All stories about "Culture "

The 39th annual Art Basel kicks off in its namesake Swiss city this Thursday. Over 300 galleries, 2,000 artists and countless hungry collectors are expected to hit the fair often referred to as "the Olympics of the art world." For example "Hotel Democracy" (above) is on sale, priced at a cool $652,730. It's an over-sized model of a 44-room hotel – the rooms of which are lined with press photographs of “people fighting democracy.” Stay tuned, after the weekend we’ll be back with updates on the various fairs (Volta4, Scope Basel and the new PrintBasel included), as well as the nightly Campari Bar parties et al. For now, some useful links via the official Basel website to get you situated.
· Art Basel [official site]

Let's talk about the ugly first. See above. Now this is not to say that these girls were particularly unattractive, or that in general the amount of exposed flesh on the polo fields over the course of the weekend was objectionable. It was hot. All I would have liked is if more people could have looked in the mirror before they left their hotel rooms, these girls included. The blonde here flashed some bum crack on more than one occasion. Not pretty.

Street performers are a bizarre breed, and they're usually not very innovative. It's rare to find one that really stands out from the pack of sidewalk crooners playing cheesy folk songs, or those creepy people who paint themselves silver and pose as a statute. The German street performer pictured above does stand out. And you can see the secret to his midair suspension after the jump. [via]

Yesterday a new photography show with pictures of abandoned hotels throughout Egypt's Sinai peninsula opened at Vienna's Architekturzentrum. The hotel skeletons would have been five-star resorts, with names like Sultan's Palace and the Magic Life Imperial. [via]

Let me just clarify that this is by no means one of those headlines that insinuates scandal, where there is none. This is in fact a headline that references actual Wal-Mart CEOs dressing up in women's clothing. That's right, I'm talking middle-aged men in wigs wearing fake boobs. The bizarre footage covers a managers meeting, one caught on tape thanks to the Nebraska-based production company, Flagler Productions, that was hired to tape the meetings for Wal-Mart's internal use. After being fired from the gig, Flagler decided to start selling the footage. MSNBC video of the cross-dressing in question is after the jump.

A German production of Verdi's A Masked Ball set on 9/11 is making headlines thanks to its inclusion of naked Mickey Mouse mask-sporting pensioners and a Hitler stand-in. The play's Austrian director, Johann Kresnik has described "the concoction as a populist critique of modern American society, aimed at showing up the disparities between rich and poor." And you guessed it: "the naked stand for people without means, the victims of capitalism, the underclass, who don't have anything anymore." They've been stripped of their clothing, forced on stage, and left only to cover their sad, brainwashed bodies with the face of Lucifer himself -- Mickey Mouse! Disturbing photograph of these naked, lumpen souls after the jump.

Salon takes a look today at economist Richard Florida's latest, "Who's Your City? How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life". What I learned: nightlife is now considered "cultural capital"; Florida's attempt at coining a new term, "spikiness," to describe the clustering of people in particular locations, is as awkward as Mean Girl Gretchen's failure with "fetch!"; and the tri-state area is full of neurotics (wait... I could have told you that one!). [Salon]

France hopes to goose its floundering art market with interest-free loans for art buyers. The government has said that it will front "modest" buyers up to 10,000 euros ($15,600). [BBC]

This weekend the Berlin Biennial officially begins, sparking one of those rare occasions when the city's art community erupts in a fervent spasm of hyper-activity and shameless courting of visiting collectors. With so many events strategically opening to coincide with the Biennial's commencement, atheist artists across the city are actually praying to God for blue skies, reliable public transport, and bountiful prescription stimulants. As we've noted before, Berlin's cultural sector heavily depends on out-of-town collectors coming to the city to financially support the local scene, and the Berlin Biennial is one of three major art events that promises fiscal payback (the other two are Artforum and the annual gallery weekend). Openings, after-parties, bellini brunches, and exclusive private views will dominate the upcoming weekend, so here's a guide to help filter an otherwise overwhelming social agenda. It should be noted, by the way, that the easiest way to tell if you're in the right place is if Adel and Eva, the couple pictured here, are there too. (photo)

If you are American, calling London cheap is a major stretch. But the truth is that a city this large and lively has plenty of relative bargains and free bonuses if you know where to look. Here's a roundup of where to eat, sleep, shop, and entertain yourself and stay chic on the cheap in one of the most expensive cities in Europe.

