| Who knew the new pope was a van Gogh stan? Read our report on his recent speech citing the artist’s 1888 painting “Sower at Sunset,” observing, “It seems to me an image of hope: one way or another, the seed has borne fruit.” Another sign of the times: Art Basel is expanding into Qatar, whose government is notorious for a bevy of labor and human rights abuses. Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar reports on the announcement and backlash below. And before you go, treat yourself to reviews by our critics today, with John Yau on Xingzi Gu’s vulnerable scenes of androgynous coming of age and Associate Editor Lisa Yin Zhang on a showcase of work by Hunter College MFA students. For those of us in the US, the long weekend is little solace amid … you know the rest. But even better than solace is art that challenges, provokes, and imagines. Enjoy and have a marvelous Monday. — Lakshmi Rivera Amin, Associate Editor | | |
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 | | “It seems to me an image of hope,” said the new pontiff in an inaugural address attended by around 40,000 people. | Rhea Nayyar |
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|  | | As Art Basel opens its arms to new collectors in Doha, some critics will not look past the nation’s legacy of deadly conditions for migrant laborers. | Rhea Nayyar |
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|  | | The androgynous adolescents in Gu’s paintings are people who have interior lives but are not always sure which way to go. | John Yau |
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|  | | Across painting, sculpture, installation, and video, these five group shows are excellent — no qualifiers about “student work” needed. | Lisa Yin Zhang |
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FROM THE ARCHIVE |  | | Let There Be Neon in Tribeca made a name for itself as an essential resource for artists, from Keith Haring to Laurie Anderson. | Aaron Short |
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| You’re currently a free subscriber to Hyperallergic. To support our independent arts journalism, please consider joining us as a member. | | Become a Member |
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