Critics Scorecard—52nd Venice Biennale and documenta 12By ARTINFO
Published: June 27, 2007
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Photo by El Anatsui, courtesy Collection Akron Museum of Art, Akron, Ohio, USA
El Anatsui, "Dzesi 2" (2006). On view at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale 2007
documenta 12
For those keeping score, ARTINFO has prepared a guide to what the critics are saying about the summer's biggest international exhibitions: the 52nd Venice Biennale and
documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany. Have we forgotten anyone? Of course, we have. Have we mischaracterized anyone's opinions? Quite possibly ... you'll have to read and find out. David Cohen, New York Sun: Pax Americana reigns, but nationality remains a point of contention. Richard Dorment, Daily Telegraph: The most successful Biennale in recent memory. Martin Gayford, Bloomberg: Spend a week and hire a boat. The Biennale is big, and worth a proper visit.
Blake Gopnik, Washington Post: I liked it enough to write six (count ’em) reviews. Waldemar Januszczak, Sunday Times: Alas, it's quantity, not quality. Michael Kimmelmann, New York Times: I still haven't met a show I liked and couldn't criticize! (subscription firewall)
Jerry Saltz, New York: I wrote this (p)review before I went. How was I able to do this? "There are currently more than 60 biennials and triennials around the world"—and they're all the same.
Adrian Searle, The Guardian: "I prefer the truly bad" to the merely vacuous.
Holland Cotter, New York Times: Thoughts after a first visit: “Perversely esoteric, kinda like it." (That remains my judgment, though on second and third visits things seemed "diminished," "porous," "obvious," "pedantic," "confining," and "too
small, private, underdone, done-before.") Richard Dorment, Daily Telegraph: I am exhausted and depressed. Catherine Hickley, Bloomberg: What is bare life? I don’t know, but I do know it’s not a helpful curatorial leitmotif. “I’ll spare you the rest.” Christopher Miles, L.A. Times: "The high points are few in the massive but disappointing exhibition.…The tendency to categorize is what plagues the show.”
Jerry Saltz, New York: I wrote this (p)review before I went. How was I able to do this? "There are currently more than 60 biennials and triennials around the world"—and they're all the same. |