Category Archives: Pop Culture

by - 1 Comment

Street Stone: Léo Caillard & Alexi Persani

classic stone statues dressed in contemporary hip clothing, leo caillard photographer, Alexis Persani retoucherclassic stone statues dressed in contemporary hip clothing, leo caillard photographer, Alexis Persani retoucherclassic stone statues dressed in contemporary hip clothing, leo caillard photographer, Alexis Persani retoucherClick to enlarge

I’ve seen modern-day people dress up as classical statues both on Las Ramblas in Barcelona and, occasionally, here in NYC, but I’ve never seen classical statues dress up as modern-day people. French photographer Léo Caillard came up with the humorous concept. He didn’t actually dress these stone sculptures but instead had retoucher Alexis Persani masterly ‘enrobe’ them using photoshop, converting them into the most unassuming hipsters…well, maybe a little stiffer. How no one has come up with this concept before (talk about perfect models!) for a clothing company catalog (I can just see Victoria’s Secret’s Fall catalog now…) is a mystery to me. Very clever, Léo.

You can see the “making of” in the video below. Those are some mad skills (cue daughters’ eyerolls and cringing here.)

via radiolab

by - 0 comments

Richard Woods: A Maze for Yorkshire

Richard Woods, A Maze for Yorkshire, the Orangery, Wakefield, Faux cartoon stone wall mazeRichard Woods, A Maze for Yorkshire, the Orangery, Wakefield, Faux cartoon stone wall mazeRichard Woods, A Maze for Yorkshire, the Orangery, Wakefield, Faux cartoon stone wall mazeClick to enlarge

I’ve come across artist Richard Woods’ work over the years, but I don’t think I ever quite put it all together until now. The London-based Woods likes to substitute colorful faux cartoon-y textures for the real ones. Beginning about a dozen years ago replacing wooden floor slats in a house with their colorful cartoon counterparts, Woods has since made aluminum siding homes look like tudors, revamped brick homes with larger cartoon-like faux brick exteriors, and now, at the Orangery in Wakefield, Yorkshire, he’s created a maze titled A Maze for Yorkshire in shades of pinks and reds in what he describes as a ‘cartoon Yorkshire dry stone wall.’ The temporary labyrinth measures 10 meters square with an intimate performance space at its center. The maze has an accompanying soundscape as well.

A Maze for Yorkshire will be up at The Orangery through September 29, 2013.

Photos of maze by Jonty Wilde. Other photos courtesy of the artist.

via wallpaper

by - 0 comments

Sylvie Fleury: Scratch

Sylvie Fleury, Scratch, Sculpture made with rollers and hair pins, curlers and bobby pins, frieze ny 2013Sylvie Fleury, Scratch, Sculpture made with rollers and hair pins, curlers and bobby pins, frieze ny 2013Sylvie Fleury, Scratch, Sculpture made with rollers and hair pins, curlers and bobby pins, frieze ny 2013Click to enlarge

Last month at the Frieze Art Fair, I came across Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury’s piece Scratch, a small sculpture made with rollers and hairpins (or curlers and bobby pins) and the simplicity, as well as the fun choice of objects, made me smile. Fleury, based in Geneva, typically uses fashion and luxury products in her work. Her art, at first glance, may seem like an affirmation of our consumerist society but, if you look closer, it’s quite the opposite. Her series of Scratch sculptures is no exception, playfully using objects, in this case hair rollers, that focus on superficial beauty.

Photos courtesy of the artist and Frieze.
by - 0 comments

Sonos Playground Deconstructed

Sonos Playground Deconstructed an immersive interactive installation at the Museum of Moving Image, Red Paper HeartSonos Playground Deconstructed an immersive interactive installation at the Museum of Moving Image, Red Paper HeartSonos Playground Deconstructed an immersive interactive installation at the Museum of Moving Image, Red Paper HeartClick to enlarge

Sonos Playground Deconstructed, an immersive and interactive installation by Red Paper Heart (previously here) — currently at the Museum of Moving Image here in NYC in conjunction with Spectacle: The Music Video exhibition — brings minimalist art to life using five detached walls suspended above a reflective floor. Each of the walls has been painted with 27 1-inch wide white lines and 26 2-inch wide black lines. By mapping the white lines set between black lines the studio was able to create a more immersive and surreal environment. Visitors are able to select any song from an iPad and watch a visualization of the music projected onto the surrounding walls. Through motion-capture technology, they can interact with and manipulate the animation through movement.

