Mosaic

A reader has been reading John Dos Passos' 1925 novel Manhattan Transfer, describing it as a whirling patchwork of interlocking narratives that captures the hurly-burly of 1920s New York. The book is praised as a great read, though its mosaic structure can make it hard to keep track of the many characters at times.

Copa do Brasil is drawing attention in Brazil, with fan culture in the spotlight ahead of a match involving Palmeiras. Supporters are organising a stadium mosaic that deliberately leaves a space for Vasco da Gama's Cruz de Malta symbol, a gesture that has been widely reported by Brazilian sports media and is being read as a tribute between the two clubs' fans.

Artist Joan Stratton has released a new painting, 'Redeemer of the Mosaic City', inspired by a recent visit to Rio de Janeiro. The work depicts the Christ the Redeemer statue above the Brazilian city and is being shared online, with the artist directing viewers to her website to see and purchase further pieces from the series.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Inside Appalachia series explores a Shinto-style garden in southwest Virginia and a healing mosaic project in Kentucky. The segment looks at how garden and art projects across the Appalachian region are being used for reflection, cultural exchange and community healing.

The early Christian mosaic floor of the Basilica of Aquileia, in northern Italy, is being highlighted online as an example of the site's extraordinary architectural heritage. The fourth-century mosaics, among the largest and best-preserved in the Christian world, are drawing fresh attention from art lovers, who describe the basilica complex as a remarkable result of centuries of building and decoration.

A new work titled "Moonlit Golden-Gai" is drawing attention for its portrayal of Japanese society through the stories of regulars at a tiny bar in Shinjuku's nightlife district. Critics have likened its tone and structure to the beloved Netflix series "Midnight Diner," praising its nostalgic, mosaic-like portrait of the Golden Gai bar scene and the characters who gather there.

The story behind frutta martorana, Palermo's famous almond-paste sweets shaped like miniature fruits, is being retold. Legend has it that Benedictine nuns of the Martorana monastery, facing a bare garden before an important visit, decorated it with artificial fruits made of almonds, sugar and egg white. The confection, born in the shadow of Palermo's Norman mosaics, remains a signature Sicilian treat, especially around the All Souls' Day celebrations.

An astrophotographer in inner-city Melbourne has produced a large mosaic of the Orion region, capturing the Flame Nebula, the Horsehead Nebula, the Running Man Nebula and the Orion Nebula despite imaging under a bright Moon and city light pollution. The image, shared with other sky-watchers, shows hydrogen gas glowing brightly across Orion's Belt and Sword, and appears in southern-hemisphere orientation, prompting jokes about the sky looking upside down to viewers in the north.