What’s Happening: Is savage art criticism a dying art? Aleksandra Mir poses that question in Bad Reviews (Retrospective Press), co-edited with former Artforum editor Tim Griffin, which crowdsourced scathing reviews from 150 contemporary artists. The newly published tome pens a love letter to harsh critique by framing it as endangered while encouraging the industry to laugh at its own misfires.

The Download: The idea for Bad Reviews originated when Mir first read critic Waldemar Januszczak’s rip-roaring review of a 2006 exhibition of young American artists at the Royal Academy in London. “This entire display stinks of stupidity and an absent education. Has anyone here read a book or studied history or looked at a Botticelli or questioned a technique or patiently thought their way through an artistic conundrum? Not a chance,” he barked in the Sunday Times. “This is a generation of paint-happy know-nothings brought up on hamburgers and porn, a talentless bloom of post-pop trailer trash.”

Mir asked hundreds of artists to send her their most brutal takedowns; the vast majority initially refused, unwilling to revisit the dark memories presumably stashed away deep inside their minds. As the project progressed, more warmed to the idea—Ed Ruscha, Mickalene Thomas, Florian Hecker, Carolee Schneemann, and Robert Longo all ended up contributing, resulting in a survey of art criticism’s most bloodthirsty takes arranged chronologically from 1963 to 2018. A product of meticulous research, Bad Reviews took seven years to assemble. Given the logistical nightmare of securing copyrights for print spreads and images, the book isn’t for sale—it will only be distributed to the artists and a selection of libraries and universities. (Mir encourages curious readers to find bootleg copies, however.)

The crowdsourced nature of Bad Reviews means it maintains a “for artists, by artists” perspective, a collective scrapbook of stinging opprobrium whose voice is ultimately hushed by design. “[Its] scattershot, artist-driven style is its appeal but also its limit,” curator Nick Irvin writes for Bomb. “The archive it presents is shaped more by artists’ hurt feelings than critical insights.” He notes how Gary Indiana’s influential Village Voice column is conspicuously absent while New York Times art critic Roberta Smith appears ten times. Alix Lambert, meanwhile, submitted a teenager telling her to kill herself via Twitter. The latter reveals an unfortunate reality about the state of publishing: many younger artists simply didn’t have scathing reviews from esteemed publications.

With the decline of print media and arts sections often succumbing to belt-tightening, there’s a growing scarcity of quality art critics wielding pen as sword. The art writing that ultimately ends up being published, Irvin notes, “leans more toward boosterism than critique, obliged to press releases and the publicity apparatuses that administer them.” The internet has also foisted a fractured content ecosystem on readers—some may view criticism from the old-guard buried behind algorithms as a positive, allowing new voices to enter the fold. But Mir notes that having one’s work beautifully scrutinized is a rite of passage, even if it hurts.

The author Raphael Rubinstein questions why art critics haven’t ventured beyond the written word given how accessible video technology has become. “I dream about what could be done in the realm of art criticism by someone with a sharp mind and a good grasp of Final Cut Pro,” he writes for Art in America, wondering if video essays about contemporary art may galvanize smartphone-wielding Gen Z-ers who may lack the attention span for text-based criticism. Videos certainly buoyed the career of Anthony Fantano, who reviews albums and songs on his YouTube channel The Needle Drop to more than two million subscribers, and was recently billed by the New York Times as “the only music critic who matters (if you’re under 25).”

In Their Own Words: “We’re now in a moment where social media likes, not even constructive positive arguments, are determining people’s credibility and significance, and of course anything negative is associated with hate,” Mir tells The Guardian, relishing in the heated debates that often unfolded in the ‘90s but feel absent today.

Surface Says: If considered criticism—vicious or not—disappears, then the world will be deprived of gems like Pete Wells’ famous annihilation of Guy Fieri’s erstwhile American Kitchen and Bar. What could be sweeter than this one-liner: “Why is one of the few things on your menu that can be eaten without fear or regret—a lunch-only sandwich of chopped soy-glazed pork with coleslaw and cucumbers—called a Roasted Pork Banh Mi, when it resembles that item about as much as you resemble Emily Dickinson?”

