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International Booker Prize 2020 announced; check out which books made it

The much anticipated shortlist of the 2020 International Booker Prize has been announced. Announced digitally by the judges with the aid of a video, the list consists of six books: The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar (Farsi-Iran), translated by Anonymous, published by Europa Editions; The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (Spanish-Argentina), translated by Iona Macintyre and Fiona Mackintosh, published by Charco Press; Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann (Germany-German), translated by Ross B........

Meet the Japanese wheelchair dancer who dreams of performing at Olympics ceremony

Whirling, spinning, reaching, grasping - Japanese wheelchair dancer Kenta Kambara's emotive performances are wordless testimony to artistic passion and possibility. Born with spina bifida, a disorder that paralysed his lower body, Kambara aims to perform at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics opening or closing ceremonies, seeking to send a message to disabled and able-bodied people alike: it's okay to be different. "If you can't walk with your legs, it's okay to walk with your hands. If there is something you want to do but cannot, it'........

How artists are using cubist face paint to thwart facial recognition

As night falls in London, Georgina Rowlands and Anna Hart start applying makeup. Instead of lipstick and eyeliner, they're covering their faces with geometric shapes. Rowlands has long narrow blue triangles and thin white rectangles criss-crossing her face. Hart has a collection of red, orange and white angular shapes on hers. The technique is called CV Dazzle. They're two of the four founders of the Dazzle Club, a group of artists set up last year to provoke discussion about the growing using of facial recognition technology.........

Japanese chef carves food into incredible pieces of art

It's easy to see why Takehiro Kishimoto, chef by day and food carving Instagrammer by night, has amassed a huge social media following. His creations are simply stunning. he Kobe-based Japanese chef has long been practicing mukimono -- the Japanese art of carving decorative food garnishing. But it wasn't until he discovered the Thai version of fruit and veggie carving that he was able to take his passion to the next level.........

AR Rahman to mentor all-female music studio in Dubai; will perform at Expo 2020

Music maestro A R Rahman will mentor musicians and compose for a state-of-the-art, all-female music studio in Dubai, which will perform at Expo 2020 here. The Firdaus (Paradise) Women’s Orchestra will become a permanent facility at District 2020 here, according to an announcement on Sunday. Other than mentoring and composing, Rahman will be attached to the studio’s name. The orchestra, which will bring together 50 women musicians from the UAE, wider Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, will draw inspiration from the country’s centuries-old rich musical........

The Story Of Padma Awardee Moozhikkal Pankajakshi Who Inherited The Puppet Art ‘Nokkuvidya Pavakkali’ And Kept It Alive 

Nokkuvidya Pavakkali is a rare art of puppetry where puppets attached at the top of a high stick are balanced on the upper lip of the puppeteer. It is a traditional art form of Kerala where Noku means vision and Vidya is knowledge. It is called so because the puppets placed almost 2.5 ft above the upper lip need a lot of concentration through the eyes where the artist has to constantly stare at the puppets and move them when required. It is believed t........

This Novel Predicted 'Wuhan Virus' in 1981, Just Another Eerie Coincidence?

It was all written down in the pages of a fiction book some 40 years ago that Wuhan city in China would become the epicentre of the deadly COVID-19 or coronavirus. The viral infection that has spread like an epidemic across 25 countries around the world has killed more than 1,700 people. Dean Koontz in his thriller novel The Eyes of Darkness, written in 1981, had mentioned an outbreak of a virus that was called “Wuhan-400”. In his book, he said that ‘the virus’ was a “biological weapon” created at research laboratories “outside of the city of........

Stunning Photo of Mice Fighting on London Subway Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

A mesmerizing photo of two mice squabbling on London subway wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. As the photo surfaced on the Internet, social media users are in love with it. The Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) shared the photo on Twitter with the caption, "The winner of this year''s @LumixUK #WPYPeoplesChoice Award @NHM_WPY is Sam Rowley, with his well-timed portrait of two mice scrapping over food on a London Underground station platform." ........

David Hockney's 'The Splash' sells for $29.8 million

David Hockney painting titled "The Splash," a modern masterpiece that holds a spot among the 20th century's most iconic pop art images, sold for more than £23.1 million ($29.8 million) at an auction in London Tuesday evening. According to Sotheby's, the auction house behind the sale, it is the third-highest price ever paid for a work by the 82-year-old British painter, who was briefly the world's most expensive living artist. The painting depicts a sun-drenched California swimming pool, where an unseen person has just d........

