Showing 254 articles
More than Melody – Boethius’ Music of the Spheres
Author: Siobhan FarrarAugust 27, 2017
The Music of the Spheres begins in Ancient Greece with Pythagoras who, upon passing a blacksmiths is said to have heard consonance in the different sounds of the hammer. By this he was inspired to discover the connection between vibration, frequencies and pitch. For Pythagoras the octave ratio of 1:2 is considered a symbol of [...]
Ancient Technology
Author: Florimond KrinsMay 13, 2017
When looking at ancient archaeological features one can be mesmerised by the beauty, complexity and grandeur of some of the buildings, statues or artefacts. In most cases these structures were created at a time of prosperity when skills of a high standard and workforce were abundant. However, in the cases of the Old kingdom of [...]
Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages
Author: Julian ScottMay 13, 2017
The title of this article comes from a book by Umberto Eco, an Italian philosopher, essayist, professor of literature and novelist, most famous for his medieval whodunnit The Name of the Rose, which was made into a film starring Sean Connery. In this book, Eco introduces us to a culture very different from our own. [...]
Empowering Real Change
Author: Purbasha GhoshMay 3, 2017
Few amongst us can deny a ubiquitous yearning for change – socially, politically, ecologically, spiritually and a myriad other dimensions. Unfortunately, this longing seldom manifests beyond vehemently voicing the already well-recognised need for change or deluging the social media space with our postulates of it. Real change, nevertheless, continues to elude us. Intimidated by the [...]
The Danger of ‘Historical Illiteracy’
Author: Sabine LeitnerApril 30, 2017
Studies in several countries have highlighted that there is growing ignorance and lack of interest amongst young people about even basic historic facts of fairly recent national history. Americans of all ages fail to answer simple questions like “Who won the Civil War” and “Who did we gain independence from?” One of the most frequent [...]
The Way of the Artist
Author: Shraddha ShettyApril 20, 2017
“Beauty is truth’s smile, when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.” (1) How would you define art? Usually, it is described as a form which is pleasing to the eyes. We call this form ‘beautiful’. Is beauty then related only to the sense of sight, motivated by the viewer’s feeling at the [...]
Language and Culture
Author: Pinar AkhanApril 17, 2017
If you have ever tried to learn a new language, you might have noticed that it is not only about learning the alphabet, vocabulary and grammar. It also involves learning a new way of thinking and expressing yourself. Language carries references to the culture to which it belongs and, by interacting with a language, we [...]
Cinema and the 20th Century
Author: Alfredo AguilarApril 17, 2017
If we were to ask ourselves ‘what is cinema?’ we might say that it is an artistic expression, or perhaps a good way of telling stories, a form of entertainment or, frankly speaking, just plain business. The true answer is, probably, all of them. Whatever the case, it would be practically impossible to understand the [...]
Ulysses: The Mission to Return Home
Author: Sivan BarzilayApril 17, 2017
Are you familiar with those moments when it seems that life is talking to you, sending you some message, a direction? In the beginning, it might not seem very clear but with some extra observation and deeper investigation you become able to view the connection. And so, a few weeks ago, the name Ulysses came [...]
Interference: An Option or A Necessity?
Author: Pierre PoulainApril 17, 2017
As a street photographer I have the opportunity to travel worldwide, to present exhibitions, to present various photography workshops, and of course to take new photographs. From those travels there is a photograph I have always presented in my last few workshops. I use it to illustrate a “dynamic composition”, which is a composition with [...]
Sacred Dance and Classical Indian Dance
Author: Miti DesaiFebruary 7, 2017
All dance started with the yearning of the human spirit to move, but with the development of consciousness, expressed in civilisation, an additional element emerged: the idea that the purpose of human life is to grow, to evolve the consciousness, to transcend. But the makers of Indian civilisation realised that it is very difficult to [...]
Treasures of old stories
Author: Natalya PetlevychFebruary 7, 2017
Our hectic city lifestyle seems to be far away from the world of fairy tales. However, their charm and hidden wisdom has been woven into the history of the world for such a long time that it has become part of the present and enhances it. Wherever we travel, local legends, traditions and symbols tell [...]