The Museum of Prague is hosting two exhibitions from January 10-February 10 and January 15-February 9, respectively. The first exhibition features works by master swordsman Matsuba Ichiro, a "Living National Treasure," and Japanese artist Mari Kučera's calligraphy demonstrations at the Calab Hall in Clam-Gallas Palace. The second exhibition, "Mark Florian: Sagrada Familia – Architecture of Light", showcases photographs by Mark Florian that explore the concept of light in Antoni Gaudí's architecture, specifically the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona.
https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/10-art-exhibitions-you-won-t-want-to-miss-in-prague-this-yearThe National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is hosting its sixth edition of the Mumbai Dance Season 2025 from January 9th to February 2nd in multiple venues across Mumbai. The month-long celebration features over 32 events and more than 100 artists showcasing India's diverse dance traditions. The festival begins on January 9th with a tribute to Maharashtra's folk heritage, curated by Nivedita Mukherjee and Manisha Jeet.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/culture-and-society/ncpa-mumbai-dance-season-2025-a-month-long-celebration-of-indias-dance-heritage-1851431Italian fashion designer Ottavio Missoni died peacefully on Wednesday, according to a joint statement from his company, Missoni SpA, and his family. Local officials offered condolences the following day, highlighting Missoni's connection to Gallarate, a small city in northern Italy where the Missoni brand was founded in 1953 by an artisan.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/rosita-missoni-matriarch-of-italian-fashion-house-that-made-zigzag-knitwear-iconic-dies-at-age-93-1.7163194In defiance of the Taliban's ban on music in Afghanistan, musicians are continuing to play behind closed doors and craftsmen like Sakhi are still making traditional instruments such as the rubab. Despite the risks, Sakhi has been crafting two rubabs a month for decades at his workshop in Herat, citing the cultural value of his work as more important than financial gain.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3292892/afghans-making-music-and-musical-instruments-defiance-ban-taliban?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionThe "Back to the Future" art exhibition at the Seoul branch drew a record-breaking 50,000 foreign visitors between June 2023 and May 2024, making it the most-visited by international attendees during its run.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-01-02/culture/artsDesign/MMCA-breaks-record-with-most-foreign-visitors-in-2024/2213925Researchers Adhi Agus Oktaviana and colleagues have discovered the world's oldest figurative cave art, a painting of a wild pig and human-like figures in Leang Karampuang cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, which is at least 51,200 years old. This finding suggests that visual storytelling with anthropomorphic figures and animals dates back to an earlier point in human evolution than previously thought.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/from-chimps-eating-medicinal-plants-to-footprints-tracking-our-early-relatives-here-are-the-most-significant-human-evolution-discoveries-of-2024-180985756/Arts Missoula is hosting a celebration that showcases local artists and culture in Missoula, Montana. The event features new additions such as a dance showcase and reflective opportunities at the ZACC and Missoula Library. It highlights some of the best artists in the area, but organizers note it's just a small representation of the larger art and culture scene. The goal is to inspire attendees to explore new hobbies or follow local artists in 2025 by sparking curiosity about what the community has to offer.
https://www.montanarightnow.com/missoula/missoula-on-main-celebrates-arts-and-culture-for-new-years-eve/article_044e3f0e-c7ca-11ef-b44c-2352b5c26f88.htmlAward-winning photographer Amir Hamja has showcased his work in prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The Guardian. His solo exhibition, "A Year in the Times," is a documentation of his experience as the first Bangladeshi photographer to join The New York Times as a photography fellow. The exhibition explores themes of identity, culture, and community through his photographs, and it opened on December 19, 2024, and will close on January 4, 2025.
https://www.tbsnews.net/splash/year-times-capsule-history-through-amir-hamjas-lens-1032331Lauren Ironmonger suggests that people should have multiple hobbies in the new year. She references a TikTok post by a US user who proposes having four types of hobbies: Create (e.g. painting or gardening), Consume (e.g. reading), Cavort (physical activity) and Commune (social activities). The author argues that having one hobby may not be enough, but does not provide evidence to support the need for multiple hobbies.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/hobbies-are-like-dating-how-to-find-one-and-be-happier-in-2025-20241227-p5l0vr.html