In case you haven't heard, static institutions are out, and mobile museums are all the rage. So if you thought you saw a UFO-like-thing landing in Central Park earlier this week, it was just the latest traveling museum to touch down in NYC: The Chanel Contemporary Art Container.

The museum combines a trend we do like--British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid's space-age, deconstructive design--with a trend we don't like--blurring the line between fine art and commercial fashion. (All of the art has been "inspired" by Chanel handbags.) But, we'll get on board with anything that looks like a "happening," so we'll be in line next week for our tickets, when the museum opens in Rumsey Playfield.

The movable museum, which has already been in Tokyo and Hong Kong, will be open in New York October 20 through November 9, before continuing on to London, Moscow and Paris.

Related Stories:
· Chanel Contemporary Art Container [Official Site]
· Architecture Travel: Putting New on Top of Nothing [Jaunted]

[Photo: VinceHuang]]]> BS 2008-10-09T10:30:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/5/13342/9200

The World War II aircraft carrier Intrepid has returned to its berth on Manhattan's West Side following a two-year refurbishment in Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. The decommissioned ship had served as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum at Manhattan's Pier 86 since 1982, but two decades of visitors stomping through its narrow passageways had left it looking worse for wear, so an ambitious renovation was initiated in late 2006.

When the museum reopens on November 8, visitors will be able to explore parts of the ship that were previously off-limits, including the forecastle and machine shop, as well as gawk at several new aircraft on the flight deck. The hangar deck, meanwhile, will contain a host of interactive exhibits that tell the story of the ship's history in periods of both war and peace.

The Intrepid is one of only a handful of attractions in the city solely dedicated to the military, and its return to the West Side Piers should give a welcome bump to tourism in an area that was once one of the busiest ports in the country.

[Photo: The New York Times]

Related Stories:
· Floating Proudly, a Warship Returns to Its Mission [The New York Times]
· Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum [Official Site]
· Museum Coverage [Jaunted] ]]> Victor Ozols 2008-10-05T13:03:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/1/143213/951

Fall often means one thing to a major portion of the US population: Football. Cue the opening of the season's newest football-themed film, "The Express." It's time for a hit after some pigskin-related clunkers like Leatherheads and We Are Marshall we say!

The Express is based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis grew up in a rough part of Southern New York state, and he went on to become an unstoppable running back at Syracuse University. He overcomes the odds, forcing his coach (Dennis Quaid) to re-examine the color barrier in the game and becoming an inspiring figure in the country's civil rights movement. We hear it's a playing field tear-jerker.

The film was shot mainly in Syracuse (with a few scenes done in Chicago) so read on for some great things to check out in Orange-town!]]> sedona 2008-10-03T08:30:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/23/213540/223

Move over giant blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC: You might just be getting replaced by a new, shiner version in DC. September 27 marks the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.]]> sedona 2008-09-24T09:48:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/22/125453/225

Over the past few months, New York's P.S.1 art museum has been home to the P.F.1 (Public Farm One), an installation from the winner of this year's MoMA Young Architects Program. This unique urban garden has been used to grow more than fifty types of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

From 7 pm-9 pm September 30, this bountiful harvest will be used as raw ingredients for a spectacular spread of hors d'oeuvres cooked up by chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern.

The Autumn Harvest event will pair the home-grown food with specially chosen wines, and music will be provided by David Bruno.

Related Stories:
· PopRally Presents Autumn Harvest at P.F.1 [Official Site]
· MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program [Official Site]
· Museums coverage [Jaunted]]]> Dan Gould 2008-09-22T13:30:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/19/772/93114

A couple of months ago we told the tale of Hitler losing his head: A wax version of Hitler, at least, who was beheaded by a tourist very shortly after he was first exhibited in Berlin's Madame Tussaud's Waxworks.

The wax Hitler has now been carefully repaired and is on display again. There's a key difference this time: instead of being protected just by a rope cordon, Hitler is now safely behind a pane of glass in a reconstruction of the bunker where he spent his final days.

News of Hitler's return is suspiciously absent from the German-language "News" pages of the Berlin Madame Tussaud's website--instead there's just old news about J-Lo. We guess she's more of a priority these days.

Related Stories:
· Wax Hitler Returns to Madame Tussaud's Berlin [Bloomberg]
· When Tourists Attack: Hitler Loses His Head in Berlin [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bloomberg]]]> amandak 2008-09-19T09:30:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/18/62335/6920

You know when you walk through a museum full of ancient stuff and you wonder if clumsy museum staff ever break anything? (Well, it's something that crosses our minds.)

It happened in China, to some poor staff members of the Wu Wei City Museum. About a year ago two workers told curator Yang Fu they'd dropped a 2000-year-old wooden turtle dove and its beak had broken off. That's bad. Yang Fu, however, didn't want to get into trouble, and simply glued the beak back on and hoped nobody would ever notice.

And no one did--for about a year. Museum bigwigs were preparing for a special exhibition recently, though, and the turtle dove got brought out of the storage cabinet, with glued-on beak there for all to see. And Yang Fu got fired.

So be skeptical when you're next wandering a museum--some of that centuries-old wear and tear might just be the result of clumsy workers.

Related Stories:
· Curator Fired for Gluing Broken Antique [Ananova]
· China Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: naturalkinds]]]> amandak 2008-09-18T09:30:29-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/