The Statue of Unity, located in prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, depicts Indian independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; it’s twice the height of the State of Liberty and cost about $400 million. There are critics objecting to the cost, to the appropriation of farmland for the site, and to Chinese bronze and workers being used for the structure — not to mention the accusations that Modi is trying to appropriate Patel’s stature for himself and his party.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Sasha Waltz On The Battle Over Her Appointment To Staatsballett Berlin And How They Worked Through It
“Waltz says that the Staatsballett dancers’ initial resistance to her leadership was rooted in miscommunication and fear. ‘After we met them and answered, like, 50 questions, there was a big change and an opening up,’ she says. ‘Now it’s a different atmosphere, there’s a strong engagement in the company. There’s a lot of new dancers and they’re all willing to transform and be active in this practice.'”
Venice’s Museums Reopen After Worst Flooding In A Decade
“Museums are reopening today after a dangerously high tide struck Venice’s picturesque canals on Sunday and Monday, leaving three quarters of the lagoon city underwater and water levels rising by more than five feet. Venice is built to sustain the rising waters that come in the fall and winter, a phenomena known as ‘acqua alta,’ but the recent surge was the worst in at least a decade.”
Last Hong Kong Bookshop Selling Books Banned In China Closes
“Human rights activists and publishers have raised grave concerns over the closure of the People’s Bookstore, a tiny shop in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay district, known to be the last source of literary contraband in the city … The closure follows the disappearance and detention of five city booksellers in 2015, who were linked to the Mighty Current publishing house that produced critical books about China’s leadership.”
Richard Gill, Australia’s Favorite Classical Music Educator And Conductor, Dead At 76
“Whether in concert halls or tertiary institutions, or as a guest on the popular television program Spicks and Specks, Gill was committed to the belief that music mattered to all Australians.” In addition to his tireless public education work, he co-founded and directed a major conservatory in Perth, an opera company in Melbourne, and Australia’s first period-instrument orchestra to specialize in Romantic and late-Classical works.
Want To Build Your Own Banksy-Style Painting Shredder? Here’s How!
The helpful folks at Fab Lab Irbid “have provided a list of materials, a free instruction guide, and an accompanying video of their success” in fabricating a picture frame that will destroy its contents on command.
Life gets lush: Gregory Spears meets The Crossing
Many composers go from maximal to minimal as they pare back and distill their musical language; Spears may be going the opposite direction. His Requiem and the neo-medieval dance opera Wolf-in-Skins are extremely spare; the music of his hit opera Fellow Travelers is understated dramatically but more harmonically rich; The Tower and the Garden, his new 30-minute piece for choir and string quartet, is positively lush.
Funding Engagement
I get questions on this topic frequently and always have to gird myself before responding. So here is what I try to bear in mind in answering the questions.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s Campbell Gamble: Tom & Max Hollein Improbably Trade Places
My first reaction when the press release hit my inbox today was: “This has got to be a hoax!” Reading the first sentence of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s announcement made me even more incredulous.
A Competition For Contemporary Concert Dance? How Does That Work?
“So how do you compete in this kind of vocabulary? According to the rules, judges are looking for performers who are ‘fluent in contemporary concert dance vernacular.’ Dancers are given separate scores for their artistry, technique and future potential, with particular attention paid to physical expression, response to the music, use of space and technical skill as well as strong choreography and movement invention.”