NOTA BENE: This Week in the Art World

The boys discuss events on the east and west coasts as well as tidbits from around the artworld as they prepare for a weekend together in LA. They are then joined by friend and activist-artist-conservationist-conservator and all around badass Haley Mellin. Haley discusses her painting practice and her history in the field. We go on to discuss Art into Acres the environmental and art initiative she founded which focuses on large-scale land conservation for climate, Indigenous peoples and biodiversity support.  We also discuss her work creating climate impact reports and carbon audits for arts organizations and exhibition organizers allowing them to become more environmentally efficient and aware of visual arts role in contributing to climate change and allowing them to take steps to mitigate those contributions. She also tells us about the other work that various environmental arts groups are doing under the collaborative umbrella of the VisualArtsPact.org. Lastly we learn about a project she has created - conserve.org - which allows anyone to provide funding to conserve land acre by acre.  Haley is an absolute power house and fun and funny and charming to boot. This is an episode you won't want to miss. 

The boys get down to the dirty business of a lawsuit between "collector" Federico Castro Debernardi and museum founder and maybe art advisor Michael Xufu Huang. We take a peek the what the story behind the story is including the role of resale rights agreements (and their validity) as well as if gallerists can continue to say with a straight face that in demand works are "on hold for a private Chinese institution". It's JUICY. Then, for something completely different we are joined by the esteemed gallerist Jasmin Tsou to discuss the ten year history of her JTT Gallery, the role of art fairs, the emotional labor of the art business and Nate's unpaid invoices. 

Nate and Benjamin get into Nate's epic stop in Marfa and other highlights of his road trip across America. They go on to dissect the revival of Interview Magazine under Mel Ottenberg as typified by Julia Fox's epic first person tale of her romance with Kanye. And... this Show by Paul Chan PLUS some (maybe) racist cartoons that dweebs trade.  Then Benjamin chats with one of the art and culture world's top connectors, Cultural Counsel founder Adam Abdalla to discuss his dope-assed magazine project. Orange Crush: The Journal of Art & Wrestling is an annual that looks at the world of professional wrestling through the lens of contemporary art (and vice-versa). The third issue (dropping later this month) includes and in-depth interview with Matthew Barney as well as profiles of wrestlers Mike Parrow, Thunder Rosa and Orange Cassidy among other strange and wonderful folk.  

Annnnnnddd we're back. Greet the New Year with Benjamin in New York and Nate calling in from the the car in the midst of an epic road trip to discuss all the happenings in the New Year. They are then joined by a dioane of downtown Ms. Ellie Rines to discuss her plans for 2022 (including some breaking news about the growth of her gallery 56 Henry). 

The boys are back and quarantine and are joined by special guest Andrea Neustein to discuss the year that was and what they are looking forward to in the year to come. 

Nate and benjamin discuss the resurgence of the ‘Rona and other artworld tidbits. Benjamin then sits down with the man who moved the artworld (back) downtown: agent and collector Jonathan Travis. Jonathan tells us about how he developed his first gallery clients, his big bet on tribeca and the ones that got away and his own collection. This is a great one at the nexus of art, business and NYC.

Nate and Benjamin are back from Art Basel Miami (beach) and they have some apologies to make. PLUS: some comments on the state of the Best Bar in the World, a really dumb list, a really dumb artist and a really smart film series.

The parties are still going on but the fair is over for at least one half of our terrible twosome. In this episode Nate & Benjamin recap the parties, the people, the art and the deals. IT'S A LOT.

Live-to-tape from Miami Beach in advance of the first Art Basel Miami in two years Nate and Benjamin are joined by art advisor Eleanor Cayre to chat about everything that is going down in Miami this week: the parties, the fairs and the gossip. After discussing the state of Miami and our annual dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab we note the sad passing of Vigil Abloh before moving on to happier topics including the party Nate and Eleanor threw last night at the Red Rooster. We go on to discuss our social agenda for the week, Eleanor’s history (including an awesome show she curated in Miami in 2008) and everything we are looking forward to at Art Basel and NADA this week.

Nate and benjamin wrap up the week that was in the art world. This one's short and sweet in light of early dismissal of the art world for a quick holiday before Art Basel MIAMI.