January 30, 2023
Good morning. ☁️ What are they? They're people like you and me who died thousands of years ago and were later turned into museum displays for educational and entertainment purposes. It's easy to forget that basic fact sometimes. Now, some museums are asking us to start referring to them as “mummified persons” or “mummified remains” to remind us that we're looking at actual humans. I ask: Wouldn't it be more respectful to finally remove them from public view?
Also today: Scientists make positive use of facial recognition technology for once, David Carrier changes his mind about Alex Katz, Tim Brinkhof visits Peru's "terrorism museum" amid political upheaval in the country, and Daniel Larkin writes about the social history of human feces! That last one would make a great toilet read, I dare say.
— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor
The Biggest Shitshow Ever, Literally
Oh Shit! retraces the historical arc of feces from ancient Rome to the sewage challenges and potential innovations of the 21st century. | Daniel Larkin
SPONSORED
The Heart’s Knowledge: Science and Empathy in the Art of Dario Robleto
Presented by Northwestern’s Block Museum and McCormick School of Engineering, this new exhibition seeks empathy at the boundaries of life. On view in Evanston, Illinois. Learn more.
IN THE NEWS
The “de Brécy Tondo” was likely made by Raphael, researchers concluded. (courtesy the de Brécy Trust)
Facial recognition technology identifies the “de Brécy Tondo” as an original work by Italian Renaissance master Raphael.
Specialists have reinflated the Trump baby blimp for conservation testing at the Museum of London.
Some museums are ditching the term “mummy” to describe the preserved Ancient Egyptian bodies in their collections.
SPONSORED
Decolonizing Design in Teaching and Practice at Vermont College of Fine Arts
VCFA MFA students, instructors, and alumnx reframe stories and reconnect with identities through graphic design. Learn more.
LATEST REVIEWS
The Single Detail That Changed My Mind About Alex Katz
A little detail in an artwork can reveal that sometimes what is right on the surface can change our understanding of the whole. | David Carrier
Cracking the Code of Creative Growth
How two beloved institutions showcase and support artists working outside of the mainstream art world. | Glen Helfand
Cinematic Letters to a Beloved Indian Author
Letters Unwritten to Naiyer Masud attempts to peer into the late writer Naiyer Masud’s concealed world. | Arun A.K.
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MORE ON HYPERALLERGIC
Visiting Peru’s Terrorism Museum on the Eve of a Constitutional Crisis
Peruvian history is a contentious subject, and the authorities in charge of writing its first drafts should not be taken at their word. | Tim Brinkhof
What's Threaded in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
Moving too fast on your commute, looking out of the corner of your eye one second too late, and you might miss HOTTEA’s yarn installations. | Lille Allen
