Rebellious Birds Are Now Stealing Anti-Bird Spikes and Making Nests With Them

Photo: Hiemstra et al. (CC BY 4.0)

If youve ever walked around in a city, you've probably seen anti-bird spikes covering statues, balconies, and sometimes even trees. While these mechanisms are intended to deter winged creatures from perching in these places, it seems like some magpies and crows have figured out a way to use them to their benefit. A group of Dutch researchers found that certain birds were using these spikes to construct nests.

For the first few minutes, I just stared at itthis strange, beautiful, weird nest, biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra explains. He and other scientists observed several nests in Rotterdam and Antwerp that feature strips of spikes. Not only that, they discovered that magpies were even lining the tops of their nests with spikes to create a wall against predators.

Birds using manmade objects to construct nests is not a new phenomenon; however, researchers were surprised to learn that birds were tearing the plastic spikes off of buildings to bring back to their homes. Usually, thorny branches would act as protection for their eggs, but they've clearly learned that anti-bird spikes work just as well or even better to fortify their abodes.

Its actually like a joke, Hiemstra adds. Even for me as a nest researcher, these are the craziest bird nests Ive ever seen. He's not far off. Each of these guarded nests looks like something from the future. They also serve as a poignant reminder of the adaptability and resilience of nature.

Birds are now making nests from anti-bird spikes.

If you act rude, you can expect rudeness in return.

Thats the way the world works, friends!

But did this guy go too far?

Take a look at what he had to say and see what you think.

Get started now!

AITA for answering a rude question with a rude question?

Im a happily married g*y man and, yesterday I and my husband were at a friends house celebrating their birthday.

At the end of the party a small group of people were sitting around the fire talking s**t when a woman, who I dont know (friend of friend type of thing), asked me and my husband straight to our faces so do you like being f**ked up the a** or is it your husband?

And before you all ask no she wasnt drunk she was the designated driver I replied do you like to f**k on all fours or on your back? She got mad and stormed off calling me a prick. At the time everyone there laughed (most were drunk) but the woman was my friend girlfriends relative of something and, now he and his girlfriend are getting some backlash.

Hes mad at me now because even though what she said was offensive I didnt need to stoop to her level. Im starting to feel bad about, the last thing I wanted was to cause trouble for my friend

So AITA?

Heres what Reddit users had to say about this.

One reader said hes NTA and that he just...

All images Stephen Wilkes, courtesy of Taschen, shared with permission

Whether atop a 40-foot lift truck in the center of Paris, in a small house on a far-flung island, or perched beside a Serengeti watering hole, photographer Stephen Wilkes certainly has patience on his side. Sitting in one spot for hours on end, he sets up his camera to capture a single scene over the course of a full day or more, tracking the dramatic movement of weather and the sun over expansive landscapes. Day to Night, a forthcoming book published by Taschen, highlights 60 of the artists most compelling images, from U.S. National Parks to iconic international landmarks to remote wildernesses brimming with wildlife.

Wilkes carefully selects his location and takes more than 1,500 exposures from a fixed angle to follow the gradual changes in light and the bustling activity of humans and animals. To get the scene of visitors at the Grand Canyon just right, for example, he slept in a watchtower during a 36-hour shoot. There was, of course, no artificial light, so I had to wait for the moon to light the canyon. I had only one hour of exposure to get this right, he says. When he returns to the studio, he painstakingly filters all of the images into a single composition, producing pieces akin to distilled timelapses.

Day to Night will be released next month and features panoramas taken between 2009 and 2022, many with hidden stories that Wilkes describes throughout. You can pre-order a copy on Bookshop, and see more of his work on his website.

&nb...

Indigenous Singer Beautifully Covers The Beatles Blackbird in Mikmaq Language

Photo: Screenshot from YouTube

The Beatles have a number of hits and Blackbird is undoubtedly one of their most popular and beautiful songs. Written by Paul McCartney in 1968, the track explores themes of faith and hope. As such, its message has resonated with people all over the world. One of those people touched by the song is Emma Stevens, a member of the Eskasoni First Nation in Nova Scotia, Canada. The 16-year-old student performed a soulful cover of Blackbird, with the lyrics translated into the Mikmaq language.

The lyrics of Blackbird in Mikmaq were translated by Katani Julian, a teacher who works in language revitalization. My language is very different from other ones, she told WBUR. Theres a lot of syllables in ours. And theres a lot of long words that translate into something really easy in English.

