Tuesday, October 05, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
1:10 PM |
Labels:
music,
video
Spanish artist El Guincho dropped his 3rd full length album last month on Rough Trade. His eclectic mix of tropicalia, dub, afrobeat, rock and electronic makes his music sound like its from the future...Not to mention his amazing art projects that are his music videos. Check out the video for Bombay below. Warning...there are boobies involved.
Pop Negro's production is based on hi-fi aesthetics from the golden-era of recordings. I did some research on radio hits/big selling singles in North and South America, England and Spain in the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. I found out that a massive percentage of these hits were engineered (sometimes also produced) by just around 40/ 50 different guys. The ones I've chosen here became a big influence on Pop Negro...
A cutting-edge engineering project has turned 1.5 million used plastic bottles into the world’s first large-scale recycled-plastic building.
From a distance, the building looks like a smart new addition to Taipei’s skyline—an angular, approximately nine-story-tall silver and white structure on Zhongshan North Road, not far from Taipei’s landmark Grand Hotel. Close up, it is a surprise for first-time visitors, as it is constructed with plastic bottles—1.5 million of them to be exact.
Since the building, known as the EcoArk, has taken shape, it has received much attention not only from local media, but international media including the BBC, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Bloomberg news services. National Geographic also has been filming it for the last half year for the TV channel’s MegaStructures program to air in early January.
The Taiwanese company that built it, Miniwiz Sustainable Energy Development Co. Ltd., a relatively young company started by a Taiwanese overseas returnee in his 30s, has also garnered a lot of attention. That is because the EcoArk is the world’s first fully functional, large-scale plastic building made from recycled plastic bottles. Taiwan is one of the biggest consumers of plastic bottles in the world, with the island’s 23 million residents using up to 4.6 billion polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles each year. It took the company only a couple of weeks to gather enough used bottles to make the building, which it did by collecting them from department stores belonging to the Far Eastern Group, the project sponsor and one of Taiwan’s biggest conglomerates.
Heres the actual video for Gil Scott-Heron's New York is Killing Me, directed by Chris Cunningham that premiered on Sunday at MoMA. Although I thought the video was beautiful, I wish it was directed by an actual NY-based director. Some of the shots seemed a little cliche (subway, bridges, back alleys) and I felt like the video took away from the haunting poetry of the song itself. Check out the previous post here.
The wonder and healing power of imagination! "Marwencol" is a documentary about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp.
After being beaten into a brain-damaging coma by five men outside a bar, Mark builds a 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his backyard. Mark populates the town he dubs "Marwencol" with dolls representing his friends and family and creates life-like photographs detailing the town's many relationships and dramas. Playing in the town and photographing the action helps Mark to recover his hand-eye coordination and deal with the psychic wounds of the attack. When Mark and his photographs are discovered, a prestigious New York gallery sets up an art show. Suddenly Mark's homemade therapy is deemed "art", forcing him to choose between the safety of his fantasy life in Marwencol and the real world that he's avoided since the attack.
"Marwencol" is playing at the IFC center and Hogancamp's photography is on view at the Esopus Gallery. Thanks Stacy!
wow -- what a beautiful and thoughtful way to store your bike. I love how it turns your bike into a hanging art piece. Perfect for us NYers with tiny apartments. Buy here! Thanks SwissMiss!
Everyone needs a pair of "sex shoes" and Petula Caesar breaks it down. I need to play this jam every time I leave the house. Thanks Duane for the amazing disco mix on this rainy Monday!
Check out J.Lam's great B+W photo gallery of the Beijing Creator's Project. This traveling multi-media art extravaganza was brought to the masses by Intel+Vice. A really phenomenal production featuring an innovative group of young creatives! Check the full dedicated Creator's Project site here.
POPRALLY PRESENTS New York Is Killing Me featuring Chris Cunningham SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 8:30–11:00 P.M. MoMA
Join us for the world premiere of Chris Cunningham's audiovisual remix of Gil Scott-Heron's "New York Is Killing Me," which will be projected across three screens. This unique event will be preceded by a conversation about the making of the video with Cunningham and Barbara London, Associate Curator of Media and Performance Art. Doors and bar open at 8:30; conversation starts promptly at 9:30. Buy tickets here.
