“Museums, both private and public, exist in abundance in Asia. But, for the most part, the idea of what a museum is, what it is for – this is a recent construct… The allocation of government resources for building major cultural facilities represents a new trend where art museums are seen as a necessary status symbol of a truly ‘world class’ city.” Lost in the neverending quest for status may be the value of art itself.
Tag: 11.24.06
Popularity Isn’t Everything
“Our golden age of museum popularity will be looked on with shame and disgust by a future robbed of its inheritance. If museums are anything, they are attempts to preserve what is worth preserving. Today’s vogue for reinventing the museum, questioning its traditional role as a ‘collection’, merging the curator and the artist, risks destroying the ark.”
UK Galleries Not Keeping Pace
London may be one of the world’s global art centers, but new evidence suggests that UK galleries are falling far behind the rest of the world in the acquisition of new works of art. “Our major museums are sliding at a terrifying rate down the international league table while the incentives to encourage private giving are insufficient.”
Comden And Green – A “Perfect Relationship”
Betty Comden and Adolph Green were one of show business’s great partnerships. “We meet, whether or not we have a project, just to keep up a continuity of working. There are long periods when nothing happens, and it’s just boring and disheartening. But we have a theory that nothing’s wasted, even those long days of staring at one another. You sort of have to believe that, don’t you? That you had to go through all that to get to the day when something did happen.”
Innovation Out Of Israel
Ohad Naharin is the 54-year-old head of Israel’s acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company. “The veteran artistic director of Israel’s premier dance company has been hailed for pioneering some of the most innovative work – and intriguing movement language – in contemporary dance during the past 20 years. He has battled all manner of inclement weather since taking over the helm of Batsheva in Tel Aviv in 1990.”
“Pirates” Is 2006’s Box Office Champ
“This weekend marks the start of a new year in the movie business, with American Thanksgiving considered the start of the next year’s film crop. As movie studios tallied the take for 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was the clear winner, taking in $422,543,393.”
Report: Canadians Giving More To Support Arts
“The report, Individual Donors to Arts and Culture Organizations in Canada in 2004, examined Statistic Canada data and found that 732,000 Canadians 15 years of age or older gave a total of $188-million to arts and culture organizations in 2004. This represents, on average, a donation of $257 per donor and is a record high.”
The New Dance (But Is It Dance?)
“The excitement for critics and audiences alike in so many performances these days, from downtown to Brooklyn and beyond, is to ignore the old categories, or at least not fret if their expectations are thwarted. Artists are eager to mix things up, and audiences better be ready to go along for the ride.”
Lyricist Betty Comden, 89
The best Comden and Green lyrics were brash and buoyant, full of quick wit, best exemplified by “New York, New York,” an exuberant and forthright hymn to their favorite city. Yet even the songwriters’ biggest pop hits — “The Party’s Over,” “Just in Time” and “Make Someone Happy” — were simple, direct and heartfelt.
Hollywood’s Bollywood Dreams
Hollywood is taking a greater interest in Bollywood. “Stepping up from offering Indian actors small roles in Hollywood and sourcing animation and special effects from Indian studios, foreign studios are now signing co-production deals and buying stakes in Indian media firms.”