For your enjoyment and perusal:
- Na na na na-na-na nah, Ai Jude! China’s dissident art superstar gave the thumbs up to Britain’s opening ceremony for the 2012 London Games.
- Blogger Catherine Baker was more circumspect, but makes a number of good observations which still point towards room for optimism.
- RIP Franz West. Tyler Green from Modern Art Notes posts links to an epic five part review and about now would be a good time to read it.
- The case for visiting the Hayward’s latest show is getting stronger by the week. Here is journalist Brian Dillon’s compelling essay on the art of nothingness.
- Architecture Week carries a highly readable interview with Sir Norman Foster which reveals, among other things, he used to be a bouncer (via/ Phaidon.com, link may time out)
- There’s another entertaining interview on Daily Serving. Taxidermist Polly Morgan talks about how she became an artist and other uses for dead animals.
- Speaking of which, there was a buzz online about a gourmet meal of rats staged in New York by artist Allegra La Viola. Yum!
- Animal theme continues with a trip to the Museum of Zoology in Florence. Not the first museum you might think of visiting in that city, but well worth a look on The Exhibition List.
- Not everyone is happy about the regeneration of Margate seafront. It used to be a well kept secret for Phoenecia at The Rightness of Wayward Sentiment blog.
- But I think this is my favourite link of the week: Japanese art lovers going crazy for the opportunity to shoot photos of replica Vermeers in Ginza. (Story from the Japan Times).