Whether we’re talking about vaccines or groundbreaking clean energy, lifesaving technologies shouldn’t be treated as precious commodities to be hoarded for private gain. In the midst of global emergencies, they’re public goods to be deployed as rapidly as possible. – The New Republic
Blog
How Did Renaissance Architects Build Church Domes Without Columns? High-Tech Analysis Has Found The Answer
The broad cupolas in Italian churches of the era were constructed by laying bricks in a “complex cross-herringbone spiraling pattern” called a double loxodrome, according to a team of engineering researchers at Princeton and the University of Bergamo. – Artnet
Broadway League President Says A January Reopening?
Charlotte St. Martin said that in the last ten weeks Broadway has been losing an average of $35 million a week; this will remain so for however long Broadway remains closed. If this continues to January, that means a total loss of around $1.5 billion—with the sum heading towards $2 billion if the closure continues into next spring. – The Daily Beast
2020 Turner Prize Cancelled – £100,000 Prize Will Be Used To Help Artists
“Gallery closures and social distancing measures are vitally important, but they are also causing huge disruption to the lives and livelihoods of artists. The practicalities of organising a Turner Prize exhibition are impossible in the current circumstances, so we have decided to help support even more artists during this exceptionally difficult time.” The move was broadly welcomed on social media with one contributor calling the initiative a “philanthropic and democratic move”. – The Art Newspaper
Pioneering Op Art Painter Richard Anuszkiewicz Dead At 89
“[He] devoted his career to studying how some of the fundamental elements of art could be manipulated to create perceptual effects. His experiments with color led him to make paintings of geometric shapes that seem to vibrate and emanate light.” – The New York Times
Insurance Companies Put Theatres At Risk
Most theatres and show producers have been sold expensive “business interruption” policies to cover closure as a result of events outside their control. But believe it or not, according to the insurers Covid-19 does not count. I repeat, the closure of every theatre in the country by the pandemic does not meet the insurers’ idea of business interruption. – The Times (UK)
With Lockdown Lifting, This Country’s Bookstores Are Having A Boom
“Booksellers around the country say they’re experiencing ‘Christmas’ levels of demand post-lockdown, as many readers have sworn off shopping offshore following the Covid-19 crisis, which claimed 21 lives in New Zealand.” – The Guardian
The Dangers And Delights Of Choreographing Over-Familiar Music
Carmina Burana. Bolero. Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. Even The Rite of Spring. They’re good pieces, they work for dance, and audiences are familiar with them. “Still, many choreographers have been sabotaged by the formidable nature and Muzak-y overuse of these iconic compositions,” writes Joseph Carman, who talks to several choreographers about how they’ve successfully pulled the feat off. – Dance Magazine
Africa’s First Million-Selling Singer, Mory Kanté, Dead At 70
“[He] came from a family of griots, the dynastic West African musicians whose songs carry news and chronicle history. Steeped in those traditions, he electrified the kora, the traditional griot’s harp, and he fused African music with styles and instruments from Western pop. … [His] 1987 single “Yé Ké Yé Ké” was a hit, first in Africa and then across Europe. It became the first African single to sell more than a million copies and has been licensed frequently for commercials and film soundtracks.” – The New York Times
Michael Moore’s ‘Planet Of The Humans’ Yanked From YouTube
The controversial documentary — produced by Moore, directed by Jeff Gibbs, criticized by many mainstream scientists, and championed by parts of the far right — incorporates a clip from the project Rare Earthenware by videographer Toby Smith, who opposes Planet of the Humans and went to YouTube alleging copyright infringement (which gets a video automatically removed). Gibbs and Moore invoked the fair use doctrine and say their work is being censored. – The Guardian