Cult filmmaker, musician, photographer, and producer Chris Cunningham is known for his highly acclaimed music videos for artists including Aphex Twin, Björk, Portishead, and many others. Since 2003 his focus has moved to music: he worked as a producer on The Horrors' Mercury Prize–nominated Primary Colours; won a Cannes Golden Lion for his reworking of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" in his 2008 Gucci Flora commercial; and created audiovisual remixes for Gil Scott-Heron and Grace Jones. Recently, he has headlined festivals around the world with his new live show, and is presently working on his first audiovisual album.
Love Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's orchestral arrangements and collaborations with contemporary LA-based artists. Download the track for free here! Thanks Chuck!
After escaping from an insane asylum where he was locked up for spreading the gospel of the Moral ABC, Dr. Emmanuel Bronner decided that the best way to spread the message of his All One faith was to make the best soap in the world and print the Moral ABC on the label. Thus Dr. Bronner's Magic 18-in-1 Pure Castille Peppermint Soap was born. A 5th generation soap maker, Bronner's vision for uniting spaceship Earth is carried out through the ethics and practices of the company. His grandson now helms the family-owned business using only organic fair-trade ingredients, investing in olive oil from the holy land, and was the first company to use 100% post consumer recycled bottles! Check out the clip from Sarah Lamm's amazing documentary about the man, the mission, and the soap.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
3:39 PM |
Labels:
events,
mexico
It's the 200th anniversary of mexican independence!! Celebrate with my favorite Mexicans in NYC!! La Superior 295 Berry Street/ bw S2nd & S3rd/ Williamsburg TONIGHT Wednesday Sept 15th 11p- till you drop
Saturday, September 11, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
2:49 PM |
Labels:
art,
los angeles
Checkout Devin's solo show at the Richard Heller Gallery and see some of the amazing work he put together during his artist residency this summer.
Devin Troy Strother Please Don’t Act a Fool in the Club: A Memory of the Sugar Shack & Stuntin’ Like My Daddy September 11, 2010 - October 9, 2010 2525 MICHIGAN AVE, B-5A SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA Opening Reception: 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Thursday, September 09, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
2:57 PM |
Labels:
farming
As New York hits High Fashion Frenzy this week, Im off to Milwaukee for a weekend of education and community building with people from around the country in the urban agriculture movement. I received this email in my inbox yesterday and it got me more excited than ever to head to Wisconsin! I thought Id share Will Allen's words with my friends! You can download the whole conference program here.
Welcome to Milwaukee, our great city by Lake Michigan.
In the fall of 2009, I was thinking about how we will grow Good Food Revolution. I realized that we did not have all the players at the Good Food Table. Over the years, many people have been working hard on getting good food into our communities in many different ways, but all too often they were working only in their own sectors. I feel that for us to fundamentally change the food system, we must work together as a team.
I have worked at, spoken at, participated in many gatherings and conferences over the years. At these conferences, it seemed there were never all the players needed, to know each other and eventually work together. This conference is my attempt, and Growing Power’s attempt, to bring to the table folks that have never worked together to build a new food system that works for everyone in every community. Some of these folks are farmers like myself, urban planners, government officials, financiers, corporate companies; teachers and university academics; doctors, dieticians and nutritionists; folks in the fitness field; people in renewable energy; aquaculturists, composters, recyclers and reusers; environmentalists including freshwater, wastewater and stormwater experts; brownfield specialists; and perhaps most importantly, youth, whose world will be shaped by what we do or not do, here and wherever we all return to.
Over the next few days, working hard while eating some good local food from our local and regional producers, I hope that all of you will learn more, gain new partners, get inspired to go back to your communities and Grow the Good Food Revolution. Our ultimate goal is to make sure everyone, in all our communities, has access to healthy, safe, affordable and culturally appropriate food. Food is the one thing we all have in common. Building a Good Food system is the No. 1 thing that will lead us in building sustainable communities.
This is really what social justice is about. Will Allen
Ive had a quilt project in the works for about a year now and seeing this trailer for Boo Davis' badass quilts is getting me psyched for some downtime during the winter!! Bring the quilting bee on!!! Dare To Be Square, her new book on quilting looks amazing and inspirational!
