Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2023. (Photo: ARPAE Energy via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

In 2011, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Reddit for an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session. Users wondered about everything from scientific funding and images taken from space to studying physics and recent technical innovations. But some commenters strayed from scientific topics completely, with one asking, “Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?” Tyson replied with a list of eight titles, each accompanied by explanations of how the book’s “content influenced the behavior of people who shaped the Western world.”

Below are the books featured in Tyson’s list, alongside his commentary and links to their free, online versions. To read the works, Tyson concluded, would be to “glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the Western world.” Some Reddit users also suggested additional titles, including Plato’s The Republic, Capital by Karl Marx, and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, among others.

To explore more, visit Tyson’s AMA thread on Reddit.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson revealed a list of eight books in response to a Reddit AMA asking, “Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?”

The Bible

The Gutenberg Bible (Photo: Gun Powder Ma via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

“To learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.”

The System of the World by Sir Isaac Newton

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn that the universe is a knowable place.”

The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.”

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Smith

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.”

The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.”

The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.”

The Art of War by Sun Tsu

Bookshop | eBook

“To learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.”

The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli

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“To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”

Source: I am Neil deGrasse Tyson — AMA

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READ: Here Are Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Eight Books That “Every Intelligent Person” Should Read

Vincent van Gogh, “The Red Vineyard,” 1888. (Public domain)

In 2024, an 1887 painting by Vincent van Gogh snagged one of the year’s highest prices at auction, clocking in at $33.19 million. At Christie’s New York, in 2022, Orchard with Cypresses sold for an astounding $117 million, making it one of the 15 most expensive artworks ever sold at auction. Throughout the past century, the post-Impressionist master has achieved a meteoric rise to fame as a blue-chip artist, but when he was alive, he wasn’t nearly as lucky.

By the time he died in 1890, at the age of 37, van Gogh had produced about 2,100 artworks, and yet he’s known to have sold only one of them during his lifetime: The Red Vineyard. As its title suggests, the painting depicts a vineyard doused in a dramatic color palette, with reds, oranges, and yellows exploding across the canvas. He’d discovered the scene in Arles during an afternoon walk with fellow artist Paul Gauguin on October 28, 1888, describing what he saw in a letter to his brother, Theo, as “completely red like red wine.”

“In the distance it became yellow, and then a green sky with a sun, fields violet and sparkling yellow here and there after the rain in which the setting sun was reflected,” van Gogh added in his note.

Rather than painting en plein air, van Gogh returned to his studio and recreated the vineyard from memory, layering the landscape with his thick brushstrokes and expressive forms. In the sky is an enormous sun, its rays beaming down upon the fiery earth, and the turquoise river snaking through the composition’s right side. With his confident hand, the painting radiates the essence of fall, serving as one of his more saturated canvases.

Once The Red Vineyard was completed, the artist sent it to Theo in Paris, who described it as “very beautiful” and hung it up in his apartment. After a few months, van Gogh received an invitation to participate in the 1890 Les XX exhibition in Brussels, where he decided to showcase the 1888 painting and subsequently asked his brother to send it back for the occasion. There, he sold it for 400 francs to Belgian painter and collector Anna Boch, the wife of Eugène Boch, another Impressionist painter and friend of van Gogh. In a letter to Theo, van Gogh later confessed that he felt embarrassed about having sold Boch the painting at sticker price, when she should’ve received a friend’s discount.

The story of The Red Vineyard doesn’t end with the Boch family. In 1909, the painting was bought by Ivan Morosov, a Moscow collector and textile factory owner, at the price of 30,000 francs. A year after the Russian Revolution, in 1918, Morosov’s collection was nationalized by the Bolsheviks and eventually transferred to Moscow’s Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in 1948. Since then, The Red Vineyard has been exhibited globally, including in 2022 at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Although van Gogh began receiving critical attention during the last year of his life, he didn’t live to witness the intensity of his eventual commercial success. Still, Anna Boch—and van Gogh’s sister-in-law—must’ve had a hunch about his genius, even before his death.

