Stories

Could AI Help Identify The Unknown Subjects Of Centuries-Old Portraits?

“Identifying a sitter in a portrait is a tricky art-historical task that involves a study of provenance, inscriptions, archival documentation, iconographic juxtaposition, collection history, and costume and jewelry. Could present-day technologies be another item in the researcher’s tool kit?” A project in Switzerland is giving it a try. - ARTnews

France Gets A New Literary Prize Specifically For Books Written With AI

“The Prix Pascal will open for submissions on 2 November, inviting French-language writers to submit manuscripts alongside an initial prompt of no more than 100 words and a technical account of the language model and generation process used. The competition is open to non-professional writers and those working in the literary sector.” - Firstpost

San Francisco Has Not Paid Artists The City Grants They Were Awarded This Year

“In typical years, grant agreements are sent in early July, with artists getting money in hand within four weeks. As of October, multiple artists still haven't received a dime, and at least two received their grant agreements only after the Chronicle wrote the commission to ask about the delay.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

Philadelphia Orchestra Raises $344 Million

“The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts has coasted past the dollar goal in one of the city’s largest-ever fundraising campaigns for a cultural organization, … bringing in $344 million to support operations, build endowment, and fund special artistic initiatives.” One couple anonymously donated $55 million. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Historic City Hall Is Burned Down During French Riots

In Limoges, the 19th-century Hôtel de Ville, which had historic landmark status, was destroyed by arson during the violence that has convulsed much of France in recent days. One suspect has been arrested. - Euronews

BBC Three And BBC Scotland To Be Taken Off The Air

As the Corporation tries to save £500 million ($670 million) over the next two years, it is ending over-the-air transmission of these two television stations as well as BBC Radio 4 Extra. As of next spring, programming from those outlets will be made for streaming only. - The Guardian

The Washington Ballet At 50

“Go-Go 50,” the upcoming mixed-bill program assembled to celebrate the anniversary, “exemplifies some of the company's hallmarks: a willingness to gamble on new work, an embrace of diverse repertoire, and an ability to capitalize on the culture and cachet of its hometown.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

Donors Are Trying To Save Artworks At The Kennedy Center

Donors who have given artwork to the institution are trying to reclaim their gifts, fearing for their safety amid a renovation and in the wake of layoffs. They are not convinced that the leadership, largely appointed by Trump, values the artworks as part of the institution’s holdings. - ARTnews

What Got The Hollywood Establishment To Join The Vertical Microdrama Boom? SAG-AFTRA

“SAG-AFTRA's independent Verticals Agreement helped open the door for producers to hire union performers for the format's notoriously small-scale productions. They've also brought some structure and legitimacy to the medium. ... Bigger-name talent is now more open to verticals thanks to the protections the agreement brings.” - TheWrap (MSN)

How Intuition Works

The key is to see that intuition works in much the same way as perception, in that both can directly present something to us as actual. Once we understand what gives perception this feature, we can see why intuitions might involve exercising the same basic kind of cognitive capacity. - Aeon

Shakespeare And The Work Of Black Women

In the Folger’s newest exhibition To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare, curated by Akhimie, more than 400 years of Black women’s engagement with Shakespeare is collectively explored for the first time, illuminating the ways in which Black women have claimed and reimagined the works of Shakespeare through scholarship and craft. - The Guardian

Scholars Conclude That Shakespeare Was Primary (But Not Sole) Author Of “Edward III”

The history play was published without a named author in 1596, and it was long believed that Shakespeare had written a few scenes. New analysis shows “beyond doubt” that he wrote “the lion’s share,” 23 segments of the script, while Christopher Marlowe wrote nine. - The Guardian

Why Has Netflix Hit A Wall?

The ousters of two of the company’s top creative executives are a sign that the streaming giant’s leaders feel the service needs to overhaul its content offerings. - The Wall Street Journal

Brewster Kahle: Why The Internet Needs A Memory

Many people assume that once something is published online, it will remain forever retrievable. The saying that “the internet never forgets” has produced a dangerously false sense of permanence. In reality, the internet forgets continuously. Websites are constantly revised, deleted, and abandoned altogether. - The Atlantic

The Harms Of Zombie Copyright

Fifty years ago today, copyright law in America changed fundamentally. That change was an accidental disaster for both creators and the culture they create. - Lawrence Lessig

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