Why are so many movies (books, T.V. shows, etc.) about a scary machine-driven future? We have H.G. Wells (and Orson Welles) to thank, or castigate.
Author: ArtsJournal2
Ouster At The Venice Biennale May Point To Larger Issues
“The Venice Biennale art exhibition now runs like a normal international event, with adequate toilets, refreshment points, marketing, press facilities and ticketing, and also manages to cover nearly 80% of its costs” — so why is its chairman losing his spot? Party politics, say some.
Drop This “Interactivity” Talk, And Just Read
The new Kindle Fire has been touted as a way for people to read books and more books. Whatever happened to “the future” – hypertext, interactivity, vooks and all of that? Maybe the future lies in the past.
Your Street Theatre Doesn’t Need Our Endorsement, Say Actors’ Unions
Other labor groups fall in to support Occupy Wall Street, but the protest movement may go without official performer group endorsements. (Who will provide entertainment at the encampments?)
These Ancient Paintings Can Survive Anything – Except Tourists
In Spain, 14,000-year-old cave paintings face a new threat — a drive for money. “Local officials want to reopen the cave to boost the local economy, but visitors could heat the caves and introduce microbes that destroy pigments.”
Add Music Education For Kids, And Add IQ Points
Visual art training did nothing to help preschoolers’ intelligence, but music education? Yep. “Research suggests cutting music education to concentrate on ‘the basics”‘ is based on a misunderstanding of the way young minds work.”
Leonardo Show At Risk Thanks To Security Cutbacks
In the wake of attacks on Poussin paintings, a planned Leonardo da Vinci blockbuster at London’s National Gallery might not be safe enough for its security guards –Â and now they may take action to shut down the show, expected to be wildly popular.
Should We Include Happiness in The GDP? Probably
The U.S. loves being number one — but is nowhere near that on the happiness scale. Why? And what policies could change that performance?
No Kilts, But Maybe Some Head-Scratching, At The Scottish Ballet
The Scottish Ballet has flourished under its artistic director, who’s wrapping up his 10-year run with the company’s first visit to the U.S. in a few decades. But are the risks he takes in the world of abstract ballet worth it?
Need Solar Power? Pour Some Glitter On It
New ideas abound for small solar cells. “Being so tiny, the cells don’t have to be mounted on a stiff, block-like substrate. They could be mounted on flexible surfaces or even clothing. Imagine plugging into a jacket to extend the battery life of a smart phone.”