Michael Hulton wants justice. By that, he means “his inheritance, which consists of works of art that Flechtheim owned and either went missing or had to be sold during the Nazi era. They consist of 11 paintings and six works on paper, which are now owned by German museums, including works by Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann and Paul Klee.” But when did Hulton’s great-uncle really sell the art? And will the museums ever agree?
Category: issues
Professor’s Lament: A Rising Tide Of Mediocrity
“The majority of students in English courses today can expect a B grade or higher merely for warming a seat and handing in assignments on time. The result, as I soon discovered, was a generation of students so accustomed to being praised for their work that when I told them it was inadequate, they simply could not or would not believe me. They seemed very nearly unteachable: lacking not only the essential skills but also the personal gumption to respond adequately to criticism.”
Have Britain’s Young Creative Workers Failed To Evolve?
The real task for young creatives is to earn the institutional support and respect that will allow for any sort of longevity. For those who have something genuinely original, new, and different, however, it is institutional support that is least forthcoming – made even more difficult by the fact that society’s disposable income remains concentrated in our parents’ hands.
A Look At Some Of Timbuktu’s Historic Sites That May Not Survive The Month
“Because you may never be able to be visit them yourself if you haven’t already, here are the photos and stories of some of Timbuktu’s most important historical sites” – which the extremist rebel group Ansar Dine is threatening to destroy.
It’s A Nordic World; The Rest Of Us Just Live In It
“In detective fiction and cooking, in art, architecture and design, the new Nordic way has won over fans and followers everywhere, as figures such as the late Swedish crime novelist Stieg Larsson, Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, Danish chef René Redzepi and Oslo architecture firm Snøhetta have risen to top of their fields. … What unites the vast expanse of Europe’s northern edge in such a wide range of disciplines?”
UK Government Announces An App For Donating To The Arts
“Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has launched plans for an independent funding platform that will allow people to give money to arts organisations using their mobile phones. … The aim of the initiative is to help the cultural sector raise new funds through mass casual giving.”
Why Do Americans Celebrate July 4 With Fireworks?
“Because John Adams wanted us to. Before the Declaration of Independence was even signed, he envisioned fireworks as a part of the festivities.”
On The Israeli ‘Miss Holocaust Survivor’ Pageant (Yes, It Really Happened)
“I thought, at first, this had to be a satire … You cull a minyan’s worth of good-looking old Jewish ladies from a big pool of less desirable specimens; you put them on show wearing blue numbers; and the prize for the best story of their ordeal is a weekend at a fancy hotel? It’s like ‘Springtime for Hitler.'”
More Than A Concept (Is Kowloon Asia’s Next Cultural Center?)
“The HK$21.6bn (£1.8bn) West Kowloon project has provoked the kind of scepticism from onlookers that seems to greet any grandiose cultural initiative. The championing of artistic excellence and cultural enlightenment can be an awkward conversation-stopper when the hard talk is of a world dipping in and out of recession and the need for belt-tightening. But finally Norman Foster’s elegant master plan is moving beyond the conceptual stage.”
Philosophy Is Our New Rock Star (Just A Fad?)
“Yes, philosophy is one of the new rock ‘n’ rolls. But how can the current wave of philosophical clubs ensure they are more than a fashionable trend?”