“You cannot wait for an untroubled world to have an untroubled moment.”
-Lemony Snicket, Shouldn’t You Be in School?
When it seems like everything around you is turning upside down, perhaps it’s time to close your eyes for a moment. There’s no shame in stepping out of the raging current and giving yourself time to unwind the tension wires that have become tight and tangled. Even if your moment of peace is merely that, a moment, relish and revel in it. Do not let guilt in. It has no place here. You cannot spend every moment of every day in anxiety and fear.
Will Stovall joined us to discuss his show Kant Crisis, which was on view until July 12 at Ulrik Gallery in NYC. The show includes various works from the last two years, but the title derives from one in particular that draws inspiration from a drawing of an arch by German writer Heinrich von Kleist. To learn more about this and other aspects of the show and Stovall’s work, listen to the complete interview.
Paco Barragán joined us from Spain in 2022. We spoke about his book and his current curatorial work. He also discussed his philosophy as a curator, explaining that the curator now acts as narrator, whereas before, the “total curator” served as narrator, mythologist, and exhibition designer. To learn more about this and why Barragán believes the so-called “white cube” is dead, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Breathe. Move. Release. Even if only for a moment.
Outings
Join me at Andrew Edlin Gallery for CO₂ Blues, an exhibition of work by the late Melvin Way
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More books to read
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis member Kevin is reading The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson.
Opportunities
The EGPAF invites global illustrators to depict “What does an AIDS-free generation mean to you?” For more information, visit the website. Deadline is July 31.