I’m confused. I understand that "in the late 1980s and early 1990s, [a political wave] encompassed artists’ response to the AIDS crisis and what became known as ‘‘identity art,'’ which plumbed multiculturalism." But has the art world undergone such a formalist and conceptual turn that it makes sense to speak of art "reengaging with social and political issues"? Undoubtedly some readers will be far more up on the contemporary art scene to answer that better than I could, but my feeling is that the answer to the question would be a resounding "no."
The article itself points out that the ICA is running a film series now. Bully for them. I’ve actually wondered why the art museums don’t program avant-garde film as part of their mission. Documentary, too. But why, oh why, must we suffer another pun on "reel"/"real"?
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