Latest posts
Ibrahim El-Salahi: The Sudanese Artist Who Merged Modernism with Islamic Art
“A picture is no more than a mirror, a vehicle that takes one back to one’s self, to turn one’s sight inwards to find the self within,” writes artist Ibrahim El-Salahi. Detailed and contemplative, his layered paintings feel at times like workings-out, arithmetic in brushstrokes. Born in 1930 in Omdurman, Sudan, El-Salahi is a pioneer…
Ellipse and Ellipsis: A Manifesto for Spatial Listening
Ellipse and Ellipsis unfolds as a spatial manifesto, continuing a series of curatorial interventions I’ve developed in domestic or transient spaces over the past years. Focused on ephemeral media—voice, sound, performance, and site-specific installations—these practices shape the viewer–work–environment relationship through cohabitation. As the first curated exhibition at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, it felt essential to…
A Look Ahead at Some of the Best Independent Cinema, Summer and Fall 2025
Beyond the titles featured in our 2025 preview of global independent and arthouse cinema for the first half of the year, there is a gamut of imaginative, accomplished works to look out for during the rest of 2025. A vast cross-section of these feature films — from promising debut directors to veterans of the industry — will…
The Island as Teacher: Learning from the Land in Bali
Bali’s landscape invites us to contemplate the complex relationship between humanity and nature. This island, often referred to as paradise, embodies both beauty and fragility; its lush terrains are not merely scenic backdrops but living narratives that reflect traditional philosophies. Its cultural landscape is a multidimensional phenomenon that reveals its historical roots while adapting to…
Interviews
Decolonising Darwin: Sāmoan-Japanese Artist Yuki Kihara on Q...
“Growing up in Catholic schools often limited my exposure to broader historical perspectives, particularly the Indigenous Pacific worldview that is frequently overlooked. My personal journey towards decolonisation continues as I explore various archives that challenge my understanding of the world around us,” Yuki Kihara tells Something Curated’s Keshav Anand, discussing her new show, Darwin in…
A Pitch-Perfect Portrait of the Millennial Creative Class: I...
The opening pages of Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection are lavished with an itemised description of a chic apartment complete with Scandinavian furniture, a geometric berber rug, lush monstera plants and past issues of Monocle and the New Yorker stacked neatly. Originally written and published in Italian as Le Perfezioni in 2022, Perfection is a slim novel…
Interview: Xiaoqiao on Slow Cinema, Anish Kapoor, and Her De...
Out on 9 April, the London-based harpist and singer-songwriter Xiaoqiao emerges with her anticipated debut, Weltschmerz, a reverie of memory and introspection. Layering celestial harp melodies and spectral harmonies, her work draws from ancient philosophy and contemporary sonics alike. The project’s lead single, Lethe, unfurls as a hypnotic lament, meditating on oblivion, accompanied by a…
Queer East Festival Returns to London This April and May: 6 Projects Not to Miss
For its sixth and most expansive edition to date, Queer East Festival returns to London this spring with a vibrant celebration of queer cinema, performance, and visual culture from East and Southeast Asia – and, for the first time, Central and South Asia. With over 100 titles and a bold new strand spotlighting diasporic stories…
The Principles of Mexican Cooking in One Simple Dish: How to Make Rodrigo Cervantes’ Enfrijoladas
My first memory of this dish is very warm: I was maybe seven or eight and I would spend the night at my aunt’s place. I remember her making it for me while I sat at the kitchen table and watched her go through the process in a matter of fact way: Heat the beans,…
Something Curated Music Monthly Is Now on Spotify and Tidal
As we saw in the March edition, not everything in music has to be loud to make noise. This month, quiet comebacks, slow-burn masterpieces, and stubbornly independent spaces spoke volumes. From the understated genius of Momus to the return of Tortoise, the sonic worldbuilding of Charif Megarbane and the reawakening of a modern classic by…
