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Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Peeking into a desire: Exhibition unveils hidden worlds
Tenderness and camaraderie are difficult to find these days. Conflict and prejudice predominate, directed especially at those whose sheer existence seems unacceptable to certain regimes. Rights and protections hard-won through decades of collective action have been overturned at a single stroke of a permanent marker, institutional obligations and responsibilities ignored, and critical voices silenced. As in the not-so-distant past, many of those voices are now forced to speak in code, creating subcultures of mutual recognition and support to avoid censorship and persecution. Tender Comrade, a thematically tight yet conceptually rich display of recent Chinese works at White Rabbit Gallery until November 16, is a timely invitation to enter some of these cultures and communities. The fine line between identification and voyeurism is an underlying theme across the exhibition's four floors, positioning the visitor alternately as tourist, confidante, or something in between. Images of hidden or unspoken desires, masquerade and performance, coded messages and conscious artifice recur throughout, both in the works and in the nested composition of the display itself. The show is billed as an insight into LGBTQ communities in China but primarily foregrounds gay and transgender identities. This is clear immediately on entering the ground-floor space, dominated by a larger-than-life pair of inflatable legs, anatomically complete to the smallest detail. A low opening cut into the partition at the entrance gives the option to brush past this detail, though most visitors instead ducked discreetly under a raised knee. The legs are one component of several mixed-media works by Xia Han that draw attention to the gender fluidity inherent in fantasy role-playing games. These are paired with Shang Liang's Boxing Man No. 4 and No. 7, specimens of inflated hypermasculinity that make skilful use of their oil medium to suggest a visceral, pulsating fleshiness. Moving to the first floor, a series of video works are projected on screens that resemble the ornamented reverse of ancient bronze mirrors in a passage-like space. Conflicting soundtracks bleed together, with the high-pitched tones of Jiū Society's satirical rendering of a viral North Korean hit Jiu Bobo demanding attention. This and other works by Jiū Society member Fang Di, ink painter Liu Yi, documentary filmmaker Qiu Jiongjiong, Wang Haiyang, and Magdalen Wong cover a range of subjects but are united by a focus on fluid metamorphosis. Zheng Bo's lingering meditations on 'ecoqueer' desire in Pteridophilia 3 and 4 are given a wall of their own in the next space, facing a series of vivid landscapes in acrylics on canvas by Zhu Zi. The probing branches and coral-like growths of the latter take on phallic connotations when paired with Zheng's sexualised ferns, writhing and pulsing to a soundtrack of quickened breath and rustling leaves in an unearthly paradise of unrestrained pleasures. In Daoist mythology, such realms are the retreat of the Immortals – humans who have ascended beyond the limits of the mundane. References to the past continue in the next section, where dividing curtains and the brightly coloured face paint in Sin Wai Kin's paired videos The Breaking Story and It's Always You echo the mannered artifice of Peking Opera. Between these, the inclusion of Lin Zhipeng's candid photographs of nude young men smoking and posing in an ambiguous space enclosed by red drapes introduces a suggestion of voyeuristic scrutiny. Similar themes resurface in the coded homoeroticism of Wang Jun-Jieh's Passion, a sultry narrative of delayed gratification punctuated by telescoping lenses and spurting guns against an explicitly phallic pier. These subtle allusions to the classical past are the clearest statement of another key objective of Tender Comrade, which seeks not only to represent contemporary LGBTQ communities but to reveal hidden or erased moments of queerness throughout Chinese history. The display can be read as a 'queering' of the canon of Chinese art history, rejecting a conventional focus on large-scale and overtly political works in favour of a subtler and more transgressive artistic vocabulary. Most of the artists included are relatively young or not yet as well-known as their more established peers, either conspicuously absent or unobtrusively set to one side. Works by Ren Hang and Pixy Liao, for example, two of the biggest names, are tactfully displayed on the first-floor landings.
