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The Selfie

The selfie stick, now contraband. (Photo courtesy Shutterstock)

Art World Abstracts: The War on Selfie Sticks Reaches Europe’s Museums, and More!

Thinking of spending a nice day taking selfies with a selfie stick at the National Gallery in London, or the Palace of Versailles in Paris? Think again! Selfie sticks are banned from the storied institutions, following a worldwide trend of restricting art patrons from bringing selfie-enhancing implements into museums. And plus, they make you look ridiculous. I mean, look at Diddy with a selfie stick. He looks terrible. Don't do this.
By Nate Freeman
Selfie Stick at the Louvre. (Photo courtesy Remy De La Mauviniere/Associated Press)

Art World Abstracts: Museums Ban Selfie Sticks Amid Much Controversy, and More!

If you were planning on using your brand new selfie stick to take that perfect selfie at the Met in front of the Temple of Dendur, well, you're in for a rather rough surprise—the institution has banned selfie sticks. It's just one of the many museums which have up and decided that such implements are not welcome. Let's here note that this story was on the front page of The New York Times, as this is a change in protocol as important as matters of national security. And so now, selfie-obsessed art lovers will have to take selfies the old fashioned way. Wait, how? Like, with an outstretched arm? Do we remember taking selfies before selfie sticks? I know, it's tough for me to recall, too.
By Nate Freeman
Hans Ulrich Obrist, Klaus Biesenbach. (Courtesy Billy Farrell)

Klaus Biesenbach and Hans Ulrich Obrist to Solve Instagram in Art Basel Talks Program

Klaus Biesenbach and Hans Ulrich Obrist would presumably be busy running two premiere centers on two sides of the Atlantic—MoMA PS1 for Klaus, Serpentine Gallery for Hans Ulrich—but somehow they have a lot of free time to Instagram. Mr. Biensenbach likes to post the view of gloomy grey New York out his window every morning, as well as selfies with James Franco. Mr. Obrist likes to post handwritten aphorisms by art world heavy weights—as well as, um, selfies with James Franco. They both have over 100,000 followers.
By Nate Freeman

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