Five Books to Keep This Easter Interesting
Easter is one of those times where even people who don’t usually have time to read feel like it is time to relax and spend a few hours in the company of a book. Here are five suggestions to keep those hours fun and, more often than not, more than a little weird. VANISHING WORLD,…
Guides
A Guide to Fuorisalone — Milan Design Week
Imagine lounging on a Maralunga sofa while sipping a cocktail from a Kartell glass, as Flos lamps play with the light around you. Imagine you are in Milan – from the charming Brera district to the fashion quadrilateral, from the historic Duomo square to the picturesque Navigli, and on to the dynamic Tortona neighbourhood. Every…
Where to Find Exceptional Texas Barbecue (With a Difference)
There are thousands of barbecue places in Texas, and there are probably even more outside of Texas. The cuisine of smoked brisket, ribs, and sausage (but mainly brisket) has made fans of people all over the world, but outside of Texas the quality can be extremely variable. Many places in Europe try to hide middling…
Five Books to Read This Month
Believe it or not, this marks the first year anniversary of this column. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. But enough of that. Here are five more for you. THE LIFE, OLD AGE, AND DEATH OF A WORKING-CLASS WOMAN, Didier Eribon Allen Lane, pp. 256 Eribon is…
The Art of Absence: Inside Nicole Coson’s ‘Membranes’ at Silverlens, Manila
It’s humid and although the sun has now dipped beneath the Manila skyline, the heat still lingers. Outside Silverlens Gallery in Makati, several groups have convened. From various food stalls, the fêted Toyo Eatery is serving up pork buns, citrusy salads, ice creams flavoured with rice wine and avocado, and litres of delicious fresh coconut…
Delphiniums, Ex-Wives, and an Eckhaus Latta Collab: Lisa Oppenheim’s Portrait of Edward Steichen
Approaching the gallery in which Lisa Oppenheim: Monsieur Steichen is installed, the first thing I notice is a vase packed with lush foliage and flowers. Light pours into the Henry J. and Erna D. Leir Pavilion at Mudam Luxembourg, making the leaves and petals glow. It’s so bright, the sunshine bouncing of the white walls,…
Photographer Dan Martensen’s Favourite Things
Dan Martensen embodies the vibrant energy of his native New York, a whirlwind of passion for family, friends, music, and the city’s cultural fabric. He brings that same passion to his dual vocations: photography and bagels. He moves quickly, recounting significant moments from his life, including interactions with some of the world’s most famous names….
Mythmaking in the Information Age: In Conversation with Eunjo Lee
Bringing together a body of work that blends 3D animation, mythology and ecological speculation, South Korean artist and filmmaker Eunjo Lee returns to her alma mater—where she graduated just last year—for a solo exhibition at Goldsmiths CCA. The presentation, titled Before the Shadow Taught the Sun, is part of the gallery’s Episodes series, a programme…
From The Archive
Meet Harris Dickinson, the Compelling Lead Actor of ‘B...
British actor Harris Dickinson plays the lead role in Eliza Hittman’s critically acclaimed Beach Rats, which chronicles a young man’s struggle with his sexuality over the course of a summer, amid the stultifying machismo of outer Brooklyn. Opening in select theatres on 24 November, the film follows Frankie, portrayed by Dickinson, as he roams the…
Interview: Ernesto Neto On Gravity, Togetherness & The ...
Since the 1990s, Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto has produced an inimitable body of work that is in equal parts informed by sensuality and spirituality. Inspired by the Brazilian Conceptualists Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica, as well as biomorphism, Minimalism and Arte Povera, Neto’s works engage all of our senses while asserting the human body as…
SC Exclusive: Notes on a Siren — a Film Essay by Justice Jam...
Director Justice Jamal Jones joins myth with modern themes of Black queerness and trans identity in their latest film, Notes on a Siren. Presented by Something Curated, and exclusively premiering on the site, the film was shot on location at Palm Heights in Grand Cayman. Jones expands on the thinking behind their mesmerising work below….