“In rescuing the $1 billion deal to redevelop Manhattan’s Hudson Rail Yards, Related Cos. and Goldman Sachs could create a spectacular shaft of greenery and sky from the western end of Midtown to the Hudson River. The nature of the deal, unfortunately, may squander the city’s greatest remaining development opportunity.”
Month: June 2008
Foreign Art Dealers Set Up Shop In China
“China’s art boom lures more overseas galleries to set up shop in the Chinese capital and the country’s economic growth and Olympic Games draw more business travelers and tourists.”
Why Is Klimt Worth $135 Million?
“With Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet – and now with Francis Bacon – you know exactly how the attraction works and why the auction records are blown. These are familiar giants. But Klimt was a Viennese petit maître. He didn’t create an unstoppable movement. He didn’t change art. Until Lauder splashed out on him, Klimt was a beautiful but essentially minor Viennese secret. So, why is he so valuable?”
Hay-on-Wye Lit Festival – Idylic-Gone-Dumb
“You might imagine that Hay is a lovely day out for all the family, a chance for children to meet the authors they love and, conversely, an opportunity for writers to meet the people who actually read their books. Of course, it’s no such thing. Mainly it’s a chance for ramblers and hippies to gather in a field and convince themselves that everyone thinks the same way that they do.”
Mexico’s Musicians Under Attack
Fifteen have been murdered so far. “The attacks on musicians come amid a wave of bloodshed in Mexico, which has usurped Colombia as the drug trafficking capital of the Americas, unleashing violent turf wars and fighting with police. For their part, Mexican musicians have been increasingly singing about cocaine, corpses and Kalashnikovs alongside their traditional tales of poverty and lost love.”
Russia’s BritArt Passion
“Russia’s industrial oligarchs are the new force in the multibillion-pound global art market. Behind the scenes of the Russian art revolution are a host of familiar British names, all connected in some way with Damien Hirst, one of the world’s most successful – in monetary terms – living artists.”
How Big An Issue Is Canadian Art Theft?
“Even in Canada, art theft is more prevalent than most people imagine. Canada is vulnerable because we don’t have an FBI-style or investigative-art team to work on these crimes. The porous Canada-U.S. border is a factor, too.”
Is Montreal Canada’s New Center Of Visual Art?
“So, why is Montreal art so strong these days? First, you have to credit the strong art schools in Montreal and Quebec City. Looking at the CVs of these artists, one sees most of them are homegrown talents trained at Concordia University or the University of Quebec at Montreal.”
Broadway – Dreaming Big
“I’m not suggesting that size alone matters, obviously. But if the American theater is to remain an aesthetically robust enterprise, a vital step may be removing the invisible shackles from the imaginations of playwrights, making it natural — making it possible — for them to dream huge once again.”
Sounds Good – Tonys Honor Sound Design
“This year, for the first time, sound designers will compete in two Tony categories: best sound design of a play and best sound design of a musical. That’s a serious gesture from the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, which present the awards.”