Oberlander, who died at the age of 99 in May, had a long, rich career whose influence continues to grow. She was “an early proponent of rewilding, community consultation, pedestrian-friendly accessibility and creative playgrounds for children,” and her devotion to green spaces and the influence of greenery on humans “tell a story of a great mind that spearheaded change and championed excellence in her profession.” – Wallpaper
How Economics Lost Its Imagination
Here’s the dirty little secret that few of my fellow economics professors will admit: As those “perfect” research papers have grown longer, they have also become less relevant. Fewer people — including academics — read them carefully or are influenced by them when it comes to policy. – Bloomberg
A Hacked Scan Of An Egyptian Nefertiti Bust Challenges Traditional Models Of Cultural Ownership
Despite the fact that Nefertiti and many other works of African cultural heritage reside within the “white cube” of the museum, the developing digital space for a new version of the museum, known as the “black box,” carries both potential and risk. The idea of a universally accessible, digital museum could challenge traditional models. Conversely, it may allow algorithms and gatekeeping to replicate colonial policies. – Hyperallergic
Hollywood Is Fighting Over Remaking Movies For International Audiences. Why?
“It’s a natural process because every platform has a ceiling. If Netflix has 80 million subscribers in the U.S., they’re done. They can’t grow beyond that. All their growth has to come from international, and local content is the best way to secure that growth.” – Hollywood Reporter
Cuban Artists Demand National Museum Take Down Their Work Until Fellow Artist Is Released
In an act of protest, the artists are now calling for any of their works on view in the museum to “be covered in such a way as to prevent their ‘communication’ to the public, and that those works that are not exhibited but belong to the collection be removed from the museum’s web page” until Manuel Luis Alcántara is returned home, his wellness is verified by friends and family and “the police siege that he has been subjected to since November 2020” ends. – The Art Newspaper
Can Robots Help Ease Loneliness?
In 2018, New York State’s Office for the Aging launched a pilot project, distributing Joy for All robots to sixty state residents and then tracking them over time. Researchers used a six-point loneliness scale, which asks respondents to agree or disagree with statements like “I experience a general sense of emptiness.” They concluded that seventy per cent of participants felt less lonely after one year. – The New Yorker
We Need A New Model For Selling Music. How About This?
“I sometimes feel we’re losing sight of how valuable music is. I get messages on Patreon or Instagram from fans telling me how my music got them through a huge depression or losing a child. It was the same for me.” – The Guardian
In Rushdie’s Defense…
In his new book, “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020,” Rushdie attempts to perform a defensive castling move. He suggests his work has been misunderstood and mistreated because the literary culture has turned from brio-filled imaginative writing toward the humbler delights of “autofiction,” as exemplified by the work of Elena Ferrante and Karl Ove Knausgaard. – The New York Times
The King Of Nouveau Hula
Patrick Makuakāne understands well the value of the traditional dances passed down through generations. (“I love those little gems. They’re like family heirlooms … they’re very precious and you understand they don’t need to be changed and their inherent value is just the way they are.”) But that doesn’t mean that, in his longtime base of San Francisco, he can’t mix in elements such as electronic music, the Lindy Hop, opera, drag queens, jazz, and Catholic school. – San Francisco Classical Voice
Fragility Of The Web: When All Those Hyperlinks Expire
This often irreversible decay of Web content is commonly known as linkrot. It is similar to the related problem of content drift, or the typically unannounced changes––retractions, additions, replacement––to the content at a particular URL. – Columbia Journalism Review
Young Dancers Thrilled To Be At A Ballet Competition Again (It’s Been That Kind Of Year)
“When asked to describe the energy at this month’s Youth America Grand Prix Finals, judge Sascha Radetsky had one word: ‘Stratospheric.’ More than 800 dancers from around the United States … competed onstage at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa … from May 9 to 16. And after months of cramped kitchen-counter barres and delayed Zoom connections, for many serious ballet students, the opportunity to perform onstage had never felt quite so sweet.” – Dance Magazine
IPSOS Poll: Sixty Percent Of Canadians In Favor Of Requiring Vaccine Passports For Entry To Events
While the vast majority were in support, opinions were somewhat divided across demographics. – Ludwig Van
A Theater Company Makes Its Way Back After The Pandemic Killed Its Founder
“The Fonseca Theater, located in a working-class neighborhood on [Indianapolis’s] west side whose actors are more than 80 percent people of color, staged its first show on Friday night since its founder, Bryan Fonseca, died from complications from COVID-19 last September. And not just any show — the world premiere of Rachel Lynett’s play Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too August Wilson), a metafictional meditation on Blackness that was recently selected as the winner of the 2021 Yale Drama Series Prize.” – The New York Times
Do We Need A Way To Appeal Decisions Made For Us By Machines?
Any decisional mechanism, whether human- or machine-operated, will generate errors. An individualised appeals mechanism might reduce the volume of errors. But it might also increase it. – Psyche
Paulo Mendes Da Rocha, Leading Brazilian Architect And Pritzker Prize Winner, Dead At 92
“He was globally recognised as a major architect of the 20th century, despite rarely building outside his native Brazil. … Because he worked with large expanses of raw concrete – a cheap and abundant material in his home country – his name was often linked with Brazilian brutalism. But it was a label Mendes da Rocha rejected.” – Dezeen
San Diego Mayor Maintains 50% Cut In Arts Funding
“San Diego arts organisations are still struggling from last year’s 50% cut in the city’s arts and culture budget, which Mayor Kevin Falcouner instituted to offset lost tax revenue in the early months of the pandemic. These cuts now remain in the mayor’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, despite the pandemic easing in the US, which has institutions deeply concerned about their future and urging leaders to reconsider.” – The Art Newspaper
Nearly Half Of UK Musicians Consider Leaving Country Because Of Brexit
“More than 40% of musicians polled about their work in the European Union said they would consider relocating to Europe to continue accessing jobs, with a fifth contemplating changing career entirely. Musicians warned that the red tape and additional costs of touring and working in Europe after Brexit would have substantial impacts on their careers.” – The Stage