· April, 2012

Stories about Arts & Culture from April, 2012

Armenia: Art, Genocide, Westernization and Identity

  30 April 2012

Writing on Hyperallergic, Hrag Vartanian explains how he marked the 97th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The writer and art critic/curator took his mother to an exhibition of Armenian art exploring art, westernization and ethnic identity in the post-Genocide world.

Greece: Google Doodle for Filmmaker Theodoros Angelopoulos

  30 April 2012

Google paid tribute to the 77th birthday of the late Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer Theodoros Angelopoulos by releasing a doodle on April 27, 2012, depicting him behind a camera. Angelopoulos died in January, when he was hit by a motorcycle at Drapetsona (Port Piraeus, Greece) during the shooting...

Haiti: Raoul Peck & the 2012 Cannes Festival

  30 April 2012

The award-winning Haitian movie director and once Haitian Minister of Culture, Raoul Peck [Fr], has been chosen to be a member of the jury of the world-famous Cannes International Film Festival, according to hpnhaiti [Fr].

Martinique: Where has Creole gone?

  30 April 2012

On Martinican collective blog Montray Kreyol, a recent post [Fr/Fr Cr] wonders why Martinique 1ère [Fr], which is the local relay of the French National Broadcast Network, Fance Television [En], has almost no Creole language spoken on air.

Africa: The Night of Africa Movie Academy Awards

  29 April 2012

Kollo writes about Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA):”The event, which attracted international and African celebrities as well as notable personalities from other professions turned out to be a joyous carnival of some sort as several movie actors, actresses, producers and writers literally broke down in tears of happiness as they...

Spain: St. George's Day, Catalan Culture and Protest

  28 April 2012

Saint George's Day (Diada de Sant Jordi in Catalan) is a unique celebration in Catalonia. Tradition holds that the festival revolves around roses and books. April 23rd has always been a day of protest in the name of Catalan language and culture. This year will see more protest than ever because people will...

Jamaica: Of Art & Literature

  27 April 2012

Nadine, Unscripted, notes that there are three Jamaican writers who have made the shortlists for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize, while ART:Jamaica blogs about an exciting new local space for art.

Taiwan: Travel with Art

  27 April 2012

Blogger and artists Lovingpure(黃愛淳) uses contemporary paintings about Taiwan from distinguished painters to create this video as the ultimate travel guide for foreign tourists.

Panama: New Law Establishes Ministry of Culture

  26 April 2012

On April 24, 2012, the National Assembly of Panama approved yesterday the "Law of Culture", which among other things elevates the National Institute of Culture to the Ministry of Culture. The main sponsor of the law, Deputy Jose Blandon announced it yesterday on Twitter, which became a reflection of the Panamanians that approved the bill.

Peru: The Festival of the Peruvian Cajon

  26 April 2012

The Peruvian Cajon is a very commonly used instrument in Afro-Peruvian music and Peruvian music in general. The fifth anniversary of the Cajon Festival took place this year and it was a complete success, particularly for the activity known as "La Cajoneada" that was able to gather more than 1,400 cajon players, which beat its own previous Guiness Record.

Puerto Rico: Student Detained After Performance Deemed “Indecent”

  25 April 2012

Charlene Jane González de Jesús, a student at the University of Puerto Rico, was detained by state police last Thursday, April 19 at the institution's Río Piedras campus after taking her top off in public as part of a performance art piece in protest of gender inequality. The case has ignited intense debate on blogs and social media networks.

Chile: Erasing Graffiti from Historic Valparaíso

  25 April 2012

In online citizen newspaper El Martutino [es], Paula Pérez reports that every Saturday until May 26 citizens and various institutions will come together to clean graffiti from the walls of the historic quarter of Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Video: Mobile Phone Megaphone Project for Chinese Immigrants in the US

  23 April 2012

The Megaphone project has allowed communities to express their thoughts and aspirations through mobile technology since 2003. The latest incarnation is in New York City as Chinese Immigrants document their daily life, thoughts and dreams using mobile technology, with a video explaining a bit more about the process.

Panama: Poor But Not Forgotten Thanks to Online Videos

  23 April 2012

Coco Solo was once a United States Navy submarine base on the Panama Canal Zone, near Colón, Panama. Today, Coco Solo is the home of some of the poorest, most marginalized Panamanians. Online videos are a few of the available online media that show life in this community.