“This obsession with new technology is based on the patronising belief that engaging the public means geeing them up and making the museum experience ‘fun-filled’ and purposefully ‘enlightening’. Even more pernicious is the belief that grabbing the young, before they know any better, will create future audiences.”
Full-Frontal Jesus in Late Medieval Art
Lee Siegel: “But in casting aside Christ’s garments, the Franciscans made Christ’s nude body a focal point. As a result, according to Steinberg, from about the middle of the thirteenth century until the sixteenth century artists lavished particular care on Christ’s penis, the part of Christ’s body that made him most mortal, and which proved his union with humankind.”
New Owner Promises Handmade Steinways for Years to Come
“For 160 years, the pianos made by Steinway & Sons have been considered the finest in the world. So when hedge fund billionaire John Paulson recently bought the company, it struck fear in the hearts of musicians: Would the famously handcrafted pianos be changed, for the sake of efficiency?”
At Work With Patrice Chéreau
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen remembers his collaborations with the late director on the operas From the House of the Dead and Elektra.
How The NY Philharmonic’s New Contract Changes The Orchestra World
“In a blow that is both psychological and economic, base pay at the Philharmonic, which is the oldest symphony orchestra in the nation and one of the most prestigious, has in recent years fallen behind that of orchestras in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston.”
What Happened When Andres Serrano Bought Signs From Homeless People
They always said yes and I’d say, “I’m an artist. And artists see things in a different way. And one of the things I see are the signs the homeless have. I’m buying these signs because I see every sign as a story. There are many stories out here that should be heard. Can I offer you $20 for your sign?” They would all say yes, and it touched me how grateful many people were when I bought their sign. I got several hugs and many a “God bless you.”
Dark Humor – It’s All In The Timing
“An analysis of responses to humorous quips referencing last year’s devastating storm suggests the adage that “comedy equals tragedy plus time” needs to be modified.”
Another Evening Standard Theatre Award Judge Explains Why She Quit
Susannah Clapp outlines the change in the voting procedures that led to the kerfuffle over Helen Mirren’s best actress award – and points out why this is a difficult matter for just about everyone involved, not least the entirely innocent Mirren herself.
No New Joni Mitchell Ballet Next Year (There’s Too Much Material)
The Edmonton Ballet’s 2007 project based on Mitchell songs, The Fiddle and the Drum, was such a smash hit that Mitchell and the company planned a second collaboration for 2014. The project isn’t cancelled, but it won’t happen just yet.
New York Court Finds That Sellers at Auction Can Remain Anonymous
“New York’s highest court on Tuesday reversed a decision in a case that could have forced the state’s auction industry to change its practice of keeping sellers’ names anonymous.”
The Stalin Museum To Reassess Its Subject Yet Again
“The museum honouring Joseph Stalin in his birthplace, the town of Gori, Georgia, will become more ‘realistic’, an adviser to Georgia’s ministry of culture has promised.” And what exactly does that mean?
Seven Reasons Listicles Capture Our Attention (and Confuse Our Brains)
Derek Thompson: “Rankings create order where there is chaos. They enumerate the innumerable variety of the world and give us a small sense of mastery over our environment. … They’re also devious in both obvious ways (they can be wrong, and not everything is rank-able) and surprising ways that researchers are only beginning to understand.”
How Economics Really Got The Nickname “The Dismal Science”
“The story goes like this: Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish writer and philosopher, called economics ‘the dismal science’ in reference to Thomas Malthus, that lugubrious economist who claimed humanity was trapped in a world where population growth would always strain natural resources and bring widespread misery.” Turns out that what Carlyle was saying was far more dismal (not to mention abhorrent).
Rethinking How We Design For The Coast In The Age Of SuperStorms
“It’s emblematic of how coastal design is moving away from costly, large-scale walls and sea barriers that only work until overtaken by inexorable sea level rise.”
Some New Models For Producing/Paying For Soundtracks
“With video content proliferating, new models for supplying background music are taking root, with many trying to bring down the cost and avoid the complicated royalty-payment rules.”
289 Movies Are Eligible For Oscar’s Best Picture
“To be considered, films must open in a commercial cinema in Los Angeles County by midnight on 31 December and run for at least seven consecutive days.”
Author Hired To Write Stieg Larsson Sequel
“The head of publishing at Norstedts, Eva Gedin, told The Associated Press the book will be an original work that includes nothing from the fourth book in the series that Larsson began writing but hadn’t finished when he died.”
Sundance Festival Makes A Play For Theatre (Did You Even Know They Did Theatre?)
“Sundance’s growing influence on theater comes after two decades of gradually increasing the number of labs and workshops it holds each year and broadening its search for the next great, risk-taking playwright.”
Want To Know What America Is Thinking? Let’s Go To The Google 2013 Search Rankings
What’s especially revealing are Americans’ searches that begin with “what is” and “how to.”
Art In 2013 – Only For The Wealthy?
“Art and critical thinking, yes. Art and enchantment, for certain. Without both, or without either, art and its encircling vocation of criticism risk irrelevance. A bigger problem is the culture of prohibitions we seem to be engendering against creativity.”
The Hopi Nation Gets A Secret Santa For Its Sacred Objects
This foundation (you’ve heard of it) joined anonymously in bidding for a group of sacred Hopi artifacts being auctioned in Paris – with the aim of returning them to their creators’ descendants.
Novelist Hugh Nissenson, 80
“[His] books were immersive journeys that often explored religion, particularly Judaism, often to high praise by reviewers. They were not strong sellers, however, and throughout his life Mr. Nissenson struggled with depression … But he never stopped writing.”
New Zealand Gives More Tax Breaks For Avatar Sequels
Kiwi taxpayers will cover 25% of the cost for three new films.