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02 Jun 16:06

R_88   rrrrrrrroll×Gucci http://on.gucci.com/bamboowebexclusive4

02 Jun 16:06

rrrrrrrroll-for-ropepicnic: Ropé Picnic 2013 AUTUMN &...

02 Jun 16:06

rrrrrrrroll-for-ropepicnic: Ropé Picnic 2013 AUTUMN &...

03 Feb 00:16

Cath Campbell



Cath Campbell

03 Feb 00:14

Live visuals from Tycho’s “Montana”

by Bobby Solomon

Tycho - Awake - Vinyl

Electronic musician and graphic designer Tycho is well known for his chilled out music but his incorporation of live visuals in his shows. To get fans excited about the release of his upcoming album Awake he’s released a video of visuals to the second single from the album called “Montana”.

The visuals are a mixture of strong graphic elements, super Swiss-ed out, paired with smoky, inky washes of color rolling around inside them. Sit back, set the video below to full screen and enjoy.

28 Jan 11:12

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach

by Christopher Jobson

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

Surreal Atmospheric Photography by Martin Vlach surreal black and white

I’m really enjoying these conceptual photographs by Martin Vlach. The artist digitally merges his own photography with elements of nature to create surreal, atmospheric scenes that feel both isolating and mysterious. You can see more on Instagram and Flickr. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

28 Jan 11:05

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long-Exposure Photographs

by Christopher Jobson

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Fruit Battery Solar System, 2014

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Battery with Hanging Apples, 2013

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Limes and Lemons, 2013

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Electricity From a Ring of Apples, 2013

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Vinegar Batteries with Glassware and Shelf, 2013

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Grapefruit and Pomelo Battery, 2013

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Apple Lamp, 2014

Back to Light: Artist Caleb Charland Uses Fruit Batteries to Illuminate Long Exposure Photographs light fruit electricity batteries
Apple Tree with Chandelier, Nettie Fox Farm, Newburgh, Maine 2013

Artist Caleb Charland (previously here and here) just unveiled several new images from his Back to Light series, where the artist uses nails inside fruit connected with copper wire to create functional batteries. Harnessed to a small lightbulb, the current is sufficient enough to provide illumination for long exposure photographs. Effectively, the organic batteries create enough voltage to light their own portrait. Charland says about Back to Light:

My current body of work, Back to Light, expands upon a classic grade school science project, the potato battery. By inserting a galvanized nail into one side of a potato and a copper wire in the other side a small electrical current is generated. The utter simplicity of this electrical phenomenon is endlessly fascinating for me. Many people have had the experience of drawing power from fruit in the classroom, and it never ceases to bring a smile to the face or a thought to the mind. This work speaks to a common curiosity we all have for how the world works as well as a global concern for the future of earth’s energy sources. [...] My hope is that these photographs function as micro utopias by suggesting and illustrating the endless possibilities of alternative and sustainable energy production. The cycle that begins with the light of our closest star implanting organic materials with nutrients and energy, is re-routed in these images, Back to Light, illuminating earth once again.

Charland is currently focusing on his work full-time from a studio in Bangor, Maine, where he created another body of work titled Artifacts of Fire and Wax.

26 Nov 13:39

Françoise Nielly

by zeutcher

Dans le cadre de ST-ART, une foire européenne d’art contemporain qui s’ouvre jusqu’au 25 Novembre, Twentytwo Galerie présente de nouvelles œuvres de l’artiste français Françoise Nielly.

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26 Nov 12:28

Illustrator Romain Trystra creates atmospheric cityscapes in his series ‘Réflexions Faites’

by Philip Kennedy

Romain Trystram

I love this work by Paris-based illustrator Romain Trystram. His digital illustrations show amazing cityscapes drenched in electric color and filled with geometric shapes. The series is called Réflexions Faites (which means loosely “Make Reflections”) and his images involve plenty of light, rain and – naturally enough – reflections. I think they look great!

Romain Trystram

Romain describes the series as visual development for a short and I’d love to see these images take motion. The stylized nature of the work and its 80s neonoir feel make them the perfect candidate for a great little short. Hopefully we’ll get to see more from this project in the future.