Take a look at it in motion in the video below:

Sonos Playground Deconstructed (deconstructed because it was originally installed in a 250 sq. ft shed at the Sonos Studio at the 2013 SXSW festival) is on view at the Museum of Moving Image until June 16, 2013.

Photos courtesy of Red Paper Heart and MoMI
by - 0 comments

Ctrl-Alt-Del: Yossi Wallner

Yossi Wallner, Tel Aviv Street art, Control Alt Delete keys, Escape keys placed on random exterior walls Yossi Wallner, Tel Aviv Street art, Control Alt Delete keys, Escape keys placed on random exterior wallsYossi Wallner, Tel Aviv Street art, Control Alt Delete keys, Escape keys placed on random exterior wallsClick to enlarge

What if the keyboards that we use incessantly all day would work in reality? If you could escape something by a push of a button? Delete anything by a flick of a finger? Or format your surroundings to your liking? These are the questions that Israeli designer Yossi Wallner is posing with his recent street art project around Tel Aviv. He has placed these function keys in random locations surely piquing the curiosity of those who come across them. I’ve never seen a ‘Sleep’ or ‘Wake’ key (must be a pc thing) but those make for interesting messages too. You can see more images of the project on his flickr page.

by - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap

Culture on the Cheap, NYC, Free and Cheap things to do in NYC, New Site, AnnouncementIf you’re here looking for our regular NYC Culture on the Cheap post, we have exciting news for you. Starting today, Culture on the Cheap will be its own separate site offering links to free and cheap things to do in NYC in art, music, design, film, theater, dance, food, architecture, talks, tours, and general fun. It won’t focus specifically on weekends anymore, though most activities may still be weekend-centric. So go take a look! You can sort by Event Date, Price, Genre, or even a specific date on the calendar.

If you like what you see, please share it with you friends and lovers! Sisters and brothers! Like our page on facebook or follow us on twitter.

It’s just up today, so please bear with us if any glitches should arise.

by - 0 comments

Paulius Nosokas: SPAMspace

SpamSpace by Paulius Nosokas, lines of spam converted to graph-like images and installations.SpamSpace by Paulius Nosokas, extracted lines of spam converted to graph-like images and installations.SpamSpace by Paulius Nosokas, extracted lines of spam converted to graph-like images and installations.Click to enlarge

Currently Berlin-based, Lithuanian-born artist Paulius Nosokas has a touching and inspiring childhood story, braving it independently from an early age and coming to the US at the age of 18 where he worked in, and learned on the job, graphic design and screen design. He combines these skills in his art being a firm believer that behind every good work of fine art is good design.

In his series of works titled SPAMspace, Nosokas collected 3-year’s worth of actual spam subject heads that appeared in his 5 email inboxes. He took a small fraction of them and designed them into stripes of color, dividing them into 7 sets — one for each day of the week — placing each line on its side, taking on a graph-like appearance. Together, they tell a story of the power of the written word to seduce, and become a clear representation of the internet and its invasion of privacy. Nosokas chose sexual spam, but could have just as easily  chosen non-sexual lines. SPAMspace is designed to fit in the space at hand, traveling up and across walls. I’d like to see this as a wallpaper selection. Maybe in the pastel tones of pink and blue. Maybe even in a baby’s room! Just kidding…

You might want to check out the rest of Paulius Nosokas’s work that ranges from light drawing to beautifully animated geometric shapes.

