Given the political tensions that have sent spasms through the nation over the past two years, you might have expected — hoped — that the 2019 Whitney Biennial would be one big, sharp Occupy-style yawp. Politics are present, but with a few notable exceptions, murmured, coded, stitched into the weave of fastidiously form-conscious, labor-intensive work. As a result, the exhibition, organized by two young Whitney curators, Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta, gives the initial impression of being a well-groomed group show rather than a statement of resistance. Artist by artist, piece by piece, there’s a lot of quiet agitation in the air. And it’s a young show: three quarters of the artists are under 40, with 20 of them under 33.

Source: New York Times May 16, 2019 20:48 UTC