Category Archives: Reviews

Art, Arts & Literature, Culture, Design, Photography, Reviews

Arts & Culture: Aesthetica Magazine – April/May 2023

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Aesthetica Magazine (April/May 2023) – Inside this issue, we consider identity, relationships and the impact of technology. We discuss the persistence of images and their ability to embed themselves in collective memory in Thomas Demand’s retrospective,

The Stutter of History. Refik Anadol speaks to us about the relationship between humans and machines, exploring the influence of art and creativity, as we rely more and more on AI to guide us through our lives. What does the future look like in this new world? Should we embrace it or fear it? Also, I am pleased to bring you an overview of this year’s shortlisted artists for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2023.

Memory Investigated

Thomas Demand highlights the fiction beneath attempts to document the truth, questioning the power and responsibility behind art and its maker.

A Sense of Wonder

Gareth Iwan Jones’ fascination with woodland ecocystems inspired enchanting scenes that document the beauty and mystery of forests.

Art, Arts & Literature, Exhibitions, Museums, Podcasts, Reviews

Reviews: ‘The Week In Art’

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March 31, 2023: The Art Newspaper’s annual report on museum visitor figures around the world has been published.

We talk to Lee Cheshire, who co-edited the report, and to Charles Saumarez Smith, a former director or chief executive of three London museums and galleries—the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts—about how important the figures are to museums and whether they are a valid gauge of institutions’ success.

The exhibition Manet/Degas opened at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris this week, before travelling later in the year to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Ben Luke visits the show in Paris and speaks to Laurence des Cars, the former director of the Musée d’Orsay and now president-director of the Musée du Louvre, and Stéphane Guégan, the co-curator of the exhibition.

And in London, a show of the paintings of Berthe Morisot, the pioneering Impressionist with artistic and familial connections to Manet and Degas, has opened at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

This episode’s Work of the Week is Morisot’s Woman at Her Toilette (1875-80). Lois Oliver, the curator of the exhibition in Dulwich, tells us about this pivotal picture.Manet/Degas, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, until 23 July; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 24 September-7 January 2024Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, until 10 September, Musée Marmottan Monet later in 2023 (dates to be announced).

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Culture: New York Times Magazine – April 2, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – April 2, 2023: In this week’s issue: Jeneen Interlandi on the necessity of tallying every birth and death for a country’s public health, Jaeah Lee on the adults caring for both their parents and children, Devin Gordon on the fate of umpires under baseball’s new rules and more.

It’s a Really Weird Time to Be an Umpire

A photo illustratio of an umpire with sweat beads coming out of his face and a camera facing him in the background. — Credit…Photo illustrations by Rui Pu

With replay cameras watching every call, it has become an increasingly stressful job — and baseball’s new rules will just make it harder.

Can the U.S. See the Truth About China?

Just like relationships between people, relationships between countries can all too easily be built on a foundation of unintentional misunderstandings, faulty assumptions and predigested truths. In her forthcoming, at times provocative and disquieting book, “The New China Playbook,” Keyu Jin, a professor at the London School of Economics and a board member at Credit Suisse, is trying to rework the foundation of what she sees as the West’s deeply flawed understanding of China’s economy, its economic ambitions and its attitude toward global competition.

The Agony of Putting Your Life on Hold to Care for Your Parents

Randi Schofield is the sole provider for an ailing father and, at the same time, for her own children — a situation now common among Americans in their 30s and 40s.

Culture, Magazines, Previews, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Travel

CULTURE: FRANCE-AMÉRIQUE MAGAZINE – APRIL 2023 Issue

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France-Amérique Magazine – April 2023 – Ahead of Earth Day, April 22, we profiled five Gallic startups based in the United States and helping biodiversity, fighting against food waste, and curbing global warming. We also sat down with Tristan Grimbert, the French CEO of EDF Renewables North America, one of the leaders on the green energy market in the United States and Canada. Also in this issue, read about the 15-Minute City, a model born in Paris and advocating for livable, sustainable urban centers; discover our profile of Gérard Araud, the former ambassador of France to the U.S. and a sharp observer of international relations; and read our interview with William Christie, the American conductor who has done more than anyone else for the revival of French baroque music.

