Artist John Zabawa’s “TELEGRAMS” Project Rekindles a Cherished Form of Connection

A request for letters from strangers, fans and friends—the promise of a response

Los Angeles-based artist John Zabawa (who has worked with Aesop, Ace Hotel and others, and was shown in a solo exhibition in Chicago in 2018 titled So Many People) announced his newest project, TELEGRAMS, with a letter crafted on a typewriter, marked with redactions and imperfections. He took to Instagram, posted a photo of the letter and left it with a simple caption: “PSA” followed by …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Supporting Black-owned businesses, protesting safely, paying homage to a brilliant artist and more

Practices for Safe Protesting Protesting and mobilizing together surpasses the value of social media posts in solidarity. There is work to be done offline; some of it visible, some not. Standing up for Black individuals can be effective in combatting brutality and the systemic belittling of Black bodies. New York City’s 14th Congressional District Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared the proper practices for in-person protests and …

Interview: Painter + Sculptor Royal Jarmon

Speaking with the visual artist as his show virtually opens at The Hole, NYC

For Royal Jarmon‘s second solo exhibition at NYC‘s The Hole, the artist has centered his focus on maps—an obsession since childhood. The show—called Respire—just “opened” online, but also occupies the gallery’s Bowery space. It’s there that Jarmon painted a mural—a performance piece in many ways, and a divergence from his typical approach to unveiling an artwork. We spoke with him about the inspiration he draws from …