The novel was published this week, unleashing a backlash from scholars, writers and fans who’ve taken exception not with the novel itself, but rather with what they see as an act of betrayal that endangers García Márquez’s legacy. - The New York Times
"Ten years after a renovation, the Musée Picasso (in Paris) – which holds the world’s largest collection of Picasso’s work – has installed a new permanent exhibition … in 22 rooms. The Françoise Gilot exhibition in room 17 on the third floor is temporary but expected to be in situ for a year." - The Guardian
Giving marks to people playing a Chopin polonaise is no different from deciding on medals in gymnastics, dressage and judo at the Olympic Games, as we shall see again in Paris this summer. The spectacle is governed by invisible rules that connect to no verifiable reality. - The Critic
"Everyone in Philly is always walking by these incredible buildings, including gorgeous houses of worship, but going inside is something we don’t usually get an opportunity to do," said John Walthausen, artistic director of the first Philadelphia Organ Festival, running March 15-23 in various parts of the city. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
How does this practice affect the market? The art market is self-regulating, and since 2010 the practice of offering works at auction with third-party guarantees has seeped into almost every sale category where objects sell above $500,000. - The Critic
"President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law a bill that bans advertisers from working with 'foreign agents,' a move widely expected to make it next to impossible for independent media outlets hit with the designation to earn money." - The Moscow Times
"If you were asked to guess which prestigious film-making duo spent their career scratching around desperately for cash, trying to wriggle out of paying their cast and crew, ping-ponging between lovers, and having such blood-curdling bust-ups that their neighbours called the police," you probably wouldn't pick Merchant and Ivory. - The Guardian
"A horde (sic) of jewelry and gold statues ... worth €1.2 million was stolen last week from the Museo d’Annunzio Segreto (near) Lake Garda in northern Italy. A gang of thieves (took) all but one of the exhibits from a show dedicated to the 20th-century Italian sculptor Umberto Mastroianni." - Artnet
The 55-year-old Spanish-Italian conductor succeeded Andrew Davis in 2021, with a five-year contract. That agreement will now run for an additional five seasons, through the summer of 2031. - AP
"The trial is scheduled to take place on Aug. 4, 2025, following a lawsuit that accused Polanski of giving a (13-year-old girl) alcohol and raping her at his Benedict Canyon home. The complaint was filed last June in Los Angeles County Superior Court." - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
"From York stone" — still valuable as a building material — "gouged from a 200-year-old bridge to graffiti sprayed on a medieval chapel, there has been a rise in theft and vandalism at the nation’s most cherished historic sites, with the cost of living crisis expected to only worsen the problem." - The Guardian
"Patriotic blogger Wu Wanzheng, who goes by 'Truth-Telling Mao Xinghuo' online, sued under a law that carries civil penalties and (occasionally) criminal punishments for perceived offenses against China’s heroes and martyrs. Wu claimed Mo’s books have smeared the Chinese Communist Party’s reputation ... and insulted former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong." - AP
The Philadelphia Orchestra is averaging 78 percent attendance so far this season, compared with 63 percent before the pandemic. The New York Philharmonic is averaging 85 percent attendance this season compared with 74 percent. - The New York Times
With Oppenheimer having received so much commercial, critical and Academy success, we have an opportunity to think about critical criteria for viewing historical film — and what we are owed by historical filmmakers. - The Conversation
While some skeptics think the models are going to hit a wall, more optimistic scientists believe that foundation models will even tackle the biggest biological question of them all: What separates life from nonlife? - The New York Times
