Meer | English edition

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Abstract view of a spiral staircase in monochrome tones

A man in a brown jacket sits on a couch, lost in thought

An abstract ink and watercolor illustration depicting the tension between structure and freedom—where rigid architectural forms dissolve into flowing, organic shapes, symbolizing the transformation of obedience into becoming

Black and white photograph capturing the geometric beauty of a spiral staircase

A man wearing a brown jacket sits quietly on a couch, appearing sad

The architecture of obedience

How civilization learned to worship self-reduction

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India aboard a Russian government aircraft, welcomed by Indian military personnel

Economy & Politics

India, Russia, and the politics of a grand welcome

Putin’s visit to New Delhi and what it reveals about India’s balancing act between Moscow and the West

Susan Stewart pictured against a backdrop of ancient ruins, reflecting her lifelong engagement with memory, materiality, and the traces of the past

An interview with Professor Susan Stewart

The ruins lesson: meaning and material in Western culture

Golden sands and warm waters along Sri Lanka’s Indian Ocean coast, where surf culture meets tropical calm

Sri Lanka: the teardrop of India

Beaches, ancient sites, and rich culture in a developing nation

On the Street

Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, General Secretary of FIFA, and João Havelange, President of FIFA, holding the Adidas Tango Spain, 1982

The new era of FIFA

A continuation of business and controversias

New 3D Food Printing Technology

Science & Technology

To eat, at the press of a button

Eating our way through technology

My bewilderment grew in sync with the ugliness and danger of these new surroundings

A life's lesson

When others' pain is felt

Intrepid Design

The Elite London 2015

Eric Fischl. Presence of an Absence is at Skarstedt, London © Eric Fischl. Courtesy of Skarstedt

Painting America at Breaking Point

Eric Fischl: Presence of an Absence

‘Yellow Passage’, 2017. Copyright James Casebere/SKNY. Framed archival pigment print mounted onto dibond paper, 44.5 x 66.5 inches

Architecture & Design

Emotional Rescue

James Casebere: ‘Emotional Architecture’ at Sean Kelly Gallery, NYC

Architecture & Design

The Port of Antwerp is the port of the city of Antwerp, Belgium

The art and impact of architectural photography

Capturing space, light, and story

Garden oasis overlooking the main building, Itchiku Kubota Art Museum ©Alma Reyes

Living paradise in Lake Kawaguchi

The exotic Itchiku Kubota Art Museum and garden

Art

On December 5, 2025, the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte presents the exhibition
Bertozzi & Casoni. Metamorphosis, curated by Eike Schmidt and Diego Galizzi, Italy

Bertozzi & Casoni’s Metamorphosis

Ceramic excess, historical contamination, and the unstable life of matter at Capodimonte

The Venus of Monruz (also Venus of Neuchâtel, Venus of Neuchâtel-Monruz) is a Venus figurine of the late Upper Paleolithic, or the beginning Epipaleolithic, dating to the end of the Magdalenian, some 11,000 years ago

The artist behind the Venus

Two Venuses figurines from prehistoric Europe may reveal the birth of artistic identity and recognition

Culture

The Market Place, Tanta, Egypt (Burton, 1874)

Tanta: where faith and power intertwine

A closer look at how Egypt’s largest Sufi festival reveals the tensions between faith, myth, and governance

Sabre duel of German students, around 1900, painting by Georg Mühlberg (1863–1925)

The age of duels and the science of arms

Rapier fencing, aristocratic ideals, and the parallel rise of European and Japanese martial philosophies

Economy & Politics

A frayed American flag hangs in quiet testimony to a nation grappling with democratic strain

Trump administration: corruption and collapse

Justice, opposition, and the perilous state of American politics in 2025

A graffiti that captures the shock, anger, and resistance felt by sectors of Chilean society in the wake of José Antonio Kast’s decisive electoral victory, reflecting a country grappling with a profound political realignment

Chile, the paths of the left

Electoral defeat, internal tensions, and a redefinition of the progressive project

Entertainment

A man caught in a moment of silent disappointment, highlighting the narrowing emotional range given to male characters today

Masculinity in modern films

The vanishing man: how contemporary narratives are rewriting masculinity

A woman placing her hand on a microphone

Beyond audiobooks: the intimacy of interactive audio

How interactive audio stories turn passive listening into performance

Fashion

Snow goggles, dating from circa 800–1200, carved from walrus ivory and measuring 1 1/8 × 5 inches (2.9 × 12.7 cm), are part of the American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA

The evolution of sunglasses

From ancient eye shields to fashion icons

Drag queens transform fashion into a language of resistance, where sequins, silhouettes, and performance become acts of visibility and power

Drag queens and fashion

A vibrant alliance of art, identity, and activism

Feature

A silhouette suspended between memory and momentum: Aldonza in the space where two worlds meet

Ahmed's painting

The art of waiting for the giant

A deserted indoor hallway in a ruined, deteriorating house

The thirteenth floor

A not-so-beatific NYC suicide beat

Food & Wine

A refreshing smoothie served in a mason jar with a straw

Mini science in the kitchen

Fun cooking experiments that teach kids science, creativity, and nutrition

A man holding a freshly caught red-spotted trout in his hands

The Black Sea trout in a posthuman age

On the decline of Salmo rizeensis in Rize’s rivers and the ethical questions of human intervention

