March 4, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Erik Johansson: Skrapan Illusion

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Some of the works Swedish photographer, based in Berlin, Erik Johansson creates are street illusions. He sees photography as a way of collecting material to realize the ideas of the mind. Last fall, Johansson was commissioned by the Stockholm shopping mall Skrapan to create a perspective illusion for their 5th anniversary. Being one of the tallest buildings in the city, they wanted to incorporate the view from the top of the building into the optical illusion. From the right angle, Johansson’s installation tricked the viewer into the 3D illusion of being on top of the building looking down from the safety of the sidewalk.

Here’s a video for more of the effect:

All photos by Erik Johannson

via inspir3d

February 25, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Sakir Gökçebag: Mundane Object Installations

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Hamburg-based Turkish-born artist Sakir Gökçebag creates fun installations using everyday objects. His toilet paper roll installations are part of two series: Trans-Layers I and II. The abstract shapes and movement that Gökçebag is able to get with these rolls are at once playful and elegant, not to mention completely surprising. And it doesn’t stop at toilet paper, no siree. Gökeçebag’s other works utilize everything from shoes, belts, umbrellas, brooms, measuring tapes, levels and other household tools, extending to his series of photographs of uniquely cut fruit s & vegetables.

There’s much more to see on his site here.

via trendland

February 22, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 2/22

Click on individual photos for official event page or use the corresponding numbered links below.

This weekend’s picks for Free & Cheap things to do in NYC (2/15 to 2/17) in art, music, theater, performance, dance, architecture and general fun.

1. THEATER/PERFORMANCE: All weekend & through 3/3– Frigid Festival – Fringy theater and performances. $12 to $15.

2. ART/TECH: Fri 2/22 & Sat 2/23 & through 3/2: Gimme More: Is Augmented Reality the Next Medium? Visitors explore the link between the physical and digital worlds via augmented reality-based immersive installations. 12 to 6pm FREE

3. ART/TECH/DESIGN: Sat 2/23 & Sat 2/24 – (though the poster & website say differently, we have been told by one of the panelist that the event is actually Sat & Sun) PlayThings a 2-day symposium and workshop exploring the concept of play in the fields of art, media, and technology. 11am to 5pm. FREE

4. PHOTOGRAPHY: Fri 2/22 and through 5/5 Roman Vishniac Rediscovered most widely recognized and reproduced photographic record of Jewish life in Eastern Europe between the two World Wars. FREE Fridays 5 to 8pm. All other times $14

5. ART: Fri 2/22 through 3/22 – Gathering Place: Selected artists fill the formerly-vacant 8th St. storefront with site-specific works exploring the street and neighborhood’s unique history of commerce and culture. Opening 7pm.

6. TALK/TECH: Fri 2/22 – Part of Social Media Week: Art Exploring Image Sharing Platforms: #selfieaffirmation Panel of internet energy healers and pioneers discuss the relevance of self portraiture and online avatars. 5 to 8pm. FREE

7. ART: All Weekend – Moustache Man (aka Patrick Waldo) who penned his signature cursive “moustache” tag on thousands of subway ads has a solo gallery debut only through Sunday. FREE

8. MUSIC: Fri 2/22 – David Lynch presents Chrysta Bell w/ She Keeps Bees. 7:30pm $15 to $17.

9. ART/TECH: All weekend: The Public Private exhibit that explores the impact of social media and new technologies on the relationship between the public and private realm. FREE

10. ART/TALK: Sat 2/23 – Do It: Hans Ulrich Obrist and Massimiliano Gioni in conversation. 3pm $8

11. PERFORMANCE/ART/HAPPENING: Sat 2/23 – E.S.P. Live From the Control Room repurposes the museum’s Open Studios into E.S.P. TV LAB hosting a variety of artists and performers. A happening-like environment: 7pm $5 to $7

12. ARCHITECTURE/FUN: Sat 2/23 – Secrets of Grand Central Scavenger Hunt. Discover little-known passageways, gourmet foods and much more in the terminal and its environs. 2pm $24.50

13. THEATER/PARTICIPATORY: Fri 2/22 & Sat 2/23 Shakespeare Shakedown presents: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at a secret loft location. Immerse yourself as actors spin wildly through the party blending Shakepeare with improv. 7pm Use code G&SFRIENDS for $15 tkts.

