3D-Printed Stradivarius Replica

Harris Matzaridis from Violino Digitale has created a 3D-printed replica of the “Sunrise” Stradivarius (originally made by Stradivari in Cremona in 1677) for research purposes. The printer does not create the violin replica in ready-to-play shape–instead, the parts come out of the machine in what Violino Digitale calls “primitive form.” On their YouTube chanell, they explain that “hundreds of man hours and traditional specialty knowledge are utilised to create a handcrafted item of art….This project is a testament for the quality of HANDCRAFTED violins–no matter the material, a luthier’s talent and handcrafted skills can produce an audible violin sound.” Do you think the 3D-printed violin could measure up? See if you can tell the difference between the replica and an original Stradivarius <HERE>!

Designing NYC’s Next “I Voted” Sticker

The New York City Campaign Finance Board is hosting the NYC Votes “I Voted” Sticker Contest in order to determine the design of the next round of “I Voted” stickers to be used in the September primary elections. At this point, there are ten finalists for voters to choose from–nine of which were designed by residents of one of NYC’s five boroughs, and one designed by a man in Kansas City. Most of the designs feature the Statue of Liberty; one has a black-and-white city skyline, and another an image of the five borough subway lines meeting together. Rajiv Fernandez’s design features four silouettes alongside the Statue of Liberty, representing that “No matter what shape, size, or color, New Yorkers vote with liberty and justice for all.” Marie Dagata, who designed the sticker featuring the subway lines, explains: “All the people of the boroughs meet together, pass each other, need each other in the subway and the voting booth.” People can vote for their first, second, and third preferences at the “polls” throughout early May.

The Grief Over Losing an Instrument

The relationship between a musician and their instrument is a special one–so the grief of losing one is understandably immense. Min Kym, a former child prodigy who started playing the violin at age 6, shares her story of finding the perfect instrument, only to have someone steal it, in her new book “Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A Life Unstrung.” A professional soloist, Kym explains: “From a very young age, I was aware that the most important thing as a violinist and as a musician is to find your voice through the right instrument.” Kym found the right instrument, a 1696 Stradivarius, at age 21. About ten years later, three thieves stole her violin from under the table while she was sitting in a cafe with her boyfriend. Kym was devastated, and explains how people have a hard time relating to what she went through: “You know, when it’s a human relationship, it’s something that everybody can relate to and understand. But I think as a violinist, as a musician, as an artist, when you know the relationship that you have with your particular art, it’s something that lives inside you and has a life of its own. And that’s very difficult to explain or describe.” Three years later, detectives recovered the violin, but Kym had already used the insurance payout to buy a replacement. Her story is a touching testament to the incredible bond between a musician and their instrument.

Pineapple Mistaken for Work of Art

Ruairi Gray, a business information technology student at Robert Gordon University in Scotland, and his friend Lloyd Jack left a pineapple at an art exhibit on campus, hoping it would be mistaken for art. Their wish came true– four days later, the young men found that the pineapple had been enclosed in a glass display case at the event. Gray explains: “I saw an empty art display stand and decided to see how long it would stay there for or if people would believe it was art.” No one seems to know who put the display case around the fruit, as even the person who organized the displays, Natalie Kerr, did not do it. The incident has many remembering a similar prank last year when a teenager placed a pair of glasses on the floor of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and museumgoers proceeded to take pictures of what they thought to be a work of art. The teenager, TJ Khayatan, explained: “Some may interpret it as a joke, some may find great spiritual meaning in it. At the end of the day, I see it as a pleasure for open-minded people and imaginative minds.” The success of the pranks certainly makes you question how we see and understand art!