Architectural commissions that once might have seemed benign look more and more like matters of conscience. We know, for instance, that greenfield development destroys wildlife habitats even as species extinctions are occurring at a catastrophic rate. We know that projects in the United Arab Emirates are being built with slave labor. We know that luxury housing in New York and other cities has become a vehicle for international money laundering.
Tag: 04.10.17
Today’s “Thought Leaders” Tread A Very Narrow Line
Today, our most famous purveyors of ideas sell themselves to the wealthy much like the courtiers of the Middle Ages. Daniel Drezner notes that these ideas are therefore shaped by the “aversion” that plutocrats share toward addressing the problems we face. Inequality? Global warming? Populist nihilism? An explosion of global refugees? From a Silicon Valley perspective, Drezner notes, such things are not a failure of our system but rather “a piece of faulty code that need[s] to be hacked.” Examining data from a survey of Silicon Valley corporate founders, Drezner notes their shared belief that “there’s no inherent conflict between major groups in society (workers vs. corporations, citizens vs. government, or America vs. other nations).”
Conductor Louis Frémaux, 95
Known for an extensive discography on the Erato and EMI labels and for his posts with the City of Birmingham Symphony and Sydney Symphony, Frémaux “was the only major orchestral conductor to serve two spells as an officer in the Foreign Legion.”
Podcasters Are Bringing Alcoholics Anonymous Into The Digital Age
While there’s no such thing as an “official” podcast for any 12-step program, “plug ‘AA’ or ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ or ‘Recovery’ into your iTunes search and you’ll find the options are abundant and growing.” Emanuel Cavallaro meets several of the people making and distributing these podcasts.
Skaters Put An Art-Deco Half-Pipe Inside ‘Detroit’s Largest Art Object’
“It’s a sight Fisher Building architect Albert Kahn couldn’t fathom in 1928: a five-foot mini-ramp packed with skateboarders in one of his greatest architectural achievements. In Detroit, such a brash juxtaposition is becoming the norm.”
Independent Film-making As We Knew It Is Gone
“In recent years, many of the indie-boutique shingles that the major studios once supported — Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent Pictures — have closed up shop. They’ve become victims of an increasingly corporatized, IP-centric major studio strategy. Those that remain, including Fox Searchlight, Miramax, and Focus Features, have been weakened.”
The More You Use Facebook, The Worse You Feel, Says (Yet More) Research
“So, while we know that old-fashioned social interaction is healthy, what about social interaction that is completely mediated through an electronic screen? When you wake up in the morning and tap on that little blue icon, what impact does it have on you?” Well, …
Transgender Dancers Work To Challenge The Genre’s Norms
Brian Schaefer pays a visit to the Brooklyn-based company Ballez, whose director, Katy Pyle, says, “We’re using these definitions of masculinity and femininity to create something that’s not neutral, but it’s layered and it’s complicated.”
Here’s Who Uses UK Libraries
“Around half of the population of the UK and Ireland continue to use libraries. Nearly half (46%) of people aged 25 to 34 still visit them according to the study – a rise of 2%.”
Hillary Clinton Has Been Broadway’s Biggest Fan This Winter. Should She Present At The Tonys?
“Since the presidential election, private citizen Hillary Clinton has permitted herself two main types of recreation: hiking in the woods outside her Westchester County home and attending Broadway shows. Clinton has been the biggest unbilled star on Broadway this spring season, and there is no better endorsement than her heartfelt fandom.”