IT'S official: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa was 83 per cent happy, 9 per cent disgusted, 6 per cent fearful and 2 per cent angry. NewScientist View full entry
An interview with Michael Rakowitz, whose paraSITE shelters are on view at the MoMA's SAFE exhibit. Designed in collaboration with homeless residents, the tent-like structures "inflate by absorbing the air from urban buildings' exterior ventilation systems, providing a portable refuge for their... View full entry
Investigative geographer Trevor Paglen and the-always intrepid reporter A.C. Thompson, team up in Nevada to uncover the "trail of a secret spy plane that leads to a mysterious outfit in Reno with ties to a prominent Nevada politico." Here is some very interesting skinny on the dubious life of... View full entry
"Sicilian magistrates are investigating allegations that lucrative construction projects in preparation for America's Cup yacht races were awarded to members of the island's Cosa Nostra." Independent. View full entry
"A sense of despair about the prospects for cultural activity at ground zero pervaded a panel discussion on the issue on Monday night, even as some speakers suggested that the idea could be resurrected." NYT. View full entry
"Shikabe is the timeless image of a maritime village, defined by the cry of gulls, the wash of waves on sea walls and the sight of fishing boats rocking in the distant swell." However, "Shikabe itself may soon disappear from the map, along with hundreds of other small towns, as Tokyo seeks ways... View full entry
"The pyramids, Versailles, the Taj Mahal, the Kremlin, the World Trade Center: it's hardly news that the rich and powerful have used architecture to try to achieve immortality, impress their contemporaries, stroke their own egos and make political and religious statements." A (mixed) review of... View full entry
The distinction between "historian" and "critic" comes into question when four editors of October magazine trace the history of contemporary art. The Nation View full entry
Violence triggered by race tensions has hit Sydney for a second night, with youths damaging cars and shops. bbc View full entry
For Oliver Stone's new film about September 11th, being produced "in this isolated industrial tract not far from Marina del Rey, the twisted facade and mangled girders of the wreckage of the World Trade Center are taking shape into a meticulously rendered mockup of ground zero." Difference and... View full entry
Not since Cunningham, has a choreographer so embraced the possibility of architecture in dance. Flamand's The Bright City is the 3rd installment of collaborations with architects; this one with Perrault. | buchdaily | related ... choreographer Frederic Flamand and stage designer Dominique... View full entry
Selected Comments From a British Web Discussion Forum Entitled "Protecting Your Home From Criminals””How Far Would You Go?" McSweeney's View full entry
Turner Prize winner Simon Starling's new transformation project in Toronto will submerge a replica of a Henry Moore in Lake Ontario before re-displaying it, encrusted with zebra mussels. The project is linked to one of Starling's earlier socio-eco(logical) experiments in transplanting invasive... View full entry
"Saddam Hussein's underground bunker (in Baghdad), surprisingly undamaged despite heavy US bombing in 2003, has become an informal tourist attraction for visitors and residents of Baghdad's downtown Green Zone area." People's Daily View full entry
French politicians have called for legal action to be taken against hip hop musicians in the wake of the French riots. l Telegraph l related l View full entry