Cultural critics have poured scorn on decisions by two major London museums to devote shows to celebrities including Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss, claiming they were chasing crowds, not quality.
The Victoria and Albert Museum's "Kylie — The Exhibition" opened Feb. 8, the week before "Face of Fashion" at the National Portrait Gallery, which features fashion shoots of Moss, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Sting.
Both shows are set to be among the capital's biggest draws this year, but have provoked claims that state-subsidized museums are dumbing down in the face of government pressure to increase visitor numbers.
PHOTO: AFP
Stephen Bayley, a cultural commentator who set up London's Design Museum and has worked at the V and A, said he feared the exhibitions were "a capitulation to the cult of celebrity."
"You can make excellent things popular but it's not the same as saying popular things are excellent," he said.
Art critic Charles Thomson added that he feared "the sway of glamor has overcome what used to be independent academic rigor."
The Kylie show features the Australian star's designer costumes modelled by mannequins which emphasize her famous bottom, as well as a mock-up of her dressing room.
A record 4,000 advance tickets have already been snapped up with public interest piqued by Minogue's successful comeback from breast cancer and recent split with long-term boyfriend Olivier Martinez.
Victoria Broackes, the V and A's head of exhibitions for the performing arts, said that the show covered fashion, design and performing arts and worked "completely on its own merits".
"The exhibition itself is free, so while there will be thousands and thousands of visitors, the museum will benefit from extending its audience rather than financially," she added. (AFP)
文化批評家大肆奚落倫敦兩家大型博物館推出凱莉米諾與凱特摩絲等名流的展覽,認為他們是譁眾取寵,而非追求品質。
維多利亞和亞伯特博物館的「凱莉展」於二月八日揭幕,在國家肖像畫廊的「時尚臉譜展」的前一週展出。後者包括凱特摩絲、布萊德彼特,安潔莉娜裘莉與史汀的時尚照。
這兩個展覽都是今年倫敦最引人注目的展覽,但也引發非議,有人認為這些國家補助的博物館屈服於政府盼觀展人數增加的壓力,而自貶身價。
成立倫敦設計博物館、也曾為維多利亞和亞伯特博物館工作的文化評論家史提夫.貝利表示,他擔心這些展覽是「向名人崇拜投降」。
他說︰「你可以讓極品的東西流行,但可不是說,流行的東西就是極品。」
藝術評論家查理斯.湯瑪斯也提到,他害怕「魅力的支配已推翻昔日獨立的學術嚴謹所建立的東西。」
「凱莉展」以人體模型展出這位澳洲女星經名師設計、可突顯她赫赫有名俏臀的服裝,並以模擬她更衣室的房間為號召。
四千張預售票已破紀錄銷售一空。凱莉米洛成功戰勝乳癌後復出、最近又與交往多年的男友奧立佛馬丁內茲分手,都激發了民眾興趣。
維多利亞和亞伯特博物館表演藝術展的主任維多莉亞.布羅克絲說,這項展覽包括時尚、設計與表演藝術,「完全發揮本身特質」。
她附帶說︰「觀展不需費用,預計吸引成千上萬的遊客,博物館將會從拓展客源上收益,而非金錢層面。」 (法新社╱翻譯︰賴美君)
Jumping rope has long been considered an excellent form of exercise. It not only burns calories but also improves cardiovascular health and __1__ core muscles. Anyone who has used a traditional jump rope, though, knows that it requires a certain level of skill and coordination. However, with the development of the cordless jump rope, this is __2__ the case. The cordless jump rope is an innovation in the fitness industry that has gained popularity in recent years. As its name suggests, it doesn’t have a cord connecting the two handles. Instead, each handle features a short cord with a
A: Wow, three Taiwanese restaurants just won the 2024 “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards. B: Awesome! Which three restaurants? A: Taipei’s Logy at No. 22 and MUME at No. 34, and Taichung’s JL Studio at No. 33. B: Actually, there are many more great establishments in Taipei. How about other Asian cities? A: Singapore claimed nine spots this year, making it Asia’s new “food capital.” A: 2024「亞洲50最佳餐廳」名單揭曉了,台灣有3家餐廳上榜。 B: 好厲害,哪3家? A: 台北的Logy和MUME分獲第22和34名,台中的JL Studio獲第33名! B: 其實台北還有很多好餐廳,那其他的亞洲城市呢? A: 新加坡今年入選9家,可說是亞洲美食之都。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
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