A German group dedicated to Jewish causes has criticized how Documenta, the famed quinquennial in Kassel, responded to allegations of anti-Semitism raised earlier this year.

Documenta first came under scrutiny in January, when the German group Alliance Against Anti-Semitism Kassel accused the quinquennial of “involvement of anti-Israeli activists” in this year’s edition, which is curated by the Indonesian collective ruangrupa. Documenta has vehemently denied the allegations of anti-Semitism, some of which were picked up by major German publications.

In response to the controversy, Documenta said it would organize an events series at which it would address anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism. Titled “We need to talk!,” the series’ stated aim is to focus on “zeroing in on the blank spots in the German debate surrounding antisemitism and racism.” Its first event is set for May 8.

In a letter penned to Germany’s culture minister Claudia Roth, Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, accused Documenta’s event of having “a clear bias against anti-Semitism” with the event. The German press agency dpa first reported news of the letter.

According to dpa, Schuster’s letter centered around an event planned for May 22, which focuses on “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism,” according to its description. “Only clear commitments and much more, decisive political action at every level of politics, art, culture and society help against anti-Semitism,” Schuster wrote. “No one may acquit themselves of this responsibility—not even in the name of artistic freedom.”

France is investigating the plundering of an ancient shipwreck discovered in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.

The 2,200-year-old vessel was discovered by archeologists in 2017. A recent official exploration of the wreck revealed that unauthorized divers had reached it first, damaging the structure and plundering the rare clay containers stored within.

The ship, dubbed the Fort Royal 1, is believed to have sunk or lost its cargo near Sainte-Marguerite, one of the Lerins islands off the coast of Cannes, during the second century BCE. It carried amphoras, or tall Greek and Roman jars used to store wine.

“Well-conserved wrecks from this period are particularly rare,” said a joint statement from the department of marine archaeology in the French culture ministry and Marseille authorities. “That’s why the opportunity to study the wooden body and the cargo is absolutely exceptional.”

“The losses of scientific and historical information are probably significant,” the statement continued. In response to the “ransacking of a major heritage site,” sailing and mooring around the wreck is now prohibited and an emergency preservation operation has been launched. Conservationists are currently on the scene assessing the damage.

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Watercolor paints come in two forms: in tubes of liquid paint and in pans of dried paint that must be hydrated. Which type to use is a matter of preference, but there are a couple of instances where pans are clearly the better choice. If you like to paint en plein air—a practice ushered in by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric Bazille—you’ll likely find that watercolor pans, many of which come in compact carrying cases that can double as palettes, are the most convenient option. They are also a good choice if you paint only occasionally, as you don’t have to worry about your materials drying out. Whatever your reasoning, choosing the right professional paint will make all the difference in your work. For our top recommendations of highly pigmented, rich, flowing pan watercolor paints, browse the list below. 

ARTNEWS RECOMMENDS
Daniel Smith Watercolor Half Pans and Sets
Daniel Smith watercolors are beloved by many artists for their high quality. Each rich color is extremely pigmented and consistent, with superior lightfastness for hues that will not fade. These pan sets contain the same handcrafted, U.S.-made, extra-fine watercolor paint that Daniel Smith sells in tubes. Hand-poured into the pans, the paints are available individually or as sets, several of the latter having been selected by artists (the shades in the Ultimate Mixing Set, for example, were chosen by Jane Blundell).

WE ALSO LIKE
Schmincke Horadam Aquarell Watercolor Pan Sets
The creamy paints in Schmincke’s Horadam Aquarelle watercolor pan sets are quite vibrant. The 140-year-old company, still owned by the descendants of the original Schminckes, uses only natural gums and water-soluble resins to make its paints, which are softer than other brands. While certainly on the pricey end, the paints last for years without degradation. Unfortunately, Schmincke does not sell individual pans to refill or expand their sets, but the same recipe is used for their tubed watercolors, which are sold individually.

ANOTHER OPTION
Yarka St. Petersburg Professional Watercolor Pans and Sets ***CURRENTLY DISCONTINUED***
Semimoist pans, like these from Yarka St. Petersburg, occupy a handy middle ground between the dry paint in pans and the wet paint in tubes. These paint palettes come to life with just the application of a wet brush, eliminating the process of adding water every time you paint. The texture creates a robust color that is distinct in tone from many other palettes, but still true and bright. Note that these are opaque and do not granulate.

Berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade is best known for exploring time and natural systems through mind-bending sculptures that combine rocks, mirrors, and more. Anyone who attended the 2017 Venice Biennale and saw her sculpture Pars Pro Toto (2017), featuring 13 stone spheres that were reflected through pieces of glass, could not forget it. Similar works have been staged on the roof the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at biennials in Finland, India, and elsewhere.

In 2021, the artist turned her exploration of time inward—literally. For an exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie, Kwade printed the entirety of her genome on 259,025 sheets of A4 paper. Its title, Selbstportrait, hinted that she viewed this work as an image of herself.

Some 12,000 sheets were hung from floor to ceiling, and the rest were stored in copper containers. Visitors were also invited to take a page of her DNA sequencing home with them. With this installation, the artist was playing with what we understand to be unique when it comes to identity: she was showcasing her own genetic profile in bold text while also underscoring the fact that 99.9 percent of all human genetic makeup is identical.

Starting today, Kwade’s Selbstportrait has been reformatted for a new NFT project. She’s minted 10,361 NFTs—all come with a 25-page PDF filled with 300,000 letters of Kwade’s DNA code in A, C, G, and T—and she’s selling them for $300, or around 0.1 ETH, each. This new project pushes Selbstportrait’s themes even further, since every NFT is supposed to be a unique digital work, randomized at point of sale. Essentially, this means buyers are unable to choose a specific NFT within the collection corresponding to the artist’s DNA, as each token is distributed randomly.

To learn more about Kwade’s most personal physical artwork to date evolved into its current tokenized form, ARTnews spoke with the artist via email this week.

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