All photos courtesy of the artist.
by - 2 Comments

Miranda July: We Think Alone

Miranda July, We Think Alone, Email project starting July 1, 2013. Private emails of Celebrities will be sent out to subscribers. Conceptual art. Fun, Strange, Goofy. VoyeurismMiranda July, We Think Alone, Email project starting July 1, 2013. Private emails of Celebrities will be sent out to subscribers. Conceptual art. Fun, Strange, Goofy. VoyeurismI’m not a twitter person. I usually dash in and out to tweet about the latest post on this blog and while there I’ll peruse the 20 or so latest tweets streaming in that minute. I find it a little overwhelming. But every once in a while I hit something in that very moment that I’m happy to have found out about and Miranda July’s latest project, We Think Alone, is a prime example. The quirky, funny, incredibly appealing writer/performance artist/filmmaker/actress has created the email-inbox-only project as part of a Swedish exhibit titled “On the Tip of My Tongue”. A collection of private emails from celebrities and public figures (some friends of July) that include Lena Dunham, Kirsten Dunst, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be sent out every Monday between July 1st and November 1st to anyone who signs up to receive them. The previously written emails from the sent folders of these people will deal with the subject-of-the-week selected by the artist. July’s first subject is “Money” and those emails will arrive on July 1st. It sounds a bit conceptual, definitely odd and, of course, voyeuristic but, based on Miranda July’s past projects, I have faith that it will be interesting and subscribed last Friday.

If you’d like to read more about the project and/or sign up to receive the emails yourself, you can do that here. If you’re not familiar with Miranda July’s work, you might enjoy this website, or just look through the many projects on her main site.

via @Miranda_July

by - 1 Comment

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 5/31

01-TheLonelyIsland_TheWack02-TheHotelColorsThe Dandy Warhols - US AdMat - Square04-RockspotBikeTour205-HowlFestival06-BushwickOpenStudios-201307-The_Cloisters_Medieval_Art_Garden-day08-Nametag-day09-TimesSquareJillSobule10-EAT-LABANY electronic arts Festival12-jellio_lab213-PopFest201314-NYCFunnySongsFest15-DayLifeFestival16-SingForHOpePianos_jamesAlicea17-RooftopFilms18-MYO-MAkerBot

Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/31/13 to 6/2/13)
Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/31/13 to 6/2/13). It’s going to be hot hot hot this weekend, but there are plenty of outdoor or indoor (if you prefer) activities in art, music, food, architecture, theater, film, design, comedy and general fun. Check out some of our picks for this weekend in NYC…
1. MUSIC/TALK: Fri 5/31 – Meet the Musicians: The Lonely Island, “The Wack Album” 7:00 p.m. FREE
2. THEATER: Fri 5/31 & Sat 6/1 – The Hotel Colors Six travelers spend one night in a rundown hostel in the outskirts of Rome. Speaking in direct translation from Italian into English the eccentric voyagers form a temporary community and unexpected friendships as they fail–and flail–in their attempts to communicate. 8pm $18.
3. MUSIC: Fri 5/31 – The Dandy Warhols: Featuring 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia In Its Entirety! $30 8pm
4. TOUR/BEACH/FUN: Sat 6/1 – Rockspot Bike Tour: Interactive tour that explores sites of environmental and historical significance along the Rockaway Peninsula. 11am to 2pm. FREE with registration
5. ART/MUSIC/DANCE/THEATER: All weekend – Howl! Festival – Presenting poetry, music, dance, theater, fine art, and intersections of popular culture, new technologies and artistic expression that defy easy categorization. Fri 4:30pm to 7pm. Sat & Sun 11am to 7pm. FREE
6. ART: All weekend: – Bushwick Open Studios – 3 days of arts and culture festival that celebrates the community’s vibrant art scene. 615 shows/studios! FREE
7. ARCHITECTURE/GARDENS: Sat 6/1 – Garden Day at the Cloisters. 10am to 4pm. Pay what you wish, suggested $25.
8. FUN: Sat 6/1 – Nametag Day! Imagine everyone in New York City wearing a nametag. On June 1st, we’ll be giving them out at sites all over the city. FREE
9. THEATER/MUSIC: Sat 6/1 – Times Square the musical at Joe’s Pub by Jill Sobule and Robin Eaton 9:30pm $20
10. ART/MUSIC/FOOD: Sat 6/1 & Sun 6/2 – EAT LABA Arts Festival: an exploration of the power of food in ancient Jewish texts. Art, music, performances, teachings and tastings. Sat 8:30pm Sun 3pm at 14th St Y. $25 to $35.
11. ART/TECH: Sat 6/1 & Sun 6/2 through 7/31 – New York Electronic Art Festival. A summer series of concerts, workshops, and exhibits centered on the cutting-edge work at the intersection of art and technology. FREE
12. DESIGN: All weekend & through 8/16 – Toy Chest: a design exhibit of furniture and objects inspired by toys. A Lincoln Logs chair, a Banana Split Bench… Jellio Design Lab. Noon to 5pm. FREE
13. MUSIC: All weekend – NYC POP Fest: Music festival various bands and venues. $10 to $20
14. COMEDY/MUSIC: All weekend – NYC Funny Songs Fest. Professional entertainers whose acts consist of jokes, songs and/or satirical sketches intended to make an audience laugh, which also incorporate the use of a musical instrument. FREE to $12. See schedule.
15. FOOD/FASHION: Sun 6/2 – DayLife – 3-block special event that covers Orchard Street in astroturf and pushcarts, and includes the best in LES food and fashion vendors. FREE
16. ART/MUSIC: All weekend & through 6/16: 88 Sing for Hope Pianos as public art pieces all over town. Play one or listen to others play. Sat & Sun only you can request a tune via twitter to Stanley the player piano at Chobani in Soho.
17.  FILM: Fri 5/31 & Sat 6/1 – Rooftop Films. “Trapped” (Short Films) on Fri and “The Dirties” on Sat. 8pm. $13.
18. DESIGN/TECH/CLASS: Sun 6/2 – Make Your Own MakerBot 3D object. They’ll have a selection of Dad-themed objects for you to make on a MakerBot® Replicator 2® Desktop 3D Printers, all made with MakerBot PLA Filament. Participation is $10, pre-paid upon registration.

