Earlier this year, archaeologists reported they may have found the mummy of Queen Nefertiti in Luxor. Now the claim is being disputed – in part because while Nefertiti was said to have had six children, the body found appeared not to have given birth. “The evidence does not at all support the finding of Nefertiti. It would be very obvious from any x-rays of the mummy whether it had given birth…there would be specific markings.”
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Gender-typing – The Computer That Can Tell What Sex You Are?
A new computer program is said to reveal whether a piece of writing is by a man or by a woman. Authors of the software claim “the simple scan of key words and syntax is around 80% accurate on both fiction and non-fiction.” But let it be noted that an ArtsJournal editor testing the program was able to consistently leave the computer gender-confused…(that means wrong!).
Study: CD’s Will Die
A new study says that CDs will go the way of vinyl, to be replaced by downloadable music. “On-demand services are the future of entertainment delivery. CDs, DVDs, and any other forms of physical media will become obsolete.”
The Ancient Icon That “Kills Stuff”
“An ancient icon depicting Christ has been removed from display at the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg after claims that its ‘energy field’ is killing staff.”
Progress in Barnes Fate?
In a switch, Lincoln University now says it might consider a change in the its role governing the Barnes Foundation. “We recognize our responsibility to the Barnes Foundation and the community. But if Lincoln’s role is going to be disrupted, then we have to see how Lincoln can benefit from this. We’re willing to talk.”
Barnes Move In Jeopardy
A proposal to move the Barnes Collection from a suburb of Philadelphia to downtown is close to falling apart. “The plan is unraveling, not over where the prized collection of French impressionist art and other masterpieces should be located, but over whether nominating control of the Barnes board should remain with Lincoln University, the historically black university in Chester County.”
Chicago Lyric Makes Agreement With Musicians
The Chicago Lyric Opera has made a tentative contract agreement with its musicians. “Salary increases, 5 percent annually during the last contract, would be lower. The orchestra’s annual average base salary, according to the union, was $50,050 for the 2002-03 season. Adding in overtime and premiums such as bonuses for length of service that increase every orchestra member’s paycheck, Lyric management says the actual average salary is $79,409 per year.”
Auction Sales Down
The world art auction business has been shrinking. Total sales are down as are total number of lots for sale. “Artprice also lists the top selling artists, by total value of works sold. The front-runner is Picasso, followed by Renoir, Warhol, Degas and Mantegna (in fifth place, up from 12,734th place) a suitably absurd piece of knowledge since there is unlikely to be another Mantegna on the market again, ever.”
Art All About ME
“The artist serving as his or her own art form is hardly a new phenomenon. Andy Warhol is remembered as much for the wigs and the blank responses to interview questions as for his soup cans and screen-printed repetition. Yet this branding of the artist as the product itself dovetails all too well with a contemporary culture fixated with transient fame and unwarranted celebrity. Ours is, after all, an age in which celebrity no longer requires even the pretence of achievement or charm. Set against such an environment, the artist-as-art phenomenon lies somewhere between a metaphysical statement and an egomaniacal disorder.”
Is Software Code Art? Creative Expression?
“The issue of patents for software and business methods has been causing a stir in America ever since the Patent and Trademark Office started issuing patents on internet business methods in 1998, most famously that for one-click shopping. Proponents argue that these patents provide the necessary incentives to innovate at a time when more inventions are computer-related. Critics claim that such intellectual monopolies hinder innovation, because software giants can use them to attack fledgling competitors. Moreover, as software is often built on the achievements of others, writing code could become a legal hurdle race. By analogy, if Haydn had patented the symphony form, Mozart would have been in trouble.”