Despite being commercially successful today, Vincent van Gogh wasn’t as lucky during his lifetime: he is known to have only officially sold one painting, titled The Red Vineyard, from 1888.

Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh, 1887. (Public domain)

The painting was sold to Anna Boch during the 1890 Les XX exhibition in Brussels for 400 francs.

Portrait of Anna Boch by Théo van Rysselberghe, ca. 1889. (Public domain)

Sources: How did the only painting sold by Van Gogh in his lifetime end up in Russia?; Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890); Discover the Only Painting Van Gogh Ever Sold During His Lifetime

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READ: This Is the One Painting Vincent van Gogh Is Known To Have Sold During His Lifetime

Jeff Koons, “Split-Rocker,” 2000, installed at Versailles, Paris, 2008. (Photo: Laurent Lecat)

It’s no secret that Jeff Koons is a master of pop art. Since the 1980s, Koons has created some of the world’s most recognizable sculptures, ranging from giant balloon animals and the Incredible Hulk to Hoover vacuums and the Pink Panther. Across the entirety of his practice, play and humor are clearly at the forefront, and Split-Rocker is no exception. Now, an artist’s proof of the monumental sculpture has found a new—and permanent—home at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Towering at a height of 37 feet, Split-Rocker combines two child-like and nostalgic forms: half of a pony’s head, and half of a dinosaur’s head, both simplified to the point of appearing appropriately cartoonish. More than 50,000 plants bloom across the sculpture, completely covering its surface while being supported by an internal irrigation system. Each season, these flowers transform, evolve, and alter the profile, texture, and character of Split-Rocker, reinforcing its status as both a surreal and “living” sculpture. To accommodate California’s climate, LACMA’s edition of Split-Rocker will be outfitted with drought-tolerant flowers and plants, curated by a dedicated team of local horticulturalists.

LACMA’s acquisition of Split-Rocker also kicks off a new chapter for the institution. Gifted by Lynda and Stewart Resnick, the sculpture will anchor the public gardens surrounding the David Geffen Galleries, which will open in 2026 and house the museum’s permanent collection. In preparation for its opening, LACMA is also planning a “robust program of outdoor public art” throughout the 3.5-acre park. Alongside Koons, the garden will feature sculptures and works by Liz Glynn, Thomas Houseago, Shio Kusaka, Pedro Reyes, and Diana Thater.

Since 2000, both the artist’s proof and first edition of Split-Rocker have traveled around the world, having been exhibited at the Fondation Beyeler, Rockefeller Center, Palais des Papes, and Versailles. As of 2013, the sculpture’s first edition is on permanent display at the Glenstone Museum in Maryland.

“Jeff is a master of bringing bold playfulness together with layers of deeper artistic meaning,” Michael Govan, LACMA’s CEO and Wallis Annenberg director, says in a statement. “We’re thrilled to welcome this living sculpture to LACMA, where it will greet visitors, pedestrians, and traffic along Wilshire Boulevard.”

LACMA anticipates seeding Split-Rocker later this summer, with hopes for it to be fully bloomed by next April. Uniquely, among four of Koons’ flower sculptures worldwide, LACMA’s Split-Rocker will be “alive and growing year-round in the mild climate of Southern California,” as Govan enthusiastically adds.

To learn more about Split-Rocker and the opening of the David Geffen Galleries, visit LACMA’s website.

LACMA has acquired Split-Rocker, a monumental living sculpture depicting childhood toys by Jeff Koons.

Jeff Koons, “Split-Rocker,” 2000, installed at Versailles, Paris, 2008. (Photo: Laurent Lecat)

Jeff Koons, “Split-Rocker,” 2000, installed at Rockefeller Center in New York, 2014. (Photo: Tom Powel Imaging)

Jeff Koons, “Split-Rocker,” 2000, installed at Rockefeller Center in New York, 2014. (Photo: Tom Powel Imaging)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by LACMA.

