The Digest. 09.16.08.

Ramon Casas y Pere Romeu en Tandem, 1897, by Ramon Casas at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona. (Photo by C-M.)

• Fake Sarah Palin. (Via AFC.)
• CultureGrrl points out that Damien Hirst’s Sotheby’s auction did very well, but did not exceed estimate. She has more here. Read more coverage in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Guardian. And lastly, take the poll: Damien Hirst, genius or huckster?
• In related news: Winkleman has a fantastic post about the absurdity of it all. Plus: Lacayo on the art of it. More here.
• Businessman sues gallery over Rodin’s Thinker.
• Jerry “Food Virgin” Saltz is interviewed in the Brooklyn Rail. Interesting fact: he was once a trucker: “I became a long distance truck driver; my CB radio name was the Jewish Cowboy. I’d come on and say ‘Shalom, partner.’” Also, Saltz on ArtForum: “I wanted to write the way they wrote in that magazine, which seemed very cool, smart, and reserved, although I was secretly horrified because I barely understood a syllable of what I read.” And on curators: “I do think curators are more often the weakest link in the chain. The same sixteen curators assemble all the shows all over the world, showing the same sixteen artists. It’s horrible and frustrating.” (Via AFC.)
• British gallerist is trying to prove that Pietro Psaier, a Warhol acolyte, existed.
• The Smithsonian: Still a mess.
• The self-portraits of Rafael Goldchain. (Via ackackack.)
• Tacheles, the famous Berlin artists squat, may be nearing its end of days.
• Graff of the Day: Big Monster, in Barcelona, seen from Google Earth.
• Going, going gone: street art works, including pieces by Faile, Swoon, Bäst and Barry McGee go for a whole lotta money at a Phillips de Pury auction last week.
• Video: El Tono does a freight car in Monterrey.
• Graffiti for butterflies.
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation has images of a flooded Farnsworth House, Mies Van Der Rohe’s historic Illinois home (via Hello Beautiful!). The Skyline has more here and here.
• Schematics of the planned Herzog & de Meuron residential tower for downtown Manhattan. The stacked box design kinda reminds me of Santiago Calatrava’s South Street proposal from a few years back.
• Lots of pix from the architecture biennale in Venice and a photo essay on Greg Lynn’s toy furniture pieces. Also: Jonathan Glancey at the Guardian is not sure what it all adds up to.
• The Darth Vader hot air balloon.
• Your moment of sublime silencing. (Thank you, Yvonne Connasse.)