Meer | English edition

Thursday, August 20, 2026

A Japanese maid café in Akihabara, symbolising the evolution of coffee shops into interactive fantasy experiences

Freshly roasted coffee beans overflowing from a ceramic cup, representing coffee at the heart of Japan's café culture

A warm, vintage café interior bathed in natural light, representing the charm and elegance of Japan's traditional kissaten culture

A Japanese maid café in Akihabara, representing the playful hospitality and entertainment that is part of Japan's modern café culture

A cup filled with roasted coffee beans, symbolising the foundation upon which Japan built its celebrated coffee culture

A quick trip through Japanese café evolution

From smooth jazz to cute cosplay: how Japanese cafés became spaces for art, music, and entertainment

Kabyle Village Square, a work by Henri Clamens, housed in the Narbonne Museum of Fine Arts, depicting communal life in a Kabyle settlement

Not Arab, not French: Amazigh identity in Algeria

A history of resistance, erasure, and the ongoing struggle for cultural and linguistic recognition in post-independence Algeria

"A French Postillion," by Thomas Rowlandson, 1780

A story about choices

Crossing: strength and weakness

Women of different ages and diverse skin types posing together, celebrating natural beauty and individuality

Why chasing trends won’t make you happy

There is only one you, that’s your superpower

On the Street

Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears

Rescuing her from mythification

Britney and Marilyn: Protofeminist angels in the city of demons

101 Hotel

Days of lavish leisure

Spyros Demetriades in his studio, photo by Andreas Christoforou

In conversation with the artist Spyros Demetriades

The Cypriot painter reflects on his practice, his influences, and the urban and cultural landscapes that shape his work

The Corona crisis could lead half a billion people into poverty

Economy & Politics

Corona: the new poverty accelerator

The impact on poor households

A woman holding a brain in her hands, symbolizing the complex decision-making processes discussed in the article

Science & Technology

The psychology of obesity and cognitive biases

Kahneman's two-system theory to combat obesity and promote sustainable lifestyle changes

Iosif Langbard, Opéra de Minsk, 1935

Architecture & Design

The tale of the two theaters in Minsk

A nonsense juxtaposition

Architecture & Design

Exterior view of the Carson Pirie Scott & Co. department store building, located at the southeast corner of South State and East Madison Streets in Chicago’s Loop, decorated with bunting and flags in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday (1909)

Chicago and the birth of modern architecture

Steel frames, glass façades, and the evolution of architectural thought in the industrial age

The United States Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles, California, United States, symbolising the use of high-performance building envelopes to improve energy efficiency in dense cities

Material intelligence for climate-resilient design

Why architects are looking beyond aesthetics to choose materials that perform, endure and protect

Art

Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Room, The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (2013)

Come and have a go if you think you’re art enough

From Beuys to Cattelan, this essay explores why the question “Is it art?” says less about the artwork than about our need for certainty

Michael Joo's Concatenations (1991/2026) is a large-scale mixed-media installation measuring 513.1 × 412.8 × 289.6 cm (202 × 162½ × 114 in). Characteristic of Joo's interdisciplinary practice, the work brings together diverse materials and conceptual references to explore connections between nature, culture, history, and systems of knowledge. Courtesy of the artist and Kukje Gallery. Photograph by Genevieve Hanson

Directionless and the art of uncertainty

At Hauser & Wirth Menorca, Rashid Johnson explores disorientation as a creative force in contemporary life

Culture

Auschwitz was a vast system of concentration and extermination camps established by Nazi Germany near Oświęcim in occupied Poland, becoming a central site of persecution and mass murder during the Holocaust

Viktor Frankl and the search for meaning

How purpose, love, and inner freedom helped prisoners endure the Holocaust

A woman carefully reading aged books at a wooden desk, representing the lifelong pursuit of knowledge through dedicated reading

From reading sounds to finding my voice

How books converted a childhood love of reading into a lifelong passion for writing and teaching

Economy & Politics

The Uprising (1931) is a portable fresco by Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Measuring 74 x 94 1/8 inches, it was created on reinforced cement in a steel framework during his historic retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, USA

