Beach Reading and Foot Stuff
Today: The story of a rare Michelangelo sketch, the battle over a San Francisco brutalist icon, and more.
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Warhol Foundation Awards 31 Arts Writing Grants
The winners include art critics and historians who will write about colonialism, immigration, and Palestine in the visual arts context.
Very Important People
"'Whichever line is the longest,' I said. 'That's the line I belong in.'"
The red zone, wasted
Sports cars have a tachometer, a gauge showing how close the motor is to melting down. When the revs enter the red zone, performance is enhanced–for a while. Do it too much or for too long, and you’ll burn out. In our work, there are two sorts of red zones. Athletes know that
Why Do Filmmakers Call The Battle of Algiers the Greatest War Movie Ever?: Watch It Free Online
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, the loose Thomas Pynchon adaptation One Battle After Another, serves up many a memorable scene. But for a certain kind of cinephile, nothing — not the terrorist attacks, not the chases, not the swerves into askew comedy — sticks in the mind
The Oldest Known Depiction of Human Sexuality: The Turin Papyrus (Circa 1150 B.C.E.)
Image via Wikimedia Commons With the old joke about every generation thinking they invented sex, Listverse brings us the papyrus above, the oldest depiction of sex on record. Painted sometime in the Ramesside Period (1292–1075 B.C.E.), the fragments above—called the “Turin
Mayor Mamdani’s Artistic Vision
All you need to know about the New York art world this week.
An Astonishing Graph
For most of human history, around 50% of children used to die before they reached the end of puberty. In 2020, that number is 4.3% . It’s 0.3% in countries like Japan & Norway. This dramatic decline has resulted from better nutrition, clean water, sanitation, neonatal
Very Good Music Fun Facts from Go Jeff Go including: “Hall and...
Very Good Music Fun Facts from Go Jeff Go including: “Hall and Oates never referred to themselves as “Hall and Oates.” All their records say Daryl Hall and John Oates. Also, there is a 9-inch height difference between Hall & Oates.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Preservation Group Appeals Dismantling of SF Brutalist Fountain
The Vaillancourt Fountain in Embarcadero Plaza could be removed as soon as February.
Hortensia Mi Kafchin Refuses a Monolithic Trans Identity
The artist blends personal portraits that address but cannot be reduced to trans identity with utopian visions of what humanity could be.
Level Devil. This game is hilarious and diabolical....
Level Devil . This game is hilarious and diabolical. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Stop Putting Art on Miami Beach
The mere spectacle of Es Devlin’s revolving library on the sand betrays its aim of engaging us in the act of reading.
Alphabet in Motion: Artist Kelli Anderson’s Wondrous Pop-up Biography of the Letters
It is astonishing enough that we invented language, this vessel of thought that shapes what it contains, that we lifted it to our lips to sip the world and tell each other what we taste, what it is like to be alive in this particular sensorium. But then we passed it from our
Michelangelo Drawing of a Foot Could Fetch $2M at Auction
The newly discovered five-inch sketch dates back 500 years.
Woodland Puppets Sing an Ode to Friendship in Apple’s Refreshingly Analog Holiday Ad
Titled "A Critter Carol," the short film takes its cues from compassion, creativity, and community. 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 Woodland
Retrospekt refurbs and sells retro technology (VHS tapes, cassette players, instant cameras,...
Retrospekt refurbs and sells retro technology (VHS tapes, cassette players, instant cameras, typewriters, iPods). 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
A Line in a Tom Stoppard Play Inspired a New Breast Cancer Treatment
In a letter to the Times of London , Dr. Michael Baum tells how a line in Arcadia by Tom Stoppard sparked an idea which resulted in adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, a therapy Baum helped pioneer which greatly increased the survivability of breast cancer. Sir, In 1993 my wife
The National Museum of the American Indian Presents Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe
The first major retrospective of acclaimed artist Truman Lowe (Hoocąk [Ho-Chunk]), features nearly 50 evocative sculptures and drawings.
I’m in Charge at This Hertz Location, and Buddy, You’re Not Getting...
I’m in Charge at This Hertz Location, and Buddy, You’re Not Getting a Car Today . “Tell me, honestly, when you reserved a rental car through Hertz, you thought… what? That we were going to set aside a special little car just for you? Seriously?”
The Art Crossword: Art Heist Edition
And no, the Louvre security password being “Louvre” isn’t a clue.
Luminous Western Australia Waves Crash Ashore in Kevin Krautgartner’s Aerial Photos
Krautgartner spends a lot of time planning and waiting for ideal weather conditions and swells. 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 Luminous Western
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
In just a few days (Dec 5), the entirety of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill duology will be released in theaters as one four-hour-long film. Here’s the trailer : Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated
A list of 25 Things to Say to Your Children, including “You...
A list of 25 Things to Say to Your Children , including “You can do hard things. I’ve seen you do them before and you can do them again.”; “I’m proud of you.”; and “It’s so brave to feel your feelings.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Paul Ford on normalized AI & what happens when bubbles burst. “When...
Paul Ford on normalized AI & what happens when bubbles burst . “When the bubble is big, every idea feels like a billion-dollar idea. I yearn for cheap ideas from strangers.”
Our Favorite Books of 2025
From gardens to nail art to artist-led activism, these books are the Colossal team's favorites of the year. 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 Our
David Byrne’s Tiny Desk Concert
There are a few artists where you hear their name and “Tiny Desk” together and you think, well, that’s going to be great. David Byrne is one of those and his performance does not disappoint. Though Byrne and his band do normally spread out across large stages, the set design