“Whether ‘Entropa,’ Czech artist David Cerny’s hoax representation of the 27 European states, was a good work of art, it certainly was a good joke. It also caused a certain amount of embarrassment to Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra when it was switched on.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Uh, Czechs? Maybe Cerny Wasn’t The Artist For The Job.
“The poor Czechs. Their turn at leading the EU already had provoked deep skepticism, and Cerny’s 9-ton diss — hanging at the entrance to the European Council building in Brussels — doesn’t help. But what did they expect?”
Endowment Diminished, Income Off, Met Is Cutting Costs
“[T]he Metropolitan Opera has been bludgeoned by the recession and now faces a ‘disaster scenario’ unless the company finds major cost cuts, including concessions from its powerful unions, the Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, said on Thursday. Its once-mighty endowment of more than $300 million has dropped by a third, to a point where it cannot be drawn from; donations are down by $10 million this season; and ticket sales are expected to be off by several million dollars….”
Kimbell Museum Names A Director: Cincinnati’s Eric Lee
“Eric Lee, who distinguished himself for two years as director of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, is the new director of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Kay Fortson, president of the Kimbell Art Foundation, said the board voted unanimously to pick Lee, 42, after spending 18 months interviewing ‘many, many, many candidates from all over the world.'”
Debating A Department Of The Arts
Should the arts’ current “fragmented representation throughout the U.S. government” be centralized under a secretary of the arts? Artists such as Quincy Jones, who argues that the arts are “just as important as military defense,” are all in favor. Others see the need for someone who’s versed in issues like cultural diplomacy and has the president’s ear. But there’s plenty of opposition.
Does Theatre Have A Part To Play In Gaza Conflict?
“Is it frivolous to be making or talking about theatre while people are dying in Gaza? … As those of us who marched against the invasion of Iraq know all too well, demonstrating in a democracy often changes nothing. But can theatre do more? Can it engage quickly with such crises, and can it play a part – if not in fixing the world, then at least in helping to change it?”
Asterix Artist’s Daughter Says He’s Betrayed His Creation
“The Romans may not have defeated Asterix, but his creator, Albert Uderzo, stands accused of surrendering to the indomitable Gaul’s worst enemies: businessmen and financiers.” The specifics of the illustrator’s crime, for which his daughter pilloried him yesterday in Le Monde? He has “given authorisation for the bestselling series to continue after his death.”
At Recession-Era Sundance, Lesser Expectations
At the Sundance Film Festival, “audiences expect to discover edgy new talent. Filmmakers expect to get a shot at distribution and, perhaps, a Hollywood career. Both constituencies continue to be rewarded. But, at the same time, expectations must be readjusted in the harsh light of today’s economic realities, say festival veterans and distribution execs.”
Curtis Sittenfeld Goes To The Inauguration — In Her Mind
Curtis Sittenfeld, who wrote such fabulous sex scenes (really! and who thought it could be done?) in her Laura Bush novel, American Wife, launches a five-part online inauguration novella. You can read it yourself or — bonus — listen to Sittenfeld read it.
SAG Fight Over Strike Vote Slogs On (Filibusters And All)
“SAG’s internecine battle over its strike authorization vote battle isn’t over yet. That was the message sent Wednesday by the slim majority of SAG board members who regrouped after the 30-hour boardroom brawl in which their efforts to remove the guild’s national exec director Doug Allen, stop the strike authorization vote and replace the guild’s negotiating committee were thwarted by a marathon filibuster mounted by Allen supporters.”