The Whitney Biennial Called. How Will They Answer?

So hypocritical. If the artists were truly committed artists they would withdraw en masse and end the biennial period. Spray tear gas in the galleries. What a joke having a trustee aiding the persecution of migrants and then "pretending" to be political. I don't buy it.

I've rarely seen decent art at any of the Whitney's Biennials. Commercially, I can see how these artists might succeed - as far the general public is concerned - but aesthetically, it's a mark of not quite being up to the mark. At least this has been the case historically. The Whitney is a commercial organization, not an art organization.

no such thing. art is a creation of or our imagination. all the insisting and posturing doesn't really change that. the huge industry buying and selling the residue doesn't change that. in the universe some things are real and some things are imagined; us all dancing the ART dance can't change that. it starts to take on the aspects of religion and we all know how that works out. we have always made art and probably always will but the whole deal will be much friendlier if we stop stomping around, braying about how much we know about it. at it's best it is love and magic, at it's worst it is more pollution gumming up our health.

Another round of mediocre art at the Whitney.

Happy to see Todd Gray and other artists of color included in the Biennial this year. Having curators like Rujeko Hockley at the Whitney goes a long way towards widening the net that is cast, and this year's selection of artists reflect that. As more curators of color continue to populate American museums we'll see more and more exhibitions that truly reflect the wonderfully diverse nature of contemporary (and historical) art production, which is as diverse as the American family itself.

Taking a quick one over at the images of the artists' work in this article I am hopeful. Last year the Whitney Biennial was so, well, thin. One dimensional. I came with an open mind and really, really wanted to like some of the work? All of the work? A bit of the work...thin was the word that kept coming up in my mind. I barely remembered any of it. The painting of Mr. Philando Castile was very good. I thought the Emmett Till painting was at the very least thought provoking but that was last year...good luck artists. I will go forth with an open mind.

When "art" gets mixed up with politics, art loses. Evidence: these artists gesturing wildly on the sidelines of life--lookame!--and appearing in the chorus line of careerists. Lots of thoughts, not so much skill and--god forbid--beauty. Burnishing their resumes--indeed!

Please, let’s not act like this is some high stakes culture contest or something. It’s the Whitney Biennial. It is a market prop. Everyone wins. It’s function is to produce or augment the market for select artists. The artists win, the galleries win, the collectors win. And all the identity politics is just a cherry on top to make rich collectors and other thoroughly elite art world actors feel radical.

From this small sample it looks as though this will be quite a dynamic show. While I am empathetic with Decolonize I am excited that most of the artists did not take a political stand by refusing to show this time around. It would be an act of self exclusion in a world of limited opportunities for both artists and audiences to engage - perhaps another form of colonization from an unexpected end of the political spectrum that needs to be examined. I look forward to seeing the work and benefiting from these artists efforts.

The focus on everybody but white male straight americans (which I am) is okay. I guess. Do you think that the everybody else cares whether this makes my life better or not? I mean. I hope that it does. It isn't as though there haven't been compelling members of the non-me group: David Hammons, Martin Puryear, Jasper Johns, Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois. Is it mostly just important that we get a taste of institutional exclusion to even the playing field?