The museum featured more than 200 works that had been censored for political, social or religious reasons. Some pieces depicted controversial figures, including dictator Francisco Franco inside a fridge, Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I in a sexual scene with a Bolivian activist, and Saddam Hussein tied up and floating in a glass tank. - Artdependence
Across the world and throughout time, structures have been deliberately erased and later resurrected as replicas – often as a nod to new (or resurgent) political and ideological undercurrents. - Aeon
For the first time since Putin ordered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the famously pro-Putin conductor is performing in Western Europe, on July 27 at a festival near Naples. This festival is supported by regional taxpayers and the EU, so loud objections to Gergiev’s engagement are being raised. - Moto Perpetuo
Richard Thompson, who joined the playhouse in January 2023, has been a mainstay of Twin Cities theater for decades, including directing shows at the Children’s Theatre Company and Penumbra Theatre. - The Star-Tribune (MSN)
hysical tasks that are easy for humans turn out to be very difficult for robots, while algorithms are increasingly able to mimic our intellect. Another surprise that has long perplexed researchers is those algorithms’ knack for their own, strange kind of creativity. - Quanta
“More softness in adult nonfiction in the second quarter and slowing sales in adult fiction combined to drop unit sales of print books just over 1% in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago at outlets that report to Circana BookScan.” - Publishers Weekly
“The White House has raised concerns about ‘Entertainment Nation,’ a permanent display on view since 2022 that sheds light on the entertainment industry’s impact on American pop culture through a selection of theater, music, sports, movie, and television memorabilia from the last 150 years.” - ARTnews
“(He) was one of America’s most established dramatists, responsible for about 30 plays staged on or off Broadway since the mid-1980s. His work was wry yet tender, nipping at the divide between comedy and drama, and delved into questions of family, love and friendship.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
Four years after he “stepped back” from “active participation” in theater following media articles detailing his long history of abusing his staff, Rudin is producing (with Barry Diller) this fall’s Broadway transfer of Samuel D. Hunter's Little Bear Ridge Road, directed by Joe Mantello and starring Laurie Metcalf. - The Hollywood Reporter
Following last year’s boycott campaign which led to authors withdrawing from the Edinburgh Book Festival due to sponsorship by asset management firm Baillie Gifford, corporations are reluctant to risk becoming targets of activists by sponsoring Edinburgh events — leading to tighter budgets and programming cuts at the festivals themselves. - Financial Times
“James Gaddy, the vice president of administration at Albright (College in Reading, PA, said) ‘we needed to stop bleeding.’ He confirmed that over the last two years, the college has racked up a $20 million deficit, … adding that the college’s 2,300-strong art collection was ‘not core to our mission.’” - ARTnews
“A hard-driving giant …, (he) took the helm at Marvel at the tender age of 27, then spent nearly a decade revolutionizing the way superhero stories are written, drawn and sold” — gaining both fervent admirers and ferocious critics along the way. - The New York Times (The Spokesman-Review)
Technique aims to bring efficiency to everything in life. Anytime we use machine logic and apply it to humanity, we are in the realm of technique. For example, we don’t refine our morning routine so much as “hack” it. We don’t make the most of a vacation; we optimize our time off. - Plough