For now, make sure to check out the full series on Romain’s Behance page here.

Romain Trystram

Romain Trystram

18 Nov 22:37

Hong Kong Artist Anothermountainman Photo Series

by Charis Poon

anothermountainman-stanleywong-photography-design-1

Anothermountainman (Stanley Wong) is a Hong Kong artist, photographer and designer. He is best known for his redwhiteblue series which are installations, 3D pieces, or posters made out of the common red, white and blue plastic bags people in Hong Kong typically use to hold cargo. Coming from a background in advertising and television, Wong has become known as a fine artist over the past ten years and is now recognized as one of Hong Kong’s best.

anothermountainman-stanleywong-photography-design-2

Wong has all the hallmarks of a successful artist—shows in international galleries, numerous awards and inclusion in museum collections—yet he describes what he does as primarily being about connecting with people. In an interview with Time Out HK he says, “I’m attempting to communicate with the public through the platform of art. I see myself as both a social worker and a missionary; I don’t see myself as an artist.” To further these goals, he is involved in design education, gives guest lectures, and, as a scholar of Buddhism, seeks to share his hope for world harmony. What I think is apparent in his work without any prior knowledge of his motivations is a desire to record compelling aspects of society and to comment on human nature.

anothermountainman-stanleywong-photography-design-3

One of his projects that strikes me as particularly powerful is Lanwei. The first character of “lanwei” means broken and the second means tail. Together they mean unfinished; something that has fallen short of completion; started and couldn’t be brought to an end. It is a personal photography series that documents abandoned residences, offices, theme parks and other half-built projects across Asia. The properties he chose to photograph were not just incomplete architectural structures but came with stories of sudden disruption. Most of the commercial buildings were begun in the 1980′s when Asia hit an economic boom before companies realized that there wasn’t enough money to finish what they’d started. The amusement park in Beijing that features in a large portion of the series was abandoned when the child who it was built for died.

anothermountainman-stanleywong-photography-design-4

Lanwei itself almost became a story of lanwei. Wong had the concept in his head for 5 years before starting it in 2006. He then worked on it infrequently for the next 6 years and completed it in 2012 with a show at Blindspot galleries. He has said that the realization of this project came about shortly before the Chinese government started removing unused property. The evidence of incompletion was about to disappear before he could document its presence.

anothermountainman-stanleywong-photography-design-5

Much of his past work is on his website and is well worth exploring and diving into. Most projects come with a short poetic description written by Wong (originally in Cantonese with English translation). Besides having frequent exhibitions, I like that he also makes time to pursue ideas that interest him outside of his regular work. Wong most recently had an installation called Show Flat 04 at the Singapore Biennale.

02 Nov 16:12

Laid To Rest Stops: Photos of Deserted Buildings By Noel Kerns

by Candace Kita

noelkerns22

These homes, houses, and pit stops will not be seeing any eager trick-or-treaters this Halloween – except perhaps photographer Noel Kerns. Going door-to-door between abandoned shacks in isolated California towns such as Barstow, Yermo and the Salton Sea, Kerns captures peeling, finite facades painted against infinite nighttime skies.

See Also Abandoned America: Neglected Architecture of the Past

While Kerns’ creative premise is simple – photographing dormant structures – his work transcends one-dimensional documentation of modern ghost towns. With the focused, observational style of a portrait, his images study the stark faces and facades of buildings faded by the past, yet quietly awakened by his ethereal illumination. Constructing both visual and psychological impact into deserted windows, frames, and architectural remains, Kerns takes us along a haunt down memory lane – spookily and boo-tifully.

Explore more of Kerns’ surreal images here.

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Via: LAist

 

02 Nov 15:50

Biking Valparaiso's Hills

Biking Valparaiso's Hills
Professional mountain bikers Aaron Chase, Brian Lopes and Chris Van Dine take you on a GoPro trip down Chile's Valparaiso Hills....