The recolonization of Latin America

New forms of political interference from Venezuela to Honduras and Colombia

Business professionals collaborate in a modern office, reflecting the interconnected nature of innovation ecosystems and strategic decision-making

Innovation ecosystems and the politics of progress

Understanding the role of institutions, policy, and governance in modern innovation

Entertainment

South Korean girl group Blackpink featured in a promotion for PUBG Mobile

Why being a celebrity is so hard in Korea

The price of perfection in the K-pop and K-drama world

Directed by Céline Sciamma, the 2019 French historical drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) follows Marianne and Héloïse, whose relationship lies at the heart of the film

"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" beyond the canvas

A reflection on Céline Sciamma's acclaimed film, exploring art, observation, love, and the quiet rebellion against expectation

Fashion

Olivier Rousteing is a French fashion designer who served as the creative director of Balmain from 2011 to 2025

Olivier Rousteing and the reinvention of Balmain

How identity, digital vision, and cultural fluency transformed a heritage house into a global fashion force

The Ladies Waldegrave is a group portrait painted by Joshua Reynolds between 1780 and 1781, now housed in the Scottish National Gallery, which acquired the painting in 1952. The work depicts the three daughters of James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, and Maria Walpole. From left to right, they are Charlotte, holding a skein of silk; Elizabeth, winding Charlotte’s silk onto a card; and Anna, producing tambour lace

The art of being ornamental

Rococo fashion, hyper-femininity, and the politics of spectacle in 18th-century aristocratic culture

Feature

Statue of Hamlet in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, UK

Hamlet and the Beggar Queen

A dramatic meditation on theatre, power, homelessness, and the blurred identities of Shakespeare and Marlowe

Lucio confronted Justin to find missing Dina, which led him to their last trip to Miami on an emotional

Running out of breath

Take a moment to breathe and think about your next move

Food & Wine

Golden-brown lunpia served with dipping sauce, symbolising the lasting legacy of Semarang's traditional cuisine

Lunpia: the traditional flavours of Semarang, Indonesia

Exploring the Javanese-Chinese roots of Semarang’s definitive dish and the hundred-year legacy that keeps it alive

A woman eating at night in front of an open fridge, suggesting binge eating

The hidden appetite of stress

Why stress changes what, when, and how we eat and what it means for our health

Science & Technology

170 candles were lit for Nikola, only to be extinguished by the Aegean wind, Pylos, Greece

Nikola Tesla and the future of human civilization

A philosophical reflection on science, artificial intelligence, climate change, and the enduring search for peace

A robotics demonstration at a crowded technology exhibition, where a quadruped robot and surrounding displays highlight the fine line between innovation, presentation, and perception in modern AI showcases

A robot dog, a foam drone, and a crisis of trust

What began as a showcase at India’s AI summit turned into a broader reckoning over authenticity, perception, and the politics of higher education

Sport

Soccer player Ghiggia (Uruguay) scores a goal that silences a whole nation. Illustration by Paola Bilancieri

1950 FIFA World Cup: the silence at the Maracanã

Brazil strikes first but Uruguay’s captain rewrites the script

The simple yet vital role of food in athletic preparation highlights how nutrition, even in seemingly small details, can be "game-changing" in high-performance sports

How elite athletes' diets transformed performance

From Olympic records to NBA championships, the revolutionary diet changes that made athletic history

Travel

Munsyari is the headquarters of a sub-division and municipal board in the Pithoragarh District. The name also refers to the wider Munsyari Tehsil and Sub-Division region in the hill state of Uttarakhand, India

Munsiyari and the art of snow yoga

Exploring wellness, trekking, and indigenous Himalayan architecture

Maastricht, the Netherlands, features charming urban architecture with cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and a timeless European atmosphere

Maastricht: the Netherlands beyond Holland

A journey through Roman streets, Catholic traditions, riverside cafés, and European identity