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Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

When Mariia Khas finally arrived at silver as her primary medium, it felt completely natural. Up until that point, the Mongolian artisan and jewelry designer mostly crafted rings, pendants, and earrings from wood, yet the material’s fragility eventually redirected her to silver, something she describes as “just as warm, but far more durable.” The metal was precious to the artist in other ways, too: in Mongolian culture, Khas explains, silver is considered a “purer and more sacred” material than gold.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Khas’ jewelry radiates a quiet sense of strength and divinity. Self-taught and inspired by Buddhist traditions, Khas has become known for her sleek, metallic aesthetic, expressed through skin-tight finger armor, dramatic lip rings, and bracelets lined with silver teeth. Each piece seems sturdy enough to protect against the outside world, with details derived from mythology and spirituality. By rooting her work within her own cultural heritage, Khas and those who wear her jewelry participate within a “larger cycle” of creativity and humanity.

“What I do isn’t new,” Khas tells My Modern Met. “It’s more like forgotten traditions brought back to life. Everything we create today is part of a larger cycle—it’s all been done in different forms before.”

My Modern Met had the chance to speak with Mariia Khas about her artistic inspirations, her creative process, and the themes and traditions that underpin her practice. Read on for our exclusive interview with the artisan.

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

What originally intrigued you about jewelry and jewelry design?

Since childhood, I’ve been drawn to working with my hands and experimenting with different materials. I actually started out crafting rings, pendants, and earrings from wood, but I soon realized that no matter how carefully you treat it, wood eventually breaks. That’s when I turned to metal—something just as warm, but far more durable.

In my culture, silver is considered a purer and more sacred material than gold. We even use it to make ritual bowls for milk or water—food absorbs the ions of 999 pure silver and is believed to support the body’s health.

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

What is the process of creating one of your pieces of jewelry?

Everything begins with a feeling—a desire to hold onto an emotion or moment. Most of my pieces are born from this emotional impulse. Then comes sketching and researching the theme. If it’s a cast piece, I sculpt a wax model. If it’s a hand-forged item, I sometimes start by building paper models—for example, when I created smoking pipes inspired by traditional Mongolian and Japanese designs. I spent days cutting paper templates just to get the proportions right before touching metal. You know what they say: measure twice, cut once.

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

What themes, shapes, and forms do you find yourself most drawn to throughout your artistic practice?

I’m most drawn to mythology, cultural heritage, and the spiritual symbols of my people. Throughout my life, I’ve searched for a sense of protection—and without realizing it, I began channeling that search through the imagery of guardian spirits from my culture and religion. Although I wouldn’t say I’m deeply religious, Buddhism, for me, is more of a mindset, a way of understanding oneself and the world around us.

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

Are there any specific materials that you particularly enjoy incorporating throughout your work?

I work almost exclusively with silver, especially 999 pure silver. It’s hypoallergenic and perfect for hand-forging. During my student years, I practiced with yellow and white copper simply because silver was too expensive. Those were humble beginnings, but they taught me a lot!

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

Jewelry-making and design are both being seen more and more as fine art. Is this a development you have witnessed across time, and what is your perspective on the relationship between art and jewelry?

Absolutely. Everything we create today is part of a larger cycle—nothing is truly new; it’s all been done in different forms before.

Jewelry-making demands not only a refined sense of aesthetics but also precision, discipline, and strong technical skills. It’s a fine art balanced with rigorous craftsmanship. Personally, I dream of attending a classical jewelry school or intensive workshops someday. Most of what I know, I’ve taught myself.

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

 

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Would you consider your designs to be experimental, contemporary, or subversive, and, if so, what does that look like for you?

What I do isn’t new—it’s more like forgotten traditions brought back to life. As I said, everything’s already been invented.

My pieces often serve a practical purpose. For example, I started making nail rings because I felt self-conscious going on dates after a 10-hour studio day with my hands covered in metal dust and patina. And believe me, that kind of grime only comes off in a sauna! I work every day, so often my thoughts begin with, How can I make this work?