Stumbled upon Nick James' great music blog, The Free Experience, today when searching for the below Bilal/Miguel Atwood Ferguson Download. Thought I should shout it out -- not only does James have great free music downloads and coverage (check out Sonnymoon...what?!) but he also puts together some cool mixtapes. Im checking out the Soul Reggae mix now.
This Saturday at Governor's Island witness the showdown of the summer -- RECESS pt 2 :: Bocce Ball on Colonel's Row! Watch creative agencies battle it out, take a spin around the picturesque island courtesy of Linus Bikes, and grub on some delicious Texas-style smoked brisket courtesy of HNH BBQ! Sweet Jewels' red velvet cakeballs will be dishing delicious sweets as well!
Attention attention! Chillzine Season 2, Issue 7 is out!! This Seoul-based arts 'zine is lovingly curated by three creative superstars who met one another in art school. "Chill," in Korean, can be loosely translated to mean, "to color" or "to paint" and Maia, Jaewon, and Heoji have used the medium of the 'zine to paint their own world into reality. After a short hiatus, the zine is relaunching this month with collaborations from photographer Jay Lewis! Pick up the newest issue at Printed Matter in NYC, Donlon Books in London and throughout Seoul.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
12:19 AM |
Labels:
food,
religion
Next Thursday is Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. One of the five pillars of Islam, Muslims around the world follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad and fast from dawn to dusk. Ramadan is a prayerful month and the idea that people all over the world are fasting and reflecting on their spiritual journeys is very powerful to me. Check out the Boston Globe's series of beautiful images of Muslims across the globe coming together for Ramadan--in prayer, in celebration, and in meals. (Can someone please make chocolate mosques in NYC?) Happy Eid ul-Fitr to all my folks! Thanks Rukhs!!
As a Southern girl I really love the sounds, instruments and soul of folk music. I mean this in the broadest of terms--zydeco, tejano, rockabilly, bluegrass and outlaw country--peppered the airways and public spaces of my youth. When I heard the 3-piece string band Carolina Chocolate Drops I fell in love with their musical arrangements and the brave way they're interpreting a traditional genre. Check out their cover of "Hit Em Up Style" below and Dom Flemons' lesson on how to play bones! NPR interview here!
Saturday, September 04, 2010
|
Posted by
Gwai Gwai
at
11:36 PM |
Labels:
food,
war
The NYTimes published a great interactive feature about combat meals served to soldiers from over 50 countries in Afghanistan. A totally fascinating viewpoint on the comforts of food, home, and military culture on the ground. Soldiers from different countries trade meals; the French ration of cassoulet, deer pâté and nougat, used to be worth three American rations. I especially love all the different matchboxes included in each combat ration. Check out 14 dining packets from varying countries here!
What would NYC be without our cornerstores, delis, and bodegas! GrowNYC, the organization behind the city's greenmarkets, has started a welcome new initiative with the DoH and Red Jacket Orchards to deliver farm-fresh, locally grown produce to Bed Stuy bodegas! Ive loved the influx of green carts across the city and in my neighborhood and this new program is another great step in the right direction. Healthy Bodegas has the potential to transform the "food desert" of neighborhoods like ours by offering healthy food options AND convenience. Now I can grab beers, snacks, seasonal vegetables AND vanilla dutches at my corner spot. Thanks Kat!!
The Wilderness Downtown. Honestly the most amazing and beautiful thing I've seen using our current technology. Thanks Arcade Fire for being f*cking awesome.
As a Houstonian, Ive always been lucky enough to have access to one of the best contemporary Latin American collections in the United States (see Mari Carmen Ramirez, curator for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston) and even saw Inverted Utopias in '04, the landmark exhibition of up-and-coming Latin American artists like Jesus Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez. Thanks to the beauty of the interwebs, we can roam through the mini-galleries of Papa Issue, a collection of works by Latino artists from around the diaspora working across different mediums. Architecture, music, illustration, conceptual art, and interiors seek to inspire people to create. Thanks TSA!
Spanish artist El Guincho dropped his 3rd full length album last month on Rough Trade. His eclectic mix of tropicalia, dub, afrobeat, rock and electronic makes his music sound like its from the future...Not to mention his amazing art projects that are his music videos. Check out the video for Bombay below. Warning...there are boobies involved.
Posts
