“In a land where a strict interpretation of Islamic law means movie theaters and many other diversions are banned, nightclubs are unthinkable and the weight of tribal custom is heavy, Saudis in large numbers are discovering the thrill of a little sidekick-sidekick bunny-hop.”
Tag: 04.12.12
Has Art Exhausted Its Ability To Offend?
“The larger question is whether bad taste is even a consideration anymore. And if so, what might it mean?”
Designer/Developer Builds New Buenos Aires Arts District ‘From Scratch’
Fashion designer-turned-real estate magnate Alan Faena is creating “a sort of Shoreditch-by-the-River-Plate for culture-starved Argentines” in the waterfront neighborhood of Puerto Madero. The district already has a new visual art center; there are plans for a hotel by Philippe Starck, a residential complex designed by Norman Foster, and “parks, cultural centres and an artist residency.”
How Different Were Race Relations In 1959? Clybourne Park Says Things Have Changed
Both black and white actors in the play Clybourne Park had to deal with the shock of rehearsing scenes from 1959 Chicago – the time (and characters) of A Raisin in the Sun. As the play transfers to Broadway, the actors recall the ways they dealt with the pain and revelation of that somewhat different past.
Is The Lecture Dead – And If Not, Should We Kill It?
“Is the transfer of information mediated by a teacher the same thing as learning? Learning is about the long-lasting acquisition of information, it is about remembering the information and being able to retrieve it and apply it at the appropriate time in the appropriate circumstances. Lectures can ensure the short-term memorization of information, as teachers who give quizzes at the end of their presentations have certainly proven. However, it is highly questionable if lectures can deliver this kind of long-lasting knowledge.”
Sarajevo Museums Under (Budgetary) Siege
“Bosnia and Herzegovina’s major cultural institutions, including the National Gallery and the National Museum, which are both in the capital Sarajevo, are in danger of closing indefinitely due to a lack of funding and government support.” The staff work without pay or heat, and are desperately trying to get some attention to the museums’ plight.
Archery’s Time To Shine (Onscreen, And Thus In Life)
Thanks to The Hunger Games, not to mention HBO’s Game of Thrones and the upcoming Brave, archery’s cool again – extremely cool. Plus, says a Walking Dead cast member, “Shooting doesn’t attract zombies.”
Europe’s Biggest (And Dustiest?) Contemporary Art Center (Re-)Opens In Paris
“After a renovation that nearly tripled its size, the revamped Palais de Tokyo swung open its doors Thursday, inaugurating what is now the largest – and perhaps dustiest – contemporary arts center in Europe. The dust is not a mistake. It’s part of an unfinished look meant to inspire artists now allowed to run free within its walls.”
Nadine Gordimer Says Her Novels Are Not Political
“You accept or reject the influences around you, you are formed by your social enclosure and you are always growing. To be a writer is to enter into public life. I look upon our process as writers as discovery of life.”
How Very Young Children Remember – And How We Remember When We Were Very Young Children
“For a few reasons – nascent neural structures, the lack of knowledge to make sense of early experiences, the lack of language to represent those experiences – it may be impossible for any part of our lives before, say, 24 months to stick around into adulthood.” But what makes us recall the earliest memories that do stick? The key may be in how our parents talked to us.