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Author Archives: Bernard Villarreal

UNGA Showcases Coral Reef Artwork Merging Artistic Expression with AI Technology

colorful image of coral ecosystemDuring the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) held in NYC last Sept 22-23, 2024 a groundbreaking artwork captioned as “Large Nature Model: Coral” was presented as an example of how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to promote and encourage environmental conservation. Developed by the studio of the world famous media artist Refik Anadol, a machine learning algorithm was used in presenting and installing 100 million coral reef images as an unprecedented immersive installation showcasing the complexity and vastness of the Earth’s oceans. The monumental installation is a poignant reminder of mankind’s continuing fight for the future of the planet.

World leaders of governments, prominent members of civil society and other notable stakeholders who gathered at the summit had the unique opportunity to experience Refik Anadol’s artwork. According to Melissa Fleming, the current UN Under-Secretary-General, “Large Nature Model: Coral” is a manifestation of the beauty and fragility of Earth’s natural world, reminding world leaders of the need to harness the ingenuity and powers of technology and human agencies to trigger actions toward protecting our planet.

“Large Nature Model: Coral” Exemplifies the Power of AI

image of dying underwater coral“Large Nature Model: Coral” exemplifies the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in shedding light over the consequences of environmental degradation, and to inspire innovative solutions. Anadol’s artwork serves as a tribute to the power of combining art and science for instilling a much needed sense of responsibility of protecting the natural world. The artist explains that the coral reef ecosystems are dying at an alarming rate, being the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Vilas Dhar, the President at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation said that Refik Anadol’s exceptional vision in using AI technology to create an artistic expression, has opened new pathways for sparking a deeper emotional connection with the natural world. “Large Nature Model: Coral, inspires creative and scientific explorations that also help humanity see the opportunities for building a sustainable future for the planet.

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Environmental Art – What Makes it Different from Traditional Art

Environmental consciousness and increasing concerns for the worsening effects of climate change led to the emergence of art that promotes actions to protect the planet. Many artists are quite involved with environmental art as this genre gravitates toward the use of recycled or natural materials such as wood, textiles, paper and other useful eco-friendly substances.

The trend in the concept of environmental art goes beyond the idea of creating visually attractive art, inasmuch as viewers are also moved to touch thought-provoking mix media creations and textured paintings. Doing so enables them to reconnect with nature since the art work can raise consciousness and appreciation for the natural world.

The Evolution of Environmental Art

Art historians attribute the roots of environmental art to 19th century artists like William Morris and John Ruskin, whose advocacy was basically against industrialization. The two artists founded the Arts and Crafts Movement that aimed to convince creators and artists to continue using traditional methods of craftsmanship. Apparently, concerns over potential environmental degradation were already being raised but to no avail.

environmental campaigns for actionsIn the mid-20th century, environmentalism became a political platform although it did not create a strong impact. Politics only weakened the response to environmental advocacies as the opposing conservative party branded environmentalism as a hoax.

Such circumstances compelled artists like Robert Simpson and Agnes Denes to produce large-scale landscapes that depicted the fragility of the environment, as well as instilled the need for humans to protect the natural world.

Yet it was only in the 60s and 70s that modern society responded to the campaigns launched by environmentalists. This was the period that saw the emergence of artists who, through their artworks and mix-media installations, highlighted the need to address the effects of environmental problems.

Global warming, pollution, deforestation and degradation of natural resources became subjects of environmental art. The artists’ use of non-traditional art materials like wood, textile and various recyclable items, not only inspired but also prodded people to take actions geared toward saving the planet.

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Circus Maximus and Colosseums in Rome: Endangered by Mega Rock Concerts

Alfonsina Russo, the Director of Circus Colosseum is calling for the prohibition of the holding of rock concerts at the Circus Maximus. Ms. Russo voiced concerns with the Italian news agency AGI that the Circus Maximus is a monument. Holding mega rock concerts are putting at risk and endangering public safety.

American Rapper Ignites New Calls to Ban Rock Concerts

Apparently, the mega rock concert held last May by American rapper Travis Scott ignited the renewed calls for making the Colosseum and the nearby Palatine Valley off limits to mega rock concerts. The American rapper after all, has a reputation for disregarding public safety. His past concerts in the US have drawn negative attention for being dangerous. The most recent of which was the Astroworld Festival in Texas in which the crowds surged, crushed and claimed 10 lives and injured hundreds of people.

During the concert at the Circus Maximus in which the rapper featured (Kan)Ye West, thousands of fans jumping had caused tremors akin to earthquakes. According to CNN, this prompted local residents to call authorities, fearful that the tremors could result into something disastrous to the fragile environment..

That is why Ms. Russo insists that ancient architecture  like the Circus Maximus should only be operas and ballets

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Positive Art Viewing Experience Indicates Finding Meaning in Artwork

A new paper published by Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) suggests that an aesthetic experience includes eliciting meaning in an artwork, and at heightened attention. Printed in March 2022 in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, the team of researchers took to measuring brain waves generated by participants who went through aesthetically appealing experiences.

