It's a huge milestone for Dante Alighieri as this year marks 700 years since his death. The master poet who wrote the famous Divine Comedy has inspired writers and artists ever since. The infamous Inferno has seared its imagery in all our minds. Although Dante's work didn't receive illustrations until the 265 years later, these remarkable and enchanting images showcase a truly spell-binding commentary to the epic. Possibly the prime example of an antiquarian inspiration from the continually provocative work, the entire collection is now on display for the first time.


Federico Zuccari was a celebrated Italian Renaissance artist. His sketches and paintings are renowned for their ethereal quality. As a master of words as well as the brush, Zuccari understood how Dante Alighieri helped to fashion the national language and a consensus towards their faith. By using his expert talent to enliven the story with true to description life-like imagery, Federico Zuccari is responsible for the modern telling of the illustrated tale. His style and imaginings have been the go-to source for today's more recognised illustrators of the tale, Gustave Dore and William Blake.


The 88 immaculately produced illustrations depict each of the three worlds described in the book. We are now able to witness the original documents that visually describe Inferno, Pugatorio, and Paradiso. The Uffizi Gallery is generously putting the whole collection online for everyone. The Gallery has been the home of this collection since the eighteenth century, when they were donated by the noble Medici family. Although displayed in part at rare occasions, never before has the Uffizi showcased the whole collection. These fragile works of Renaissance art are seldom moved because they become increasingly prone to damage with age.


Usually kept in light-free and temperature controlled storage, it's only twice before that a portion of the whole has been given a field-trip. Never before has the whole collection been shown and never before in one place. This is a really exciting opportunity to take a look at these stunning examples of Dante's legacy. You can visit the Uffizi Gallery online now and browse the exhibition for free. It's called To Rebehold The Stars.  
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Photography by Irving Penn has enlightened and enchanted us all for many years. His diverse spectrum of work dips into the ocean of humanity at every beach he visited. Over fifty years as a headline image creator for Vogue helped Irving Penn to become a source of simulacra and casual spin-off all over the world. Being able to engage audiences with fascinating and unusual images that often are within anyone's reach, shows how the mind of a creative can find opportunities for novel design in almost any situation.


As of the 8th of January, the Pace Gallery in New York is exhibiting a range of curated images from The Penn Collection to be displayed alongside various archive material and preliminary sketches. Opening the world of Irving Penn out for intrigue and spectatorship can help others to truly feel the level of masterful quality that being a world-leading artist entails. Known for being completely applied to his work, his subjects were studied and philosophised as the ideas came into being. Whether the photograph was to be a place, a man, a woman, a child, or an object, the motivation and message was formulated with expert care.


Irving Penn's technical and involved method of working is how he defined the term photographism. In a way he was suggesting that the art of taking photographs extends into many other areas of study which all collaborate and compliment each other when designing the shot. What we communicate with our art depends on how other people see the world, they will witness our ideas through the lens of their own. By being so enveloped in the art-form, it's possible to make use of the maps of meaning laid out by consensus and culture.


Photographism runs from January 8th to February 13th at Pace Gallery, New York.

​Via Forbes

Irving Penn Foundation

Making huge waves on Instagram and beyond, Pssyppl produces moving and evocative images. Utilising the hand-gesture made famous by the Scouts and more recently the Hunger Games, being prepared and hungry for change work hand in hand. A true artistic remark about the modern day situation in Thailand, the younger generation have a voice that echoes what they see overseas. Who are we to tell the Thais how to run their country? The same can't be said for their own citizens though. They have every right to define their nation's future.


Something the art demonstrates is a feeling of anger. This emotion has a reputation for blurring the lines of right and wrong. Often, it is a result of the lines being blurred in our own world by someone else. It's important to remember that once we cross a line we no-longer have the power to make changes. We have to be in the right for people to see that we are right. These lines are sometimes artificially too close and in these cases the change required is to move them back to where they need to be.


In Thailand there is a law named Section 112. This ruling criminalises those who criticise the monarchy. It's not a new rule, in fact most nations have used similar laws in the past. It's becoming much rarer to see in the 21st Century however and the younger Thai generation know this and want to modernise.    

​You can follow Pssyppl on Instagram

Read an interview with Pssyppl on Global Voices.

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Nature Can Become Art. This is the catchphrase that lends inspiration to Japan's latest magical garden. Where many have used the progressions, colours, textures, formations, and flow of nature to create ingenious and spectacular landscapes, it's not so often we see digital technology merge with the natural world in this way.


Digital tech wizardry is what teamLab are best known for. This time, their skills seem to once again surpass themselves. Now a fantasy scene can be made more real than ever before thanks to projectors and courageous design principles. A combination of simple object installations and a multitude of projectors have created a mysterious and enchanting experience.


The world-famous Kairakuen Garden, which is known for its gorgeous and figurehead specimens of plum blossom trees has been turned into a medium for fantastical art. With a unique splash of colour and definitive lighting effects, all three thousand plum blossom trees are bathed in ethereal glory. Static shapes and simple forms are placed in neat locations which also radiate with specially chosen colours.


Visitors are welcome to stroll the perfectly designed promenades which now glow with artistic brightness. Splendid mixtures of colour and brightness bring out an adventurous aspect in which exploration uncovers ever deeper grains to the chromatic cloak which seems to spring to life as the early darkness hits.  
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