Antagonisms - art with a political theme - Brief Article

MUSEU D'ART CONTEMPORANI

When did criticality get a bad name? In the go-go fin de '90s, politically thoughtful work took a backseat to mediocre painting, glamorous video rooms, "sensational" schlock, and post-Conceptual photography of epic scale. This near-half-century survey promises to present a range of critical activities-from '60s activism and street theater to photo conceptualism and current forms of institutional critique. A bit ambitious, perhaps. Yet one can only admire MACBA for launching this show at such an affirmative moment, when marketing and spectacle seem to dictate what is seen and discussed. You can bet that the Turner Prize Committee won't be crashing this opening.

July 5-Oct. 14.

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