The world power that is 21st-century China likely wouldn’t exist as we know it if an ingenious and tenacious computer programmer named Wang Yongmin hadn’t solved that very basic, very complicated problem. Here’s a deep dive into how he did it. (audio plus transcript) – Radiolab
Tag: 08.14.20
Seattle’s Protest Art In Augmented Reality
The artwork is entirely digital. It’s part of a new, citywide augmented reality art show called Amp’Up Seattle. By downloading a free app with the same name, anyone can access eight virtual artworks that appear layered over the existing cityscape — like Pokémon Go for art. But you won’t be catching Pikachus or other fantasy critters. Instead, you’ll be viewing a different perspective of Seattle, one inspired by the recent protests for racial justice. – Crosscut
Why Erdoğan Reclassified Hagia Sophia As A Mosque
It is a gesture aimed at the Christian world, Europe and all international institutions categorically opposed to this act. Everyone is perfectly clear that this is not merely the transformation of a museum into active sacral space. What we are seeing is Erdoğan and the Turkish Republic demonstratively rejecting the direction set by the ‘father of the nation’, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, nearly a century ago. – Eurozine
Royal Ballet Star Edward Watson Retires From Stage
“He has stunned Covent Garden audiences as the doomed Prince Mayerling, a tormented Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, Lewis Carroll’s bewigged White Rabbit and a gloop-smeared Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. But after 15 years as a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, Edward Watson is to retire and join its team of coaches.” – The Guardian
Why Did I Arrange Bach’s ‘Goldberg’ Variations For Harp? Because It Works!
“I’m the first to admit that my project can sound outré or precious. … When it came to Bach, I was unhappy about the piano’s awkwardness with hand crossings, the harpsichord’s lack of dynamic vitality and the tootiness of organ pipes. … I kept struggling with what my ideal ‘Goldbergs’ might sound like. I wanted the raw pluckiness of the harpsichord, but with the expressive qualities of the piano.” Parker Ramsay, who plays harpsichord and organ as well as Baroque and modern harp, makes his case. – The New York Times
New York Museums Cleared To Reopen As Of Aug. 24
“The announcement came as the state has seen less than 1 percent of all coronavirus tests return positive for seven straight days, [Gov.] Cuomo said in a news conference. … Institutions will be required to keep the buildings at 25 percent occupancy and to use a timed ticketing system, … to control the flow of traffic through their buildings, and face coverings will be compulsory.” – The New York Times
Consciousness Raised, Budgets Cut: Irreconcilable Imperatives at Metropolitan (& other museums)
I have to hand it to Holland Cotter: For better or worse, the NY Times‘ co-chief art critic was right. I was wrong. – Lee Rosenbaum
The Radical Favors Of Dave Brubeck
Before Miles Davis went electric and Ornette Coleman bloomed, Brubeck was the surest name to start an argument. A cynical section of the jazz audience perceived his experimental nature as a search for a catchy idiom that might eventually bring him the triumph of a hit. And of course, this line of argument claimed a win when “Take Five” propelled the world onto the dance floor in 5/4 time. – Times Literary Supplement
How You Translate The Madcap Edinburgh Fringe Online
The festival’s cancellation has been a big blow to long-term fans — and to the 30,000 performers who travel to the Scottish city each August to show their work. To fill the gap, some artists have gone online to try to capture the anarchic, diverse and somewhat overwhelming experience of being at the Fringe. – The New York Times
Through Fiction, Humans Can Become Animals
Yes, obviously, humans are animals, and also obviously, we don’t truly know how to get into the mind of a hyena or a fox or a dog, but still: In these books, readers can “expand their taxonomies of personhood: who and what we are willing to grant subjectivity and why.” – LitHub