Singapore is a country with a reputation for economic success, but little in the way of a creative side. In the last decade, the government has sought to change that, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in arts and culture, but somehow, the results still seem strangely stilted and authoritarian. More importantly, it may be flatly impossible for a truly creative environment to be nurtured in a country as repressive as Singapore.
Tag: 02.26.05
England’s Irish Obsession
The sociological and national tensions between the British and Irish go back hundreds of years, but so does Britain’s obsession with Irish culture, literature, art and music. The uneasy balancing act of the UK’s Irish population is getting a close look this year at London’s National Portrait Gallery, “surveying visual representations of the artistic, literary, dramatic and political influence exercised in Victorian London by Irish incomers, determined to make their mark. Culturally fashionable Irishness was not just the result of rampant Celtic Tigerism over the past decade and a half; it has, apparently, a long-established pedigree.”
Two Charged In Painter’s Murder
“Warsaw authorities charged two teenagers Friday in the stabbing death of surrealist painter Zdzislaw Beksinski. One suspect is the son of a longtime friend and aide to the painter. Beksinski, 75, considered one of Poland’s leading contemporary artists, was found stabbed to death Monday at his Warsaw home. He was best known for his abstract renditions of skeletons, monster-like creatures and other apocalyptic images evoking death and decay.”
Only In The Movies…
All the Oscar hype surrounding the surprise hit film Sideways may be missing some significant disapproval from a rather large moviegoing demographic: namely, women. Sideways may be a great buddy film from a guy’s point of view, but the concept plays out like just one more variation on the endless Hollywood theme of disgusting men with no discernible social skills or sense of humor seducing beautiful women who they love and leave with no consequence. “Imagine, if you can, a movie about two unattractive, gross women slobs going on a week-long spree and ending up with Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. Imagine that becoming a hit, nominated for five Academy Awards, acclaimed by critics.”
Back To Work In St. Louis, But At What Cost?
It’s been a very long two months for the striking musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, but with a tentative agreement awaiting their official approval, most of the players are relieved and cautiously optimistic about the ensemble’s future. Still, some veteran members say that this strike was different from past work stoppages in St. Louis, and are worried that the damage done to the orchestra’s reputation and to the relationship between musicians and management will not be easily repaired.
Chicago’s Youth Movement
“Forget the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s hunt for a new music director, for now. The organization is moving on a parallel track that, while not likely to grab headlines, also relates closely to the CSO’s vision of its artistic future.The orchestra is developing relationships with a number of talented younger conductors, including Alan Gilbert, Mikko Franck, Andrey Boreyko and, next season, Daniel Harding. A few associations may bear fruit while others may fade. The important thing is creating opportunities for some of tomorrow’s potentially important conductors to refine their craft.”
Important? Perhaps. Interesting? Oh, God, No.
Oscar night is of huge importance, not only to Hollywood, but to the entirety of human existence, at least according to Hollywood. But even if we concede that the Academy Awards are a valuable gauge of U.S. cultural sensibilities, one burning question remains: “How can something of such apparent importance be so incredibly tedious and trivial?”
Finally, A New Way For Newspapers To Make Money!
“Paul Martin Hennessey really, really, really wants Josh Hartnett to star in his movie. Hennessey, a retired union executive who lives in a double-wide trailer on 40 acres outside the tiny Missouri town of Alton, is a budding screenwriter. He believes he has the hottest script this side of Hollywood, and he says it would be perfect for Hartnett.” So, after three years of being unable to get his script anywhere near his chosen leading man, Hennessey took a bizarre step, taking out a $990 half-page ad in City Pages, the alternative newsweekly of the Twin Cities, from whence Hartnett hails. The ad took the form of an open letter to Hartnett, explaining the reason for Hennessey’s unusual method of making contact, and begging the actor to have a look at the script.
The Exclusive Soprano
Most major orchestras insist on exclusivity clauses in the contracts of “superstar” soloists, so as to insure that ticket sales aren’t diluted. But such clauses rarely need to be enforced, since booking agents are well aware of the rules and make sure that their clients aren’t double-booked in a single city. But this week in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Schubert Club each announced their new seasons, both featuring appearances by soprano Deborah Voigt, despite an exclusivity clause in the orchestra’s contract with the singer. Both groups agree that the mistake belongs to Voigt’s manager, but the orchestra is enforcing its exclusivity anyway, forcing the Schubert Club to cancel Voigt’s appearance, even though most of the club’s brochures had already been printed.
Berlin’s Ambassadors of Architecture
“Little daring architecture was born of the fortune that was spent on rebuilding Berlin in the 1990’s – which was just how the city fathers wanted it.” But in the years since reunification, the challenge of embracing bold new architecture in Berlin has been enthusiastically taken up – not by the Germans, but by the architects of the foreign embassies that dot the city. “In an unusual communal experiment, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland have built a hamlet of embassies behind a glowing green copper fence in the traditional diplomatic district of Tiergarten in the former West Berlin. Across town, deep inside the former East Berlin, the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas has designed his country’s ultramodern embassy overlooking the Spree River.