14. FILM: Sat 2/23 – Premiere of Mostly Awake a micro-budget independent comedy filmed in Bushwick. 8pm FREE

15. THEATER: All weekend: Hit the Wall by Ike Holter previews. Ltd amount of $35 tkts remain: Use code HTWBST35

16. MUSIC/OPERA: Sun 2/24 & through 3/2 – The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten based on Henry James’ ghost story and conducted by Jayce Ogren. $25 and up. Use code 19286 for 20% off through 2/26.

17. PARTY/FILM: Sun 2/24 – OscarViewing Party at SideBar 6:30pm $10 general admission

18. MUSIC/DANCE/CIRCUS: Sun 2/24 – The Super Hot Cheap Fun Variety Show: an evening of Circus/Dance/Music and indescribable wonderment. Part of the Hot Cheap Living Festival. 7pm. $10

More…
>>Film –Fri 2/22 – The Throwaways Sneak Preview – Documentary about filmmaker and ex-felon Ira McKinley who struggles to turn his life around in inner-city Albany. 7:30pm $10.
>>Theater – All Weekend – Big Flower Eater $12
>>Art – All weekend & through 4/28 – Marcel Proust and “Swann’s Way” at Morgan Library FREE Fridays 7 to 9pm.
>>Film – All Weekend – Red Flag a new film by Alex Karpovsky (of Girls) $8 to $10
>>Theater – Fri 2/22 & Sat 2/23 –Collected Stories by Donald Margulies performed in the Strand’s Rare Books Room. 7:30pm $20 or $15 with code bookworm.
>>Food/Fun – Sat 2/23 – Iron Chef Flux. Come watch our most talented Flux chefs compete head to head in an intense culinary battle. 6 to 8pm. FREE to watch; $5 to sample food.
>>Fun/Oscars: Sun 2/24 – Oscar Viewing Party at Eventi’s Big Screen Plaza. Kick off at 6pm. FREE. Drinks $3 to $6.
>>Fun/Oscars: Sun 2/24 – The Big Oscars Quiz Thing. 5 rounds of multi-media Trivia Quiz. Doors 5:30pm Quiz 6pm, with Awards Broadcast following. $15.
>>Fun/Oscars: Sun 2/24 – Alt. Oscars Awards Event – outlandish Awards Event & Dance Party with ongoing performances, interactive red carpet & dedicated Hollywood Oscar viewing area. 6pm. $5 presale. $10 at door

February 18, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Nick Frank: Subway & Subway II

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Love these striking photographs by German photographer Nick Frank of subway stations in Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Dubai. These are from two sets—Subway and Subway II—in a continuing series.

You can see more of Frank’s photographs on his site and on his facebook page.

via visuelle

February 12, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Fred Cray: Articulate

Brooklyn-based artist/photographer Fred Cray (previously here) completed his latest set of zany self-portraits last Fall. These, he says, are loosely based on the notion of Mr. Potato Head. Some of the self-portraits from this series are currently being exhibited as part of Articulate, an eclectic new show that, in addition to Cray’s, includes work by Tina Barney, Alfred Leslie, Robert Cumming, Donald Sultan and more.

Articulate is on view through March 30th at Janet Borden, Inc, NYC.

Photos courtesy of Fred Cray

February 7, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Icehotel: A Warm Story about a Cold Place

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Have you ever wanted to ski in and out of an art exhibit? Well, here’s your big chance. On view now until it begins to melt (approximately mid-April) next to the Icehotel in Sweden is photographer/sculptor Anna Öhlund and lighting designer John Petterson’s light and photography exhibit titled A Warm Story about a Cold Place. Located in its own snow and ice building, the ephemeral exhibition captures the ever-shifting and momentary Arctic light and life of the frozen hotel. The light cycle in the exhibit runs 15 minutes and photographs are positioned within both circular cutouts in the walls and big free-standing ice blocks. Very cool in all meanings of the word.

There is also a companion book of the same name.

Photos: Anna Öhlund

via mocoloco and anna öhlund

January 30, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Barry Rosenthal: Found in Nature

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Barry Rosenthal is a New York City based photographer. His Found in Nature series is created using plastic objects, garbage, waste and detritus found on beaches polluting our water and land including parking lots. Rosenthal organizes these pieces making for some graphically interesting photos.

via featureshoot

January 25, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 1/25

Click on individual squares for official event page or use the corresponding numbered link below.

This weekend’s picks for Free & Cheap things to do in NYC (1/25 to 1/27) in art, music, theater, film, performance, dance, architecture and general fun.

