Todd Gray Reframes Black Diasporic History
His installations of layered photos drawn from an expansive Black heritage entice viewers to keep looking, find connections, and ask questions.
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Meet the Sad Wives of AI
"Are you married to a man who’s obsessed with AI? I’m so, so sorry."
Omg, Amazon Prime inserted an ad for Febreze in the...
Omg, Amazon Prime inserted an ad for Febreze in the midst of the most famous match cut in the history of cinema (in Kubrick’s 2001, when the ape-thrown bone turns into a spacecraft). I don’t know whether to laugh or cry (rn, it’s both).
A very good, very 2026 headline: Japan Runs Out of Robot...
A very good, very 2026 headline: Japan Runs Out of Robot Wolves in Fight Against Bears . “Starting at around $4,000, each bespoke Monster Wolf is now equipped with battery power, solar panels, and detection sensors.”
When Your Participation Is Decoration
This is a smart piece about where we are in America right now, post-Citizen’s United, post-Voting Rights Amendment, post-Dobbs, mid-MAGA: The VRA Was the Nice Version ( archive ). First, let’s be honest about what the Voting Rights Act actually was, because everything here on
“I believe in myself. That’s why I...
“I believe in myself. That’s why I commit.” A young skater doesn’t give up trying to land a three-stair kickflip.
At Joy Machine, ‘Feel Free’ Plumbs the Tension Between Chaos and Control
Autonomy or control are a fantasy rather than a concrete reality. In 'Feel Free,' we witness four artists grappling with this enduring paradox. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little
Art Movements: Michelle Millar Fisher Heads to Cooper Hewitt
The New York museum hires a new chief curator, Getty grants $1.8M for Black visual art archives, and an artist’s cheeky plea on the High Line.
Shape of Dreams (Zendaya × Spike Jonze)
Zendaya co-created a new collection for On, the Swiss fashion company, and Spike Jonze directed this cool promotional video starring the actress. I’ve always loved his aesthetic — along with Michel Gondry, no one makes these types of videos seem “hand-crafted” (in a way that is
Lehman College Art Gallery Presents the 2026 Thesis Exhibition
On view May 20 to 28, the show brings together over thirty undergraduate and graduate artists, reflecting a broad spectrum of conceptual inquiry and material experimentation.
Between Tropes and Treats at NADA New York
In a sea of zany little sculptures and assemblages, shiny stuff™, abstracted horniness, and kitschy vibrancy, there were works I did enjoy.
The Guardian asked authors, critics, and academics to...
The Guardian asked authors, critics, and academics to help compile a list of the best 100 novels of all time . They’ve done 41-100 so far. Selecting a book will show you who voted for it, then click on the voter’s name to see their other choices.
The 2026 National Recording Registry inductees were...
The 2026 National Recording Registry inductees were announced today . “The 2026 selections mark the first recordings by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé chosen for the registry.” Also: music from Weezer, The Go-Go’s, Chaka Khan, and Johnny Cash.
Faig Ahmed Weaves Mysticism, Science, Technology, and Craft into ‘The Attention’
At the 61st Venice Biennale, Ahmed expands upon his interest in the dialectic between digital processes and hand-crafted techniques. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per
This Tiny Celestial Body Past Pluto Shouldn’t Have an...
This Tiny Celestial Body Past Pluto Shouldn’t Have an Atmosphere—but Astronomers Say They May Have Detected One .
The Guadalupe Swept Us Away. This Is the Story of All That Came After.
"In the days after last July’s historic disaster, I wrote about the tragedy that befell my family. But crawling out of the river was only the beginning."
A Moment That Changed Me: I Saw My First Total Solar...
A Moment That Changed Me: I Saw My First Total Solar Eclipse — and Its Beauty Shook Me to My Core . “I knew the theory, but I was not ready for the experience.”
Consider the Sister
"Amy Wallace has spent two decades guarding the human her brother was—against a world that prefers David Foster Wallace as a puzzle."
Silvesterchlausen
‘We’re not sure what it means or how it started’ – the enigmatic ritual that has existed in Switzerland for centuries - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Rights require money
Talk as much as you like about human rights, nothing will change until the architecture of global finance is reformed - by Attiya Waris Read on Aeon
Failure To Lawn
On what a dying patch of turfgrass can teach us about water scarcity, ecological repair, and the lies we tell ourselves about success.
Cats & Dogs
A dog gets fed and thinks his person is an omniscient, benevolent being. A cat gets fed and thinks it is. How we see ourselves in this analogy is actually up to each of us, every day. It also tells us a bit about how we think about customers, vendors, and partners.
The Most Influential Philosophers Explained in 26 Minutes: From Socrates to Wittgenstein
The question of who are the fifteen most influential philosophers of all time may not arise at every conversation down at the pub — not outside the circle of Open Culture readers, in any case. But even among non-specialists, it could spark a livelier debate than you might
The Tarot Card Deck Created by Salvador Dalí
The Tarot has long been a tool of charlatans. But it has also long been embraced by brilliant, unconventional thinkers, many of whom themselves have a touch of the charlatan about them (and who would just as likely admit it with a smile). William Butler Yeats was a fan, as is
What Childhood Folklore Did You Learn As a Kid?
I loved this post by Kelsey Miller for Cup of Jo about “childlore” . “Remember typing ‘BOOBS’ on a calculator?!” someone will blurt. “Or — or that thing when you’re driving by a cemetery and you have to hold your breath?” I love hearing the tiny differences in details (some
In ‘Piercing the Veil,’ Marina Kappos Gets to Know the Spectre of Grief
Kappos' solo exhibition of new paintings opens on Friday at SHRINE in New York. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article In ‘Piercing the Veil,’ Marina
What Does a Booth Cost at a New York Art Fair?
We asked 13 fairs to open up about booth pricing, and what they shared (and didn't) revealed much about transparency and affordability in the art world.
At Brooklyn Creative Reuse, Art Supplies Get a Second Life
The sustainable second-hand market for art materials in Industry City might give Blick a run for its money while helping you save some of yours.
The Ukrainian Pavilion’s Deer Seen Around the World
Before arriving in Venice, Zhanna Kadyrova’s “The Origami Deer” undertook an epic journey mirroring those of displaced Ukrainians.
I Want to Live Like Costco People . “Embracing the...
I Want to Live Like Costco People . “Embracing the Costco lifestyle means accepting the fact that I am, in many ways, becoming my father.”