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Hello,
Welcome to this long-overdue issue of The Oracle. I'm back in Montreal after three exhilarating months in Johannesburg. I have a very packed spring and summer season coming up with ongoing collaborations with agencies Will & Way and Phil, as well as a new exciting gig at OBVIA, a Quebec-based research consortium on the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. I'll try to steal some time here and there to keep producing this newsletter, and release my Joburg travel guide.
Travelling to a foreign place inevitably comes with moments of loneliness. This article explains what happens to our brains when we lack social contact, and brought a fascinating perspective to my experience in South Africa.
I used to play the violin and became fascinated by the art of violin making, which seems to equally channel craftsmanship and artistry. Chicago-based violin maker John Becker is highly sought after by the world's greatest musicians and collectors, painstakingly bringing rare instruments back to life over months.
In architecture, carbon neutrality is no longer enough. "The fundamental goal of architecture in the age of climate crisis must go beyond technical measures of sustainability and aspire to regenerate – that is, design in ways that don’t merely limit harm but benefit the surrounding ecosystem."
If you'd like to take a peak into daily life in South Africa, I recommend this fascinating, yet equally frightening account of illegal gold mining (I heard several such accounts during my time there, including illegal mines that are still operating within Johannesburg's city limits.)
And also:
Confusion is a natural part of learning.
Why people may be forgetting their pandemic memories.
Coffee farmers in Colombia's famed Eje Cafetero are bracing for a global coffee crisis.
Donald Glover's new creative venture includes films, olives and coffee.
Indulge in some mouth-watering interior design porn with this video tour of a stunning Red Hook condo.
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