Researchers from Tilburg University and Breda University of Applied Sciences of the Netherlands, had worked at the Max Planck in Frankfurt, to study the electroencephalography (EEG) results of participants who viewed different artworks. Using an EEG cap, the brain waves created with every aesthetic image of art viewed by each participant, were rated and measured.

If a participant found a particular artwork appealing, the EEG displayed increased amounts of speedy gamma waves occurring over a certain section of the brain. The results were in contrast to the brain waves being shown, when the participants viewed artworks that were deemed unappealing.

What’s the Significance of the Dutch Study Conducted at the MPIEA

What the Dutch researchers found exceptionally interesting is that the gamma waves took about a second to appear as response to an artwork found appealing. The presumption is that the delay denotes the brain waves were not simple reactions to the visual elements of the artwork. The brainwave movements reflect reactions after a meaning has been formed by the brain.

The co-author of the study, Edward A. Vessel, who is also a research associate at Max Planck explained that our mind does not perceive art passively. Instead our brain engages in a process of discovery for several seconds, apparently considering various meanings and interpretations. At the same time, the viewer’s brain wave behavior indicates whether or not he or she is experiencing a savory art-viewing moment.

Mr. Vessel added that this is an example of how a visual interpretation can be a highly personal experience. Art that is substantially meaningful therefore can help unlock the mysteries of what makes mankind more appreciative of nature and the environment.

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Archaeologists Uncover 9,000 Year-Old Shrine in Jordan’s Neolithic Region

An ancient shrine estimated as almost 9,000 year old was discovered by a team of archeologist in a Neolithic campsite located in the eastern desert of Jordan. The shrine is some sort of ritual complex near the so-called desert kites, which are ancient hunting traps that made use of two long stone walls that meet and function like a huge arrow.

According to experts, the traps were meant for game animals like gazelles. Many of the desert kites have been discovered in Central and Southwest Asia but the oldest of these structures are presumed to be in Jordan’s Badia region.

Two stone walls standing in the shrine were etched with carvings of human entities, an altar, sea shells, a hearth, and a small model of the desert kite trap. According to the archaeologists from Al Hussein Bin Talal University and the French Institute of the Near East, the shrine helped explain new information about the unknown Neolithic populations.

Particularly in relation to their own symbolism, spiritual culture and artistic expression. The archaeologists’ discovery proposes that the traps they found were the core of the Neolithic population’s economic, symbolic, and cultural life in the marginal zone.

About The Site in Jordan’s Dessert Region

Archaeologist from Jordan and co-director of the project Wael Abu-Azziza told Associated press that the site is unique due to its well-preserved state. Abu-Azziza added it’s amazing that everything remained intact even if it is around 9,000 years old.

The desert region of the country is filled with many archeological digs and has been the home of Bedouin tribes for thousands of years. The levantine country houses five UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the well-known sites is the city of Petra which was carved into the red sandstone rock during the 4th century by the Nabateans. In 2016, archaeologists discovered a large monument that is around 2,000 years old under the city’s sands.

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Royal Benin Objects in Exhibit at Musée du Quai Branly before Their Restitution

A collection of 26 royal objects of Benin origin are currently on exhibit at the Paris’ Musée du Quai Branly, before their return to the West African nation. The exhibit includes events and programs that tell the history of the artifacts; from when and where they were pillaged from the historic African the historic kingdom of Dahomey, before it became the Republic of Benin.

The 26 royal objects include thrones, ceremonial hatchets, and statues looted by French soldiers during the Franco-Dahomean War that took place in the 1890s.

The restitution and return of the objects to the Republic of Benin, is in line with the Heritage Law that French lawmakers voted upon last year. The Act seeks to make France and other European atone for the outcomes of their colonial misdeeds.

Brief Background about the Franco-Dahomean War

https://youtu.be/ZL0bALlfG6Formerly known as the Kingdom of Dahomey, the Republic of Benin is located in West Africa and is perpendicular to the Cost of the Gulf of Guinea. The country covers around 112,622 square kilometers of land area.

When King Béhanzin inherited the throne in 1889 after the death of his father, King Glele. The new king instantly acted with hostility toward the French, after rescinding an earlier treaty that granted France to occupy the city of Cotonou. and raided their belongings. Béhanzin’s hostility toward the French,included slave raids in Grand-Popo in 1891, where French protectorates are located along the coast.

In the same year, the French military carried out a military takeover by putting General Alfred-Amédée Dodds in command for the operation. The battle between the two countries was called Franco-Dahomean War, which lasted from 1892 up to 1894.

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Notable Modern Visual Artists Who Celebrate Nature Through Their Artworks

Artists have always been fond of using nature as inspiration for their creativity, rooted and traced as far back as the primitive art of cave drawings. They have always utilized nature in their art as an environment to convey their innermost feelings. The same concept still holds true in the contemporary world of visual arts

Artling, a website that virtually curates artworks from all over the world, enabled us to discover modern visual artists who use different mediums in celebrating nature through their works of art.

