Month: October 2019

Academic

Magnificent Manipulation: How the Medici Politicised Public Art

Written by: Joshua Al-Najar. In Renaissance Florence, public spaces served as the physical manifestation of the government’s agenda. Often this took the form of art, as regimes sought to disseminate a set of ideals via public works. This communicative discourse could be wrought with problems, as the creation of artworks did not necessarily translate to control over the response. As the Medici galvanised their grip of Florence, their artistic patronage became a key tool in cultivating public support. Continue reading Magnificent Manipulation: How the Medici Politicised Public Art

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Academic, Features

‘Tipu’s Tiger’ and the Importance of Visual Language

Written by: Laila Ghaffar. In the narrative of the British colonisation of India, it would be very easy to understand the Indians as passive and helpless in the face of rapid British expansion. After all, history is written by the winners. However, one look at ‘Tipu’s Tiger’ and an entirely different story is conveyed. Continue reading ‘Tipu’s Tiger’ and the Importance of Visual Language

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Features

Remembering the legacy of Kowloon Walled City

Written by: Prim Phoolsombat. Before its demolition in 1994, Kowloon Walled City occupied only six-and-a-half acres in Kowloon Province, Hong Kong and had the world’s highest population density ratio. With a chaotic reputation for opium dens, brothels, and crime syndicates, it’s complex history as a political no-man’s-land between Chinese and British authorities throughout the twentieth century has rendered it a famed, almost fantastical site of cultural memory. Continue reading Remembering the legacy of Kowloon Walled City

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Academic, Features

The Significance of the Media in the Provocation and Resolution of the Conflict between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims (1992-1995): An Analysis

Written by: Kvitka Perehinets. The media has always had significant political influence in communist societies, such as Yugoslavia. It soon became clear that as Yugoslavia fell apart, the media of the individual republics served not as an informational platform for its peoples, but rather as a tool for boosting support ‘for the stances taken by their leaderships’. Continue reading The Significance of the Media in the Provocation and Resolution of the Conflict between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims (1992-1995): An Analysis

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Academic, Features

Shadow Wars: Cold War Foreign Policy in Africa

Written by: Jack Bennett. The international political, economic and military landscape was chilled by the ongoing tensions between the USA and USSR during the Cold War. These hostilities contributed to the flaring of ‘hot conflicts’ through ‘proxy wars’ across Africa following the process of decolonisation during the latter half of the twentieth century. Continue reading Shadow Wars: Cold War Foreign Policy in Africa

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Features

The Lost Cimabue: Reflections on a Medieval Master

Written by: Tristan Craig. Christ Mocked, one of only eleven known wood panel paintings attributed to the artist, was found hung inconspicuously above the stove of the anonymous woman’s home. There remains a great deal of mystery surrounding this discovery – especially how it came to be hung on the wall of a kitchen in Compiegne. Continue reading The Lost Cimabue: Reflections on a Medieval Master

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Academic

‘Deutschland’ by Rammstein: A Look at Cultural Memory in Germany

Written by: Lewis Twiby. In March 2019, German heavy metal band Rammstein released their new, and controversial, song ‘Deutschland’. The lyrics and music video to this song gives us an insight into memories of German history, the politics of national identity, and the controversies which accompany it. Continue reading ‘Deutschland’ by Rammstein: A Look at Cultural Memory in Germany

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