Wellness

A girl reaches out toward colorful balloons, smiling with pure happiness

The illusion and truth of happiness

Why pleasure is not enough—and how purpose, community, and faith shape a deeper sense of well-being

Preparing fresh herbs and natural ingredients in a traditional kitchen, representing the connection between nature and everyday wellness

Bring nature into your home

How houseplants and herbs improve your health and living space

Explore the Calendar

Worldwide New York Basel Copenhagen Seoul Frankfurt am Main Mexico City Nuremberg Amsterdam Zurich Antwerp Houston Prague Sidney Seville Los Angeles Sao Paulo Stuttgart Riga San Francisco Brussels Kobarid Krakow

Lara Merrett, Ripple (detail), 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf

20 Aug — 12 Sep 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, Australia

Various artists, Chawan: 50 tea bowls by contemporary Japanese ceramic makers. Courtesy of Dai Ichi Arts

Chawan: 50 tea bowls (...)

20 Aug — 1 Sep 2026 at the 67 York Street Gallery in London, United Kingdom

Carrie Yamaoka, 68 by 12 (green) redux (detail), 2009/2025. Courtesy of Hamburger Kunsthalle

Carrie Yamaoka's exhibition

21 Aug 2026 — 10 Jan 2027 at the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Hamburg, Germany

Thomas Demand, Ruine (detail). Courtesy of the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery / Sprüth Magers / Esther Schipper, Berlin / Taka Ishii Gallery © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Thomas Demand: the stuttering of history

22 Aug — 1 Nov 2026 at the Fundación Proa in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dominic Harman, Amongst the petals (detail), 2023. Courtesy of Abend Gallery

Contemporary figuration

22 Aug — 12 Sep 2026 at the Abend Gallery in Denver, United States

Calvin Lai, A precarious balance (detail), 2022. Courtesy of Abend Gallery

Finding shelter

22 Aug — 12 Sep 2026 at the Abend Gallery in Denver, United States

Michael Magrin, Sunset west (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Abend Gallery

Rhythms of place

22 Aug — 12 Sep 2026 at the Abend Gallery in Denver, United States

Ashley Garrett, Fireweed (detail), 2025. Courtesy of David B. Smith Gallery

The soaring roar

22 Aug — 26 Sep 2026 at the David B. Smith in Denver, United States

Sophie Kitching, The meadow (detail), 2026. Courtesy of Heather Gaudio Fine Art

The late summer show

22 Aug — 3 Oct 2026 at the Heather Gaudio Fine Art in Greenwich, United States

Michael Mazur, Wakeby evening memory (detail), 1985. Courtesy of the Schoolhouse Gallery

24 — 11 Aug 2026 at The Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, United States

Emma Itzstein, Voices of children in the summer sky (detail), 2026. Courtesy of Olsen Gallery

Excursions outside the orangery

26 Aug — 19 Sep 2026 at the Olsen Gallery in Sydney, Australia

Gregory Hodge, Overgrowth (detail), 2026. Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf

27 Aug — 26 Sep 2026 at Sullivan+Strumpf in Sydney, Australia

Melike Kara, New mornings (detail), 2026. Courtesy of Carl Kostyál

28 Aug — 13 Sep 2026 at the Carl Kostyál Gallery in London, United Kingdom

Selin Nisa Acikel, Veil (detail), 2025. Courtesy of 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel

On a bit of Earth which had no name

28 Aug — 17 Oct 2026 at the 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel in New York, United States

Billy Schenck, Gratuitous violence (detail). Courtesy of JoAnne Artman Gallery

Technicolor west

1 Sep — 31 Oct 2026 at the JoAnne Artman Gallery in Laguna Beach, United States

Lis Sam, Shadow (detail), 2025. Courtesy of Fremin Gallery

1 Sep — 31 Oct 2026 at the Fremin Gallery in New York, United States

Benji Reid, Light bike (detail), 2021. Courtesy of October Gallery

Zana Masombuka. Spotlight: Benji Reid

3 Sep — 3 Oct 2026 at the October Gallery in London, United Kingdom

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