Dr. Sanford Tom explores Huangshan (or the Yellow Mountain), which is often considered the most beautiful as well as the strangest mountain in China.

Marlon Blackwell, architect of the award-winning Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion talks about the focus on the origins and inspiration for his work in 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park. Reviewing the process that was proposed in collaboration with Ed Blake and Mary Miss, the talk will discuss how the artwork drove the development of the park rather than the architecture. In addition to a focus on the design and detailing of the Visitors Center, Blackwell will also provide an overview of the original vision including the Walkway Bridge and the Experiential Center.

Norwood Viviano uses digital 3D modeling and printing technology in combination with the casting process to create his sculptural works. In his March 2012 Residency at The Studio, Viviano created urban and industrial landscapes out of kiln-cast glass as an extension of his previous installations. His work was to "focus on smaller Midwestern industrialized cities that witnessed a huge population exodus during the second half of the 20th century, and West Coast and Southern cities that went through a transition of population growth, loss, and re-growth during the same period".

Korean-born New York based artist Sun K. Kwak makes the invisible visible using a surprisingly simple medium: black masking tape. Through a process infused with an element of performance, Kwak channels surrounding energy to manifest a movement of lines, liberating the space and transforming it into a new pictorial reality. For the "Phantoms of Asia" exhibition at the Asian Art Museum (on view from May 18-September 2, 2012), Kwak creates a site-specific installation for the museum's North Court, which will not be seen again after the exhibition closes.

Heman Chong imagines a future of dystopian stillness with "Calendars (2020--2096)," an installation of 1001 photos, each a calendar page capturing a moment of complete emptiness in today's bustling areas of Singapore. View this work for yourself at the Asian Art Museum during the exhibition, "Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Awakens the Past" (on view from May 18-September 2, 2012). For more information: http://www.asianart.org/phantoms

David McCullough, a two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning author and recipient of the National Book Award, discusses his new book, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. In this video recorded on September 26, 2011, at the National Gallery of Art, McCullough tells the story of America's longstanding love affair with Paris through vivid portraits of dozens of significant characters. Notably, artist Samuel F. B. Morse is depicted as he worked on his masterpiece Gallery of the Louvre.

On January 20, 2012, artist Ben Kinsley staged the first performance of his work 'The End is Nigh/A New Beginning is Imminent' at MOCA Cleveland. The piece consists of two actors, dressed as soapbox-style street preachers. Each actor broadcasts pre-composed messages with megaphones. One preacher shouts about the end times while the other yells messages about new beginnings. The preachers occasionally hand out zines containing these messages to unsuspecting passers-by.

Often referred to as the Olympics of contemporary art, the Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) has, for over a century, been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Since its founding in 1895, it has promoted contemporary culture, new ideas, and artistic trends through major international exhibitions. The 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale took place June 4 – November 27, 2011.