Edward Said inspired admiration, even if you disagreed with his politics. “He lived in the world as an exile, a condition from which he drew strength. Exile, as a metaphorical state, was something we all should aspire to, Said contended, since it gives one an outsider’s perspective on the world. He was a theoretician who hated theory because he loved people. A true public intellectual, he would say, possesses not just access to the media but a public (constituency would be his term) to which he or she is accountable. Ground yourself in the world.”
Blog
Baryshnikov’s Knee Goes Down
Mikhail Baryshnikov has injured his knee, and has had to postpone his upcoming tour. “When Baryshnikov, who is 55 years old, was rehearsing his solo program in late September, he tore the meniscus in his left knee. It’s just a minor tear. His other knee is much more complicated.”
Koolhaas’ Cool New House
Rem Koolhaas’s new building for the the Illinois Institute of Technology is a winner, writes Herbert Muschamp. The “$48.2 million project is a bazaar of a building, a souk of sensations that stands in vibrant contrast to the immaculately modern desert around it. Situated on the main campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology, this is the Dutch architect’s first completed building in the United States. If you want to know what all the fuss over Mr. Koolhaas has been about, this student center is an exemplary place to start. It’s Koolhaas à go-go, a masterwork for the young and curious.”
The Web’s Hot Type
Publishers are waking up to the promotional possibilities of the internet. “Creating promos like this sends a message to an author that you’re doing exciting, creative, new things to market their books. It also sends a message to a wider, younger, new web- and design-literate audience that these books are being addressed to them in their language.”
What’s A Monet Between Harrises?
Know your art? Most Britons, it seems, don’t. “In terms of knowing their masterpieces from their modern day art, most of the British public can’t, confusing works by Monet and Rolf Harris. An Encyclopaedia Britannica poll published today finds that 7% believe that Water Lilies was painted by the Australian with the wobble boards instead of by French Impressionist Claude Monet.”
National Gallery’s Dire Straits
London’s National Gallery says the museum’s lack of money is seriously compromising the institution. “Already staff shortages have forced occasional closures for a few hours on the gallery’s main floor, where its principal collection is displayed. The situation is already dire in the lower galleries, which also hold hundreds of important paintings. Although members of the public make appointments to view, a general public opening is now only guaranteed on Wednesday afternoons.”
CD Sales Decline Accelerates
The drop in CD sales worldwide is accelerating, reports an industry association. “The International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) says sales fell by 10.9% in the first half of 2003, but by just 7.1% in 2002. The body blames the fall on commercial piracy and unauthorised internet music sharing.”
Filmmaker Jewison Among Governor General Recipients
“Veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison, musician Ian Tyson and ex-Royal Canadian Air Farce comedian Dave Broadfoot are among this year’s winners of [Canada’s] Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. The three were among six people recognized yesterday for lifetime artistic achievement. The others were soprano Pierrette Alarie, actor Douglas Campbell and screenwriter-actress Micheline Lanctot. The awards were announced in both Montreal and Toronto.”
Shaw Expands Season
The Shaw Festival, one of two legendary theatre fests in southern Ontario (Stratford is the other,) has announced plans to expand its season. In past years, Shaw has begun its annual run in late May, and closed up shop in November. But beginning next year, the festival will open in early May, and stretch into December. Shaw will also highlight two contemporary Canadian playwrights in 2004.
How To Be A Collector
So you want to get yourself some art, hmm? But the world of galleries and artists and collectors seems so far removed from your everyday life that you hardly know where to begin. And besides that, you’re on a budget. The solution may just be simple education, and a new group known as Art Mob, based at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, seeks to provide it, with lectures on collecting, tours of artists’ studios, and one-on-one chats with curators and museum directors.