Tiaras encrusted with thousands of diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Papal cloaks and vestments with golden embroidery so fine they took 16 years to produce.

 

If you’re going to wield power, you need to dress the part — and it seems few have understood that better than the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church through the centuries. That’s one of the key takeaways from the latest mega-exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, a look at the influence of Catholicism on fashion. It opens Thursday and runs through Oct. 8.

 

If you’re looking for modern examples of the relationship between the two, consider that they called Pope Benedict XVI the “Prada Pope,” based on rumors — urban legend, it turns out — that his stylish red loafers were from the storied fashion house. They weren’t, and actually his predecessor, John Paul II, had a similar pair, now on display at the Met — part of a long papal tradition. That didn’t stop Benedict from being named Esquire’s 2007 Accessorizer of the Year.

 

But examples go back earlier — WAY earlier, according to “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” the Met’s annual spring fashion exhibit and the biggest one yet, spanning a full 25 galleries and stretching from the Metropolitan on Fifth Avenue to its Cloisters branch in upper Manhattan. As always, the show makes its debut at the star-studded Met Gala on Monday night. Will the celebrity bling match the Vatican bling? Not likely.

Take, for example, just one stunning tiara that glimmers in the Institute’s galleries, a three-tiered concoction that gleams with 19,000 gems — 18,000 of them diamonds, along with rubies, sapphires and emeralds. It was a gift from Queen Isabella of Spain to the 19th-century Pope Pius IX, who wore it at Christmas Mass in 1854.

 

Or a huge white-and-gold papal mantle — a voluminous cape of taffeta embroidered with gold metal thread, tinsel and paillettes. A set of 12 such vestments took 15 workers some 16 years to complete, the museum says.

They are just a few of the 42 items that curator Andrew Bolton, who has become known for his blockbuster Met exhibits, brought back from the Sistine Chapel’s sacristy at the Vatican. Bolton made 12 trips over two years to secure the items, many which had never been outside the Vatican; in an interview this weekend in the galleries, he described hunching over to get through “an itty bitty door” at the edge of the chapel, where inside, untold treasures awaited.

Each time he looked in the labyrinthine sacristy, he would see more tantalizing items. “I asked for six,” he says. “I ended up with 42.” The Vatican’s only condition was that its works be exhibited on their own, separate from the fashion part of the show. The Vatican collection even has its own separate volume in the show’s huge catalog.

 

Bolton says he realizes people may think there’s something unseemly about connecting the commercial theme of fashion with lofty theme of religion. But, as he writes in the catalog, “Dress is central to any discussion about religion: it affirms religious allegiances and, by extension, asserts religious differences.” And, he points out, he always wants to confront timely cultural issues in his exhibitions.

 

He was backed up on Monday morning by none other than Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, who greeted the crowd at the official press preview by saying, “You may be asking, what’s the Church doing here?” He explained that the Catholic imagination embodied not only truth and goodness but beauty, too. “The truth, goodness and beauty of God is revealed all over the place, even in fashion,” he said. Cameras clicked furiously as the cardinal left the event with Donatella Versace, one of the chief funders of the show along with Christine and Stephen Schwarzman.

 

Almost all the designers included in the show have some relationship to Roman Catholicism, even if they were just born into Catholic families, Bolton says. They include names like Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Cristobal Balenciaga, the iconic Spanish designer who, Bolton says, was deeply religious. Some designers initially told Bolton that their work wasn’t influenced by religion, but later emailed upon realizing that, in fact, it played a role in their creative imaginations. “I never thought one’s religious upbringing could have such an influence,” he says.

 

After viewing the Vatican collection in the Anna Wintour Costume Center, one can wind one’s way upstairs to the Met’s Byzantine and medieval rooms, home to many religious objects. Garments have been strategically placed to show the relationship between, say, a 12th-century gem-studded cross and a long-sleeved ensemble by Lacroix, emblazoned with a similar cross, this one studded with multicolored crystals.

There’s an 11th-century gilded cross that appears to inspire a spectacular Versace evening gown of gold metal mesh, glass crystals and silk charmeuse. There’s also a gleaming Versace bridal mini-dress, in gold and silver mesh, with a bridal veil emblazoned with a cross, and a black silk mini-skirt topped with a shiny, halter-style bodice that depicts the Madonna and child in brilliantly colored crystals.

