Shokyo Miura, a Buddhist monk and one of the on-site priests, poses for pictures outside Tera Cafe in Tokyo, Japan, April 1, 2016. At first glance, the cafe, which also serves alcohol, looks like any other except for an altar next to the countertop bar with a Buddha statue set against a gold backdrop. The menu confirms this is something different. It lists classes for 1,500 yen ($14) in weaving prayer beads, calligraphy with sutras, or lines of scripture, and consultations with a Buddhist priest. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

“Do-Ho Suh addresses issues of identity, memory, and relationships. Son of the famous Korean ink-painter Suh Se-Ok, Do-Ho Suh is a leading figure in the transnational avant-garde generation of Korean artists who came of age in the late 1990s, and his work eloquently represents a dual consciousness between East and West”.

Photo: “Karma” by Do-Ho Suh. Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Alan Teo)

Myoung Ho Lee‘s 2007 Tree series is about as peaceful and serene as the scenery itself. In the series, the young South Korean photographer touches upon the subjects of physical isolation and visual confirmation. By placing the tree in front of a stark white background, Lee creates a false separation that plays a delightful game with the mind’s eye.

Architects Christophe Berdaguer and Marie Péjus get scary with this sculptural,bogey-inspired arts center in France. Situated behind the severe Synagogue de Delme, the center's design transforms an old house, which previously served as a prison, a school, and most recently a funeral home. The new intervention draws inspiration from the latter, cloaking the structure in a white veil of molded concrete that creates a "living body" which expands into the surrounding areas of the house.

See also: Karma by Do Ho Suh

Alluvial Fan, China. A vast alluvial fan blossoms across the desolate landscape between the Kunlun and Altun mountain ranges that form the southern border of the Taklimakan Desert in China’s XinJiang Province. Image taken by the ASTER instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite on May 2nd, 2002. (Photo by NASA/GSFC/USGS EROS Data Center)

“Tomotaka Takahashi (born March 27, 1975), roboticist and founder of Kyoto University's ROBO-GARAGE since 1999, creates humanoid robots known for their smooth, fluid motions and sleek appearance. Creating a number of humanoid robots entirely by himself, from concept through to production, Takahashi's designs have been featured in art exhibitions celebrating the creation of Astroboy, Time Magazine's Coolest Inventions of 2004, and promotions for Bandai, Panasonic, and Pepsi”. – Wikipedia

Photo: One of Japan's leading robot creator's Tomotaka Takahashi holds Robo Garage's Chroino and FT during the Robo_Japan 2008 Press Preview at Pacifico Yokohama on October 10, 2008 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)