Weekender

You know those New York Times commercials with the intelligent-looking rainbow mafia of Times readers proclaiming their undying love for the Times' 3-day "weekender" edition—Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Check MissChin's version.

Things to check for this weekend.


Asian Contemporary Art Week
Check for over 200 Asian artists exhibiting work at 35 galleries and museums this weekend! Okay, maybe you cant see them all but you can check this great google map for a view of all the venues. Click a venue and see a quick summary of the exhibiting show! Highlights include Tyler Rollins' group show of Southeast Asian artists including Eko Nugroho, Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery's "Superstars" exhibition of Iranian artists working from the 1960s till today, and Gana Art's exhibition of contemporary Korean photographers.

Through May 18
Galleries throughout New York


The New York Photo Festival
Speaking of photography, after last year’s successful debut, The New York Photo Festival returns this spring with a new lineup of guest curators, talks, exhibitions, and more. With special exhibitions by an international roster of guest curators, the week promises to introduce new dialogue about contemporary photography.

Through May 17
DUMBO, Brooklyn
Curated by William A. Ewing (Musée de l’Elysée), Chris Boot (publisher), Jody Quon (New York Magazine), and Jon Levy (Foto 8)


International Contemporary Furniture Fair
With 552 exhibitors at the 21st annual ICFF, with almost half showing from out of the country, this furniture extravaganza is not to be missed! This year, the fair even boasts of a "Japan by Design" hall, a designboom Mart, and the bookstore run by Archivia Books, the renowned independent bookstore headquartered in New York City on Lexington Avenue. "A specialist in illustrated books, Archivia Books carries a comprehensive and passionately curated inventory of art-related books from domestic and foreign publishers, as well as out-of-print titles from all over the world!" Check out special talks at the bookstore by design superstars Karim Rashid, Thad Hayes, Donald Kaufman, and Richard Mishaan.

May 16-19
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street

Bblessing for Save Fashion

One of my favorite retailers and brands in New York, BBlessing, created some custom pieces for the Refinery29 pop-up shop, Save Fashion! With a rotating cast of amazing independent brands, each week presents an alternating selection of mens and womenswear at affordable prices.

Save Fashion
641 8th Avenue(NW Corner of 41st Street)
@ The Port Authority Bus Terminal

Hours
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat, 10-9pm
Sundays, 11-7pm
Closed Thursdays

Besides BBlessing, this week's lineup of menswear options include:

Acne Jeans, Alejandro Ingelmo Shoes, Alexandre Herchovitch, Band of Outsiders, BBlessing, Gilded Age, Helmut Lang, Inhabit, Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers, Earnest Sewn, Nudie Jeans, Operations, Organic by John Patrick, Rag & Bone, Rogan, Rogues Gallery, Sophomore, Steven Alan, Whyred

About Save Fashion
Save Fashion is a fresh new kind of shop and sale that brings together today's coolest fashion in a space that's inspiring and unexpected. Realizing the tired sample sale and outlet vibe had run its course, we decided to create the Sample Sale of our dreams - a place where all our favorites designers came together in one beautiful space and at prices we could all afford. Save Fashion will debut May 1st in New York at one of the City's most iconic destinations: the Port Authority Bus Terminal. With Save Fashion we hope to restore the pure joy of shopping - at a grassroots level, city to city - reminding consumers and designers alike that fashion is, was, and always will be FUN.

Big Party

A Day in the Life is officially on newsstands and its time to party like its 2007!! Come out Saturday nite and dance the night away in a fancy Manhattan loft! Grab the newest issue of Theme, and make some new friends. Don’t forget to RSVP to BIGPARTYRSVP@GMAIL.COM by the end of today!!

BIG PARTY!!!
Yes, we’re having a big party…

Saturday, May 16
9:30PM-3AM

85 Leonard Street, 1st Floor
(Between Church and Broadway)

Music By DJ Dialectic and Miss Conspicuous

Open Bar (Saigon Beer courtesy of An Choi, Svedka Vodka) until we run out!
BYOB if coming late!

