Latest news with #wonder
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Wonderstruck: an art exhibition that will make even weary adults feel like kids again
A towering archway fashioned from humble cardboard boxes stands like a portal to another world; pass beneath it and the line between ordinary and extraordinary begins to blur in captivating and unexpected ways. Wonderstruck, a major and free exhibition at Queensland's Gallery of Modern Art in Meanjin/Brisbane, is an exploration of wonder that traverses the human experience, the natural world and the intangible divine. Wonder is an exquisite feeling that has been shown to have a powerful impact on our happiness and wellbeing. It is a salve for stress and loneliness, one that can bring a sense of perspective and curiosity. Wonderstruck aims to help kids and adults alike get into that state. It is a counterweight to the heaviness of the world – though it does make for a slightly surreal experience as headlines scream of war. But for co-curators Tasmin Cull and Laura Mudge, this is precisely the kind of moment we need to feel wonder most. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning 'I would be so bold as to say it matters more than ever, because it's about engaging with the very essence of what it means to be alive,' Cull says. 'Experiencing wonder is a way to empathise with the shared human experience, and with the planet.' Through this lens, Wonderstruck is not just a break from reality, but a reminder of what's at stake. The exhibition includes more than 100 works drawn from Qagoma's collection, from large-scale installations to small treasures. It is a visual feast – bright, bold and eclectic – with a focus on crowd-pleasers and interaction. Visitors may recognise the monumental hyper-realistic sculptures of Patricia Piccinini and Ron Mueck, or Michael Parekōwhai's gravity-defying sculpture of a seal balancing a piano on its nose. Beyond the massive box arch – Slovenian artist Tobias Putrih's Connection – the gallery explodes in colour, texture and pattern, evoking a childhood sense of play and imagination. A peek through the windows of Pip & Pop's Rainbow Bridge reveals miniature fantasy worlds where glittering pipe cleaners burst into bloom. The show's spirit of curiosity and experimentation extends to the creative process behind the works; to create her lively sculpture Unnameable, Lindy Lee hurled molten lead into cold custard. One of the resulting shapes was 3D-scanned to create a scaled-up mould, which was used to cast the final bronze piece. The exhibition also features large-scale abstract paintings created by three students from Brisbane state high school during a three-day workshop with artist Gemma Smith. At the end of each session, they cleaned their brushes on to a canvas; the outcome, Leftovers, is a vivid exploration of colour and process, hung as the final work in the series. Exhibitions usually instruct people not to touch the art but Wonderstruck features several signs letting you know when it's OK to get 'hands on' – great news for younger audiences. Yayoi Kusama's The Obliteration Room will undoubtedly be a crowd favourite, given the success of her recent solo show at the National Gallery of Victoria, which was the highest attended ticketed art exhibition in Australian history. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion The Obliteration Room was first created as a collaboration between the Japanese artist and the Queensland Art Gallery; here the space has been updated to look like a Queenslander-style home. Over the next few months, visitors will transform the stark white space by plastering its surfaces with colourful dot stickers; the first will be placed by children from a local hospital. Visitors can also craft miniature aeroplanes for Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan's ongoing installation In-flight (Project: Another Country), dance beneath a disco ball in Jemima Wyman's Pattern Bandits, and create their own geometric designs in Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian's Patterns of Infinity interactive. Alongside the fun, Wonderstruck invites us to contemplate the possibility for wonder that can be found within ordinary moments and objects, such as Notice – Forest by Yuken Teruya, who transformed everyday paper shopping bags into delicate sculptures housing hand-cut trees. It is one of many works in Wonderstruck that rewards you for slowing down and looking closer. Nature's capacity to fill us with wonder forms one of the exhibition's six chapters: fleeting moments of beauty are captured in Tim Maguire's Trees and Snow triptych and Sandra Selig's Webs From My Garden series, and one wall is dedicated to works by artists from central Australia, including Arrernte painter Albert Namatjira. These vibrant watercolours are a stunning reminder of the beauty of the outback; and a celebration of First Nations deep and unbroken connection to Country. Wonderstruck also ventures into the divine: a highlight is Kwaia koromb, a small spirit house created by Papua New Guinea-based Kwoma Arts Collective artists Simon Goiyap, Anton Waiawas, Kevin Apsepa, Terry Pakiey, Nelson Makamoi, Jamie Jimok and Rex Maukos. More than just a physical structure, these boldly painted and carved spaces hold deep cultural significance and are believed to be the dwelling place of spirits, ancestors, and deities. Amid the maximalism of Wonderstruck, Kwaia koromb offers a place for quiet reflection. There is also something spiritual in Sandra Selig's breathtaking installation mid-air, featuring small styrofoam balls beaded on to hundreds of metres of delicate white thread. From various perspectives, the balls appear to hover in space; you can, if only momentarily, feel that you are also floating, effortlessly, in light. The exhibition includes work by more than 60 artists: Ah Xian, Gordon Hookey, Madeleine Kelly, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Judy Watson, and Louise Weaver among them. It is a large show, spanning several rooms on the gallery's expansive ground floor; the works are thoughtfully spaced so, even during busy times, you can get up close. Wonderstruck is a welcome reprieve from reality, and a reminder that wonder isn't confined to galleries, or even art – it's also waiting for us in small everyday moments. The point isn't to leave the ordinary behind – it's to return to it with new eyes. Wonderstruck is open at Qagoma, Brisbane until 6 October; entry is free.
