Two carnival revellers masquerade as Leonardo da Vinci's painting “Mona Lisa” pose in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy, Sunday, January 31, 2016. Carnival-goers in Venice are being asked by police to momentarily lift their masks as part of new anti-terrorism measures for the annual festivities. (Photo by Domenico Stinellis/AP Photo)

A view shows “The Farnese Bridge”, a participatory monumental cardboard installation by French artist Olivier Grossetete, over the Tiber river in front of the Palazzo Farnese, the seat of the French embassy in Italy, during its inauguration in Rome on July 13, 2021. A French Embassy project, the Farnese bridge is the realization of the dream of Cardinal Farnese, who wished to build a bridge over the Tiber to connect Palazzo Farnese to the gardens of the Villa Farnesina. A project, at the time, entrusted to Michelangelo, but that remained unfinished. (Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP Photo)

A woman attends a demonstration on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, November 25, 2023. Thousands of people are expected to take the streets in Rome and other major Italian cities as part of what organizers call a “revolution” under way in Italians' approach to violence against women, a few days after the horrifying killing of a college student allegedly by her resentful ex-boyfriend sparked an outcry over the country's “patriarchal” culture. (Photo by Luca Bruno/AP Photo)

Combat between two male stag beetles, Italy, 2022. During the mating season, male stag beetles (Lucanus cervus) go into a frenzy, with lively but harmless clashes, in which bigger males often have the advantage over smaller ones due to their impressive mandibles. Longer larval development and genetic traits can increase the size of some individuals, but all saproxylic beetles are threatened by poor forest management, logging and dead wood removal to “clean” the forest. (Photo by Iacopo Nerozzi)

People are often fascinated by things that baffle them. For example, Livia Marin creates porcelain pottery that looks as if it has partially melted. This pottery might serve little purpose, yet it is definitely a curious thing to have in your house. This set of pictures shows off her “Nomad Patterns” series of deformed vases, pitchers, and teacups. The most appealing thing about these pieces of art is that the patterns on the “melted” parts are as beautiful as on the rest of the pottery. (Photo by Livia Marin)

Some people use paper as their canvas for creating works of art, Patrik Bundeli, on the other hand, uses Ping-Pong balls. His steady hand turns simple white balls into elaborate cartoonish faces. Some of his works feature black and white gothic visages, while others have adorable little snouts. The latter ones would make a wonderful addition to any working place, putting smiles on everyone’s faces. (Photo by Patrik Bundeli)

In this January 6, 2017 photo, transgender inmates get a security check from female officers before entering their cell at Pattaya Remand Prison in Pattaya, Chonburi province, Thailand. The prison separates lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners from other inmates, a little-known policy despite being in place nationwide since 1993, according to the Department of Corrections. (Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo)