“The production was staged by the Gogol School theatre lab during the Tavrida Festival, an annual art event organised by Russian state youth agency Rosmolodyozh. Reaction has been mixed, with some praising the audacity of the director, Ilya Romashko, and others calling it pure provocation. Given Russia’s 2013 law banning the spread of ‘gay propaganda’ among under-18s, the festival’s organisers have since issued an apology.” – BBC
Tag: 07.01.19
Northern Ireland Rescinds Strict Prison Ban On Books About Terrorism Or Paramilitaries
“A review by the Northern Ireland Prison Service deemed the ban ‘not proportionate’ … Books and other reading material will now be permitted unless they overtly promote or encourage the commissioning of criminal acts or otherwise break the law.” – The Guardian
My But We’ve Become So Literal (When Sometimes A Metaphor Would be Better)
We want to quantify, data-fy and measure everything. And if not, then see literal images that we can quickly grasp. Are we losing the ability to imagine (and to dream)? – Aeon
David Koloane, Major South African Artist Of Apartheid Era, Dead At 81
“Koloane’s work — which comprised art-making, curating, activism, and writing — dealt head-on with colonialism and the continued oppression of black South Africans. His [art], which often takes the form of semi-abstract cityscapes, evokes the tensions felt in his country through clusters of swirling lines and compositions that evoke violence.” – ARTnews
Watch Paul Taylor Dance Company Director Michael Novak At Work
“No one was more surprised than Novak when Taylor tapped him to be his successor last year, three months before the legendary choreographer died. Dance Magazine recently caught up with Novak during the company’s appearances at the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Bach Festival.” (video) – Dance Magazine
‘Undisturbed’ Ancient Roman Shipwreck Discovered Near Cyprus
“Not many details have been released about the shipwreck, but the Department of Antiquities notes that it ‘is the first undisturbed Roman shipwreck ever found in Cyprus.’ The vessel is still packed with amphorae — jugs that the ancients used to hold foodstuffs like oil and wine — that likely came from Syria and Cilicia, a region that is now southern Turkey.” – Smithsonian Magazine
Pakistan Would Love To Restrict Bollywood Movies, But Its People Just Can’t Quit Them
After brief military hostilities between India and Pakistan in 2016, Pakistani cinema owners boycotted Indian movies; attendance promptly fell to 11 percent, and the boycott was over within a few months. Something similar has happened each time there’s a crisis between the two countries. Pakistani audiences’ addiction to Bollywood has withstood every attempt to introduce movies from other Muslim countries — and has kept the country’s own film industry from growing. – The New York Times
La Scala Picks A New Leader
Dominique Meyer, who is French and has been director of Vienna State Opera since 2010, has been celebrated for increasing revenue at the Austrian institution at a time when many opera houses are struggling. – The New York Times
JFK’s New TWA Hotel Reminds Us When Air Travel Was Fun (And Glamorous)
Michael Kimmelman: “When was the last time you lingered for pleasure at Kennedy Airport? When was the last time you felt happy to be there? An architectural advertisement for the thrill of air travel at the sunny dawn of the jet age, Saarinen’s reincarnated terminal is an unavoidable reminder of just how sad and degrading the experience of flying has become, if you’re not rich.” – The New York Times
Revealing Toni Morrison: A New Film Shows The Public-Averse Author
Given her absence from my generation’s digital public square, it is a gift to “see” Morrison through reflections from Angela Davis, Oprah Winfrey, the critic Hilton Als and the poet Sonia Sanchez among others. – Washington Post