Pondering the contemporary show at Kassel
By HOLLAND COTTER
When bumped up against the Venice Viennale and the Münster Sculpture Project, both recently opened, the exhibition Documenta 12 has a mystique of its own. This year's edition includes 16th-century Islamic calligraphy, Central Asian embroidery, and a stuffed giraffe.
- Photos: Documenta 12 in Kassel Via blogs, e-mails and books: Farmers are coming up literary
By DANA BOWEN
Their work encompasses a wide range of writing styles, from the homespun to the polished. Many farmers say they are responding to the increased public appetite for food's back story.
Portrait by Lucian Freud earns £7.86 million at record-setting Christie's sale
By SOUREN MELIKIAN
In a curiously dull atmosphere, Christie's held its most successful sale of Contemporary Art ever in England. The proceeds added up to £74.07 million, or about $147.25 million, making it the most important sale of its kind in Europe.
Rare chance to try out a masterpiece
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ
As part of the public viewing for the auction of a Stradivarius made in 1729 at Christie's Auction House, some violin lovers, subject to Christie's discretion, were allowed to play one of the finest violins ever made.
- Video: A treat
Book Review: Satan's Circus
By WILLIAM GRIMES
Mike Dash's "Satan's Circus," is a careful reconstruction of Lieutenant Charles Becker's trial, the events leading up to it and the world in which he practiced his peculiar version of law enforcement.
Rehab 'round the swimming pool: Does it buy sobriety?
By SHARON WAXMAN
Optimism is one of the main things offered stars like Lindsey Lohan in luxury rehab. The quiet truth in the rehabilitation industry is that $49,000 a month may buy lots of things - including views of the Pacific, massage therapy and blue-ribbon chefs. But evidence on these programs' effectiveness is hard to come by.
'The Kingdom': When politics pales to a good thriller
By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Peter Berg's new film appears on the surface to tread on treacherous and polarized political ground. But early reactions have left the director with the notion that his terror thriller might survive in a contentious world.
Book Review: Sheer Abandon
By JANET MASLIN
The best-selling British novelist Penny Vincenzi is poised to fill a gap in the American realm of Cinderella fiction.
'Philistines': When the ensemble is the star of the show
By MATT WOLF
In Howard Davies's revival of Maxim Gorky's "Philistines" at the National Theatre in London, the actors aren't big stars, but together they make a large and telling impact.
Slide Show: Ensemble shows in London
Christie's sets record with £121 million sale Rorty and the Caduveo: A postmodern take on a premodern tribe Book Review: 1967 No regrets from an ex-Algerian rebel immortalized in film 'Easy Tiger': Harnessing big energy The Merce Cunningham Dance Company's 'theater of marvels' Michael Moore's 'Sicko' turns up on Web 2 weeks ahead of release Book Review: On Royalty With 'The Incredible Hulk,' Marvel rolls out risky gambit Venice film festival to give honorary Golden Lion award to Italian director Bertolucci Gianfranco Ferre, "architect of fashion," dies At Asian Film Festival in New York, works with a softer side Book Review: Woody Allen's "Mere Anarchy" At Tajan auction, rare Chinese tray adds tiny clue to historical whodunit Going to Court over fiction by a fictitious writer Tyler Brûlé : At Forte dei Marmi, a seaside resort that's cozy and intimate 'Fido': A guffaw-splattered zombie spoof Art4.ru, a contemporary art museum opens in Moscow The raucous world of black celebrity blogs Movie Review: A disappointing 'Nancy Drew' is too cute and pseudo-smart Judge blocks U.S. university from selling works donated by Georgia O'Keeffe Court says Strauss heirs must pay "Rosenkavalier" royalties to heirs of librettist Book Review: Divisadero At Art Basel, competition heats up the market For 4 international ballerinas, a final curtain call