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The Concept of Breathe More than 2 billion years ago, during the Paleoproterozoic era, the Earth's atmosphere began to fill with free oxygen, enabling the rise of aerobic life and, ultimately, humans. This event is known as the Great Oxidation Event. Deep in the subterranean belly of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, a new artwork offers visitors the chance to inhale oxygen that's been trapped in iron ore since then. The Art Installation French-Swiss conceptual artist Julian Charrière came up with the idea for Breathe, and Mona's owner David Walsh not only said yes but created a bespoke space for it. The installation is designed as a solitary experience, where one by one, visitors are given access to a vault-like corridor reminiscent of a huge mining drift. The Oxygen Extraction Process Charrière sourced ancient iron ore from Australia's Pilbara region, which is put through machinery in an on-site lab each day to have water extracted. The water is then put through a Hofmann apparatus – a piece of scientific equipment that electrolyses water – to pull oxygen out. That oxygen is then released into the room to be breathed in by visitors for the very first time. The Experience Walking over tiles made of polished ancient tiger ore, visitors circle a floor-to-ceiling clear glass tube that houses the Hofmann apparatus. Sitting in front, visitors see a small opening, providing their closest access to Charrière's pure, ancient oxygen. In inhaling, "you are connected to the beginning of life on Earth but you are also – and that is the crazy thing about this space – you are also the first person to inhale that oxygen," Charrière says. The Impact Breathe runs alongside Charrière's major new exhibition, Hard Core, which showcases both the ambition and the scientific curiosity of the Berlin-based artist. The installation is a permanent addition to Mona, offering a unique experience that connects visitors to the Earth's history.

Uncovering the Forgotten Genocide Visiting the Namibian port town of Lüderitz in late 2024, I came across a small museum run by descendants of German settlers. Alongside imperial German flags and memorabilia, it displayed artefacts of the Herero tribe that had been recovered from nearby Shark Island. What went unmentioned is that, from 1905 to 1907, Shark Island was the site of a concentration camp where Herero and Nama prisoners were subjected to forced labour, starvation and systematic abuse. At least 3,000 people are estimated to have died there. The Event Details Fractured Lifeworlds, a new exhibition opening in Berlin this week, is built around questions of memory, geography and accountability. The show presents four years of research by Forensic Architecture, a multidisciplinary research agency that uses visual reconstructions to investigate human rights abuses from Syria and Palestine to Greece and Germany. The Data Analysis The show’s centrepiece is a series of films that combine oral testimony from descendants of genocide victims with meticulous geological research. An eerie 30-minute film on Shark Island reconstructs the concentration camp, showing how German authorities weaponised the island’s harsh environment against prisoners – and shipped their skulls back to Germany for pseudoscientific research. The Impact Analysis Many descendants also fear that the Hyphen project could undermine efforts to preserve Namibia’s sites of the genocide as places of remembrance. Sima Luipert, adviser to the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) and a collaborator on the exhibition, fears the port expansion could disturb burial grounds. “When they dredge, they don’t seem to realise that they are not simply moving dirt. They are disturbing the dead,” she says. “The water is the burial site.” The Prediction Mark Mushiba, the lead curator of Fractured Lifeworlds and a researcher at Forensis, explains that historians have largely relied on colonial documents. Forensic Architecture and Forensis instead sought to “read the landscape”. In Hornkranz – which is now used as a private farm – that meant locating old bullet cartridges, identifying former homesteads through distinctive vegetation patterns and treating plants as historical evidence.