MORE…
ART/PERFORMANCE: Sun 6/2 – Attend a live performance by Liu Bolin and witness the creation of a new photograph in his Hiding in New York series. 4pm to 6pm at Eli Klein Gallery, 462 West Broadway. FREE.

by - 0 comments

SpY: Humorous Street Art Interventions

SpY, street art from Spain, humorous interventions with an edge, for security reasonsSpY, street art from Spain, humorous interventions with an edge, for security reasonsSpY, street art from Spain, humorous interventions with an edge, for security reasonsClick to enlarge

Spanish street artist SpY from Madrid creates interventions with a humorous surprise twist many of which include a cutting social and/or political edge. In his series For Security Reasons, SpY installed security cameras in the most unlikely places: pointing at a pile of bricks or garbage or even straight up at the sky. Other, less subversive, interventions include replacing the handset on a payphone with a banana, adding a multitude of diagonal lines to a tennis court, and painting a skate ramp to look like a soccer field. I would imagine he enjoys himself as much as anyone that comes across his work.

via katowice street art fest

by - 0 comments

Lichtenstein/Barneys Collaboration

Roy Lichtenstein, Pop art in the Windows at Barneys NY. Collaboration of Lichtenstein and product design available at Barneys. Fun window displaysRoy Lichtenstein, Pop art in the Windows at Barneys NY. Collaboration of Lichtenstein and product design available at Barneys. Fun window displaysRoy Lichtenstein, Pop art in the Windows at Barneys NY. Collaboration of Lichtenstein and product design available at Barneys. Fun window displaysClick to enlarge

Attention Roy Lichtenstein fans! The Pop Artist’s estate has collaborated with Barneys New York and the Art Production Fund creating a limited edition collection of home goods with some of the artist’s iconic images from the 60s and 70s. From beach balls to trays and tableware, paper cups and bags, it’s sure to please even the Lichtenstein-ignorant. What caught my eye, however, were the store’s windows when passing by a few nights ago. Oversized reproductions of the items hang colorfully behind the glass, as if Lichtenstein’s painting have come to life. Watch the video below if you’d like to see the installation process; an art in itself.

Definitely on the pricey side, but 25% of all the sales of the collection benefit the Art Production Fund which supports public art projects, so there’s that.

