The need for a new wave of art criticism was made abundantly clear at a buzzing dinner hosted by CULTURED last night to honor those who are keeping the discipline bold, brave, and brilliantly alive.
At the Frenchette Bakery at the Whitney Museum, overlooked by a monumental sculpture by Rashid Johnson, the magazine welcomed art-world insiders for an intimate dinner in honor of the Critics’ Table––the magazine’s home, launched this fall, for sharp thinking about art and even sharper takes. Hosted by CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson and Co-Chief Art Critics Johanna Fateman and John Vincler, the evening paid tribute to the vital voices shaping how we see––and think about––art today.
Inside the museum’s soaring, glass-walled space, a single long table awaited, elegantly set for spirited discourse. Seated among the blooms by ASMITE were artists Marilyn Minter, Mickalene Thomas, and Robert Nava; gallerists Ebony L. Haynes, Alia Dahl, Hong Gyu Shin, Ellie Rines, Joe Cole, and Ermanno Rivetti; the Met's David Breslin, MoMA PS1's Ruba Katrib, and MoMA's T. Jean Lax; and Vanity Fair's Nate Freeman, the New York Times's Vanessa Friedman, and the Washington Post's Rachel Tashjian. Also in attendance were early contributors to the platform, including Ajay Kurian, Paige K. Bradley, Zito Madu, and Domenick Ammirati.
The evening’s hosts recounted how the Critics’ Table was born over a series of coffees, lunches, and long conversations about what was missing from the media ecosystem as traditional outlets that had long supported art criticism began to shutter or contract. As guests nibbled on shishito peppers and caramelized onion tart, Minter took it upon herself to encourage all in attendance to subscribe (or, if they had already subscribed, to gift a subscription to a friend).
As CULTURED looks ahead, the Critics’ Table is just getting started. With plans underway to expand the platform to more cities, as well as through live events, the magazine continues to stand behind the critics who challenge, contextualize, and move culture forward—one sharp sentence at a time.
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