As with any translation, there are words that don't have an exact equivalent in the other language. While a whole phrase may be needed for a single concept, it was also key to follow the rhythm of the song. I had to really do it very carefully so that I got the message, the original message, across in the Mikmaq, the teacher explains.

Its just wonderful to hear it, the teacher says. And Mikmaq is full of emotions when its spoken. You know, when we speak to each other, theres a lot of emotions thats conveyed in the words.

Buyer beware!

Youve heard that phrase over and over again but this time its probably a good idea that you pay attention

Because folks out there seem pretty upset with Samsung refrigerators, including the person who posted a video on TikTok and shared their headache-inducing experience.

Photo Credit: TikTok

The person who posted the video wrote text overlay that says, When you buy a Samsung fridge...

Well, the war over self-checkout continues

But this story has a bit of a twist!

A man shared a video on TikTok recently about his bad experience when a store employee decided to give him a lecture regarding how many plastic bags he used at a self-checkout station.

Photo Credit: TikTok

The man said that he was using the self-checkout station when an employee asked him why he was double-bagging his items and said that he shouldnt be doin...

Alexis Diaz painted a new mural in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a 40x36ft wall dedicated to all Puerto Ricans and Latinos living outside their homeland.
According to the 2010 census, Holyoke had the largest Puerto Rican population, per capita, of any city in the United States outside of Puerto Rico. From a combination of agricultural programs instituted by the US Department of Labor, Puerto Ricans began settling in the city in the mid-1950s, and many arrived during the wave of Puerto Rican immigration to the northeastern United States in the 1980s.

Alexis: They leave behind their families, friends and part of their history to look for a better future. In their luggage they carry all their culture, pride and traditions to create a new home and a community proud of their roots. Take a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates.

...

Heres a new amazing mural painted by Sophie Mess in Laon, France during the Urban Art Festival organized by Christian Guemy, aka C215. A gigantic floral composition of about 15mt x 10mt built on a 5-storey residential building. Sophies mural joins 16 other monumental frescoes brought together to create an exceptional event, which enriched the walls in the Champagne and Montreuil districts. At the same time, an indoor exhibition, presenting the richness and different facets of the urban arts can be discovered in the cloister and exhibition hall of the Saint-Martin Abbey.

Sophies stunning mural communicates the usual willingness ourselves. Her vibrant botanical-inspired artwork radiates energy and life, resonating with a deep connection to nature, capturing its essence through bold color, intricate detail, and imaginative perspective. Take a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates.

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Flower Fresh Items to Soak in the Sun With Some Floral Flair

Flowers are synonymous with warm weather and happy occasions. And while nothing can replace a fresh bouquet, some floral products come pretty close. My Modern Met Store carries a variety of flower-inspired gifts that make great pick-me-ups all year long.

In this collection, you will find everything from wearable accessories to books that will inspire you to enjoy the outdoors. Some of our favorites include Tattly's series of temporary tattoos. The Blue Floral Temporary Tattoos, for instance, come with eight stunning designs of cerulean blooms that you can add to your skin, lasting between two and four days. Similarly, the Irises Tote Bag by LOQI is a chic and useful piece to keep around for all of those last-minute shopping sprees.

We've also included items that you can incorporate into your living space. The Water Lilies Candle by Flatyz is a stunning piece handmade by artisans that perfectly captures the beauty of Claude Monet's Impressionist painting. Additionally, you can pick up a set of the Flower Color Pencils to bring a bit of whimsy to your journaling and note-taking projects.

Scroll down to check out our selection of floral gifts and head over to My Modern Met Store when you're ready to checkout.

We've picked out 10 floral gifts that are the perfect pick-me-up!

Blue Floral Temporary Tattoos

Have you ever been screwed over when you tried to book a hotel room through a third-party website and found out that you no longer had a room?

It seems to happen all the time!

And a hotel worker named Jessica shared a video on TikTok where she talked about how she thinks those third-party websites totally suck.

And she said that other hotel workers feel the same way that she does.

Photo Credit: TikTok

The caption of Jessicas video reads, I have yet to meet a single person who has worke...

What am I, lost in a maze here?

Thats undoubtedly what the person who posted this video to TikTok was thinking when they found out that their new apartment in Newcastle, England, seems to resemble one big hallway with a bunch of closed doors.

Hmmmm

Photo Credit: TikTok

The video shows the person in the hallway of their apartment building and they unlock a door to go into their unit and they encounter a similar hallway to the one they just walked in from.

