For those stuck in traffic, flashing billboards aren’t exactly soothing – unless what they’re flashing is work from contemporary artists, with no consumer message attached.
Tag: 10.13.11
Library Supporters Lose Court Appeal To Save Six UK Public Libraries
“To the further dismay of campaigners, within hours of the ruling council contractors began boarding over the windows of the six doomed libraries, all of which have been closed with immediate effect, a council spokeswoman said.”
What The E-Book Is Doing For Second-Tier Classics
“Every e-book reader seems to come preloaded with a few canonical titles — “Pride and Prejudice” or “Alice in Wonderland,” for instance. But there has never been a better time to be a slightly faded writer just beyond the cusp of copyright, like Edgar Wallace or Hilaire Belloc. Their voluminous works — not easily found in your local library — are now copiously available to the digitally curious.”
British Equity Seeks Power To Go After Employers For Underpayment
“Equity is calling for the right to launch employment tribunal cases on behalf of members who have been underpaid, claiming individuals are too ‘afraid of damaging their employment prospects’ by taking action themselves.”
Theater And Horrifying Parents (A Beautiful Combo)
“There they go again, stealing the spotlight from their cowed and embittered progeny, the unforgivable but unforgettable monsters Mom and Dad. These Freudian demons have been showing up all over the place for ages, in recurring nightmares, best-selling memoirs and novels and, perhaps most deliciously, on the stage.”
Ai Weiwei, Under House Arrest In Beijing, Directs A Photo Shoot In New York
“In an unusual collaboration with W magazine, Mr. Ai created a story line for a series of photos that were shot on location in New York by the photographer Max Vadukul as Mr. Ai looked on, art directing via Skype on a laptop computer.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians Accept Major Concessions In New Contract
“The Philadelphia Orchestra Association Thursday secured the main prize in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case: a deeply concessionary labor deal from musicians” – a contract “calling for a 15-percent pay cut, reducing the size of the ensemble, and replacing the defined-benefit pension with a defined-contribution plan.”
Suzanne Farrell Ballet At 10
“When Suzanne Farrell arrived in Washington a decade ago to launch a ballet troupe at the Kennedy Center, it was as momentous for the arts as when basketball great Michael Jordan moved here to run the Wizards. The greatest ballerina this country has produced … was moving into a new sphere as a leader.”
Dresden Opens Military Museum With Pacifist Slant
“Some dislike its antiwar bent, others the lack of attention to the Holocaust. But the biggest controversy is over its design” – by Daniel Libeskind, unsurprisingly – “which features a giant shard of steel and glass bisecting the building.”
Daniel Barenboim Named La Scala’s Music Director
“World-famous conductor Daniel Barenboim will take up the post of musical director at Italy’s world renowned La Scala opera house from December until the end of 2016.”