“In Lebanon the propaganda posters of Hizbullah and its allies are a heady mix of bright colour, simple logos and distinctively Arab calligraphy and portraits… [they] harnessed contemporary graphic design and made it their own: Jerusalem in glowing colours features alongside clenched fists and AK-47s; the four-sided Syrian symbol rises like a sun; car bombs go bang like Roy Lichtenstein paintings.”
Tag: 01.08.09
Claudio Abbado Has An Interesting Proposition For La Scala
For more than 15 years the revered maestro has declined every invitation to return to the famous(ly tempestuous) opera house where he was music director from 1968 to 1986, when the house’s (famously) cantankerous orchestra chased him away. Now Abbado says he will come back to conduct for no fee – if Milan’s government agrees to plant 90,000 new trees in the city.
Director Feng Xiaogang Is First To Earn Billion Yuan At Box Office
“Pushing the 50-year-old Beijing native past the monetary milestone were hot ticket sales for the “If You Are the One,” which features his longtime comic collaborator Ge You and actress Hsu Chi in a return to the romantic comedy genre for which Feng is best known.”
Dallas Theatre Center Builds A Repertory Company
“It’s in our best interests at the Theater Center to keep talented actors in our community. It’s in the artistic community’s best interests to have a pool of artists who are continually rejuvenated and challenged to work throughout the community. And it’s in the interests of Dallas as a city to have artists who live amongst us and are creating art for us.”
Moral Compass – A Prescription For Science
“In the past, the main areas of contention have included nuclear weapons, eugenics and experiments on animals, but in recent years the list of ‘immoral’ research areas has grown exponentially.”
The Best Music Journalism Of 2008?
“Music journalism still managed to find a way to sink itself even deeper into shit as it got sloppy and arrogant, bloated, full of bad ideas, and proved itself much better at sniping at itself than showing support among its ranks (resembling the GOP more and more nowadays). As always, there are some glimmers of hope and some promising ideas that the biz should pursue, but you still have to wade through the bloodbath of job and magazine losses just to get there.”
Survey: American Museums Making Deep Cuts
“The scenarios revealed by the survey are grim. The museums reported that state and local governments are already dealing with their deficits by reducing funding. Corporate, charitable and private support is also expected to fall off.”
Miami City Ballet Running Deficit In Face Of Recession
“In December, the ballet canceled live orchestral music for the rest of the season because of flagging ticket sales and donations. It also laid off at least two teachers, and now a Miami Beach city official says the group has depleted a $2 million reserve.”
A New Plan To Preserve Ancient Babylon
“The World Monuments Fund is launching a project with Iraq to preserve the ancient city of Babylon… [The site] has sustained damage in recent years from Saddam Hussein’s efforts to make it a tourist attraction, from looting after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and from being used as a military base during the Iraq War.”
Kerfuffle In Chicago Over Blackface Emperor Jones
African-American publisher Third World Press has called for a boycott of the Wooster Group’s staging of Eugene O’Neill’s play, currently hosted by the Goodman Theater and nearly sold out. The widely-traveled 15-year-old production features white actress Kate Valk, performing in blackface, as the African-American title character.