Fear of and distancing from those who have or are suspected of having the virus counts as a similarity, the key difference being how AIDS became linked to identity . “In the early days of AIDS, all forms of contact were made fraught. I remember people going home and being told that they were not welcome.” – ARTnews
Blog
Where You Want To Be During The Virus Crisis: Berlin
Germany has a low infection rate, but additionally the city has efficiently tried to help its residents: “Fortunately, last week more than $1.4 billion was already doled out in Berlin to more than 150,000 of the city’s self-employed and small businesses. Colin filled out a short online application for the $5,400 which is being offered, no strings attached, available to freelancers. To his shock—as Germany’s bureaucracy is notoriously ponderous and time-sapping—the sum popped up in his bank account two days later.” – Boston Review
Court Rules That Video Game ‘Call Of Duty’ Is A Work Of Art
The manufacturer of Humvees, AM General, sued the game developer, alleging that the appearance of the trucks in Call of Duty “deceived [players] into believing that AM General licenses the games.” A New York State District Judge rejected the suit, writing that “if realism is an artistic goal, then the presence in modern warfare games of vehicles employed by actual militaries undoubtedly furthers that goal” and that the developer is thus protected under the First Amendment. – The Art Newspaper
Paul’s Worlds
On a hilltop miles away from the city I love, I’ve decided to look at Paul Taylor & Company — An Artist and his Work, a 1968 film directed by Ted Steeg. 1968! My choice was partly personal … – Deborah Jowitt
Introducing the Hilary Teachout Grant
To help artists who, because of the coronavirus havoc, are finding it ever harder to stay afloat, the painter Makoto Fujimura and his International Arts Movement have launched the Hilary Teachout Grant (named after my beloved wife), an emergency relief grant for performing and other artists. – Terry Teachout
Lee Konitz, 1927-2020
Using aspects of phrasing, rhythm and tonal quality adapted from the great Lester Young, Konitz in the 1940s developed into one of the most distinctive saxophonists in jazz. – Doug Ramsey
Our Interest In Dystopian Stories Is Soaring. Does It Affect Our Real-World Views?
“Is dystopian fiction likely to affect anyone’s real-world political attitudes? If so, then how? And how much should we care about its impact? In our research, we set out to answer these questions using a series of experiments.” – Aeon
Watching Mark Morris Create And Rehearse A Piece For Zoom
“What is a choreographer without a stage but a sad clown of God at a time like this? So Morris has retooled himself as a filmmaker. … There is a certain hallucinatory, Fellini-esque quality to this scene, where a giant of the dance world struggles to master the same awkward video technology that remote office workers are using to teleconference. And where top dancers are limited to a few feet of floor space and bad lighting, using bathroom doors as stage wings.” – The Washington Post
Survey Says: People Will Be Reluctant To Return To Theatres
One major takeaway: Most theatregoers will not immediately be ready to return to theatres even when they reopen. The survey found that around half (49 percent) of those questioned say they will likely wait a few months before returning. Only 25 percent think they would attend right away. – American Theatre
Who Are American Theatre’s Hardworking Heroes During The Corona-Crisis? Finance Directors
“Theatre finance departments have been in an all-hands-on-deck mode as they gather payroll reports and compile the information needed for [CARES Act aid] applications. It’s been a round-the-clock undertaking, with some portals to loan applications opening as late as midnight, others in the early morning hours. Work-from-home days are stacked with meetings and calls with bankers, investors, and board members. Funds are being awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.” – American Theatre