Why Weiwei?

It’s a misunderstanding to suggest that we were ‘calling on’ galleries to boycott the fair – although that would be an understandable position and what logically Charlie Finch’s position would lead to. We were simply highlighting that the taking part in lots of high-profile media interviews highlighting Ai Weiwei’s cause and then jetting to Art HK to capitalise on his increased notoriety might be… er… a little… hypocritical?

That said, participating in Art HK is looking increasingly like participating in a Middle Eastern arms fair and claiming the weapons you’re flogging are merely for “crowd control”…

SNARKY: http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37692/ai-weiweis-wife-finally-allowed-visit-while-the-artists-dealers-weigh-art-hk-participation/?page=2

BREAKING COVER: http://www.artreview.com/profiles/blogs/criticism-of-ais-commercial

What’s so bad about the Arts Council?

Eager to know how the House of Common’s Committee on Culture, Media and Sport is going? Go on, yes you are! Well, basically the Arts Council are getting a thorough going-over from the likes of Dr Tiffany Jenkins, Norman Lebrecht and David Lee (the “maverick” ex-editor of Art Review and the current editor of that well-known arts mag “The Jackdaw”). Here’s the uncorrected transcript of the latest session, and scroll down halfway to get past the boring stuff about heritage to Tom Watson’s question “What’s so bad about the Arts Council?”
(nb – just added full transcript below in comments).

Our favourite bits are David Lee offering to send ex-chicklit novelist and now surprisingly rather sharp Tory MP Louise Bagshawe the last 8 copies of The Jackdaw (she refuses).

Bend It Like Peckham

Cathedral of Shit favourite Hannah Barry seems to have come up with a solution to some of her previous failed attempts at showing good art – she’s got other people to do it for her.
A ‘committee’ comprised of the likes of Gasworks Anna Colin, Art Review’s Oliver Basciano, Guggenheim curator Katherine Brinson and Anita’s Lizzie Neilson all suggested works for the car park. Teeming with millions of Camberwell College students were a handful of art usuals – we saw Matthew Slotover looking a little bewildered, The Outset gang, artists Anthea Hamilton, Matthew Darbyshire, Nicholas Byrne, and George Henry-Longly (all in the show) Frieze’s Sarah McCrory, Mute’s Dean Kissick, Ash Lange from Herald Street, Martin Creed (who also performed) and AR’s Mark Rappolt.

It was noted that, having four women artists in the exhibition meant a 1000% rise in the number of women in a Hannah Barry project. Well Done Hannah! Let’s keep it up when you move to your new gallery home in the West End shall we? Note – does anyone know any more about this – will it be a second gallery or will she be leaving Peckham behind? Despite her gender-blindness, it was a fun evening.

CoS didn’t make the party which we heard was a sweaty and fun affair, but we did make local bar, Bar Story, where we sat and regaled students with made-up tales about that time we were sick in an umbrella stand at Marc Quinn’s house.

Art Review’s booze review

Art Review have been allowed to return to the Dover Street Arts Club for their Frieze party despite the Sodom and Gomorrah type levels of excess last year when the management tried (in vain) to argue that too much alcohol had been ordered in per person.