Travel
March 28, 2025

My Modern Met’s Art + Culture Guide to Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest city in the southwestern United States and has a vibrant culture to match. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the desert and sunny skies about 300 days out of the year, there is always something to do and look forward to in terms of art, culture, and food. The desert has long been a source of inspiration for people throughout history.

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Animals
March 27, 2025

18th-Century Portuguese Library Has Bats That Protect the Priceless Books Housed Inside

Stashed inside the Biblioteca Joanina at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, are more than 60,000 books, many of which are first or historical editions dating back hundreds of years. Preserving such precious volumes demands care, attention, and, in this case, bats. Every night, colonies of bats emerge from behind the towering bookshelves, swooping across the 18th-century library in search of the beetles and moths that would otherwise chew up manuscript pages.

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Art
March 27, 2025

Expressive Charcoal Portraits That Play With Chaos and Uncertainty

Charcoal can easily be considered a chaotic medium: it smudges, it’s difficult to erase, it’s soft enough to break under too much pressure, and, because of this, it can feel uncontrollable. For Josh Hernandez, these features are part of the draw. Throughout his artwork, he seamlessly manages both the volatile and expressive aspects of charcoal, creating scenes that teem with movement and personality.

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Travel
March 26, 2025

$8 Billion Tunnel Will Connect Denmark and Germany, Cutting Travel Time in Half

Despite being bordering countries, there aren’t many direct routes between Denmark and Germany. To ameliorate this, the two countries have embarked upon an ambitious collaboration: the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. This tunnel will dramatically reduce travel times between major cities like Copenhagen and Hamburg, and will serve not only as Denmark’s largest infrastructure project but also the world’s longest immersed tunnel at 11 miles.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.