“The new category marks a radical departure for awards, which began in 1950 ‘to celebrate the best of American literature.’ The prize will be given jointly to authors and translators, and will be limited to fiction and nonfiction works by living authors that are published in the United States. International authors who write in English won’t be eligible.”
Blog
Museum Takes Down Painting Of Naked Nymphs – To ‘Prompt Conversation’
“It is a painting that shows pubescent, naked nymphs tempting a handsome young man to his doom, but is it an erotic Victorian fantasy too far, and one which, in the current climate, is unsuitable and offensive to modern audiences? Manchester Art Gallery has asked the question after removing John William Waterhouse’s Hylas and the Nymphs” – and visitors are leaving their answers on Post-It notes on the wall.
This Museum Isn’t Canceling Its Chuck Close Show – Here’s What It’s Doing Instead
At the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, “there was some discussion of removing the Close show [in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against him], but officials believed [the issues] would be better served by keeping the exhibition up and instead using it to create very pointed conversations … [by mounting] an additional exhibit exploring issues of gender and power in an accompanying gallery.”
ABT Strikes Labor Deal, Avoids Strike As Tour Begins
The dancers and stage managers of American Ballet Theater, who voted earlier this month to authorize a strike as contract talks grew tense, have reached a tentative agreement with the company … [The new contract] will raise the salaries of the lowest-paid dancers the most.”
Choir Of King’s College, Cambridge Seeks New Director For First Time In Decades
“Stephen Cleobury has confirmed that he will step down as Director of Music of King’s College, Cambridge in September next year. Such has been the length of his tenure that it’s the first time the college has sought someone to fill the post since 1982.”
‘Sculpture That Goes ‘Vroom”
“For the past few years, [Eric van Hove] has been working in Morocco on a project called the Mahjouba Initiative, which involves building a series of motorbikes using only traditional craft materials. Eric calls this work ‘a socio-economic sculpture’, the idea being that the pieces can be exhibited as artworks but also used as the prototype for a new vehicle. Anna McNamee meets Eric and his team as he works on the latest model – the Mahjouba III.” (audio)
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.31.18
The New York City Ballet Looks to Its Future
21st-century works in The New York City Ballet’s Winter season (January 23-March 4) … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2018-01-31
So much in love
One of the most moving musical performances for me, one I deeply love, one that even makes me cry — it’s Neil Young singing his song “Harvest Moon”, in Jonathan Demme’s Heart of Gold, … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2018-01-31
The Crucial Quality Missing From Google’s Translator
The practical utility of Google Translate and similar technologies is undeniable, and probably it’s a good thing overall, but there is still something deeply lacking in the approach, which is conveyed by a single word: understanding. Machine translation has never focused on understanding language. Instead, the field has always tried to “decode”—to get away without worrying about what understanding and meaning are.
Giant Building-Size Murals And Hipster Culture
Like other novelties of the post-hipster age, the source of the value is not just the finished work, but also the tedious and rarefied conditions of its production. The spectacle of painters hanging from a wall is as much Colossal’s product as the murals themselves. Colossal offers time-lapse footage and photos for clients to share on social channels.
The “Best Person” Fallacy
The multidimensional or layered character of complex problems undermines the principle of meritocracy: the idea that the ‘best person’ should be hired. There is no best person. When putting together an oncological research team, a biotech company such as Gilead or Genentech would not construct a multiple-choice test and hire the top scorers, or hire people whose resumes score highest according to some performance criteria. Instead, they would seek diversity. They would build a team of people who bring diverse knowledge bases, tools and analytic skills.”