Polar bears have captivated artists’ imaginations for centuries, but what they’ve symbolized has changed over time
Polar bears have long held visual artists in their thrall. Over time, the mythologies around these extraordinary animals have evolved – and so have the ways artists have depicted them in their work. Reflecting a deeply respectful even symbiotic relationship…
Manipulating light can induce psychedelic experiences – and scientists aren’t quite sure why
For millennia, people have used mind-altering techniques to achieve different states of consciousness, envision spiritual figures, connect with nature, or simply for the fun of it. Psychedelic substances, in particular, have a long and controversial history. But for just as…
Give this AI a few words of description and it produces a stunning image – but is it art?
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but thanks to an artificial intelligence program called DALL-E 2, you can have a professional-looking image with far fewer. DALL-E 2 is a new neural network algorithm that creates a picture from…
Ukraine’s cultural heritage faces destruction as Russian bombing continues
Ukraine is a country with a vast cultural heritage. It is dotted with sites of profound historic, artistic and archaeological importance – from Unesco world heritage monuments such as the Cathedral of St Sophia in Kyiv to exquisite examples of…
As spiritualism’s popularity grows, photographer Shannon Taggart takes viewers inside the world of séances, mediums and orbs
The word séance conjures images of darkened rooms, entranced mediums, strange occurrences and spirit voices. For many contemporary audiences, these visions might seem like something out of the past, or perhaps a movie, rather than a living belief system. For…
How women put hair to the fore in fight for equal rights
Cutting your hair or letting it grow, dyeing it or showing off they grey, sporting a mane or covering it. These are everyday acts with which millions of women claim their identities, try to fit in, fight for their rights…
Kenya’s Samburu warriors still practise a rock art tradition that tells their stories
The Samburu people in northern Kenya’s Marsabit county are pastoralists. They migrate from place to place in search of pasture and water for their cattle, goats, sheep and camels. As part of their lifestyle, Samburu boys go through an initiation…
From Indiana Jones to Netflix’s Beef – how ‘collectors’ of cultural artefacts have gone from heroic figures to villainous thieves
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Beef. Created by Korean director Lee Sung Jin and starring a predominantly Asian cast, Netflix drama Beef has won plaudits for its gritty yet humorous portrayal of Asian American life. The show explores…
Six decades, 210 Warlpiri speakers and 11,000 words: how a groundbreaking First Nations dictionary was made
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names of deceased people. The symbol † next to a personal name is a conventional respectful indicator that the person has died. The first large dictionary of the Warlpiri…
Reclaiming Dada women’s art history shouldn’t mean amplifying orientalism and sexism
Digital archives have become powerful platforms for women artists who were excluded from official art history, allowing them to claim their rightful place posthumously. This is evident in dedicated digital projects for early-to-mid 20th century avant-gardists like artist, writer and…
