Most of the bells in the towers of Spain's churches had been mechanized in the 1970s and '80s, and the machinery is now deteriorating. So one master in Catalonia is teaching younger people the old chiming sequences, what each one is meant to communicate, and how to execute them. - AP
The pandemic certainly shut down the social art scene. Inevitably, collectors became more comfortable purchasing art sight unseen. People of means found themselves restricted and bored by being quarantined. Staying put seemed to result in major purchases and renovations. - Coachella Magazine
When, in 1984, the director of the Prado and Spain's prime minister selected Met Museum chief conservator John Brealey for the job, many Spaniards were horrified, insisting that only a countryman could truly do the great masterpiece justice. Brealey had to work in a sealed-off room and once fled a mob. - Artnet
In L.A., Chan’s appearances at Walt Disney Concert Hall have already proved notable. Last year, she got her 15 minutes of unwanted viral fame from her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony with the L.A. Phil, when a member of the audience had an audible incident that some attributed to an orgasm. - Los Angeles Times
"The 13th man to bear the name Danjuro Ichikawa — passed down between generations of Kabuki stars for over 300 years — he’s a household name in Japan, showing up in ads, movies and TV shows. … In his latest production, he plays 13 parts, including a princess, a sushi chef and a fox." - AP
The share of the typical white-collar workday spent in meetings has steadily increased for the past few decades, and it continues to grow by the year. - The Atlantic
"The global popularity of Turkish TV dramas — dizi in Turkish — has thrust Turkey into the position of a leading exporter of television, greatly bolstering the nation’s international image and drawing millions of viewers and tourists worldwide to its historical and cultural sites which are backdrops to many of the shows." - AP
The span’s 25,000 square meters is so spacious that the bridge can also double as a new public square. Flanked at both ends with newly planted thickets of trees, it will be closed to host one-off cultural and sporting events and function the rest of the time as a focal point for the neighborhoods on either side. - Bloomberg
Comedian John Tobin and business partner Norm Laviolette own and operate several comedy venues in Boston and New England, and they noticed that younger audience members were drinking far fewer beers and cocktails than their older counterparts did. So the pair launched SoBar Comedy. - WBUR (Boston)
"The ruins were unearthed as workers constructed a new overpass at Piazza Pia. … As archaeologists removed debris, they found a lead water pipe with the following inscription: 'C(ai) Cæsaris Aug(usti) Germanici.' Researchers determined that the engraving referred to Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, (Caligula's official name)." - Live Science
The Biennale's board of directors said Thursday that the British choreographer will remain at the helm of its Dance Department in 2025 and 2026. He has held the position since 2021. - ANSA (Italy)
In 1993 — not long after Munro's daughter Andrea told her mother of the abuse and Munro chose to stay with her husband — the author published in The New Yorker a story titled "Vandals." Laura Miller analyzes the tale and finds a likely explanation (though not a justification) of Munro's choice. - Slate (MSN)
A blaze broke out in the spire of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Rouen. The medieval landmark, the subject of a series of famous paintings by Monet, was evacuated and the fire was extinguished before it spread beyond the tower, which has been under renovation for years. - Reuters
"Redbox’s network of 24,000 DVD rental kiosks and its streaming services will be shut down after its parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, converted its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to a Chapter 7 liquidation proceeding on Wednesday." - Variety
"While the outcome is a relief for many, it has flung the French government into a state of confusion with no one faction establishing the clear majority of 289 (National Assemble) required to take power." - Artnet