The following are the notable artists who have impressed us the most:

Mika Ninagawa

Mika Ninagawa is one of Japan’s well-acknowledged photographers as evidenced by the host of celebrities who seek her to do their portraiture. Her influential work in Japan has expanded in the West as her patrons now include celebrities like Beyoncé and Chiaki Kuriyama who have commissioned her in taking their portraits.

Mika’s style of capturing images of nature is distinct as she is known for rendering her creations in vivid colors to make the images pop out vibrantly. Her portfolio of nature-inspired visual artworks demonstrate her fondness for flowers and animals including fishes, butterflies, and deers.

Kuanth

Malaysian-born and Singapore-based Kuanth is a freelance illustrator who appreciates the beauty of handmade heirlooms. His recent series “New World” is a collection of artwork inspired by the coronavirus pandemic, revolving on his interpretation of how post-pandemic Earth resettled and brought back to life with unusual shapes, forms, and uniquely-looking plants.

Arko

Japanese visual artist Arko is famous for her artworks she created using rice straws. The straw materials she used are the by-products of rice plants after the grain separation and after undergoing dehydration processes. As rice is a staple food in most Asian countries, she has found efficient use of the straw by-products by using them as materials for her unique artworks.

Jakkee Kongkaew

Multi-awarded Jakkee Kongkaew is a Thai artist who uses the woodcut technique in creating prints on paper. Woodcut on paper is an artistic method of creating illustrations out of wood marks. An image is usually carved out on the insides of a wood material, usually beechwood. This particular woodcutting step raises the outline of the image, which is then inked and pressed or stamped on a piece of paper.

Serena Dzenis

Serena Dzenis is an Australian photographer and teacher currently based in Iceland as shes is a very keen on photographing winter landscapes. She is well-known for capturing images of the world by way of harsh landscapes, enhanced by features the show the intricate details of nature and its depth.

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University of Groningen Researchers Examine Dead Sea Scrolls Using AI

The mystery surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls has always been a source of fascination not only among archaeologists but to academicians as well. A group of researchers at the University of Groningen used artificial intelligence to study the Dead Sea Scrolls, and published their findings in the PLOS ONE journal.

Researchers Mladen Popović, head of the Qumran Institute of the University of Groningen along with Lambert Schomaker, professor of University of Groningen’s Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Engineering (ALICE) and PhD candidate Maruf A. Dhali, also of ALICE reported that it’s possible that the text of the Jewish manuscripts were written by two people.

According to the three researchers, their use of artificial intelligence enabled them to access pieces of tangible evidence, which also opened avenues for examining the different compositions copied by each of the ancient scribes.

Approach Used in Examining the Scrolls Using AI

In conducting their study with the aid of AI technology, the University of Groningen researchers compared the look of certain letters utilized in the scrolls, as well as analyzed the ink patterns. The study though, did not offer information about possible identities of the two scribes who wrote the texts.

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Thousand-Year Old Viking Jewelry Discovered in the Isle of Man

Last December, a retired female police officer in the Isle of Man, discovered a stash of Viking jewelry believed to have been buried over a thousand years ago. It was the period when the Scandinavian Kings of Dublin ruled the area, denoting that the artefacts discovered by retired officer Kath Giles dates as far back as 950 AD. Among the objects that Ms. Giles, found while exploring with  a metal detector, is a large silver brooch, a silver armband, and a gold arm-ring.

According to Allison Fox, a curator at Manx National Heritage, the collection of artifacts is likely from an era when the area was a significant economic and trading zone during the AD 950. Historically, it was also the time when Norse and Viking influence became prominent for until the next 300 years.

Ms. Fox described the artifacts discovered as ornaments for people with high status and it is possible that it was hidden during an invasion. She added the fact that since the jewelries were buried together, it meant the owner was in a hurry and in a dangerous predicament if found in possession of such articles. The golden arm-ring was the rarest, since items made of gold were not common during the period if compared to silver ornaments.

Manx National Heritage the 1000-Year Old Jewelry Pieces as Government Treasure

Manx National Heritage Trust has declared the artifacts as treasures that belong to the government. Nonetheless, Kath Giles, will receive a finder’s fee as compensation. Currently, the value of the objects are still being appraised as the value will be the basis for determining Ms. Giles’ reward for unearthing the artifacts.

In the meantime, the exact location of where Ms. Giles discovered the artifacts has not been disclosed in order to maintain the integrity of the site. As of now, the ornaments are on display in the Manx Museum but will soon be removed for conservation work.

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The Met Receives 6 Baselitz Inversion Portraits as Anniversary Gifts

The Met went into lockdown during the pandemic, in the same year the museum was supposed to have celebrated its 150 years with a commemorative exhibition. Nonetheless, the event will not go unremembered because famed German artist Georg Baselitz, well known for his inversion painting technique, gifted the museum with six of his early inverted portraits.

Up to July 18, 2021, the six paintings are on exhibit,at the Robert Lehman Wing, as a post celebration of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s ( a.k.a The Met, a.k.a. MMOA), 150th year in existence. The artworks are mostly portraits of Baselitz’s relatives and friends whom he painted in 1969, including a first-ever painting of Baselitz’s wife Elke. The collection is said to be deeply personal for the artist and his wife, being in the artist’s collection for nearly six decades.

