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The Lead: Personal Artworks Reveal Hidden Keith HaringThe story of how Keith Haring came to paint a crib began on a quiet, ordinary afternoon in 1986. His best friend's wife was pregnant, and the couple didn't have the money to buy a new crib for their home in New York City's Greenpoint neighborhood. "I called my parents to ask if my old crib was still in the attic," says artist Kermit Oswald, Haring's friend since childhood. "I got it and I painted it yellow, then Keith came over, we had a few beers and he painted the rest of it."The Exhibition: Haring's House at Sotheby'sOswald's collection of Haring's work is now on display in Haring's House: Works From the Collection of Kermit Oswald, a public exhibition at Sotheby's New York this month, with the works going to auction in two sales on 14 and 15 May. The most surprising item is the crib. It's taxi-cab yellow with paintings of dachshunds (the Oswald family dog) and two figures representing Oswald and his wife, Lisa.The Auction Valuation: Market Value of Personal ConnectionsIt's one of 20 Haring works going to auction. The marquee lot is a 1985 self-portrait, one of only six the artist ever painted on canvas. The auction estimates are $3m-$5m, with the crib alone estimated at $250,000 to $350,000. With many items never seen publicly, it shows a personal side to one of the most iconic gay artists in history.The Friendship: Childhood Bond to New York Art SceneOswald knew Haring since they were five years old. They met by passing notes at church in their home town of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. As boys, they shared a passion for "creating things" and started drawing together. "We rode bicycles and played baseball, though on different teams, and were always in each other's homes," he says. They delivered their paper routes together; the loser of the morning race had to buy ice-cream.The Artistic Process: Influences and TechniquesHaring's early untitled works on paper from the late 1970s and early 1980s often used cut-up newspapers and Xeroxed clippings, a practice influenced by William Burroughs' cut-up technique. The two met in 1983 and collaborated on Apocalypse, a series of silkscreen prints with text by Burroughs, in 1988, the year Haring tested positive for HIV.The Legacy: Beyond Public PersonaWhen asked what Haring would be like now, Oswald says: "It was a more analog world then. If you wanted to comment on the news, you had to put ink on paper. In today's lexicon, Keith would be a blogger and definitely a news junkie." They both moved to New York in 1978 to study at the School of Visual Arts. Oswald built the workshop in Haring's studio, every frame Haring used and installed Haring's exhibitions.The Future: Auction and Art Market ImpactBy 1985, Haring was famous and painted his self-portrait from a Polaroid, his face on the body of a sphinx. He invited Oswald to the studio and told him to take any work he wanted. Oswald chose that one. The pair called Haring's mounting fame "the tiger." "You work and work and work thinking you can finally climb on the tiger and ride it," Oswald says. "But once it actually happens, you just have to hold on for dear life, and the best you can do is hope to steer it a bit."

The Lead Mixtape is a new game that takes players on a nostalgic trip back to the 90s, with a focus on teenage misadventures and classic music tracks. The game's visually stunning world and inventive gameplay mechanics make it a joy to play, but its lack of emotional depth holds it back from being truly memorable. The Game's Unique Blend of Music and Memory Mixtape's gameplay revolves around a carefully curated mixtape, with each song triggering a flashback to a shared memory among the game's trio of protagonists. The game's world is consistently visually stunning, combining warm hues with stop-motion animation. The game's use of real-world footage and mixed media elements adds to its unique charm. The Data Behind the Game's Music Selection The game's soundtrack features a range of 90s bangers, from Portishead to Devo. The game's use of music is a nod to films like High Fidelity and Juno, but feels impersonal and pretentious at times. The Impact of Mixtape on the Gaming Industry Mixtape's focus on nostalgia and classic music tracks is a bold move, but one that pays off in terms of gameplay and visuals. However, the game's lack of emotional depth and conflict holds it back from being truly memorable. The Future of Mixtape and Similar Games While Mixtape may not be a standout title in terms of storytelling or emotional depth, its unique blend of music and gameplay mechanics makes it a joy to play. Fans of nostalgic games and 90s music may find plenty to enjoy in Mixtape, and it will be interesting to see how similar games approach the concept of music-driven gameplay in the future.

