{"id":3690,"date":"2025-12-29T08:52:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=3690"},"modified":"2025-12-29T08:52:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:52:51","slug":"our-favorite-stories-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=3690","title":{"rendered":"Our Favorite Stories of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Our<\/p>\n

As we reflect on 2025, we\u2019re taking a peek into our archive to spotlight some of the stories we\u2019re still thinking about. It\u2019s a joy and a privilege to share so much creativity with you each day, and we\u2019re grateful to know you\u2019re out there reading. <\/p>\n

In case you missed it, check out our favorite art books of the year<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u2014Christopher, Grace, Kate, and Jackie<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
\u201cBosch Beast No. 14\u201d (2025), paper, paperboard, glue, wire, and crepe paper, 33 \u00d7 19 \u00d7 14 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Uncanny Papier-M\u00e2ch\u00e9 Creatures by Roberto Benavidez Mingle in \u2018Bosch Beasts\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For Los Angeles-based artist\u00a0Roberto Benavidez<\/a>, the art of the pi\u00f1ata is a central tenet of a practice exploring intersecting themes of race, sexuality, humor, sin, and beauty. He draws upon the paper art form\u2019s early religious significance in Mexico, when Spanish missionaries used a seven-pointed version as a tool for converting Indigenous people to Christianity. This motif, which appears in some of Benavidez\u2019s distinctive sculptures, nods to its past colonial use.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
\u00a9 Marcel Heijnen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marcel Heijnen Captures Loving Portraits of Feisty, Feral Felines in \u2018City Cats of Istanbul\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In some parts of the world, stray animals are nearly as beloved as pets. Thousands of dogs roam the streets of Cusco, Peru, for example, and cats pretty much rule the night in places like Athens, Valletta, and Japan\u2019s \u201ccat islands.\u201d Residents often feed and provide shelter for these roving colonies, and for Dutch photographer\u00a0Marcel Heijnen<\/a>, this human-animal connection provides endless opportunities to experience urban centers.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
From a performance by the Bavarian Junior Ballet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Enjoy the Brilliant Ballet that Brought Dance to the Bauhaus Movement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Given the emphasis on functionality and design for industrial production, the\u00a0Bauhaus movement\u00a0is rarely associated with disciplines like dance. But for Oskar Schlemmer<\/a> (1888-1943), translating its principles into movement and performance was as compelling as a well-conceived chair or building.<\/p>\n

\"marine<\/a>
Basket stars, a type of echinoderm, are abundant on seamounts and rocky outcroppings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among Newly Discovered Ocean Species, a Baby Colossal Squid Is Filmed for the First Time<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

An archipelago in the South Atlantic known as the South Sandwich Islands is home to some of the most remote landmasses in the world. Uninhabited except for occasional scientific research, their volcanic makeup highlights the geological and ecological diversity of this part of the world, and we still have much to learn. In 2025, Schmidt Ocean Institute<\/a>\u00a0completed a 35-day trek on the\u00a0Falkor (too)<\/em>\u00a0to the remote island chain and discovered new hydrothermal vents, coral gardens, and what researchers suspect to be entirely new species. During this expedition, the team also confirmed the sighting of a juvenile colossal squid, capturing one on film for the first time.<\/p>\n

\"three<\/a>
France Leclerc, \u201cHead Ball\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blink and You\u2019d Miss the Moments Topping This Year\u2019s Pure Street Photography Awards<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Coincidence is around every corner, and immortalizing a split second of fleeting chaos takes a special eye. Since 2020,\u00a0Pure Street Photography<\/a>\u2014an initiative focused on connecting international photographers\u2014has commended visual storytellers through an annual competition.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
Left: Nick Cave and Bob Faust, \u201cWallwork,\u201d (2024), wall vinyl, 157 x 367 1\/4 inches. Right: Nick Cave, \u201cA\u00b7mal\u00b7gam\u201d (2021), bronze, 122 x 94 x 85 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nick Cave\u2019s Nearly 26-Foot Bronze Stands for Resistance Amid Oppression<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether weaving\u00a0plastic pony beads\u00a0into a monumental sculpture, adorning figures with\u00a0mother-of-pearl buttons, or mosaicing\u00a0ceramic tile\u00a0across a New York subway station,\u00a0Nick Cave<\/a>\u00a0has continually returned to one question: how does this material help bring people into the work?<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
Alice Austen, \u201cThe Darned Club, October 29, 1891\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than 7,500 Prints and Negatives by Trailblazing Photographer Alice Austen Return Home<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

With its panoramic views of New York Harbor, the house that trailblazing photographer\u00a0Alice Austen<\/a>\u00a0(1866-1952) called home for most of her life is a sprawling, two-story, elegant Victorian Gothic waterfront property known as Clear Comfort. From here, she captured thousands of incredible photographs throughout her lifetime. In 2025, the entire archive of Austen\u2019s photos returned to Clear Comfort after being held by a local historical society, thanks to a landmark acquisition.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
Stephanie H. Shih, \u201cNuclear Family\u201d (2024). Photo by Robert Bredvad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through Ceramics, Stephanie Shih Considers the Disillusioning Price of Domestic Bliss<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing says true love like arguing about who left the cap off the toothpaste, right? From a darkly comedic perspective,\u00a0Stephanie Shih<\/a>\u00a0explores the multiple meanings of \u201cdomestic bliss\u201d in a social landscape fraught with consumerism and clashing politics.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
Installation view of \u2018Yuji Agematsu: 2023-2024\u2019, 101 Spring Street, Judd Foundation, New York. Photo by Timothy Doyon, \u00a9 Judd Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yuji Agematsu Arranges Street Debris into Tiny Daily Sculptures<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each day,\u00a0Yuji Agematsu<\/a>\u00a0takes a walk for the explicit purpose of scouring the streets. The dried leaf, lost toy, and even the wad of gum discarded on a park bench are his treasures, which he retrieves and places in the clear cellophane that wraps a pack of cigarettes. Although Agematsu no longer smokes, this habit of wandering and collecting has been harder to break: he\u2019s been committed to it since 1996.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/a>
\u201cThe Minotaur Room\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Near Liverpool, a One-of-a-Kind Art Environment by Ron Gittins Is Saved<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Behind the unassuming red brick facade of a gable-roofed flat in Birkenhead, England, sits a home like no other. The only clue passersby would have had, until recently, was a pair of hand-sculpted figurative columns that flanked the wooden front door. But to step inside this corner flat near Liverpool is to be transported into the imaginative world of\u00a0Ron Gittins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>
\u00a9 Yuge Zhou, courtesy of Times Square Arts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Across 92 Screens in Times Square, Yuge Zhou\u2019s \u2018Trampoline Color Exercise\u2019 Celebrates Global Unity<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Spanning a gridded background of rectangular, pink trampolines, hundreds of gymnasts mesmerizingly flip and twist, shapeshifting as they tuck and tumble. \u201cTrampoline Color Exercise,\u201d a monumental digital video collage installation by Chicago-based artist\u00a0Yuge Zhou<\/a>, takes a bird\u2019s-eye view of athletes at peak form while abstracting their bodies and movements into undulating ripples of color.<\/p>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Our Favorite Stories of 2025<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we reflect on 2025, we\u2019re taking a peek into our archive to spotlight some of the stories we\u2019re still thinking about. It\u2019s a joy and a privilege to share…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}