Georg Baselits and his wife said they want to express their special connection to the U.S., as the country has always been a symbol of freedom for them. In gifting The Met with paintings that have stayed with them for decades, their addition to the museum’s collection will symbolize that special connection.

About Georg Baselitz”s Radical Inversion Technique

The year 1969 was a turning point for Baselitz as it was the time he sought to remove the attention from the portrait’s narrative content. That way, the audience will focus on the painting itself. After a decade of practicing his art, he decided to depict his subjects upside down, which allowed him to embrace typical genres that he avoided before.

According to Georg, the radical strategy of literally turning the subject’s image upside down, enabled him to focus on the possibilities of his paintings instead of the person posing for the portrait and its impact on the audience. The inversion approach continued as it became of interest to him to paint other art genres like landscapes and nudes all upside down.

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Climate Change Art – Visual Artists Convinced People about the Effects of Global Warming

In the years when scientists failed to convince world leaders about the potential harmful effects of global warming, science had turned to art for support. This spawned the birth of what is known in the art world as “climate change art.” The kind that art activists created to make nations understand the reality of the global warming phenomenon scientists have been warning us for decades. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is now a reality as nations across the globe are now experiencing the harmful effects of climate change.

Why Scientists Turned to Artists for Help

https://youtu.be/L2xCFAmymsI

In 2005, American environmentalist and journalist William “Bill’ McKibben wrote an article that drew art activists’ attention. Mr. McKibben explained that if science wants to move forward with meaningful changes, convincing human societies would take more than presentation of scientific facts as those are proofs that require intellectual understanding. This American environmentalist suggested that what they needed to do to tackle the problem is to appeal to the emotional intellect of the people; to which he wrote that the professionals best suited to help them achieve changes are the visual artists.

Although according to The Arctic Cycle art organization, it took quite some time before climate change arts took off because not many artists were quick to heed Mr. McKibben’s call.

Today, “climate change art” is a genre of its own, with global warming and climate change as the main subjects as a way to invoke personal experience. Through art works, audiences started developing an emotional connection to global occurrences manifesting the effects of global warming and the resulting climate change. Humans are said to value personal experience more than they do tons of scientific data, because artworks are more vivid and powerful.

According to The Guardian, by 2009, even art institutions have woken to the need to promote “climate change art;” rather than be seduced by the wealthy donors and sponsors who own businesses that contributed to the toxic emissions that speeded up the climate changes caused by global warming.

Still, researchers Christian Andreas Klöckner and Laura Kim Sommer wrote in a 2019 report that for “climate change art” to be effective in bringing about reforms, the message of the artwork must include hope and ideas on how to bring about mass modifications.

Rising Incidences of Asthma and Allergies Worldwide a Primary Evidence of Harmful Effects of Climate Change

Spring and all its colors seemed to bring the freshest air that humans could breathe. Yet unfortunately, it is also the time of year when people suffer from allergic rhinitis and asthma attacks. Scientific data shows that climate change has been causing increases in allergens in the air due to the following reasons:

Climate change is associated with rising temperatures, changes in worldwide weather patterns and increasing airborne pollen levels and duration. These changes have been observed to impact health, including that of allergic individuals.

The protein compositions of pollens and the emergence of fungal spores are affected by aerobiological processes impacted by greenhouse gas emissions and depositions linked to changing rainfall and wind patterns.

The changes in climate can extend the duration by which grasses, trees and winds produce pollens and therefore increase the amount of pollens transported by the aerobiological processes.

Severe storms and massive flooding resulted in more buildings becoming damp to likely produce molds and mildew, exposing building inhabitants to indoor air contaminated with fungal microbes.

In all those occurrences described above, allergic reactions in the form of conjunctivitis, rhinitis and asthma in many American states have been noted. The reports are founded by information connected to the high numbers of individuals purchasing medications for all sorts of allergic reactions. Supplements like the apetamin pills have been found helpful as medications for allergies even if they are primarily being taken as weight-gain remedies.

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Forensic Architecture Conducts Independent Investigation of the Beirut Port Explosion

A group of Forensic Architecture researchers released a 15-minute video to report on how the explosion of a Beirut Port warehouse transpired, 3 months ago. As the outcome of the research, the video gives a full understanding of why and how the explosion occurred, as well as providing information on how to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Actually, a group of Mada Masr’s journalists decided to invite the Forensic Architecture team to help them in conducting a proper investigation of the horrific explosion incident. Mainly because they were frustrated with the way various government agencies are carrying out the investigations,

Led by Samaneh Moafi, the FA researchers used various photos and videos they collected from various social media sites. They also obtained leaked photos that came from inside the warehouse, where the huge pile of ammonium nitrate was kept. Doing so enabled them to recreate the events, by using 3D models of how the explosion began, which resulted in the death of more than 200 people and caused injury to 6,500 others during the blast in August 4.

