Romanesque churches in the south west of France and their relation to architecture, art and music

This article deals with the three disciplines of architecture, sculptural art and music in relation to the cultural-historical presence of the medieval Romanesque churches in the Dordogne region in the south west of France. It is pointed out that these buildings and their accompanying artworks resulted from a cultural transformation that changed every aspect of life, allowing us to redirect our attention from these encompassing artistic monuments to the methods and mental processes as applied by the anonymous individuals who created them. The change in the value attributed to these Romanesque churches as cultural objects surviving in the twenty-first century, with differing sociological and spatial uses, is examined.Romaanse kerke in die suid-weste van Frankryk en hulle verhouding tot argitektuur, kuns en musiek. Die artikel handel oor die drie dissiplines van argitektuur, beeldhoukuns en musiek, in verhouding tot die kultuur-historiese teenwoordigheid van die middeleeuse Romaanse kerke in die Dordogne-gebied in die suidweste van Frankryk. Daar word aangetoon dat hierdie geboue, en hulle meegaande kunswerke, die gevolg was van ’n kulturele transformasie wat elke aspek van die samelewing aangeraak het en ons toelaat om ons aandag te herlei vanaf hierdie allesomvattende kunsmonumente na die metodes en denkprosesse van die anonieme individue wat die skeppers daarvan was. Die veranderde waardes waarin hierdie Romaanse kerke met verskillende sosiologiese en ruimtelike gebruike in die een-en-twintigste eeu as kulturele aspekte bly voortbestaan, word ondersoek

Archive of Darkness:William Kentridge's Black Box/Chambre Noire

Situating itself in histories of cinema and installation art, William Kentridge's Black Box/Chambre Noire (2005) raises questions about screens, exhibition space, site-specificity and spectatorship. Through his timely intervention in a debate on Germany’s colonial past, Kentridge’s postcolonial art has contributed to the recognition and remembrance of a forgotten, colonial genocide. This article argues that, by transposing his signature technique of drawings for projection onto a new set of media, Kentridge explores how and what we can know through cinematic projection in the white cube. In particular, his metaphor of the illuminated shadow enables him to animate archival fragments as shadows and silhouettes. By creating a multi-directional archive, Black Box enables an affective engagement with the spectres of colonialism and provides a forum for the calibration of moral questions around reparation, reconciliation and forgiveness

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Oos - Wes Suid - Noord : die villancico as draer van die visuele, tonale en kulturele kunsvorme

The article deals with the origins and background of the villancico, explaining its role in the transfer and assimilation of cultures between continents. It deals with the resultant metamorphosis and "otherness" of the genre, leading towards fusion and cross fertilization between often unrelated cultures. Attention is also paid to the relationship between text and music in the villancico, as well as disseminations between the two forms. The colonial character of the cultures of reference manages to enhance the imaginary cultural continuum created by this musical and literary art form in Latin America. The bridging of the gap between human and divine through a false dichotomy of "sacred" and "secular" is an inherent feature of the genre.Die artikel gaan oor die oorsprong en agtergrond van die villancico en verduidelik sy rol tydens die oordrag en assimilasie van kulture tussen kontinente. Dit handel oor die gevolglike metamorfose en "andersheid" van die genre, wat lei na samesmelting en kruisbestuiwing tussen dikwels nie-verwante kulture. Aandag word ook bestee aan die verhouding tussen teks en musiek in die villancico, asook vorme van disseminasie tussen die twee vormsoorte. Die koloniale kenmerke van die kulture waarna verwys word beklemtoon die denkbeeldige kulturele kontinuum wat deur hierdie musikale en literêre kunsvorm in Latyns Amerika geskep is. Die oorbrugging van die gaping tussen die menslike en geestelike deur middel van 'n valse tweespalt tussen "heilig" en "sekuler" vorm 'n inherente kenmerk van die genre

Empathy as perception in downtown Los Angeles and the Walt Disney Concert Hall as an act of architecture

