The Top Crop: May's Most-Read Articles

Our most eye-opening articles of the month. [View this email in your browser]( From a next-level balloon sculptures to an infinite bookstore, we published more than seventy articles covering the best in art, design, and visual culture in May. In this special edition newsletter, our editors have rounded up the most popular articles from this past month. 5. Rainbow Village: An Entire Community in Taiwan Hand-Painted by a Single Man When Huang Yung-Fu learned that the village where he had lived for decades was slated for demolition, the Taiwan resident decided to showcase the [continued vibrancy of his home](. The elderly veteran, who also has a strong creative streak, started painting every available surface of his surroundings. 4. Banksy Sets Up Amongst Venice Street Vendors to Share a New Multi-Panel Painting Over the past month, the art world’s attention has been focused on the Venice Biennale. Many artists who are not in the invitation-only exhibition come to Venice to share their work in unaffiliated gallery shows. Banksy chose a [more unorthodox setup]( his Venice sideshow. 3. Twisted and Layered Balloons Form Eye-Popping Animal Sculptures by Masayoshi Matsumoto Master balloon artist Masayoshi Matsumoto continues to amaze with his incredibly intricate animal creations. Using only balloons—the artist abstains from using any additional materials like markers or adhesives—Matsumoto shapes his raw materials to mimic the [unique limbs, spikes, and wattles]( of a wide range of animals. 2. Mirrored Ceilings and Criss-Crossed Stairwells Give a Chinese Bookstore the Feeling of an M.C. Escher Woodcut Zhongshuge bookstores, designed by Shangai-based architecture firm X+Living, feature incredible rooms coveted by book and illusion lovers alike. Each location in this chain of Chinese bookstores has uniquely designed spaces with reflective elements that [immerse guests in parallel environments](. 1. Detailed Portraits of Tahiti’s Third Gender by Kehinde Wiley Challenge Gauguin’s Problematic Depictions American artist Kehinde Wiley has unveiled a new series of paintings of [Tahiti’s Māhū community]( a group of Polynesians classified as a third gender between male and female. The colorful portrait series challenges a collection of 20th century works by Paul Gauguin, removing elements that Wiley considers problematic and exploitative side effects of colonialism. Object of the Month: CatastrophiCreations Mike Wilson and Megan Hanneman, founders of [CatastrophiCreations]( design modular wall-mounted systems to keep cats active. Vertical playgrounds allow cats to climb, jump, scratch, and even tip-toe across swinging bridges. Eschewing bright colors and plastic materials, the designers use solid wood, hidden brackets, and canvas to create more [subtle and sustainable products](. The Colossal Shop Pick of the Month: Folding Paper DIY Kits Brooklyn-based designer Kelli Anderson's [Folding Paper DIY Kit]( builds on mathematical concepts to provide a hands-on way to learn about the shape-shifting possibilities of this everyday material. Each kit includes eight sheets of auxetic folding patterns along with instructions for each design. You can find the Folding Paper DIY Kit in [The Colossal Shop](. Copyright © 2019 Colossal, all rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list]( [Mailchimp Email Marketing](