🌍 Culture

• 🛩️On a human plane

  A Spanish novelist explores our relationship with airplanes, urging us to view them more personally, akin to how we interact with living beings or ships.

• 🎶Splendid songs for (next to) nothing

  Discover incredible music deals this week, including Emmylou Harris's album and free world music samplers.

• 🎸Les was More

  In remembrance of Les Paul, a pioneer who revolutionized both the guitar and multitrack recording.

• 🎨So many different kinds of lines

  This exhibition beautifully showcases the informal yet profound artistic expressions of the Middle Ages.

• 🛋️Project Gatsby

  I've just written another essay for Comment Magazine, exploring a love letter to my college couch, accompanied by a short film that captures its essence.

• 🎨Imaginary Happiness, by Ryan McGinness

  Check out the vibrant, slightly edgy collages of Manhattan artist Ryan McGinness, including free desktop wallpapers for your enjoyment.

• 🏙️Old cities, still kicking

  A critique of the overview of Varanasi's tourist influx, along with a reference to a more reliable list of ancient cities.

• 🎡Crazymouse, Minnesota State Fair, by David Bowman

  A stunning long-exposure photo captures the essence of the Minnesota State Fair in a unique light.

• 📜Fourth century Bible goes digital

  A celebration of the cultural preservation efforts at the monastery on Mt. Sinai, highlighting the digitization of the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest existing copy of the Bible.

• 🗺️U.S. states as nations of equal population, map by James Richards

  A fascinating map combining US states and countries of equal population, perfect for a July 4 reflection from Culture-Making.com's curators.

• 🍷Great wine, but what’s it taste like?

  A thought-provoking perspective on the complex nature of sensory experiences by Robin Goldstein.

• 🎨Untitled, by Joseph Cornell

  A reflection on the art of Joseph Cornell through the lens of Octavio Paz's poetry.

• 📦Shaolin monks rehearsing, photo by Wong Maye-E

  Inside wooden boxes, Shaolin monks rehearse a unique dance, showcasing their art at the Singapore Arts Festival.

• 👗Fashion fasts and feasts

  Exploring the concept of sustainable fashion through creativity and an enduring uniform, Sheena Matheiken's Uniform Project champions both style and social impact.

• 🏥Neither shall there be any more pain

  One of my favorite lunchtime outings in Boston was a walk to the corner of the Public Garden, where the Ether Monument stands, commemorating a pivotal moment in the history of medicine.

• 🕺Powers of three

  An analysis of how a simple dance becomes a lively celebration through group dynamics.

• 🌊Astoria Pool, by Angie Smith

  Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, and this beautiful image captures the essence of the Astoria Pool in Queens, NY.

• 🤔Nothing succeeds like failure?

  The persistence of quack medicine highlights the complexities of belief and human psychology in health practices.

• 🐍São Paulo, Brazil, by Carlos Cazalis

  Exploring the Minhocão, a unique elevated expressway in São Paulo, transformed into a vibrant public space on Sundays.

• 🎨Cocktails with Picasso, by Mimi Jensen

  A chance encounter with familiar objects in art inspires reflection on personal connections to artwork and memories.

• 🏺Why loot when you can fake?

  A fascinating shift in the antiques market is explored, highlighting how eBay's influence changed looting dynamics.

• 🌊Storm King Wavefield, by Maya Lin

  An exploration of Maya Lin's stunning earthworks at Storm King Art Center.

• 🏛️That’s one way to fight the war on cliche

  Liz Glynn and her team created and then dismantled a model of Rome in a day at New York's New Museum.

• 🎤Auto-Tune and the cyborg embrace

  Embracing the artifice of Auto-Tune can lead to innovative musical expressions, making it a fascinating tool in modern production.

• 🎥D.W. Griffith and the Watson Twins

  I rented _Intolerance_ only to find a lackluster public domain cut, but I turned it into a unique experience with my own soundtrack.

• 🎨Whitman sampler

  A delightful exploration of Walt Whitman's influence on poetry and art, featuring a discussion with three diverse poets.

• 🌍Forty-seven kinds of greens

  Reflecting on the insights of Fran Osseo-Asare about the complexity of African cuisines and the risks of ethnocentrism.

• 🌱Our riches have buried our treasures

  In times of economic struggle, we may discover the true value of relationships and gratitude.

• 🚫Blue law blues

  From Kat Long's exploration of the unintended consequences of New York City's attempts to regulate vice and morality.

• 🎶Some sweet, sweet South Indian song

  A celebration of the soulful Carnatic music in the Malayalam film "Bharatham," featuring the captivating song "Gopangane."

• 🌳Tapumes, by Henrique Oliveira

  Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira transforms discarded wood into vibrant sculptures in his latest installation, _Tapumes_.

• 🎸Monastic fantastic

  A look at the Monks, a groundbreaking band that fused punk music with monastic aesthetics in the '60s.

• 📚Astrid Stampe’s Picture Book, by Hans Christian Andersen

  A glimpse into the charming world of Hans Christian Andersen's picture books for the young and imaginative.

• 🌊Ponte Vecchio 5, by Leigh Wen

  Taiwanese-American artist Leigh Wen captures the essence of water in her stunning mural-size paintings, like "Ponte Vecchio 5."

• 🎨Sharp VII, by Frank Gonzales

  I appreciate the unique blend of traditional and digital influences in Frank Gonzales' bird artworks.

• 🎶That Old-Time Religion

  Quoting Al Sharpton.

• 🎨My Astronomical Romance

  A fascinating exploration of how the aesthetics of Hubble Space Telescope images reflect cultural choices, blending art and science to inspire a sense of wonder about the cosmos.

• 🐣Applied semiotics

  This amusing reflection on "American-style Easter" highlights the quirky blend of commercialism and tradition.

• 🍽️Tastes great, but is it art?

  Exploring the debate on whether cooking can be classified as an art form raises intriguing questions about aesthetic experiences and cultural significance.

• 🌍Making things that we can touch

  An exploration of the intersection between technology, human interaction, and the essence of physical experience.

• 🎶Talent is overrated, practice what you love

  An exploration of the role of practice and passion in developing talent, as illustrated by young musicians and insights from Anders Ericsson's research.

• ✝️It comes from sacrifice

  This piece explores the profound connection between forgiveness and the strength of Western values.

• 🍣Cirque du sushi

  Captured moments from a kaiten sushi experience in Tomakomai, emphasizing culture and enjoyment.

• 📜The Lucca Choirbook

  An astonishing tale of cultural recycling and musical rediscovery, all thanks to musicologists like Reinhard Strohm.

• 🌍Just foreign enough

  Exploring the vital role of translation amidst cultural exchange and linguistic nuances.

• 🎨Giorgio de Chirico exhibit, Paris

  This photograph beautifully captures the interplay between viewers and art, showcasing the conversation sparked by de Chirico's "La Comedie et la Tragedie."

• 📚On the Map, by Stefanie Posavec

  Stefanie Posavec beautifully translates Jack Kerouac's _On the Road_ into a visual journey of patterns and themes.

• 🤔Peopling Pixar

  Exploring Pixar's hiring philosophy, where curiosity trumps charisma.

• ⛪Cathedral, by David LaChapelle

  Reflecting on LaChapelle's art, where churches become ships with complex narratives.

• 🎭Containing multitudes

  Zadie Smith reflects on the contrasting expectations for artists and politicians in her essay "Speaking in Tongues."