Almost 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored for years in the government’s port warehouse, despite being located near densely populated neighborhoods. While the chemicals were seized from a ship headed for Mozambique, the warnings about the hazards posed by the seized chemical were likewise ignored for years.

Recreating the Explosion of the Beirut Explosion Through 3D Models

In utilizing visual markers to pinpoint areas and in computing the cone of vision of a camera, the FA researchers were able to determine the earliest indication of a smoke plume. According to the team of researchers, smoke plumes are known to constantly change and at every instant take on different forms. This knowledge helped them combine other videos that do not have a time stamp.

Through all the videos and images they collected from different angles and locations, the forensic team were able to confirm that the warehouse was indeed filled with ammonium nitrate and other explosive materials. What made the condition worse is that the the ammonium nitrate was contaminated, as everything inside the warehouse was poorly stored in manners that violated regulations, as they were similar to creating a makeshift bomb.

Today, there’s a change on how social media is being perceived, departing from the bad reputation earned from numerous negative criticisms. The FA research demonstrated the significant value of information that can be gathered through the internet and across social media networks. They pointed to a single photo from Twitter that supplied enough info for them to create a 3D model and to establish the timeline of the explosion.

About Forensic Architecture

In the year 2010, Eyal Weizman established a multifaceted research group based in the University of London. Since then, they have investigated various human rights violations worldwide, involving corporations, militaries, police, and governments.

They visualized their cases through virtual reality, by creating 3D animations and physical models of the setting. All of their sources are available online, usually from footage and photographs taken and shared by ordinary people.

Most of the FA’s members have educational background in architecture. According to Samaneh Moafi, what they create is known as architectural resource.

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Da Vinci was a Versatile Genius Yet Many of His War Machine Plans Failed

Leonardo Da Vinci was the epitome of a Renaissance Man, not only for being a great artist but also for pioneering the concepts of several modern inventions. He was a scientist, an engineer, a mathematician, a philosopher, an architect and anatomist all rolled into one. Yet while some contemporary technologists found some of the italian genius’ concepts doable, most of Da Vinci’s plans for war machines often failed.

Why Da Vinci Was Into Designing Plans for War Machines

Aside from being an artist of high repute, Da Vinci was also famous for being a skilled tradesman who can design and build anything. In 1485, Prince Ludovico Sforza of Milan had hired Leonardo Da Vinci to build war machines, in anticipation of other rulers who wanted to forcibly annex Milan to their kingdoms.

It was during that time that Da Vinci came up with numerous plans to improve the most famous military weapon at the time, the ballista, or what we know of today as the crossbow. One such concept was to improve the shooting power of the ballista by turning the weapon into a “rapid fire crossbow.”Another planned innovation was that of a giant crossbow, a gigantic ballista that would have been big enough to launch cannon balls and fireballs as munitions.

However, Da Vinci’s war machines were never built at all. Historians and engineers later found out that except for the rapid fire crossbow, most of the Renaissance Man’s drawings and instructions for building a specific type of war machine, were destined to fail.

Da Vinci Wanted His War Machine Plans to Fail

Many of Da Vinci’s war machine plans contained errors in mathematical calculations that were mostly basic, which modern day scholars believe were intentional. That is considering Da Vinci’s mathematical skills in calculating the designs of his other concepts, such as the bicycle, the parachute, the helicopter and the use of solar power, which is just to name a few.

In 2013, a group of modern day engineers were able to build a working prototype of Da Vinci’s “rapid fire crossbow.” On the other hand, present-day engineers who attempted to build Da Vinci’s giant crossbow discovered errors that became apparent, only after the massive weapon was built.

The most notable error that Da Vinci made for a war machine, was that of the armored vehicle or what is called today as a tank. Scholars became convinced that the Italian genius’ errors were intentional, because as exemplified by the tank, the wheels of the contraption were designed to move backward instead of forward.

The belief that the errors discovered in Da Vinci’s diagrams were intentional, was also in keeping with the Renaissance Man’s personality and nature. Historians have found out that the Italian artist was a homosexual as he was not interested in having relationships with women. Yet he was a lover of animals and a vegetarian as well, as reflected in one of his many famous quotes.

”..from an early age I abjured the use of meat — the time will come when men will look upon the killing of animals in the same way as they look upon the murder of men.

While Da Vinci had no choice but to work for Prince Ludovico as a military engineer, he was also a pacifist who believed that sowing fear and terror would be enough to discourage his employer’s enemies from attacking. Perhaps, Da Vinci’s non-violent strategy had worked for a few years, but as history has it, King Louis XII’s Italian War in 1499 succeeded in taking away Prince Ludovico’s sovereignty over Milan .

As an aside, if reading this guest post has piqued your interest in crossbows, you can read more on crossbows here.

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Study Reveals What the Art World Can Expect from Post-Lockdown Audiences

When talks of reopening after lockdown went underway, the arts and cultural sector sought help from research company LaPlaca Cohen to conduct a cultural study. The goal was to find out ways museums can navigate and make reopening plans after the COVID-19 crisis, in order to best serve the community through art and culture.