Photo: Maha Smagulov, Ana Pupina

 

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What do you hope people will take away from your work?

Honestly, I’ve never thought about that in depth. When I create, I’m fully immersed in the piece, and when it’s finished, I let it go to live its own life. It always warms my heart when clients send me stories and photos. Those little moments make me smile every time.

Mariia Khas: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Mariia Khas.

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For three decades, Han Hsu Tung has managed to stop time. With his exquisite wooden sculptures, Tung freezes his subjects in mid-motion, pixelating limbs, faces, and entire bodies as if they’re buffering, awaiting the moment in which they may move once again. Recently, however, the Taiwanese artist has revisited how he represents movement entirely, opting instead to integrate it more literally.

All Beings is one such sculpture. The work, which, as of July 2025, is nearly complete, depicts what appears to be a bust of the Buddha, his eyes peacefully drawn shut even as pixels scatter across his face. Resting atop his head is another Buddha, alongside other ornamental details that have been meticulously carved into the soft wood. What distinguishes All Beings from Tung’s previous work is its mechanical elements: several of the sculpture’s components slowly glide in and out of place, with the bust’s head splitting in two as it ascends upwards. Similar to his other sculptures, All Beings simulates a glitch without relying upon digital interventions, but, of course, it takes it a step further. Here, that glitch is enacted in real time—not just in our own imaginations.

The artist has shared similar sculptures, including one in which a man stands rigidly and stares blankly ahead. His stiff posture doesn’t last long, as it’s interrupted by rhythmic movements in his chest and shoulders. These gestures resemble both breathing and the steady clack of piano keys, increasing the sculpture’s sense of poetry. Later, the man’s head also shifts, the right side of his skull easing up into the air as his bottom lips open like those of a marionette doll. Just like All Beings, Tung’s famous glitch effect becomes an animating force, where humans and technology merge into one singular being.

To learn more about the artist, visit Han Hsu Tung’s website and follow him on Instagram.

Han Hsu Tung has always incorporated glitch effects within his wooden sculptures, but his recent work takes it to the next level: they actually move.

 

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With these moving sculptures, Tung simulates a glitch without relying upon digital interventions and, unlike his static work, that glitch is enacted in real time.

 

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Han Hsu Tung: Website | Instagram

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For years, Josh Gluckstein has fabricated cardboard sculptures of various animals, but his latest series may be his most ambitious yet. In what he calls a “cardboard museum installation,” the London-based artist has fashioned several distinct scenes of coral reefs, each of which center marine species. Their massive scale and lavish details aren’t the only things that distinguish these new sculptures—at nearly every step, Gluckstein cataloged the process behind their production.

One video, for instance, showcases Gluckstein’s largest cardboard turtle to date, mounted atop a rotating reef base complete with vibrant corals. To sculpt this massive Hawksbill turtle, Gluckstein first traced its shell on flat cardboard, meticulously cutting out the shape and building upwards with additional cardboard scaffolding. He employed a similar technique for the turtle’s head, later painting the creature with a decadent, reptilian pattern. Unlike its scales, which are fairly precise and segmented, the turtle’s shell seems more abstract, the colors fluidly melting into each other as if mimicking a glossy surface.

Another video outlines how Gluckstein created a whale shark and dugong, both of which are as monumental as they are intricate. Unlike the Hawksbill turtle, the whale shark and dugong receive intricate backdrops that reach up toward the ceiling, peppered with a colorful assortment of sea sponges, corals, and other underwater plants. Beneath the dugong, Gluckstein even included small, yellow-striped fish, further enhancing the sense of immersion and world building. When staged next to one another, these sculptures shape a decadent ocean landscape, where every nook and cranny offers something to be discovered.

“Animals have always been a central theme in my artwork,” Gluckstein has written of his practice. “Inspired by my extensive travels and volunteering through Asia, East Africa, and South America, I have sought to capture the presence of some of the most majestic animals I’ve seen in the wild.”