Visit Devour to watch this video.
22 Sep 17:30

Phoenix performs “Entertainment” at the Le Chateau de Versailles, filmed by an aerial drone

by Bobby Solomon

Phoenix performs "Entertainment" at the Le Chateau de Versailles, filmed by an aerial drone

I don’t think it can get much better than this. La Blogotheque has upped the ante with this new Takeaway Show featuring Phoenix, performing the song “Entertainment” at the Le Chateau de Versailles, filmed by an aerial drone. Yep. The whole thing is pretty incredible to watch as you get moments of intense grandeur as well as intimate moments with the band. And how great is the electronic drum beat in the song?

22 Sep 17:29

Simon Stålenhag’s Incredible Digital Paintings of a Dystopian Future-Sweden

by Philip Kennedy

Simon Stalenhag - bona

Artist and designer Simon Stålenhag is responsible for these fantastic digital artworks. Beautifully rendered to look like oil paintings, Stålenhag’s images show a strange dystopian society that exists amid a lush Swedish countryside. The contrast between these two elements works perfectly, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen work quite like Stålenhag’s before.

Simon Stalenhag - varselklotet

In an article with Wired, Stålenhag points to being inspired by both conceptual design artists like Ralph McQuarrie and Syd Mead, and traditional Swedish landscape artists such as Gunnar Brusewitz and Lars Jonsson. These are influences that I think are clear to see and when combined the resulting work is just amazing.

Stålenhag’s says that his paintings tell of a dystopian society living in the shadows of a huge government facility. In Stålenhag’s imagined world, the Swedish government have been playing with experimental technology and particle colliders since the ’50s. Everything had been going quite well for a while but – not unlike the Swedish welfare state – the system began to erode. His paintings focus on the lives of the people living in this world, and show the end of an era that was built out of an optimism for the power of technology.

To see more amazing scenes from Stålenhag’s dystopian future-Sweden visit his website here.

Simon Stalenhag -fjarrhandske

Simon Stalenhag -fjarrhandske_detalj1

Simon Stalenhag -fjarrhandske_detalj2

22 Sep 17:27

Thomas Prior Captures Amazing Images of a Mexican Fireworks Fight

by Philip Kennedy

Thomas Prior - Tultepec

As beautiful as they are terrifying, these images by photographer Thomas Prior show an amazing fireworks fight taking place on the streets of Tultepec in Mexico. The city is famous for its fireworks, and every year on March 8th, the people of the city take to the streets to celebrate their famous export in the most spectacular of fashion.

Thomas Prior - Tultepec

Prior is a New York based photographer who works on both commercial and non-commercial projects. In the past he has worked with clients ranging from Vogue and Men’s Journal, to Bloomberg Businessweek and ESPN. You can view more of his work on his website here, or view more pictures from his Tultepec series here.

Thomas Prior - Tultepec

Thomas Prior - Tultepec

Thomas Prior - Tultepec

22 Sep 17:23

The Bloomberg Years: Reshaping New York

by Karissa Rosenfield

Since Mayor Bloomberg took office in 2001, the fabric of New York City has been in constant flux. In just 12 years, Bloomberg has lead an effort to rezone 37 percent of the city to create opportunities for high-density growth, as well as aided the construction 40,000 new buildings and 450 miles of bike lanes. Putting these efforts in perspective, the New York Times has released the interactive feature “Reshaping New York” that compares statistics with drastic ‘before and after’ comparisons. Check it out and read our report on Bloomberg’s lasting affect on the Empire State here.

22 Sep 17:21

“The Owls Of Europe” Art Print by Jens Robbers

by admin

I am in love with this art print form Jens Robbers and rikiki. “The Owls Of Europe” is a 19″ x 25″ glow in the dark screenprint, has an edition of 200, and costs €50. Visit rikiki.

Jens Robbers

Jens Robbers

22 Sep 17:19

Oskar David Mannov Olesen.



Oskar David Mannov Olesen.

