We Are All Characters Now

Lately, you can barely move on the internet for news of a lookalike competition. Once the preserve of the village fete or the more obscure corners of Comi Con, there was one this weekend for Dev Patel in San Francisco, described as “wholesome” by the writer, Taylor Lorentz. It followed similar outings recently for Harry Styles in…

Soil in Contemporary Art

As a foundation of life and a reservoir of history, soil is a powerful and timeless cultural symbol. The word “human” actually comes from the Latin word “humus,” meaning earth or ground. Reflecting on humanity’s relationship with the Earth, artists have long embraced soil as a medium, from Palaeolithic sculptures to Renaissance frescoes using soil…

Nothing Concrete: A Case Against Perfect Cities

Between train stations, office cubicles, waiting rooms, school corridors and parks, it is safe to assume that the places and buildings we inhabit have and continue to define the way we navigate space. Transit through infrastructure is pre-planned by others, so well that the design is barely noticeable, in perfect adherence to the behavioural anticipations…

An Intimate Portrait of Past, Present and Future South Africa

As part of T A P E’s SNAPSHOT, a year-long touring programme featuring films exploring Black girlhood, made by Black female filmmakers, MILISUTHANDO, directed, written and narrated by Milisuthando Bongela, is screening in select cinemas until March 2025. A deeply intimate portrait of past, present and future South Africa, blending poetry, film, and photography into…

Sonia Boyce Wants Us to Take Play More Seriously

British Afro-Caribbean artist Sonia Boyce (b. 1962, UK) has been a well-known figure in the British art scene for four decades, but her new exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery aims to tell the lesser-known story of her artistic journey. An Awkward Relation affords Boyce a rare opportunity to pause and look backwards at a key turning…

What’s Inspiring Artist and Filmmaker Riar Rizaldi

Indonesian artist and filmmaker Riar Rizaldi’s work explores the relationship between science, fiction, and technology. Opened earlier this month and on view at Gasworks in London until 22 December 2024, Mirage is the artist’s first UK solo exhibition. Comprising the first and second chapter of an ambitious, ongoing, ten-year project, the exhibition centres on a…

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