“French Classical Music Owes a Lot to American Universities”

American harpsichordist and conductor William Christie has arguably done more than anyone else for the global revival of French baroque music. He now lives in France, but on April 25-26, he will bring his ensemble Les Arts Florissants to Carnegie Hall.

FROM THE NEWSDESK

France Rethinks, Once Again, Its Relationship with Africa. By Anthony Bulger

COME ON OUT

French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick

EDITORIAL

Wokeness Dividing the (French) People. By Guy Sorman

INTERVIEW

Julie Taymor: “The Lion King Makes People Laugh from Paris to New York.” By Guy Sorman

THE OBSERVER

Why the 15-Minute City May Be Your Next Home. By Anthony Bulger

BUSINESS

Five French Entrepreneurs Caring for the Planet. By Benoît Georges

Magazines, Previews, Research, Reviews, Science

Research Preview: Science Magazine – March 31, 2023

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Science Magazine – March 31, 2023 issue: A new analysis shows that Great Plains tribes acquired horses much earlier than some historians had thought, consistent with Indigenous descriptions of a long and enduring partnership with the horse. This petroglyph, from the Tolar site in southern Wyoming, probably dates from soon after the modern horse became widespread in North America in the early 17th century.

Horse nations: Animal began transforming Native American life startlingly early

Sweeping new study based on archaeological evidence, chemical isotope analysis, and ancient DNA “totally changes the game”

Straight from the heart: Mysterious lipids may predict cardiac problems better than cholesterol

Conceptual illustration: a giant heart opens up on a hinge to reveal several gauges. Three of them, labeled HDL, LDL, and ApoB, display low levels. One, labeled Ceramides, displays high levels and is vibrating and letting off steam. Three tiny scientists stand at the foot of the heart, and one shines a flashlight on the Ceramides gauge.

Drug developers are now trying to target ceramides, which appear to contribute to a range of metabolic disorders

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Reviews, Tours, Videos, Views

Modernist Architecture: John Lautner 1962 Garcia House Tour, Los Angeles

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Architectural Digest (March 30, 2023) – Today Architectural Digest takes you up into the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles to visit Garcia House on Mulholland Drive, a legendary mansion designed by architect John Lautner that was recently on the market for $16 million.

For John McIlwee, living in John Lautner’s Garcia House has been nothing short of life-altering. “It’s been empowering and substantial,” he tells AD. An entertainment business manager, McIlwee and his partner, Bill Damaschke, bought the 1962 modernist masterpiece from Vincent Gallo in 2002, who told them the property would change their lives. McIlwee says it did. “John Lautner has kind of a cult following with people from all walks of life, so it’s been an amazing way to be part of a bigger collective world of art and architecture,” he says. Now, it’s time to pass the torch—or, better phrased, the keys—to a new owner.

Art, Arts & Literature, Exhibitions, Museums, Previews, Reviews, Videos

Art: ‘Must-See Museum Exhibitions’ – April 2023

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Sotheby’s (March 29, 2023) – Tim Marlow’s Must See Museum Shows for April 2023. This month, we’re taking a tour of four of the world’s most exciting and innovative museum exhibitions.

First up, the Los Angeles County Museum. This museum has long been a hub for cutting-edge contemporary art, and this month’s exhibition is no exception. Featuring the artwork of women representing the Islamic community, this show promises to be a feast for the senses.

Next, we’re off to London’s Design Museum, where we’ll be exploring the art of famous artist and architect Ai Weiwei. With interactive exhibits and immersive installations, this show is a must-see for anyone interested in the future of architecture as art.

From there, we’ll be making our way to the Baltimore Museum of Art, where we’ll be exploring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. With works spanning the decades, this exhibition offers a fascinating insight into the ways in which artists have represented themselves and others throughout the story of this unique and popular music genre.

