“His early films in the 1980s, unsparing epics about political misrule and poverty, won him global fame but put him on a collision course with the censors. Yet in the 20 years since the Tiananmen Square protests, he has been transformed into the regime’s favourite artistic son, creative director of the Olympics opening ceremony.”
Tag: 12.11.09
The Medium Is The Microbe: Art In A Petri Dish
“Einstein in E. coli, an apple tree grown from fungi and a fluorescent Mario are just some of the masterworks cast in agar jelly by creative microbiologists.”
Cleveland Orchestra Posts Deficit
“The orchestra will report its first deficit since 2005, a shortfall of $2 million, on a budget of $43.7 million. That figure itself was trimmed mid-year in response to the worsening financial picture, from $44.6 million. The deficit comes despite an injection of nearly $2.3 million from special bridge funds raised as part of the orchestra’s five-year turnaround plan, now in its final year.”
DC Gets A Rare Dose Of International Theatre
“Washington has remained frustratingly and curiously off the short list of major world cities considered natural, routine stopping points in a key area: international theater. And more to the point, work from perhaps the most influential English-speaking theater country on Earth, Great Britain.”
Report: Smithsonian Missing Millions In Lost Property
“Since 2005, the Smithsonian Institution has lost $12.3 million in personal property, including 89 laptop computers. A. Sprightley Ryan, the Smithsonian’s inspector general, told a congressional committee Thursday that management had failed to hold employees responsible for pilfering items belonging to the Smithsonian, mostly office equipment.”
5000 Book Reviews A Year Go Poof. Just Like That!
“Founded in 1933, Kirkus churned out nearly 5,000 reviews a year. Although typically not seen by the general public — except in blurbs on books or excerpted on barnesandnoble.com — Kirkus reviews were often used by librarians and booksellers when deciding how to stock their shelves.”
Brain Scan Detects Who Will Keep Promises
“The finding raises the possibility of using brain scans to determine the true intentions of criminals who are up for early release on parole.”
Chinese Filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s Favorite Son Status
In the 20 years since the Tiananmen Square protests, he has been transformed into the regime’s favourite artistic son, creative director of the Olympics opening ceremony and the evening show at October’s 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Critics dub him the country’s “artist-in-residence”.
Morocco’s Hollywood Connection
“Morocco’s film trade embodies many of the contradictions facing this modernizing Muslim nation. Here, camera-friendly vistas conceal endemic poverty; the stability loved by studios issues from a king who brooks little dissent; and one of the Arab world’s more tolerant, peaceful countries has embraced an industry that dwells consistently on the region’s violence.”
Remembering Thomas Hoving
“Mr. Hoving, who died Thursday at age 78, ends one of the most influential and controversial careers in postwar American cultural life. He brought an impresario’s spirit to the job of museum director, turning exhibitions into blockbuster entertainment events notable for their lavishness and sweep, as well as the large crowds who attended them.”