Adrian Searle: “You can now only look at it, from a distance, sombre in winter light, inert. It is a work that demands that you walk on it – that you feel it. This is the classic story of the gallery both as midwife, helping the artist give birth to a work, and as its castrator.”
Tag: 12.27.10
When the Stars and Stripes Became Ubiquitous
“Before the Civil War, the flag served mostly as a military ensign or a convenient marking of American territory, flown from forts, embassies, and ships … But in the weeks after Major Anderson’s surprising stand [at Fort Sumter], it would become something different. Suddenly, the Stars and Stripes would fly – as it does today – from houses, from storefronts, from churches; above village greens and college quadrangles.”
Minnesota’s Top Newspaper Names Osmo Vanska Artist of the Year
The Star-Tribune: “With the Minnesota Orchestra, [the conductor] astonished critics at Carnegie Hall, electrified audiences on a tour to the BBC Proms in London, the Edinburgh International Festival and Amsterdam’s famous Concertgebouw, and released two critically praised CDs.”
Why Are We Addicted to Prognostication?
“Even though prognostications turn out to be wrong as often as they are right, why do they have such enduring appeal? What purpose have they served, from ancient times to our information age?” Ten contributors weigh in as part of a NY Times Room for Debate feature.
Stephen Hough on Franz Liszt: His Influence Is Hard to Overstate
“Franz Liszt invented the whole concept of the pianist as star: a virtuoso who takes centre stage for an entire evening, … [As] a general rule in earlier times, composers either played their own music or it just didn’t get performed. But Liszt would habitually programme music by other composers in his concerts. He pretty much created the idea of the masterclass, too: piano teacher as guru in a set-up that would lure students from all over the world.”
Ancient Australian Aboriginal Art – It’s Alive!!
“A particular type of ancient rock art in Western Australia maintains its vivid colours because it is alive, researchers have found. While some rock art fades in hundreds of years, the ‘Bradshaw art’ remains colourful after at least 40,000 years. [Analysis] has shown that the paintings have been colonised by colourful bacteria and fungi.”
Melbourne Theatre Scene Is Booming
“Melbourne theatre is in a golden age. Our stages offer more stimulating performance than anyone can comfortably experience. It’s an exciting, exhausting time to be a theatre critic.”
British Government Reverses Itself, Will Continue To Fund Children’s Book Program
The charity, which has been running since 1992 and has been state-funded since 2004, was told in the week before Christmas that it would lose its entire £13 million grant in England.
Social Media For Museums? Maybe Not So Much
Reducing the museum experience to more apps providing more data is just as laughable as reducing the experience of going to church down to parishioners tweeting: “At church, pastor just mentioned loaves and fishes, anyone have some sushi recs for later?”
25 Movies Chosen For Library Of Congress’ National Film Registry
“Every year since 1988, when the Library of Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act, which established the National Film Preservation Board, films have been selected for the honor. To qualify, titles must be at least 10 years old and must have had some form of theatrical release. With the addition of this year’s selections, the registry now boasts a total of 550 films.”