Krishna’s World Premiere Unveils a ‘Mystic Pantomime’ at Grange ParkThe first thing the review notes is that Krishna is presented not as a conventional opera but as a “mystical pantomime”. Staged by David Pountney for Grange Park Opera in West Horsley, Surrey, the work finally received a posthumous world premiere, drawing warm applause despite its unconventional format.Performance Elements: Cast, Orchestra, and Staging ChoicesRoss Ramgobin – Celestial Narrator, providing the piece’s intense, poised anchor.Eliran Kadussi – Countertenor as adolescent Krishna.Rosa Sparks – Child Krishna.Nazan Fikret – Rukmini (Krishna’s wife).Jennifer Statham and Julia Sitkovetsky – Radha (child and adult).Mark Shanahan – Conductor, described as “dispassionate competence of a veteran traffic police officer”.Nao Masuda – On‑stage drumming that punctuates the 15 scenes.The Gascoigne Orchestra supplied bass drones, brass “stampedes”, and a palette of gongs that oscillated between shimmering and throbbing textures, reflecting Tavener’s post‑Wagnerian, post‑minimalist style.Why the Opera Feels Outdated in a Modern Cultural LandscapeThe review argues that, twenty years after its composition, Krishna reads like a relic of 19th‑century Orientalism. The libretto—written by Tavener with “some inspiration” from Hindu scholar Ranchor Prime—mixes Sanskrit and English, but high, melismatic vocal lines and muddy orchestral textures render much of the text inaudible. Staging choices, such as inflatable serpents and “Mexican‑wave” choruses, underscore a disconnect between the work’s spiritual ambition and contemporary audience expectations.Future Prospects for Tavener’s Late Works and Opera StagingWhile the production demonstrates Grange Park Opera’s willingness to mount challenging new works in a difficult economic climate, the review suggests that some pieces may be better left unperformed. The mixed reception raises broader questions about how posthumous premieres of late‑20th‑century operas can be re‑imagined to avoid cultural insensitivity while preserving artistic intent.

The Farewell PerformanceIn September 2020, Ryan Bancroft became principal conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, following his remarkable debut as a last-minute replacement in 2018. His six-year tenure concluded with a final Cardiff concert that encapsulated his vibrant and quietly forceful presence on the podium. This performance not only marked the end of an era for the orchestra but also demonstrated the deep artistic relationship Bancroft had cultivated with the musicians during his leadership.The Artistic TriumphBancroft's final concert was a masterclass in emotional storytelling and nuanced interpretation. The conductor's relationship with the BBCNOW players was particularly evident in the central waltz of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, which flowed with "infinite flexibility." Throughout the performance, Bancroft demonstrated his attention to subtle details, such as the precise observation of the tam-tam's lingering reverberation at the end of the final dance. This attention to detail, combined with his ability to balance light and dark, life and death, created an emotional rollercoaster for the audience.The Musical ProgramThe program featured three distinct works that shared common themes of emotion and contrast:Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale: A symphonic poem adapted from an opera and ballet, featuring exotic instrumentation including gong and celeste. The performance highlighted the poignancy of the emperor's fate, symbolized by his infatuation with a real nightingale (beautifully rendered by Matthew Featherstone's flute) being usurped by a mechanical version.Brahms's Double Concerto: Featuring orchestra leader Lesley Hatfield on violin and former principal cellist Alice Neary, this piece was conceived as a peace-offering to violinist Joseph Joachim. The soloists demonstrated exceptional rapport, particularly in their exchanges with wind players, often carrying the finesse of chamber music.Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances: The final piece balanced darkness with light, featuring the composer's characteristic references to the Dies Irae countered by quotes from his Vespers, reflecting his Russian Orthodox heritage.The Legacy of LeadershipDuring his six-year tenure, Bancroft transformed the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with his imaginative programming and deeply expressive interpretations. His ability to connect with both the musicians and the audience was evident in this final performance, which showcased the orchestra's growth under his leadership. The concert demonstrated how Bancroft's approach to conducting emphasized emotional depth and nuanced detail, leaving a lasting impact on the orchestra's artistic identity.The Future PathAs Bancroft takes his final bow with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the broadcast of this concert on Radio 3 and its availability on iPlayer ensures his artistic legacy will reach wider audiences. The orchestra now enters a new chapter, building upon the artistic foundation established during Bancroft's tenure. For Bancroft himself, this farewell performance stands as a testament to his ability to extract vivid colors and profound emotions from orchestral forces, marking not an end but a transition in his distinguished conducting career.

