“Arc Majeur, an imposing 250-tonne steel structure [that will be 60 meters tall], will stand over the busy E411 between the city of Namur and Luxembourg, a spot chosen partly on the basis that a driver’s view will be unencumbered by any lampposts.” – The Guardian
Author: Matthew Westphal
Unknown John Steinbeck Short Story Discovered
“The author … lived in Paris in the mid-1950s, where he wrote a weekly column for the French daily Le Figaro called ‘One American in Paris’. One of his pieces took the form of a short story, ‘Les Puces sympathiques‘. Published in French on 31 July 1954, … [it’s being published] in English this week [in The Strand magazine] as ‘The Amiable Fleas.'” – The Guardian
Agreeing to Disagree: My Q&A with Panetta & Hockley, Curatorial Odd Couple of the Split Whitney
Professional colleagues with sharp political and philosophical differences would do well to learn about the virtues of civility and respectful disagreement from Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley, co-curators of the controversy-plagued Whitney Biennial. They deftly double-teamed me during the following interview. – Lee Rosenbaum
Sculptor Neil Estern, Known For Realistic Public Monuments, Dead At 93
“[He] created sculptures of some of the nation’s leading public figures, works that can be seen today in major cities … He [always] maintained his commitment to verisimilitude, whether depicting a charismatic President Franklin D. Roosevelt or an effervescent Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia of New York.” – The New York Times
The Very First Motion Pictures Were Grainy And Too Fast, Right? Not At All
“Rather, viewed in their original form on large screens and prior to decades of degradation, these movies were vivid and realistic. In particular, early 68mm film, which was less practical than 35mm film and thus used less frequently, delivered startlingly lifelike impressions of distant realities to early moviegoers.” (video) – Aeon
A Wearable Robot Makes You Dance To Its Moves
“My arms jerk up and down and twist from side to side with the beat, but my own muscles aren’t doing the work; my flesh is being pushed around in space by the 45 pounds of metal, cable, and hydraulic cylinders running across my shoulders and down my arms. A robot is making me dance. With me beneath the lights are 11 other humans, each cinched into an exoskeleton of their own.” – Wired
Can Delhi Turn Its Most Chaotic Street Back Into An Indian Champs-Élysées?
When Shah Jahan (yes, the one who built the Taj Mahal) built Chandni Chowk in the 1650s, it was lined with trees and elegant buildings and had a canal down its center. Now it has jam-packed crowds, insane traffic, run-down buildings and hawkers everywhere. But the Delhi city government has engaged a team of architects to redesign the street to something like its original splendor. – The Guardian
Netflix, Losing US Subscribers, Places A Big Bet On India
As the streaming giant reported the loss of 126,000 American customers, it “also announced a cheaper, mobile-only subscription plan in India. At 199 rupees ($2.80; £2.20) a month, it’s priced to make inroads into a country, which chief executive Reed Hastings has half-seriously suggested could be the source of Netflix’s ‘next 100 million’ subscribers.” – BBC
Here’s A Place Where Prescribing The Arts As Medical Treatment Seems To Be Working
Four cities in Denmark are running pilot versions of a program called Kulturvitaminer (culture vitamins), partly funded by the national health ministry, that gets people on long-term sickness/disability leave or unemployment involved in cultural activities — as both viewers and participants. – The Guardian
Orlando’s Philharmonic, Opera And Ballet Companies Say They Can’t Afford The Rent On The Venue Being Built For Them
“Although the downtown Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has long touted itself as the future home of the Orlando Philharmonic, Orlando Ballet and Opera Orlando, arts leaders say their nonprofit groups are being priced out of … the center’s new Steinmetz Hall, which was designed with those groups in mind.” – Orlando Sentinel