AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning
Today’s Highlights: If you noticed news of last week’s big Disney/OpenAI deal but thought it didn’t have relevance to your part of the arts world, think again. Like it or not, it portends how AI will transform the creative marketplace for everyone. I make the connections in a post in Diacritical.
We are officially living in the era of “slop.” Merriam-Webster has crowned the AI-derived term its Word of the Year (AP), defining it as the “fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous” output of the generative age. While the public mocks the aesthetic, the infrastructure is being quietly cemented. In the UK, a government plan to let artists “opt out” of AI scraping has garnered virtually zero support (The Guardian), suggesting the battle for consent may already be lost.
Legacy institutions are facing their own structural failures. The Louvre shuttered Monday due to a strike (Euronews), with staff protesting working conditions just weeks after a major jewel heist. In Hollywood, the bidding war for Warner Bros (The Hollywood Reporter) has become a spectator sport.
The Whitney Museum is naming 56 artists to its 2026 Biennial (ARTnews) in an attempt to interrogate “kinship and infrastructure” amidst the noise. And for those exhausted by the high-low divide, the LA Review of Books suggests we are seeing a resurgence of the “Middlebrow” (LA Review of Books).
All of today’s stories below
- Hallmark Adds A Third Pillar To Its Business — “Experiences”
Combining, after a fashion, its two main businesses, greeting cards and television, the company has begun offering branded cruises and seasonal theme parks — and customers are responding very positively so far. – The Hollywood Reporter
- The Re-Rise Of The Middlebrow?
Whereas the modernists and postmodernists tended to use low culture as a vast reserve of references, tropes, and stock characters to be deployed as needed within the novel-as-polyvocal-assemblage, our recent crop of “genre-benders” instead work from within the given structures of genre plots, out of which they develop more traditional “literary” elements. – LA Review of Books
- After Ravaging By ISIS, Mosul’s Religious Landmarks Are Being Restored. Can The City’s Religious Diversity Return As Well?
“It remains to be seen whether rebuilding churches and mosques will encourage social cohesion and religious peace in a still-fractured society. There are fewer than 70 Christian families living in Mosul, down from a pre-2014 population of 50,000.” – The Art Newspaper
- The 56 Artists Chosen For The 2026 Whitney Biennial
Guerrero said the biennial—which is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the US—will interrogate themes such as kinship and infrastructure to try and shed light on how artists connect with the world, but also sometimes reject it. The event will also question the US’s role in global affairs. – ARTnews
ISSUES
- The 56 Artists Chosen For The 2026 Whitney Biennial
Guerrero said the biennial—which is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the US—will interrogate themes such as kinship and infrastructure to try and shed light on how artists connect with the world, but also sometimes reject it. The event will also question the US’s role in global affairs. – ARTnews
- Two Generations Of Rothschilds Battle Over Their “Mini-Louvre” Art Collection
The lawsuits centre on the family’s extensive collection of furniture, priceless historic objects and paintings held at the baronial domain, the Chateau de Pregny in Switzerland, which one visitor described as a “mini Louvre”. – The Guardian
- Museum Tracker: This Year’s Most-Favored Artists
A narrow band of stars feature in a lot of shows, followed by a long tail of artists with much more limited visibility. Only slightly more than 200 artists are simultaneously in three or more shows in December, and only a little under 400 are in two or more. – Artnet
- Collection Of One Of South America’s Leading Museums Has Just Doubled In Size
“One of the world’s most important collections of Latin American art will double in size following the acquisition of over 1,000 new works. Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) will accommodate its new holdings with a major expansion, which will be initiated next year to mark its 25th anniversary.” – Artnet
- Louvre Closed As Threatened Strike Begins
“The world’s most-visited museum was closed on Monday after workers walked out on strike in protest against working conditions and other complaints, dealing another blow to the landmark after an embarrassing jewellery heist in October.” – Euronews
MEDIA
- Hallmark Adds A Third Pillar To Its Business — “Experiences”
Combining, after a fashion, its two main businesses, greeting cards and television, the company has begun offering branded cruises and seasonal theme parks — and customers are responding very positively so far. – The Hollywood Reporter
- After Ravaging By ISIS, Mosul’s Religious Landmarks Are Being Restored. Can The City’s Religious Diversity Return As Well?