01 Sep 22:57

TED: Shigeru Ban: Emergency shelters made from paper - Shigeru Ban (2013)

by TEDTalks
Long before sustainability became a buzzword, architect Shigeru Ban had begun his experiments with ecologically-sound building materials such as cardboard tubes and paper. His remarkable structures are often intended as temporary housing, designed to help the dispossessed in disaster-struck nations such as Haiti, Rwanda or Japan. Yet equally often the buildings remain a beloved part of the landscape long after they have served their intended purpose. (Filmed at TEDxTokyo.)
01 Sep 22:51

Pressy: the one-button Android controller so cool it was Kickstarted in under a day

by Timothy J. Seppala

DNP Pressy the onebutton Android controller so cool it was Kickstarted in under a day

If Kickstarter had a 24-hour funders club, Pebble and the Bolex Camera would be welcoming Pressy today. In under a day, the multifunction Android controller has more than doubled its $40,000 goal (raising $108,435 from 4,889 backers as of this writing) and with 45 days left to go, the numbers keep climbing. Perhaps its simplicity is what's making it such a hit. Pressy plugs into any Android device's headphone port (Gingerbread and above), and clicking its unobtrusive 0.7mm-tall button controls and automates any manner of your gizmo's functions. Through its app you can assign a given task to a sequence of clicks; it's up to you if it takes two short clicks to speed-dial your mom or one long press to snap an unobtrusive picture, for example. You can still use it if you have a pair of headphones in too, with the cans' play button subbing in for control. Clever.

Unlike other Kickstarters, this isn't some far-off prospect: Developer Nimrod Back has promised Pressy will be available within four months. A basic Pressy will set you back $17, for a choice of colors with a keychain storage sheath you'll have to pony up $25. Oh, and if you fancy yourself a programmer and want the device's API, then drop $1,000 and make that tier's one other pledge less lonely.

[Thanks, Yaniv]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Source: Kickstarter

01 Sep 22:48

INDEX Award winner: Smart Highway

by Lloyd Alter
Who needs smart cars? Daan Roosegaard's smart highway does the work for everybody, winning the Sustainable Transportation category.
01 Sep 22:47

INDEX Award winner: Copenhagen's Climate Action Plan

by Lloyd Alter
The home of the INDEX design awards wins a prize. Coincidence? Not.
25 Aug 16:46

Solar Energy: Power-Packed Facts

by w3webhelp

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, using photovoltaics (PV), and concentrated solar power (CSP). In layman’s terms? Solar power is energy that comes from the sun! Solar energy is comprised of radiant light and heat from the sun, and has been harnessed by humans since ancient times via ever-evolving methodologies. There are various methods of solar energy conservation, including solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture. According to Wikipedia, “[these] methods can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems the world now faces.”
25 Aug 16:45

Ever Wonder about Water Scarcity?

by w3webhelp

We all know the importance of water, but not many of us know how scarce it has become. While water may cover 70 percent of our planet, freshwater (what humans need in order to survive) is extremely rare.How rare? According to the World Wildlife Fund, “only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.”
25 Aug 16:45

London Rat Race

by AimeeNatives

This is a visualisation of City of London government data on commuting patterns. Line thickness indicates the number of commuters and colour denotes direction.
25 Aug 16:42

Flowing Generation

by Matthew Lyons

Illustrations in Google Think Quarterly put together by The Church of London.

Dreg dreg only dregs left on mine RSS feeds,
I waft the soggy mud with seeds,
Plant grow up the fiddily trellis,
The drab drab building behind it I will diss,
One time I said stuff to the lady,
I said I wasn’t a shift man who is shady,
She says I am very weak man,
Who needs to peel skin off grapes to run indigestion ban,
I said “how are you” so your contacts we now share,
I become friends by eating medieval dog food for the dare,
Wasted time these are stagnant contacts with no deals,
Futuristic poetry for everyone alone reading tutorials.
——————————————————–
Intel Celeron 1ghz | 3Dfx Voodoo II | 10 USB sockets

25 Aug 16:41

Pure

by Matthew Lyons

Illustration for The New York Times Book Review of Pure by Julianna Baggott.

Dystopian cheese flavouring crisps finger man has been busy dabbing the rocks. He is walking over to finish the rocks on the right mountain.

