Art feast

Source: "Bust of Plato (Vatican Museum, Rome)" by Dudva/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 We continue this series of comments on aesthetic cognitivism with reflections by the philosopher Noël Carroll, author of Art in Three Dimensions , among other books. Aesthetic cognitivism refers to the philosophical claim that aesthetic engagement advances knowledge and enhances understanding. Is this claim true? How would we know? By Noël Carroll My area of expertise is the philosophy of art. Arguably my field began with the debate over the cognitive value of art. As Plato announced in his Republic , there is an ancient quarrel between poetry and philosophy (although some commentators suspect that actually Plato started the quarrel). Basically, Plato argued that art—aka poetry—could not function as a source of knowledge. Plato advanced several arguments on behalf of this conclusion, including the allegation that artists traded in appearances rather than reality and, moreover, … [Read more...] about The Relation of Art and Cognition

SINGAPORE: The National Arts Council (NAC) said on Tuesday (Mar 2) that it was “disappointed” with The Substation board’s decision to close permanently, and that the company was “increasingly financially unsustainable”. Earlier on Tuesday, The Substation board cited the inability to return fully to the premises at 45 Armenian Street and the loss of autonomy over the space and facilities as reasons for its closure. It has been a mainstay in the arts scene in Singapore for more than 30 years. READ: The Substation to close permanently after moving out of Armenian Street building The NAC said that the centre has been aware of the decision to renovate 45 Armenian Street since 2017. It met with The Substation board on Feb 15 this year, and has emphasised it would like the firm to continue its role as an “arts incubator”, said a spokesperson for the council. The spokesperson added that the council has “consistently explained” to the centre that it would be welcomed back … [Read more...] about NAC ‘disappointed’ with The Substation’s decision to close, says company was ‘increasingly financially unsustainable’

PIERS FULLER/STUFF An aerial view of the start of the Brendon Foote Supersite Round the Bays course at Wellington's Oriental Bay. First published February 2019. Auckland may be the focus , but organisers of major events outside the City of Sails remain on tenterhooks, unsure whether they will go ahead in the coming days. Three members of a family have tested positive to the highly-transmissible UK variant in Auckland, ratcheting up the city's alert level to 3, while the rest of the country sits at level 2 from midnight Sunday. While the restrictions are in place for an initial 72-hour period experts, including Auckland University director of Te Pūnaha Matatini Professor Shaun Hendy, are calling for even harsher restrictions, leaving those running events due to take place in the coming days waiting with bated breath. Stuff takes a look at what’s coming up. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Vinyl buy-and-swap organisers ready to postpone at alert level two Covid-19: … [Read more...] about Event organisers on tenterhooks following Covid-19 community cases

Vietnam’s festive staycation the grandest offers of the year (photo: freepik.com) Park Hyatt Saigon’s festive staycation package Nothing ordinary ever happens during Christmas and New Year. From now to December 31 (excluding the peak nights of December 24, 25, 31, and January 1), you can experience a special staycation from only VND7 million ($305) per night for two guests, including a VND4 million ($173) credit per night redeemable for all of hotel services, 30 per cent off for spa, a premium bottle of Prosecco upon arrival, daily breakfast for two, and much more. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the hotel celebrates the season with promotions running round the clock and all-day festivities at all outlets. Among them, Le Petit Chef Festive Edition is priced at VND 4,000,000 per guest, excluding beverages. Its Magic At The Park – Holiday Edition organised in the Ballroom on December 13, 20 and 27, pricing from VND650,000 … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s festive staycation the grandest offers of the year

SINGAPORE: A grand supplementary government budget, barely a month after the regular annual budget, may be surreally something out of the blue. But it is absolutely crucial for Singapore caught in a mighty storm amid rapidly deteriorating economic conditions wrought by a global coronavirus pandemic. It was only back in February that Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat rolled out a “Unity Budget” that included expenditures and transfers totaling some S$106 billion for the entire country. This had a S$6.4 billion Stabilisation and Support package for firms, workers and households to fight the effects of the emerging viral outbreak and hold onto jobs. This blockbuster move was strongly welcome. Yet how fast the world has changed. In just five weeks, Mr Heng is back in Parliament to unveil a supplementary Resilience Budget totalling some S$48.4 billion , almost half of the whole earlier national budget. Notably, the landmark move will … [Read more...] about Commentary: Singapore has a New Deal. We call it the Resilience Budget