Tycoon David Walsh is “building a new museum in the bowels of the earth to house his considerable personal art collection. Billed as a ‘subversive Disneyland’, the A$76m Museum of Old And New Art (Mona) will open to the public on 21 January just after Mofo, a [new rock] music festival.”
Tag: 12.19.10
Garrison Keillor on Mark Twain’s Unexpurgated Autobiography
“Here is a powerful argument for writers’ burning their papers … The book turns out to be a wonderful fraud on the order of the Duke and the Dauphin in their Shakespearean romp, and bravo to Samuel Clemens, still able to catch the public’s attention a century after he expired.”
The Problem With ‘Neurobabble’
The neuropsychology discoveries reported in the general-interest press often “amount to finding stronger activation in some area of the brain when a psychological phenomenon occurs. As if it is news that the brain is not dormant during psychological activity! The reported neuroscience is often descriptive rather than explanatory. Experiments have shown that neurobabble produces the illusion of understanding.”
Was the Star of Bethlehem Simply Jupiter in Retrograde?
A British astronomer has found that “between September 3BC and May 2BC there were three ‘conjunctions’ where the planet Jupiter and a star called Regulus passed close to each other in the night sky.”
Defending Alastair Macaulay’s Jibe at Ballerina’s Weight
“Of course, Macaulay is absolutely in the right. If critics must judge according to the self-esteem of the performers rather than the merits of the production, then there is no point in publishing. Friends and family can write the reviews. … [I]ntegrity and intensity of response is the critic’s gift. And it is the critics who bring in the audiences as well as putting them off.”
Reinventing Oakland Ballet
“Oakland has had a tough time of it; everybody can agree with that. I want to establish artistic credibility as well as demonstrating viability.”
Hollywood’s Dispute Over When To Release The Video
“Studios want to offer new movies on video-on-demand systems in living rooms about 45 days after the movies arrive in theaters. The response from multiplex theater chains, which currently have an exclusive window of about 120 days to show new films and are concerned about protecting ticket sales: Over our dead bodies.”
NY City Opera’s Amazing Turnaround
“Not long ago this essential company, grappling with accumulated financial problems, came close to going under. Though things are still dicey, Mr. Steel has brought renewed energy and vision to the company.”
“Arabic Booker” Prize Assailed For Being Too Western
The most prestigious literary prize in the Arab world unveiled its nominees this month, riling critics who say it is a politically charged shortlist crafted to appeal to Western audiences.
Sex Sells At The Movies. But…
“Hollywood cinema remains, for the most part, rather prudish. Inserting a semi-nude scene into a movie without any narrative justification is clearly no longer cost-effective, but why are there so few studio films with sexual themes, in which sex and nudity would come naturally?”