Just last month, we featured here on Open Culture the discovery of a Pompeiian fresco purported to depict an ancient ancestor of pizza. For most of us pizza-loving millions nay, billions around the world, this was a notable curiosity but for Max Miller, it was clearly a challenge. As the creator of the hit Youtube channel Tasting History, each of whose episodes involves faithful re-creation of dishes from eras past, he couldnt possibly have ignored this development. But it also poses even stiffer difficulties than most of his culinary projects, providing him not a recipe to work with but a picture, and not a particularly detailed picture at that.

The frescos genre is xenia, which, Miller explains in the video above, comes from the Greek word that referred to a sort of social contract between hosts and guests. The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (he whose work inspired Leonardos Vitruvian Man) described how the Greeks, after becoming wealthy, began providing dining rooms, chambers, and storerooms of provisions for their guests.

Note: Over the weekend, the Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt passed away at the age of 94. After a long career, he became the author of the surprise bestselling book, On Bullshit, which we featured in 2016. Please revisit our original post below.

We live in an age of truthiness. Comedian Stephen Colbert coined the word to describe the Bush administrations tendency to fudge the facts in its favor.

Ten years after the American Dialect Society named it Word of the Year, former president Bushs calendar is packed with such leisure activities as golf and painting portraits of world leaders, but truthiness remains on active duty.

Its particularly germane in this election year, though politicians are far from its only practitioners.

Why do some people feel the need to lie all the time?

It drives me insane!

And this woman seems pretty fed up with the lies her half-sister has been spewing about their childhood.

Was she a jerk for exposing those lies?

Take a look at her story and see what you think.

Start now!

AITA for exposing my half-sisters lies about our childhood?

I (24F) have a half-sister (27F), well call her Taylor.

My dad had weekend visitation with Taylor at our house until I was 8, and it was the worst. She bullied me really badly any time I saw her, to the point that I would scream every time my dad even mentioned her coming over. Even if we were kept apart, she would break my things, upset my pets, and tell lies about me. Every week her mom would end up in the kitchen screaming at my parents.

Taylors mom d**d when she was 11. Her mom didnt have any family able to take her in, and nor did my dad. My dad was the only one who could get custody. When I was told about this, I freaked out. Screaming, crying for hours, calling my grandparents and demanding to live with them, all of it.

My mom wasnt willing to have Taylor in the house on that basis, and Im pretty sure she said she would move out if my dad pushed the issue. Taylor ended up being sent to boarding school the next year, and she would go to stay with other members of my dads family during breaks.

When I was 14 my parent...

Im not exactly sure how someone can ruin Steve Irwin for someone else, but you never know what youre gonna get when you dive into a story from Reddits Am I the A**hole? page!

And this woman asked folks if she was out of line forruining Steve Irwin for her friends daughter

Alrighty, then!

Take a look at what she had to say!

AITA for ruining Steve Irwin for my friends daughter?

I [38f] got to visit my friend recently and spent the night. One of her daughters [13f] spent a couple hours watching old episodes of The Crocodile hunter on a TV.

My friend said her daughters been pretty interested in animals and wildlife and nature so they got her some of those to watch, since she remembers enjoying those shows as a kid and the modern versions of them dont seem as good.

I thought this was great as I actually grew up near Beerwah, Australia (where the Australia Zoo is) and we went a lot even into my young adulthood before moving to the US for work. Got to see Steve a couple times, and later Bindi when she got older, at a couple talks / small group settings. My friend said wow, you should totally tell my daughter about that!

So a while later I went into the living room where the daughter was watching the shows, and I told he...

Really wealthy folks are a different breed.

They do things a heck of a lot different than you and I and sometimes they can be downright weird.

And today were going to hear from people who have worked for rich folks to get the inside scoop.

Take a look!

A jewelers wife.

Jeweler here. Some random client quotes-

Client- So I have some gemstones that have just been collecting dust (pulls out about a dozen amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, most an inch or more across) what can we do with these? Can you make a crown? No, not a little flimsy fake one, a real one.

Me- (makes a 5lb silver and gold crown)

New client- Youre going to see me a lot. This is going to be my new addiction.

Me- (ok, Ill bite) What was your last addiction?

New client- Collecting (fully grown) trees. I had 45 transported and replanted on my property last year.

Client- Have you seen my new car?

Me- I have not.

Client- They only made a few (points out the window at a new, navy blue Bentley) I didnt like the interior so I had them replace it all with bright orange leather. They added a plate inside with my name engraved on it. Isnt it cool?

