Exactly none of these stories made me see the "Art World" any differently. I worked in it, and for. many of it's prominent figures in the 90's-2000's and it rings exactly the same.
The "Rugged Bruce Naumann" trope about how he rubs elbows with Cowboys and Diner Restaurant owners out West there in "Real World" land has been going on for forever now.
Ditto for the "Zany, Crazy Haired, Greying, Jewish Aunt with Tatoos" Kiki Smith, Nan Goldin and Judy Chicago takes.
Don't get me started on the new "Infant Terrible" - Daren Bader. Yeah buddy, soak it up and take your seat seat behind Uber-Art Contrarians Jeff Koons, Damien Hurst (used drugs in art 20 years ago) the Chapman Brothers (penises for noses Elfin figure installations). Paul McCarthy (the Fecal Santa). Mathew "Weirdo Bagpiper" Barney and of course Andy. (You all ain't got nothin' on Duchamp).
Every time a snotty contrarian comes down the pike, the art world just eats it up and the snake eats its own tail.
Though I like Weems work we of course see the two "minority voices" always and ever so thoughtfully included/curated since the politically correct revolution of the 90's (Kara Walker, Fred Wilson, et all)
Ain't nothin changed in "White Box Land"
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Such as great range of artists and topics.
Real estate and art are inexorably linked. Artists looking for cheap rent can revise a neighborhood (or a city)--think SoHo, Williamsburg, etc.
But as the area develops and thrives over time, rents rise, pushing out artists.
Cheap spaces in New York might exist in The Bronx or some parts of Queens, but that's about it.
As artists are pushed out, a major cultural identity is lost--impacting the original draw for others to the City in the first place (think Amazon in LIC--not that they came for the art, but for diversity that draws in the people that want to work for them).
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