Stories about Arts & Culture from November, 2016
Mixed Reactions to Kyiv's New ‘Theater on Podil’
Residents of Kiev cheered and jeered the unveiling of the "Theater on Podil" on one of the city's oldest streets.
Political Satire Returns to Russian TV, Neutered As Ever
Political parody is a perilous thing in Russia, where the last unbridled satire to grace the small screen came and went more than a decade ago.
Why You Shouldn’t Stick Your Chopsticks in Your Rice Bowl and Other Vietnamese Superstitions
"I don’t personally know if the superstition can bring misfortune but I still avoid it because I consider it as bad manners."
How to Use the Internet to Protect and Pass on Traditions to Malian Youth
"Our mission is use information technology to preserve and promote Mali’s rich linguistic, material, and immaterial heritage."
From Tehran to Manhattan, One Fashion Shoot at a Time
Had fashion photographer Kourosh Sotoodeh pursued his profession in Iran, he might well have been among those arrested in recent crackdowns. Luckily for him, he made it to New York.
South Africa's Youngest Novelist, 7-year-old Michelle Nkamankeng, Wants to Inspire Others
Michelle Nkamankeng, 7, has taken the internet and the literary world by storm with her first book in a series of four, "Waiting for the Waves".
A Venezuelan Cartoonist Forced Into Exile Still Draws the Repression Back Home
For nearly 20 years, Rayma Suprani's political cartoons were a must-see for Venezuela's chattering classes. But the Maduro government didn't like them and forced her into exile.
“Golden Ridicule”: St. Petersburg Street Artist Mocks Officials Who Send Their Children Abroad
Hioshi, the pseudonym for an anonymous Russian artist who is known for exhibiting small pieces of art on the streets of Saint Petersburg, debuted an installation earlier this week. “Golden Ridicule...
In Trump's New America, San Francisco Is Building ‘Walls of Empathy’
An interview with one of the organizers behind the collaborative "Wall of Empathy" project in San Francisco, which offers group therapy after a divisive and polarizing election season.
The Uphill Battle of Protecting Syrian Antiquities Amidst War
"In every military faction, including the regime’s army, you find a group involved in facilitating excavations and smuggling operations."
1990s Japan Is Alive Online Thanks to One Man
Lyle Hiroshi Saxon's massive Web presence provides a fascinating glimpse into life in Japan during the 1990s.
Activists Want to Build a Monument to Russia's Most Famous Movie Gangster
Russian activists is crowdfunding a monument to Sergei Bodrov Jr., the actor who played the cult hero Danila Bragov in the "Brat" movies.
Argentina’s Changing History, as Seen Through 100 Years of Beauty Ideals
"[The] video is also about the way in which Argentinian women have used their beauty to look towards the future as well as to remember the past."
A Hilarious Meme Leads to Crowdfunding Campaign for Children in Ghana
"There have been many stories of how crowdsourcing rescued many from challenges. But it is more exciting when a negative and hilarious meme is turned into a good tale..."
Just a Game? The New Culture of Virtual Red Packets in China's WeChat
"For instance, for reporters in mainland China, they go to press conferences, the conference organisers will usually give out red packets… to the reporters."
Shehzil Malik Draws the Harassment She Experiences on Pakistan's Streets
“Seeing a woman outside should be normal...It shouldn’t matter. But the fact that it does means this conversation needs to happen."
This Museum in a Protest Camp Documents the Struggles of Lumad Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines
"This museum is unlike modern or academic museums that tend to treat indigenous images and things merely as pretty relics for display,"
Jamaica Plans to Give a Historical Pardon to National Heroes and Freedom Fighters
Jamaicans applaud draft legislation aimed at expunging the criminal records of freedom fighters and other national heroes, saying the move is long overdue.
Kehinde Wiley Reimagines Old Portraits Because ‘If Black Lives Matter, They Deserve to Be in Paintings’
Kehinde Wiley thinks art, at its best, highlights what we as human beings value. That's why all his portraits have at their center a person of color.
Iran’s Keywan Karimi: The Filmmaker as Graffiti Artist
Working under threat of imprisonment for practicing his craft, Iranian filmmaker Keywan Karimi has turned the difficult conditions of artistic production into an aesthetic.
A Japanese Idol Group’s Nazi-Like Costumes Highlight the ‘Fundamental Problem’ of Historical Ignorance
Keyakizaka46's Halloween costumes were regarded as "cute" at first. But some people noticed they looked like Nazi uniforms. Was the apology genuine—or enough?
