"The fifty figures scattered throughout the city include a Menina Wonder Woman, a military Menina, a Menina painted with skulls, another wrapped in aluminum, another adorned with the Visa logo, and still another representing Volvo. ... For many Madrid residents, the yearly project is a source for ubiquitous scorn." - ARTnews
Short for “free, ad-supported television,” FAST is a live, linear and growing area of the streaming universe that has emerged as a complement to on-demand offerings. The multibillion-dollar sector is inhabited by an eclectic range of purveyors, content owners and connected-TV players. - Deadline
In 2019, in his hometown of Málaga, Banderas founded a nonprofit company called Teatro del Soho to produce musicals more serious than the blockbuster fare usually seen in Spain. And he's now fulfilled a longtime dream, directing a Spanish-language Company and starring as a 50-year-old Bobby. - The New York Times
The archive includes correspondence relating to the publishing process, the library said, but no private letters or other personal material. And no, there are no photographs of Pynchon either. - The New York Times
Jair Bolsonaro, the mercurial right-winger whom President da Silva succeeds, abolished the culture ministry on his first day in office. Lula wasted no time in restoring the department, and he's appointed as minister renowned singer Margareth Menezes, who founded a major cultural nonprofit in her home state of Bahia. - Artnet
A week after the cyberattack which has paralyzed its ticketing and payroll operations, the company has not missed a single performance. And with its offer of any unsold seat for $50, fans come flocking. The resulting scene is, despite the difficulties and necessary improvisation, rather orderly. - The New York Times
"The outcome of the strike, which began Nov. 10, ... may have a ripple effect on jobs across the publishing industry. Its impact may be seen in the quantity and diversity of books that are published for years to come." - MSN (The Washington Post)
"The company said it now expects to incur total pre-tax restructuring charges" — that is, charges related to the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery — "of $4.1 billion to $5.3 billion. ... The new estimate includes $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion of content impairment and development write-offs." - Variety
"Some prisons have organized their own literary prizes, but the inmates' Goncourt" — Goncourt des détenus, as it's called in French — "is unprecedented in size and reach, with about 500 people detained in 31 prisons taking part. It is also prominently backed and promoted by the French government." - The New York Times
Following the stern directive from Arts Council England, the government funder, to leave the capital, "(Stuart) Murphy said he had been contacted by MPs or mayors in about 10 locations to express an interest in hosting the ENO's new headquarters, but declined to reveal where they are." - BBC
“We’re working toward being the first city in North America to implement a 15-minute city planning framework, where people—not developers—are at the center of urban revitalization. - Fast Company
Because of our herding behaviour, then, we stand a better chance to survive as members of a group than on our own. The trouble starts when we decide to use our mind against our biology. - Aeon
“It was accepted unconditionally as a Rembrandt from 1823 to 1969,” he told the New York Times. “It’s a canonical image, and no one else painted those kinds of images. I simply don’t see why it would be doubted.” The painting depicts the master at around the age of 37. - Artnet
For us, critique is service. We critique because we care. And if these powerful companies cannot release systems that meet the expectations of those most likely to be harmed by them, then their products are not ready to serve these communities and do not deserve widespread release. - Wired
Let’s say there’s a writer named Derek. One of the things that Derek does for The Atlantic is explain stuff. Well, if there’s a technology that effortlessly explains stuff much faster than Derek, what exactly is Derek’s value to The Atlantic? - The Atlantic
