The latest media mentions, quotes, profiles, and writings from Division of the Humanities faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Visit us on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook for more updates.

How passion and tech resurrected China’s headless statues, and unearthed historic wrongs
South China Morning Post
Katherine Tsiang (Consultant, Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project, Center for the Art of East Asia, Associate Director Emerita) has dedicated decades to digitally restoring and preserving China's ancient Buddhist statues, focusing on sites like Xiangtangshan and Tianlongshan. Using advanced 2D and 3D imaging, her work has reunited looted sculptures in digital form, creating virtual tours and revitalizing interest in cultural heritage.

Breaking the Machine: Jason Salavon recontextualizes the AI kerfuffle at TAI Modern
Santa Fe Reporter
Jason Salavon (Visual Arts) was featured in this article for his innovative use of AI in art, highlighted in his current exhibition at TAI Modern, "History Painting: Jason Salavon." By hacking AI models to create unexpected results, he explores new creative possibilities while questioning the generic nature of standard AI outputs. As an artist and educator, Salavon merges technology and art to push boundaries, both in his own work and in his students’ practices.

‘Gladiator II’ is “Total Hollywood Bullshit” Top Historian Snaps
The Hollywood Reporter
Shadi Bartsch (Classics) discussed the historical inaccuracies in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II. Bartsch critiques the film's depiction of ancient Rome, pointing out glaring anachronisms such as a shark-filled Colosseum and a Roman noble reading a newspaper in a café—long before printing presses or cafés existed.

“Gladiator II”: Fact vs. Fiction—Were There Sharks in the Colosseum? Did Romans Eat Rhinos? (Exclusive)
Aol.com
Shadi Bartsch (Classics) talked about the historical inaccuracies in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II. An expert on ancient Rome, Bartsch points out falsehoods like the shark-filled Colosseum and a Roman noble reading a newspaper in a café, hundreds of years before printing presses or cafés existed.

Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II’ Just Got Eviscerated by a Historian
Artnet
Shadi Bartsch (Classics) used her expertise on ancient Roman life to comment on the historical liberties in Gladiator II. She challenges the need for such dramatizations, highlighting how the film sidesteps equally intriguing Roman practices, such as Emperor Domitian’s mythological executions. Bartsch also prompts reflection on the Roman appetite for violent spectacles, leaving the audience to consider these historical realities.

vanessa german on her Logan Center exhibition
The Chicago Reader
Artist vanessa german explores para academia, esoteric knowledge, and the transformative power of art in her new solo exhibition at the Logan Center Gallery. Inspired by her experimental seminar at UChicago, the exhibit reflects on vulnerability, curiosity, and courage as pathways to new realms of understanding.