Elmyr de Hory Documentary Screening in New York Wednesday Evening

On Wednesday evening at the National Arts Club in New York a screening this new documentary examining Elmyr de Hory will take place.

Here are the details:

Real Fake: The Art, Life and Crimes of Elmyr de Hory   A Film By Jeff Oppenheim

Wednesday, February 5, 8:00 PM 
THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB 
15 Gramercy Park S, New York, NY 10003
Elmyr de Hory was one of the most notorious forgers. He is alleged to have painted thousands of “fakes,” many of which still hang in major museums and private collections worldwide. Having eluded prosecution from Interpol, Scotland Yard and other authorities, veteran filmmaker Jeff Oppenheim re-opens the case in this investigative caper that sheds new light on the depth of Elmyr’s crimes. 

This event is free and open to the public, however an RSVP is required at nationalartsclub.eventbrite.com.


PLEASE NOTE: Seating is first-come, first-served and entry to the event can not be guaranteed. Please arrive 20 minutes before the event start time. 

Murray Reviews HBO’s ‘Banksy Does New York’

"The Street is in Play", Banksy, Chinatown, Oct. 2013.
“The Street is in Play”, Banksy, Chinatown, Oct. 2013.

Noel Murray previews tonight’s HBO documentary on Banksy’s New York ‘residence’. One reason for the enduring appeal of Banksy, is the artist gets people thinking about art:

Banksy posted pictures of the finished works, but wouldn’t say where they were located, which meant that Banksy fans had to hunt around the city to find them—all while hoping that the pieces hadn’t been removed or painted over before they could be discovered. Over the course of the month, Banksy stirred up controversy with the political content of some of the work, and provoked the usual brouhaha over whether street art is any different from everyday vandalism. But Banksy also got the citizens of New York talking nearly every day about art and social issues, and he had people paying more attention to their surroundings, looking for hidden Banksys. He kept folks on their toes. . . .

That’s ultimately what makes Banksy Does New York such a lively and engaging film (even if it lacks the endearing puckishness of Exit Through The Gift Shop). Moukarbel ignores a lot of the outcry in New York about the appropriateness—or cleverness—of some of Banksy’s big social statements, like his comments about 9/11 and the Freedom Tower. And Banksy Does New York doesn’t give more than a passing voice to Banky’s critics and skeptics. (If anything, it’s more harsh to the New York art world for largely ignoring the residency.) But the film does a fine job of getting at the tension that each day’s new piece inspired. In the neighborhoods where Banksy struck, some locals fought to preserve the work, some looked to profit from it, and some saw the whole event as a nuisance. Meanwhile, New Yorkers flocked to the new exhibits, and balked whenever anyone tried to restrict their access or mar the art. Intentionally or not, Banksy and Moukarbel raise the question of who these spontaneous acts of creativity belong to, and whether they’re ever really “complete.”

The documentary airs Nov. 17th on HBO.