Hrag Vartanian, on the crowding that afflicts such museums as the Louvre, the Met, the Hermitage, the Tate, and the National Gallery (both U.S. and U.K.): “We need to break up the major museums. That may sound radical to some, but it’s an idea whose time has come. I’m suggesting not that museums sell off their collections but that more museums consider aggressively building outposts or prioritizing longer-term partnerships with smaller or newer institutions that could benefit from such relationships.”
A Festival Of “Dangerous Ideas”
“Our objective in presenting dangerous ideas is not that these ideas be promoted or adopted, but simply that they be encountered and, thus, assessed on their merits. … We believe that ideas of all kinds are best exposed to the light of reason and discernment.”
“The Internet Is A Cargo Cult”: The Fundamental Reason Why Songwriters (Or Any Content Creators) Have Trouble Making Money On The Web
David Lowery of Cracker and Camper van Beethoven: “People worship the Internet like a cargo cult. It’s this thing that they have that brings them free stuff, and they think it’s magic. … They don’t want to hear that behind the way you get this free stuff, some really actually fucked-up things have happened to individuals and their individual rights.”
Daniel Ezralow Launches New Dance Company
“With this new company of 9 dancers, I want to build a creative home for the huge amount of repertory I’ve developed around the world. Being an eclectic artist means that I’ve been lucky enough to jump from film to TV to stage, but there’s been no way until now to collect everything into a single body of work.” Ezralow Dance debuts this month at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
A Successful Edinburgh International Fest – At Least, By The Numbers
“Some 80% of available tickets were issued, and overall audience attendance is estimated at more than 415,000.”
The Head Of The BBC Trust Will For The First Time Be A Woman
“A member of Bournemouth Flying club, she is almost certainly the first BBC Trust boss with a pilot’s licence – useful if she has to make a hasty exit.”
Here We Go: This University’s ‘Library’ Is Completely Print-Free
“It has a collection of roughly 7,000 books it obtained from another recently-closed polytechnic university — though administrators still have to figure out what to do with the paper books.”
The Teenager From Alaska Who’s Studying At The Bolshoi
“Though she noted that the academy feels both sheltered and separate from the Bolshoi company, she and her family are far from ignorant of the current political situation not only in Russia but at the Bolshoi.”
Apparently, Martin Amis’ German And French Publishers Don’t Want His WWII Novel
“Amis went on to say that he felt the publisher had failed to understand the main character in the novel.”
Hey, Artists And Sportsters, Native People Called – They Want Their Imagery Back
“Another body of artwork out there — produced by Native American artists and entrepreneurs — asserts ownership over the images associated with their culture.”
Will Self Declares George Orwell ‘A Literary Mediocrity’
“It’s this prose style that has made Orwell the Supreme Mediocrity – and like all long-lasting leaders, he has an ideology to justify his rule.”
The San Diego Opera Downsizes, But, More Importantly, Survives
“The rise-from-the-dead drama that has unfolded here is being applauded as a hopeful sign in what has otherwise been a decidedly dispiriting stretch for opera, what with the closing of New York City Opera and the bitter labor battle that was recently resolved at the Metropolitan Opera.”
Arab Film Fests Get Bigger, And Highlight Local Talent
“The fall festival slot, which includes the Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo and the Marrakech film festivals, offers significant opportunities for Arab filmmakers to stump for financing and make crucial connections within the industry, as well as a portal in which to take their work beyond the region.”
Top AJBlog Posts For 08.3.14
Zaha Hadid and the Conscience of Architects
AJBlog: CultureGrrl | Published 2014-08-28
Labor Day #1: Struttin’
Hollywood’s ‘Brutal Summer’ Ends With Box Office Down 15 Percent
Sorry, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” you tried SO HARD but couldn’t quite save this season for the money people.
Salzburg’s Director Leaves A Lackluster Festival Behind As He Heads To La Scala
Alexander Periera “was reflective about his struggles with the budget in Salzburg, where he arrived after more than 20 years at the Zurich Opera House to discover that the locked subsidies had created a large financial hole. ‘I was so charmed by being asked back into my home country that I didn’t do due diligence,’ he said. ‘And that was a big mistake.'”
Sure Sure, Film Tax Credits *Feel* Good, But Are They Worth The Investment?
“The generous subsidies given to Hollywood productions have to be paid for by either cuts in government services or higher taxes on other groups and individuals. ‘They don’t pay for themselves.'”