“Yale historian Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, and, backed by the National Geographic Society, returned with large expeditions in 1912 and 1915, each time carting out – with supposed special permission from Peruvian President Augusto B. Leguía – crates filled with archeological finds. But now, Peru is threatening to sue the Ivy League school, claiming the permission was either given illegally or misunderstood.”
Tag: 12.29.05
The Art Of Celebrity Self-Interest
“Art magazines are indulging in the celebritization of artists, but they’re bringing something stinky to the mix. Take ArtReview’s annual “Power 100 List” and Art + Auction’s “Power Issue,” both considered art world jokes since they first appeared in 2001 and 1996, respectively. Recently each came out with a list; both were based on money and as self-interested as ever. In addition to museum directors, mega- collectors, auction house bigwigs, art fair pashas, art advisers, and the below-average overhyped painter Marlene Dumas, both lists are stocked with the magazine’s advertisers and the artists they represent. It would be a hoot if it weren’t so craven.”
Turkey: Charges Against Novelist Pamuk A Mistake?
Turkey’s foreign minister acknowledged yesterday that charges brought against Orhan Pamuk, the country’s best-known novelist, have tarnished Turkey’s image, and said laws that limit freedom of expression may be changed.
Technology As Liberal Arts Liberator
“Many students and faculty believe that there is no place for technology in small liberal arts colleges, a belief they cherish and are loathe to let go of. But technology doesn’t have to be the great invader, the destructor of the special nature of a liberal arts college education. It can, in fact, make that education better and more sustainable.”
NY Touts Film Tax Credit For New Revenue
New York’s film office says new tax incentives are responsible for $600 million of new film shooting and 6000 jobs in the city this year. “The mayor’s office also claimed that more than 250 movies and 100 new and continuing TV productions were shot in New York during the past year as a result of the program. It was one of several initiatives launched this year to help boost city entertainment projects and the resulting income from them.”
311 Movies Run For Oscar
Three hundred and eleven movies are in contention for this year’s Oscars. That’s a 16 percent jump from last year. “Academy credits coordinator Howard Loberfeld cited an increase in the number of feature-length documentaries playing theatrically (35 vs. 15 in 2004) for the spike, as well as industrywide distributor reorganizations, which led to the release of an unusual number of long-delayed projects.”
The First Great Pianist Of the 21st Century?
Following the release of two CDs this year, critics are prophesying that Yevgeny Sudbin – who spent part of his childhood in the basement of a refugee hostel – will be one of the greatest pianists of the new century.
Elliott Carter At 97
“Perhaps the key to his longevity and the feeling of constant rejuvenation in his music lies in his attitude to writing it. ‘I go to bed every night, and just before I go to sleep I read one or two pages of Proust. This gives me a great deal of pleasure, so one of the things about music is that I want to write something that gives me pleasure. I would never write anything that didn’t say something to me that I thought was important or interesting’.”
Brits Fail Musical Literacy
More than half of Britons polled do not realise that Elgar was English or that Beethoven was born in Germany, according to a survey for the digital arts and culture channel Artsworld.
Buying Music As A Political Act
“Once upon a time, it wasn’t so. Thirty years ago, you just walked into your local music retailer, found the LP you wanted, then went home and cranked up the stereo. No thought was necessary. Thanks to the Internet, those carefree days are gone. To go to the trouble of actually walking into a record store and paying full price for an actual CD is now a transaction that carries with it all kinds of meaning. It signifies that a music lover is making a choice to support a particular group or musician.”