“An Indiana Jones-style expedition has been launched in Germany to recover £500million worth of missing artworks looted by the Nazis in World War Two. Monets, Manets, Cézannes and masterpieces by other artists, along with sculptures, carpets and tapestries, are believed to be buried in an old silver mine near the Czech-German border, 90 minutes’ drive from the city of Dresden.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum Will Reopen This Fall After 8-Year Renovation
“The director of Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum says the famed site of modern and contemporary art will reopen to the public in its permanent location on Museum Square on Sept. 23.”
A Renaissance In Cambodian Arts
“The country’s rich artistic culture was destroyed in the 70s by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Today, despite terrible poverty, a revival is taking place – and it is gaining international recognition.” The cultural ferment extends beyond salvaging the country’s traditional art forms: lively contemporary work is being made in fields ranging from painting to art rock.
Watching Slacker 20 Years On
“The early ’90s depicted in Slacker feel closer to our current epoch – the recession-tainted youth aimlessly wandering the streets, emailing their resumes into the void. But watching the film today, one can’t help but feel a certain if they only knew forbearance for the naively innocent radicalism of the time – the way they compared George H. W. Bush to Hitler, they way they casually drop slogans like ‘Remember, terrorism is the surgical strike capability of the oppressed!'”
Mezzo Vesselina Kasarova Wonders Publicly If Opera Is Worth The Trouble
“‘Sometimes when I think of all that I do for my voice, I think I don’t want to go on’ … She says that after 10 years on stage, most singers develop common cold-like symptoms year-round, ‘because we breathe in dirt, dust and odors’ while performing.”
Theatre Award Winners Should Be Chosen By Critics, Not Colleagues, Says Critic
“Unlike Sydney or Adelaide, where theatre awards are decided by critics, [Melbourne’s] Green Rooms are peer-based – judged by panels of artists, academics and commentators, with artists predominating. Artists rewarding artists immediately raises questions of conflict of interest, transparency and accountability, and competence to judge on merit.”
Sh** Medieval Manuscript Illuminators Say
From notes found in the margins of various scrolls: “The parchment is hairy.” “The ink is thin.” “Oh, my hand.”
Smuggled Ancient Greek Statue Discovered In Goat Pen
“Greek police have recovered an ancient statue worth €12m … that was illegally excavated and hidden in a goat pen near Athens, and arrested the goat herder and another man who were allegedly trying to sell the work for €500,000.”
Two Finalists Emerge To Replace Villella At Miami City Ballet
“The MCB board of directors is scheduled at a meeting Tuesday to select either Jennifer Kronenberg, a popular, longtime principal dancer who is Villella’s choice as the best person to carry on his legacy, or Lourdes Lopez, a Miami-raised, Cuban-American former principal dancer with New York City Ballet who is favored by some executive board members and advisors.”
Bluegrass Legend Earl Scruggs, 88
“It is impossible to overstate the importance of Earl Scruggs to American music. A pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music, his sound is instantly recognizable and as intrinsically wrapped in the tapestry of the genre as Johnny Cash’s baritone or Hank Williams’ heartbreak.”