Photos courtesy of The Art Production Fund.
by - 0 comments

Clemens Behr: Sculptural Street Art

Clemens Behr, German street art, 3d street art, sculptural street art and graffiti art. Cool art.Clemens Behr, German street art, 3d street art, sculptural street art and graffiti art. Cool art.Clemens Behr, German street art, 3d street art, sculptural street art and graffiti art. Cool art.Click to enlarge

German street artist Clemens Behr “scours cities and sites for spots to build installations” much in the way other street artists look for walls to spray on. Behr’s origami-like structures are made with simple recycled materials, converted into geometric forms. Though some of his work is in the form of murals, most of Behr’s interventions are 3D sculptural objects, in many cases mural-like, emanating from walls or corners. It’s always fun to see artists push a genre in a different direction.

You can see more of Clemens Behr’s installations on his site and his blog.

via idn

by - 0 comments

Atelier Ted Noten: Provocative Design

Ted Noten, Dutch Design, Jewelry and Accessories with an edge, provocative.Ted Noten, Dutch Design, Jewelry and Accessories with an edge, provocative.Ted Noten, Dutch Design, Jewelry and Accessories with an edge, provocative.Click to enlarge

Like them or not, it was hard to ignore Atelier Ted Noten’s designs at the Collective Design Fair a couple of weeks ago here in NYC. Placed on a light table, these provocative accessories and jewelry pieces by the Dutch designer—such as the leaping rat in an acrylic case, a goldplated firing pistol within a fur-topped acrylic purse, and his Fashionista Golden Girl necklace made up of a bunch of high-heeled shoes—glowed within the dimly lit pier. What does it all mean? I’m not sure it means to do much more than grab your attention and at once intrigue and repel, but I leave the analyzing to you.

Ted Noten expanded from jewelry and accessories to interior design and installations in 2011 when he formed Atelier Ted Noten. You can see much more of their work here and a video of his controversial “7 Necessities” project below.

Photos: collabcubed & bottom three courtesy of Ted Noten.
by - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 5/24

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/24/13 to 5/27/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.

Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/24/13 to 5/27/13)
Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/24/13 to 5/27/13). It’s Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer! Usually a quiet weekend in NYC and perfect for strolling around and enjoying a slower pace.
1. ART: Fri 5/24: Chuck Close Photo Maquettes. FREE
2. ART/TECH/PARTICIPATORY: All weekend – Karen Finley’s Sext Me if You Can – an interactive performance installation, limited edition of paintings inspired by “sexts” that she receives from participating patrons. 3 to 6pm. FREE
3. ART/PHOTOGRAPHY: All weekend & through 9/8 – ICP Triennial: A Different Kind of Order – focuses on artworks created in our current moment of widespread economic, social, and political instability. Includes 28 international artists who employ photography, film, video, and interactive media, many of which have been featured on this very blog (Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Sohei Nishino, Walid Raad, Subotzky/Waterhouse, to name a few). FREE Fridays 5 to 8pm. Other times $14
4. FOOD/DRINK: All weekend – Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club at South Street Seaport right on the water with views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
5. ART: Fri 5/24 & Sat 5/25 – Volumes for Sound by Melissa Dubbin & Aaron S. Davidson. New works influenced by the geometries of sound. Funneling, folding and porting sound requires physical structures.
6. MUSIC: Fri 5/24 – David Grubbs celebrates the release of his recent collection of songs and forthcoming 75 Dollar Bill. 8pm FREE
7. ART/VIDEO: All weekend – Ende Tymes Novo Apocalyspe. A festival of noise, video, art, and experimental liberation at The Silent Barn. all events – $15/night, $35/weekend.
8. ART/MUSIC/FUN: All weekend – Opening weekend on Governor’s Island with music, performances, LMCC’s Open Studios, biking. Varying activities from 11 to 5pm. FREE.
9. MUSIC/ART: All weekend – Brian Eno: 77 Million Paintings. A constantly evolving sound and image-scape. Brian Eno brings his acclaimed audio-visual installation to the former location of Café Rouge. A generative work – making itself as you watch it – which explores a vast set of permutations of visual and sonic elements made by Eno. $5 suggested donation. 145 W. 32nd St.
10. THEATER/PUPPETS: All weekend – Labapalooza Festival of New Puppet Theater from the Lab. Times vary. $20 to $25
11. ARCHITECTURE/TOUR: Sat 5/25 – West Side Story: The Evolution of Lincoln Center from its origins as a Robert Moses urban renewal project up to its reimagining by Diller Scofidio and Renfro. AIANY Tours 10am to 11:30am $15 to $25.
12. ART: All weekend – Ellsworth Kelly’s Chatham Series at MoMA. FREE Fridays from 4 to 8pm.
13. FOOD/DRINK/FILM: All weekend – See/Change at South Street Seaport, an initiative to get people back to the Sandy-stricken area. Smorgasbar, Front Row Cinema, performances and more. This weekend is a preview of what’s to come the rest of the summer. FREE
14. TRANSPORTATION/FUN: Mon 5/27 (Memorial Day) – Citibike! Preview Week begins for Annual Members
15. MUSIC: Sat 5/27 – Mon 5/27 – NY Philharmonic Memorial Day Concert at St. John the Divine. 8pm. FREE
MORE…
All weekend: Beaches! It’s the start of the beach season and there are plenty of nice beaches just a subway or train ride away. We’re partial to the Rockaways though it’s still boardwalk-less post-Sandy and there may be a shuttle bus involved along with the subway for now, but Coney Island, Brighton, Long Beach, Sandy Hook, and Jones Beach are other options. $5 to $16 (transportation).
All weekend in Art: Ugo Rondinone’s installation Human Nature at Rockefeller Center. FREE
TV/FILM: Arrested Development Screening Marathon. 12:30 to 6pm. $8 to $10.
FILM/FUN: Fri 5/24 & Sat 5/25 – Rooftop Films. 8pm. Fri “Love Hurts”; Sat “The Kings of Summer”. $13.
Plus ongoing – Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. Hester Street Fair on the LES. Last weekend for Madison Square Eats.
by - 0 comments

