“Art is often the subject of philosophy. But every now and then, a work of art – something other than a lecture or words on a page – can function as philosophy. Son of Saul, a film set in Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust, is such a work of art. It engages with a profound set of problems that also occupied the 19th-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.”
Ángel Corella Tries To Make The Ballet Version Of ‘Don Quixote’ More Spanish
Does the piece need it? Well, it was created “for a Russian troupe by a French choreographer (Marius Petipa) and a composer from Austria (Ludwig Minkus).”
This Film School Is Leading The Way To Diversifying Movies (And Oscars)
“Located in a converted piano factory where it sits above state parole offices, Ghetto Film School aims to provide teenagers a foundation in filmmaking that can jump-start careers in the entertainment world. The organization’s founder, Joe Hall, likes to say that ‘if you weren’t born in the Coppola family, we’re your Coppola family.'”
The Oscars Are Worse Than Meaningless
“If you regard the Oscars as anything but the annual, televised offsite retreat of a company that is hugely profitable despite everything about itself (complete with the crummy inside jokes), the problem is really with you. The Academy Awards were never meant to be anything but that.”
In Case You Missed It: A List Of The Oscars Nominees, And The Winners
Everything that was nominated and all of the winners, including at least one or two partial surprises.
Let’s Talk About Penn Station And Design And What Went Wrong One More Time Before The Makeover
Or, as the subheadline of this article has it, “What makes New York’s Penn Station suck so bad?”
Top Stories From AJBlogs For 02.28.16
Svend Asmussen, 100
Today is the 100th birthday of the great Danish violinist Svend Asmussen. Without going into the details of Asmussen’s long, varied and influential career, let us simply recognize him as one of the handful (or… … read more
AJBlog: RiffTidesPublished 2016-02-28
Mavis Staples’ HBO doc hits relevant Civil Rights notes
“I’m not as frisky as I used to be but I feel like I am,” Mavis Staples speaks the truth with a grin and a twinkle in Mavis!, an endearingly upbeat bio doc premiering on… … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond JazzPublished 2016-02-28
Coming Soon: The Wild Tale of the Paneros
When a young Spanish director began making a film about a mad family of poets “during the waning days of the Franco dictatorship,” Aaron Shulman writes in the current issue of The Believer, it was… … read more
AJBlog: Straight|UpPublished 2016-02-28 BalletBoyz® and Pacific Northwest Ballet
When a young Spanish director began making a film about a mad family of poets “during the waning days of the Franco dictatorship,” Aaron Shulman writes in the current issue of The Believer, it was… … read more
AJBlog: Straight|UpPublished 2016-02-28 BalletBoyz® and Pacific Northwest Ballet
A company from London and one from Seattle visit NYC. Andrea Carruccio of BalletBoyz® aloft in Christopher Wheeldon’s Mesmerics. Photo: Yi-Chun Wu History often appears less as a straight line than a looping, occasionally tangling… … read more
A Berlin Museum Runs Tours In Arabic, Helping To Welcome Some Refugees
“The visits can be fraught. ‘Sometimes people say: ‘The Germans have all our heritage! They stole it!’’ said Zoya Masoud, 27, who led the Arabic-language tour that afternoon at the Museum of Islamic Art, which is part of the Pergamon Museum and filled with treasures from empires past. Often, the visitors say the art is probably better off in Berlin because so much in Syria has been destroyed by the war and the Islamic State, Ms. Masoud said.”
How To Discourage People Of Color From Going Into The Arts
“What happens when people of color are discouraged—both implicitly as well as explicitly—from going into the arts and humanities? Here, I’m not just talking about the lack of mentors or opportunities in these fields. I’m also talking about pressures from politicians, from college administrators, even from one’s own family.”
Can Crowdfunding Save JMW Turner’s House From Collapsing?
“Keeping it standing has involved clearing blocked lavatories by hand, shovelling up fallen bricks and plaster, chopping down trees whose roots were ripping apart foundations and, worse, sewer pipes, and scrubbing down all four walls of a room so cold and damp it had become covered in mould from skirting board to ceiling.”
Oscars New York Times Live Blog
“From the first seconds of his monologue, Chris Rock did not hold back on addressing the racial tension in Hollywood and in America, referring to the Oscars as the ‘White People’s Choice Awards.'”
These Films And Actors Might Not Win Oscars, But They Dominated The Indie Spirit Awards
“It was as if the Independent Spirits, which manage to pull off an impish, scrappy vibe despite counting Bank of America and American Airlines among their sponsors, were gleefully sending rebuke after rebuke to the beleaguered Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its #OscarsSoWhite ways.”
What Can We Learn About How To Live In The World By Reading Fantasy Fiction?
“Hope isn’t stupid.”
Highlights From This Week’s ArtsJournal
Arguably, the dominant cultural issue of our time is the changes in how people are finding and getting culture. In response, business models supporting culture and the kinds of culture being made are also changing. It also underpins debates about diversity, engagement and power. Some broad themes this week.
Trevor Nunn Directs An American Cast For The First Time
“When he introduced himself to the actors on the first day, he said that he found beginning work with an American cast both exciting and ‘paralyzingly terrifying – maybe I will find that it’s a whole new ballgame.’ By the time a reporter could observe him in rehearsal, though, he seemed to have learned the rules.”