RSVP by FRIDAY: bigpartyrsvp@gmail.com

Brought to you by: An Choi, 80%20, safe, TDINK and THEME Magazine

Delay No More: 2ndary Line from G-O-D

Moving from Hong Kong to New York has definitely made me nostalgic for everything I've taken for granted, including Maxim's baked pork chop on rice, flying cockroaches and my favorite store, GOD. Even though I have the world's best design at my disposal in NY, I still consider GOD as one of my favorite retail inspirations - they have the most whimsical window dressings, the wittiest boxers and the most eccentric collection of home furnishings and accessories.

Today,while perusing through NYTime's HK travel section for some memory morsels to jog my rusty memory of my (spiritual) homeland, I came across this article on GOD which briefly describes their secondary line, Delay No More. For anyone who knows a bit of Cantonese, Delay No More is hilarity incarnate (synonomous with....). It's so good. I can't wait until I go home during Christmas to check it out.

Thanks NY Times Travel Section Magic!

Book Review: On Beauty by Zadie Smith

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Everyone (who reads) typically has their own strong opinions about Zadie Smith’s best work to date. The majority scream WHITE TEETH, the minority, AUTOGRAPH MAN, never do they say ON BEAUTY. On Beauty is my pick because of Ms. Smith’s clever way of weaving complicated subjects like the politics, religion, fragility of adult relationships, sexual objectification of women by youth, beauty or color, the complexities of being bi-racial and of belonging in sub-cultures that create the characters’ identities (young vs. old, black vs. white, rich vs. poor, educated vs. street, religious vs. secular) as well as create conflict among the family. It’s a beautiful book with a clever storyline and the million witticisms we know to expect from the du jour Brit author and while the story is true to its soul and doesn’t climax frantically, the subject and characters stay in your mind long after you’ve put it down.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

The Best Song in the World

In the club, dont need a shorty, cutie
all i gotta take is a bowl of tabbouleh.

Truer words have never been spoke. Thanks Feedbag!

Michael Pollan on The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Michael Pollan
colbertnation.com
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From Serious Eats!

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, was on The Colbert Report last night. Colbert welcomed him with Sierra Mist soda, which definitely doesn't make Pollan's five-ingredients-or-less rule for virtuous foods. But Pollan politely took a sip and argued that he can still be American while avoiding American cheese (and other synthetic foods). For example, he encourages all parents to go the breast milk route, except we learn, thanks to a Mrs. Pollan in the audience, that he was not breast fed himself! Scandal.

K'naan's T.I.A.

K'NAAN "T.I.A" music video directed by: NABIL from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

From Somalian rapper K'naan. Met him a couple years back when The Dusty Foot Philosopher dropped...really love the video from director NABIL.

Yinka Shonibare @ Brooklyn Museum

I am so excited to hear that Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare will be having a huge exhibition opening at the Brooklyn Museum this summer. The first major survey of the British-based artist's works will include more than twenty pieces—scuplture, paintings, large-scale installations, and films.

Shonibare's work explores the effect of colonialism on contemporary African identity often creating installations involving intricate Victorian costuming using African textiles, stage settings, models, and props. Exploration of themes like wealth, class and privilege are intertwined with issues of identity. This exhibition also includes site-specific installations in the Museum's period rooms.

Yinka Shonibare
June 26-September 20

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway

Two Notes from Andrew Kuo

Friends! Hex Message is embarking on another grueling tour! We got the trail mix! We got the Doors tapes! We got the weed!

TONIGHT
Closing Party for Leo Fitzpatrick's "Fuck Friends" at ASS Gallery with TV Baby! I love those guys! 45 Canal 7-10. We go on at like 8 ish!
The art show is awesome and if you haven't seen it (Case) this is your chance (Ben). If you think saying "Hex is playing at ASS" isn't always amusing, you're wrong.

THIS FRIDAY THE 15TH
Closing party for my show "I'm Dyin' Over Here!" at Texter and Spenglemann. 123 12th st bet 3rd/4th

Andrew Kuo
What recession? Kuo commits himself to approximately 40 works that discuss and elaborate on such topics as; creatures with four legs, emotional former chefs turned travel show hosts, trips to the lumber store, and any and all marijuana references. If you take the time to navigate through such works as "Work: What Is It Good For?" and "Young Jeezy... The Rise and Fall and Rise (and Fall)" you get the impression that the artist is trying to tell you something. Could it be... "Fish in 15?" Through May 15-New Yorker

This was the most fun I've ever had making a show and I'd be psyched if you came to see it! To celebrate its death we got some live music, beers, and pizzas for you!