Somos Luz: Boamistura

Boamistura, Panama City, Somos Luz, We are Light, Street Art, CommunityBoamistura, Panama City, Somos Luz, We are Light, Street Art, CommunityBoamistura, Panama City, Somos Luz, We are Light, Street Art, CommunityClick to enlarge

The folks of Boamistura (previously here & here) were at it again, doing what they do so well: fostering pride and community in impoverished neighborhoods with their street art interventions. Their latest participatory urban art project Somos Luz (We are Light) took place this past March in Panama City. Invited by the Panama Art Biennial and as part of their own Crossroads project, Boamistura enlisted the help of the inhabitants of the Begonia I building in El Chorrillo to paint the phrase “Somos Luz” on the façade of their building. Each apartment (50 total) was responsible for painting their own home including corridors and stairways. The concept was based on a color grid that, when seen from up close, looks like abstract shapes but, from a distance, spells out their proud bright message. It’s win-win all around. The building got a much needed coat of paint (see ‘before’ in third photo down from top.) The community, down to the young children, were included in the project. And a sense of well-deserved pride was instilled in all who live in the Begonia I building. Nice work as usual Boamistura!

by - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 5/17

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/17/13 to 5/19/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend. art, Design, Music, Film, theater, architecture and general fun.

Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/17/13 to 5/19/13)
Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/17/13 to 5/19/13) Walks, talks, music, art, architecture, theater, film,
1. ART/FILM/VIDEO: All weekend & through 5/25 Video_dumbo at Eyebeam.  8th annual festival & exhibition of contemporary moving image artwork, will include fourteen video screening programs, alongside eight installation works under the title Re-Return to Sender. Individual screenings $5; day pass $10 (access to all screenings in one day);  festival pass $20 (access to all festival screenings); Exhibition entrance is free. See schedule.
2. MUSIC/FOOD: Fri 5/17 – Great GoogaMooga Kickoff Concert featuring Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Flaming Lips & The Darkness with 85 Food Makers, Brews and Wines. Prospect Park 4pm to 10pm. $54.50 (Not exactly cheap but ticket also includes admission to either Sat or Sun entry to the festival)
3. TALK/MUSIC: Fri 5/17 – An evening with Fab 5 Freddy. 7pm FREE
4. FILM: All weekend – 3rd Annual Art of Brooklyn Film Festival $10 ($50 all-access pass)
5. THEATER: All weekend & through 6/3 – Colin Quinn’s Unconstituional, a unique comedic perspective on our national character. Use code BSTCQU for $35 tkts except Sat@8pm shows.
6. TALK/ART: Fri 5/17 – Suhail Malik presents the next installment of “On the Necessity of Art’s Exit from Contemporary Art. 7pm $5 at Artists Space Books & Talks
7. BOOKS/READINGS/FUN: Sat 5/18 – Lit Crawl NYC Brooklyn. A night of readings, sing-alongs, impromptu writing exercises, and games at various locations around Smith Street  See schedule for locations and “phases” 5pm on. FREE.
8. DESIGN: All weekend & through 5/20 – Wanted Design in The Tunnel: a lively, interactive destination for the design industry and its devotees. $15 online $25 at door.
9. ARCHITECTURE/WALK: Sat 5/18 – Modern Architecture in the West Village and Meatpacking District. 10:30am to 12:30pm. $15 to $25.
