In these Corona Times, we have to taste Culture at a distance. Why not discover what culture could mean in Europe’s mainstream (news) media, in three major languages, i.e. English, French, German?
We went on a discovery tour, and here we present briefly our findings, which could enrich greatly your daily (art) life.
In the Anglo-Saxon world, our first port of call is of course BBC Culture, (ttps://www.bbc.com/culture) a website which covers Film, Art, Books, Music, TV, Photography, Style, and so-called “Identities.” In the latter category, posts/articles are written for example on subjects like ‘how movements like Black Lives Matter have changed fashion in 2020.’ See photo above. Indeed, throughout history, fashion and political activism have gone together. Campaigners have long recognized and wielded the power of clothes. Also, one finds articles about ‘the clothes that shook the world’ and ‘new ways of living and dressing.’
Then they also have a category “The Collection”. I have not yet grasped what this category is all about, except that it deals with our psyche, our well-being. In one recent article, about ‘How relaxation and rest became an art’, we read the following:
“The pandemic has meant that we are simultaneously frenetic with worry, often housebound, and denied access to many of life’s most restorative activities. If global emergencies are showing us anything, it’s that old ways of living aren’t working – for ourselves, for other people, for the planet. We need a reassessment, not simply of our own behaviors, but of society.”
Other recent topics are: “How dressing up makes us happy”, “Inside the homes of remarkable artists”, The ultimate power adornment.”.
In German language, although the site is available in not less than 30 languages, one site not to be missed is Deutsche Welle, category “Kultur.” It covers “Filme, Bücher, Musik, Kunst, Digitales Leben, Lebensart, Reise, and… BTHVN 2020, or… Beethoven2020.” See https://www.dw.com/de/themen/kultur/s-1534.
We recently read an article about MEINUNGSFREIHEIT, titled ‘Meinung: Mehr Vielfalt oder Cancel Culture?’
“Die einen sagen, es gebe gar keine “Cancel Culture”, für andere läutet sie das Ende der Meinungsfreiheit ein. Ein bisschen mehr Unaufgeregtheit würde allen gut tun, denn diese Scheindebatte nervt” we read, very interesting!
We discover the concept oder Streitbegriff “Cancel Culture”.
“Cancel Culture” ist in den USA ein Trendwort, das beschreibt, wie jemand öffentlich boykottiert wird, so dass er in den sozialen Netzwerken nicht mehr sichtbar wird – mit dem Ziel, seine Meinung zu “canceln”, sozusagen auszuradieren.
All the categories are worth a visit, and it gives a good insight on how Germany is seeing things. One of the remarkable items is also “Kultur21 Videos” you can see on this site.
In France, Culture is very important, and many mainstream media report about it. Let’s begin with Radio, and it is good to know that there is a specific radio station, France Culture. It is indeed a divine staion, and when you take a look at its website, www.franceculture.fr, you see the different categories. For instance “Art et Création”, which has the following subcategories. Cinéma, Littérature, Peinture, Théâtre, Musique.
Browsing through the category Peinture, to be found at https://www.franceculture.fr/peinture, we found for example a very interesting track, “Repenser l’art contemporain”, a discussion/interview which lasts 1h 33 minutes, and is found in the series of broadcasts “Soft Power” by Frédéric Martel.
Of course, literature is paramount in France. So, if one just goes to the page https://www.franceculture.fr/litterature, you are absolutely overwhelmed with very interesting broadcasts on the subject. If that is not enough, within literature, they also suggest you to look at the following subcategories: Fictions Littérature – Littérature française – Littérature étrangère – Littérature jeunesse – Bac français – Salon Livre Paris – Rentrée littéraire – Prix littéraires – Académie française. Wow!
An interesting broadcast in the broadcast series « l’invité(e) du matin », by Guillaume Erner, was the one with Bernard Pivot with the subject: “Pendant le confinement, la culture, nourriture de l’esprit, a été délaissée…
In this interview, Bernard Pivot worries about the comfort which has installed itself in “consuming” culture. He thinks it is questionable whether after the pandemic, consumers will leave their cosy Netflix and ever go back to theaters, museums or operas again…
Of course, there is much more;
We will continue our cultural journey searching for culture on public media, and follow up with more news on this topic, but for the time being, here is already a lot to see and listen…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
