Student’s sound sculptures explore intersection of technology and art

Dillon Bastan was instructed to draw for an art class – but instead he made his own invention. Such projects are typical for the incoming fourth-year design media arts student, who said he uses his knowledge of programming and circuitry to make art with sound. His projects incorporate music from synthesizers and sounds from the […]

Dance Marathon features speakers’ experiences with HIV, empowering drag queen show

This post was updated April 7 at 12:17 a.m. Black men comprise the demographic group most impacted by HIV. Awareness advocate Dontá Morrison specifically focused on this statistic at Dance Marathon, speaking with five other men about their experiences with the disease. “As someone living with HIV, I cannot tell you how grateful I am […]

Mask exhibit to explore intersection of Catholic, Guatemalan tradition

Going as far back as the precolonial era, Guatemalan communities performed masked dances on important religious holidays. This tradition exists even today after the Spanish colonization of the Mayan people. For decades, collectors Jim and Jeanne Pieper have been accumulating these masks, which depict figures ranging from Catholic martyr Saint George to Mayan ruler Tecún […]

Movie review: ‘Us’ offers chilling experience through creative cinematography

Hopefully, you’re not afraid of your shadow. But if you are, Jordan Peele’s latest venture might not be for you; “Us” highlights the separation of body and soul, good and evil, human and shadow. An exceptional film that keeps audiences on their toes, Peele’s second directorial work stands equal to his debut. Though it lacks […]

Bruin comedians to stand up against other schools at Laugh Bowl

The Laugh Bowl tradition will be resurrected Friday at UCLA. The comedy event was an annual occurrence until 2014, but disappeared until the Student Committee for the Arts brought it back. The event, which will take place in the Royce Hall west lobby, is a competition between stand-up comedians from UCLA, UC San Diego, UC […]

Hammer installation explores expression of space, contemplates on rituals

Tectonic plates and underwater acoustics are inspirations for Jamilah Sabur’s artwork. Sabur, a Miami-based artist, created a video installation inspired by geographic and oceanic data. Her work is currently on display at the Hammer Museum, and will be showcased until May 5. Entitled “Un chemin escarpe,” the work is an abstract representation of Sabur’s discoveries […]

Beauty pageants to take center stage and shed light on self-image in ‘Dumplin”

Drag queens performing to Dolly Parton help a girl who is plus-sized navigate a local beauty pageant in an upcoming Netflix film. “Dumplin’,” releasing Friday on Netflix, follows Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald), a high school girl who signs up for a pageant to prove to her mom, Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), that the institution is shallow. Alumnus […]