HEX at 9 (it's great to finally be home)
MIKE FELLOWS solo or w Jesper at 10 (He hasn't played in like 420 months! Whatta treat!)
BRAIN DEGRAW solo at 11 (First time ever solo! I'm gonna take my first ever vaporizer toke when he plays!)

Sincerely, Tex Mexage

Samhattan

My good friend Sam Kim—caterer, mixologist, event planner and amazing shoe-wearer—taught me about the intricate beauty of whiskey when she was the bartendress at neighborhood haunt, Palais Royale. Just in time for the summer, she now brings us the Samhattan! Check out her blog for more food craziness!

SAMHATTAN
Two Servings

3 Parts Rye Whiskey
2 Parts Cointreau
Splash of Sweet Vermouth
Splash of Lemon Juice

Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into two lowballs. Add ice to fill glass. Garnish with Lemon.

Asia Dog

For the second year in a row, my friend Tall Steve is cooking up a storm in the backyard of Williamsburg's Trophy Bar. This great bar is the perfect setting for Steve's Tuesday night fun-fest, ASIADOG!! These specialty hot dogs creations are lovingly concocted for the gastro-adventurous and the company couldn't be any better! Check it out and discover the joys of the mystery dog!

Every Tuesday
7:00pm - 11:00pm

Trophy Bar
351 Broadway in Williamsburg

Week 2 AsiaDog Menu

"Ginny" kimchi w/ roasted seaweed flakes
"Ito" Japanese curry w/ shredded kimchi apples
"Vinh" Banh Mi style hot dog
"Sidney" mango, cucumber,red onion, and fishsauce relish
"Mel and Steve" Asian slaw
"Wang Ding" bbq pork belly
"Mash" spicy ketchup, jalapeño mustard w/ potato chip crumbs.

*One Special Mystery Dog*

Simona Schneider, Crossdressing

From Bidoun

Crossdressing is a project by Simona Schneider on merchandise and border crossing. The free-trade zone in Ceuta, the autonomous Spanish city on the northern tip of North Africa, sees goods from all over the world, from booze, cloth, old shoes, dead bolts, and flour to notebooks and toilet paper as they make their way into Morocco. Ordinary citizens who are otherwise unemployed must placate two different masters, Spanish and Moroccan, in order to move their wares. One guideline set by customs says that smugglers should not flaunt the size or content of their packages; they must be as discrete as possible about their compromising forms.

Carsick Cars' Mogu Mogu

CARSICK CARS - 蘑菇 蘑菇 MOGU MOGU (Music Video) from Maybe Mars / 兵马司 on Vimeo.

From JLam:
Check the first official music video from Beijing band, Carsick Cars for the single, Mogu Mogu. Last summer, their label Maybe Mars commissioned director David Harris to make the first music video for Carsick Cars… it took a while, but was worth the wait…

2008年夏天，我们有幸请到了非常具有才华的导演大卫 哈里斯来为Carsick Cars制作第一部音乐录影带。虽然制作时间稍长，但当我们看到了最终的效果后，确信我们的等待是完全值得的！

导演：大卫 哈里斯
Jeremy Ball：卖蘑菇的
matt wakai：负责清洗机器和管灯的人
chen yi song : きのこ
fiona qi：吃蘑菇的
yun qing：丛林人

credits:
Directed by David Harris.
jeremy ball : spore monger
matt wakai : guy standing on top of washing machine holding a light
chen yi song : きのこ
fiona qi : mushroom eater
yun qing : jungle

The BKLYN Yard Reopens

Brooklyn's own version of a riverside fete, the BKLYN Yard (formerly known as The Yard) is back in business for warm weather lounging and outdoor drinking (without the brown bag!) Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin's Sunday Best returns for 2009 and the outdoor music venue hosts a range of other weekend events with great DJs, live music, food, and fun. Check out the opening weekend with the best in NYC food truck-ing: Pizza Moto, the Community Juice Truck, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, and more.

UPCOMING DATES:

May 23rd: PARKED! a celebration of the best food trucks in NYC

May 24th: SUNDAY BEST w/ Quentin Harris

May 30th: SCORE! Gowanus Free Swap

May 31st: SUNDAY BEST w/ Mr. Scruff

June 20st: NUBLU DAY

June 27th: WINKEL & BALKTICK present...

August 8th: SABBATH IN THE PARK w/ The RUB

For updated events calendar, visit: www.bklynyard.com

Subway Art: 25th Anniversary Edition

Listen to Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper talk about the global impact of Subway Art, 25 years later. Celebrating a quarter-century of graffiti, the two photographers are re-releasing this seminal book in a large format with Chronicle Books.

Avedon Fashion @ ICP

Avedon Fashion 1944-2000
15 May-6 September 2009
International Center of Photography

Richard Avedon (1923–2004) revolutionized fashion photography starting in the post-World War II era and redefined the role of the fashion photographer. Anticipating many of the cultural cross-fertilizations that have occurred between high art, commercial art, fashion, advertising, and pop culture in the last twenty years, he created spirited, imaginative photographs that showed fashion and the modern woman in a new light. He shook up the chilly, static formulas of the fashion photograph and by 1950 was the most imitated American editorial photographer. Injecting a forthright, American energy into a business that had been dominated by Europeans, Avedon's stylistic innovations continue to influence photographers around the world.

This exhibition will be the most comprehensive exploration to date of Avedon's fashion photography during his long career at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, The New Yorker, and beyond. Working closely with The Richard Avedon Foundation, ICP curator Carol Squiers and guest curator Vince Aletti will present new scholarship on the evolution and extraordinary, ongoing impact of his work. The exhibition will feature more than 200 works by Richard Avedon, spanning his entire career, and will include vintage prints, contact sheets, magazine layouts, and archival material.

Thanks CoolHunting!

Picnic in the Park

I heard about this project for a couple months now and it is now officially open! Fort Greene couple Camella (founder of Triple5Soul) and Marlon have opened up a beautiful cafe and store in the neighborhood carrying all your picnic-ing needs—from snacks and drinks to outdoor blankets and distractions! Stop by on your way to Fort Greene Park!

####

There’s no denying your checkered past.

Gingham gets you every time.

Which means there will be no stopping you at Picnic, a new country store in Fort Greene stocked with all the trappings of a fine spring outing.

Proprietors Camella Ehlke and Marlon Aitcheson provoke wholesome fun (the couple also runs the well-appointed Breathe Inn) with organic snacks, toys for outdoors, and fresh-made sandwiches to go.

You can wash down a hearty lunch (smoked white fish and herbs; grilled cheese with truffle oil and fig; avocado, tomato, and cheddar on eight-grain; smart dog on a bun) with ginger beer or lavender lemonade before taking a snooze on one of the African-print picnic blankets Ehlke sewed herself.

On the shelves are Prokadima paddles, canteens, stunt planes, sidewalk chalk, Frisbees, jump ropes, kites, and other diversions.

Sure to make picnicking a walk in the park.

Picnic Country Store
185 DeKalb Ave
Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Thanks Daily Candy!

Hand Lettering

A great missive from former New York Times art director Steven Heller about the return of handlettering and its debt to the computer. Check the full read here.

You may have noticed it, or maybe not. It may not be perceptible to the layman’s eye. After all, type and typography are supposed to be a crystal goblet — transparent — seen and read but not heard. Type should not be boisterous or distracting, though it must be appealing. In recent years there has been a veering away from the exclusive use of traditional typefaces (or fonts) to an increase in hand or custom lettering for advertisements, magazines, children’s books, adult book jackets and covers, film title sequences and package designs. Hand lettering is not just used, as it once was, for D.I.Y. youth-cult concert posters and T-shirts.

Owing to its infinite capacity for perfection, the computer has made this kind of hand lettering possible and inevitable. Incidentally, this is not the beautiful hand-crafted calligraphy celebrated by scribes and hobbyists and used for wedding invitations and diplomas. On the surface, this riotously raw lettering looks like it was produced by those who are incapable of rendering letters with any semblance of accuracy or finesse. And while this may or may not be true, a decade or so ago, this lettering was a critical reaction to the computer’s cold precision. It was also, in certain design circles, a means of rebelling against the purity and exactitude of modernism. Eventually it became a stylistic code for youthful demographics (the poster and title sequence for the film “Juno” stands out as a high-water mark in hand lettering, and before that, the TV series “Freaks & Geeks” used the trope), before being embraced by the mainstream (like the aforementioned IBM advertisements).