The Galilee String Quartet's Unique Sound The Galilee String Quartet, composed of siblings Omar, Mostafa, and Gandhi Saad, and sister Tibah, has been perfecting their signature east-west blend of music. Formed in 2011, the quartet was forced into hiatus in 2013 when Omar was summoned for military conscription by Israel's IDF. They are currently based in Paris. A Blend of Traditional and Improvised Music Their performance began with Webern's Langsamer Satz, a classical work that showcased their ability to play traditional music. However, as the evening progressed, they incorporated more improvisation and unconventional instruments, such as microphones, voices, percussion, and oud. The Power of Improvisation By the final two pieces, the quartet had abandoned their music stands and began to improvise, sparking off each other's energy and mood. This approach allowed them to explore their "complicated story as musicians and human beings," as described by Gandhi. A Work in Progress While some parts of the performance felt like a work in progress, with tuning issues and ungrounded textures, other moments shone with beauty and vulnerability. The arrangements of Fairouz's and Asmahan's songs, sung by Tibah, were particularly striking. A New Sound for the Future The Galilee String Quartet's unique blend of east and west, combined with their improvisational approach, makes for a compelling and thought-provoking performance. As they continue to hone their sound, they are sure to captivate audiences with their innovative approach to music-making.

The Lead: A Biennale on the BrinkThe 2026 Venice Biennale opened amid a cascade of cancellations, protests and a sudden death of its visionary curator Koyo Kouoh. From jurors resigning days before the launch to Iran and the European Commission pulling out, the event was framed by turmoil before any artwork was seen. The Curatorial Crisis: "In Minor Keys" Meets Global TurmoilKouoh’s intended theme, In Minor Keys, promised "spiritual and physical rest" through quiet, contemplative works. In practice, the five‑person curatorial committee produced a disjointed mix of ceramics, textiles and serene videos that felt detached from the raging geopolitical climate – wars, fascist surges and climate emergencies. Artists from the Global South were featured but without contextual framing, echoing past biennale attempts by Okwui Enwezor in 2015.Performance moments – a naked body ringing a bell while another artist jet‑skied on urine – highlighted the absurdity of the exhibition’s calm aesthetic. The Cultural Fallout: Why the Biennale Missed Its MarkCritics note that the exhibition’s lack of overt political content makes it appear oblivious to the world outside the Giardini. The curatorial vacuum resulted in: Chaotic room layouts where unrelated works sit side‑by‑side, leaving visitors unable to discern a narrative.Over‑hung, safe‑looking displays that resemble an art fair rather than a groundbreaking biennale.Moments of genuine artistic merit – such as Seyni Awa Camara's hybrid terracotta figures and Mohammed Z Rahman's matchbox miniatures – being lost in the overall mess. The Outlook: Lessons for Future BiennalesGoing forward, the Biennale will need to reconcile its lofty artistic ambitions with the urgent political realities that audiences expect. Potential paths include: Re‑establishing a clear curatorial leadership, perhaps by appointing a successor who can honour Kouoh’s vision while integrating contemporary crises.Providing contextual frameworks for Global South artists to ensure their work resonates beyond aesthetic appreciation.Balancing contemplative spaces with overt political commentary to reflect the world’s “low notes” without ignoring its “high stakes.”li> Only by addressing these challenges can the Venice Biennale reclaim its role as the premier platform for global contemporary art.

Hyper Games launches a second Moomin‑inspired adventureBuilding on the modest success of Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley, the Oslo‑based studio Hyper Games has released Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. The title places the titular Moomin in a solitary winter night, confronting mortality, grief and the need to adapt to harsh weather – core motifs of Tove Jansson’s 1957 novel Moominland Midwinter.Platforms, pricing and early market reachAvailable on PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch from launch day.Priced at $24.99 on most storefronts, with a discounted bundle for owners of the previous Snufkin game.Initial Steam and Switch download numbers reported at 15,000 copies in the first week, driven by family‑friendly marketing.Why the Moomin ethos matters for modern gamingThe games capture Jansson’s “happy‑sad” tone, offering players gentle gameplay – snowball throwing, shovelling, and exploratory wandering – while embedding philosophical moments about death and change. By preserving the hand‑illustrated style of the original books, Hyper Games differentiates itself from the glossy, CGI‑heavy titles dominating the market, appealing to parents seeking low‑stress experiences for young children.Potential ripple effects for literary adaptationsHyper’s rigorous approval process with Moomin Characters Ltd demonstrates that faithful adaptations can coexist with creative freedom, as seen in the addition of a new character drawn from Jansson’s lesser‑known comics. Success could encourage other indie studios to explore classic literature, especially works with strong visual identities and thematic depth.Looking ahead: indie storytelling in the next wave of gamesIndustry observers predict a rise in “remix” projects that translate beloved books into interactive formats, leveraging modest budgets and niche audiences. If Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth maintains steady sales and positive word‑of‑mouth, it may pave the way for further collaborations between literary estates and Scandinavian developers, reinforcing the region’s reputation for nature‑centric, emotionally resonant games.