19 Aug 17:20

BICYCLE

by Copain
19 Aug 17:18

Spraypainted Street Art by DALeast Looks Like Three Dimensional Shards of Metal

by Paul Caridad

1 Street Art by DALeast

When he was just three years old, Chinese artist DALeast prophetically told his mother that he would be an artist and travel around the world one day. Now 29, DALeast, who keeps his real identity anonymous, is doing just that. His murals have a very unique style- although they are spray painted on, they look like three dimensional sculptures made of thousands of metallic splinters, that explode at points of impact. DALeast has created gigantic images of wildlife, but also humans- like astronauts and scuba divers- and even a car crashing into a pipe. He has travelled all over the world and created murals in his hometown of Wuhan in China, Cape Town, Miami, New York and London. He imagines each piece in his head before he brings it to life on the wall.

See Also Street Artist Works With Nemesis to Tell His Story

When he’s not traveling with his wife Faith47 (also a street artist), which is usually six months out of the year, they live and work in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2008, just before the Beijing Olympics, he and his crew were mistaken for terrorists and arrested. Though he went to the Fine Art Institute in Wuhan for sculpture, he dropped out a year before completing his program because he “was disillusioned by the conservative mind sets and teaching methods.” Learn more about DALeast in his interview with ArrestedMotion. You can also see more of his work and pictures of his travels on his website.

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Via: amusingplanet.com and arrestedmotion.com

05 Aug 02:03

¡Han pagado 34 millones de euros por un cuadro abstracto!

by Pedro Torrijos

… y otras obras de arte que podría hacer mi sobrino de siete años

Barnett Newman. Onement VI (1953)

Barnett Newman. Onement VI (1953).

(English version)

¿Qué les parece esta cosa que hay aquí encima? Una chorrada, ¿no es cierto? Pues se van a indignar cuando sepan que el pasado 14 de mayo alguien pagó por ella la bonita cifra de 34 millones de euros. Ojo, que en la Sotheby’s de Nueva York la describían ni más ni menos como «un portal hacia lo sublime». Vamos no me jodas, si es un cuadrado azul oscuro con una raya azul claro en el medio. Esta gente del arte contemporáneo vive engañada, está claro. A ver, si es que ese cuadro lo podría pintar un niño pequeño, ¿verdad?

No.

No lo podría hacer ni un niño pequeño ni ustedes. Ni siquiera un pintor competente sin antes haber pasado por el proceso de investigación creativo que desembocó en este cuadro concreto. Como mucho, podría copiarlo.

Es curioso, pero solemos sentir una profunda irritación cuando conocemos las cantidades por las que se venden algunas obras de arte. Y ahí reside uno de los principales problemas: equiparar el valor o la importancia de un objeto artístico a su precio de mercado es una aberración intelectual y una equivocación en la base del planteamiento, porque los criterios que rigen el mercado del arte son distintos a los de la propia calidad artística. De hecho, a menudo son completamente independientes y se mueven por factores más próximos a los de la especulación inmobiliaria o bursátil.

Además, esa misma indignación que sentimos no parece ser tan fuerte cuando sabemos, por ejemplo, que la compra de Cristiano Ronaldo ascendió a 96 millones de euros. Seguramente me dirán que Ronaldo es una persona especial, un futbolista único; que lanza knuckleballs con los pies, que corre como un velocista y que posee una técnica portentosa. En definitiva, que hace cosas que no podrían hacer ustedes ni posiblemente el resto de los mortales.

Bien, déjenme que les ponga otro ejemplo al respecto:

Fácil de copiar, imposible de hacer. Guti, con un sencillísimo taconazo, convierte un uno contra uno en un uno contra cero. Hace algo que nadie ha hecho antes, algo que nadie se ha atrevido siquiera a pensar antes. Empuja los límites del fútbol, empuja los bordes de su mundo.

Con un sencillísimo taconazo.

Porque de eso precisamente va toda esta cosa del arte, de empujar los bordes del mundo. Y no será porque el arte no tenga mil y una definiciones: la de Tomás de Aquino («El arte es el recto ordenamiento de la razón»), la de Adolf Loos («el arte es la libertad del genio»), o la de Jean Dubuffet («el arte es la novedad»); pero yo no sé cuál de ellas es la más válida, o si lo son todas. Tampoco sé si elevar algo a la categoría de «arte», efectivamente, lo eleva; esto es, si un objeto artístico es inherentemente mejor que uno mundano. Ni siquiera sé si el arte y la belleza, tan estrechamente unidos a lo largo de los eones de la historia, son dependientes, interdependientes o independientes.

