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Dan Duray

Dan Duray

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One Fine Show: “Strange Realities, The Symbolist Imagination” at the Art Institute of Chicago

One Fine Show: “Strange Realities, The Symbolist Imagination” at the Art Institute of Chicago

Symbolism swept the colder parts of Europe and can be considered a response to Impressionism's fascination with the visible world.

14.11.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

Abang-Guard Talk Labor, Legacy and “Makibaka” at the Queens Museum

Abang-Guard Talk Labor, Legacy and “Makibaka” at the Queens Museum

Through paintings, performances and installations, the artist duo bridges personal heritage with broader struggles for equity and recognition.

12.11.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Five Friends” at Museum Ludwig in Köln

One Fine Show: “Five Friends” at Museum Ludwig in Köln

This new exhibition is somehow the first to examine John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly in the context of...

05.11.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Robert Rauschenberg, Fabric Works of the 1970s” at the Menil Collection

One Fine Show: “Robert Rauschenberg, Fabric Works of the 1970s” at the Menil Collection

The exhibition mines an underexplored and experimental aspect of the artist's practice, one particularly suited for our fashion-oriented times.

31.10.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

Juana Williams and Julie Egan of DETROIT SALON On Bringing Motor City’s Art to the World

Juana Williams and Julie Egan of DETROIT SALON On Bringing Motor City’s Art to the World

Three exhibitions in Paris positioned Detroit’s creative community on the international stage while celebrating its history of resilience and...

29.10.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

In Anish Kapoor’s Hands, an Offshore Gas Rig Becomes a Call for Climate Accountability

In Anish Kapoor’s Hands, an Offshore Gas Rig Becomes a Call for Climate Accountability

Positioned against the backdrop of rising global temperatures and corporate profits, 'BUTCHERED' challenged viewers to consider who pays for the...

27.10.2025 5

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Michaelina Wautier, Painter’ at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

The exhibition celebrates a long-neglected Flemish Baroque artist who is finally receiving the recognition she's due.

24.10.2025 10

Observer

Dan Duray

Five Years On, Jeff Klingman’s Outline Festival Keeps New York Guessing

Knockdown Center’s architectural versatility lets artists experiment freely with sound and presentation in a setting that encourages creative...

22.10.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Jon Rafman’ at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

"Report a Concern – The Nine Eyes Archives" presents works related to 'The Nine Eyes of Google Street View,' a project the artist began in 2008.

17.10.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘This is What You Get’ at the Ashmolean Museum

Radiohead’s practice is precise and holistic, and the results have proven them to be consistently ahead of the curve in almost every way.

13.10.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘June Crespo, Danzante’ at Secession

This is not art about art; that would be too clever and not immediate enough. The artist's sculptures here are self-sufficient and vital without being...

10.10.2025 6

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Spirit & Splendor – El Greco, Velázquez, and the Hispanic Baroque’ at Blanton Museum of Art

This show brings together the work of two Spanish greats alongside that of Francisco de Zurbarán and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Latin American...

02.10.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Kathy Ryan On Curating Joy Through Different Artists’ Lenses

She recently curated "Joy, in 3 Parts," which debuted simultaneously in New York City, London and Shanghai with new photography by Inez & Vinoodh,...

27.09.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

Saying No for Change: Dawn Chan On Grounding Herself in a Jet-Setting World

What happens when an art critic refuses to fly for fairs, exhibitions and other cultural events?

22.09.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Lesley A. Martin On the New York Art Book Fair’s Legacy, Urgency and Return to MoMA PS1

Printed Matter’s NYABF is, she says, the mothership of all art book fairs.

15.09.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

Architect Moseley Putney On Louisville’s Hidden Histories and Unresolved Cultural Debates

Preservation battles over David Wojnarowicz's mural created for "The Missing Children Show" highlight the tension between the city's artistic heritage...

15.09.2025 10

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Millet, Life on the Land” at The National Gallery in London

The works on view show how Jean-François Millet refused to romanticize the countryside, focusing instead on the grit and dignity of the people who...

11.09.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

Observer’s Top Five Pieces Not to Miss at the 2025 Armory Show

This year, the art isn't bad at all—in fact, there's a lot to love.

06.09.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Why Look at Animals?’ at the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens

Representations of animals are always fraught, as they are laden with baggage about what modernity has both given to us and taken away.

03.09.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Stan Douglas, Ghostlight’ at the Hessel Museum of Art

Nearly forty works from the 1990s through to the present touch on topics like settler colonialism and the complex work of image creation.

29.08.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

At Muzeum Sztuki, Daniel Muzyczuk Unites Civic Mission and Avant-Garde Vision

His appointment as director marks a new chapter for one of the world’s oldest museums of modern art.

27.08.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: Steve McQueen’s ‘Bass’ at the Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel

This unexpected offering from McQueen shows that he’s still challenging himself and finding new ways to get into our heads.

22.08.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Johanna Burton Outlines Her Plans for ICA Philadelphia’s Next Chapter

The incoming director is looking to expand ICA’s reach and impact, focusing on inclusivity and artist-driven research as key pillars for the...

20.08.2025 6

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Virtual Beauty’ at Somerset House in London

The diversity on display in this exhibition makes a convincing case for the self as the final frontier.

