Art

2025 has been a big year for wild ideas. From building a skyscraper in a rural Alpine village, to massive animal-shaped power line pylons, read on for our top 10 architectural oddities of 2025.

Step aside, Van Gogh. New research shows that several orb-weaving species create giant web-mounted “doppelgängers” convincing enough to confuse potential predators. It’s a clever form of deception that nudges the line between instinct and ingenuity.

New research is adding to the body of evidence showing Neanderthals indulged in expressing abstract behavior, this time with archaeologists finding evidence of pencil-like crayons that were likely used to make symbolic art.

We're getting down to the business end of one of the best annual photography competitions, the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. After a massive 10,000 entries this year, the finalists have been unveiled – and we've picked out our funny favorites.

Nobody really enjoys seeing power lines, but maybe they could be turned from an eyesore into a local point of pride. Such is the thinking behind this creative project that transforms power line pylons into huge animal sculptures.

Large rock-face murals scattered across the desert represent one of the most ambitious – and perilous – creative feats of ancient humans, with researchers arguing the massive carvings acted as visual beacons, guiding people to crucial water sources.

This year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition attracted more than 33,000 entries from across the globe, which ultimately delivered a 2025 winners’ list that captures the beauty, drama and diversity of winged wildlife at its best.

I do not envy the judges of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. In 2025, it's attracted some outrageously talented lenspeople, and I'm having a hard time even narrowing down which of the six shortlisted photographers of the year I like best.

The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of the 2025 Audubon Photography Awards. This year, budding photographers from Chile and Colombia have joined the competition, which also features a new category celebrating border-crossing birds.

If you're impressed by the machines that can now print graphics in cake icing or cappuccino foam, well … this'll really blow your mind. The Blackdot system, which has already entered use, utilizes AI to robotically apply tattoos to people's skin.

The RMB01, from luxury motorcycle brand Brough Superior and watchmaker Richard Mille, is a shining example of refined artistry on two wheels, with uninhibited styling and recognizable nods to watchmaking.

Although AI-based restoration methods can indeed bring new life to damaged paintings, the end result is a digital copy of the original painting. By contrast, a new MIT technique applies repairs to the physical painting itself, in the form of a mask.