1. ART/FILM: 1/25 & 1/26 and through 2/9 – Francis Alÿs: Reel-Unreel. 20-minute film and new paintings FREE
2. CLASS: 1/25 – Intro to the NYC Startup Community. 5:30 to 6:30pm. FREE
3. ART: All Weekend – Drawing Surrealism: 60 works on paper by such iconic artists as Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, and Joan Miró. Free Fri 7 to 9pm. Rest of times $15
4. DANCE: 1/25 and 1/26 – FlicFest of Dance $25
5. MUSIC: 1/25 – Ecstatic Music Festival Kick-off – Shara Worden & Brooklyn Youth Chorus 7pm $15
6. GOOFY FUN: 1/26 – Idiotarod 2013: Annual Shopping cart race 12pm FREE
7. MUSIC: 1/26 – Zammuto w/Miracles of Modern Science doors 6:30; show 7:30pm. $13 to $15
8. ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN: All Weekend & through 9/15 – Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers $6 to $10
9. MUSIC: 1/26 – Les Nuits de Montreal showcasing musical talent from Montreal. 10pm $25
10. TALK/LECTURE: 1/27 – Paul Krugman speaks about his Economy Fixes. 8pm $29
11. ART/PHOTOGRAPHY: All Weekend – Fire Escapes, Waterfronts & Rooftops as Urban Landscapes: Eugene Hyon Photography: 12 to 5pm FREE
12. THEATER: All weekend & through 2/10 – 20at20 $20 Off-Broadway Show tickets
13. ART/LIGHT: All Weekend – Light Cycles at World Financial Center light installation by artist Anne Militello of twinkling LED lights and mirrored discs in the Winter Garden FREE
14. THEATER/MUSIC: All weekend & through 2/2 – Can Themba’s The Suit directed by Peter Brook $25 and Up
15. FILM/PERFORMANCE: 1/27 – A Full Moon Afternoon: Bidoun Magazine’s afternoon of screenings & performance 4 to 6pm. $10.
16. WALKING TOUR: 1/27 – Walk: SoHo Then and Now: Recent Developments. 11am $20
17. ART INSTALLATION: All weekend Aude Moreau Sugar Carpet Installation through 2/24 FREE
18. PERFORMANCE/ART: 1/27 – Performance Heart: Mixed Potatoes Performance Art Show 7pm FREE

Check our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for ongoing events and check back over the weekend for possible updates. Enjoy!

January 23, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Thomas Mailaender: L’Union Fait la Farce

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Thomas Mailaenderis Paris-based multimedia artist who started out doing documentation work. These comical food-related photos, sculptures, and installation are all included under the name L’Union Fait la Farce (The Union is a Farce) which is a play on words with the motto L’Union Fait la Force (Unity is Strength.) The zaniness in these really appeals to me, from the unique coffee-serving technique up top, down to the yakitori-grilling iron and the sock fan at the bottom. All of it cracks me up.

via vice

January 21, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Dan Cretu: Food Art

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I noticed Dan Cretu’s mini-sculpture of a salami tape cassette among the photos on lagaleriademagdalena’s #EnCinta exhibit wall and loved it. Upon googling I came across more of his food sculptures on his facebook page and tumblr. Not surprisingly, Cretu works in advertising, but his food works have met with online success and will probably lead to an exhibition in the near future.

January 11, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 1/11

This This weekend’s picks for Free & Cheap things to do in NYC (1/11 to 1/13) in art, music, theater, film, performance, comedy, architecture and general fun. Click through on the images above for the corresponding event page and details, or use the links below.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM (numbers will be added to photos next week, promise. This week I was struggling with iffy internet..)
1. TALK: Deborah Eisenberg and George Saunders Short Story Writers. Purchase of book or $10 gift card. 7 to 8pm
2. MUSIC/HUMOR: No Place to Go; Ethan Lipton & Orchestra 9:30pm $15
3. COMEDY: Funny Sh#t Comedy Fest. 8pm $10
4. TOUR/CONFERENCE: Charting the Road to Resilience. Site visits and conference to share lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy. FREE
5. MUSIC: Dirty Projectors and Andrew Bird at 8pm. $30 and up.
6. THEATER: Kristen Kosmas – “There There” Critically acclaimed play. $20
7. MUSIC/THEATER: Prototype Opera-Theater Fest, through 1/18. $15 to $20.
8. THEATER: The Improvised Shakespeare. 7:30pm $27.50
9. MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE: Emily Johnson/Catalyst Niicugni. $20
10. THEATER: Under the Radar Festival
11. STREET ART/FILM: NYC Street Pop. Opening reception film, photos and more by Ken Brown. Sat. 1 to 3pm. FREE
12. ART: Haroshi Virtual Reality, opening Sat 7 to 9pm.
13. ART: Aakash Nihalani – Portal. Opening Sat 7 to 9pm.
14. PERFORMANCE: New York City Pod Fest – Improv $8 for one $45 festival pass
15. THEATER: Urinetown the Musical $18.
16. FILM: Chasing Ice – Photographer James Balog captures images to show the Earth’s climate change in this stunning documentary. 6pm. $14 adults.
17. TOUR: Yale University Gallery & George Nelson Exhibit Tour: 11:30 am to 5pm $5 students $35 adults
18. MUSIC: Gregg Kallor Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert. 7:30pm $20