 

If Dolce & Gabbana is more your style, there’s a series of gleaming crystal and bead-encrusted gowns and dresses that look just like Byzantine mosaics from Sicily. Balenciaga is also represented with a red-and-black reversible coat resembling that of a cardinal. On a balcony are 21 original white robes that he made for a local church choir.

 

Another section features designer gowns that recall paintings by Fra Angelico, the Italian Renaissance painter, including a series of filmy gowns by Rodarte, Lanvin and others. The faces of the made-to-order mannequins match those of famous religious works that inspired Bolton.

 

While the Met’s Fifth Avenue museum focuses on the pageantry and public side of the church, the Cloisters section focuses on the more reflective, contemplative side. Bolton says his original idea was to have a multi-religion exhibit. That may happen one day, but he found so much material relating to Catholicism that he decided to focus on that.

 

And what of the celebrities who will be interpreting the dress code on Monday night? They were advised that the theme was “Sunday Best.”

 

“It’s an implicit plea to dress somewhat more modestly,” Bolton quips.
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They are producers, directors, editors, and actors. But what they share in common is their continent of birth – Africa. Once a month, they meet to share their experiences in Hollywood and work together to raise their profile in the competitive movie industry. VOA’s Arzouma Kompaore went to Hollywood and filed this report.
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They are producers, directors, editors, and actors. But what they share in common is their continent of birth – Africa. Once a month, they meet to share their experiences in Hollywood and work together to raise their profile in the competitive movie industry. VOA’s Arzouma Kompaore went to Hollywood and filed this report.
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The movie industry must use this week’s Cannes Film Festival to “liberate and listen to women’s voices” if it is to stamp out sexual harassment, the French minister for gender equality said.

From a hotline to report harassers at the event to flyers urging participants to behave properly, Marlene Schiappa hopes to use the glitz and glamour of Cannes to ramp up the pressure.

The movie industry “has to be part of the solution”, Schiappa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email ahead of this year’s festival, which she said should be the “basis for liberating and listening to women’s voices.”

“The fact that the festival’s presidents decided to fight with us against sexual harassment for not just actresses but also workers and spectators at the festival … is unprecedented and a great step forward,” Schiappa said.

The 71st Cannes Film Festival will run from May 8-19 and follows allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein that sparked last year’s #MeToo campaign, in which women and men shared their experiences of harassment.

Once one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures, Weinstein has been accused by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct, including rape.

He has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone. In April, Schiappa launched a campaign with the festival organizers to tackle sexual harassment.

Initiatives include a hotline and flyers reading “correct behavior required” and “don’t ruin the party, stop harassment!” with the hashtag #nerienlaisserpasser (“don’t let anything pass”).

Celebrities have used previous film awards this year including Britain’s BAFTA and the Golden Globes in Los Angeles to wear black outfits in a gesture of protest and badges name-checking the “Time’s Up” campaign against sexual harassment.

Australian movie star Cate Blanchett, who also took part in Time’s Up, will chair this year’s event, becoming the 11th woman to do so in the Cannes festival’s history.

Rachel Krys, co-director of End Violence Against Women Coalition, welcomed the Cannes hotline. But she said that “the system which supports and protects powerful men, rather than helping victims, also has to be dismantled.”

The movie industry should also “call time on films which fetishize violence against women and promote a toxic version of masculinity, and instead create art which challenges gender stereotypes and shifts social norms,” she said by email.
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When it comes to blockbusters, bigger and bolder is Hollywood’s focus for this summer as the studios count on new and improved sequels to make up for last year’s lackluster box office season. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more.
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Originating from Mexico, Chihuahua’s are one of the smallest dog breeds. And on Saturday, 128 competed in the “Running of the Chihuahuas” to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo holiday. From Washington, VOA’s Jill Craig has more.
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Justify, the favored horse going into Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, won the 2-kilometer race on a rain-soaked track.

Justify, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, held off Audible and Good Magic in the final stretch of the race.