The LeadLike the rest of the western world, our household is currently binging medical drama The Pitt, revelling in its visceral depiction of life in a modern emergency department. So far the series has yet to inspire a video game tie-in (though there has been an amusing parody), but fans wishing to try their hand at tense medical (mal)practice, should not despair. Here are eight of the best hospital games spanning more than 40 years of gruesome interactive surgery. Microsurgeon (1982, Mattel Intellivision) Created by lone developer Rick Levine, this early oddity shrank players down and put them into the bloodstream of a sick patient where they had to blast diseased cells and unclog arteries. Clearly inspired by the movie Fantastic Voyage, the title features strange, colourful, almost psychedelic depictions of human anatomy. Life & Death (1988, PC, Mac, Atari ST, Amiga etc) This point-and-click abdominal surgery simulation was groundbreaking in its realism. Players had to diagnose a variety of conditions (kidney stones! aortic aneurysm!), before ordering tests and scans and finally operating while an ECG display showed your victim’s – sorry, patient’s – heart rate. Sanitarium (1998, PC, smartphones from 2015) The asylum has always been a popular trope for horror games, from the imaginatively titled 1981 adventure Asylum to the Silent Hill series. I’m going for this disturbing psychological thriller in which a patient wakes up in a seemingly abandoned sanatorium, his memory gone, his face completely bandaged. Emergency Call Ambulance (1999, arcade) You’ve no doubt heard of Crazy Taxi, Sega’s hectic arcade game about careering around a city picking up annoying passengers. But did you ever play its stablemate, Emergency Call Ambulance, about driving around a city picking up desperately ill passengers? Trauma Center: Under the Knife (2005, Nintendo DS) If you thought the Nintendo DS was all about cosy puzzle games, you were wrong. Developed by veteran publisher Atlus, this fascinating game was part surgery sim, using the handheld’s touchscreen and stylus for realistic operations, and part visual novel as lead character Dr Derek Stiles navigated life in a futuristic hospital. Surgeon Simulator (2013, PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) Surgeon Simulator is a game where you play as a surgeon with a goal to perform operations. The game became famous for its challenging gameplay and realistic physics.

The Genesis of a Masterpiece This week we mark two extraordinary centenaries. Sir David Attenborough's, of course, but only four days after the birth of the bona fide national treasure, Dmitri Shostakovich's First Symphony also first saw the light of day – premiered in Leningrad on 12 May 1926. The 19-year-old's composition was played by the Leningrad Philharmonic, conducted by Nicolai Malko. The Revolutionary Sound The symphony's four-movement structure is just about the only conventional feature it has. The teenage Shostakovich had imbibed all the lessons he could about what orchestral music should sound like and how it should behave, and was bold enough to subvert all those ideas and send them up. There is no forelock-tugging to earlier generations of Russian symphonists and orchestral pioneers; instead, Shostakovich's First resounds with a self-confidence that's both optimistic and deliciously sardonic. A Circus of Sound From the distorted trumpet call that opens the work – a fanfare that thumbs its nose at your expectations of how a symphony should start; not an affirmative flourish, but a snakingly dissonant question mark – Shostakovich sets out on a first movement that's like a circus: a cavalcade of characters who take the stage and exit, more often than not pursued by a cartoon bear, clown or bassoon. The momentum that Shostakovich generates from the way he juxtaposes ideas – cutting from one to the other as if the symphony were a reel of film – continues deliriously in the second movement. Here, a piano part is added to the orchestral texture, and that's where one of the secrets of this music's compositional energy is revealed. As a teenager, Shostakovich played the piano for Soviet silent cinema screenings, and in the symphony's piano solos, he turns his work into a knockabout farce that Buster Keaton would be proud of. A Masterpiece of Unbridled Creativity The movement builds to a climax that is both terrifying – a sudden fanfare that consumes the whole orchestra – and bathetic, in the form of the solo piano's chords, as if the pianist couldn't keep up with the music's pace. There is no hint anywhere in this piece of the bombast and poster-paint ideology of Shostakovich's later symphonies, but there is real feeling here, hinted at in that climax of the scherzo, as the cartoon suddenly shudders into real life. The slow movement that comes next is one of the most unironically passionate that Shostakovich ever wrote, as a solo oboe and solo cello inspire the whole orchestra to a melodic outpouring that feels more Shakespearean drama than circus hijinks. A Legacy of Creative Freedom The final movement somehow brings all of these worlds together, and the symphony ends in a torrent of irresistible energy, a culmination of pure sentiment as well as sheer excitement. This is, surely, the most creatively confident First Symphony by any teenager in musical history (and there is plenty of competition, from Mendelssohn to Knussen, from Rihm to Schubert). It announces a world of possibility in which musical conventions are gleefully turned upside down in a frenzy of modernist creativity that's both funny and profound. It's the sound of a unique symphonic avant garde that might have heralded an era of unfettered creative freedom for Shostakovich and generations of composers. A What-If of History Instead, these are the sounds of what might have been, for Shostakovich and for Russia. In Shostakovich's later symphonies, especially from the mid-1930s onwards, you hear the chilling of that freedom and the daily terror of living in Stalin's Soviet Union. The confidence and joy in his own brilliance that you hear in every page of the First Symphony is a miracle that Shostakovich never quite repeated and which is still strikingly new, a century on.

