Nota Bene: This Week In The Art World

 An abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, meaning “note well.” It is used to emphasize an important point. NB. abbreviation for nota bene: used to mark something as particularly important.

 Nota Bene: This Week In The Art World began in March 2021 and has released over 180 episodes to date. The show introduces itself with this wild riff: "This is the podcast version of a boozy lunch at Sant Ambroeus in which adviser Benjamin Godsill and Vanity Fair art columnist Nate Freeman dish fresh art world gossip from Dimes Square to Mayfair, peel back the curtain on auctions, galleries and fairs—and, critically, tell you where to eat and drink in every museum-stuffed port of call. Plus there’s a special guest each week, and we’ll roast them good regardless of how much clout they carry on the circuit. It’s Nota Bene. Don’t close the deal until you tune in."

Here's a January 18, 22024,excerpt from Cultured Magazine.  "Hosted by Vanity Fair writer Nate Freeman and art advisor Benjamin Godsill, the podcast’s chatter is about clothes and food (like many in the art world, they have a big crush on Ignacio Mattos) as often as it is about art, and power players are frequently referred to by first name only.

"This month, the hosts joined forces with Pascal Spengemann and Joe Cole, the cofounders of Broadway Gallery in New York, to mount “Friends of the Pod.” The show, which opened to shoulder-to-shoulder crowds last week, features work by artists including Jonas Wood, Rashid Johnson, Rebecca Ness, and other pod regulars. For CULTURED, Freeman, Godsill, and Cole gathered to discuss the origins of their collaboration and their outlook for 2024."

Interestingly, for an indie podcast, the co-hosts add a line in their podcast feeds that reads: "unedited and commercial free (mostly because we are too lazy for either)." I love the commercial free part, but the unedited part makes the show somewhat unwieldy and excessively long. 

The show appeals to people who love art, the art world, art auctions, and art gossip. Therefore, the audience may be limited, but I'm sure it is passionate and informed, like many patrons of the art world.  

 The co-hosts are an interesting pair, witty and sometimes acerbic. They even describe their approach as "roasting" their guests, no matter their status. Benjamin Goodsill is a renowned art adviser with expertise in the art market. Nate Freeman is an art columnist for Vanity Fair. Known for his sharp wit, cultural commentary, and insider knowledge of the art world. He is known for his humorous commentary and knowledge of notable cultural dining locations.

What does the show cover in the art world? Auctions, gallery openings, art business deals, and, of course, artists. One of my favorite episodes called Paint The Lines, the co-hosts were joined by professional tennis player and art collector Reilly Opelka to discuss life on tour, his interest in art, his friendship with painter Friedrich Kunath and his close relationship and sponsorship by Antwerp's Tim Van Laere Gallery.

On the January 13, 2022, episode, the co-hosts get down to the dirty business of a lawsuit between "collector" Federico Castro Debernardi and museum founder and maybe art advisor Michael Xufu Huang. They take a peek at "what the story behind the story is," including the role of resale rights agreements (and their validity) as well as if gallerists can continue to say with a straight face that in demand works are "on hold for a private Chinese institution." The co-hosts tell us: "It's JUICY."

While my knowledge of the art world is limited to New Yorker cartoons, I still enjoy Nota Bene. I find the witty commentary of Godsill and Freeman insightful, sometimes irreverent and even caustic at times. 

The co-hosts often reference cultural events, food, and people by their first names, which can appeal to me because it makes me feel like I'm in the "loop." on Nota Bene, co-hosts Benjamin Godsill and Nate Freeman provide entertaining banter and humorous commentary on art world news. If you're an art world fan, be sure to check them out. If you're not, enjoy learning about that community, and revel in the biting wit of the co-hosts.