55 year old client- I want everything pink. Can you tell Im obsessed with Barbie? (laughs) Were even building a pink house. I want my engagement ring to b...

Is ten minutes a big deal?

I would think not, but this guy picking up his wife ten minutes late at the airport sure seemed to stir up all kinds of drama.

Was he an a**hole?

Get a load of his story below and see what you think.

AITA for picking my wife up from the airport 10 minutes late?

Heres what happened:

My wife was due to fly in to one of the most popular airports in the world last night at around 9pm. Her landing time was 8:50pm, no checked luggage, so I told her Id be there at 9pm.

At about 8:05pm, she apparently started calling my phone but unfortunately I didnt see/hear the calls until 8:15pm. This is because, like her, I keep my iPhone with the little silent switch on at all times so that it just vibrates. I didnt hear the vibration because I had my gaming headset on and was gaming/talking with friends. Keep in mind, I wasnt expecting ANY calls from her until after she landed

When I finally realized she was calling me (I looked at my phone by chance) I picked up and she told me that her plane had landed early (in this airport?! Unheard of!) and she told me to leave now. I just said Ok Ill see you soon, and hung up. This is where the AITA comes in:

I thought it was fine to finish my online match and left the house 10 minutes later. I drove to the airport and there was a ton of traffic (as usual and as expected) and I didnt pull up to where her and her friend were waiting until about 9:05. As fate would have it, that was p...

Well, well, well

What do we have here?

Its another story from Reddits Am I the A**hole? page that involves parents and kids at each others throats!

And this dad shared his story on the page to ask readers if hes acting like an a**hole in regard to his son.

Lets see whats going on here!

AITA for telling my son hes not going on his senior class trip if he doesnt show up to his brothers graduation?

My three kids all have graduations this week.

One high school, one elementary and one preschool.

My high school son Liam said he has zero interest in going to his younger brothers graduation because its lame. I said his brothers are going to his and its more work for them to go than for him to go to theirs.

Yesterday he said hes still not going. I said okay then youre not going on your senior trip to the Bahamas next week. He walked away without saying a word and went to his moms. His mom then texted me about my being petty. I told her to mind her business. This has nothing to do with her. This is between our son and my other sons (half brothers to Liam).

I texted him information about the graduations and havent heard back. If he doesnt show up then Ill cancel his little school trip. He can go to his mom and shell...

Well-known dealer Massimo de Carlo has revealed plans for a contemporary art foundation in his native Italy. The private organization, to be established in the northern province of Asti, in the Piedmont

Climate activists made a splash in the overcast Hamptons last weekend when they gathered outside the Parrish Art Museum to denounce alleged financiers of our environmental downfall. With support from the Shinnecock Nation, organizers from Planet Over Profit (POP) and New York Communities for Change (NYCC) joined forces on Saturday, July 15 to protest during the museums annual midsummer benefit, sponsored in part by Bank of America this year. With calls to tax the rich and warnings about deadly inequalities, the group of around 16 organizers called out the ultra-wealthy and investment banks for greenwashing their images by attaching their names to the museums on-the-ground community work.

In a statement, POP said the action was part of a weekend-long campaign organized to go after the rich in their summer haven, disrupting their daily lives and bringing attention to the damage they have caused and continue to cause to our climate and the environment. The group pointed to the wealthy classs work...

Moving to Chicago, for this native New Yorker, was confusing at times. How come the trains stop running at 1am? Why is the pizza so thick? Must we call them speed humps? But when the warm weather finally came along, these vexing questions promptly disappeared. Chicago, I would argue, is the best American city during summer. A cool plunge in the lake is never far away and people put trash in alleyways instead of piling it on steamy sidewalks. Best of all, the galleries stay open throughout August, and the museums and nonprofit art spaces deliver some of their best exhibitions of the year. Dont believe me? Take a look at the galvanizing shows below.

Lucas Simes: L...

Homo sapiens have long looked down on Neanderthals as the less sophisticated side of the family, but in the latest piece of evidence to the contrary, a team of scientists say they have identified the oldest intentional and non-utilitarian markings made by Neanderthals, found in the La Roche-Cotard cave in central France.

Jean-Claude Marquet of Frances Universit de Tours led the...

Visitors to Brooklyns Grand Army Plaza are in for a peculiar sight. (Or not.)

