Really interesting....I think I would have been disappointed going through it as a tourist, but it's great hearing you run through it - and yeah there's something pretentious about appreciating activist art, and then just ignoring the issues.
Oooo, videos about contemporary art! I'm into it, haha. Got nervous when you saw the Rothkos, thought you were gonna trash them, but I'm glad you didn't! He was one of my favourite painters--especially his 'Subway Series!' I saw his famous 'Seagram Murals' in London where he had full control of how they were displayed, so they were dimly lit in this big dark room--they have such an ominous presence! Also, that stuff you touched on about activist art funded by millionaires/gas companies is definitely a big thing artists struggle with. Anything edgy or counter-culture that gains traction inevitably ends up getting chewed up and spat out by moneyed interests as something commercial. Some art institutions are good about keeping control in the artist's hands though. My province has an arts funding program run by artists and they get involved in a lot of underground stuff that actually winds up helping activist causes. I'd love to see you featuring some underground, non-commercial galleries along those lines to see how you feel about those! :D
