May You Live in Less Interesting Times
Hyperallergic’s “May You Live in Less Interesting Times,” edited by Hakim Bishara, links current art-world controversies to the Venice Biennale theme “May You Live in Interesting Times,” used by Ralph Rugoff for the 58th International Art Exhibition in 2019. The piece reports that the Venice Biennale’s international jury resigned collectively, apparently following its statement that countries accused of crimes against humanity—specifically Israel and Russia—would not be considered for awards. It also highlights Hakan Topal’s essay on the corporatization of American higher education, citing that from 1976 to 2011 administrative jobs at US universities grew by 369% while full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty grew by 23%. The roundup further notes items including a Center for Craft call for up to four $5,000 fellowships for a 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship and reporting on Venice Biennale fundraising and sanctions-related workarounds.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Spotlight Returns, and the Market Races