The fifth edition of the Berlin Biennial isn't supposed to officially begin until the 5th of April, but like any good party, this one is starting early and going late. Today, a series of artist-curated exhibitions will open at the Schinkel Pavillon, and, in addition to the contemporary art fiesta's standard "daytime" program, 63 "nocturnal" events will keep the candles burning at both ends across the city throughout the Biennial's two months. Entitled When things cast no shadow, the traditional exhibition will be divided among a respectable museum (the Neue Nationalgalerie), a staple of Berliner kultur (Kunst Werke), and an outdoor site that makes use of the former no-man's land where the Wall once stood (Skulpturenpark). The night venues have yet to be announced, but considering their stated theme, which translates to My nights are more beautiful than your days, it's fair to assume there will be lots of red lights, tequila, and fog machines, since this is how Berliners justify self-imposed insomnia.

Call it the "Fear Factor" factor: send a regular guy out into the vast world and see what kinds of crazy foods these other societies cook up and force Joe Blow to eat it. Hilarity ensues! Ratings skyrocket! A new star is born and foreign countries will be endlessly mocked for being so unsophisticated as to eat... guinea pig. The cultural agoraphobia Americans have enjoyed so much becomes abundantly well founded and we can all rest easy knowing that we only eat burgers and steaks on U.S. soil. Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern began with a promise to expose television viewers to the exotic foods of the world and the beautiful countries and cultures that cook these dishes. Instead, we are treated to extended footage of Zimmern pussyfooting around before eating something unusual.

Oh how I want to involve myself in the illustrious world of art, to be high cultured and enlightened. 'Art' I have been told is for the masses but since when do the masses have free time to go and look at a penis hanging on the wall. Especially if it costs 10 AUD to see one. Unfortunately Sydney has decades to go until it can consider itself a competitive art city alongside New York, London and Berlin. I'm no art major, but even I can see how behind we are as a city in the art world. Nonetheless, these are some good places to start off with if you want to feel arty and cultured in Sydney

Beer gardens are most common in Munich, where you can visit the granddaddy of all beer gardens during Oktoberfest. But by now the beer garden has become part of the cultural landscape throughout Germany. If you travel to Berlin during the summer, when the days are long and the city is ripe with action, you won't want to miss a trip to one of its many beer gardens. They're a casual way to relax outdoors and rub elbows with the locals, especially when sitting at one of those long, communal, picnic-style tables. Go tradition with a Weissbier or Hefeweizen, or with Berlin's version of the wheat beer, a Berliner Weisse, often spiked with raspberry, woodruff herb, or lemon syrup. Other options include Pilsner, Schwarzbier or Alster, a mixture of Pilsner and usually Sprite or 7-up that's also known as a Radler. Here are some of the best beer garden options out there.

The gallery and museum run on any trip can get a bit arduous, what with the screaming children being dragged around for a dose of culture by well meaning parents and the rooms upon rooms of 18th century water colour landscapes. Kicking off a night out with a visit to a more contemporary gallery opening yields you not only cheap beer, but also the opportunity to make some connections and glean some inside knowledge on where to head later that night whilst giving you a dose of culture that reads well in the email back to mum and dad. Inner city Surry Hills is full of edgy and artist run spaces that put on a wide variety of shows and regular parties. Here's a few of the best for you to check out.

Flea markets suit Berlin, a city that is itself a modernized relic of the recent past. There is a sense of rebirth, not only culturally but in the streets, parks, buildings and style. Thus there is a market for the reused and refurbished. This likely explains the current popularity and number of flea markets throughout Berlin. Every neighborhood has a market (or two), where treasurer-seekers and collectors wander. Though a sunny day draws crowds, you'll see buyer and seller alike out in all types of weather.

Here is a list of some of Berlin's best flea markets.

Once again The Economist has named the most expensive cities in the world, and Oslo won the dubious distinction of being the most outrageously expensive metropolis in all the land. It was followed closely by Paris and Copenhagen, Denmark and London. Tokyo which was first in '05 and second last year dropped down to number five, and New York, the most expensive city in the U.S. is way down at 28. Any reasonable person would cancel all plans to go to Norway this year, or all of Europe for that matter. However, you love a challenge. You invite the budgeting acrobatics. So to help you out, here's Gridskipper's budget guide to Oslo.

Fish markets, ethnic cuisine, and free art after the jump.