Science & Technology

A man reflects on his digital presence, surrounded by invisible data—capturing the quiet tension between connectivity, identity, and dignity in the digital age

Digital dignity in the age of algorithms

Safeguarding autonomy, equity, and human rights in the digital era

Preventive care starts with a simple visit and an honest conversation

The hidden costs of neglecting your health

Why skipping health checkups could be risky for your health

Sport

During a fast-paced rally, the ball strikes the net in a volleyball match, creating a moment of suspense as players prepare for the next move

Volleyball: from Mintonette to a global phenomenon

Tracing the origins, evolution, and Olympic rise of one of the world’s most beloved sports

Cricket’s journey from its European roots to its South Asian dominance, where packed stadiums and passionate fans contrast with Europe’s quieter legacy, yet a new wave of teams like Italy, Germany, and Denmark signals hope for the sport’s revival

Cricket’s lost home: exploring Europe’s forgotten legacy

Does cricket have a future in Europe?

Travel

Bandipur is a charming hilltop town in Nepal known for its well-preserved Newar architecture, rich cultural heritage, and stunning Himalayan views

Bandipur: Nepal’s timeless hilltop village

A charming Newar settlement known for heritage, sustainability, and community between Kathmandu and Pokhara

Table Mountain from near Lion’s Head, Cape Town, photographed by Jade Stephens

A letter from the Mother City

Life between the oceans and mountains of Cape Town

Wellness

Bourganville, watercolour, 16 × 12 cm, Mark Weighton, 2025

No objections to 2026!

Cancer Full Moon

A woman standing at the centre of an illuminated passage, illustrating the quiet fear of moving forward without certainty

The complicated path of choosing the life you want

What happens when wanting everything becomes choosing nothing

Discover our authors

Sudeep Neupane

Becky Ogbar

Muhammad Umar Shabbir

Muhammad Umar Shabbir

Ingrid Knight-Cohee

Ingrid Knight-Cohee

Takudzwanashe Mamvura

Takudzwanashe Mamvura

Joy Iweha

Scott Segura

Lou Farrell

Maryem Laghdaf

Martha R. Bireda

Martha R. Bireda

Explore the Calendar

Worldwide Sydney Munich Zurich Beijing Montreal Luxembourg Seville Lucca Bern Oshkosh Rome Sao Paulo Kobarid Pittsburgh Dresden San Francisco Lisbon Nuremberg Warsaw Denver Lausanne Chicago

Joseph Mallord William Turner, Durham (detail), about 1835. Courtesy of National Galleries of Scotland

Turner in January

1 — 31 Jan 2026 at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

LA Art Show, past edition, event view. Courtesy of LA Art Show

LA Art Show kicks off art season on January

7 — 11 Jan 2026 at LA Art Show in Los Angeles, United States

Lucknow from the Gomti (detail), 1821 and 1826. Courtesy of Yale Center for British Art

Painters, ports, and profits (...)

8 Jan — 21 Jun 2026 at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, United States

Kim In Ok, The road to Hanggeum-ri (detail), 2023. Courtesy of Kate Oh Gallery

Kim In Ok's exhibition

8 — 18 Jan 2026 at the Kate Oh Gallery in New York, United States

David Kroll, Seascape egret and vase (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Lisa Sette Gallery

NI: Natural intelligence

10 Jan — 28 Feb 2026 at Lisa Sette Gallery in Phoenix, United States

Junna Maruyama, Shape of soul (detail). Courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery

10 Jan — 14 Feb 2026 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, United States

Malcolm Bucknall, We were just playing make believe (detail), 2023. Courtesy of Wally Workman Gallery

My make believe

10 Jan — 14 Feb 2026 at the Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, United States

Dora Somosi, Mending madder (detail). Courtesy of Gilman Contemporary

Alchemy of memory

16 Jan — 25 Feb 2026 at the Gilman Contemporary in Sun Valley, United States

Miguel Arzabe, La bahía de niebla (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Johansson Projects

Sin contar cincuenta (Without counting fifty)

17 Jan — 21 Mar 2026 at the Johansson Projects in Oakland, United States

Kais Salman, Red carpet (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Ayyam Gallery

17 Jan — 18 Mar 2026 at the Ayyam Gallery in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dawn Ng, September (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Dawn Ng Studio and Sullivan+Strumpf. Photography by Liling Ong

The Earth laughs in flowers

21 — 31 Jan 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Singapore, Singapore

Karl Hartman, Dust (detail), 2012. Courtesy of Garvey|Simon

The nature of nature

21 Jan — 27 Feb 2026 at Garvey | Simon in Manhattan, United States

Seth Birchall, A time to settle (down) (detail), 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf

22 Jan — 22 Feb 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Singapore, Singapore

Andrade Tudela, La verdad ha cambiado (video still), 2020-2022. Courtesy of Francesca Minini

22 Jan — 7 Mar 2026 at the Francesca Minini in Milan, Italy

Noah Davis, 1975 (8), 2013. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Noah Davis's exhibition

24 Jan — 26 Apr 2026 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, United States

Alair Pambegan, Untitled #1 (detail), 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf. Photography by Aaron Anderson

29 Jan — 21 Feb 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, Australia

Sam Arnold, September (detail), 2024. Courtesy of Jackson Junge Gallery

29 Jan — 1 Mar 2026 at the Jackson Junge Gallery in Chicago, United States

Subscribe

Get updates on the Meer