The 144th annual Kentucky Derby was held at Churchill Downs, the legendary Thoroughbred racetrack in the southeastern U.S. city of Louisville, Kentucky.

The race is the first leg of the Triple Crown, three races for 3-year-old horses. Following the Kentucky Derby will be the Preakness Stakes on May 19 and the Belmont Stakes on June 9. A horse must win all three to capture the Triple Crown.

The Kentucky Derby, often described as “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” is 2 kilometers, or 1¼ miles (10 furlongs), in length.

Saturday’s weather was less than ideal, as steady rain fell much of the day. The National Weather Service predicted up to one-quarter inch (6 millimeters) of rain would fall, with a high temperature near 68 F (20 C).

The Kentucky Derby has been held every year since 1875.
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A parliamentary inquiry in Australia is investigating fake Aboriginal art and craft.  The committee has heard from campaigners in Western Australia that up to 90 per cent of Indigenous art sold in souvenir shops was fake and imported from overseas.

Indigenous artists say that current laws protecting Aboriginal art in Australia are inadequate and that fines should be imposed on people selling fake art.  

Campaigners in Western Australia estimate that the vast majority of the pieces sold in the state’s souvenir stores were bogus and shipped in from overseas.

They are calling for better education to help the buying public be more aware of the sensitivities surrounding fakes.  Some of the copies are mass produced in Indonesia and shipped for sale, mostly to foreign tourists, in Australia. Other pieces are made in China.

Some Aboriginal artists in Australia license their work to be legitimately reproduced overseas, giving them a percentage of sales.

Gabrielle Sullivan, from the Indigenous Art Code, which works to protect the rights of artists, says licensing can be a way to make money, but it is important the artist understands the whole process.

“That can be done fairly, ethically and, you know, the artist can be part of that process,” said Sullivan. “The artist can get promotion from that, they can be attributed but that means the artist has to be, you know, taken along for the ride and understand the whole supply chain of how that product comes into being.”

The trade in imitations not only takes income away from those artists producing authentic items.  Aboriginal groups insist that passing off paintings as Indigenous is disrespectful to their ancient culture.  Tribal art is focused on folklore and used to chronicle Indigenous beliefs, including the sanctity of the Earth and stories of creation.

The fake art and craft trade is not against the law in Australia unless imported souvenirs falsely claim to be authentic.  Many souvenir shops stock boomerangs, didgeridoos, paintings, tea towels and ashtrays that have Indigenous themes.

There are fears that the flood of counterfeit items adorned with Indigenous imagery and symbols is pricing genuine products out of the market.
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A Malaysian businessman and his Chinese partners have set their sights on a traditional American pastime — horse racing. As VOA’s Abby Sun reports, two horses partly owned by the China Horse Club are among the top contenders to win this weekend’s Kentucky Derby. Robert Raffaele narrates.
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A group of Cuban artists plans on Saturday to launch a biennial independent of state institutions on the Communist-run island, despite fierce opposition from the government, which has called it a “provocative maneuver.”

Organizer Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara said he came up with the idea of the “00Biennial” when the government postponed the official one by a year to 2019, saying it had to prioritize funds on rebuilding after Hurricane Irma.

His project is controversial in a country where the state dominates all aspects of society, including culture, which it has promoted heavily since Cuba’s leftist 1959 revolution. Many Cuban artists told Otero Alcantara they fear their careers could be affected if they participate, he said.

Still, more than 100 artists, including several foreign ones, have agreed to participate and will display their work in the independent studios that have flourished in Havana in recent years, said Otero Alcantara.

That so many Cuban artists are backing the 00Biennial reflects both the eagerness of those already working outside institutions for an alternative platform and the increasing independence of others.

The growth in tourism, the private sector and internet access has made it easier for them to gain visibility and make money.

“I would like… to break with the myth built over 60 years that to do something independent, separate from the state, is the devil, or counterrevolution,” said Otero Alcantara.

Cuba’s National Union of Writers and Artists issued a statement on Thursday saying the 00Biennial aimed to “create a climate propitious to promoting the interests of the enemies of the nation” using “funds of the mercenary counter-revolution.

“We will not allow the name and significance of the Biennale of Havana to be tarnished,” it said.