The Age
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Peeking into a desire: Exhibition unveils hidden worlds
Tenderness and camaraderie are difficult to find these days. Conflict and prejudice predominate, directed especially at those whose sheer existence seems unacceptable to certain regimes. Rights and protections hard-won through decades of collective action have been overturned at a single stroke of a permanent marker, institutional obligations and responsibilities ignored, and critical voices silenced. As in the not-so-distant past, many of those voices are now forced to speak in code, creating subcultures of mutual recognition and support to avoid censorship and persecution. Tender Comrade, a thematically tight yet conceptually rich display of recent Chinese works at White Rabbit Gallery until November 16, is a timely invitation to enter some of these cultures and communities. The fine line between identification and voyeurism is an underlying theme across the exhibition's four floors, positioning the visitor alternately as tourist, confidante, or something in between. Images of hidden or unspoken desires, masquerade and performance, coded messages and conscious artifice recur throughout, both in the works and in the nested composition of the display itself. The show is billed as an insight into LGBTQ communities in China but primarily foregrounds gay and transgender identities. This is clear immediately on entering the ground-floor space, dominated by a larger-than-life pair of inflatable legs, anatomically complete to the smallest detail. A low opening cut into the partition at the entrance gives the option to brush past this detail, though most visitors instead ducked discreetly under a raised knee. The legs are one component of several mixed-media works by Xia Han that draw attention to the gender fluidity inherent in fantasy role-playing games. These are paired with Shang Liang's Boxing Man No. 4 and No. 7, specimens of inflated hypermasculinity that make skilful use of their oil medium to suggest a visceral, pulsating fleshiness. Moving to the first floor, a series of video works are projected on screens that resemble the ornamented reverse of ancient bronze mirrors in a passage-like space. Conflicting soundtracks bleed together, with the high-pitched tones of Jiū Society's satirical rendering of a viral North Korean hit Jiu Bobo demanding attention. This and other works by Jiū Society member Fang Di, ink painter Liu Yi, documentary filmmaker Qiu Jiongjiong, Wang Haiyang, and Magdalen Wong cover a range of subjects but are united by a focus on fluid metamorphosis. Zheng Bo's lingering meditations on 'ecoqueer' desire in Pteridophilia 3 and 4 are given a wall of their own in the next space, facing a series of vivid landscapes in acrylics on canvas by Zhu Zi. The probing branches and coral-like growths of the latter take on phallic connotations when paired with Zheng's sexualised ferns, writhing and pulsing to a soundtrack of quickened breath and rustling leaves in an unearthly paradise of unrestrained pleasures. In Daoist mythology, such realms are the retreat of the Immortals – humans who have ascended beyond the limits of the mundane. References to the past continue in the next section, where dividing curtains and the brightly coloured face paint in Sin Wai Kin's paired videos The Breaking Story and It's Always You echo the mannered artifice of Peking Opera. Between these, the inclusion of Lin Zhipeng's candid photographs of nude young men smoking and posing in an ambiguous space enclosed by red drapes introduces a suggestion of voyeuristic scrutiny. Similar themes resurface in the coded homoeroticism of Wang Jun-Jieh's Passion, a sultry narrative of delayed gratification punctuated by telescoping lenses and spurting guns against an explicitly phallic pier. These subtle allusions to the classical past are the clearest statement of another key objective of Tender Comrade, which seeks not only to represent contemporary LGBTQ communities but to reveal hidden or erased moments of queerness throughout Chinese history. The display can be read as a 'queering' of the canon of Chinese art history, rejecting a conventional focus on large-scale and overtly political works in favour of a subtler and more transgressive artistic vocabulary. Most of the artists included are relatively young or not yet as well-known as their more established peers, either conspicuously absent or unobtrusively set to one side. Works by Ren Hang and Pixy Liao, for example, two of the biggest names, are tactfully displayed on the first-floor landings.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars passing offense finding groove in red zone in OTAs
Trevor Lawrence remains in learning mode as he transitions to Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen's offense. The changes Lawrence must make to his footwork, drops and timing are significant enough to have a learning curve. But, through seven Organized Team Activities, it appears he's making strides in one of the more critical portions of the field: the red zone. Advertisement During the team's OTA No. 7, Lawrence consistently completed touchdowns to multiple players, including receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter and tight end Brenton Strange, among others. The strong performance is a key indicator of future success, but the work will continue throughout the offseason and into the regular season. Coen has already seen the improvement. NATURAL: Travis Hunter flashes 'natural' corner skills in Jacksonville Jaguars OTAs 'I think he's actually done a really nice job in the red zone. Looking back to the first time we did it last Friday, I think he made some quick decisions. Everything is sped up in the red area. The timing, the rhythm, the space — it's all tighter. It's all sped up. I think he has done a nice job with his footwork in the red zone understanding that concept," Coen said Monday. Advertisement After the team's first OTA of the offseason in May, Lawrence said the work he and the team are doing to adjust his footwork and timing could take some time, but he's already getting more comfortable. "It was foreign to me a little bit in the end, but now it feels more comfortable. Then having a ton of banked reps through all of the weeks in Phase 1, Phase 2 and now onto OTA practices. I am feeling more and more comfortable. I think it is really going to help me. I feel more confident with my feet aligned where I want to go," Lawrence said at the time. Jacksonville's red zone offense could use some work. Though they ranked 13th in the league last year in terms of converting red-zone appearances into touchdowns, the franchise rarely made it and struggled at times to convert. Jacksonville ranked tied for 21st in the league in red-zone attempts per game at 2.9. Cleveland ranked last with 2.2, while Detroit came in first at 4.3. Lawrence played in just 10 games, but completed only 45.9% of his passes for 150 yards, 10 touchdowns and an interception in the red zone last year. In the seven other games, former Jags QB Mac Jones completed 56% of his passes for 98 yards and five touchdowns last year. Advertisement STICKING AROUND: Trevor Lawrence laughs off Steelers trade rumor, talks Liam Coen In total, Jacksonville completed 31 of 62 (50%) of passes for 248 yards, 15 touchdowns and one interception in the red zone. On its face, Jacksonville's red-zone passing offense doesn't look bad. Still, Lawrence ranked 35th in the league last year in red-zone passing attempts. Combined with Jones, the team as a whole would have ranked tied for 31st in completion percentage among quarterbacks who attempted at least 20 passes in the red zone. