Episode 70
Episode Summary:
In this week’s Art World Exposed, Saldo Caluthe and Tomas Sinke journey to the bleeding edge of cultural irrelevance to bring you the latest in the art world. From a perplexing new art fair in Kazakhstan to the philosophical implosion of “taste” as a concept, this episode is a tour de force of pretentious witticisms, existential despair, and dubious intellectual rigor. Tune in as they probe the shadowy intersection of art, commerce, and outright nonsense.
00:00 – Intro: “Can Taste Be Saved?”
Saldo and Tomas open the episode with their usual banter, debating whether “taste” has officially died in the wake of recent NFT-inspired installations involving inflated pool toys and existential hashtags. Tomas argues taste was killed in 1917 by Duchamp’s urinal, while Saldo insists it’s been assassinated by Jeff Koons’ “balloon dog industrial complex.”
Key Quote:
Saldo: “If taste is dead, then what we’re left with is aesthetic nihilism—and frankly, I’m thrilled. Pass the inflatable banana.”
07:34 – The Kazakhstan Biennale: “Oil, Camels, and Avant-Garde Dreams”
A deep dive into the inaugural Kazakhstan Biennale for Radical Expression, held in the glittering outskirts of Almaty. Saldo describes it as “the Met Gala meets a gas pipeline,” while Tomas calls it “the art world’s best-kept secret because no one could afford the flight.” They discuss standout installations, including:
• A functioning oil rig repurposed as a “meta-performance about extraction and ennui.”
• A live camel auction where bidders must write haikus about desert erosion.
• A 14-hour soundscape composed entirely of goat bleats and archival Soviet propaganda speeches.
Saldo interviews curator Yelena Karasova, who describes the fair as “a necessary confrontation between global capital and localized absurdity.” The duo reflects on whether Kazakhstan’s role as a petrostate undermines the fair’s anti-capitalist rhetoric.
Key Quote:
Tomas: “It’s ironic, really—hosting a Biennale in a country where the GDP is mostly fossil fuels. But I guess when you’re bathing in oil money, it’s easy to fund goat bleats.”
25:11 – “The $17 Million Puddle”
Saldo and Tomas discuss the latest art-world scandal: the sale of Aqueous Forever, a conceptual piece consisting of a literal puddle of water encased in plexiglass. Created by anonymous collective WE~DRIP, the piece sold at auction for $17 million.
• Tomas critiques its derivative nature, calling it “just a wet Carl Andre.”
• Saldo defends the work, saying, “It’s about climate change and tears. Open your heart, Tomas.”
They take a call from a listener who claims they accidentally stepped in the puddle at a private viewing, only to be sued for damages by the gallery.
38:40 – Interview: Damien Lurks on “Artful Scams and The Performance of Integrity”
In an exclusive interview, controversial conceptual artist Damien Lurks reveals his latest project: a fake Kickstarter campaign to fund an invisible sculpture that doesn’t exist. Lurks calls it “an investigation into gullibility as an art form.” Saldo and Tomas debate whether Lurks’ self-proclaimed “anti-capitalist scam” is truly subversive or just another layer of exploitation.
Key Quote:
Damien: “The only real art left is convincing people they’re participating in art. That’s why my next piece will be a pyramid scheme. Literally—a pyramid made of dollar bills.”
54:22 – “Shows You Must Pretend to Have Seen This Month”
Saldo and Tomas close out with their top picks for gallery openings and exhibitions to name-drop at your next art-world gathering:
1. “Dirt: A Retrospective” at the Whaites Modern: A deep exploration of mud as a medium, featuring works by land artists and an on-site worm farm.
2. “The Ministry of Lint” at Snake Galleries: A textile-based exhibition focusing on dryer lint as a metaphor for domestic existentialism.
3. “Paint Me Like One of Your NFTs” at Yellow Cube: A hybrid exhibition of traditional oil paintings and digital works that can only be viewed via QR codes projected onto walls.
4. “Silence. Noise. Silence.” at the Philometta: An immersive sound-art installation where visitors sit in soundproof rooms, listening to recordings of themselves breathing.
5. Kazakhstan Biennale Satellite Exhibition at Museum of 21st Century Art: A condensed version of the Almaty show, featuring live-streamed camels and tiny bottles of oil-scented perfume for sale.
1:03:07 – Outro: “The Art World is Dead. Long Live the Art World.”
Saldo and Tomas close with a sardonic toast to the ever-bizarre art ecosystem. Tomas muses about quitting art entirely to open a pretzel stand in Berlin, while Saldo suggests the pretzels themselves could be part of a performance.
Key Quote:
Saldo: “Art isn’t about making sense. It’s about making someone else make sense of it for you—and charging them $20,000 for the privilege.”