Cuba’s longtime foe, the United States, has in the past provided funds to promote its alternative arts scene like rap as part of efforts to foster democracy on the island.

Otero Alcantara said he aimed for the 00Biennial to be inclusive and non-political.

But Jorge Fernandez, head of Cuba’s Museum of Fine Arts and director of the last official biennial, said that was either naive or disingenuous.

“Unfortunately, everything that is done in Cuba is politicized,” he said, standing in front of a vibrant work by Cuban surrealist Wifredo Lam inside the museum. “Even if they are not trying to, it can be done from abroad.”

The most famous participant is set to be Cuban performance artist Tania Bruguera, who works in both Havana and New York and won the Tate Modern’s coveted commission for the Turbine Hall this year.

She has had several run-ins with Cuban authorities over works testing the boundaries of freedom of expression, although she still has pieces exhibited on the island. In 2015, she set up an “Institute of Artivism” in her Havana home, holding workshops to “foster civic literacy and policy change.”

Foreign artists said they had not been aware of the controversy surrounding the 00Biennial when they applied to participate.

“I just thought – this is a way to show my work,” said Diego Gil Moreno de Mora, who plans to hang rows of skinned pig heads representing the people society chooses as scapegoats.

Given the 00Biennial’s meager funds, raised mainly through crowdfunding, according to organizers, participants were told they would have to finance their own flights and accommodations, and should present a work they could easily create on site.

One reason for this, they later learned, was that their work risked being confiscated by customs officials at the airport.

Colombian artist Natalia Lopez arrived early to create thousands of cubes of dirt in Havana’s parks for an installation in which visitors would walk on them, turning them once more into part of the earth.

The underlying concept was the importance of the earth as a whole rather than divided into territories, she said.

Some artists operating outside Cuban state institutions, like Osvaldo Navarro, part of the rap group La Alianza, said there was a need for alternative platforms.

He chose to leave the state-run Cuban Rap Agency a few years ago to be more free with his lyrics, but struggled to reach his public due to the state monopoly on the media and spaces.

“I hope they understand what we want to do,” said Navarro, after filming a video for a rap song about the 00Biennial on a Havana rooftop, “which is to showcase artists who don’t have a space elsewhere but who do good, pro-social art.”
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We’re unwrapping the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, for the week ending May 5, 2018.

Last week, we had a Hot Shot Debut in the Top Five … that doesn’t happen this time, but we do get a new entry.

Number 5: Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”

It happens in fifth place, where Zedd, Maren Morris and the U.S. duo Grey jump a slot with “The Middle.” 

Current pop songs often travel a winding road to the countdown and this is no exception. Variety magazine reports that many singers auditioned for this song before Maren got the nod … among them Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Bebe Rexha, Demi Lovato, Elle King and others.

Number 4: Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho”

Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign chill in fourth place with “Psycho.” Post dropped his second album “Beerbongs & Bentleys” on April 27, and it shattered some first-day streaming records. Spotify tweeted that the album posted record numbers both domestically, with 47 million streams, and globally, with 78 million. And that was only on the first day!

 

Number 3: Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”

Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line continue to dominate the Billboard Hot Country Songs list with “Meant To Be,” while holding in third place on the Hot 100. On April 25, James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke Twitter page posted a selfie from Bebe and Wiz Khalifa … meaning we should probably look for them both in the popular show’s upcoming season. No release date has yet been announced.

 

Number 2: Drake “God’s Plan”

It’s no longer your Hot 100 champ, but “God’s Plan” hasn’t fallen far, spending another week in the runner-up slot. Drake’s next album “Scorpion” won’t appear for another month, but the roll-out points to an even bigger opening than “Views” in 2016. Forbes magazine writer Bryan Rolli credits Drake with using his stature to build up others through his music on this album cycle … which benefits everyone.

Number 1: Drake “Nice For What”

We’re not done with Drake yet: “Nice For What” spends a second week atop the Hot 100. Along with debuting atop the Hot 100, it also opened at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs Chart. It’s Drake’s fourth Streaming champ – tying him with Justin Bieber for the most victories on this list.

Will Drake keep his streak alive next week? We’ll find out in seven days.
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