10. ART/WALK/ARCHITECTURE: All weekend & through 7/20 – Carol Bove’s seven large-scale sculptures at the Rail Yards Section of the High Line, the third and final section. Advance reservations required for walks. FREE
11. PERFORMANCE/MUSIC/FOOD: All weekend – The 37th Annual Ukrainian Festival. Three days of festivities on East 7th Street plus over 18,000 pierogi! Starting Fri at 6:30pm. FREE
12. ART: All weekend & through 9/2 – EXPO 1: New York at MoMAPS1 with works/installations by Adrian Villar Rojas, Olafur Eliasson, Meg Webster and more. $10
13. MUSIC: Sat 5/18 – Earthman Experience: Haitian-born vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Richard “Earthman” Laurent presides over this nine-piece fun ensemble. Fela Kuti-inspired Afrobeat meets tribal house jams. 9pm at BAMCafe. FREE
14. ART/DESIGN/TECHNOLOGY: All weekend & through 5/24 – Parsons Festival 2013. Several impressive student exhibits on view in Media, Design, Art & more. 2 West 13th St. Mostly 12pm to 6:30pm but check hours for specific events. FREE
15. FILM: Sat 5/18 – Stan Brakhage at Anthology Film Archives. Six of Brakhage’s early films from 1950s. 3:45pm $10
16. ART/CRAFTS/MUSIC: Sun 5/29 – Pop Souk. A one-day pop-up marketplace that brings together DJs, drag queens and other downtown creative folk. Noon to 6pm at the Standard High Line Biergarten. FREE.
17. ART/DESIGN: Sun 5/19 through 5/26 – reMADE Pop-up gallery project featuring work of local artists and designers. Four shows will run two nights each throughout the week of May 19–26.
18. ARCHITECTURE/COMPETITION: All Weekend & through 6/13 – Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition Call for Portfolios: an international architecture competition seeking innovative designs for a new street-level venue to house Van Alen’s work space and public programs.
MORE…
CONFERENCE: Fri 5/17 – Uncubed Meet Founders Learn Skills & Join one of NYC’s exciting StartUps plus a Party! 2pm to 7:30pm. $30
DESIGN: All weekend – Home in the Woods in Soho: featuring work by masters and progressive designers and artists with a Nordic connection. 12pm to 8pm, with daily “talks & delights” between 6pm & 7pm. FREE
ART: All weekend with cocktail party on Sat 5/18 from 9pm to 11:30pm – Gallery R’Pure presents “Off the Grid” featuring new pieces from Brooklyn based French born François Chambard and New York based Frederick McSwain
DESIGN: All weekend and through 5/21: ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) at the Javits Ctr. Open to Trade all weekend. FREE with registration.
MUSIC: All weekend – Look & Listen Festival. Vital new music presented by youthful virtuosos surrounded by contemporary art in a casual setting. FREE
by - 0 comments

Rain Room at MoMA: Random International

rain room at MoMA, X1, immersive installation of rain that doesn't get you wet, cool art, Rain Room at MoMA, X1, immersive interactive installation with falling water that doesn't get you wet. cool art. Fun in NYC Rain Room at MoMA, X1, immersive interactive installation with falling water that doesn't get you wet. cool art. Fun in NYC Click to enlarge

It’s been a weekend of wall-to-wall art and design here in NYC with art fairs small and large, from Pulse, to Nada, to Collective, to Frieze and, of course, the opening of Rain Room at MoMA, the interactive and immersive installation by rAndom International that first debuted at the Barbican Centre in London last October. I will be featuring some of the highlights, for me, from these events in the next few days but here, for starters, is the amazing Rain Room.

