Tag: 05.14.19

The Artwork That Won The Venice Biennale Is Actually An Opera

“The piece, called Sun & Sea (Marina) (2019), was created by a trio of highly creative women: filmmaker and theater director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė; writer, poet, and playwright Vaiva Grainytė; and artist, musician, and composer Lina Lapelytė. From within Venice’s Marina Militare, the opera’s set is a faux beach, complete with lounge chairs, inflatables, and sand. A troupe of two-dozen performers from Lithuania and Italy sing sweetly and harmoniously, enacting dark humor that reflects on the decaying Earth, through the guise of a lazy, frolicsome beach day.” – Artsy

A Ballet Dramaturg Explains How (And Why) She Works

Uzma Hameed, who developed Woolf Works and Obsidian Tear with Wayne McGregor and Victoria with Cathy Marston, “defines her role as dramaturg – the definition of which is often a vexed question – as essentially creative, a ‘critical friend’ to the choreographer rather than an omniscient authority. ‘There are probably as many definitions as there are dramaturgs – kind of like versions of religion.'” – The Stage

Belgium’s Royal Museum Says It Wants To Confront The Country’s Colonial Africa Past. There’s Just One Problem…

“I went there a month later, and spent two days trying to access its famed music archives, and mostly just looking around. And at the risk of spoiling any big, revelatory climax, I’ll just tell you: there’s basically nothing in the museum that honestly confronts what went on in Central Africa.” – The Outline

From YouTube To Hollywood: Short Is The New Thing

“Once the purview of DIY YouTubers and aspiring creatives looking for a big break, short-form now commands a deep well of resources – the backing of major studios, streaming-service budgets and top talent. And as the slate of original content continues to expand, scripted short-form TV may become the most contested battleground for heavyweight tech and content companies, as everyone from Snap to YouTube to Sundance TV compete for a quarter-hour snippet of attention.” – The Guardian

Noise-Canceling The World: What Happens When You Always Wear Headphones

“To those who lived before headphones, it might seem as though I want to exist in the world without actually being part of it. And to some extent, that’s true. Urban Millennials like me don’t inhabit a world that allows for much privacy. We’ve been squeezed into closely packed offices, closely packed subway cars, and closely packed apartments. Everyone else’s noises are constantly everywhere, so your head is the only personal space you can get. Granted, I share it with Brian Eno and Twin Shadow, but at least the choice is mine.” – The Atlantic

Does A City’s Beauty Translate Into A “Better” City? This Study Takes Up The Question

The study by Gerald A. Carlino of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Albert Saiz of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, examines the connection between a city’s beauty and key growth indicators. A raft of previous studies have found a connection between economic and population growth and urban amenities (a broad category ranging from parks to restaurants, art galleries, and museums). But this study takes a much closer look at the effects of beauty itself. – CityLab

How We Do Being Old And Sick In America: 87-Year-Old Jazz Legend Kenny Burrell And Why He Needs A GoFundMe Campaign

“The Detroit native has played on at least 100 records, which is probably a conservative estimate. Burrell made his recording debut with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951, teamed up for a record with John Coltrane in 1958 and spent the 1960s doing not only session work — with everyone from Louis Armstrong to James Brown.” – Washington Post