Should We Care What Hegel Thought of Art?

Podcast: Paul McCarthy; Tarantino's movie criticism; Ayo Akingbade's competing worlds; the year in books |

View this email in your browser Big Important Guys This week, Tom Whyman reports on the biggest philosophy news of the year: the discovery of a new stash of Hegel's manuscripts on art and aesthetics. With his ideas about art's relationship to truth – charting a path forward for aesthetics in the wake of the turning-inward of religion and the scientific revolution – Hegel's played a seminal role in how we think about beauty and freedom. And yet, Whyman asks: do we really need more Hegel? When we want to ask big questions like 'Is it art's purpose to give objective expression to something about our society and culture?', might it actually be helpful to do so with philosophers whose work we have less of, not more? Elsewhere on artreview.com: headphones on for our latest podcast, featuring legendary artist Paul McCarthy, who discusses his musical influences and a mysterious meeting with a man who may have been chess prodigy Bobby Fischer; Toby Lichtig considers 2022 in books; Alexander Leissle reflects on the industrial and pastoral worlds of Ayo Akingbade; Caitlin Quinlan assesses Tarantino's attempt at film criticism; Max Crosbie-Jones spends time with Orawan Arunrak's slowed-down mode of artmaking; and much more. En Liang Khong, Director of Digital A Line in the Sand After the news this autumn that a large stash of new Hegel manuscripts had been discovered, Tom Whyman asks: do we need more of the great idealist philosopher's lectures on aesthetics? read now Podcast: Life in Music Paul McCarthy is less known for his work as a musician, though he has been active as an improvising sound artist since his days in music school. Ross Simonini speaks with the artist as they delve into his sensibility of noise and collage. listen now Competing Worlds Two new films by Ayo Akingbade at London's Chisenhale Gallery capture, for Alexander Leissle, a double-sided view of Nigeria. Content to observe rather than intervene, Akingbade finds something mutable between industrial and internal experiences. read now The Year in Books While ongoing saga-mergers, chat-bots and BookTok stole the headlines, 2022 was a good year for independent publishers. Toby Lichtig retraces his steps through a year of reading, mourning and literary breakthrough. read now Look Away Quentin Tarantino's recent pivot to film criticism is a logical next step for a vocal cinephile looking to enthusiastically show off his expertise. Equally unsurprising, for Caitlin Quinlan, is the honeyed and conservative picture he paints of cinema. read now Let Orawan Arunrak Be Your Guide The Thai-born, Berlin-based artist's sojourns and social engagements prompt slow considerations of fast lives. In them, Max Crosbie-Jones finds they uncover a sense of selfhood amid movement. read now Black Figuration Matthew Blackman attends When We See Us at Zeitz MOCAA, and finds in the show a litany of remarkable histories, practices and attitudes towards subjectivity – too long overlooked by a more global artworld. read now The Paradox of Art-as-Activism In light of two recent books on the place of activism in art, and at a flashpoint for the topic in the contemporary artworld, J.J. Charlesworth mines the ambiguities of demanding that 'high culture' be abolished while its institutions remain. read now Not subscribed yet? Sign up to ArtReview's newsletters © 2022 ArtReview Ltd. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at www.artreview.com or the previous digital magazine website Our mailing address is: ArtReview Ltd. 1 Honduras Street London, England EC1Y 0TH United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.