Arts, Culture & Media
As winter arrives in the southern hemisphere, Brazilians celebrate ‘June Festivals’
They’re called “Festas Juninas” — or June Festivals — and they are the heart of Brazilian culture this time of the year. What’s special about these festivals is that they’re generally not celebrated in big mega events, like Carnival in February, but they’re held in each town and community across the country. As Michael Fox reports from Florianopolis, in southern Brazil, these festivals spring from a deep well of history and broad mix of cultural influences passed from one generation to the next.
Lacquerware artisans are still displaced by earthquake in Japan
Thousands of people are still displaced following an earthquake in Ishikawa prefecture in Japan on Jan. 1. The epicenter of the quake was on the Noto Peninsula, an area known for its deep traditions, including a distinct style of lacquered tableware and teaware made in the town of Wajima. The earthquake triggered a fire in Wajima, and lacquerware craftspeople lost workshops full of specialized tools. Hannah Kirshner caught up with some of these artisans in Yamanaka Onsen, at the southwest corner of Ishikawa, where some have relocated, to see how the move might redefine this centuries-old craft.
New book explores the world of unbuilt architecture
In the world of architecture, there are many plans that never actually get built. A new book, “Atlas of Never Built Architecture,” by Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell, is a compendium of buildings, city plans and other structures that were designed, but never actually got off the ground.
How AI is helping to recreate childhood memories
What do you do with a cherished memory that has no record — not even a photo or a video? This Spanish company, Domestic Data Streamers, might help. They’ve harnessed artificial intelligence to turn fading recollections into visual or “synthetic” memories. The end product isn’t quite a photo — or art. But it’s helping people reconnect with their pasts.
Who was Toussaint L’Ouverture, the namesake behind Boston’s new Haitian cultural center?
The Toussaint L’Ouverture Cultural Center of Massachusetts, is set to celebrate its groundbreaking near TD Garden in Boston on May 20. It will act as a gathering place and resource center for local Haitians. And organizers hope it will also help the legacy of one of history’s great leaders live on. GBH’s Esteban Bustillos has the story.
After decades of being overlooked, African art gets its moment
African art served as an inspiration in the 19th century for some of the greatest European artists, like Picasso, Gaugin and Matisse. But artists from Africa have played a small part in the international art world — until now. Earlier this month, a gallery in New York City held one of the largest showings of African contemporary art in the world.