However the study was conducted prior to the surge of protests over systemic racial injustice, triggered by the senseless killing of George Floyd. As a result, the report covering the period between April 29 and May 19 and entitled “Culture and Community in a Time of Crisis,” does not present changes in sentiments following the serious events that transpired after the lifting of the lockdown orders.

Nonetheless, LaPlaca Cohen is set to undertake a second study this coming September.

The “Culture and Community in a Time of Crisis” was actually presented as a special edition of LaPlaca Cohen’s Culture Track research, to present what many looked forward to in art, and what they expect from the cultural sector when museums and concert halls reopen post-lockdown.

What the Public Wants and How Important are Art Institutions?

While the authors of the study tried to paint a picture of what the American public hopes to see and experience from art institutions, the information was based on what many had busied themselves with while under lockdown. The impressions gathered from the answers given by about 124,000 respondents of the survey, was not as encouraging as the art and culture sector had hoped it would be.

About 53 percent of those surveyed indicated less enthusiasm in consuming content provided online by established arts organizations.

The largest portion of the respondents (38%) had chosen the category “Individual Performer, Artist, Band, or Ensemble.” as their single online source for arts and culture. While the second largest (17%) answer went to the “Somewhere Else”category under which Art and Design Museums, Performing Arts Center, Aquarium, Zoo orere potential choices. Around 14% of those who chose this category picked “I don’t know” as their sub-answer.

To a question that asked how they were introduced to cultural activities online, 6% answered thru Social Justice Organizations or Arts Activism, which was about the same percentage as those who got introduced by way of “Dance Groups.”

When asked how they want the arts and culture organizations to help them during the health crisis, the study summed up the answers as those that have beauty as the appealing factor and at the same time fun and lightheartedness.

While 61 % of those surveyed have awareness that art institutions and organization in their community experience financial difficulties, only 16% placed needy cultural groups amon the top priorities for charitable funding.

Of the factors given as having the most influence on decisions to visit in person, a museum or art institution or a cultural event, about half of the survey respondents selected the the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine as the top answer.

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U.S. Museums and Galleries Plan to Reopen Sòon With New Rules

Museums and galleries in the U.S. except those in cities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, like Baltimore, Los Angeles and New York, have plans of reopening soon. Future visitors though must be prepared to abide by new rules.

Actually, museum administrators are taking note of how supermarkets and other retail outlets handle foot traffic in ensuring safe distancing; especially in areas where people tend to crowd such as in stairs, coat checks and baggage counters.

This suggests plans include placing vinyl stickers on floors that will serve as spots on where visitors must stand when viewing gallery displays. Admission desks will likely be outfitted with clear plastic panels, while masks will be handed out to ensure that all visitors coming in wear them as personal protection.

In addition, some others have plans of removing wall labels, and any info related to a particular exhibit can be accessed by way of a mobile app. At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Va., which plans to reopen in July, reopening plans include having a program that can determine the number of people that the museum can handle safely. The Virginia Museum is planning to put the “Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities” exhibit in several rooms.

Why Some Museum Plan to Reopen Even While COVID-19 is Still a Helath Crisis

The general consensus is that unlike theaters and sports stadiums, museum and gallery visitors are not new to being required to carry on in their best behavior. However museums where changes could have more impact are in children museums and galleries with science and history exhibits. Reworking and rethinking of interactive exhibits and high-touch areas will have to be carefully considered.

 

As reported by the American Alliance of Museums to Congress sometime in March, museums throughout the country are losing as much as $33 million each ever since the Coronavirus lockdown implementation. While many in the rural areas are likely to close if they do not receive federal aid, the larger museums that have had great financial exposure in relation to rent and travel costs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, are also facing fragile financial conditions.  

 

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NY Artists Chosen to Render Art Installations for the New Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge

Last January 31, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the names of the eight artists who have been commissioned to render or provide, 10 spectacular art installations along or near the shared bicycle/pedestrian paths of the new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

Installing public art around the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is seen as a way of enlivening Hudson River’s scenic landscape as well as a means of showcasing some of New York’s finest world-class artists.

The Selected Artists and Their Proposed Artwork/s

The art installations include four (4) bicycle racks, one (1) mural and five (5) sculptures.

The artists named to provide the sculptures include three from Brooklyn namely Fitzhugh Karol (Approach), Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong (Current) and Wendy Klemperer (Leaping Sturgeon). The two others are Ilan Averbuch of Long Island City (Tappan Zee) and Thomas Lendvai of Ronkonkoma (Untitled for Imre Lendvai).

The artists commissioned to design the bike racks are David Greenberg of Brooklyn and Christopher Flick of Bronx. David Greenberg’s bike rack “mooring” design will be used in two (2) bike rack installations, one in the Rockland path and the other in the Westchester path. Another David Greenberg submission, inspired by the stone quarrying industry of Rockland County and evocative of the common hitching post of the olden days, will also be used in the Rockland path.

The artist chosen to render the lone mural celebrating the Hudson River Valley’s biodiversity is Chris Soria of Nyack for his Flux of Being. Soria’s mural paintings involve combining layers of abstract geometric designs to which he later incorporates with silhouettes of figures.