For the summer, city officials have covered the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch with a massive white cloak while it undergoes some much-needed repairs. The $9 million restoration of the triumphal arch and the Bailey Fountain began in early May, but only this month has the historic monument been concealed from public view. Funded by former Mayor Bill de Blasios administration, the project is being led by Prospect Park Alliance, a private nonprofit that oversees the parks daily operations, in partnership with the City of New York. 

Perched on the northern corner of the park at the cross-section of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway, Grand Army Plaza is more than just a busy traffic circle, playing host to countless community gatherings, protests, and events, includin...

Art is for everyone or is it? In New York City, ticket prices for some museums and institutions are raising eyebrows. Last week, the Whitney Museum of American Art announced admission hikes for the first time since 2016, bringing general entry tickets from $25 to $30 and senior and student tickets from $18 to $24. The move, which the Whitney attributed to various factors including inflation, makes the museum one of the priciest in the city, right up there with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which also raised its general admission fee to $30 last summer. (At The Met,...

Dorte Mandrup Reveals Plans for Canadas Long-Awaited Inuit Cultural Heritage Centre

Image: MIR

In 1993, Nunavut Agreement gave the Inuit a large swath of land in Canada's largest Aboriginal land claim settlement. After 30 years, a heritage center honoring Inuit culture is finally taking shape. While the agreement had always called for a heritage center, it's only now that this important space to preserve artifacts and traditions is moving forward. In an exciting development, the Danish architecture studio Dorte Mandrup won the international competition to design the center.

The firm was selected due to its ability to take inspiration from Inuit culture and the natural environment. In fact, the design recalls the manner in which snowdrifts are shaped by wind. These stunning patterns, called kalutoqaniq in Inuit, have long been a natural wayfinding system for the Indigenous people inhabiting the area. By incorporating the concept into the design, Dorte Mandrup has created a structure that pays homage to the Inuit and, at the same time, blends effortlessly into the environment.

The Inuit Heritage Centre will be situated on the northern of Iqaluitthe capital of the Nunavut territory. According to an official statement, it's designed to promote greater awareness of Inuit culture and support cultural healing and reconciliation between Inuit and non-Inuit by offering a place where Inuit can reconnect with their collective past through objects, stories, and activities.

Working within this context requires b...

Adorable Baby Otter Has to Cuddle Her Orange Cat Friend to Take a Nap

Photo: Screenshot from YouTube

Sometimes all you need is a little cuddle to sleep comfortably. Thats why so many people still sleep with a stuffed animal. This is no different for certain animals. An otter named Sakura is a big cuddler during naps, but its not a plushie that she loves snuggling up next to. She always cuddles her best friend, an orange cat named Mochi. They adorably take naps together with Sakura wrapping her arms around her feline buddy to fall sleep.

The YouTube account ma ko has documented Mochi and Sakura's unlikely friendship. In a now-viral video, we can see them getting ready to sleep, with the otter hugging the cat and letting out a big yawn. It's as if the cat's soft fur doubles as a pillow, and it looks like Sakura loves playing the little spoon. Mochi doesn't seem to mind the additional warmth Sakura provides, and they doze off together.

As adorable as their naps together are, theyre more than just cute little interactions. There are many odd couplings that love to play and run around together, but the fact that Sakura and Mochi love to snuggle side by side signifies they feel safe around one another. On top of their bedtime snuggles, ma ko has also shared a cute video of Sakura looking for Mochi around the house, and looking joyful once she spots her kitty friend.

To see more of Sakura annd Mochis adventures together, check out ma ko's YouTube channel.

Sakura is an otter who has found her best friend in an orange cat named Mochi.

Were thrilled to be returning to Los Angeles to present Printed Matters LA Art Book Fair (LAABF) our first time back since 2019! Along with the annual NY Art Book Fair, this event is a leading international gathering for the distribution of artists books, celebrating the full breadth of the art publishing community.

Taking place at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in downtown Los Angeles from August 10 to 13, LAABF 2023 features 300+ international publishers, new initiatives forefronting artists books from Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region (including many publishers traveling to LA for the first time), collaborations with ICA LA...

All photos by Jacopo La Forgia, courtesy of Eva Fbregas, National Museums in Berlin, and Hamburger BahnhofNational Gallery of the Present

Bulbous, biomorphic sculptures in lavender, tangerine, and blush pink rove throughout the airy Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. The largest solo exhibition to date of Barcelona-born artist Eva Fbregas, Devouring Lovers brings massive, bulging works to the industrial hall, juxtaposing the cold iron structures with soft, pudgy forms. Inviting in color and grotesque in shape, the organic, monstrous sculptures appear alive, as if they could grow and swallow up the remaining space, viewers and all.

