“It is the certainty that they possess the truth that makes men cruel.” -Anatole France
Knowledge, they say, is power. But in this age of unlimited information, some knowledge – indeed some power – is rooted in nothing, born of non-truths and dangerous theories that have taken on a life of their own to become reality’s competing narrative. It is a song that will not stop, this relentless hum of misinformation cluttering every aspect of our movements in the world. The price of instant knowledge, it seems, is steep and threatens to unravel us with a tapestry of lies.
Gina Apostol joined us in early September from New York City where she had just returned the week we spoke after leaving in March 2020 when her school shut down. She spent the pandemic living with her partner in Massachusetts and teaching remotely. The stress of the pandemic made her more prolific in terms of work, allowing her to finish a novel during her time in lockdown. The novel began as one story, but it changed during a time of global mourning to being a book about the loss of Apostol’s mother. To hear more including an extensive discussion of the violent situation in the Phillippines, listen to the complete interview.
Adam Zaretsky spoke to us from Greece where he was in the midst of a personal pandemic curveball situation that has seen him bi-coastal between New York City and Corfu, Greece. After leaving his academic job, he embarked on a full-time art career, actively pursuing his own dreams. Zaretsky’s focus for the last 20 years or so is the cross-section of art and CRISPR babies. To hear his take on the topic of genetically modified fetuses and how it enters into his work, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Check your information. And then check it again.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. The work of Gina Apostol can be explored here. To learn about the genome of the Yangtze River Dolphin and dive into the area of knowledge in which Adam Zaretsky works, follow this link.
Deadlines:
Vestige Gallery is holding a current open call for Like Clockwork, an exhibition that seeks to showcase the nature of time. This call is open to all artists age 18 and older. There will be an in-person opening reception on January 8 for those artists selected. For full details visit the website. Deadline for submissions is December 11.
From 24 June to 20 August 2021, Marian Goodman Gallery and Holt/Smithson Foundation will present the first exhibition of Robert Smithson’s work in the gallery’s New York space. The exhibition, Abstract Cartography, will focus on a crucial five-year period in Smithson’s development: 1966 to 1971, a time when his “inklings of earthworks” began. This careful selection of artworks will trace Smithson’s radical rethinking of what art could be and where it could be found.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius, and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius. His book, Making it in the Art World, is available now with bonus content here.