Used Envelopes Hold Thriving Potted Plants in Fidencio Fifield-Perez's 'Dacaments'

Fidencio Fifield-Perez’s Dacaments series began as a response to the bureaucracy of the U.S. immigration system. The Oaxaca-born artist immigrated with his family as a child, making him eligible for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). To qualify and retain his status, he needed to collect official documents, the envelopes …...Read More

Petrit Halilaj's Scratchy Doodles Grapple with Childhood Innocence on The Met Rooftop

When visiting his hometown of Runik, Kosovo, back in 2010, Petrit Halilaj realized that his elementary school was being demolished. He went to the site—which had miraculously survived the Yugoslav wars that spurred his family to flee to an Albanian refugee camp in 1998—and found a pile of desks, many …...Read More

May 2024 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at [email protected]. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter. $3,500 Artist Grants | The Hopper PrizeFeatured The …...Read More

The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Details of the Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Resolution

Focused on the part of the sky where you can spot the constellation Orion (“The Hunter”) on clear nights, the James Webb Space Telescope’s latest dispatch blinks in astonishing images from an area known as the Orion B molecular cloud. At 1,300 light-years away—more than 7.8 quadrillion miles from Earth—the …...Read More

Suzanne Saroff's Playful Bubblegum Photos Capture Delicate Forms on the Brink of Bursting

“You know how when you smell a fragrance that brings you to a specific time—like if you wore a certain scent for a year in college or if your grandmother always smelled like Channel No. 5—each time you smell that fragrance it brings you right back,” says Suzanne Saroff. “The …...Read More

Children and Animals Merge with the Natural World in Willy Verginer's Whimsical 'Lost Garden'

Whether deep in slumber or perched on ornamental pedestals, Willy Verginer’s bold, whimsical sculptures (previously) invite us into a surreal dream world. His latest series, The Lost Garden, draws on the paradisiacal notion of Eden and the alpine landscape and animals of the Dolomite Mountains near the artist’s home in …...Read More

Jamie McGregor Smith Illuminates Europe's Most Striking Brutalist Churches in 'Sacred Modernity'

In the mid-20th century, a bold, angular architectural style emerged as a celebration of post-war renewal, innovation, and symbolic strength. Brutalism, known for its bare, monochrome, industrial materials like concrete, brick, and steel, became a way for centers of influence like municipal hubs, government buildings, and cultural institutions to convey …...Read More

Lauren Fensterstock's Cosmic Mosaics Map Out the Unknown in Crystal and Gems

When a massive star dies, it collapses with an enormous explosion that produces a supernova. In some cases, the remains become a black hole, the enigmatic phenomenon that traps everything it comes into contact with—even light itself. The life cycle of stars informs the most recent works by artist Lauren …...Read More

Yuko Nishikawa's Sprawling Mobiles Mimic the Rambling Growth of Moss and Plants

For the last two years, Yuko Nishikawa (previously) has prioritized traveling. Chasing the unbridled inspiration that new environments bring to her practice, the Brooklyn-based artist has found herself in Japan, participating in residency programs and appreciating time on her own. Using local materials, crossing paths with people, and immersing herself …...Read More

Dudi Ben Simon's Playful Photos Draw on Visual Puns and Humourous Happenstance

When Dudi Ben Simon observes the world around her, visual puns and parallels are everywhere: a cinnamon bun stands in for a hair bun; the crinkled top of a lemon is cinched like a handbag; or yellow rubber glove stretches like melted cheese. “I see it as a type of …...Read More