Art Of The Future

“The World Future Society–an organization of academics, consultants and planners–is gearing up for its annual conference Friday to Sunday, drawing forward thinkers from as far away as South Korea and Venezuela. Mainstream futurists are not crystal ball gazers or mere science fiction aficionados (though a session is scheduled on “Science Fiction as the Mythology of the Future”). The future may seem unknowable to most mortals, but humans continually plan for what lies beyond the chronological horizon, futurists say. Everything from an environmental impact study to Pentagon war games are forms of future study.”

Bilbao Scores Again With Serra

Richard Serra’s new installation for Guggenheim Bilbao “is the 65-year-old American’s most ambitious project to date and one of the most extravagant single-artist sculptural installations in modern history. The Basque government agency that partnered with the Guggenheim to create the museum has again put its faith in the vision of Guggenheim director Thomas Krens, providing E15 million for the material and fabrication of seven new works. The ambitious project is intended to revitalise the eight-year-old museum that transformed the post-industrial port into a cultural destination through an act of museum-as-development now referred to as ‘the Bilbao effect’.”

9/11 Report Publisher Donates Some Profits

Last year’s 9/11 Commission report was an unexpected bestseller. Now the report’s publisher is donating some of the profits to anti-terror causes. “When we undertook the report’s publication. we did so in a spirit of public service, fully aware that we would shoulder a financial commitment unprecedented for this firm and were unlikely to recover all our expenses. Donations amounted to about 10 percent of the company’s gross proceeds from sales of the book to wholesalers and bookstores.”

Massachusetts Considers Culture Stimulus Plan

The Massachusetts legislature is considering a big injection of money for the arts. “The new Cultural Facilities Fund, part of a $296 million economic stimulus package proposed for fiscal 2006, would be among the first of its kind in the nation. Aimed at enriching the lives of Massachusetts residents, the fund is also supposed to bolster the state’s economy by shoring up attractions that bring tourists and their dollars to the Bay State.”

Payola Rules The Airwaves? Yeah, Right!

“Critics of today’s pop music falsely equate the corporate admission that millions were spent trying to alter radio station playlists as a sign that the sounds now dominating radio are being forced on us. It’s as if big, bad Sony BMG used its vast resources to keep “real” music (rock ‘n’ roll, adult pop, jazz, what have you) off the air. Trust me, Sony and other major labels aren’t interested in keeping anything off the air. They are interested in selling records. They’d release an album of dog howls if they thought it would go platinum. To think otherwise is as misguided as believing that all those heavy metal albums years ago really had satanic messages woven into the music.”

Retiring Sterritt: Lots Of New Talent Out There

David Sterritt is retiring after 35 years as movie critic for the Christian Science Monitor. He reckons he’s seen an average of a movie a day during that time. “Different critics have different views about this, but anyone who sees the profession in mainly cynical terms is probably not a very reliable reviewer. And something everyone can agree on is the flood of new talent flowing into the field. While newspapers are on the wane in many areas, the dwindling number of first-rate print critics is more than compensated for by the growth in Internet reviewers writing for established websites or their own blogs.”

Italian Prime Minister Sues Author Over Crime Book

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sued the author of a book about crime in Italy. “Penguin, which published the book in English, has promoted it as an exploration of the dark underside of Italy today. The book looks at Mafia, organised crime and corruption in Italy, and it also looks at Silvio Berlusconi … the principal actor of the Italian political stage since the early 1990s,”

Pop Star Signs Cell Phone Deal

Pop singer Robbie Williams has “signed an exclusive deal with the global telecom giant T-Mobile that will allow customers to download songs, exclusive live tracks and concert footage to their mobile phones. The 18-month deal is the biggest tie-up yet between a big artist and a phone company and will be watched with interest by others convinced that mobile music delivery will become an important factor in boosting flagging record sales over the next few years.”