Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Paint made from bacteria, ping pong at the New York Philharmonic, art fairs, rockets and more

1. “Black Panther” Pays Homage to Several African Cultures Marvel’s “Black Panther” costume designers Ruth Carter and Hannah Beachler pay homage to several African cultures through their work in the film. It was a process aided by extensive research. The film’s primary (and fictional) location, Wakanda is a kingdom of different tribes and Carter drew inspiration from contemporary designers, from the “wool collection of South …

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair Opens in Marrakech

Named after the 54 countries that make up the African continent, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (sometimes stylized as 1-54) launched in London back in 2013, the first art fair dedicated to the work of African artists. It then opened its door in New York in 2015. Now, a third iteration opens its doors this weekend in North Africa—setting down in the art-embracing historic hotel …

Iridescent Paint Made from Bacteria

In nature, color occurs in two ways, as Artsy explains: “through pigmentation, where color appears the same from every angle, or structural color, where color changes according to interactions with light.” However, a new study exploring which genes are responsible for coloration has led to the discovery that flavobacterium (a bacteria found in soil and water) can be tinkered with to alter its color. Chemist …