photo by Ruth Waltz for the International Herald Tribune

The IHT has a review of the premiere of Hanz Werner Henze’s new opera, “Phaedra” at the Berlin Staatsoper. In New York, the opera world thinks an opera by freakin’ Richard Danielpour is some kind of breakthrough, but Berlin gets a premiere by one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century, with designs by Olafur Eliasson no less!

They’re also doing a new production of Medeamaterial by Pascal Dusapin (based on the Heiner Müller play) directed and choreographed by Sasha Waltz! I can’t stand it!

It’s time to interest some of those hedge fund billionaires in some contemporary music methinks.

Bryan Zanisnik, Colby Chamberlain, and I discussed some radical ideas for ArtCal at the opening at NURTUREart on Friday night. Some possibilities:

• Community ratings of the drinks served at openings, including how long before they typically run out of the good stuff
• A podcast, with press releases read out loud, and recommendations from guest editors

• Times to End Charges on Web Site – New York Times
  In addition to opening the entire site to all readers, The Times will also make available its archives from 1987 to the present without charge, as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the public domain. There will be charges for some material fro
  tags: nytimes newspaper archives

An installation view from the room of drawings. Check out ArtCal for more information.

The Pool Art Fair’s next incarnation, Art Attack, will be held at the Hotel Chelsea September 27-29. Given the concerns about what’s going to happen with the hotel under its new management, this sounds like a good thing for the hotel and art.

If you’re walking by the Zach Feuer window on Tenth Avenue (between 25th and 26th Streets) in Chelsea, and want to learn more about the artist being shown, visit his website. He is Matthew Northridge, with a site hosted by ArtCat.

I see that at least two galleries, both of whom have a significant number of artists with street art or illustration backgrounds, think taking photos in their galleries is a bad thing. What are they afraid of? Do they think any of us is going to go home and upload images to CafePress to sell t-shirts?

James and I encountered a rather hostile reception at Capla Kesting after he took some photos of Travis Lindquist‘s exhibition, and were told to never return. Didn’t they found the Fountain Art Fair, and invite us to attend as press?

Jonathan LeVine Gallery — who shows Shepard Fairey for heaven’s sake! — now has a policy of no photos too. I learned that from Heart as Arena.

• carl james ferrero
  an artist friend has a new website
  tags: artist art watercolor brooklynmfa carljamesferrero

• Christie’s denies selling fake painting Crain’s New York Business | Crain’s New York Business
  Auction house Christie’s International denied claims on Friday that it knowingly sold New York art dealer Tony Shafrazi a fake Basquiat painting.
  tags: shafrazi basquiat art christies auction fake
• Perl’s alive and kicking in the job market – Perl Buzz
  This is good for me
  tags: perl job