A list of intriguing things
One: What if the great masters through history had access to modern materials like stainless steel—and were channelled by a super-smart AI? What would it look like? That’s what the Swedish engineering company Sandvik set out to achieve—with the help of AI guru Robert Luciani. He was asked to create a sculpture based on works by Rodin and Michelangelo—and also Augusta Savage, Käthe Kollwitz, and Kotaro Takamura.
The result: “A human-sized form with an outstretched hand, holding a globe that seems to magically adhere to it. The figure symbolises the power and unity of art and technology” (see: the lead image). It’s titled “The Impossible Statue’—and is “crafted from stainless steel, a material chosen to showcase cutting-edge software and tools.” See the demo video below. (Mashable)
Two: The world’s most expensive ice cream costs $6,291 (Rs 5.2 lakh)—and is made of rare white truffle grown in Alba, Italy—which is priced at $15,192 per kg. Called byakuya—or ‘white night’—it has “edible gold leaf, two types of cheese and ‘Sakekasu,’ a paste-like ingredient derived from the process of sake-making.” It’s made by the Japanese ice cream brand Cellato. Just look at that thing—as you can see below—tasting it would stress us out lol! (CNN)
Three: The new exhibit at the Design Museum in London is called ‘The Offbeat Sari’—and includes unusual examples of our national garment:
Among them are a sari embellished with sequins made from hospitals’ discarded X-ray images by the label Abraham & Thakore… a cocoon-shaped nylon sari with a quilted pallu… by the label Huemn. A sari by Akaaro showcases the brand’s work with zari, a fabric made of silk or cotton threads around which thin layers of silver or gold are wrapped. A ruffled sari by Amit Aggarwal in the exhibition uses boning created from industrial waste. The bodice of his sari, Mr. Aggarwal said, looks like a coral reef underwater.
Our fave example: this dazzling Sabyasachi monstrosity worn by Natasha Poonawalla to the 2022 Met Gala. (New York Times)
