“The art world continued its shopping spree last night at Sotheby’s, where contemporary-art collectors and dealers dropped a cool $315.9 million — a record auction total for Sotheby’s — on everything from a sculpture of a bright red heart to a somber painting of a bullfight to an image of an electric chair.”
Author: sbergman
Looking At New York Through Berlin’s Lens
New York and Berlin are both in the midst of architectural booms, and a new exhibition is examining the link between the two cities. “Rather than focus narrowly on noteworthy buildings, the exhibition… explores issues like how Berlin is reasserting its role in European cultural and intellectual life and how New York is trying to maintain its reputation as a creative center.”
Nat’l Book Award To Denis Johnson
“Tree of Smoke, a sweeping novel by Denis Johnson about the Vietnam War that features intersecting stories of an array of American and Vietnamese soldiers and intelligence officers, won the National Book Award for fiction last night.” New York Times reporter Tim Weiner took the non-fiction prize.
Strike Could Give New Life To Unpopular Shows
“In what seems to be growing consensus among executives at the television networks, the [writers’ guild] strike could contain a faint glimmer of good news for one group of shows: struggling, barely surviving prime-time series,” which will now be kept on the air as long as there are new episodes to show.
New Nouvel Tower Could Revitalize NYC Skyline
Architect Jean Nouvel is designing a new 75-story tower in midtown Manhattan, near the Museum of Modern Art. Nicolai Ouroussoff says that it could be the city’s “most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation.”
Injuries Mounting At Australian Opera
The Australia Opera & Ballet Orchestra is struggling through a long string of epic performances, and the workload is taking a toll on the health of the musicians. “So far this year 14 musicians have reported performance injuries, such as strained muscles and damaged hearing.”
Will Writers’ Strike Be A Boon For Online Video?
“Hundreds of short and cheaply produced video series populate the Web on sites that might not quite rank as household names… But if the strike extends into January and beyond, viewers might end up looking elsewhere for original entertainment, potentially giving Internet video producers the biggest traffic boost in their relatively short history.”
Major Minneapolis Theatre In Danger Of Failing
Minneapolis’s Tony award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune is in serious trouble, running a $1m deficit and facing staff cuts and a reduced performance schedule. “Jeune Lune did not publicize a full 2007-08 season of plays and operas. Instead, it is offering fewer works, each announced individually.”
Canadian Portrait Gallery Well And Truly Dead
“[Canada’s] Conservative government nailed the final nail into the coffin of the National Portrait Gallery’s Ottawa building site yesterday, ordering workers to take down signs outside the former U.S. embassy on Wellington Street that was to have housed the fledgling institution.”
Broadway’s Mr. Wizard
Broadway audiences have become quite used to seeing dazzling special effects on stage. But live theatre isn’t like the movies – someone actually has to make sure that all those stunning effects work seamlessly every single night. Enter Sam Ellis, the go-to guy for achieving the impossible.