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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth

Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth Show Skill of Early Dentists
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090518-jeweled-teeth-picture.html

Ancient peoples of southern North America went to "dentists"—among the earliest known—to beautify their chompers with notches, grooves, and semiprecious gems, according to a recent analysis of thousands of teeth examined from collections in Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Useful link:
www.inah.gob.mx

Picasso Cézanne Exhibition 2009

Unlocked: Picasso’s chateau of love
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article6350372.ece

Useful links:
www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr
www.picasso.fr
www.musee-picasso.fr
www.museupicasso.bcn.es
www.graphikmuseum-picasso-muenster.de

A unique time capsule. A must visit.

Everlasting Moments

Everlasting Moments
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/24/everlasting-moments-film-review
http://www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId=1216

Great performance. A true masterpiece. Hats off to Jan Troell.

Art Market Update

Piling in
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13721075

Useful links:
www.sothebys.com
www.christies.com
www.bonhams.com
www.keverne.co.uk
www.asianartgallery.co.uk

Great review.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The REFRACT House

I was really impressed with the REFRACT House, an innovative solar project created by Team California (CCA + University of Santa Clara architecture and design students) for the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Check out the link www.cca.edu/academics/architecture/refract

Useful link:
www.solardecathlon.org

A very nice story indeed.

Spoleto Festival 2009

Spoleto Festival 2009 is a 17-day feast of cultural events, ranging from rock opera to chamber music. Check out the link www.spoletousa.org

Random Thoughts

Crooks, scandals, and scalawags are good. Con artists of all forms offer us a sort of perverse education. They are a key ingredient to avoiding stagnation and achieving a constantly evolving Wall Street, for without them we would never learn the often-costly lessons of excessive greed and blind trust that prompt change and reform. In the way a child learns not to touch a red-hot stovetop, the stock market has learned—sometimes over and over again—to be skeptical of just-too-good-to-be-true investment opportunities and the people promoting them. Because the root of all swindles, greed, is inherent to human nature, Wall Street will never lack for its share of con artists and con games, regardless of what drastic measures Washington might think it's taking. So, rather than condemn such swindlers, we can easily learn from their stories.

- Ken Fisher
www.kenfisher.com

Spot on.

Ai Weiwei

The Collector: Ai Weiwei
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124287520377742255.html

Useful links:
www.aiweiwei.com
http://blog.sina.com.cn/aiweiwei

Interesting character. He was spot on collecting. You need a better appreciation of art to understand it.