The Turf-Covered Houses of Norway
Norway, like all Scandinavian countries, has always taken pride in trying to live in harmony with nature, instead of conquering it, and its old turf roofs are a perfect example. Houses with their roofs looking like small meadows may seem a little strange in these modern times, but until the late 19th century, turf roofs […]
13-Year-Old Boy Makes Friends with Killer Buffaloes
To most South-Africans they are known as the “Black Death, but to 13-year-old Luke Michaelides, two wild African Buffalos have become his best friends. The African Buffalo is one of the “big five” African species credited with killing over 200 people every year, in South Africa alone. Some specimens grow up to 6 feet tall […]
Caboodle Ranch – A Cat-Sized Haven for Homeless Cats
Caboodle Ranch is an impressive sanctuary for cats built by Craig Grant, a man who actually doesn’t like cats. The story of Caboodle Ranch began when Craig’s son moved out, leaving his cat Pepper behind. Just when he was getting used to taking care of an animal he didn’t really want around the house, Craig […]
The Mentally Ill Toys of Martin Kittsteiner
A German toymaker has designed a series of cuddly toys, each suffering from serious mental illnesses like depression and hallucination. 36-year-old Martin Kittsteiner, from Hamburg, says the idea to create the bizarre toys started from a joke between him and his girlfriend, who has a lot of stuffed toys, but he soon started to see […]
Armenians Make World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar
Switzerland and Belgium may be the world’s most famous chocolate-making countries, but tiny Armenia has just stolen some of their spotlight by creating the largest chocolate bar, ever. The sweet event took place in Armenia’s capital of Yerevan, and was organized by the Grand Candy Factory – a local chocolate making company – as a […]
Thailand’s Beautiful Soap Flowers
They look like beautiful exotic flowers, and they even smell the part, only unlike the real thing, Thai soap flowers last forever. Although these days, soap flowers can be bought as souvenirs from all around Thailand, these scented masterpieces originated in the villages around Chiang Rai. When they weren’t too busy tending to their farms […]
The Gooey Chewing-Gum Sculptures of Maurizio Savini
Italian artist Maurizio Savini has spent the last ten years creating amazing sculptures out of thousands of pieces of bright pink chewing gum. Chewing gum may not be the most common media of the art world, but to 39-year-old Maurizio Savini it’s the most versatile material available. It’s easy to manipulate when warm, and can […]
California Couple Shares Home with Pack of Wolves
Wolves may no seem like the best choice for pets, but to Paul Pondella and Colette Duvall they are more like members of the family. This incredible friendship between man and animals began a few years back, when Paul Pondella rescued and adopted Shadow, a female black Alaskan timberwolf hybrid. The result of mating a […]
Cyckisk – The Bicycle Obelisk of Santa Rosa
California-based artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector used around 340 bicycles and a tricycle to built the Ciclysk – a 65-foot-tall version of the Washington Monument. The newly installed Ciclysk may be perceived as a monument that encourages people to ride bikes instead of driving cars, but its funding actually came from the “1-percent-for-public-art” that […]
The Wacky Ice-Cream Graveyard of Vermont
Have you ever wondered where ice-cream flavors go to die? Well, believe it or not, they have their very own cemetery, in Vermont. The New England city of Vermont is famous for its Ben&Jerry’s ice cream, and the company’s Waterbury factory is the most popular tourist attraction in the whole state. One of the things […]
Sokushinbutsu – Japan’s Self-Mummified Monks
Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist priests who took their own lives in such a way that they became mummies and were revered for their spirit and dedication. Popular in northern Japan, especially around the Yamagato Prefecture, the practice of becoming Sokushinbutsu is believed to a tantric ritual from Tang China, brought to the Land of the Rising […]
Eggcubism – The Art of Painting on Egg Cartons
Using the unique shape and texture of the egg carton to his advantage, Dutch artist Enno de Kroon creates fragmented and multifaceted images. He calls this new art form “eggcubism“. Enno de Kroon says he has always experimented with distortions of perspective, and has had egg cartons around his studio for a long time, but […]
The Suitcase Architecture of Yin Xiuzhen
Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen creates her Portable Cities by carefully arranging discarded clothes and other pieces of fabric, in suitcases. One of the most original artists of our time, Yin Xiuzhen says she first got the idea for her amazing Portable Cities while she was traveling. Looking at the conveyor belt, in an airport, waiting […]
Cascamorras – The Dirty Festival of Granada
Every September 8th, the Spanish towns of Baza and Guadix host the Festival of Cascamorras, an event unique to the Granada region of Spain. According to legend, the origin of “La Fiesta del Cascamorras” can be traced back to 1490, when Don Luis de Acuña Herrera decided to built the Church of Mercy in the […]
The Incredible Wire Sculptures of Ivan Lovatt
Artist Ivan Lovatt has recreated the faces of celebrities such as Michael Jackson or The Beatles, using nothing but chicken wire. Ivan Lovatt is one of those artists who are always looking for new media to experiment with, and for him chicken wire proved to be just what he needed. Before starting to mold chicken […]