art

AI Nostalgia Videos Revive a Dreamy Vision of 1980s Life

“The 1980s are calling,” a teenager with a throwback hairstyle tells viewers as “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” the Tears for Fears rock anthem from that decade, plays in the background. The fake montage — entirely generated using artificial intelligence — has racked up more than 600,000 “likes” on Instagram and is part of an ...

'Wicked' Sequel Dominates Box Office With Record-Breaking Debut

Universal's musical sequel Wicked: For Good stole the box office spotlight in its North America debut this weekend, with a record-setting haul to the tune of $150 million, industry estimates showed Sunday. Variety said the film's debut was the highest ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, while analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment ...

Ornella Vanoni, a Timeless Voice who Shaped Six Decades of Italian Music

Before becoming a singer, Vanoni was an actress. Trained at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro, she made her debut in 1960 under the direction of Giorgio Strehler, her mentor and companion, performing in Brecht’s plays. It was there she developed her mastery of text, nuance and emotional presence, foundations of her future musical identity. Her early ...

Rome Exposes Sexist Paradigms with a 'Patriarchy' Exhibition

A temporary exhibition on patriarchy in Rome showcases sexist paradigms in Italy’s male-dominated and macho society, where gender equality “is a distant prospect.” It is the year 2148 and women and men are equal: Rome’s temporary “Museum of the Patriarchy” looks back from the future to highlight the gender gap. Pink and blue payslips ...

Jafar Panahi Accelerates Awards Campaign Amid Global Political Constraints

After years of being banned from leaving Iran, filmmaker Jafar Panahi is enjoying his tour of the United States — visiting Los Angeles, New York and Telluride — as he promotes his Oscar-hopeful It Was Just an Accident. The film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, has been selected by France as its official nomination for the Academy Awards, ...

Miss Mexico Wins Miss Universe Crown After Intense Pageant Turmoil

Miss Mexico was crowned Miss Universe in Thailand on Friday, strutting to victory after several dramatic missteps before the final round, including staging a walkout when an organizer of the beauty pageant chastised her. Contestants from Ivory Coast, the Philippines, Thailand and Venezuela also made it to the final stage, selected from more than ...

Nigeria’s Bronze Masters Preserve Ancient Craft Amid Modern Pressures

Using long iron tongs, Victor Uinmwen Aduwe and Matthew Mathias pick a blazing pot from a fire and pour a thick golden liquid into a partly buried mold, using a centuries-old technique that still flourishes in Nigeria's south. After a short cooling period, the mold is dug up and opened, revealing three small bronze heads fashioned after an ancient ...

'El Sueño': Frida Kahlo Sets Historic Auction Record With Iconic Painting

A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold for $54.66 million in New York on Thursday, setting a new record for the price of a painting by a woman, the auction house Sotheby's said. The sale of Kahlo's 1940 artwork, titled El sueño (La cama) — which translates to The Dream (The Bed) — breaks the previous record in this ...

Klimt Portrait Achieves Historic Price in Record-Breaking Auction

A portrait by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt fetched $236.4 million in New York on Tuesday, becoming the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. Six bidders battled for 20 minutes over the Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which Klimt painted between 1914 and 1916. The piece depicts the daughter of Klimt's main patron dressed in a white ...

'Demon Slayer' Film Shatters Historic Global Box Office Record

The latest film adaptation of the Demon Slayer manga franchise has become the first Japanese movie to gross more than 100 billion yen ($644 million) worldwide, its distributors said. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — Infinity Castle: Part 1, about sword-swishing Tanjiro Kamado's final showdown to slay demons and make his sister human again, is ...

Wicked Sequel Expands Oz With Depth, Music And Magic

When Universal Pictures split its musical adaptation of Wicked into two films, the move was derided by some critics as a cynical — if spectacularly successful — money grab. But with Wicked: For Good out in theaters around the world this week, its stars and filmmakers say the decision has freed them up to expand the Wizard of Oz prequel ...

Iran Design Week Sparks Controversy After Viral Videos Surface

A cultural event in Iran dedicated to design has stirred controversy after viral videos—denounced as “vulgar”—showed women without headscarves, leading to a partial shutdown, a local media outlet reported Sunday. Tehran Design Week, held across roughly sixty venues, promotes itself as a must-see gathering for brands, artists, and design ...