“It remains to be seen whether rebuilding churches and mosques will encourage social cohesion and religious peace in a still-fractured society. There are fewer than 70 Christian families living in Mosul, down from a pre-2014 population of 50,000.” – The Art Newspaper
- Virtually No Support In UK For Government’s “Opt-Out” Plan For AI And Artists
Only 3% of people backed the government’s initial preferred tech company-friendly option, which was to require artists and copyright holders to actively opt out of having their material fed into data-hungry AI systems. – The Guardian
- Angelinos Are Flocking To LA Bars… To Listen To Academic Lectures
Attendees hear thought-provoking talks from experts on wide-ranging topics such as Taylor Swift’s use of storytelling in her music, how AI technology is being used to detect cardiovascular diseases — all in a fun, low-stakes environment. And rest assured: No grades are given. It’s a formula that’s been working. – Los Angeles Times
- How Teachers Are Trying To Get Around AI Chatbots
Across the country, a small but growing number of educators are experimenting with oral exams to circumvent the temptations presented by powerful artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT. – Washington Post
MUSIC
- The Re-Rise Of The Middlebrow?
Whereas the modernists and postmodernists tended to use low culture as a vast reserve of references, tropes, and stock characters to be deployed as needed within the novel-as-polyvocal-assemblage, our recent crop of “genre-benders” instead work from within the given structures of genre plots, out of which they develop more traditional “literary” elements. – LA Review of Books
- North Carolina County Dissolves Library Board Over Decision On Book About A Transgender Boy
Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program at free-expression advocacy group PEN America, said Randolph County’s decision to dissolve its library board is among the most severe penalties she has seen in response to a controversial book. – Washington Post
- “Slop” Is Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word Of The Year
“’It’s such an illustrative word,’ said Greg Barlow, Merriam-Webster’s president. … ‘It’s part of a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something that people have found fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous.’” – AP
- Librarians Are Struggling To Keep Up With Bad AI Queries
Around 15 percent of all the reference questions received by her staff are written by generative AI, some of which include imaginary citations and sources. This increased burden placed on librarians and institutions is so bad that even organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross are putting people on notice about the problem.
- AI Can Now Analyze Language Better Than Humans
“It’s only a matter of time before we are able to build models that generalize better from less data in a way that is more creative.” – Wired
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s Highlights: If you noticed news of last week’s big Disney/OpenAI deal but thought it didn’t have relevance to your part of the arts world, think again. Like it or not, it portends how AI will transform the creative marketplace for everyone. I make the connections in a post in Diacritical.
We are officially living in the era of “slop.” Merriam-Webster has crowned the AI-derived term its Word of the Year (AP), defining it as the “fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous” output of the generative age. While the public mocks the aesthetic, the infrastructure is being quietly cemented. In the UK, a government plan to let artists “opt out” of AI scraping has garnered virtually zero support (The Guardian), suggesting the battle for consent may already be lost.
Legacy institutions are facing their own structural failures. The Louvre shuttered Monday due to a strike (Euronews), with staff protesting working conditions just weeks after a major jewel heist. In Hollywood, the bidding war for Warner Bros (The Hollywood Reporter) has become a spectator sport.
The Whitney Museum is naming 56 artists to its 2026 Biennial (ARTnews) in an attempt to interrogate “kinship and infrastructure” amidst the noise. And for those exhausted by the high-low divide, the LA Review of Books suggests we are seeing a resurgence of the “Middlebrow” (LA Review of Books).
All of today’s stories below
- Hallmark Adds A Third Pillar To Its Business — “Experiences”
Combining, after a fashion, its two main businesses, greeting cards and television, the company has begun offering branded cruises and seasonal theme parks — and customers are responding very positively so far. – The Hollywood Reporter
- The Re-Rise Of The Middlebrow?
Whereas the modernists and postmodernists tended to use low culture as a vast reserve of references, tropes, and stock characters to be deployed as needed within the novel-as-polyvocal-assemblage, our recent crop of “genre-benders” instead work from within the given structures of genre plots, out of which they develop more traditional “literary” elements. – LA Review of Books
- After Ravaging By ISIS, Mosul’s Religious Landmarks Are Being Restored. Can The City’s Religious Diversity Return As Well?