Lead: Review Highlights the Fusion of Activism and Club CultureThe Guardian’s review frames Marco da Silva Ferreira's new work F*cking Future as a “protest through partying” – a choreography that marries the euphoria of the dancefloor with a clear political agenda.Performance Overview: ‘F*cking Future’ and Its Minimalist ChoreographyThe piece unfolds with eight dancers in shiny trousers and chain‑mail vests, moving in tight, repetitive cells that echo minimalist music. Rather than a spectacle of flash, the work builds slowly, layering club beats, chant‑like vocals (“We are the ghosts you tried to kill!”) and a 3 am vibe that culminates in an “ecstatic exhaustion” rather than a conventional climax.Financial Context: Rose International Dance Prize £40,000 CompetitionFour choreographers competed for the prize.The prize fund totals £40,000.Marco da Silva Ferreira was a finalist but did not win.Even without the award, his inclusion signals strong institutional recognition and positions him among the most talked‑about voices in contemporary dance.Artistic Impact: Redefining Resistance in Contemporary DanceThe review argues that the work’s anti‑instant‑gratification structure mirrors the politics of resistance: it refuses an easy dopamine hit, instead urging the audience to sit with tension and collective energy. By treating choreography like a DJ set—shaping the room’s energy over time—Ferreira expands the language of protest beyond slogans to embodied, rhythmic experience.Future Outlook: How Party‑Powered Protest Might Shape Dance TrendsWith the piece running at Sadler’s Wells East in London until 6 June, its reception could influence other choreographers to explore club‑derived soundscapes as tools for activism. If audiences respond to the “slow‑burn” model, we may see a shift toward longer‑form, energy‑focused works that prioritize collective catharsis over rapid payoff.

Quick Take: A Darkly Comic Look at Mortality in Chinese CinemaBeing Towards Death opens in UK cinemas on 5 June, offering a chaotic first half‑hour before settling into a bittersweet ensemble piece about a hospital’s “Ward 10 Fearless Squad.” Director Chen Sicheng trades his blockbuster Detective Chinatown formula for a meditation on entropy, using humor to explore how patients confront the end of life.How Chen Sicheng Marries Hospital Humor with Existential QuestionsThe plot follows caregiver Xiaobing (Jiang Long), who teeters on a rooftop after a failed robot‑care scheme, only to be recruited by the hospital director into a mental‑health study for terminal cancer patients. He joins a motley crew – property mogul Mau (Cai Ming), obedient first‑born Bowen (Huang Yi), and the scheming poppet Little Bing (Ye Quanxi) – and convinces aspiring director Dao (Wang Zichuan) to document their lives. The film’s self‑referential moments, including Dao’s constant quoting of Chen and a cameo by sixth‑generation auteur Jia Zhangke, underscore its meta‑commentary on Chinese filmmaking.Box‑Office Prospects and Release WindowWith a limited UK release beginning 5 June, the film targets both art‑house audiences and fans of Chen’s earlier commercial work. No official budget or opening‑week figures have been disclosed, but the combination of a recognizable director and a timely, socially conscious premise positions it for modest box‑office returns and potential festival circulation.Why the Film Signals a Shift in Mainland Comedy‑DramaBy placing comedy inside a hospice, the movie challenges the genre’s traditional escapism, reflecting a growing appetite for stories that blend levity with serious social issues. Its focus on mental‑health interventions and the humanization of terminal patients may encourage other Chinese creators to tackle health‑related narratives, expanding the thematic range of mainstream cinema.What to Expect from the Film’s Journey Beyond ChinaIf domestic audiences respond positively, Being Towards Death could secure wider Asian distribution and possibly a streaming deal, amplifying its discussion of mortality to a global viewership. Critics will likely continue to compare Chen’s tonal shift with the work of auteurs like Jia Zhangke, watching to see whether the film’s “bittersweet” ambition matures into a new sub‑genre of Chinese hospital comedy‑drama.

