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Peter Weller (Deposit photo)
Most fans of offbeat Detroit trivia can tell you who played the original (the only, dammit) "Robocop." That would be Peter Weller, who managed to infuse a cartoon character with soul and humanity, through his mastery of the costume and his jaw. He has a very expressive jaw.
What many of them might not know is that that sensitivity comes not just from acting class, but from Weller's searching intellect -- he holds master's and doctoral degrees in Roman and Renaissance art history, and not from Trump University, either. His master's is from Syracuse University's program in Florence, and his PhD from UCLA.
He'll be back in Detroit this fall, opening the Culture Lab conference Oct. 11-12, with a presentation on beauty in Renaissance art. The theme of this year's conference is "The Crisis of Beauty." Artnet reports:
As in previous years, this edition’s theme was selected for its “relevance to the headlines,” Jane Schulak, founder of Culture Lab Detroit, tells artnet News in an email. Previous conferences have focused on topics such as the “post-truth” era and the institutional “walls” that define our daily lives. Hilton Als, Coco Fusco, Trevor Paglen, and Theaster Gates have been among past participants.
“We chose this year’s theme because we notice that there is a radical reevaluation of the standards and definition of beauty happening in art and storytelling,” Schulak says. “Who determines what beauty is? It’s a question you see playing out in art, tech, politics, Hollywood, and so on.”
Most of the conferences programs are free, but registration is requested. Learn more at the Culture Lab website.