“It remains to be seen whether rebuilding churches and mosques will encourage social cohesion and religious peace in a still-fractured society. There are fewer than 70 Christian families living in Mosul, down from a pre-2014 population of 50,000.” – The Art Newspaper
- The 56 Artists Chosen For The 2026 Whitney Biennial
Guerrero said the biennial—which is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the US—will interrogate themes such as kinship and infrastructure to try and shed light on how artists connect with the world, but also sometimes reject it. The event will also question the US’s role in global affairs. – ARTnews
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s Highlights: If you noticed news of last week’s big Disney/OpenAI deal but thought it didn’t have relevance to your part of the arts world, think again. Like it or not, it portends how AI will transform the creative marketplace for everyone. I make the connections in a post in Diacritical.
We are officially living in the era of “slop.” Merriam-Webster has crowned the AI-derived term its Word of the Year (AP), defining it as the “fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous” output of the generative age. While the public mocks the aesthetic, the infrastructure is being quietly cemented. In the UK, a government plan to let artists “opt out” of AI scraping has garnered virtually zero support (The Guardian), suggesting the battle for consent may already be lost.
Legacy institutions are facing their own structural failures. The Louvre shuttered Monday due to a strike (Euronews), with staff protesting working conditions just weeks after a major jewel heist. In Hollywood, the bidding war for Warner Bros (The Hollywood Reporter) has become a spectator sport.
The Whitney Museum is naming 56 artists to its 2026 Biennial (ARTnews) in an attempt to interrogate “kinship and infrastructure” amidst the noise. And for those exhausted by the high-low divide, the LA Review of Books suggests we are seeing a resurgence of the “Middlebrow” (LA Review of Books).
All of today’s stories below
- Hallmark Adds A Third Pillar To Its Business — “Experiences”
Combining, after a fashion, its two main businesses, greeting cards and television, the company has begun offering branded cruises and seasonal theme parks — and customers are responding very positively so far. – The Hollywood Reporter
- The Re-Rise Of The Middlebrow?
Whereas the modernists and postmodernists tended to use low culture as a vast reserve of references, tropes, and stock characters to be deployed as needed within the novel-as-polyvocal-assemblage, our recent crop of “genre-benders” instead work from within the given structures of genre plots, out of which they develop more traditional “literary” elements. – LA Review of Books
- After Ravaging By ISIS, Mosul’s Religious Landmarks Are Being Restored. Can The City’s Religious Diversity Return As Well?
“It remains to be seen whether rebuilding churches and mosques will encourage social cohesion and religious peace in a still-fractured society. There are fewer than 70 Christian families living in Mosul, down from a pre-2014 population of 50,000.” – The Art Newspaper
- The 56 Artists Chosen For The 2026 Whitney Biennial
Guerrero said the biennial—which is the longest-running survey of contemporary art in the US—will interrogate themes such as kinship and infrastructure to try and shed light on how artists connect with the world, but also sometimes reject it. The event will also question the US’s role in global affairs. – ARTnews
THEATRE
VISUAL
- Physical Media Is Becoming Cool Again
Whether it’s thanks to Gen-Z or thanks to a (terrifying) nonstop surveillance state intertwined with our televisions and speakers, CDs and DVDs are making a comeback. – Washington Post (Yahoo)
- A Startup Wants To Relaunch Twitter
The group Operation Bluebird claims Elon Musk’s X has legally abandoned Twitter (not to mention the word “tweet”), and wants to relaunch. If you “reserve your handle” at twitter dot new, you’ll even see a surprise hashtag. – Ars Technica
- The Definitive Oral History Of How Jim Carrey’s Grinch Movie Really Did Steal Christmas
The rewriters who didn’t get a credit: “The way that Writers Guild arbitration process works is that if you arbitrate for credit and you don’t get credit, the Writers Guild forbids what they call compensatory credit. … Jim Carrey’s dentist has a credit on this movie, and we don’t.” – Vulture
- What Happens To You Creatively After You’ve Won Success?
These big breaks and large prizes are remarkable things that can provide incredible opportunities, but there is so often another side to that success. – LA Review of Books
- The Benefits Of Tolerant Cultures
A tolerant person is one who does not interfere with other people, even if he thinks they are wrong, but is prepared to let them think what they like and say what they think. If he thinks they are wrong, he may try to persuade them, but he will not try to force them. – Psyche
