News from around the world, including a newly discovered Edo Period burial ground, the evolution of v
| News from around the world, including a newly discovered Edo Period burial ground, the evolution of voting ballots in the US, and some film news and reviews.Now that New York museums will open in the next week or so, things may kind of return to “normal.” Let’s hope this goes smoothly. Now, the news …—Hrag Vartanian, Editor-in-chief | |
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| Edo Tombs, Native Land Bot |
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| | Graves discovered in the southern part of the Umedahaka burial grounds in Osaka’s Kita Ward. (alll photos courtesy Osaka City Cultural Properties Association) |
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| This month, a construction project in Osaka, Japan, discovered one of seven historically significant graveyards that dates back to the late Edo Period. Writer Johnny Waldman explained, “It’s located nearby JR Osaka Station, making it akin to finding a burial ground right by New York’s Grand Central Terminal.” It’s incredible what exists right under our feet and we have no idea.Speaking of under our feet, a new SMS bot has been released into the world and by texting 907-312-5085 along with the city and state you are in (like “Brooklyn, NY”) you will receive a message telling you the name of the Indigenous territory you are in. Created by Code for Anchorage, it is only available in the US for now. What an excellent use of SMS. |
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| Voting has become very politicized this year in the US, so it’s interesting to look back at the history of electoral ballot design, which is featured in a new book by Alicia Yin Cheng. It includes some interesting early history:Before paper ballots, people used the viva voce system, rooted in ancient Greece, where voters announced their candidate to a clerk. In some US colonies, voters would use objects, like corn and beams, to vote yea or nay; and in other states, people would line up on opposite sides of a road to signal how they were voting.Also, if you are in the US, please vote! If you don’t know how, check out this US government site for more information. |
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| BlackStar Celebrates Black, Brown, and Indigenous Stories |
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| | From Coded Bias (2020), dir. Shalini Kantayya |
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| Now, something that should be on your cultural radar. Philadelphia’s BlackStar (August 20–26) is in its ninth year and it continues to celebrate BIPOC stories that, according to Bedatri Choudhury, “consistently resisting the forces that try to define culture in majoritarian terms.” Good news for those who want to watch and can’t get to the City of Brotherly Love: it’s all online and BlackStar Live!, the festival’s daily morning show, will stream on Facebook. Enjoy! |
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| A new documentary is taking a look at nudity in films. The play between clothed and nude has always been a subject in cinema — and art — but how it is portrayed is key. Justine Smith explains:There’s something vaguely embarrassing about nakedness; it is unwanted or self-aware. On the other hand, the nude has an element of intention in its vulnerability. In a painting like Van der Weyden’s “The Descent from the Cross,” the nakedness of Christ emphasizes the humiliation and grace of his human form. Rather than an object of pleasure, his body is a source of discomfort for the viewer … Skin hints at a long history of abuses that have occurred within the use of sex in the film industry. |
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| That’s a Lot of Wall Text |
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| Art historian Ben Street was confronted by this wall of text in a Viennese museum. I mean, wow. He didn’t reveal the exact location, but my guess is Mumok. Can I suggest they consider putting this all in a book next time? 🤭 |
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