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Ciaran McGuigan spent most of the early pandemic dreaming of his ideal co-working space: “It would have to be in an exciting neighborhood, with zones that promoted different modes of working, and with a design that was comfortable and inviting, yet elevated.” After teaming up with Charlie Robinson and consulting with seasoned executives from Soho House, he soon pulled back the curtain on The Malin, which brought his vision to life in a high-ceilinged loft in SoHo, Manhattan. It proved to be a winning formula—The Malin became so popular that McGuigan expanded its footprint across the East River in bustling Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Taking over the ninth floor of the landmark William Vale Hotel, the co-working venture’s next step abounds with thoughtful touches and amenities for creative professionals. “Our vision remains consistent, to bring beautiful workspaces closer to people’s homes,” says McGuigan, who focused on crafting “diverse zones to promote all types of work” while maintaining an intimate scale. Among those are solid wood desks, a silent library outfitted with lush foliage and a sumptuous sofa upholstered in a chartreuse velvet, and soundproof Room booths for video conferencing. The building’s distinctive shell lends playful concrete slants and giant windows that provide a Vitamin D fix during the day and a romantic glow come sunset, making The Malin one of the city’s most scenic spots to get things done.

After getting a taste of the hospitality business while debuting the art-filled Toklas, a restaurant-bakery-grocery concept in London, this past year with fellow Frieze co-founder Amanda Sharp, Matthew Slotover has decided to expand his reach with the opening of the Fort Road Hotel. A collaboration between Slotover, painter Tom Gidley, and developer Gabriel Chipperfield, the property in Kent occupies a once-crumbling 1820 boarding house rehabbed back to life by Fleet Architects. Dubbed “Shoreditch-on-Sea,” the coastal town of Margate has been gaining popularity ever since Turner Contemporary, designed by Gabriel’s father David Chipperfield, arrived just over a decade ago.

Artists priced out of London have followed suit in search of cheaper studio space. In Fort Road, they have a new neighborhood gathering spot. The 14 pared-down rooms are outfitted in period furniture, custom vanities, and 20th-century figurative oil paintings, gouaches, and watercolors curated by Gidley.

Downstairs, he chose contemporary works by local talents (Nicolas Deshayes, Lindsey Mendick) for the restaurant, where chef Daisy Cecil serves a seasonal British menu (celeriac soup with walnuts, cheddar soufflé) in a homey space marked by herringbone-pattern floors and an emerald green-tiled bar. A swirling mural by artist Sophie von Hellermann lines the stairwell down to the subterranean drinking den, where a neon piece by Tracey Emin glows. Don’t be surprised if the hometown multimedia artist drops by for a tipple—her studio is only a few minutes away.

Culinary collective Ghetto Gastro created a pop-up restaurant in New York City inspired by their forthcoming cookbook Black Power Kitchen (Artisan, Oct. 25). Together with CashApp and Square, Ghetto Gastro members Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker took over the former Butter space on Lafayette Street, where Jean’s, a restaurant and nightlife spot, is slated to open later this year. Guests closed out the evening with an afterparty and live musical performance by rapper Smino.

When was it? Oct. 5

Where was it? Jean’s, New York

Who was there? Questlove, Heron Preston, Joe Holder, and Angelo Baque.

New & Notable is a cultural catchall that highlights interesting new products and projects from our brilliantly creative members of The List. With new releases, events, and goings-on, these moments indicate their power to move the needle within and beyond realms like architecture, design, fashion, and art.

Going meatless in 2021 shocked the world of fine dining and was seen as a massive risk for chef Daniel Humm, whose turn toward veganism led to a separation from projects under his direction such as Claridge’s Davies and Brook in London. At Surface, Humm’s bold pivot was unsurprising—as we learned in our 2017 cover profile of the Swiss chef, reinvention is at the core of everything he does. Revisit the feature for an enlightening look at the man behind the toque.

Founded by architect Caroline Quinio, Plaitly explores architectural strategies in the creation of personalized, customizable, and statement jewelry. Plaitly embraces unseen influences and celebrates life’s collection of experiences woven together that define our stories. Through materializing the immaterial, each piece is shaped by invisible forces.

Surface Says: The striking jewelry from Plaitly, including pieces made from 3D-printed nylon and stainless steel, are delightfully offbeat yet timeless.

Anime-inspired robot maids wait on customers at this Japanese cafe.

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