This Week in Culture: June 12 - June 18

From Egypt

The Daraweesh Carnival took place on the streets of Old Cairo in Egypt on June 12th. This festival aims to bring together the three major religions in Egypt – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism- by celebrating each religion individually and promoting tolerance and respect. The festival includes visits to holy buildings of each of the three religions and performances by Egyptian bands and dancers.

From the UK

A group of activists calling themselves Liberate Tate held another protest at the Tate Modern art gallery. They protested the sponsorship of the Tate by BP, one of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies that has its headquarters in London. The group of activists claim that by taking BP’s money, which amounts to about $350,000 per year, the museum is supporting BP’s actions that harm the environment. The protestors wrote quotes from dystopian novels on the floor, with some protestors staying overnight to cover all of the available space.

From China

The 18th Shanghai International Film Festival began on Saturday and runs through Sunday. Unlike the past, this year’s festival features movies made by Chinese filmmakers in more prominent slots that were previously given to Hollywood blockbusters, such as Transformers. This is an intentional move by China, hoping to bolster the success of their relatively new but burgeoning film industry.

From France

The latest artwork on display at the Garden of Versailles is that of Indian-British artist Anish Kapoor, a contemporary sculptor. The artist describes his artwork as “very bodily, very physical” and hopes that people will “engage in a problematic relationship with the space.” His art has caused much controversy due to the bright and bold nature of the sculptures, with many claiming that it is inappropriate for a historic place like Versailles.

From India

International Yoga Day, which is to be held this Sunday all across India with the major event being in New Delhi, is preparing to break the record for largest yoga gathering in history. However, many groups in India are feeling threatened and marginalized by the push to get yoga into the spotlight. Catholic and Muslim leaders in India are claiming that it forces Hindu practices upon non-Hindus.

Maria is a 20-year-old student at New York University majoring in neural science and minoring in chemistry and child and adolescent mental studies. Although she has lived in the United States her whole life, Maria’s family is from Croatia, and she speaks both English and Croatian fluently. Maria has been conducting research in a neuroscience lab at NYU for the last 2 years, but in her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, writing, and yoga.