Fireworks Show on the Himalayas Sparks Fierce Controversy: Is Nature a Canvas for Human Artistry?

Famous outdoor brand Arc'teryx and pyrotechnic artist Cai Guoqiang lately apologized after their collaborative fireworks display nearly blew up Tibet's sacred mountains and damaged the local ecosystem. Is the fusion of nature and art a homage or desecration?

The Cartoon That Predicted 2025

Nearly 100 years later, she remains louder, bolder, and stranger than ever. Plus: Grizzly Man, Art Basel, UT Austin Research, and more.

Will Art Basel Qatar Be Safe?

For Art Basel, the timing is delicate. And a lot is at stake.

What Grizzly Man Tells Us About Creating Our Own Meaning

Is Timothy Treadwell, as presented in Werner Herzog's documentary, a role model or a cautionary tale? In fact, he's both at the same time.

Culture is a Cult

Mona Awad's "Rouge" shows us the way in which culture becomes a cult which we have to choose to escape for our own sanity.

Betty Boop: Why a 1930s Cartoon Jazzy Diva Still Speaks to Us in 2025?

And More Behind the Early Design, Jazz, and Production.

Best Cities for Young Musicians 2025 + Art in Turmoil, Loneliness Novel, Erotic Cinema

A data-led ranking of city centers; making art in turmoil; a novel that foresaw loneliness; where cinema’s erotic charge went.

Top 5 Best Cities for Young Musicians In 2025

We researched the top cities for new musicians to flock to using 6 different metrics.

In times of turmoil, where do artists find their place?

Over the last week alone we’ve seen headlines of staggering violence: Charlie Kirk killed at a campus event in Utah, stabbings in Charleston, Israeli bombings on Qatar, and even an attempted overthrow abroad. In these moments I ask this question: where are the artists?

The Loneliness Epidemic Isn’t Just Modern. One Novel Proved It Decades Ago.

Back in the day, loneliness was not an epidemic. It was a way of life. Now, we are lonelier than ever, but do we already have the cure?

Movies used to be sexy without trying, now they aren’t. What changed?

Casual eroticism that took sex as intrinsically valuable has disappeared from the movies. What made it vanish and how might it come back?

Books, Beats & Big Ideas

We are coming back from summer break strong. This week we’re stretching across worlds: baseball and pool halls, space stations and sci-fi, lofi beats and anime memories, and the challenge of reading for both work and joy.