March 7, 2008

A
rare exhibition of work exclusively by women artists just wrapped up in
Afghanistan, attracting 3,000 visitors over the course of eight days,
the Associated Press reports. Just seven years ago, under the hardline
Taliban regime, the exhibition might not have been possible, as women
were forbidden from leaving the home without a male relative, girls
were not allowed to go to school, and creating figurative art was
forbidden. The exhibition, held in a high school gymnasium, highlighted
artwork by women ages 7 to 26. It travels to the city of Herat next. (Artinfo, March 6)
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Icelandic
warbler Bjork has ruffled feathers in China after she cried out "Tibet!
Tibet!" at the end of a performance of "Declare Independence" during
her concert in Shanghai. Local media had flagged the gig, her first in
China, as "Bjork’s Shanghai Surprise," and the diminutive pop star
certainly lived up to the billing. Sunday’s incident was not reported
on state media, but it did prompt outraged responses on bulletin boards
and blogs. It is just such outbursts that the Chinese government is
hoping to avoid at August’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Bjork, who
performed in the ceremonies at the Athens Games, uses the song "Declare
Independence" to highlight political issues. The issue of Tibet is
rarely discussed in China. The People’s Liberation Army occupied Tibet
in 1950, and Beijing has kept a tight grip on it ever since. Hollywood
stars including Richard Gere have taken high-profile stances backing
the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising. (Variety, March 6)
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New York:

— Air Fire Water Earth: Reverie @ Broadway Gallery, New York
— D. Chaim Smith @ Broadway Gallery, New York
— Michael Schmidt @ Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York

National:

— Loaf-i Records presents: Sabreteeth vs Dünyayi Kurtaran Adam (1982)
@ Artists’ Television Access, San Francisco
— Victor Cartagena: The Invisible Nation @ Galería de la Raza, San Francisco
— "Everything But the Kitschen Sync" @ La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles
— The Life of Reilly (2006) @ Facets Cinémathèque, Chicago
— Alex Sweet @ Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami
— A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) @ Miami Beach Cinematheque, Miami

International:

— PURE_photography @ Ferreira Projects, London
— Monologue/Dialogue Part II @ Bischoff/Weiss, London