Interesting Reads

Lots of articles about the French and other delights

On a Mission to Loosen Up the Louvre by Carol Vogel
Henri Loyrette, the Louvre’s director is “American-izing” the museum with its masterpiece loans, construction of Louvre Abu Dhabi and Louvre Lens, allowing McDonald’s into the Carrousel du Louvre, and acquiring contemporary works from artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Cy Twombly, and Joseph Kosuth.

Paris: A Twombly Ceiling by Grant Rosenberg
The creation and planning of Cy Twombly’s ceiling, scheduled to adorn the Louvre’s Salle des Bronzes, come April 2010.

Paris Under the Nazis: Happy Days? by Bruce Crumley
Les Parisiens sous l’Occupation par Danielle Birck
Two interesting articles about an exhibition of photographs taken in Paris during the Occupation which suggest an idyllic lifestyle under the Nazis.

John Baldessari at the Tate Modern - Interview with Jessica Morgan
I wish I could be in London to see this. Great interview.

Pierre Soulages at Pompidou Center
I wanna see this show, too!

The Polanski Case: A Gallic Shrug by Michael Kimmelman
Investigates how the French have a history of defending those who they believe have significantly contributed to society, despite any moral corruption they may have.

Robots That Care - Medical Robots and Technological Therapy by Jerome Groopman
Maja Matarić, professor of Computer Science at USC, is creating robots that encourage stroke victims to rehabilitate themselves. The article also discusses how interactive robots can be used to help children with autism learn, and all the complications that can arise with having robots help humans.

France May Put Warning Labels on Airbrushed Photos by Bruce Crumley
Le débat sur les photos retouchées relancé par Flore Galaud
Should Photos Come with Warning Labels? by Randy Cohen
French Parliamentarian Valérie Boyer is pushing to have warning labels on retouched photographs, because they are fueling unhealthy concepts of unattainable Western beauty.

James Cameron and “Avatar” by Dana Goodyear

I guess those are the most interesting articles I’ve read online in the past week or so.