JM Coetzee has had his work translated into many languages. “The necessary imperfection of translation – brought about in the first place by the incapacity of any given target language to supply for each single word in the source language a corresponding single word that would cover, precisely and without overlap, the denotation of the original and its major connotations to boot – is so widely accepted that the translator becomes accustomed to aiming for the best possible translation rather than a hypothetical perfect one. But there are occasions where less than perfect translation of a key word can have serious consequences.”
Tag: 01.28.06
Welsh Artists – Guaranteed Rights Of Expression?
Wales’ culture minister has proposed a plan to give artists a legally guaranteed right to freedom of expression. But critics say its a bizarre suggestion: “There are all sorts of practical difficulties. How do you define an artist? Many of us may lay claim to the title. How far would the right to freedom of expression extend? Could a playwright commissioned by BBC Wales to write a TV play insist it is broadcast even when the BBC doesn’t want to show it?”
Welsh Proposal To Directly Fund Arts Draws Protests From Artists
Welsh Culture Minister Alun Pugh’s proposal to fund the country’s major arts organizations directly, cutting the Welsh Arts Council out of the process has artists screaming. “The Welsh arts world is in uproar over Mr Pugh’s proposals, fearing that by ending the ‘arm’s- length’ funding principle they would politicise culture and lead to an undesirable two-tier system.”
Faking Russia
Someone is flooding the Russian art market with fakes. “Fueled by the country’s burgeoning wealth and the desire for prestigious assets with patriotic cachet, Russia’s upper class has driven the market for Russian art to unprecedented heights. The frenzy has also attracted some very skilled and knowledgeable crooks.”
Today’s Publishing – The MIA Editors
Where were James Frey’s editors? Where are the editors, period? “Publishing has become the land of the nonreturned phone call. Editors are either in a pre-sales conference, a sales conference, a post-sales conference, or at the Frankfurt Book Fair. They have no time for editing. Greater pressure on book publishers may come, in fact, from literary journalists, if they decide to emulate the Smoking Gun instead of turning out puffy author profiles.”
Can Orchestras Survive The 21st Century?
UK orchestras are debating their own survival. “We are at the tail end of a very, very long cycle of decline. This is really the critical point of whether they can engage with new technologies and make new technologies work for the art that they present – or whether they go out of business.”
Fossil Museum Criticized For Lamentable Collection Practices
Seattle’s Burke Museum is coming under fire for its collection. “A team of outside experts that examined the museum’s collection concluded last week that the excavation site of many specimens was so poorly described in museum records that the bones and fossils have little scientific value. The team also questioned whether the museum had the proper permits to collect fossils from federal, state and tribal lands.”
Vancouver Art Gallery’s Big Plans
The museum has outgrown its current building and plans to build someplace new. “The gallery, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, seems to have its sights set on a world-class facility that would reflect its ambitious programming and reputation in the contemporary arts. That is why the master planning summary included photos of the Denver Art Museum, the Guggenheim and the Mori Art Center in Tokyo.”
Where Will The Conservatives Take Canadian Culture?
‘Trepidation’ is probably the best word to describe the feelings of Canada’s arts leaders as they await the ascension of the country’s new Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. “Yet the last time Conservatives did take the reins, under Brian Mulroney, cultural nationalists recall it as a golden age… This time, the cultural industries are watching to see how the Conservatives face three tests. The first involves honouring Canada Council funding promises. The second involves federal-provincial turf issues. The third concerns whether they’ll top up the huge arts and heritage building projects now under way in Toronto and other cities.”
Barenboim Hospitalized
Conductor Daniel Barenboim has been taken to hospital in Berlin after complaining of weakness. The hospitalization occurred less than an hour before Barenboim was scheduled to lead the Berlin State Opera Orchestra in a performance celebrating Mozart’s 250th birthday. His diagnosis has not been made public, but doctors say that his life is not in danger, and he is reported to be resting comfortably.