Animals
October 18, 2019

Kind Divers Spend Hours Helping an Octopus Trade a Plastic Cup for a Protective Shell

It’s no secret that the ocean is becoming more and more contaminated with plastic waste. And while humans are to blame, it’s the sea creatures that have to cope with the consequences. In a recent video shot by diver Pall Sigurdsson, a tiny coconut octopus (aka veined octopus) swimming in the waters of Lembeh, Indonesia was captured taking shelter inside a disposable plastic cup.

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Installation
October 17, 2019

Artist Designs Machine You Crank to Earn Minimum Wage, One Penny at a Time

Conceptual artist Blake Fall-Conroy creates work that often touches on socio-economic themes. As a self-taught engineer, many of his art pieces involve mechanisms that allow him to get his point across. This is most evident in his Minimum Wage Machine, a lightning-rod installation that speaks about the value of labor and one's time. People are asked to turn a crank that will then release a penny at specific intervals.

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Photography
October 16, 2019

Photographer Uses LEDs on Drones to “Draw” Light Paths on the World’s Largest Salt Flats

Photographer Reuben Wu is known for his artistic landscape imagery, which he creates by using LED lights attached to a drone. By taking long-exposure photographs, Wu is able to have complete control over how we perceive light within the environment. His newest work even incorporates light painting for an even more surreal effect.

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Sculpture
October 15, 2019

Powerful Statue Offers a Contemporary Response to Confederate Monuments

For centuries, the equestrian portrait has played a pivotal role in the politics of art. Originally reserved for members of nobility in Ancient Greece and Rome, portrayals of people on horseback eventually featured high-status sitters and, later, military figures—including Confederate soldiers in the United States. Given the controversial history of these statues, it comes as no surprise that celebrated contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley has harnessed this motif to craft his latest piece, Rumors of War.

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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.