AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- A New Old Mozart?
Good Morning,
A flute-and-harp fragment in Mozart’s hand surfaced this week, and the New York Times reports it’s almost certainly real. How is it that we’re still discovering or re-discovering art that was created centuries ago? The big visual art news is that Getty Images just sold access to its library of human-made images to OpenAI (Fast Company), monetizing the archive as raw material for the machines that will compete with it. Granta, meanwhile, has suspended running writing of the Commonwealth prize because it can no longer tell which submissions a person actually wrote — versus a machine (The Guardian).
And in a move that was a long time in coming, Japan rewrote its copyright law this week so performers finally collect royalties when their recordings play in public (Music Business Worldwide). Copyright everywhere else, pays royalties to “creators” of music — the authors, while the performers got nothing. A very big deal.
Who says the blockbuster art shows are done? Tate Modern is setting advance-ticket records for Frida Kahlo (The Guardian), suggesting that “the blockbuster is dead” was always a claim about supply, not demand. Against all that, the first AI museum opens asking whether any of it is actually art (New York Post). This is exactly the right question.
All of our stories below.
Doug
- Hit-maker Clive David, 94
One of the few nonperformers in music to become a household name, Mr. Davis maintained a visible role as a starmaker for half a century. In the late 1960s he propelled a reluctant Columbia headlong into the rock era with acts like Janis Joplin and Blood, Sweat & Tears. – The New York Times
- Who Is America’s Great Poet?
Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes. – Plough
- Is The First AI Museum Really Art?
The sensory splash, co-founded by artists Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, showcases four more reality-bending galleries to explore — like the classic “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Avatar” or the trippy, new horror film “Backrooms.” – New York Post
- Better than the Met
Visiting Zurich earlier this week, I was eager to sample the Zurich Opera in Wagner. They are bringing the Ring to Carnegie
ISSUES
- Is The First AI Museum Really Art?
The sensory splash, co-founded by artists Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, showcases four more reality-bending galleries to explore — like the classic “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Avatar” or the trippy, new horror film “Backrooms.” – New York Post
- How Billionaires Visit Museums
As exhibitions become more spectacular, donors expect engagement that goes beyond acknowledgment plaques. Exclusive access has therefore evolved into a sophisticated currency and is increasingly a luxury experience in its own right. – The Times
- Blockbusters Are Dead? Tell That To Frida Kahlo Fans!
Tate was unprepared for the scale of demand. The gallery has said more than 41,000 tickets have already been sold for Frida: The Making of an Icon, which opens on 25 June, making it the highest pre-selling exhibition in Tate’s history, surpassing the previous record of 32,000 advance sales for David Hockney in 2017. – The Guardian
- In Los Angeles, LACMA Hosts A Huge Art Parade
Michael Govan was feeling pretty good about the 600,000 people who came to the block party and parade, too: “We’re not gonna close Wilshire every weekend, but it’s an example of what we can do. … It’s really exciting to see the building work.” – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- Basel’s Art Before Art Basel
For one thing, Basel “is a city of nearly 200,000 residents and nearly 40 museums — or about one museum for every 5,000 locals.” – The New York Times
MEDIA
- Kennedy Center Says It Isn’t Required To Book Any Shows
“The Court’s order did not affirmatively require the Board to reschedule programming that had previously been cancelled or to seek new programming,” the lawyers wrote in the filing. – AP News
- With The Roku Sale To Fox, Not To Mention The Paramount Deal, Right-Wing Interests Dominate Streaming
“The scale of this quiet coup is staggering. … In practical terms, Roku controls the television home screen.” – Salon
- Court Says Trump Administration May Alter Slavery Exhibit At George Washngton’s Philadelphia House (And Philadelphia May Not)
When the Trump administration removed from the site panels telling the history of the enslaved people who lived with the Washingtons there, the city of Philadelphia sued. A lower-court federal judge ordered the panels restored; a three-judge panel of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed that order. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- David Hockney Was Working Class. Artists From The Working Class Have A Much More Difficult Time Today
Through policies and schemes, previously unheard-of opportunities for people of his background began to open up, without which he would not have become the success he is considered today. The situation today for aspiring artists from a similar background is much starker. – The Conversation
- Ballmer And Bezos And Benioff: Mega-donors To The Obama Library
The foundation collected six donations of $50 million-plus, including one anonymous contributor. – Chicago Sun-Times
MUSIC
- Who Is America’s Great Poet?
Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes. – Plough
- Granta Says It Will Stop Publishing Prize Winners Over AI Concerns
“For the sake of our own editorial integrity, the Granta Trust board has now taken the decision that we will no longer engage in external publishing partnerships.” – The Guardian
- Why Are Romance Audiobooks Surging In Popularity?
“Romance [is] increasingly shifting from page to ear. This boom — fuelled by pandemic-era isolation and women with sexual agency wanting to multi-task while consuming books that feature guilt-free escapism — is pushing the publishing industry to pursue audio-first strategies.” – CBC
- Judy Blume, She Says, Has Written Enough
The author says, “You’re living with [your characters] for months, sometimes years. And you’re locked up in a little room all day with them. That’s why 50 years is enough. I was ready to come out into the world. Now, she owns and runs a bookstore. – NPR
- Burned By AI, Granta Will No Longer Publish External Award Winning Short Stories
Ouf. “For the sake of our own editorial integrity, the Granta Trust board has now taken the decision that we will no longer engage in external publishing partnerships. We … wish our former partner, the Commonwealth Foundation, all the best in its work.” – The Guardian (UK)
PEOPLE
- A New Old Mozart?