The Photographic Journey of Billy Dosanjh In the winter of 1962-3, when snow blanketed the industrial landscape of Walsall's Black Country, a newly arrived elderly Sikh man stood beneath an old carriage lamp, seemingly seeing snow for the first time. This moment, captured in Billy Dosanjh's epic photographic reconstruction 'After the Storm,' epitomizes his ability to freeze time and preserve cultural memory. Backed by a National Heritage Lottery Fund grant, Dosanjh has transformed oral histories from first and second-generation migrants into evocative images that evoke the work of American realist painter Edward Hopper or photographer Jeff Wall, but with a distinct British Asian perspective. Recreating a Bygone Industrial Era Dosanjh's exhibition 'Paths You Walk' at the New Art Gallery Walsall presents a gripping collection of photographs, films, and installations that meticulously reconstruct the post-war immigrant experience. The artist painstakingly sourced period details—Vimto advertisements, vintage cars, authentic clothing—to recreate scenes from the late 1950s onward when Punjabi men arrived in the Black Country to work in furnaces that native British workers had abandoned. The exhibition features real-life locals from Walsall districts like Caldmore, Palfrey, Pleck, and The Butts, areas that saw significant South Asian immigration. Cultural Significance and Personal Connection What makes Dosanjh's work particularly powerful is its deep personal connection. His own father arrived from the Punjab in 1967 at age 14, eventually buying a house and working in foundries before establishing the Rainbow Cafe—a business that features in Dosanjh's photographs. The artist explains his motivation: "When I do my work, I want the people to enter the space of their ancestors psychologically." This approach is evident in pieces like 'PayDay,' recreating an early 1970s pub, 'Furnacemen' depicting Sikh workers being lectured by a white foreman, and 'Dayshift' showing Sikh friends huddling around braziers. Contemporary Relevance in a Divided Britain Dosanjh's humane depictions of Sikh life have taken on sudden topicality as counterpoints to racist narratives promoted by far-right politicians. The exhibition emerged shortly after the jailing of Vickrum Digwa for stabbing student Henry Nowak with a ceremonial Sikh knife. In an era of increasing racial tension, Dosanjh's work serves as both historical documentation and cultural affirmation, celebrating the contributions of Sikh immigrants to British society while acknowledging the challenges they faced. Future Projects and Expanding Horizons The Walsall exhibition represents just one chapter in Dosanjh's ongoing documentation of British Asian experiences. He is currently developing similar projects for Stoke and Nottingham, while preparing to make a feature film about the 2005 race riots in Birmingham's Lozells and Handsworth districts. "There was a Pakistani-owned beauty product shop and a conflict arose between the Caribbean community and young Muslim men who, after 7/7, felt quite confused," Dosanjh explains of his planned film. "I thought I need to make my film here, about this place, because it's all there—different communities living together, empire, young people, confused identities." The Artistic Legacy of 'Paths You Walk' Through his work, Dosanjh has created what he describes as "a way of celebrating who you are." The exhibition continues at the New Art Gallery Walsall until July 12, offering visitors a chance to witness the transformation of industrial Britain through the eyes of its Sikh community. As Dosanjh himself reflects, "I never feel more alive than when I'm in the middle of doing something like this. It brings a good feeling for everybody really."

The Cult of Eternal Values Documentaries about cults all have the same task, at which they nearly all fail: explaining exactly how so many people fell under the spell of a man (it’s always a man) who was, to outside observers, so obviously a damaged charlatan. None of it makes sense; it wouldn’t count as a cult if it did. The Rise of Frederick von Mierers Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult does a messy job of telling the story of Frederick von Mierers, who spent the 1980s luring models into his spiritual enlightenment society, Eternal Values. Von Mierers’ life was all lies, chaos and mystery and it would be hard to set it out coherently, however diligently you tried. But this is like trying to keep up with an erratic bar-room raconteur who keeps glossing over the important bits so they can skip on to the next bit of gossip. Admittedly, each new piece of info is wildly juicy. The Early Years of Frederick von Mierers The early years of Frederick von Mierers are murky, but the key facts are that, as a 40ish former model, he was an elegant socialite, living in an apartment in midtown Manhattan and frequenting Studio 54, where the doormen would pull back the velvet rope to let him sashay past the crowds and walk straight in. He had inherited wealth and alien good looks, somewhere between Christopher Walken, Gary Numan and a svelte Dolph Lundgren. In 1978 he suffered an ear infection, and when his fever subsided he announced that his body had become