No. 467, June 2023 Cover

Tolia Astakhishvili, Just Deserts, 2022, installation view, LC Queisser, Tbilisi

Features 1 Shame

Andrea Büttner interviewed by Ellen Mara De Wachter 6 Against Immersion

Adam Heardman looks beyond the spectacle and finds sinister forces operating behind the new trend for high-tech, immersive art experience 10 Earth Matters

Colin Perry finds that the earth work of contemporary artists is fundamentally different from either the Land Art of the past or the eco art of the present

Profile 14 Tolia Astakhishvili

Profile by Chris McCormack

News & Comment 17 Editorial 18 Artnotes 23 Obituaries

John A Walker 1938–2023 Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa 1976–2023

Reviews Exhibitions 25 Signals: How Video

Transformed the World Mimi Howard 26 Evil Eye: The Parallel History of Optics and Ballistics Jamie Sutcliffe 28 Isaac Julien:

What Freedom is to Me Maria Walsh 29 Alfredo Jaar: • If It Concerns Us,

It Concerns You • 50 Years Later

Tom Denman 30 Grace Ndiritu: • Reimagines the

FOMU Collection • Healing the Museum

Judith Wilkinson 32 Florence Peake:

Factual Actual – Ensemble Cherry Smyth 33 Uri Aran:

Take This Dog for Example Chris Clarke 34 Barbarella’s Kiss

Tom Hastings Kira Freije: River by Night

Daniel Culpan 35 Lizzy Rose: Things I Have

Learned the Hard Way Hannah Wallis Books 37 Simon Cutts:

The Small Press Model Andrew Wilson Film 38 Steve McQueen: Grenfell

Elisabetta Fabrizi Conference 39 Curating Art in Challenging Times Chris Hayes

Art Monthly taking art apart since 1976

Reports 40 Crisis in Croydon

Matthew Noel-Tod 42 Letter from New York

Brian Hatton 44 Christie’s Tests the Vorticist Market Colin Gleadell 46 Artlaw

Structurally F-cked Henry Lydiate 47 Listings

Art Monthly Peveril Garden Studios 140 Great Dover Street London SE1 4GW United Kingdom +44 (0) 20 7240 0389 info@artmonthly.co.uk www.artmonthly.co.uk twitter.com/artmonthly facebook.com/artmonthly instagram.com/art_monthly_uk ISSN 0142 6702 Art Monthly is published ten times a year Subscriptions subs@artmonthly.co.uk Current rates online – digital subscriptions start at £9. Call or email with payment details, or buy online artmonthly.co.uk/buy Editor Patricia Bickers Deputy Editor David Barrett Associate Editor Chris McCormack Listings Mark William Lewis listings@artmonthly.co.uk Proofreader Cath Harris Design Fraser Muggeridge studio Office Administrator Iain Hales Founders Jack Wendler, Peter Townsend Advertising Matt Hale, Mark William Lewis +44 (0) 20 7240 0418 ads@artmonthly.co.uk Subscription/Distribution Natasha Rees subs@artmonthly.co.uk distribution@artmonthly.co.uk Foundation Trustees Martin Fryer, Teresa Gleadowe, Gill Hedley, Isaac Julien, Henry Lydiate (chair), Andrew Wilson Honorary Patrons Eddie Chambers, Liam Gillick, Hans Haacke, Mona Hatoum, Alfredo Jaar, Martha Rosler Published by Art Monthly Foundation, Registered Charity 1173171, Company Number CE 010907. All editorial, advertising and subscription enquiries to Art Monthly, Peveril Garden Studios, 140 Dover Street, London, SE1 4GW, +44 (0) 20 7240 0389, info@artmonthly.co.uk.Printed in Great Britain by S&G Print Group, Goat Mill Rd, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 3TD. Distribution: Central Books Ltd, Freshwater Rd, Dagenham RM8 1RX, +44(0)20 8525 8800, orders@centralbooks.com. The views expressed in Art Monthly are not necessarily those of the publishers or editors. The electronic version of Art Monthly is available on the Art Index http://www.hwwilson.com. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced in any way without permission.