MORE:
Fri 1/11 & Sat 1/12 15th Contemporary Dance Showcase including Anarchy Dance Theater’s Seventh Sense (see post). 7:30pm. $28
Sat 1/12 Family Day: BankInk! 75-minute demo Sumi-e class. 1 to 2:15 pm. FREE
Sat 1/12, Documentary – The Atomic States of America at 7 pm. $10.
Sun 1/13 Improv Everywhere No Pants Subway RideFREE
Sun 1/13 Comedy/Music – Reggie Watts performs at 8:30. $10
Starting Monday – NYC Restaurant Week 2013. $25 Lunch; $38 Dinner

Sat 1/12 The All-Day Sandy Benefit with readings by Nick Flynn, Jonathan Ames, Emma Straub and more.
Sat 1/12 & Sun 1/13 Film: Clandestine Childhood (Infancia Clandestina) Argentine film with filmmaker Q&A’s.

Check back for possible updates throughout the weekend and peruse previous Culture on the Cheap posts for ongoing events.

January 9, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Meggan Gould: Viewfinders

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Photographer Meggan Gould, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is drawn to the surface value of mundane, framed spaces usually ubiquitous within our daily lives such as blackboards, computer screens, backs of photos and, in the series above titled Viewfinders, well, camera viewfinders. Though not commonly captured in photography, these images are both interesting and beautiful; some reminiscent of abstract paintings.

The other series of images I especially like is Verso (see bottom photo) in which Gould photographs the backs of photos. I always get a kick out of reading the backs of old photos and often wish that more photos had notes. But Gould’s images are more than just about the writing; many just show old tape marks or general deterioration, and those, surprisingly, are just as appealing.

You can check out the rest of the Verso series as well as more of Gould’s photographs on her site.

via thegarlicbread

January 2, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Hendrik Kerstens: Paula Pictures

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Dutch photographer Hendrik Kerstens has been photographing his daughter Paula since 1995, using her as his model both in photographs reflecting events in her own life, as well as in his humorous series of photos inspired by the 17th century Dutch Masters. His choice of headdresses range from bubble-wrap to trash bags, paper towels to lampshades. Though I’ve seen similar concepts before (see Julia Kissina’s Fairies and Nina Katchadourian’s Lavatory Self-Portraits) Kerstens excellently emulates the Vermeer-style lighting in his Paula Pictures. As an additional fun fact, Alexander McQueen (who had been a collector of Hendriks’ photographs) used the image of Paula with a plastic bag headdress for his Fall 2009 show invitation.

via nunc contemporary

December 24, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

From the C3 Archives

We’re taking a few days off to enjoy the holidays. In the meantime here are some of our favorites from the archives. Click on an image above to be taken to its post, or feel free to scroll through by category using the pull-down tab in the right margin, or randomly if you prefer. You can always like us on facebook, follow on twitter, or if email is your thing, you can subscribe at the bottom of the site.

Happy Holidays!

December 20, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Marek Samojeden: Poland in Winter

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Polish photographer Marek Samojeden takes spectacular aerial landscape shots of southern Poland. These are just a few from his Winter Time series which are especially striking with their minimalist abstract quality from their bird’s eye view.

via shelleysdavies via @paperdarts

December 19, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Fred Cray: Self-Portraits

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I run into Brooklyn-based photographer Fred Cray ridiculously often. A close runner-up only to the person that introduced us; sometimes at galleries, sometimes on the street, and once even apartment-hunting (me, not him.) And now, a few weeks ago, I ran into Fred’s work on the internet. I was familiar with his lottery ticket self-portrait collage series and had been to his solo show of Travel Diaries at Janet Borden, Inc. a few years ago, but his other work was new to me and an interesting discovery.

