“This obsession with new technology is based on the patronising belief that engaging the public means geeing them up and making the museum experience ‘fun-filled’ and purposefully ‘enlightening’. Even more pernicious is the belief that grabbing the young, before they know any better, will create future audiences.”
Tag: 12.17.13
Why Are Museums Wasting So Much Energy On Technology?
“This obsession with new technology is based on the patronising belief that engaging the public means geeing them up and making the museum experience ‘fun-filled’ and purposefully ‘enlightening’. Even more pernicious is the belief that grabbing the young, before they know any better, will create future audiences.”
The End Of Professional Journalism As We Know It?
“The situation in journalism is changing so rapidly that it is difficult to get a sure sense of what is going on. There is a great deal of discussion but it mainly takes place in an endless series of panel debates and blog posts where there are plenty of confident assertions, but not much reliable data.”
Full-Frontal Jesus in Late Medieval Art
Lee Siegel: “But in casting aside Christ’s garments, the Franciscans made Christ’s nude body a focal point. As a result, according to Steinberg, from about the middle of the thirteenth century until the sixteenth century artists lavished particular care on Christ’s penis, the part of Christ’s body that made him most mortal, and which proved his union with humankind.”
New Owner Promises Handmade Steinways for Years to Come
“For 160 years, the pianos made by Steinway & Sons have been considered the finest in the world. So when hedge fund billionaire John Paulson recently bought the company, it struck fear in the hearts of musicians: Would the famously handcrafted pianos be changed, for the sake of efficiency?”
At Work With Patrice Chéreau
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen remembers his collaborations with the late director on the operas From the House of the Dead and Elektra.
How The NY Philharmonic’s New Contract Changes The Orchestra World
“In a blow that is both psychological and economic, base pay at the Philharmonic, which is the oldest symphony orchestra in the nation and one of the most prestigious, has in recent years fallen behind that of orchestras in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston.”
Dark Humor – It’s All In The Timing
“An analysis of responses to humorous quips referencing last year’s devastating storm suggests the adage that “comedy equals tragedy plus time” needs to be modified.”
Another Evening Standard Theatre Award Judge Explains Why She Quit
Susannah Clapp explains the change in the voting procedures that led to the kerfuffle over Helen Mirren’s best actress award – and points out why this is a difficult matter for just about everyone involved, not least the entirely innocent Mirren herself.
The Stalin Museum To Reassess Its Subject Yet Again
“The museum honouring Joseph Stalin in his birthplace, the town of Gori, Georgia, will become more ‘realistic’, an adviser to Georgia’s ministry of culture has promised.” And what exactly does that mean?