But these sculptures aren’t simply homages to those “majestic animals.” They also offer a clever solution to art production while biodiversity faces tremendous threats from the ongoing climate crisis. Gluckstein’s work is, in many ways, a form of recycling, repurposing and reimagining the limits of cardboard even after their functionality or purpose has waned.

“Sustainability is at the heart of my practice,” the artist explains. “The accessibility and versatility of cardboard, with its many tones and textures, allow me to capture unique details and raw emotion, all while creating zero waste.”

To learn more about the artist, visit Josh Gluckstein’s website and follow him on Instagram.

London-based artist Josh Gluckstein has created more immersive seascapes, each swarming with a vibrant cast of cardboard animals.

 

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A post shared by Josh Gluckstein – Cardboard Artist (@joshglucksteinartist)

For years, Gluckstein has fashioned such cardboard animals and scenes, all in the effort to maintain a sustainable practice.

 

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A post shared by Josh Gluckstein – Cardboard Artist (@joshglucksteinartist)

Instead of being secretive about his creative process, Gluckstein consistently showcases step-by-step videos in which he fabricates his dazzling creatures.

 

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A post shared by Josh Gluckstein – Cardboard Artist (@joshglucksteinartist)

 

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Josh Gluckstein: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature media by Josh Gluckstein.

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Nestled in Basel’s De-Wette Park is something unexpected: several panes of glass, each shattered and irregularly stacked against a transport rack. Titled Morphogenesis, the installation is the latest from Swiss artist Simon Berger, who, for years, has manipulated glass through breaking, cracking, and hammering to produce dazzling and ephemeral portraits. Morphogenesis is no exception, and, as the artist himself says, marks a “new chapter in my exploration of glass as a medium.”

Like much of Berger’s work, the magic of Morphogenesis involves movement. At one moment, the sculpture betrays very little, simply catching the sunlight or reflecting the trees, sky, and buildings around it. At another moment, a woman’s face peers through the glass, etched into the surface through Berger’s meticulous hammering. Depending on distance, Berger explains, the portrait either “emerges clearly or dissolves,” insisting that its viewers engage with it from multiple angles and vantage points. This sense of fluidity is also highlighted by the installation’s title, Morphogenesis, which comes from the Greek words for “form” and “creation.”

“It’s a reference to the physical act of shaping new, organic forms through impact,” Berger writes of the artwork. “Through this piece, I wanted to challenge not only the limits of the material, but also the way we perceive form, emotion, and context.”

Functionality comes into play as well. Morphogenesis incorporates two materials often associated with industry, including glass and a transport rack, and reimagines them into “expressive tools,” per Berger. And, while such industrial elements typically imply a level of control, here they’ve submitted to chance. After all, to crack glass is to accept that not every stroke will be perfect.

“Human faces have always fascinated me,” Berger says of his subject matter. “On safety glass, they come into their own and magically attract the viewer. It’s a process of discovery from abstract fogging to figurative perception.”

The faces in Berger’s glasswork emerge quietly, slowly, as if haunting the surfaces in which they were carved. That delicacy presents a fascinating juxtaposition to the vigor and energy required to break glass in the first place.

“Destruction shapes into a form of drawing while the break becomes the mark,” Berger adds, in reference to Morphogenesis. “In this way, the work resists fixed meaning—rather, it lives in flux, redefined continually by light, context, and time.”

To learn more about the artist, visit Simon Berger’s website and follow him on Instagram.

A new sculpture by Simon Berger features several panes of shattered glass that are irregularly stacked against a transport rack, revealing a woman’s face when viewed at different angles.

 

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A post shared by Simon Berger (@simonberger.art)

Throughout his work, Berger often creates portraits etched into glass, which he hammers, cracks, and shatters.

 

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These sculptures are dazzling displays of light and transparency, showcasing Berger’s tremendous control over movement, perspective, and context.