Amid Coronavirus Scare and Ongoing Protests, Art Basel Cancels Hong Kong Fair

After a tumultuous period in Hong Kong marked by continuing protests and fears of a coronavirus outbreak, Art Basel has called off its fair in the city. The fair had been due to run from March 19 to 21. In a release about the fair’s cancelation, MCH Group, the holding company that owns Art Basel, said that the coronavirus and “severe logistical challenges” limiting travel were among the “numerous factors” that had influenced the decision. The ongoing protests were not mentioned in the release.........

Masked Villain In French Comic Asterix Was Named "Coronavirus" In 2017

While a virus outbreak with origins in the Chinese city of Wuhan marches out into the world in the new decade of 2020, a character in a 2017 Asterix comic series was actually called Coronavirus! Asterix, the Gaul from the eponymous French comic faced Coronavirus, a masked Roman villain with a reputation of stopping at nothing to win. In the 37th edition of the ''Asterix and the Chariot Race,'' released in the........

Amul's 'Homecoming Snack' Ad on Coronavirus Outbreak Triggers Twitter Debate

A recent advertisement of the Indian dairy brand Amul has triggered a debate on social media for attempting to commercialize the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, that has spread from China. While the world continued to grapple with the outbreak in two dozen countries with the death toll in China nearing 500, Amul's viral advertisement shows the Amul girl along with her friends wearing masks and walking out of an Indian flight with a red tail. ........

Painting That Stirred Row At India Art Fair Missing, Artists Cry Foul

The complainant had alleged that artwork was related to the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Gargi Chandola, who was involved in creating the piece titled ‘The Wall’, said it was to celebrate "the strength, beauty and unity of women". Chandola said that 10-12 artists came together to create multiple panels which were eventually tied together with threads brought from a temple and a sufi shrine, and the audience was invited to tie the works after the live art-making session was over.........

Samantha, Shruti Haasan, Ramya Krishnan Give Life To Raja Ravi Varma Paintings For 2020 Calendar

Photographer G Venket Ram unveiled his much awaited 2020 calendar, which turned out to be a nostalgic ode to Raja Ravi Varma, a celebrated artist of the nineteenth century. The photographer roped in 12 renowned names from the world of cinema and dance as his muses for the calendar. The likes of Shruti Haasan (Kamal Haasan's daughter), south superstar Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Baahubali actress Ramya Krishnan feature in G Venket Ram's calendar. ........

Fluid Art: The fascinating art of pour painting

You could pour, and maybe even just dump it and trust me there is no single way to do this. You can create mind-blowing and exciting abstract designs that too without knowing anything about painting. The fun part is you don't even know what you are creating, meaning there is no control on what it ends up like. And guess what? You don't need a single paintbrush.........

How a Long-Lost Indian Disco Record Won Over Crate Diggers and Cracked the YouTube Algorithm

Rupa’s first and only album, 1982’s Disco Jazz, was selling for hundreds of dollars via sites like Discogs. “The day I found the record my mom said, ‘Throw it away. It is just pointless,’” Debayan remembers. “I said, ‘What the hell, you made this, why would you throw this away?’”........

‘Nothing stays stagnant in culture’: Sarod player Soumik Datta on BBC series ‘Rhythms of India’

Indian viewers will learn more about Datta in Rhythms of India, a three-episode music travelogue that will be telecast on the BBC World News channel on January 25. The episodes follow Datta talking music with sitarist Shujaat Khan, Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna, tabla player Bickram Ghosh, veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh, and India’s first ghatam player Sukanya Ramgopal.........

Sarnami: An Indian language born in South America, on the verge of becoming an endangered tongue

Sarnami (sometimes called Suriname Hindustani) is a mixture of the Indian tongues that the immigrants spoke. It has also adopted words from Dutch and Sranan Tongo. The grammar and lexicon of Sarnami reflect the influence of all its mother languages. Some linguists have noted in particular the influence of Awadhi and Bhojpuri on the tongue. Its development is unique in the Caribbean since in the other Caribbean coloni........

Turkish artist's work showing heartbreaking realities between two worlds goes viral. Internet is moved

Twitter @drsarahumer shared the video a compilation of Ugur’s pictures, with the caption, "Turkish photographer Uur Gallenku portrays two different worlds within a single image. Combining pics one of the Western world and the other of the Rest, he highlights how, despite living on the same planet, these places couldn’t be more different. Stunningly brilliant."........

Christopher Tolkien, son of 'Lord of the Rings' author JRR Tolkien, passes away aged 95

Christopher Tolkien, son of celebrated author JRR Tolkien, passed away at the age of 95, the Tolkien Society informed late Thursday night. Tolkien was the keeper of the legacy of his father, who is best known as the author of the classic high fantasy fiction 'The Lord of the Rings'. The Tolkien Society, a literary society and charity which promotes the Tolkien legacy, posted a short statement on Twitter to mark Christopher's death.........