A bulletpointed and somewhat random list of things we’ve been noticing.
Each work in Ian Wright‘s exhibition Mass Production is made up of “2,800 one-inch button badges.” Appropriately, two of his works copy Chuck Close’s grid paintings and an image of Andy Warhol (above).
How do Muslim astronauts pray in space? It’s a question Malaysia is grappling with as it plans to send its first citizens into orbit.
Every spring, bioluminescent firefly squid surface in Japan’s Toyama Bay. Quite a sight, these 7 cm squid “shed light from around a thousand tiny light-producing organs located in the skin at the ends of their tentacles, around their eyes, and on their bodies (their mantles). It is speculated that this phosphorescence disguises the animal’s outline, or perhaps serves to intimidate or confuse potential predators.”
Politically (if I may editorialize), things feel a bit medieval these days, and now perhaps this confirms it: a woman in LA has contracted bubonic plague! But don’t worry, say health officials. Simple tactics, like using flea repellant, can help prevent the disease, which is carried by squirrels.
George Bush invented the iPod? Well, not quite, but he says the government helped. (Al Gore was not named.)
While the metaphor is direct, Peace Art Cambodia‘s efforts to turn swords into ploughshares is admirable: to deal with an abundance of surplus and illegal weapons, the government began metalworking classes so artisans can convert small arms into art, all while promoting a weapon-free society and taking 160,000 guns off the street.
Ou Vanndy’s Elephant