This n' That: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Photo by Koshu Kunii on Unsplash
Freedom of the press lost in during national police brutality protests
Black Lives Matter protests continue nationally through another weekend in light of Goerge Floyd’s murder. Police in riot gear continue to violently push back against protests and looting with tear gas and rubber bullets. In an authoritarian vein, journalists have been one of the many people attacked by police in these protests even after showing press passes. Linda Tirado, a freelance photographer, was shot with a rubber bullet while covering a protest and lost her left eye.
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White art institutions try to support black artists
Art institutions are criticized for their handling of the Black Lives Matter protests and George Floyd’s murder, and come off tone death or silent in attempts to support of the movement. The art world always has been in the trenches of political debates, but as historically white dominated institutions, they struggle with supporting and uplifting black voices. The Metropolitan Opera tweeted that there is no “place for racism in the arts” but never had black person star in a performance.
Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash
Seminal artists Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, known simply as Christos, died at 84
Born in Bulgaria, Christo worked with his wife Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon to make vibrant landscape art around the world. Together, known only as Christo and Jean-Claude, transformed familiar cities and made them novel and exotic. Christo continued to work on their art even after his wife died in 2009, and is survived by his son Cyril Christo, a photographer.
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The Leica Store ransacked in another night of protests
Last Sunday night the Leica Store in SoHo was looted during a night of Black Lives Matter protests. Elliot Kurland, the owner of the store, wanted to defend his business that night but was deterred by a family member, “My brother said, 'don't go, you'll get killed,'" saying in a CBS interview. Christiane Lemieux, a neighbor, witnessed the looting and tried to lock up the equipment the night of the looting. Lemieux sympathized with the protests but told CBS, “This is a man, this isn't a corporation."