 

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Simon Berger producing a new artwork at Aurum Gallery, Bangkok, in 2022. (Photo: Aurum Gallery via Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0)

Simon Berger: Website | Instagram

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Children’s books are some of the first things that form us. They guide us through a world we’re still growing into; they make us laugh with their whimsical illustrations and humor; they make us reflect upon our actions and how they can impact those around us; and, perhaps most of all, they outline the values of our shared culture. And, like any piece or genre of literature, these books have undoubtedly evolved throughout time. The University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature traces that transformation, encompassing some of the world’s finest examples of what is now affectionately referred to as “kid lit.”

Since first reporting on this resource in 2022, the Baldwin Library has grown exponentially, now boasting nearly 11,000 titles to explore online, compared to more than 7,000 a few years ago. The digital database encompasses everything from a 1950 edition of Little Red Riding Hood to a 1875 version of Aladdin. Books range from the 19th to the 20th centuries, and, in addition to lesser-known gems, gather such classics as Cinderella, Rip Van Winkle, Gulliver’s Travels, and Sleeping Beauty, among countless others. Each entry features information about the volume’s subject, genre, date, and place of publication, and a PDF file, reproduced with stunning clarity, of the book itself.

Beyond being a remarkable archive, the Baldwin Library offers a compelling glimpse into the purpose of children’s literature across time. Lectures to Children from 1866, for instance, contains chapters like “God Will Take Care of Us” and “Angels’ Joy When Sinners Repent,” illustrating both the predominance of religious upbringing during that era, but the function of “sinning” or “repenting” as cautionary themes that redirect children toward righteous behavior. Moral Tales for Young People, an earlier collection from the 1810s, similarly touts ethics and common sense through its “agreeable” stories, all of which “embody the purest principles of moral rectitude.” Interestingly, the book’s preface bristles at fairytales, those “tales of horror and enchantment” that have “perverted the public taste.”

Other entries, however, are more didactic, focusing on teaching children about reading, physical science, natural history, and the alphabet. Of course, some of these titles reveal prevailing attitudes about race and colonialism, even when attempting to catalog something as “objective” as history. Tales About America and Australia, from 1862, recounts the discovery of the Americas, exploring the drama and glory of conquest while glossing over the violence committed against Indigenous populations. The Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, though a work of fiction, showcases illustrations perpetuating Orientalism, a popular subject within literature and art during the late 19th century. Even so, these books still provide rich historical insight into how such topics were discussed with and presented to children.

Overall, the Baldwin Library is an exceptional resource, ripe for endless hours of exploration, research, and reflection. To dive into more than 10,000 children’s books throughout history, visit the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature website.

The Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature gathers nearly 11,000 books dedicated to children, showcasing the historical breadth and evolution of children’s literature.

Featured books span everything from Little Red Riding Hood and Aladdin to Cinderella and Gulliver’s Travels.

The Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature: Website

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MVRDV knows a thing or two about the unexpected. The Rotterdam-based architecture firm has spearheaded ambitious projects like a Dutch church turned public swimming pool, a Berlin office whose facade is entirely doused in yellow, and a sky-blue family home perched atop a historic building. Despite defying architectural conventions, MVRDV’s idiosyncratic vision hasn’t been interpreted literally—until now. In the bustling city of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, the firm plans to unveil a new residential tower that, in more ways than one, goes outside the box.

Aptly titled Out of the Box and designed for Win Sing Development Company, the 25-story apartment complex is most remarkable for its innovative catalog of cantilevered boxes. These boxes jut out from the building’s gridded, marble-clad facade, forming loggias, balconies, terraces, and additional interior areas. The cantilever effect, according to MVRDV, was a necessary solution to Taiwan’s building regulations, which include several rules that define and govern various types of outdoor space. Accommodating such stringent demands required thinking “out of the box,” a concept that MVRDV sought to literalize through the apartment’s overhanging features.

By implementing and staggering these boxes, the complex insists on its irregularity, even though its floor plans are based on a small number of repeating apartment types. Notably, the variations in box placements and sizes were determined via digital scripting, processing factors such as sun exposure, space efficiency, and access to services.