The present article suggests that empathy is not the sole preserve of human beings, and that a city or buildings can also relate with empathy to people and the environment. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by the architect Frank O. Gehry in downtown Los Angeles, is taken as primary embodiment of such empathy. The article is divided into three sections, framed by a brief introduction and conclusion. The first section deals with the historical context of Los Angeles, with special focus on the downtown area, and the way in which the multicultural population has given the city a heterogeneous culture, reflected in its architecture. In the middle section, dealing with how the city relates with empathy to its inhabitants, parallels are drawn with Pretoria and its downtown quarter, providing suggestions for introducing new life, meaning and activities to the Pretoria inner city as a strategy for counteracting xenophobia, and improving relationships and engendering respect among divergent cultures. The third section explores the Walt Disney Concert Hall as an act of architecture and work of art, where the macro and micro design have lead to an intelligent strategy of hybridization and inclusiveness. Gehry has in his ingenious design of the theatre complex managed to draw many differences together, allowing various cultures and art forms to meet, thus giving empathy a new meaning.AFRIKAANS: Die artikel voer aan dat empatie nie slegs ’n emosie of ingesteldheid is wat aan menslike wesens toegeskryf kan word nie, maar dat ’n stad of geboue ook empatie kan uitoefen op mense en die omgewing. Die Walt Disney Konsertgebou ontwerp deur die argitek Frank O. Gehry in die middestad van Los Angeles kan beskou word as ’n verteenwoordigende voorbeeld van so ’n tipe empatie. Hierdie artikel is in drie afdelings verdeel, omraam deur ’n kort inleiding en ’n afsluiting. Die eerste afdeling behandel Los Angeles in historiese verband met as spesiale fokuspunt die middestadgedeelte, asook hoe die multikulturele bevolkingsamestelling aan die stad ’n heterogene kulturele lewe verskaf het, wat ook verbeeld word in sy argitektuur. In die middelgedeelte word aangetoon hoe die stad empatie uitoefen op sy inwoners. Parallelle word uitgewys met Pretoria en sy middestad en voorstelle word aan die hand gedoen met betrekking tot die invoering van nuwe lewe, betekenis en aktiwiteite in die binnestad as ’n wyse om xenophobie te bekamp, asook om verhoudings en respek tussen uiteenlopende kulturele bevolkingsamestellings te bevorder. Die derde afdeling behandel die Walt Disney Konsertgebou as ’n argitekturele uitdrukking en as ’n kunswerk, waar die makro- en mikro-ontwerp gelei het tot ’n intelligente strategie van hibridisering en insluitendheid. Gehry het in sy vernuftige ontwerp van die teaterkompleks daarin geslaag om baie van die inherente verskille saam te vat. Daardeur het hy toegelaat dat verskillende kultuurlewes en kunsvorme ’n aanknopingspunt kon vind om sodoende op ’n alternatiewe wyse aan empatie betekenis te verskaf

Kentridge, Mozart, Namibia...Black Box / Chambre Noir in Berlin Guggenheim

The article deals with Black Box/Chambre Noir by William Kentridge, an art creation consisting of a miniature mechanized theatre, which had as commissioned work been exhibited at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. The artistic process and development of the art work is explored. Special attention is paid to the historical context and background, in relation to the animated video film screened onto the miniature theatre scene, as well as to the value and meaning of its accompanying music. The message being conveyed by the artistic creation as “Gesamtkunstwerk” is taken into account.KENTRIDGE, MOZART, NAMINBIE … BLACK BOX / CHAMBRE NOIR IN BERLYN GUGGENHEIM: Die artikel gaan oor Black Box/Chambre Noir deur William Kentridge, ‘n kunswerk bestaande uit ‘n gemeganiseerde miniatuurteater, wat as opdragwerk uitgestal is by die Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlyn. Die kunssinnige proses en ontwikkeling van die kunswerk word ondersoek. Spesiale aandag word bestee aan historiese konteks en agtergrond, in verhouding tot die ge-animeerde video film wat op die miniatuur teater se skerm geprojekteer word, asook oor die waarde en betekenis van die begeleidende musiek. Die boodskap wat deur die kunsskepping as “Gesamtkunstwerk” oorgedra word, word beoordeel.http://explore.up.ac.za/record=b171913