5 culture things to know

Lost John Constable painting found after 40 years

An oil sketch by English painter John Constable, dated June 1814, was discovered in a private art collection on the self-governing UK island of Guernsey. The painting had been missing for 40 years, its prior location having been recorded by an Italian scholarly publication in 1979. Constable’s work is set to go on auction on Sept. 21, valued at £80,000-120,000 ($100,000-150,000)

Salif Keïta appointed “special advisor” to Mali coup leader

Fans of Salif Keïta were surprised to learn that the beloved Malian singer-songwriter, known as the “Golden Voice of Africa,” had been appointed to serve as a special advisor to Col. Assimi Goïta, the leader of the 2021 Mali coup d’état. Keïta expressed his views on political control in a 2019 interview, stating that “to have a democracy, people have to understand democracy, and how can people understand when 85% of the people in the country cannot read or write?”

The Idol canceled after one season

HBO’s much hyped series The Idol has officially been dropped after its first season. Created by Sam Levinson and Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (the artist known as The Weeknd), who also starred in the show, The Idol concluded on July 2 after dividing audiences. Many fans were critical, and some completely outraged, about the series’ treatment of its female characters.

Venice Film Festival kicks off amid Hollywood strike

The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival, which opened on August 30, will look very different from past editions. Due to the ongoing strikes from Hollywood’s actors and screenwriters, it will be a notably star-free affair, as it is prohibited for union members to promote films during strikes. At the festival’s opening press conference, members of the competition jury wore simple T-shirts which read “Writers Guild On Strike!”

ABBA’s Agnetha back with solo album

Agnetha Fältskog, member of Sweden’s seminal pop group ABBA, has announced that she will be releasing a new solo album titled A+. She has stated that this new project is a reimagining of her 2013 solo album, A. Fältskog has released the first single from her album, titled Where Do We Go From Here?