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The best visual arts, photography & architecture videos, according to Hacker News

42 videos about visual arts, photography & architecture that Hacker News commenters keep pointing each other to, ranked by how many separate months they were recommended. Part of Arts, Comedy, Music & Film.

The Great Wave - Part 1

David Bull

190K views · 2015 · 4 HN recs

HN commenters hold it up as a top-tier long-form process video, recommended whenever the Great Wave or Hokusai comes up.

How To Be Alone

Andrea Dorfman

10.1M views · 2010 · 6 HN recs

HN commenters point lonely people to it as a moving, comforting piece of art about getting comfortable with solitude.

How to Make an Attractive City

The School of Life

3.2M views · 2015 · 4 HN recs

Recommended in urban planning and housing threads as a concise summary of what makes cities livable and beautiful.

KEYNOTE / Robert Erdmann

PyCon US

24K views · 2021 · 4 HN recs

HN commenters recommend it as a technically jaw-dropping talk, and it is the standard reference whenever the Night Watch gigapixel images come up.

what did you do

Noodle

1.6M views · 2025 · 3 HN recs

HN recommends it as an entertaining deep dive on CRT versus LCD rendering of retro games and the case for CRT shaders.

Building the Moroccan Court

The Met

1.6M views · 2013 · 2 HN recs

Shared as a satisfying look at craftsmen taking pride in traditional handmade tile mosaics.

Illustrating Crafting Interpreters

Bob Nystrom

12K views · 2018 · 2 HN recs

Shared in Crafting Interpreters threads because it shows the care behind the book and is satisfying to watch.

Guerrilla Public Service 2011

Richard Ankrom

720K views · 2011 · 1 HN recs

HN cites it as the best-known example of a citizen quietly fixing public infrastructure, often in threads on unsanctioned civic repairs.

strandbeest evolution

theo jansen

14.5M views · 2013 · 1 HN recs

HN links it in Strandbeest threads as a showcase of the eerily smooth, wind-driven walking creatures.

All Creative Work Is Derivative

Question Copyright

673K views · 2010 · 1 HN recs

Used in copyright and AI-code debates to argue that creativity is inherently derivative.

Peru 8K HDR 60FPS (FUHD)

Jacob + Katie Schwarz

63.8M views · 2017

HN doesn't recommend it for its content but uses it as a handy example of file size and bitrate for high-resolution video.

COSTA RICA IN 4K 60fps HDR (ULTRA HD)

Jacob + Katie Schwarz

335.2M views · 2018

Used as a convenient high-resolution, high-framerate test clip for video decoders, YouTube format handling and power benchmarks.

This Town Did The Impossible

The Aesthetic City

3.1M views · 2023

HN cites it in housing and urbanism threads as an example of a dense, beautiful neighbourhood built in recent times.

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