There is a sour tendency in cultural politics today — a growing gap between speaking about the world and acting in it. In the domain of rhetoric, everyone has grown gifted at pulling back the curtain. An elegant museum gallery is actually a record of imperial violence; a symphony orchestra is a site of elitism […]
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They used to call this waterlogged city the Most Serene Republic, but there is nothing serenissima about the opening days of the Venice Biennale. The world’s longest-running and most extravagant festival of contemporary art opens to the public on Saturday after a preview biathlon of fine art and financial profligacy that has grown more hectic […]
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For decades the effort to revitalize downtown Los Angeles has been tied to arts projects, from the construction of the midcentury modern Music Center in 1964 to the addition of Frank Gehry’s soaring stainless steel Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. But the pandemic was tough on downtowns and cultural institutions around the country, and […]
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When the musician Laurie Anderson was beginning her career in the early 1970s, an avant-garde artist who wanted to work at scale had to go abroad — to one place in particular. “I got my start in Germany, because of state-supported art,” recalled Anderson, who exhibited at its national museums and performed with its symphony […]
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This Monday a total solar eclipse will appear across much of North America. Our critics Wesley Morris, Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz put together a music playlist that’s a perfect accompaniment for watching the event. Featured songs: R.E.M., “Near Wild Heaven” Nina Simone, Everyone’s Gone to the Moon” The Youngbloods, “Darkness, Darkness” Keith Jarrett, “Sundance” […]
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On Oct. 15, 2000, HBO aired the first episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Now in its 12th season, the show was created by and stars the comedian Larry David, playing a fictionalized version of himself navigating life in Los Angeles. On the show, Larry is opinionated, loudmouthed and often abrasive. He’s also, according to the […]
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On a crisp Saturday morning that screamed for adventure, a former tin can factory in North Kansas City, Mo. thrummed with the sound of young people climbing, sliding, spinning, jumping, exploring and reading. Yes, reading. If you think this is a silent activity, you haven’t spent time in a first grade classroom. And if you […]
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