Virtual Concerts, Facebook Boycott and Mixing Memes
Cirque du Soleil: bankruptcy, jobs lost. COVID wiped out all the events sectors. After canceling dozens of shows, and a debt of $1 billion, the famous company filed for bankruptcy protection. It was forced to lay off 3500 entertainers. (CBS)
Sotheby’s Art Auction Data, Pirated. The art market is well-known for its non-transparency when it comes to prices and how these are set-up. That is why artist Paolo Cirio pirated these data in order to expose the ‘manipulation and secrecy’, establishing a new form of art: the art of stealing. But, you may call it also hacktivism. (Artnet)
Too Expensive Eco-Fashion. For years now, the fashion industry was criticized for its wages towards employees and its negative environmental impact. But, what is the price of going sustainable? Till now, trials prove to be expensive and only for the rich. (Cosmopolitan)
Future of Virtual Concerts? As COVID forced musicians toward virtual concerts, the big question is: will they stay with us? Experts consider that for middle-career musician these can offer a stable income, but for the top-tier musician, does not make too much sense. Time will tell. (TechCrunch)
The Art of Buying. Why Shopping should be so boring? This was the question that led Kanye West to make the first steps to reinvent shopping. His coming-soon website, Yeezy Supply, will try to reimagine why and how people buy. (GQ)
Art Auction or TV Show? Sotheby’s auction put “all-in” to sell art. Mixed impressionist, with modernist and contemporary. The latest technology was setup, huge screens with all the bidders, and a dynamic-fancy moderator! Total fanciness! The result? A total of $363.2 million in income. A little bit over half compared to the previous year’s May sales. (NYTimes)
Ad Boycott: a third of advertisers join forces The world’s biggest spenders are expected to pause their social media ads. In the elite clubs are companies such as Ford, Honda, Adidas, Verizon, Diageo, Unilever, Starbucks or Coca-Cola (Guardian)
Mixing Memes! Ever wished to do this? Well, here is Koji! This new startup wants to amplify the power of memes by remixing them. Users can customize memes, selfies, and web games using GIFs, audio clips. And developers are encouraged to create new templates. (FastCompany)
Copyright for online content? Since the pandemic started, there is a boom of creative content online. Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, so on. Everybody is streaming online. Massively. But, such a massive online presence needs an update for the copyright laws to protect the creators. (LA Times)