feel comfortable with 3.5 million. A museum’s success can collapse it, like the Louvre, with some rooms becoming oversaturated. The important thing is not to collapse.”
Falomir said the museum had embarked on a new project, called Plan Host, to prioritise quality over quantity and to try to improve or at least maintain visitors’ museum experience.
“It can’t be like catching the Metro at rush hour,” said the director, who has been in his post since 2017. “You can’t judge a museum on visitor numbers. The quantity isn’t as important as the quality; there should be a diverse and inclusive range of visitors
Falomir said 65% of visitors last year were from overseas and he would like to see more Spaniards taking advantage of one of the country’s greatest cultural treasures. Among the plans for improving the quality of visits are optimising entrances to the museum, rethinking the size of visiting groups, and making sure people know they are not allowed to take photos in the galleries. _GuardianUK

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BERLIN - INSTITUTE FOR HYGIENE AND MICROBIOLOGY
<https://tinyurl.com/52xrz4d8> _Brutalismbot

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LOUVRE’S TICKET PRICE GOES UP BY 45%
Long lines beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid in Paris have become as much a part of the experience as the “ Mona Lisa ” itself.
Now the Louvre is putting a higher price on that pilgrimage, raising admission prices on Wednesday for most non-European visitors by nearly half as it tries to shore up finances after repeated strikes, chronic overcrowding — and a brazen French Crown Jewels heist that shook the institution.
The museum said the 45% price hike to 32 euros ($37) from 22 euros is part of a national “differentiated pricing” policy announced early last year that’s coming into force across major cultural sites, including the Versailles Palace, the Paris Opera and the Sainte-Chapelle.
But French worker unions have denounced the Louvre ticketing change, saying it undermines the universal mission of the world’s most visited museum — home to the “Venus de Milo” and the “Winged Victory of Samothrace.”
The change affects visitors from most non-EU countries, including the United States, which typically accounts for the majority of the Louvre’s foreign tourists. _AP

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TIRED OF ALL THOSE GEORGE W. BUSH PAINTINGS?
Here, have some Jimmy Carter painting
<https://tinyurl.com/25b9dcev> _‪PeterHuestis‬

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MET WORKERS VOTE TO JOIN LOCAL 2110 UAW
Nearly 1,000 salaried and hourly workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art voted on Friday to join Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers (UAW), creating one of the nation’s largest museum unions.
The new union, approved by a vote of 542-172, comprises staff from across 50 departments at the Met, including curators, conservators, librarians, visitor experience coordinators, and archivists. According to a statement from Local 2110, roughly 100 ballots remain sealed due to a management challenge, which objected to their inclusion in the union. Whether they will ultimately join the union will be decided through “a mutually agreed upon arbitration process” after the union is officially certified by the National Labor Relations Board, the statement added. (Two separate, smaller unions already represented security guards and projectionists at the museum.) _ARTnews

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MCKENZIE’S ‘FOREIGN POWER’ DEFENCE FOR CANCELLING VENICE BIENNALE ARTWORK FALLS FLAT
<https://tinyurl.com/3483jcu9>
Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie’s claim that his cancellation of artist Gabrielle Goliath’s work selected for the 2026 Venice Biennale was a “patriotic” act intended to protect the South African Pavilion from being hijacked by a “foreign power” pushing its own “geopolitical message about the actions of Israel in Gaza” appears to be a red herring.
Daily Maverick has evidence that the “foreign power” McKenzie refers to — which is actually Qatar Museums, a cultural institution — had lost interest in purchasing a video recording of Elegy, Goliath’s work that was to be performed in Venice, well before the minister sought to interfere in its content on 22 December.
According to a chronology of events that Daily Maverick has pieced together through several WhatsApp exchanges between key players and interviews, a representative of Qatar Museums had conversations with the organising team for the South African Pavilion in early December about purchasing the artwork, or works, selected by South Africa. This conversation was initiated — almost in passing, according to insiders — in November 2025 during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, when no artist had yet been selected.
Following the selection committee’s internal confirmation on 6 December of Goliath as South Africa’s sole representative, the conversation between the organising team and the Qatar Museums representative resumed on 8 December. This was one of multiple conversations being held simultaneously with several potential funders at the time. Daily Maverick has confirmed the identity of the Qatar Museums representative, who agreed to share the information on the condition of anonymity. _DailyMaverick.ZA

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SCHJELDAHL:
"I decided long ago that I’m not going to take the developments of the world personally.
Nobody gets up in the morning with the intention of making me feel bad.
If I feel bad, it’s on me." _AndrewRusseth

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THE ART WORLD IS BACK OUTSIDE AND IT’S ALREADY UNHINGED
Week two of 2026 and the art world is back like Luann after rehab: reflective for one confessional, loudly optimistic by the second, and immediately doing exactly what it did before. There was supposed to be a pause. A reset. Maybe even some growth. Instead, the coats are still on, the calendars are already feral, and everyone is announcing they’re “in a really good place” while sprinting straight back to the same dinners, parties, and power games.
If you’ve ever watched The Real Housewives of New York City, you know this move. A chaotic season. A public reckoning. A brief disappearance. Then a triumphant return to lunch like the past was handled responsibly off-camera. That’s the art world right now. The Winter Show is coming. Museums are reopening. Donors are thawing. The choreography is tight, the vibes are expensive, and the memory is aggressively selective.
<https://tinyurl.com/mtpr4pwp>
Everyone is back. Everyone has a story. Everyone swears they’re fine. The rooms are full, the drinks are strong, and the season is already lying to itself. Let’s get into it.
Inbox Alert: Stefan Simchowitz Wants Daddy’s Attention
Over the past few months, I’ve been receiving a steady stream of surprisingly complimentary emails from controversial art collector Stefan Simchowitz. Yes, that Stefan. The former Republican gubernatorial candidate for California reached out again as recently as yesterday to tell me how much he enjoyed the Jeff Magid piece, which is notable given that he once blocked me.
<https://tinyurl.com/ymhv4m78>
Daddy’s working theory is that this all traces back to the 2023 Daddies, when Stefan was awarded Most Likely to Cheat on You With Another Gallery. Since then, the energy has shifted. Time heals all wounds, reputations recalibrate, and apparently Stefan would now like to talk. So let this be the official response: Stefan, you have my email. If you’d like to go on the record and sit in the Daddy Hot Seat for my now-legendary Seven Questions With The Art Daddy, say the word. _TheArtDaddy

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ART BASEL QATAR FACES UNCERTAINTY AS TENSIONS RISE IN THE GULF
As tensions escalate in the Gulf amid Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests, concerns have grown in the art trade about traveling to Doha for the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar in early February, especially following reports this week that some U.S. and U.K. military personnel were being withdrawn from a base near the Qatari capital.
Some exhibiting dealers, who wished to remain anonymous, said that they are monitoring the situation, although they still intend to participate. One prospective attendee told me that they may wait until the last minute to book flights to the fair in order to remain responsive to the situation. _artnet

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WHITE LOTUS, (NYMPHAEA ODORATA), UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, BENGAL, INDIA, CA. 1800
<https://tinyurl.com/39tse96h> _RabihAlameddine