Rain Room is a large-scale environment (in the case of MoMA, it’s a separate entity outside the museum on 54th Street) with a field of pouring rain whose flow is suspended detecting the presence of bodies, allowing visitors to wander around the room amidst the beautifully highlighted drops, without getting wet. Injection moulded tiles, solenoid valves, pressure regulators, 3D tracking cameras, custom software and steel beams are involved in the production of the installation. Definitely fun and cool, making for some stunning photographs (better ones if you opt for camera over phone) and lots of kids running fast trying (and mostly succeeding) to get wet.

But, as with all fun and cool NYC activities, there are long lines. If you’re a museum member the wait is slightly shorter, but even early on the first day, while there were probably many still unaware of the exhibit, the wait was about an hour and a half. So, go prepared and avoid peak hours. There are early morning members-only hours from 9:30 to 10:30am but getting there by 9am is likely to be a good idea.

Rain Room is part of EXPO 1: New York and will be on view through July 28, 2013.

Photos: Joe Holmes; rAndom International; and collabcubed
by - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 5/10

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekendFree and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend 5/10/13 to 5/12/13. Cool things to do in NYC this weekend

Free& Cheap things to do 5/10/13 to 5/12/13
Free & Cheap things to do in NYC this weekend (5/10/13 to 5/12/13). It’s an especially good weekend for fans of art and design…
1. DESIGN/ART: Fri 5/10 & Sat 5/11 – Collective Design Fair at Pier 57 – will present a cohesive, curated selection of contemporary design and historical pieces from galleries around the world. $25 Fri 11am to 9pm; Sat 11am to 5pm. Register in advance.
2. ART:  All weekend & through 9/2 – Subliming Vessel: The Drawings of Matthew Barney $15. Also Fri 5/10 Film No Restraint by Barney at 7pm. Morgan Library. FREE Friday Evenings.
3. ART/DESIGN:  All weekend – PULSE NY at the Metropolitan Pavilion.  11am to 8pm $20 to $25
4. MUSIC: Fri 5/10 & Sat 5/11 – Downtown Music Festival  Full day passes between $25 and $45
5. DESIGN/ARCHITECTURE/TALKS/ART:  All weekend & through 5/21 – NYCxDESIGN inaugural citywide event to showcase and promote design of all disciplines. Events will be staged across all five boroughs,from convention facilities and galleries to design schools and public parks. Most events FREE
6. ART: All weekend – NADA NYC: creatively reinventing the experience and presentation of art in a fair enviornment. at Basketball City at Pier 36 on the East River. See hours FREE.
7. FILM/COMEDY:  Fri 5/10 –Kevin Geeks Out about Rip-Off Cinema. Comedy-variety show hosted by Kevin Maher. Vintage clips and videos, games and curiosities. 8pm $10
8. DESIGN/ART: All weekend  – Brooklyn Designs annual exhibit of local designers work in furnishings, lighting, and accessories made or designed in Brooklyn.  Fri open to Trade. Sat 10 to 7pm, Sun 11am to 6pm. $15 to $20.
9. DESIGN CONFERENCE: Sat 5/11 – Counter/Point: the 2013 D-Crit Conference. 12:30 to 7pm. at SVA theater. FREE with Registration
10. ARCHITECTURE WALK/TOUR:  Sat 5/11 – AIA Roosevelt Island: 1970s “New Town In Town” to FDR Four Freedoms 11am to 1pm $15 to $25
11. ARCHITECTURE/TALK: Fri 5/10 – Diller Scofidio in conversation with Dimendberg Vidler and Polan about Lincoln Ctr., 6 to 8pm. FREE with RSVP
12. ART/PARTICIPATORY: Sun 5/12 through 7/28 – The very cool installation that doesn’t get you wet: The Rain Room opens at MoMA $25 admission. FREE Friday evenings and first 100 visitors on Tuesdays in May.