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why Magic Still Works In A Rational World
Magic isn't just what Messado performs—it's what he creates between perception and belief, turning ... More centuries-old illusions into unforgettable moments. We live in an age where almost every question has an answer. You can pull a supercomputer from your pocket, speak into it, and learn the speed of light or the average lifespan of a star. We rely on facts, not folklore. And yet, magic still holds us. That moment when your jaw drops, when something impossible unfolds in front of you, and your brain spins trying to make sense of it—that moment is real. And it's timeless. The Enduring Power of Magic Even when we know it's an illusion, magic captivates us. It invites us to suspend disbelief, not because we're gullible, but because part of us wants to experience wonder. Magic isn't about deception. It's about emotion. About creating a moment that makes us question what we think we know. In a culture that values logic and skepticism, magic gives us permission to be surprised. It's not a failure of reason—it's a victory of imagination. The Neuroscience of Wonder At the core of every magic trick is a psychological game. Magicians don't just fool the eye; they hack the brain. Cognitive scientists have found that magic works by exploiting gaps in attention, working memory, and prediction. Our brains create mental models to understand the world. When a magician causes a coin to vanish, they are exploiting our brain's expectations about continuity and object permanence. Sleight of hand directs our focus while the real action happens somewhere else. Studies using fMRI scans show that when people experience a good magic trick, areas in the brain linked to conflict detection and surprise—like the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex—light up. We're not just amused. We're neurologically jolted. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder And that jolt is pleasurable. It breaks through our cognitive autopilot. It reminds us that the world might still have secrets. A Magician's Origin Story I recently had a chance to chat about magic—both the art and the science of it—with Joshua Messado. Messado shared that he didn't grow up with dreams of being a magician. He was 18 when he bought a late-night infomercial kit with his first credit card. He maxed out his $100 limit (and never did pay the bill). He didn't start seriously performing until he was 22, after stumbling into a magic show at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. A job that fell through led him to Houdini's Magic Shop, where he met mentor Ran'D Shine, and fell in love with the craft. Years later, a spontaneous 10-second clip filmed by his best friend, magician Eric Jones, caught the attention of Ellusionist, one of the world's top magic companies. That video led to a call from the CEO, a trip to the Magic Live convention in Las Vegas, and a surreal encounter. After arriving in Las Vegas, Messado was invited to a private party. He almost skipped it. He was tired. It was late. But his assistant pushed him to go. When he arrived in front of the hotel, a limousine was waiting. The limo drove them to a sprawling mansion, filled with many of the most influential names in magic. As Messado entered, someone asked, "Did Dave see your trick?" Confused, Messado asked, "Dave who?" The reply: "David Copperfield. He's right outside. Would you mind showing him the routine?" Moments later, Messado stood in front of Copperfield, surrounded by legendary magicians he had admired for years. With no room for hesitation, he delivered the linking rings routine he'd spent over a decade perfecting. "I hit every move with clarity and precision," he recalls. "And at the end, [David Copperfield] said, 'I'm a fan now.'" It was the kind of moment most magicians only dream of. For Messado, it was confirmation that he was exactly where he was meant to be. Just two days earlier, he had been on the streets of Philadelphia. Now he was performing for the magician who inspired him to chase this path. Redefining a Classic Among magicians, few illusions are as iconic as the linking rings. For over 2,000 years, they've been used to demonstrate the impossible: solid metal rings seemingly passing through one another. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. And yet, Messado found a way to make it feel brand new. He told a story of a neighborhood pizza shop that inspired him. The owner of that pizzeria shared his secret, 'Just do one thing better than everyone else." While working at Houdini's Magic Shop in Atlantic City, Messado took this sage wisdom and applied it to his magic with a dedicated focus to be the best at performing the linking rings trick. What sets the Messado Linking Rings apart isn't just technical mastery. It's the structure. The surprise. The audience involvement. It happens in their hands. They feel the rings link. They pull them apart. It violates everything they know about solid objects and physics. 'The rings aren't magic,' Messado says. 'They're just metal. The magic is in you.' Magic as a Shared Experience For Messado, magic has never been about ego. It's about connection. 'I'm nothing without an audience,' he says. 'I'm just a dude with some metal rings.' That philosophy drives his outreach work. Through Mr. Messado's Magic School for the Young and Young at Heart, he teaches kids in underserved Pittsburgh neighborhoods. They learn a few tricks, then perform in a full theater show the next day. The program, supported by the PNC Foundation and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, offers something deeper than sleight of hand. It offers the experience of being seen. The joy of creating astonishment. The reminder that magic, real or not, makes us feel something true. The Illusion That Matters Magic persists because it taps into something ancient and emotional. It works not in spite of our intelligence, but because of how our minds are built. In an era of deepfakes and algorithmic sleight-of-hand, authentic astonishment is more valuable than ever. The science of magic reveals its mechanics. The art of magic reveals something more: a flash of awe, a shared moment of disbelief, a brief reset of what we think we know. That's why magic still works. And why it always will.
CNN
27-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
Visual artsFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
27-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
