As a marine sculptor, Jason deCaires Taylor has made the ocean his showroom of choice: He has installed more than a thousand cement sculptures in marine “museums” around the world, from Indonesia to Mexico. In April, he debuted two of his most ambitious—and technically challenging—installations yet, as part of the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which will eventually encompass four artworks. On a mission, he says, to “change how we view our natural worlds,” Taylor’s pieces incorporate elements that convey how warming ocean temperatures are devastating marine life. His Ocean Siren sculpture, for example, a stainless steel and acrylic figure of a young girl that rises above the water off a pier in northern Queensland, has solar-powered lights that change color, in real time, based on the water temperature in the nearby reef. The sculpture turns dark red when temperatures reach levels that can cause coral … [Read more...] about Sculpture Jason deCaires Taylor’s Museum of Underwater Art in Australia is a stunning work of climate-change activism
Taylor swift
The 19th Amendment is 100 years old. Voting rights are still far from equal
COVID-19 and the recent racial justice protests have shown us that the great experiment of American democracy is still being tested. We have cracks in the system, and it’s time to fix them once and for all. We are getting closer to the presidential election in November. How are our candidates planning to shore up voting rights, especially for our Black brothers and sisters, in future elections? … [Read more...] about The 19th Amendment is 100 years old. Voting rights are still far from equal
Black Americans never got their share of the American Dream, says US activist Aja Barber
There have been alarming reports of killings of unarmed black people like 17-year-old Trayvon Martin who was killed by a suspicious white neighbour while out on a walk; 25-year-old athlete Ahmaud Arbery who was shot dead by two white men for running down the street; and Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old medical technician, who was shot by policemen as she lay asleep in her bed at night in a case of mistaken identity. … [Read more...] about Black Americans never got their share of the American Dream, says US activist Aja Barber
Rebranding of fairness creams is a tiny step against colourism
It is against this backdrop that J&J announced on June 19 that it would no longer produce or sell two of its creams with ‘fairness’ in their names. That did not create as much of a ripple in India as the announcement, nearly a week later, by Unilever and its Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), that it would rebrand similar products, removing the words ‘fair/fairness, white/whitening, and light/lightening’ from packaging and communication. … [Read more...] about Rebranding of fairness creams is a tiny step against colourism
As companies try to address racism, a generic response is no longer enough
Fortunately, companies that tackle crises head-on often come out stronger than before. Nike drew public outrage in the 1990s when it emerged that the company’s workers in Southeast Asia were toiling in inhumane conditions. Executives initially rejected responsibility and tried to push the blame onto suppliers, but after mounting public pressure, the company engaged with the issue and committed to regular factory audits, a higher minimum age for workers, and clean air standards across all production sites. Nike has since been recognized as a global leader in labor rights and has made labor activism, once a stain on its reputation, an integral part of its legacy. … [Read more...] about As companies try to address racism, a generic response is no longer enough
