“Boubacar Sadek is believed to be the last remaining master calligrapher in Mali. He fled Timbuktu with rare documents. He now makes a living in the capital Bamako, copying old manuscripts for posterity, as well as selling hand-made replicas to tourists.”
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Graffiti Artists Paint Dome Of Spanish Romanesque Church
“In L’Hospitalet, near Barcelona, a priest let a bunch of graffiti artists go to town on his church. Specifically, on the dome ceiling above the main altar. … ‘Even though the press is scandalized by graffiti artists,’ he said, ‘for me graffiti is just another artistic technique’.” (And it doesn’t look like Keith Haring.)
Stefan Kudelski, Who Made Sound Recording Portable, Dead At 84
“While few outside the film and radio industries may recognize the name Stefan Kudelski, his Nagra recorder – meaning ‘will record’ in Kudelski’s native Polish – transformed the world of sound recording for radio, television and film.”
200 Years Of Pride And Prejudice Covers
“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that sometimes it’s OK to judge a book by its cover. This week marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of one of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels … [and] the numerous editions of the original text have also seen a wealth of interpretive covers: from the annotated to the peacock-inspired.”
Retreating Rebels Burn Priceless Timbuktu Archives
“Islamist insurgents retreating from Timbuktu set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless historic manuscripts, according to the Saharan town’s mayor.”
Origami-Based Architecture
“Architects love origami because it achieves what buildings rarely do: frame space through extreme economy of means. … Building technologies like 3D modeling and rapid prototyping have made it possible for architecture to mimic the elegant and sometimes complex folds found in origami making with minimal structural interference.”
How Good Does Karaoke Have To Be To Qualify As Art?
Baby Ketten Karaoke, created and run by musician John Brophy with impressively careful craftsmanship, “is ecstatic, virtuosic and a little intimidating. At the center of Portland’s amazingly creative karaoke scene, it’s something close to a genuine artistic movement. And it’s ridiculously fun.”
Seeing Royal Ballet Dancers In A New Light
“Now Is All There Is – Bodies in Motion, a series of 34 images created over the past two years, captures the astonishing poise and expression of the dancers’ bodies away from their workaday environment at the Royal Opera House.”
Celebrities Get Naked With Sea Creatures
“A campaign to stop overfishing features photos of celebs in their birthday suits, cuddling up with marine creatures to draw attention to overfishing. It’s safe for work, unless your boss hates fish.”
Behind The Scenes At The Royal Ballet’s Fairy-Tale Triptych
“The Royal’s latest Triple Bill, which features the Stravinsky/Fokine Firebird, Jerome Robbins’s In the Night and Act 3 of the Nureyev Raymonda, is being acclaimed as one of the company’s festive highlights – and not a piece of tinsel in sight. Photographer Tristram Kenton has been watching it come together behind the scenes.”