Paul Werner has a particularly harsh take on the role of American museums. “The role of the American art museum is to launder the money of its trustees and sponsors, not, as you may think, by turning one asset (‘cocaine,’ for instance) into another asset (say, ‘Rembrandts’), but by turning artworks into objects of authority and trust – objects that mediate and are mediated by the worth of money. The American art museum turns art into buzz the way its owners turn pork bellies into pork-belly futures.”
Tag: 04.23.06
A Museum’s Savior, A Shameless Self-Promoter, Or Both?
When Marine Reservist Matthew Bogdanos led an improvised mission to recover the thousands of artifacts looted from the Baghdad Museum of Art after the American invasion, he quickly acheived not only success, but fame in the art world, fame which he has savvily leveraged into a lucrative career as a public speaker, even as he continues to pursue stolen art. “With this high profile has come criticism — from some museum officials, archeologists, and soldiers in other branches of the military who served in Iraq.”
A Masterpiece In The Making In Akron?
The Akron Art Museum is more than halfway finished with a $30 million expansion and renovation. “The project is already full of dramatic contrasts between jutting steel beams, shimmering metal and the rugged concrete. But most exciting is the way Coop Himmelb(l)au has juxtaposed an unapologetically futuristic expansion next to an older, more traditional building.”
Do We Really Need A Movie About 9/11?
“When a horrifying shared reality is forced through the pipeline of history and comes out a pop-cultural attraction, is the artistic result worth a further eroding of what little space we have left for private contemplation?”
Will Sousa Help Parkinson’s Patients?
Scientists have discovered that playing music helps Parkinson’s patients move better. Now a new study will try to pin down how and what music works. “We will start with metronome patterns and move up to ballet music, marches and popular music that is very dance-oriented and popular music that is not — all those types.”
Peter Martins’ City Ballet Problem (Or Is It The Other Way Around?)
“Numerous well-placed critics have expressed their dismissive doubts about Mr. Martins. No one, including Mr. Martins, claims that he is Balanchine’s equivalent. The gamut of opinion seems to range from those who think he is doing an honorable job, as good as could be expected, to those who proclaim, often stridently, that he has presided over the erosion of the Balanchine repertory without finding new sources of choreographic talent, that he has failed to school and develop his younger dancers properly, that he has robbed Balanchine’s ballets of their soul. “
Book Man Gives Away Millions Of Books
Over the past 17 years Irwin Herman has given away 8 million books in San Diego. “My entire budget is $60,000. We give away half a million books a year, and nobody takes a dime out of it. When we come up short, somebody tosses something in. People bring us books. They bring us great stuff, and they bring us a lot of crap. Bring us your good books. Don’t throw your crap in the garbage – bring it to us, we’ll put it in recycling.”
The Largest Art Theft In UK History
It happened in February. “Initial press reports on the 1 February Hyams theft, from Ramsbury Manor, Wiltshire, suggested that the losses were worth £30 million. More is now known about precisely what was taken, and their values, and it appears that the figure is closer to £80 million, although this remains an estimate.”
Students Flock To New UK Writing Programs
“Universities across the country are cashing in on the glamorous new image, with 85 offering postgraduate creative writing courses, compared with fewer than 10 a decade ago. Lucrative book deals and the new breed of celebrity author have led to a surge of interest in a potential career in writing. “
Waterstone’s Founder Wants Book Chain Back
The founder of UK book chain Waterstone’s has made an offer to buy back the company from HMV. “Mr Waterstone conceded that he was paying a very full price to regain control, especially as Waterstone’s was facing an uphill struggle to win back market share from online booksellers such as Amazon and supermarkets. But relationships with the publishing industry had been badly damaged by the bid battle for Ottakar’s and HMV would not be as well-placed to repair them, he said.”