Laurent de Brunhoff took a character his mother and father invented when he was 5, and kept him going for decades. "'Babar, c’est moi,' Mr. de Brunhoff often said. By all accounts, artist and elephant shared the same Gallic urbanity and optimistic outlook." - The New York Times
"This is not the religious end of time, or eschaton, that has fascinated humanity for thousands of years, but the end of the world as a pervasive mood – a vibe." - The Guardian (UK)
Hejinian was "a central figure in the Language poetry movement of the 1970s and ’80s who channeled the seismic social changes and avant-garde artistic climate of the 1960s into work that was both richly lyrical and groundbreaking in its experimentalism." - The New York Times
Inside, the Stadtschloss is publicly funded. Donors control the exterior. "A Christianised dome was hoisted atop the palace in 2020, complete with a band of text, compiled by 19th-century King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, calling on all peoples to submit to Christianity.” Now? Old Testament prophets. - The Observer (UK)
The budgetary alarm bells are ringing for fabled institutions, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, says a new arts lobbying group. "The new campaign frames culture as part of the crucial infrastructure of any successful country, let alone one that enjoys Britain’s arts and entertainment track record." - The Observer (UK)
The Sun Valley museum has no permanent collection, a small exhibition space, and an audience that’s mixed - contemporary art-fan resort visitors and local kids. The curator says, “I think about exhibition schedules in terms of what schools or what teachers, what grades might be interested in." - Slate
That was the remit for Dune, both Part One and the strike-delayed, well-reviewed Dune, Part Two. "For language constructors — conlangers, as they are known — small touches enhance the verisimilitude of even gigantic edifices like the Dune series." - The New York Times
The DOJ antitrust lawsuit will change the phone ecosystem. Sure, many people love Apple products - “but the federal government makes a compelling case that much of this love, especially within United States borders, is coerced." - Slate
In Los Angeles, 11 technicians work long hours repairing 6,000 public school instruments a year. "One of the last programs of its kind in the U.S., it has struggled to stay afloat over the years. But now, thanks to the Oscar-winning documentary short The Last Repair Shop, donations are pouring in." - CBC
Why not? “By setting in a movie-land far west, and swapping Orientalist clichés for American ones, Chan said, the team was creating 'a form of exoticism that is about us, not about ‘them.’’” - The New York Times
"Kahlo’s red lipstick and fingernails, the yarn decorating her woven hair and blouse, and perhaps even the high blush of her cheeks are thought to symbolize her Communist sympathies.” Then there’s the letter she holds. - Washington Post
It’s not incredibly popular, "with some viewing the project as 'hostile' and ‘corporate' when juxtaposed with the original building as well as the surrounding Bowery neighborhood.” - Hyperallergic
