Stories about Arts & Culture from March, 2013
São Tomé and Príncipe: 12 Reasons to Return
Carmen Alvarez Vilas, founder of the NGO Cooperación Bierzo Sur, posted on her Facebook page an album titled “12 Reasons to go back to Sao Tome and Principe”. Each image selected – from a set of photos taken when she and her team volunteered in the country in the summer of...
Happy Nowruz from Central Asia!
How do people in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan celebrate Nowruz today? NewEurasia.net bloggers have produced a video that gives you an idea.
Nowruz on Uzbekistan's Tower of Silence
About 20 countries and communities almost all over the world celebrate Nowruz today. Commonly known as the ‘Persian New Year,’ Nowruz has its origins in the ancient religion Zoroastrianism. Don Croner celebrates the holiday on the ruins of the so-called ‘Zoroastrian Tower of Silence’ in Uzbekistan. The blogger writes about...
30 Films That Inspire Activism
30 documentary films from around the world have been nominated for the Social Impact Media Awards.
Hello Spring, Goodbye Evil Eye
Μάρτης [el], мартеница [bg], мартинка [mk], mărțișor [ru]…however you call it, an ancient tradition [el] with multiple variations that takes place in the Balkans. So, weave your red-and-white threads for protection against the “evil eye” or to welcome Spring!
Sptn!k: Unconventional Russian Excursions Brought to You by Locals
The Sptn!k project was created in St. Petersburg and has now reached Moscow. Last month, Teplitsa's Ekaterina Izmeskyeva spoke with the creator, Aleksander Kim, about how the idea came about to create the portal, who becomes tour guides, and what interesting tours can be found on the site.
Vive Latino 2013: Sustainability, Chilean Bands and Female Voices
The festival "Vive Latino 2013" (Mexico) will include the participation of Blur, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Auténticos Decadentes and Panteón Rococó, among many others. Global Voices presents 3 different points of view about the festival in question.
Barcelona's Best Writers, Translators Celebrate Literary Journal Asymptote's Anniversary
Asymptote, an international digital literature and translation magazine, celebrated its second anniversary with events held around the globe, including Barcelona. Yew Leong Lee, the magazine's editor-in-chief, spoke with Global Voices about the project.
Stones & Glasshouses? A Writer Challenges the Kremlin
Kittens aside, there is nothing your average Russian blogger loves better than a juicy spat about politics or literature, except for a combination of the two.
Italy: Fire Destroys Interactive Museum ‘Città della Scienza’ in Naples
On 4 March a fire (presumably arson) destroyed the cultural centre. Alongside worried comments, netizens (and some local authorities) immediately launched a campaign to rebuild this public structure, well appreciated throughout Europe and important scientific centre for the youth and future generations.
Indian Censor Board Restricts Papilio Buddha, A Gandhi Critic Movie
Papilio Buddha, a Malaylam language feature film, had initially been banned by the Indian censor board for defaming the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi until it got cleared for screening with the “adult” certification. Netizens question the decision of the censor board and the underlying reason.
Digitizing the National Library of Vietnam
Since 2006, the the National Library of Vietnam has partnered with the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation to digitally preserve the special collection of the library which features some 4000 ancient texts in Hán and Nôm, the former ideographic writing systems of Vietnam.
Video: The 70's Generation in China
WORDS OF A GENERATION records personal stories and perspectives from the 70's generation in China who grew up on the perimeter of China's past and live at the forefront of its future. The videos focus on seven core topics: work, consume, love, connect, play, explore and dream.
Omar Banuchi Finds His Niche in the Puerto Rican Web (Part III)
Banuchi's career path can be seen in the transformation that his illustrations have had in the last five years. The technique has been refined, and the topics point towards an increased maturity. Here is the third, and final, part of the interview with Puerto Rican digital artist Omar Banuchi.
Niger: How Nomads Navigate the Desert
Adouma Alghoubas writes about the life of nomads in the desert of Niger [fr] : Nomadic people do not have the technological means at their disposal to get their bearings, but what they do have is knowledge of astronomy, inherited from their ancestors. They navigate their way as they travel...
French Magazine's 50 People Shaping Japan
Interest for Japan is at its peak among readers in France [fr] despite the Asian nation's gloomy economic outlook. Therefore, French Magazine ZoomJapan [fr] has featured 50 Japanese people that are transforming the archipelago; from architect Kyohei Sakaguchi―who established what he calls “independent government”―, to dancers, activists, business entrepreneurs, and journalists. The compilation...
Omar Banuchi Finds His Niche in the Puerto Rican Web (Part II)
Omar Banuchi, a quiet, introverted boy that didn't leave the family appartment much, could easily connect with the stories of superheros capabale of supporting the weight of the world on their shoulders and achieving great super-human deeds. Here we see the second interview with the Puerto Rican digital artist.
Beauty & the Beast? “Ethnic” Pageant Winner Enrages Russian Nationalists
When top Russian blogger Rustem Adagamov posted the news of Abdrazakova's victory in the 2013 Miss Russia pageant on his blog, along with some her photographs, his post attracted comments like "Are there still Russian girls in the Russian Federation?"
Haitian Artist's “Soliloquy of Chaos”
Haitian-American painter Sophia Domeville is starting to make waves in the art world. Last year the abstract impressionist (who earned a B.F.A. from the College of New Rochelle) held her first solo exhibition, “Soliloquy of Chaos.” Right now Domeville is one of thirty artists selected to exhibit along side Janet Taylor Pickett for Art in the Atrium's “Generation Next”. (The exhibit closes on March 8th.) In addition to...
Venezuela: Open-Air Museum Few Dare to Visit
Alberto explains that most Caracas residents don't know about this “open-air museum” because they are afraid to visit the area. The pictures in the post were taken behind a jeep's windshield. Read more about Alberto's blog here.
Jamaica: Art & Blackness
Musings on blackness and contemporary Jamaican art, from the National Gallery of Jamaica Blog.
