September 19, 2022 • View in browser
Good morning. 🌤️ We published a report on the verification by US scholars from Cornell and Purdue that 98% of Armenian cultural sites in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan were eradicated in the most unmitigated cultural genocide of the 21st century. For those who have been reading Hyperallergic for years, you will remember our groundbreaking reporting by Simon Maghakyan and Sarah Pickman, which first raised this issue back in 2019, as well as our special Artsakh issue in 2021. As Azerbaijan invaded the Republic of Armenia last week, the news is particularly chilling.
Crypto may be in the financial dumps, but Ethereum is not resting on its laurels, as the popular blockchain announced recently that it has reduced its energy usage by 99.95%. The news is particularly welcome considering environmental concerns have been one of the main criticisms of NFTs.
And ever wonder why you aren’t using more emojis? Some personal favorites are 🌞, 🏆, and ✊. A new survey by Adobe suggests 60% of people believe emojis improve their mental health. The report also outlines the three most misunderstood emoji, and they may not be what you suspect.
— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief
Don’t Be a 🍆, Survey Says to Use Emojis
Over 90% of US emoji users agreed that the icons make it easier for them to express themselves and 60% said they improved their mental health, according to a new survey. | Sarah Rose Sharp
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LATEST NEWS
Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) documented the destruction of the St. Sargis Armenian church in the Mokhrenes village between March and July 2022. (courtesy CHW)
98% of cultural Armenian heritage sites in Nakhichevan have been demolished or blown up by Azerbaijan, according to the Caucasus Heritage Watch.
Ethereum’s recent “merge” to a proof-of-stake protocol is expected to reduce its carbon emissions by 99.95%.
A new survey finds that over 90% of US emoji users agreed that the icons make it easier for them to express themselves.
FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Call for Applications: Hyperallergic’s Journalism Fellowship for Curators
With the support of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Hyperallergic will award $5,000 fellowships to five curators to support ongoing research and develop their experience creating accessible writing and digital exhibitions for a wide audience.
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Five Women Indict an Unjust System in They Won’t Call It Murder
This intimate and subversive look at a community irrevocably altered by police violence is streaming free now on Field of Vision. Learn more.
CONCERNING THE ELEMENTS
In Salt Lake City, Air Is a Concern and an Artistic Medium
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts presents artworks that make visible the quality and inequality of what we breathe. | Bianca Velasquez
Jean Shin Wants to Change the Tide of Pollution and Extinction
The artist’s Freshwater installation at Philadelphia Contemporary features a living, breathing fountain, mussels and all. | Isabella Segalovich
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“To Transform,” Fall 2022 Public Programs at Columbia University School of the Arts
Programming in New York City consists of conversations, screenings, reading, and research about work that enacts transformation. Learn more.
ARTIST PRACTICES
Michelle Agins on Perseverance and Photographing Martin Luther King
The second Black woman ever hired as a New York Times staff photographer, Agins built her career at a time when photo editors gave very few assignments to women — much less to women of color. | Briana Ellis-Gibbs
Alberto Aguilar Becomes the National Museum of Mexican Art
What’s an artifact, what’s an artwork, what’s a prop, what’s decoration, what’s disposable — these are questions that Aguilar has taken up with great enthusiasm. | Lori Waxman
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RISD’s Center for Complexity to Present a Three-Day Symposium Exploring Collapse
Focusing on the concept of “collapse” in relation to the dynamic and static forces of systems change, the symposium will take place in Providence, Rhode Island, from September 21 to 23. Learn more.
MUSEUM INTERVENTIONS
Imperialist Violence Undergirds Hew Locke's Majestic Met Museum Facade Sculptures
The Guyanese-British artist's commission for the museum was created in a tense dialogue with collection objects that are connected to conquest. | Hakim Bishara
A Missed Opportunity to Bring an Eccentric Museum to Life With VR
In Space Popular's presentation at the Sir John Soane's Museum the VR content does not complement the physical, but widens the gulf between art history and contemporary art making. | Olivia McEwan
NEW IN STORE
"Woman Freedom Now" Tea Towel x Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold has long been celebrated for her work as an artist, author, educator, and organizer. Enjoy her striking art in your home with this 100% linen tea towel, which can be put to practical purposes or hung on a wall and admired.
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