John Waters. CHELSEA LAUREN/VARIETY/SHUTTERSTOCK

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News

After President Trump tweeted disparaging comments about the city of Baltimore, artist and filmmaker John Waters told ARTnews: “Give me the rats and roaches of Baltimore any day over the lies and racism of your Washington, Mr Trump.” [ARTnews]

Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean, who is widely known as Swizz Beatz, have added paintings by the artist Tschabalala Self to their collection. “We actually got three the same day, but one is being donated to the Brooklyn Museum,” Dean said of the purchase. “You can feel the energy from her work. It’s amazing that an artist can leave their vibrations on the work.” [Bloomberg]

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has acquired flags and pamphlets created by the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion. [The Art Newspaper]

Lives

Carlos Cruz-Diez, a pioneering figure in kinetic and op art, has died at age 95. [ARTnews]

California

On the subject of San Francisco’s George Washington murals, which the city’s board of education has voted to remove, Roberta Smith writes, “In a democracy, destroying a work of art is never a solution to any offense it may give. Once art has been made and released into the often choppy flow of life, it should stay there. It will live on anyway.” [The New York Times]

Oakland’s eccentric green sculpture, known as the Mid-century Monster, has been restored to its original vibrancy. The beloved structure was created in 1952 by Robert Winston. [Atlas Obscura]

Galleries

Five French galleries, including Air de Paris and Jocelyn Wolff, will open spaces in a new arts complex in the Parisian suburb of Romainville. [The Art Newspaper]

And more!

Artist Katrin Rodegast has made intricate sculptures of human organs using maps of Zurich. She said of that the project, titled “Anatomical Paper Organs,” is meant to show “how detailed and fragile our organs, body parts and bones are—and how special.” [The Guardian]

Take a look at photographer Mark Neville’s images of life in Brittany, France. The photos comprise the artist’s new book, Parade. [The New Yorker]