the vessel for a being from the red giant star, Arcturus. The Power of Eternal Values With an extraterrestrial glint in his already piercing eyes, Von Mierers began presenting a public-access television show where he spread the word about the benefits of a healthy diet, the power of controlled emotions – the notion of romantic love was an instrument of “the most diabolical and the most evil forces in this world” – and the importance of recognising that material possessions were not a route to happiness, all these being wisdom direct from the cosmos. The Dark Side of Eternal Values Ordinary punters sent cheques to Eternal Values for astrological readings; members of the inner circle got to share Frederick’s apartment, where they would sometimes wake to find that he had applied a mint-scented face mask to them during the night. Less adorably, he fostered a culture in which anyone who stepped out of line was ruthlessly pilloried in recriminatory interventions known as “slamming sessions”. As well as fearing the loss of the gang’s favour, the Eternal Values foot soldiers anticipated a re-alignment of the Earth’s magnetic poles, foreseen by the Arcturians, which prompted the organisation to purchase a second base in the North Carolina mountains that would survive the earthquakes and tsunamis to come. The Motivation Behind the Cult What’s never a mystery with cults is the motivation of the leader: it’s always sex and/or money, and, for Von Mierers, it was both. Our main witness is a man named John Hoyt, who under the name Hoyt Richards was one of the highest-paid male models of the late 1980s and 90s, regularly appearing in shoots with Cindy Crawford and the like. After completing jobs in Milan, the Caribbean or Los Angeles, John would return to sleeping on the floor of the EV flat, handing all his spare money to Frederick in return for ethereally powerful “gemstones” that may in retrospect have been costume jewellery. Occasionally Frederick would invite to his room young men, whose spiritual insights were so penetrating that John would be asked to hand them $100 on their way out. The Legacy of Eternal Values In the last episode of Bring Me the Beauties, there are desperately moving scenes as the admirably frank Hoyt recalls his agony at realising, a few years after Von Mierers’ death from an Aids-related illness, that he had abandoned his family and friends for nothing. Hoyt now works as an exit counsellor, trying to make cult members understand that they’re in one. As this programme discovers, however, why people join cults is hard to understand.

The Discovery of 'The Men Who Saved the World'For the first time in over a century, the literary world has been granted access to a hidden manuscript by Edith Wharton, the first female Pulitzer Prize winner. The short story, discovered in the author's archives at Yale University, has been published in the historic The Strand magazine. Written no earlier than July 1918, the narrative provides a visceral look at the psychological dissonance experienced by the wealthy elite during the final year of the Great War.Found in the Edith Wharton Collection at Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.Published in The Strand magazine, known for unearthing lost works by Chandler, Greene, and Williams.Written on two corrected typescripts, indicating a significant but abandoned project.Autobiographical Depth and SatireThe story is not merely a historical artifact but a deep dive into Wharton's own experiences. It features Milly Arden, a young American nurse whose character is widely believed to be autobiographical, mirroring Wharton's own work in field hospitals. The narrative casts a satirical eye over the volunteer efforts of privileged women, contrasting their attempts to maintain a facade of normalcy with the horrific reality of war.Wharton utilizes a striking juxtaposition: the same grand dining room table used for amputations just months prior is now set for a dinner party. This imagery serves as an experimental attempt to confront the trauma of warfare through explicit medical references, a departure from her typical Gilded Age social commentary.Modern Parallels in Historical FictionThe relevance of this discovery extends beyond the 1920s. Editor Andrew Gulli highlighted the story's eerie timeliness, drawing parallels to modern global events where societies are often detached from distant conflicts. The narrative captures the 'denial' of privileged classes attempting to return to 'business as usual' while atrocities occur nearby.The story explores the generational divide between the older generation, who wish to erase the war's memory, and the younger generation—represented by the nurse and a young soldier—who are deeply affected by the trauma they have witnessed.The Future of Archival Literary DiscoveriesThe publication of 'The Men Who Saved the World' reinforces the potential for future literary finds. With the rise of digital archives and renewed interest in historical manuscripts, we can expect more hidden gems to surface. This discovery serves as a reminder that the literary canon is still being written, with centuries-old manuscripts waiting to offer new insights into the human condition during times of crisis.