Meer | English edition

Monday, February 16, 2026

Pope Pius XII (Italian: Pio XII; Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 1876 – 9 October 1958) led the Catholic Church and ruled Vatican City from 2 March 1939 until his death. He remains the most recent pontiff to bear the name Pius

Pope Pius XI (Italian: Pio XI; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) served as head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of Vatican City following its creation on 11 February 1929

Pope Pius XI (left) and Pope Pius XII (right): two successive pontificates confronting the rise of Nazi racial ideology, marked by moral denunciation on one side and cautious restraint on the other

Pope Pius XII (Italian: Pio XII; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 1876 – 9 October 1958) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 1939 until his death in 1958. He was the last pope to take the name Pius

Pope Pius XI (Italian: Pio XI; Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 1922 until his death in 1939. He became the first sovereign of Vatican City after its establishment on 11 February 1929

The Pope who spoke and the Pope who hesitated

Moral courage, silence, and the Catholic church on the eve of the holocaust

A multipolar world takes shape: shifting centres of power, global interdependence, and strategic uncertainty redefine the architecture of international order

Economy & Politics

Multipolarity without multilateralism

Power shifts, hegemony, and the fragile future of the global order

A brown and white swallowtail butterfly emerging from its cocoon, symbolizing transformation and new beginnings

How do we invite change into our lives?

True transformation begins when we stop waiting for change and start growing toward it from within

Cozy days ahead with BINI

Why comfort can be the clearest expression of identity

On the Street

Fresh Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

Flavours of Apulia: Fresh Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

Chef Bonea's recipe

Zero T expressing his artistic nature

An Irish DJ, a blind guy and a singer walk into a music studio

A pandemic is a momentous event

Science & Technology

The first pandemic of the Anthropocene

A global biological and health crisis widely predicted

Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City supporters rally behind their clubs, capturing the fierce rivalry and anticipation ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League title race

The big three and the battle ahead

Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City set the stage for a fierce Premier League title race in 2025/26

Victor Moreno 08 Atellier. Photos by Felix Busse.

A Cuban Painter

Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Discovering the best self-care spots in Chicago

Why the city known for its deep dish pizza is also a Midwestern spa hotspot

Architecture & Design

Wastewater treatment plant

The architecture of water conservation

Innovative harvesting systems in modern design

Meland Club in China

A fantastical garden where childhood dreams take shape

Art

Teresita Fernández: Fata Morgana in Madison Square Park, USA

The horizon’s illusion: Fata Morgana

The mirage between science and imagination

Unlike Xu Hongfei’s buoyant, playful bronze works, "Summer" radiates quiet solemnity and fatigue

Summer: a figure withdrawing from the world

A rare artistic acknowledgment of the working-class female body

Culture

Worker and Kolkhoz Woman sculpture, Russia, low-angle view

Life in a Soviet mining town

Memories of Shakhtinsk, childhood freedoms, and the contradictions of promised futures

"Suudelma" (kiss), 1916, by the Finnish painter William Rosenberg

I’m looking: a nerdy philosophical on coupling

A guide for female philosophers and thinkers whose work resonates with Carl Jung’s depth psychology

Economy & Politics

A white dove rests gently above a pair of open hands holding a world map, symbolizing global peace and harmony

Human rights in the era of globalization

Reclaiming justice, accountability, and dignity in a world shaped by power and inequality

Ajay Dhamecha, Ecotour Camp, Little Rann of Kachchh - sensitive to ecological and cultural sustainability @ Ashish Kothari

Five stories of inspiration in the first month of 2026

Lessons from grassroots ecological and social innovations in India

Entertainment

An illustration of two Gokurakugai characters, with Alma’s vivid red jacket heightening his bold, mischievous presence

Anime protagonists and symbolism of the red jacket

Characterizing darkness: exploring why certain hues instantly communicate traits to viewers

Calder-Marshall with his wife, Ara. Photograph courtesy of the Calder-Marshall family

Arthur Calder-Marshall: the author Hollywood forgot

An untimely talent between literature and cinema, and the long journey back from the margins of memory

Fashion

Girls dressed in 80s fashion, showcasing bold, colorful blazers

The blazer: from club uniform to cultural icon

How one garment evolved from exclusivity to empowerment, versatility, and timeless style

Charlotte Tilbury x Sephora showcasing the makeup collection and the essence of beauty

Charlotte Tilbury and Sephora’s immersive pop-up experience

Inside Charlotte Tilbury x Sephora’s immersive pop-up redefining luxury, emotion, and experience in retail

Feature

Between neon darkness and feathered light, love mutates into monsters and angels as the self walks through shifting moons, grief, and fragile hop

Neon demons, feathered hope

Love, metamorphosis, and the mind’s struggle to survive itself

A view from the South Side of Wreck Beach © Photo by John Macanas

Wreck Beach: a winter solitude

Late winter treks on a summer nude beach turned solitude fort

Food & Wine

Close-up of ice cream cones with natural ingredients

Ice cream, the way we remember it

Less sugar, riper fruit, and the return of a thoughtful treat

The world's diplomacy isn't just happening in chambers; it's being cooked up in kitchens

Gastrodiplomacy: the secret weapon of cultural soft power

How nations are using cuisine to build international clout and expand global influence

Science & Technology

Close-up on United Arab Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai

Genetic mutations to AI in the Middle East

The geopolitical dilemma and the race for technological supremacy

The Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy (Veritas) spacecraft — a proposed mission under NASA’s Discovery program

Venus: between volcanoes and sulphuric acid clouds

A look into the mysterious world of the planet Venus and how past and future missions work towards solving it

Sport

2017 NBA Playoffs at Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C, US

Is this still basketball?