In a recent interview, Fbregas shares that the interactions between space and the body continually inform her thinking and how she conceptualizes a piece. Its about the architecture. Its about those masses that you put inside the architecture. Its about the humans moving around the architecture, she says. For me, my sculptures are not just themselves, its all the things that happen in the same space that affect that installation.

Devouring Lovers is on view through January 14, 2024. You can find more from Fbregas on Instagram.

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Wildlife Photographer Documents Magical Moment When He Locks Eyes With an Animal

As a celebrated wildlife photographer, Shaaz Jung knows more about animals than most. But his relationship with wildlife didn't just begin with his photography. Raised in the jungles of South India, Jung grew up understanding the special feeling that occurs when you first lock eyes with an animal in its native environment. And now, in his series Jungle is Watching, Jung is capturing that moment on film.

That moment, when your eyes lock, and you finally see what's been watching you, is exhilarating, he tells My Modern Met. On most days, I look around and see nothing, but every once in a while, I see a leaf move to reveal a pair of eyes. It epitomizes the true nature of the dense jungle where you may not always see them, but theyre always seeing you.

From the calm gaze of a leopard peering around a tree to the little round pupils of a chameleon peeping up from the ground, Jung's images show the beautiful connection between him and the animals he photographs. Above all, Jung hopes that these images demonstrate the power of patience and of respect.

Fully cognizant that he is simply a visitor in the homes of these animals, Jung takes his role as a silent observer quite seriously. This recognition of and respect for the natural environment is most certainly one of the key elements in Jung's success as a wildlife photographer. And it's why he's able to photograph these animals in such a natural, easy manner.

It's his hope that Jungle is Watching will encourage others to follow his lead. I hope this series inspires people to respect nature by silently observing the hidden beauty that lives amongst us.

As a wildlife photographer, Shaaz Jung has an incredible ability to connect with animals.

...

Traveling Artist Creatively Documents His Adventures in Visually Exciting Sketchbooks

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

By drawing in sketchbooks, artists can collect their ideas and record their creative process. For Jos Naranja, his archive of Moleskine notebooks also serve another purpose. Since 2005, the Spanish artist has been documenting his travels with eclectic entries of hand-written notes, watercolor drawings, and additional ephemera that he picks up at each destination.

These small journals offer an intimate view of Naranja's journeys around the world. He includes sketches of many different subjects, ranging from architecture to maps to prints. Additionally, Naranja will find small souvenirs from different locals, such as stamps and postcards, that he can pair with his own notes.

Naranja's travels understandably slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, but recently he has been able to visit Asia again. While his sketches are wonderful to look at, what's most interesting is seeing the parts of travel that intrigue him most. Naranja describes his work as a vault of dreams, ideas, and experiences.

Follow Naranja on Instagram for daily updates from his sketchbooks.

Artist Jos Naranja captures his travels in creative journals.

The Bears (polar bear, brown bear, panda, moon bear, and Misha) (2014), linden, paint, and lacquer, 210 x 120 millimeters. All designs by Aamu Song / COMPANY, produced in Semenov, Russia. Images Salakauppa, shared with permission

A saltwater food chain, a collection of vegetables, and an acorn maturing through its development stages are just a few of Helsinki-based studio COMPANYs custom nesting dolls. The brainchild of Aamu Song and Johan Olin, COMPANY opened Salakauppasala means secret and kauppa means shop in Finnisha little over 15 years ago to showcase a contemporary take on traditional matryoshkas. Using linden wood, which is soft and easily worked, each doll is designed by Song, then produced by expert craftspeople in Semenov, Russia, who meticulously turn the pieces on a lathe.

The decorative toys date back to the late 19th century when the first set was conceived by folk artist Sergey Malyutin with the assistance of a wood carver named Vasily Zvyozdochkin. The basic design consists of a set of pieces that decrease in size, fitting into one another, and traditionally depict a mother doll whose children, including a baby, fit inside. Song and Olin playfully reimagine the possibilities of matryoshka sets by portraying a diverse range of families, flora, and fauna, emphasizing the joy of discovery as each set is opened to reveal its inner dwellers.

Located for more than a decade in a kiosk in central Helsinki, Salakauppa just relocated to a new storefront, which they describe as a home and temple for their ongoing Secr...