16.08.2025 5

Observer

Dan Duray

Inside the Bond & Grace ‘Art Novels’ That Put Artists at the Center of Classic Literature

A unique format reframes well-known books with visual interpretations that challenge and expand the text.

15.08.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

Incoming MCNY Chief Curator Elisabeth Sherman On Getting to Know a Collection

"I’m excited to engage with the city itself as both subject and storyteller," she told Observer.

08.08.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Rose Iron Works and Art Deco’ at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Tastes are shaped through many avenues—craft and architecture, as demonstrated here, are among the most enduring.

08.08.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream…’ at MASS MoCA

The survey spans 25 years of work confronting American violence, memory and power.

01.08.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Observer’s Top Five: What Not to Miss at the Aspen Art Fair 2025

As is the case with many regional fairs, the most compelling artworks here are those you could imagine hanging in a well-appointed vacation home.

30.07.2025 7

Observer

Dan Duray

Curator Eleanor Clayton On the Race to Keep a National Treasure in Britain

Barbara Hepworth’s 1943 sculpture embodies her transition from prewar geometric abstraction to a more lyrical engagement with landscape.

25.07.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Jenny Saville, The Anatomy of Painting’ at London’s National Portrait Gallery

Here, the artist's work challenges viewers to rethink the boundaries between beauty, distortion and realism.

25.07.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Little Beasts: Art, Wonder and the Natural World’ at the National Gallery of Art

Works by Jan van Kessel, Albrecht Dürer and others show how the tiniest animals once inspired grand ideas about the natural world’s design and...

18.07.2025 40

Observer

Dan Duray

Durational Art After Dark: Joseph C. Thompson’s Next Cultural Experiment

"We believe that if the art invites you to settle in and stay awhile, it should be in a really comfortable, sociable space, more like a living room...

16.07.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan’ at the High Museum of Art

In his first U.S. museum exhibition, the artist reveals the enduring power of nature to stir, soothe and surprise.

11.07.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

A Curator Comes Home: Helen Nisbet Returns to Scotland to Lead Glasgow’s Biennial

"I don’t think there are too many biennials," the curator told Observer. "And Glasgow is one of the best cities in the world."

09.07.2025 2

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Ways of Knowing” at the Walker Art Center

Rosario Güiraldes's first exhibition as curator of visual arts considers how artists learn about and engage with the world.

03.07.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Espoo Museum of Modern Art’s Krist Gruijthuijsen Rethinks Regional Curation

Succeeding Pilvi Kalhama, Gruijthuijsen inherits a museum known for bridging art and design with cross-disciplinary exhibitions and strong...

02.07.2025 5

Observer

Dan Duray

The Art Basel Awards and the Power of Peer-Led Recognition

The goal was to create a mechanism for mutual celebration and elevation, Vincenzo de Bellis tells Observer.

27.06.2025 9

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Ai, Rebel – The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” at the Seattle Art Museum

In more than 130 works, the artist's largest ever exhibition in the U.S. reflects on his political engagement from the 1980s to today.

27.06.2025 9

Observer

Dan Duray

Curator Robert Fucci Unpacks the Narrative Intrigue of ‘Vermeer’s Love Letters’

With only thirty-six paintings attributed to the artist, this show's gathering of paintings offers a remarkable opportunity for close study and...

21.06.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Alex Da Corte, The Whale” at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

This is the first museum exhibition to survey the artist’s diverse and inventive relationship with painting.

19.06.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

Mike Cavallaro On Building a Union (and a Community) at NYC’s School of Visual Arts

"It boils down to 'United we stand, divided we fall.' And education and labor rights in this country cannot be allowed to fall."

18.06.2025 5

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: Lynn Hershman Leeson’s ‘Of Humans, Cyborgs, and AI’ at the Nevada Museum of Art

The show brings together the artist’s recent video works, which confront the ethical confusion of the digital age with wry precision.

13.06.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

Paola Mura Reflects On the Material Universality of Artist Maria Lai’s Work

"What’s radical about Lai is how she internalized the conceptual innovations of her time but expressed them through textile, myth and silence rather...

06.06.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Caravaggio 2025’ at Rome’s Palazzo Barberini

The exhibition invites visitors to contemplate an artistic legacy defined by the artist’s profound emotional depth and unmatched technical mastery.

06.06.2025 7

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: ‘Leigh Bowery!’ at Tate Modern

In London, the artist’s outrageous genius and lasting influence take center stage.

30.05.2025 5

Observer

Dan Duray

What Collectors Really Want from Galleries, According to Artsy’s Casey Lesser

As the art market grapples with volatility, Artsy is tracking how the habits of a new generation of collectors are changing dealer behavior.

29.05.2025 7

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Survival of the Fittest” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The artists featured here weren't overly concerned with anthropomorphization, striving instead to capture these creatures as they were.

23.05.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray

In Tactile New Works, Sheree Hovsepian Explores the Physicality of Experience

"I am navigating the complexities of identity and memory through the lens of embodiment, archival processes and the interplay of the indexical and the...

22.05.2025 3

Observer

Dan Duray

One Fine Show: “Wayne Thiebaud, Art Comes from Art” at the Legion of Honor

The late painter’s figures are stiff, strange and quietly psychedelic.

16.05.2025 4

Observer

Dan Duray