Vanessa Beecroft: White Skin, Black Masks

In a Madona-Angelina Jolie-esque move, Vanessa Beecroft has decided to turn the act of adoption into an artistic performance. The CBC has a lengthy expose on a new film documentary, The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins, which captures 16-months of Beecroft’s thoughts and actions to adopt two Sudanese babies.

Of particular import to this site are the two legal issues raised: one, and according to the CBC, that “Sudan has no laws around adoption,” and two, Beecroft’s threat to sue the filmmaker, Pietra Brettkelly, demanding that changes be made to the film’s edited version. We don’t know much about Sudanese law (in fact, nothing at all), but once again we see that although most artists cringe at the thought of obtaining legal documents to memorialize agreements, having had one in this case would have saved Beecroft and Brettkelly the embarrasment of having to threaten legal action or the energy and financial means necessary to defend a lawsuit.

Shameless self-promotion?