A new London gallery tries to spruce up its opening with the addition of technology, offering journalists from all over the world the chance to view the art (and the party) from mobile webcams and interview the artists live through instant messaging software. “But glitches and crashes turned the conversation into a rather stilted affair,” and as it turns out, viewing art through a webcam is like “viewing art through the bottom of a pint glass.”
Tag: 09.24.04
The Doomsday Obsession
How to explain the human obsession with the end of the world? It seems as if there have been doomsayers wandering the streets ever since humans walked upright, and these days, with the world in a constant tizzy, there is no shortage of prophets, filmmakers, and assorted crackpots ready to help you prepare for the End Days. “As impressive as the scope of world-enders’ thinking these days is its overwhelming detail. Everything from events in the Middle East to the technology of cloning has been worked into one end-times commentary or another.” The details serves to obscure the lack of evidence, even as it makes the scenario more real.
The Fox News Of Film Fests
The American Film Renaissance, which bills itself as the world’s first and only conservative-leaning film festival, wrapped up recently in Dallas, and Britain’s left-leaning newspaper of record couldn’t resist sending a correspondent. What he found was a group of extremely earnest Americans longing for a few movies that represent their worldview. That worldview apparently includes a fictional Don Rumsfeld predicting the 9/11 attacks in advance, Ann Coulter as a plain-speaking truth-teller, and former government officials explaining “how abortion is robbing America’s retired people of their welfare safety net.”
Looking For The Definition of Irony?
“A portrait of Dr. David Hosack, a prominent surgeon who attended Alexander Hamilton on his deathbed after that legendary duel, has vanished from the New-York Historical Society’s $5 million-plus exhibition ‘Alexander Hamilton, the Man Who Made Modern America.’ No, it wasn’t stolen.” It seems that the NYHS installed an extremely low handrail to prevent patrons from getting too close to the painting. On day one of the exhibition, someone tripped over the rail and put his hand through the painting, which has now been removed for restoration.
Laughing To Keep From Crying
The U.S. is as politically polarized as it has been in decades, politicians can’t seem to stop smearing each other, and oh yes, there’s always that terrorism threat to consider in case you were thinking of feeling upbeat today. All that gloom and doom may explain why the political satire is suddenly hot again in the literary world, and several new offerings from well-known authors are testing the limits of dark comedy concerning world events.
Muti Quits Touring Production
Conductor Riccardo Muti has withdrawn from a touring La Scala production of La Forza del Destino set for London’s Royal Opera House, in a dispute over, of all things, scenery. The argument centers on several small chunks of wall used in the Milan production, which the ROH had deemed too large for its stage. After several weeks of argument, Muti had had enough, and abruptly quit the project.
A Grand Entrance, Leading To A Large Bill
“[Britain’s] National Gallery will open its new £21m front door on Sunday and hope that the splendour of the black marble staircase and the excellence of the coffee in the new cafe provokes a gush of public generosity. Although more building work starts next month, the gallery still has to raise £3m of the cost.” Having appealed to the government for assistance in purchasing a priceless Raphael miniature last year, the fundraising for the remainder of the gallery’s renovations will need to be done in the private sector, no small task in a nation which does not have America’s tradition of private philanthropy.
Those Who Can’t Play, Listen
Actor Stephen Fry was never much good with a musical instrument in his youth. “At school, one of my greatest regrets was my inability to produce any two notes, in order, that could be said to resemble a tune. One note? Fine, I could produce one note with the best of them, possibly not a very nice note, admittedly, but nevertheless, a note all the same. It was only when I had to produce two or more notes, in succession, in tune, that I had any problems.” Still, Fry’s inability to play music never inhibited his love of the classical form, and his new book on the subject of listening to the stuff is a true labor of love.