Good Morning,
A flute-and-harp fragment in Mozart’s hand surfaced this week, and the New York Times reports it’s almost certainly real. How is it that we’re still discovering or re-discovering art that was created centuries ago? The big visual art news is that Getty Images just sold access to its library of human-made images to OpenAI (Fast Company), monetizing the archive as raw material for the machines that will compete with it. Granta, meanwhile, has suspended running writing of the Commonwealth prize because it can no longer tell which submissions a person actually wrote — versus a machine (The Guardian).
And in a move that was a long time in coming, Japan rewrote its copyright law this week so performers finally collect royalties when their recordings play in public (Music Business Worldwide). Copyright everywhere else, pays royalties to “creators” of music — the authors, while the performers got nothing. A very big deal.
Who says the blockbuster art shows are done? Tate Modern is setting advance-ticket records for Frida Kahlo (The Guardian), suggesting that “the blockbuster is dead” was always a claim about supply, not demand. Against all that, the first AI museum opens asking whether any of it is actually art (New York Post). This is exactly the right question.
All of our stories below.
Doug
- Hit-maker Clive David, 94
One of the few nonperformers in music to become a household name, Mr. Davis maintained a visible role as a starmaker for half a century. In the late 1960s he propelled a reluctant Columbia headlong into the rock era with acts like Janis Joplin and Blood, Sweat & Tears. – The New York Times
- Who Is America’s Great Poet?
Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes. – Plough
- Is The First AI Museum Really Art?
The sensory splash, co-founded by artists Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, showcases four more reality-bending galleries to explore — like the classic “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Avatar” or the trippy, new horror film “Backrooms.” – New York Post
- Better than the Met
Visiting Zurich earlier this week, I was eager to sample the Zurich Opera in Wagner. They are bringing the Ring to Carnegie
PEOPLE
- A New Old Mozart?
Good Morning,
A flute-and-harp fragment in Mozart’s hand surfaced this week, and the New York Times reports it’s almost certainly real. How is it that we’re still discovering or re-discovering art that was created centuries ago? The big visual art news is that Getty Images just sold access to its library of human-made images to OpenAI (Fast Company), monetizing the archive as raw material for the machines that will compete with it. Granta, meanwhile, has suspended running writing of the Commonwealth prize because it can no longer tell which submissions a person actually wrote — versus a machine (The Guardian).
And in a move that was a long time in coming, Japan rewrote its copyright law this week so performers finally collect royalties when their recordings play in public (Music Business Worldwide). Copyright everywhere else, pays royalties to “creators” of music — the authors, while the performers got nothing. A very big deal.
Who says the blockbuster art shows are done? Tate Modern is setting advance-ticket records for Frida Kahlo (The Guardian), suggesting that “the blockbuster is dead” was always a claim about supply, not demand. Against all that, the first AI museum opens asking whether any of it is actually art (New York Post). This is exactly the right question.
All of our stories below.
Doug
- Hit-maker Clive David, 94
One of the few nonperformers in music to become a household name, Mr. Davis maintained a visible role as a starmaker for half a century. In the late 1960s he propelled a reluctant Columbia headlong into the rock era with acts like Janis Joplin and Blood, Sweat & Tears. – The New York Times
- Who Is America’s Great Poet?
Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes. – Plough
- Is The First AI Museum Really Art?
The sensory splash, co-founded by artists Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, showcases four more reality-bending galleries to explore — like the classic “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Avatar” or the trippy, new horror film “Backrooms.” – New York Post
- Better than the Met
Visiting Zurich earlier this week, I was eager to sample the Zurich Opera in Wagner. They are bringing the Ring to Carnegie
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Philosophers Attempting To Explain This Baffling Time
That must have been revelatory at a time when most people seemed to believe that science was infallible. But expertise has been downgraded—and more people are getting their information from podcasters and influencers. Who could help us understand this shift? – The Atlantic
- A Monolith Built To Record The End Of Planet Earth
“The purpose of the device is to provide an unbiased account of the events that lead to the demise of the planet, hold accountability for future generations, and inspire urgent action,” the Earth’s Black Box website states. “How the story ends is completely up to us.” – Gizmodo
- Smart Phones Enable An Awful Lot Of Fact-Checking – Sometimes To Our Detriment
“There is something thrilling about a document dump, and picking through boxes and boxes of government files. We have often associated these habits with conspiracy theorists, … but in the modern era of digitized records, anyone can jump down a rabbit hole anywhere, anytime, even on their phone.” – The Atlantic
- Have Movies Doomed Us All?
Seriously: Movies have “proved to be a tool of dictators, an instrument of propaganda and the weapon of ruthless, unaccountable corporate interests.” – The New York Times
- Have Our Devices Dulled Our Sensory Experiences?
“The way we consume such content, by swiping idly on a glass screen, stands in stark contrast with the content of the content, the skillful manipulation of resolutely tangible material. It’s ironic, and a bit dystopian, this disjuncture, but I’m entranced by the videos anyway.” – The New Yorker