The Intersection of Cultures Rostam Batmanglij, the 42-year-old superproducer and former Vampire Weekend member, sat down with The Guardian to discuss his latest solo album 'American Stories'. Born to Iranian parents and raised in America, Batmanglij's music often reflects his diverse cultural background. Musical Beginnings and Influences The first song Rostam learned to play on guitar was Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B Goode', a quintessentially American rock'n'roll hit. This early influence set the tone for his future work, which often blends American and Middle Eastern musical elements. American Stories: A Reflection of Identity 'American Stories', Batmanglij's third solo album, is a beautiful blend of pop, rock, and Middle Eastern music. The album's songs reflect on love, songwriting, and the fast-unspooling political landscape. Batmanglij's experiences as an Iranian-American and his observations of the world around him have shaped the album's themes and sound. Politics and Social Commentary Batmanglij's music often touches on politics and social issues. He was inspired by the 2025 election of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim Indian democratic socialist, and has written songs that seem to reference Israel's bombardment of Gaza. His music is a call to action, encouraging listeners to think critically about the world around them. The Power of Protest and Younger Generations Batmanglij believes that younger people have more clarity about what's going on in the world, while many people in his generation and older have 'deluded themselves'. He sees his music as a way to inspire and empower listeners, particularly younger generations, to take action and make a difference. Creative Freedom and Future Plans As a solo artist, Batmanglij has the freedom to pursue any idea he wants, no matter how weird or unconventional. He has worked with a range of artists, from Frank Ocean to Clairo, and is always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of his music. With 'American Stories', he has created a truly unique and captivating album that showcases his talents as a producer, songwriter, and performer.

Lead: A Provocative B‑Side Born from a Steely Dan SampleSuper Furry Animals reveal how a snippet from Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids” became the backbone of ‘The Man Don’t Give a Fuck’, a track that survived legal wrangling, label push‑back, and even a drive‑by egging in Baltimore. From Steely Dan Sample to Controversial B‑Side: The Birth of ‘The Man Don’t Give a Fuck’1992: Band members Dafydd Ieuan, Gruff Rhys, and others begin demoing ideas in a home studio.Early 1990s: The lyric “You know, they don’t give fuck about anybody else” catches Rhys’s attention as a protest hook.Producer Gorwel Owen loops the sample, adds synth and dub bass, shaping the track’s core.Late 1990s: The song is slated as a B‑side to “If You Don’t Want Me to Destroy You.” Royalties, Legal Hurdles and Radio Play: The Financial SideInitial clearance from Donald Fagen and Walter Becker is revoked via a fax, forcing a last‑minute replacement B‑side (“Guacamole”).After renegotiation, Steely Dan’s camp demands 95% of royalties, which the band accepts, assuming negligible airplay.Contrary to expectations, Australian station Triple J playlists the track, generating modest royalties. How the Song Shaped Live Shows and the Band’s ReputationThe track’s flexible, politically charged lyrics turned it into a live‑show climax. Notable moments include:1999 Baltimore gig: audience members launch a drive‑by egging; promoters retrieve an egg and throw it back.2004 extended live version stretches to 23 minutes, featuring a techno section by Cian.Glastonbury incident where a van driver attempted to breach the crowd, only to join the dancing. Future Outlook: Touring, New Releases, and the Song’s Enduring LegacyThe band’s Supacabra tour kicks off on 6 May 2026, with the early‑rarities collection Precreation Percolation releasing on 8 May 2026. The story of “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck” is expected to feature prominently in setlists, reinforcing the group’s reputation for defiant, genre‑blending performances.