April 25, 2023

Good morning. 🌤️ You’d think that by now there would be no debate left about the misdeeds of the British Empire in the Kingdom of Benin and elsewhere. But oh no, two new books by British scholars maintain that all is fair in war and archaeology, and that Britons ought to harbor no guilt for their imperial past or present. On the other side of this debate is Oxford University professor, author, and Hyperallergic contributor Dan Hicks, who minces no words in his criticism of what he describes as a new school of "anti-anti-colonialism."

Also today: TikTokers are translating their everyday lives into Wes Anderson movie scenes, archaeologists discover mummified lizards in ancient Egyptian coffins, and remains of a submerged Nabataean temple resurface in Italy.

And how should we describe multicultural Los Angeles? A “melting pot"? A "salad"? No, call it a "cultural stir fry," writes AX Mina in her review of a new exhibition by artist Amir H. Fallah at UCLA's Fowler Museum.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

Beware the Rise of Anti-Anti-Colonialism

Two new books by Nigel Biggar and Adam Kuper advocate for wilful amnesia and collective repression of British colonial brutality. | Dan Hicks

IN THE NEWS

The two altars date to the first century CE. (via Nello Musumeci on Facebook)

• Archaeologists uncover two marble altars from the lost city of Puteoli, an Ancient Roman trade hub partially swallowed by the Gulf of Naples. 

• Using alternative imaging technology, researchers detect 2,500-year-old mummified reptilian remains inside Ancient Egyptian votive boxes.

LATEST IN ART

Los Angeles as a Cultural Stir Fry

Amir H. Fallah's beautiful objects reflect a shadow side, a decay of borders, trust, and stability that comes with the trauma of immigration. | AX Mina

An Eclectic Bunch at ArtCenter's Open Studios

The interdisciplinary and experimental nature of the ArtCenter College of Design’s graduate art program was on full display at its MFA Open Studios. | Jennifer Remenchik

FILM & MORE

Banned Pakistani Film Joyland Arrives in New York

Saim Sadiq’s award-winning film is still banned in Punjab, where it was filmed. | Rhea Nayyar 

When Life Imitates a Wes Anderson Movie

Photographer Ava Williams’s TikTok video of an Anderson-style train ride unleashed a new cinematic subgenre on the platform. | Sarah Rose Sharp

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