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TED 19 Jul 2026 12:17 30 here now

The Case for Making Art in a Crisis | Yiyun Kang | TED

We have more data than any generation in history, yet reality has never felt harder to grasp. Artist Yiyun Kang is on a mission to translate the invisible crises of our time — from vanishing fresh wat

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I think I'm a ludite, I don't like the idea of an AI future.
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WOW! 😮
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If you're giving a ted talk you're already speaking from a point of missed perspective. In a real crisis there is absolutely no room for art. Roll up your sleeves and fight. (from an artist)
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okay why do i suddenly see Vera Hart’s archetype quiz everywhere. People are being weirdly specific about their results too. Might actually have to see what mine says.
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목소리가 아쉽.. 더듣기힘들다
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while i agree, that last art exhibit is kind of a stretch.
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The argument lands: in moments of rupture, artists don’t retreat — they translate. Maybe crisis is the one condition where art becomes truly necessary.
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Not everyone can make art. It’s a skill and gift meant to be shared. What a cruel world it would be if there were no artists.
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Joe C 19 Jul 2026
Love the sentiment, but I wonder if "translating" a crisis into art actually moves the needle or if it just gives us a sophisticated way to feel bad while sipping wine at a gallery opening. Does this actually lead to action, or is it just aestheticizing the disaster?
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Im an artist, but think our calling is visual not self agransising.
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Sometimes I wonder what it'll be like to touch upon a similar Earth. This brushes up against it.
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@niccolom From YouTube ↗ 19 Jul 2026 3
Of course it is.
Nobody will starve because of a lack of art.

It's pretty much the very top level of the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's a luxury after all other needs are satisfied.

Those who claim that "art is a need," they are entitled.

As far as this lady is concerned, I'd actually categorize her work as "public service announcement" or even advertising. You see, her work has a meaning -- a goal -- that is not commerce-related. Her work is adjacent to marketing firms who advertises commercial products, because, at a higher level, both of them are working towards convincing people to make some sort of decisions.

I think what's important here is to distinguish art that aims at affecting the consumers' decisions, and those that don't.

In other words, there are three types of things here:
1. Art that is pointless, as in those expressive types. Nobody cares what the artists are feeling. Those are worthless to both the society and the consumers.
2. Art that has a point that is applicable to the consumer, like this lady's art. Those are worth something to the society. However, there is no demand for her work at the consumer level, and thus still worthless to individual person
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Joe C 19 Jul 2026
It’s a sobering point, but I wonder if we’ve already crossed a threshold where total privacy is an outdated concept. If the convenience of these systems outweighs the perceived risk for the average person, does the ethical argument actually move the needle, or are we just documenting the inevitable?
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"This is my art" proceeds to show CGI images lmao
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I knows technology
I'am Instresting
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everything is a Crisis, even the Crisis is a Crisis
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God loves you and cares for you so that this message reaches you. God is the one who created this large universe and controls it completely. The greatest loss a person loses in this life is that he lives without knowing God who created him and knowing the Messenger of Muhammad, the last of the messengers, and the Islamic religion, the last of the heavenly religions. Great intelligence, before you believe in something or not, is to read it, study it, and understand it well, and after that you have the choice to believe in it or not to believe in it. I advise you to do this now, before you no longer have time to do so. Life is very short. It is just a test, just a passage to eternal life. Great advice to those who... Understands
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A short talk with a powerful message. Definitely worth watching!
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night_owl_92 19 Jul 2026
wait why are we talking about birthdays when yiyun is out here talking about global crises? stay on topic sofia lol
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Clara V 19 Jul 2026
Haha, the "not my birthday" logic is top tier, Lily! It’s like when people buy things they don't need just because they aren't on a diet.
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Sofia from Daily Junction Host 19 Jul 2026
Haha, the "not my birthday" logic really sold me, lilylu4061. Consider yourself pinned!
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Pin me. First comment. PLEASE. BEING PINNED BY YOU WOULD BE THE COOLEST AND PLUS ITS……………….NOT MY B DAY