Currently, all artworks are in different stages of development and are all slated to attain completion and/or installation later this year.

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Find Out Why Many Artists Make Toronto Their Second Home

Looking for a place where you could spend endless days of basking in the beauty of nature and exploring a vast resource of inspiration for art, culture and innovations? Set your sights on being at the center of it all by setting up your own living space in Toronto, Canada.

Here, expressions of ideas anr opinions by way of art is mainstream because the city is a true haven for the culturally and artistically inclined. You can find art expressions on graffitied walls, on a bottle of beer or even applied as printed motif on the street.

Toronto owes its relaxing atmosphere to its more than a thousand recreational urban parks, its collection of world-renowned art galleries and vast cultural diversity. In fact, the city currently ranks as the 7th most livable place in the world. It is a prestigious reputation shared with other Canadian cities; Vancouver in B.C (Ranked 5th). and Calgary, in Alberta (Ranked 6th).

Below is a guide to some of the city’s top museum, just so you have an idea of why not a few artists have fallen in love with Toronto. So much so that they eventually decided to make the city their second home. Physically relocating and bringing your stuff to Toronto is very easy as you can easily find firms providing reliable and top quality moving service at affordable prices.

Learn More about Toronto’s Past and Present Through Its Famous Museums and Art Galleries

This city literally bursts with creative hubs often regarded as a blessing by budding and aspiring painters, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists. Below are some examples of the pre-eminent museums and galleries to visit.

The Royal Ontario Museum at 100 Queens Park

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is the most comprehensive and largest in the whole of Canada. Its world-class reputation is founded on being home to a vast collection of 13 million artworks, specimens of natural history and various cultural objects. ROM also makes a significant contribution by serving as a prominent research institute; launching programs and exhibits that combine original heritage with contemporary arrangements and architecture.

Art Gallery of Ontario

Another destination counted as one of the largest galleries but encompassing North America is the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Located in a complex building in downtown Toronto, taking up 48k square feet of physical space to house its more than 95,000 collection of artworks that include includes works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Gauguinsome, and Van Gogh.

Formerly and originally known as Art Museum in Toronto, then later, Art Gallery of Toronto, before it was renamed as the Art Gallery of Ontario.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) has transformed the entire of the Junction Triangle at the west end of the city into an artist’s hub, when it recently made the 5-storey, 55K square feet of a former sheet-casting factory, its new home. Here, art aficionados or simple lovers of arts can find many thought-provoking exhibitions to intrigue their minds.

The Scrap Metal Gallery

The Scrap Metal Gallery is an industrial style facility, as obviously suggested by its title, Yet it is a gem for those who are looking to showcase or explore artworks visualized today by both established and emerging artists.

The Power Plant

The Power Plant is an art gallery that took on the old power house at Harbourfront Centre; having an extensive scenery with Lake Ontario as its backdrop. This is an important destination to those always on the lookout for modern visual arts. TPP has no permanent art collection as it is well known for hosting exhibitions put up by diverse groups of Canadian and international artists

The Mercer Union

The mercer Union is an artist-centrc gallery founded by a non-profit organization, specifically to help artists achieve pivotal projects and their most artistic ambitions. That being the case, Mercer Union also holds artist talks, seminars, workshops and off-site public projects.

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Roberto Ferri : Modern Baroque Painter Whose Works Verbalize Visions Seen Beyond the Senses

Roberto Ferri, is a modern, baroque-inspired painter whose artistry gives body and form to dreams, or some may say, to nightmares that nearly everyone experiences. Ferri’s signature works are intriguing representations of men and women that either symbolize purity or imperviousness to disgrace, as they appear in sinuous forms and intriguing poses that seemingly depict the spirit and flesh of angels or demons.

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Roberto Ferri’s Background as a Contemporary Baroque-Style Painter

Born in 1978 in Taranto, Italy, Ferri studied and learned about painting at the Liceo Artistico Lisippo Taranto, a local art school from where he graduated in 1996. Determined to learn more about ancient painting, particularly of the 16th century, he moved to Rome in 1999 to quench his unbending quest for knowledge by enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts.

While studying at the academy, he was greatly inspired by Caravaggio and other painters of Academism, Romanticism and Symbolism of the Baroque period. In 2006, the Taranto-grown artist, graduated with honors from Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts, and by the age of thirty, was able to establish himself not only locally but also internationally.

Roberto Ferri’s collection of important works, captioned as “Beyond the Senses” went into exhibit not only in Italy but also in France (Paris and Provence), in America (Boston, New York, Texas, and Miami), in Spain (Barcelona and Madrid) in Dublin, Qatar, and Malta. In 2011, Ferri’s “Beyond the Senses” was featured at the controversial Palazzo Cini during the 2011 Venice Biennale.

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Reclaimed Creations : Sayaka Kajita Ganz Creates 3D Sculptures Out of Discarded Plastics

Japanese artist Sayaka Kajita Ganz chose discarded plastics as medium for her reclaimed creations; 3D sculptures of different animal forms inspired by her belief in Shinto animism. Although she empathizes with all types of discarded objects, she currently focuses her artistry and energy on discarded plastic materials.