Last but not least, we’ll be heading to the Kunsthaus Zürich, where we’ll be exploring the fascinating intersection of Alberto Giacometti and Salvador Dalí. From the bold, colorful works of the Dalí to the chiseled and lapidarian aesthetic of the Giacometti, this show is a celebration of one of Europe’s most profound and innovative surrealist artists of the 20th century.

Economics, Financial, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews

Previews: The Economist Magazine – March 25, 2023

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The Economist – April 1, 2023 issue:

Why the China-US contest is entering a new and more dangerous phase

Chinese officials rage at what they see as American bullying

You may have hoped that when China reopened and face-to-face contact resumed between politicians, diplomats and businesspeople, Sino-American tensions would ease in a flurry of dinners, summits and small talk. But the atmosphere in Beijing just now reveals that the world’s most important relationship has become more embittered and hostile than ever.

How to fix the global rice crisis

Women plant rice saplings at a paddy field in Nagaon District of Assam ,India on February 28,2022. (Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The world’s most important crop is fuelling climate change and diabetes

The green revolution was one of the greatest feats of human ingenuity. By promoting higher-yielding varieties of wheat and, especially, rice, plant-breeders in India, Mexico and the Philippines helped China emerge from a famine and India avoid one. From 1965 to 1995 Asia’s rice yields doubled and its poverty almost halved, even as its population soared.

Israel should not squander the opportunity for meaningful constitutional talks

Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan near his residencet in Jerusalem, Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The government’s retreat has pulled Israel back from the brink. But its people remain deeply divided

Israel’s citizens have won a rare victory after marching, week after week, to defend judicial independence and the character of their democracy. On March 27th they forced their prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to suspend his plan to rein in the courts. Yet, although the crisis has abated, it has not passed.

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

The New York Review Of Books – April 20, 2023

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The New York Review of Books – April 20, 2023 issue: The London Book Fair Issue—is online now, with Cathleen Schine on Maxine Hong Kingston’s talking-stories, Jameel Jaffer on the “ethical train wreck” at the Office of Legal Counsel, Rumaan Alam on Namwali Serpell, Geoffrey O’Brien remembers Joe Brainard, Michelle Nijhuis on swamps and bogs, E. Tammy Kim on the legend of Harry Bridges, John Banville on John le Carré, Mark O’Connell on the world without us, Manisha Sinha on antebellum Black citizens, Matthew Desmond on handouts for the rich, poems by Homer and Isabel Galleymore, and much more.

‘Binding and Building’ America

Maxine Hong Kingston: The Woman Warrior, China Men, Tripmaster Monkey, Hawai‘i One Summer, Other Writings edited by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Maxine Hong Kingston’s best work has a timeless quality, fresh, beautiful, horrifying, bursting with myth and fantasy and nagging reality.

The British Broadcasting Conundrum

Two BBC programs being monitored from a control cubicle in Broadcasting House, London, 1932

The BBC: A Century on Air by David Hendy

This Is the BBC: Entertaining the Nation, Speaking for Britain? 1922–2022 by Simon J. Potter

World War II was the BBC’s finest hour, but its history since then reflects the corporation’s gradual loss of primacy in British life.

Refill the Swamp!

Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis by Annie Proulx

Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration by Laura J. Martin

Two recent books show that the concept of ecological restoration is a fuzzy one: even practitioners rarely agree on what is being restored, or to what end.

Art, Arts & Literature, Design, Exhibitions, Museums, Reviews, Views

Exhibition Tours: ‘Mirror Mirror – Reflections On Design At Chatsworth’

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Dezeen (March 30, 2023) – An exhibition at Chatsworth House including designers including Michael Anastassiades, Faye Toogood and Formafantasma, features in this video produced by Dezeen for the stately home.

Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth

18 March 2023–1 October 2023

Called Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth, the exhibition brings together a collection of furniture and objects displayed throughout and responding to Chatsworth House and its gardens. In total, 16 international designers and artists created pieces that respond to the interiors of the building.