Stories about Arts & Culture from May, 2020
Explore beauty and heritage in the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand while staying at home
Southeast Asian countries have lost millions of visitors but none of their branding know-how.
COVID-19 tune educates, empowers Indonesia’s remote Marapu community
"Let’s just stay at home. Let’s wash our hands diligently to protect our health and lives."
A Yorùbá language activist strives for linguistic diversity in digital spaces
Adéṣinà Ọmọ Yoòbá, a Nigerian Yorùbá language and culture advocate, is keen to bridge the cultural and linguistic digital divide.
Art series sheds light on the marginalization of indigenous Tharus in Nepal
‘Masinya Dastoor’, an art series of young artist Lavkant Chaudhary, delves into the history of chronological marginalization of the indigenous Tharu community in Nepal over the past decades.
‘Born Ya': Speaking with Jamaican fine artist Judy Ann MacMillan about her new autobiography
"Fine art itself is under intense challenge in Jamaica, as it is elsewhere. The tenets [...] are in conflict with social improvement, political messages and democratic ideas."
Fighting and writing for Moldova's place in the pantheon of world literature
"Foreign publishers doubt the literati of this small and little known place. Can they really write something remarkable? Of course they can!" exclaims Moldovan novelist Iulian Ciocan.
Nepal’s first 360 degree virtual contemporary art exhibition
Artwork by 19 renowned Nepali artists showcased in an online virtual exhibition named ‘Tangential Stress’ by the Museum of Nepali Art (MoNA).
Following COVID-19 closure, Ghibli Museum posts mini-tours online
One of Japan's most beloved tourist attractions is offering short virtual tours on YouTube.
Addressing ‘gaps in history’ through bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"Returning to the land today can feed us, contributing to food sovereignty and the wellness sector by expanding our knowledge and use of wild botanicals and their healing properties..."
In Algeria, online repression targets Amazigh protesters active in Hirak movement
In Algeria, the Amazigh people are often associated with France, Algeria's former colonial power. Racial slurs online accuse this group of being separatists who threaten "national unity."
The healing effects of bush tea: A conversation with Barbadian visual artist Annalee Davis
"I have been concerned with how shared historical suffering reveals itself communally and how individuals and nations manage trauma and the desire for self-fulfilment in small places like Barbados..."
‘We're staying home today’: The unexpected anthem of Russia's COVID-19 lockdown
"We're staying home today," a 2017 song by Moscow band Hadn Dadn, has captivated a country cautiously emerging from lockdown.
Photo contest asks Rohingya community to document their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
A photography competition for Rohingya people is being held from April 23 – August 23, 2020, featuring two broad categories – “Rohingya life” and “Response to Coronavirus” and entries can be submitted online.
Former Yugoslavia's brutalist architecture shines in new Star Wars fan film
"If it was gonna be a 'Serbian' story, or an 'ex-Yugoslav' story, let's face it -- it couldn't be a story about royalty."
Banned for 30 years, Singapore’s only martial arts film is now on YouTube
"It's almost as if the film is a time capsule into Singapore’s past."
China to its anxious youth: ‘Believe us, things are better in your day!’
"We have to struggle for our rights, not sit and wait. Youth in China should yell out -- we want freedom of press!"
History, landscape, body: A conversation with Pakistani artist Ali Kazim
Kazim’s works have been exhibited in major international fairs and exhibitions around the world, including New York’s Frieze art fair in 2019.
In Bangladesh, criticism of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is risky
"Would it be wrong if someone says that the authorities in Bangladesh, equipped with Digital Security Act, launched a crackdown on those critical to the government?"