She looks into household items as sources of plastic wastes with which to create different animal forms that project self-awareness and a sense of movement.

Her fascination for plastics as medium, stems from the variety of their colors and curvilinear forms. The materials allow her to manipulate and put them together the way artists use their brush strokes, while her goal is to create 3D impressions similar to the effects applied by Van Gogh in his paintings.

The Essence of Sayaka Ganz’s Reclaimed Creations

Sayaka Ganz describes her reclaimed creation as one that encourages perceiving harmony even in situations that appear chaotic. She points at the gaps, holes and lightly hinged joints in her sculptures, which one sees when viewing her artpiece up close. Yet when viewed at a distance, one will see the harmony revealed by the sculpture despite its chaotic composition.

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She compares this to how she perceives problems and of her tendency to look closely at details; of focusing mainly on the gaps and differences of opinions. Yet if she steps back, she gains a larger perspective of the current problem. In stepping away, she is able to perceive that there are different approaches to solving a problem but all leads to a common goal.

Currently, Ms. Ganz’s sculptures are included in the “Can’t You Sea? | Ocean Plastic ARTifacts” exhibit at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina along with five other visual art artists. Since June 28 of this year, Ms. Ganz also launched her “Reclaimed Creations Traveling Exhibitions”, which will be at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut until September 02, 2019.

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The Living Bees Sculpture of Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny

Meet Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny, the famous Slovakian artist behind the highly acclaimed “Living Bee Sculpture”as exemplified by his first bee-autiful “Honeycomb Vase”

Libertíny’s works celebrate the natural powers of bees for construction when making a new home for their still infertile young queen. Using his profound knowledge of patterns and their repetitive occurrences in the natural environment, Tomas constructs a light skeleton framework and sets up the conditions with industrial precision. Live bees swarm and regurgitate food that the framework provides for the insects. Their output then forms the core of his sculptural work.

Although Tomas Libertiny is not the first to use insects in creating artwork, Libertiny distinguishes his “Living Bees Sculpture” through his method:

“Where the work of others are destructive as far as insects are concerned, mine is constructive.”

How Libertiny’s Living Bee Sculptures are Made

In specific exhibition events, massive numbers of bees are released to complete final work on a laser-sintered framework. Tomas’ artistry in applying beeswax to the framework allows him to gain control over the bees; luring them too feed and regurgitate where beeswax were applied.

The industrious bees will then create honeycomb skin with precision, thereafter constructing a hive by filling each cell with honey. After which, bees work to remove honey from cells to clean the wax cells, whilst returning the honey they produced after cleaning.

In his “Unbearable Lightness,” 40,000 bees were released to complete a sculpture of a crucified Christ. The beeswax-filled framework held a twist, as Libertiny introduced red dye. That way, the bees at work will fill the cells with red honey to effectively depict the martyred body of Christ.

“Unbearable Lightness” won Libertiny the “Designer of the Future award, as well as contracts to exhibit and/or acquire his work at museums, including including New York’s MoMa.

When asked why bees do all this work him, the artist’s simple reply is that it is because, “I am providing them food and shelter.” He comments that the beehive installation manifests their eagerness to impress their new queen. At the same time, it poses as testament of love and dedication, including the resulting tragedy of their individual sacrifice when protecting the beehive they created.

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What Makes a Willy Verginer Wood Sculpture Different from Traditional Wood Carvings

Willy Verginer, is an Italian sculpture who hails from Ortisei, a town in one of Italy’s most historic provinces, Tyrol. His artworks are mainly figurative sculptures made purely from wood, but often mistaken as stone carvings or a chunk of plaster moulded into lifesize forms. Actually such impression gives credence to Willy Verginer’s techniques.

First off, he processes carvings of human or animal figures only from blocks of wood that have been dried naturally for more than six years to ensure morphing will not occur. He then conceptualizes images that convey subtle messages with the help of a trusty hatchet and chainsaw, and then refines the features using chisels and small tools, to create a realistic looking lifesize figurine.

Yet what makes master sculptor Verginer’s work standout, aside from the precision by which he chisels out folds, wrinkles and creases of imaginary flesh and textile, are the touches of acrylic colour he adds to each sculpted wood.

Willy Verginer’s Sculptures Come Alive with Application of Acrylic Color

The most eye-catching quality of a Willy Verginer sculpture is his application of a band of acrylic color, which gives a concept of time, location or specific idea to the figurine. A band of color can be anything; orange, blue, green, black, gold, silver, whichever hue can depict an unseen location or condition in which the sculpted figure is situated.

One of the most striking Verginer sculpture exemplifying the concept is that of a child painted in blue to make him look as if swimming in a body of water. Another is a figurine of a man trying desperately to solve a leakage of some hazardous silver metallic substance coming out of a container, to which the mercurial silver color has already seeped and spread to the man.

Willy Verginer’s actual sculptures are on display in numerous private and public Italian and international art galleries. Photographed collections of his most stunning sculptures can be viewed at his website.

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