Category Archives: Blog

I passed by this graffiti in Beirut last night on my way to the Beirut Art Fair–which is showing art this year from Morocco to Indonesia…

Embers by Samuel Beckett
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 PM

In and out goes the sound of the sea and beside it sits Henry, remembering. The troubled protagonist of Beckett’s 1959 radio play, Embers, cannot stop talking—to his dead father, drowned in the waves; to his dead wife, Ada; and to himself, a failed writer—leaving a twisted thicket of regrets and hallucinations for the audience to navigate. In this ghostly production from Ireland’s Pan Pan Theatre (All That Fall, 2012 Next Wave), two actors set up behind the eyes of a massive skull and, with the help of a sound artist, enliven the fevered mind of a man struggling to speak his world back into meaningful existence.

To learn more about the 2014 Global Citizen Festival, taking place on September 26th at 10:00 at the Tisch School of the Arts, please click here.

Anonymous: Contemporary Tibetan Art
Queens Museum
Exhibition: September 21 – January 4
Opening Reception: Sunday, September 21 from 4-7 PM

Anonymous is an exploration of changing attitudes towards self-expression, attribution, and identity in contemporary Tibetan art. Traditional Tibetan culture placed little emphasis on individuality or artistic self-expression. Art adhered to a formal system of production to support the transmission of Tibetan religious culture and was, by and large, created by unattributed artists who remained anonymous. However, in the global contemporary market, the creativity of the individual has become the primary basis by which we produce, interpret and consume art. Innovation and novelty are often valued more highly than technique and tradition. Attribution, the artist’s name, has become a fundamental aspect of the work. Within the new social reality as part of the Peoples Republic of China, art is becoming a vital medium of self-expression for Tibetans. Artists are increasingly focused on the experience of the individual and a cautious 21st-century visual language steeped in irony, metaphor and allusion has fully emerged.

Any security plan in Tripoli should be linked to a clear and swift development plan to tackle poverty and provide job opportunities for the new generation, because without development, the people of Tripoli would lose hope. I do not believe that the security solution would be sufficient in Tripoli, as development remains part of any solution. Development measures must be taken in Tripoli as soon as possible,
because things are getting worse in light of the major needs…

— Angelina Eichhorst, head of the EU delegation in Lebanon

Here’s another beautiful piece from the National Museum of Malaysia: an 18th century magic square bowl from the Qing Dynasty decorated with verses from the Qur’an…

When I was studying the collection of the National Museum of Malaysia last month, I was especially drawn to this 16th century ceramic plate from the Ming Dynasty ornamented with verses from the Qur’an…

While exploring religious shrines in Syria, I found myself intrigued by the dolls left behind by pilgrims at the stunning mausoleum of the Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque…

Here in Beirut, it’s hard to go an hour without hearing someone bring up ISIS in conversation. Though anxiety about ISIS is running high in the capital, cities like Tripoli in northern Lebanon are already living under the shadow of ISIS…

Patti Smith & Francesco Clemente
The Rubin Museum of Art
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 @ 7:00 PM [SOLD OUT]

The Rubin has opened the first museum exhibition devoted to the extensive Indian influences in Francesco Clemente’s work Francesco Clemente: Inspired by India. To further explore the chief motivations in his life and work, the artist will take to the Rubin stage eight times with eight personalities from very different walks of life.  Both artist and guest will bring to the conversation a ‘found object’ that will act as catalyst to a freewheeling conversation. It could roll in any direction…

The stand-by list becomes available at the admissions desk exactly two (2) hours before the start of the program.  You must be physically present to sign up on the list.  Any available tickets will be released to the stand-by list, in order, beginning ten minutes before the start of the program. Each person can purchase up to two tickets.  Chairman’s Circle members of the museum have first priority to purchase tickets for sold-out programs, should tickets become available.  Please call 212.620.5000 ext. 344 to inquire about membership.

Here’s the trailer for the code-breaking WWII drama The Imitation Game, which just won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Born to Fly is a documentary feature exploring the evolution of choreographer Elizabeth Streb’s movement philosophy as expressed through her technique, lifestyle, artistic community, and relationships. The film also delves into the experiences of her dancers, revealing the voices of these gladiators who bring her work to life. Intermixing archival material, stock footage, and innovative graphic design, Born to Fly declares the power and necessity of art in practice.