Lo que sí sé es que Donald Kuspit se equivocaba cuando, en El fin del arte dijo que «vivimos en una época superficial y pasiva, resultado de la disolución del arte en la vida». Y también sé que Clement Greenberg, aunque fue abogado de ese fin del arte como motor de la cultura, acertó al afirmar que «Te gusta, eso es todo, sea abstracto o un paisaje. Te gusta. Te golpea. No tienes que leerlo». Y que Arthur Danto tenía razón cuando se negó a aceptar el fin del arte y así tituló su más conocido ensayo: Después del fin del arte.

Quizá yo estoy más de acuerdo con la aproximación objetual de Greenberg que con la de Danto, que, de alguna manera, justificaba la cualidad artística según la definición que le daba el artista como tal; pero, desde luego, me apunto a su visión optimista de la actualidad del arte. Porque sé que hay muchísimas personas que están trabajando en mirar a la realidad, con ojos quirúrgicos y telescópicos, para después ofrecernos una respuesta a ese mundo; sea conceptual, plástica, estética, contestataria o reivindicativa. Y el mundo que nos devuelven es un mundo que no conocíamos antes.

Porque de eso precisamente va toda esta cosa del arte, de empujar los bordes del mundo.

Porque si bien es cierto que necesitamos a todas esas personas que mantienen el mundo en marcha, que revisan la maquinaria y reparan los engranajes; también necesitamos a los motores que nos llevan y nos conducen más allá. A veces con precisión, a veces a ciegas, pero siempre por rutas desconocidas. Porque estos hombres y mujeres que traspasan los límites son los que amplían nuestra realidad, si nos atrevemos a mirar a través de su trabajo. A través de sus telas de gallinero y sus ordenadores y sus piezas de madera y sus bolsas de plástico y sus piedras preciosas y sus cámaras fotográficas. A través de sus ojos. Acercándonos a ellos comprobamos que nos están construyendo una existencia más grande; una existencia mejor. Y que sin ellos empujando en todas direcciones, esa carpa de circo que es el mundo se nos caería encima.

Yo les voy a enseñar algunas obras de artistas que, ahora —en este preciso momento, mientras yo escribo estas líneas y ustedes las leen—, están empujando los bordes del mundo. Del suyo y del mío. Y como confío en ustedes, no voy a entrar en desarrollos sobre el proceso creativo de cada una, o las posibles explicaciones o metáforas que puedan esconder; apenas una breve descripción de ellas y sus creadores, para que así saquen sus propias conclusiones, si las sacan o creen que deben sacarlas. Solo un requisito: les pido que se acerquen con la experiencia —esta vez sí— de un niño pequeño, con la mirada de un bebé que descubre el mundo cada día. Con los ojos limpios y el corazón lleno, no pueden perder.

Time Stack. Matt Molloy. 2012-2013

Time Stack. Matt Molloy 1

Time Stack. Matt Molloy 2

El fotógrafo canadiense Matt Molloy emplea una técnica enormemente sencilla basada en el multidisparo y el conocido efecto time-lapse. Después superpone digitalmente las imágenes tomadas —a menudo más de 100—, capturando así ese efecto de tiempo apilado con el que nombra a esta serie de fotografías. La impresión que generan los objetos inherentemente móviles, congelados en escorzo temporal sobre los paisajes estáticos, es formidable y sobrecogedora.

The Phoenix is closer than it appears. Thilo Frank. 2010

STF_Phoenix_is_closer_001

The Phoenix is closer than it appears. Thilo Frank

Fotos cortesía de Studio Thilo Frank.

Artista alemán afincado en Berlín, Thilo Frank trabaja habitualmente con la luz, el movimiento y sus propiedades combinadas. Para esta instalación construyó una caja de 8 x 4 x 4m enteramente recubierta de espejos tanto en el exterior como en el interior. Por fuera prácticamente no aparece; es un parpadeo, una vibración casi invisible. Por dentro es el infinito. Y aún más, es un infinito que, con los pies colgando del columpio, nos resulta tan inabarcable como inalcanzable.