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) passes during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] For perspective, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield completed 60 of 80 (75%) of his passes for 415 yards, 28 touchdowns and two interceptions inside the 20 last year. Advertisement Jacksonville's red-zone woes aren't truly felt until taking a peek at the team's rushing stats. Jacksonville converted just 11 touchdowns on the ground in the red zone last year. That included five from backup RB Tank Bigsby, three from Lawrence, two from RB Travis Etienne and one from Jones. Still, with an improved passing game in 2025, the Jaguars should be able to showcase their ground game more effectively, rather than becoming one-dimensional. Lawrence said the transition could take some time, but Jacksonville has plenty of it before the regular season starts. "Ultimately, good teams in the red zone are able to run the football into the end zone," said Coen. "It's hard to do that in this setting as a lot of it is geared towards practicing the pass game, the timing, the rhythm, the protections — understanding when zero blitz is coming versus drop eight, those are the things we are getting work at. I think he has done a nice job executing in that area so far.' Advertisement Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius. If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence stars in red zone offense in Jacksonville Jaguars OTAs
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Cristiano Ronaldo pens personal message for Donald Trump on signed jersey
United States President Donald Trump was presented with a Portugal shirt signed by Cristiano Ronaldo during the Group Seven summit in Canada on Tuesday, June 17. The No. 7 shirt was handed to President Trump by Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, who is also Portuguese. The jersey bore a personal message from Ronaldo: 'To president Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace.' To President @realdonaldtrump. Playing for peace. As a team. — António Costa (@eucopresident) June 16, 2025 Upon receiving the gift, the 79-year-old Trump held the jersey with both hands and remarked, 'I like it, playing for peace.' Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, 40, is the all-time men's leading scorer in international football with 138 goals and recently recently captained Portugal to its second UEFA Nations League title. The Al Nassr forward is anticipated to represent Portugal in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
MTA renews anti-subway surfing efforts with ad campaign
Transit officials are hoping a new ad campaign, a new spokesman and a few subway car modifications will continue to drive down subway surfing deaths. The MTA relaunched its 'Ride Inside, Stay Alive' anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, this time with the support of Queens-born professional BMX bike rider Nigel Sylvester. Like last year's initiative, the push involves a series of recorded subway announcements — by Sylvester, as well as by New York City schoolchildren — about the dangers of riding on the outside of a subway train, plus a series of digital posters displayed on subway and platform screens. 'Subway surfing is going to get you injured or killed,' Sylvester says in a subway announcement recorded for the campaign. 'It's pretty simple: Don't do it.' 'I believe I can relate to these kids,' Sylvester said Wednesday, when asked how a professional thrill seeker can be a role model for safety. 'Kids can relate to me, and we can have a meaningful dialogue.' Subway surfing has been a persistent, deadly problem, with six deaths attributed to the practice last year and five deaths in 2023. Another 25 people were injured while riding outside of trains in those two years. The overwhelming majority of subway surfers are teenagers. So far this year, one person — a 13-year-old boy — has died from subway surfing, succumbing to his injuries days after falling off the top of a No. 7 train in Queens. 'As a father of three children, I can't imagine seeing my child on [top of] a train as that train barrels down the track,' said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. 'I was a manager here on the [No.] 7 line,' Crichlow continued. 'I've seen on a first-hand basis what happens to the children when they come into contact with a fixed, immovable object.' The revamped campaign focuses not just on the dangers of subway surfing, but on the toll that kids' deaths take on surviving families and friends. A three-display ad unveiled Wednesday tells the fictionalized story, in comic-book form, of a 12-year-old who falls from a train, and the horrors his death inflicts on his friends, his mother and the EMT who responds to the scene. The MTA's chief customer officer, Shanifa Rieara, said the campaign involved 43 such ads that would be rolled out over the next 12 months. Other announcements focused on the senselessness of a subway surfing death. 'The rush from subway surfing is fleeting — the consequences are real,' Ahana Chandra, a student at Stuyvesant High School, said in her subway announcement. 'Six people died subway surfing last year, and for what?' The ad campaign comes amid a series of other efforts to curb thrill-seeking subway deaths. The transit agency is in the early stages of testing add-on barriers to train cars in an effort make it harder to climb up to the roof. Rieara also noted that the MTA's efforts to get subway-surfing videos taken down from social media continues. So far this year, she said, roughly 1,800 such videos have been removed by platforms like X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