The hyper-arc, rising ratings, and a sport at war with itself

Lebron James during a Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers game on 25 November 2023

Is LeBron the GOAT?

An exploration of stats, accolades, and legacy

Travel

A woman walks along the seashore toward the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Exploring the UAE beyond Dubai on $1,000

Sharjah’s cultural gems, Abu Dhabi’s scuba diving, and Dubai’s desert safaris—three emirates experienced without breaking the bank

A postcard depicting the approach to the Grove Park Inn from the south entrance, Asheville, North Carolina

An Appalachian hotel that's a part of American art history

A luxury hotel that has served as artistic inspiration for over 100 years

Wellness

People enjoying a ride on a carousel at a theme park during the daytime

Happiness isn’t a destination, stop waiting for it

The illusion of "I'll be happy when..."

Vilhelm Hammershøi, Interior with the artist's wife seen from behind

The quiet art of living slowly

Finding presence, beauty, and meaning in a world that rushes past itself

Discover our authors

Brenda Lee Bohen

Brenda Lee Bohen

Linda Etuk

Richard A. Ballard Fabrega

Richard A. Ballard Fabrega

Théo Ahluwalia

Théo Ahluwalia

Raina Coleman

Nadia Batok

I Wu

John Macanas

Daryssia Yu

Jane Ammeson

Explore the Calendar

Worldwide Dresden Oshkosh Riga Milan Cambridge Philadelphia Ottawa Montreal Hamburg Thessaloniki Edinburgh Sidney Pittsburgh Buenos Aires Ghent Munich Cambridge Rome Denver San Francisco Leipzig Geneva

Luca Latino, part of the cast of the play "Sons". Courtesy of the Teatro Golden

19 Feb — 8 Mar 2026 at the Teatro Golden in Rome, Italy

Lisa Tomasetti, Laguna in aumento (detail), 2025. Courtesy of BMGArt

Not sinking, rising. The Venice series

20 Feb — 8 Mar 2026 at BMGArt in Adelaide, Australia

Paul Lacey, Dry town (detail), 2024. Courtesy of BMGArt

Way over yonder

20 Feb — 8 Mar 2026 at BMGArt in Adelaide, Australia

Judy Watson Napangardi, Mina mina jukurrpa (detail). Courtesy of Japingka Gallery

From the desert

20 Feb — 8 Apr 2026 at the Japingka Gallery in Fremantle City, Australia

Jordan Sullivan, The blade (detail). Courtesy of GR Gallery

20 Feb — 21 Mar 2026 at the GR Gallery in New York, United States

Various artists, Technologies of relation, exhibition view. Courtesy of MASS MoCA

Technologies of relation

21 Feb — 1 Mar 2026 at the MASS MoCA in North Adams, United States

Adrian Cox, A path between heaven and Earth IV (detail). Courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery

The well of dreams

21 Feb — 28 Mar 2026 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, United States

Chloe Early, Wayfinder (detail). Courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery

21 Feb — 28 Mar 2026 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, United States

Cosmas and Damian Brown, Hard body soft. Courtesy of Good Mother Gallery

21 Feb — 21 Mar 2026 at the Good Mother Gallery in Los Angeles, United States

Sonia Ruiz, Serie rosa I (detail), 2024. Courtesy of Piedras Gallery

Sonia Ruiz's exhibition

21 Feb — 4 Apr 2026 at the Piedras Gallery in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Elen Bezhen, Teacup (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Dorothy Circus Gallery

Elen Bezhen: still garden

23 Feb — 21 Mar 2026 at the Dorothy Circus Gallery in London, United Kingdom

Tracey Emin, The end of love (detail), 2024. Courtesy of Tate Modern © Tracey Emin

26 Feb — 31 Aug 2026 at the Tate Modern in London, United Kingdom

Felipe Jácome, Ilona 2 (detail). Courtesy of Gilman Contemporary

The unbroken project

26 Feb — 26 Mar 2026 at the Gilman Contemporary in Sun Valley, United States

Sanné Mestrom, Support structures, installation view (indicative). Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf. Photography by Mark Pokorny

Support structures

26 Feb — 22 Mar 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, Australia

Jess Cochrane, Dinner at corner (detail), 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf. Photography by TBC

The middle of the flower

26 Feb — 28 Mar 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, Australia

Katherine Porter, Untitled (detail), 1977. Courtesy of LewAllen Galleries

Katherine Porter: works on paper

27 Feb — 7 Mar 2026 at the LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe, United States

Rachel Phillips, Not a cloud 012 (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Catherine Couturier Gallery

Not a cloud in the sky

28 Feb — 4 Apr 2026 at the Catherine Couturier Gallery in Houston, United States

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