La instalación estuvo expuesta en el Museo de Arte Moderno KUNSTEN de Dinamarca en 2011, si bien este mismo año ha presentado una obra similar en la Bienal de Sharjah, en los Emiratos Árabes: la Infinity Rock.

Starry Night. Lee Eunyeol. 2012

Starry Night. Lee Eunyeol

¿Qué es eso? ¿Qué son esas luces? ¿Es polvo de hada? ¿Son estrellas caídas? ¿Son innumerables luciérnagas refugiándose del calor del desierto?

Son lámparas de LED y cable de fibra óptica entre las grietas de un lecho fluvial seco. Pero a lo mejor es también todo lo demás y todo lo que es capaz de evocar y que no somos capaces de verbalizar. El fotógrafo surcoreano Lee Eunyeol llamó a esta serie Noche Estrellada y no hizo ninguna de las analogías, algo ingenuas, que yo acabo de hacer. Quizá no las necesite.

Clones. Erdal Inci. 2013.

Erdal_Inci1

galata_tower

Al igual que Matt Molloy, Erdal Inci trabaja con las posibilidades del time-lapse. Sin embargo, el medio que emplea el artista turco es distinto, nuevo y en gran medida inexplorado; el gif animado.

Exacto, la pieza artística es la imagen en movimiento que están viendo. No es un resultado ni un resumen; es, literalmente, lo que es. No sé ustedes, pero yo tengo la abrumadora sensación de estar asistiendo al nacimiento de algo potencialmente colosal, a un universo de posibilidades inagotables, a través de las pupilas curiosas de un creador delicado, pulcro y extremadamente preciso.

Para la serie Clones, Inci funde y yuxtapone decenas de microvídeos en un bucle eterno, transformando situaciones mundanas y lugares conocidos —plazas, parques, carreteras, habitaciones— en espacios hipnóticos y misteriosos.

Obliteration Room. Yayoi Kusama. 2002-2012

Esta vez sí. Esta Habitación Arrasada sí que podría hacerla mi sobrino de siete años, y el de tres, y la de once. Y ustedes o yo. Porque está realizada precisamente por niños de todas las edades, incluso niños de edades adultas. Al menos en parte.

La artista japonesa Yayoi Kusama no concibe esta obra como un objeto terminado, sino como una entidad colaborativa de resultado aparentemente incierto. Por eso considero más interesante mostrarles el vídeo de su proceso que el resultado final. En él podemos ver como la habitación imposiblemente blanca del inicio va transformándose progresivamente en un espacio aún más imposible, si cabe. A los visitantes se les entregaron varias pegatinas de colores, pidiéndoles que las colocaran libremente sobre cualquier punto de la habitación. Cualquiera que deseasen: paredes, suelo, techos, muebles, tazas, cojines. Aunque el vídeo pertenece a la versión que se expuso en la Tate Modern de Londres en 2012, el exordio de la obra se concibió para la Queensland Art Gallery en 2002, y sus visitantes eran exclusivamente niños.

Es curioso que Kusama sea la artista de este artículo con más atención directa a los niños, sobre todo cuando sabemos que la autora de Nagano acaba de cumplir 84 años. Los ojos no conocen de edades, solo saben estar cerrados o abiertos.

One Hundred and Eight. Nils Völker. 2010

Esta obra se compone, efectivamente, de 108 bolsas de plástico conectadas a 108 ventiladores en una matriz de 12 x 9. Una serie de algoritmos informáticos activan estos ventiladores generando una fluctuación y un bamboleo de las bolsas en su proceso de hinchado y deshinchado, dando así vida a una protocriatura alienígena pulmonar y multiforme. Para su descripción, el artista alemán Nils Völker dijo que «no hay detrás ningún mensaje oculto, tan solo pensé que sería bonito». A lo mejor ustedes encuentran alguno.

El propio autor hizo una nueva versión de esta instalación en el que un sistema de sensores activaba los ventiladores en función de la proximidad o el movimiento del espectador. El resultado es algo más intelectual, aunque a mí me parece menos brillante.

Compeshitstem: The New Deal. Phoebe Washburn. 2009

Compeshitstem The New Deal. Phoebe Washburn

Foto cortesía de Stefan Koch.

