Artnet

The Dark Side of the Biennial Boom – The biennial model is “stale, if not dead,” declares Francesco Bonami, a former Venice Biennale artistic director. To keep the 2019 edition fresh, Ralph Rugoff reveals that he had wanted to invite 100 artists to Venice and have them in residence for months—but the idea proved prohibitively expensive. Another Venice alum, Massimiliano Gioni, defends sprawling exhibitions, saying: “I am tired of the international sport of biennial bashing.” There are plenty to bash: Zürich researchers counted 316 biennials in total, up from fewer than 50 in the 1980s. (In Other Words)

Moscow Museum Bans Group Discussion – The State Tretyakov Gallery is facing backlash after it announced that, in an effort to combat “illegal” tours, only certified guides with special badges would be allowed to talk about the work on view. A professor from Moscow State University and his students were escorted out of the gallery by guards who said the group lacked “proper accreditation.” Following the blowback, the museum has said it will review how its crackdown on unlicensed guides is enforced. (The Art Newspaper) …Read More

Pictured: Curator Francesco Bonami | courtesy Francesco Bonami.