“In this way, the design was able to respect the limits of the local building code while going ‘outside the box’ to give every one of the building’s 93 apartments a unique floorplan,” MVRDV explains in a statement. “The benefits of standardization, such as efficiency of space and services, are thus combined with the benefits of giving each apartment its own individual character.”

Beyond its distinct silhouette, Out of the Box further distinguishes itself due to its height, towering above the low- to mid-rise structures surrounding it in Tianmu, one of Taipei’s northernmost neighborhoods. Even so, the building won’t be completely incongruous, as its design features an upgrade to the shops with which it shares the street. The base of the tower also incorporates meticulous landscaping and multifunctional spaces.

“Considering this building’s location and its low-rise neighbors, we knew that this would be a building for viewing—something to see, and something to see from,” Winy Maas, founding partner at MVRDV, says. “How could we express that in our design? The boxes popping out from the building signify this quality. They literally reach out into their surroundings.”

Out of the Box is currently under development and will serve as MVRDV’s first housing project in Taiwan. To learn more, visit MVRDV’s website.

Designed by MVRDV, the 25-story Out of the Box apartment complex features boxes that jut out from the building’s gridded, marble-clad facade.

These cantilevered boxes represent thinking “outside the box,” given that they were MVRDV’s clever solution to Taiwan’s complicated building regulations.

MVRDV: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by MVRDV.

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Nowadays, most film studios rely on CGI and green screens, either entirely or as a supplement, to accomplish ambitious stunts. Technology, of course, hasn’t always been advanced enough for such immersive illusions, and yet films from the early 20th century still managed to feature spectacular cinematic effects. They say a magician should never reveal their tricks, but a recent YouTube video by Lost in Time does just that. The video catalogues how Hollywood legends like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd created dazzling acts of daring on the 1920s movie screen.

As an homage to technical ingenuity, the video juxtaposes real footage of each movie stunt with 3D animations, offering a behind-the-scenes analysis of how they were achieved. Lost in Time begins with Sherlock Jr. from 1924, in which Buster Keaton dives into a briefcase hanging from a man’s neck during a chase scene. Once the man walks away from his perch by a wooden wall, with his briefcase still clutched to his chest, Keaton has vanished, nowhere to be found. Even now, the visual trick is baffling as the solution is innovative: the man was resting his feet on a support hidden behind the wall and holding onto two handles below him, with only his head sticking out. A trap door had also been carved out of the wall, which allowed Keaton to seemingly jump through the briefcase.

In the 1923 film Safety Last!, starring Harold Lloyd, there’s a moment in which the actor scales the Bolton Building in Los Angeles and, in an attempt not to fall, swings perilously from the hand of a massive clock mounted on the building. Below him, there are cars, pedestrians, concrete, and, most alarmingly, dozens of feet of empty air. Lloyd was, in fact, hanging above L.A.’s streets, but from the safety of a rooftop. There, the film team produced a full set of a building facade and a camera tower to maintain a convincing angle. If anything were to go wrong, Lloyd would’ve landed directly onto a mattress, not far beneath him.

As for Charlie Chaplin, the video focuses on Modern Times, in which the actor’s character gets a job as a night watchman in a department store. He finds a pair of roller skates and, in an effort to impress the girl he brought with him, skates around blindfolded, not noticing the broken rail and steep ledge beside him. Here, there is no deadly drop, but instead a “matte painting,” a technique that creates the illusion of an environment that isn’t actually present at the filming location. If we were to zoom out, we would discover a glass plate in front of the camera, where the team painted the floor below.

“Even with all the technology we have today, it’s still hard to believe what these legends pulled off a century ago,” Lost in Time concludes. “They didn’t have visual effects to fall back on. Every stunt was real. Every risk was real. And maybe that’s why, 100 years later, we still hold our breath watching them.”

To watch the full video, visit the Lost in Time channel on YouTube.

A new video by Lost in Time explores how Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd created dazzling 1920s movie stunts.

Source: The Genius Tricks Behind 1920s Movie Stunts

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