Por el contrario, la escultora norteamericana Phoebe Washburn siempre dota a sus obras de un profundo contenido moral y sociológico, a menudo aludiendo a la transformación del medio ambiente por la destructiva acción del hombre. Para ello, en sus instalaciones suele emplear objetos cotidianos y frecuentemente de deshecho, que reutiliza con libertad, generando una suerte de ásperas arquitecturas efímeras. Fragmentos de cajas de embalaje, entablados, botellas de plástico, piedras y tubos se agrupan en suelos y paramentos que son a la vez rugosos e intensamente locuaces

Sin embargo, a mí me interesa más el producto artístico final y el proceso físico de su construcción, puesto que las piezas de Washburn se conciben y se levantan ex profeso para el espacio en el que se van a exhibir. Compeshitstem: The New Deal se expuso en una de las salas más interesantes del Kestnergesellschaft de Hanóver, y en este vídeo podemos ver tanto la evolución de su levantamiento como los cambios que generaba la luz al incidir sobre la instalación, a medida que avanzaba el día y el sol.

Scattered Crowd. William Forsythe. 2002-2013

Scattered Crowd. William Forsythe 1

Scattered Crowd. William Forsythe 2

William Forsythe es bailarín y coreógrafo, y entre sus trabajos hay un apartado al que denomina objetos coreográficos. Esta Multitud Dispersa es uno de los más significativos: miles de globos blancos colgados a distintas alturas que pueden —y deben— ser recorridos, tocados y contemplados por entre sus cesuras e intermitencias.

Esta instalación lleva más de diez años recorriendo el mundo, desde galerías de arte hasta estaciones de tren o lobbies de hotel. Las fotografías hacen justicia, sin duda, pero creo que para entender verdaderamente la experiencia se debería acudir a alguno de los lugares donde se presenta. O al menos ver este vídeo que, entre otras cosas, incluye la música que Ekkehard Ehlers compuso especialmente para la obra.

Cloud. Caitlind r.c. Brown y Wayne Garrett. 2012

Cloud. Caitlind r.c. Brown y Wayne Garrett

Foto cortesía de Doug Wong.

Una nube construida con cientos de bombillas. Nuevas y usadas, rotas y en funcionamiento. Y los visitantes tiran de las cuerdas que cuelgan para encenderlas y apagarlas. Para jugar bajo una lluvia divertida e imposible.

Los artistas canadienses Caitlind r.c. Brown y Wayne Garrett estrenaron esta instalación para la «Noche en blanco» de Calgary, pero después han realizado versiones de la misma en Moscú y en el Progress Bar de Chicago, donde sustituyen las cuerdas por unos detectores de presencia que reconocen al visitante que camina, se sienta o toma una cerveza bajo ella.

Unwoven Light. Soo Sunny Park. 2013

Unwoven Light. Soo Sunny Park 1

Unwoven Light. Soo Sunny Park 2

Fotos cortesía de Nash Baker.

Soo Sunny Park siempre ha trabajado con el espacio. Mediante el añadido de objetos y superficies, la escultora surcoreana afincada en Estados Unidos desde niña, explora las posibilidades de transformación del espacio sin necesidad de modificarlo físicamente. Sin necesidad de tocarlo.

En Unwoven Light nos descubre una de las entidades más poderosas a la hora de ejecutar esta alteración espacial. Es la luz, claro. Físicamente, la instalación no es más que malla metálica de la que se usa en las cercas de los gallineros, a la que se cosen pequeñas piezas de metacrilato coloreado y traslúcido. Pero es la luz, son los fotones eléctricos que salieron de los focos de la galería, antes herméticos e impasibles, los que, al atravesar el tamiz multicromo, se criban y se descosen y se disparan en todas direcciones, empujando el espacio, y tal vez el mundo, de manera irreversible.

Ahora acérquense a ellos, no tengan miedo:

Matt Molloy

Thilo Frank

Lee Eunyeol

Erdal Inci

Yayoi Kusama

Nils Völker 

Phoebe Washburn

William Forsythe

Caitlind r.c. Brown y Wayne Garrett

Soo Sunny Park