Cray’s B/W Self-Portraits are particularly compelling, if a little disturbing. Images of his skin on fire, tarred and feathered, or buried in dirt with worms on his face are hard to ignore or not react to. In an interview with Revel in New York, below, he explains that many of these were created in angry reaction to the Gulf War, while others are full of literary references such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s dirt-eating character in 100 Years of Solitude.

Make sure to check out more of Fred Cray’s work on his website and watch the video below to learn more about him and his process.

December 12, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Andrew Baines: Surreal Human Portraits

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Charlie Todd has a kindred spirit on the opposite side of the globe. Australian artist Andrew Baines organizes and documents similar “missions” usually taking place on the various beaches of Australia. Baines has a lot to be happy about: after years of struggling with the idea of leaving his commercial art business to pursue his lifelong passion of fine art, Baines took the plunge, met with success, and never looked back. Plus, he spends much of his time on the beach — as he did growing up — but now in the name of art!

Baines’ most recent “guerrilla installation,” and part of his Surreal Human Sculptures series, took place last August when twelve suited volunteers carried their own toilets to the water’s edge and then dropped their pants and sat down to read the paper. The event titled Coalition of the Constipated was an effort to bring attention to the lack of toilets in the Henley Square Eatery district. In 2009, Baines gathered 50 participants on West Beach to be buried in sand up to their necks for his Up to Your Neck in It event, highlighting the way people are bogged down with pressures of everyday life when we should all stop and look around to realize things are not as bad as they seem. And a few years earlier Baines went from Melbourne beaches to ones in Sydney recruiting volunteers to dress in suits and bowler hats with umbrellas and briefcases in hand, and wade in the ocean by the early morning light creating some rather surreal-looking (specifically Magritte-like) images.

There are many other fun events on Andrew Baines’ website, so take a look.

Photos courtesy of the artist; Mark Brake for AdelaideNow; and Bram Booth.

via artinfo

November 23, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 11/23

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Free and Cheap things to do in New York City this post-Thanksgiving weekend. Quieter than usual, with so many people out of town, but here are some possibilities to squeeze in, in lieu of, or in between, the shopping madness:

1. Walking Tour – Cross Park Promenade Tour. Discover many surprises in and about our beloved Central Park in this slightly over-an-hour tour. Fri 11/23, 12:30pm to 1:45pm. FREE

2. Art – Ira Eduadovna: That. There. Then. Based on an iconic Soviet Television show, this six-channel installation recreates the architecture and staging of the original TV studio through four viewpoints. All weekend. 12-6pm at Momenta Art. FREE

3. Art/Music/Food/Crafts – Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Fri 11/23 & Sat 11/24 and all Fri & Sats thru 12/22. 6pm to midnight. FREE

4. Art — Picasso Black and White at the Guggenheim. Sat 11/24 (and all Saturdays) 5:45 to 7:45pm is Pay-what-you-wish. All other times through 1/23 $22 adults.

Also in Art – Sebastian Black at Karma.

5. Theater – Ingenious Nature a play written and performed by Baba Brinkman about online dating and the personality clashes that ensue. All weekend at 7:30pm. Use code SOHO for $25 tickets.

6. Photography/Art – Joel Meyerowitz Photographs Part I at Howard GReenberg Gallery. Fri 11/23 & Sat 11/24. FREE

7. Comedy/Music/Performance – GASHOLE: Hole-O-Matic 2012 …the “you pick ’em” very random pop show! Sat 11/24 at 8pm. $20

8. Film – Laurel and Hardy at Anthology Film Archives: 4 films 20 to 30 minutes each, Sun 11/25 at 4:15pm $10

9. Music/Performance – This is actually post-weekend – Sirens in Surround Sound: an acoustic evening. Mon 11/26 at 7pm $15.

Also in Music: Joe’s Pub is having a 24-hour Black Friday Discount sale on select events. Check it out here.

UPDATES:

Performance Art: Situation Zero – Sound and performance artists from all over the country come together for a night you won’t forget! Sat 11/24, 9 to 11pm. $10 suggested donation.

Performance/Music/Fundraiser – Gowanus Ballroom Fundraiser and FlutuArteNY, a night of live music to help raise funds for the Gowanus Ballroom and Serett after Hurricane Sandy. Sat 11/24 at 6pm. $15 donation.

Music – Signature Riff’s Festival of the Unknown: Think of it as a “secret” or “blind” lineup of bands. Sun 11/25 at 7pm. $10 advance; $15 door.

Enjoy!