photo squarespace.com

Nightcrawler essentially looks at the darker side of desire, the shadows of the personal pyramid and what twisted conclusions models of management can bring. To be clear, I see no difference between Nightcrawler and Wolf of Wall Street. The difference between Scorsese and Dan Gilroy is the choice of metaphor and depth. One uses the conventions of the mobster film to portray the criminality present in the financial system, while the other sinks deeper into the damaged psyche of profit-making. With his repetition of TedX mantras of leadership, Louis Bloom often feels like the personification of an internal memo from JP Morgan. The lengths of his rhetoric and the way he cannot abandon this language highlight his traits as a psychopath and are the only genuinely creepy things he does(bar killing people that is). Furthermore, the choice of hair do, words, cars create a distance between him and the emotionally invested world around him. The only clue the movie gives about this is his desire to create a working business from his camerawork.

photo cbsnews1.com

Moving through the narrative, the way Nightcrawler conjures all social relationships is perfectly transparent towards models of economic domination. The business partnership, here shown as the attempted fraternity between two fellow night cameramen, ends in a classic tale of sabotage. The zero sum game has only one winner, and Gylenhaal’s eerily calm character understands this better than Bill Paxton’s character, Joe Loder. His only employee, Ricky, works as a clear reference to the exploitation of young workers for internships in what are ‘career altering’ perspectives, and ‘unique opportunities towards self-advancement’. He will meet his end on tape, recorded by his self-affirmed benevolent employer. Finally, Bloom’s relationship with his boss, the morning news program director is a variation of metaphors on power, from money, to sex, and finally violence.

photo cinemagia.ro

Jake Gylenhaal’s character merely wants to make more money, and he applies himself in a persuasive way towards this goal. This hollowness of spirit, with the human only in charge of his margin projection, is the founding element of his criminality and lack of empathy. His business model never includes sentimentality and is what makes him a killer. This cinematic monster is unique due to this capitalist inclination and might very well spark a new genre of economic thrillers. Given Nightcrawler’s fairly good run at the box office, I see no reason why it shouldn’t.

by Paul Dunca

Paul Dunca is a freelance saboteur looking for a change of pace. He writes reviews and opinion pieces to keep appearances and can be reached at various wishing wells around London.

The post Bored at Movies: Nighcrawler, or how Corporate America Is Out to Get You appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The latest Clint Eastwood has already garnered, only a few weeks into its release, more passionate commentary than all other major Oscar releases put together. Perhaps it is because this year’s ceremony will not feature any women or race milestone, or perhaps movies about quirky hotels or psychotic Hollywood stars turned stage actors are simply not controversial enough to stoke that sort of debate. The other argument is that it is because ‘American Sniper’ is simply too in your face Republican for the internet mainstream to accept. Watch the trailer and see for yourself.

Let’s take a step back and look at the men behind the film, both the creator and the subject. Clint Eastwood was last featured heavily in the media as he appeared at the Republican National Convention, speaking to an empty chair personifying Obama, or Bush, or the war in Afghanistan. No one really knows, but the fact that the old time Hollywood legend chose to lend his image not to the changing forces of the Obama campaign, but rather to the comically evil charade of the Republicans Party made it newsworthy enough to circle the web. Many jokes were made and questions of old age and mental fragility were asked. His next film was the perfect follow up: a biopic about the most prolific sniper in US military history, who served in the Iraq war. Chris Kyle wrote a book about himself, with facts which many have contested and won damages in court against. This is the basis for the movie.

photo cnn.com

American Sniper unashamedly presents the story of the ultimate patriot. The last scene of the film, real footage of Americans across the land waving flags as their hero was buried after being killed by a disturbed fellow veteran, is merely a prologue twisted to the will of the director. The film is essentially built around those images, proving something Grand Torino and Iwo Jima merely strived for: American patriotism, that form of exceptionalism now commonly referred to as ’Murica’ across the globe is real – People who join a war because the ‘terrorist want to steal our freedom’ exist, in overwhelming numbers actually. Marines truly believe they are saving the world from evil and weak-links live just enough to see their freedoms taken away from them. There is nothing profound in this, just the will of a superpower being imposed upon a world. The morality of the decision made by the leaders of the country are not judged at the ultra-local level, where normal citizens of the United States can only react defensively towards any outside threat. This is the space where Chris Kyle and American Sniper reside.

imgur.com

The large swath of criticism for the film comes from folks adamant that the film is bending the truth; that it’s using a cheap form of propaganda not seen since the Nazi regime.

photo genius.com

More-so, the inaccuracies conjure a version of the facts more closely aligned with the paranoid militarist version of Fox News rather than anything veritable. However this morally grounded criticism of the film, so deeply hinged on the viewers’ distaste of the Iraq War misses both the logic of fiction, as well as the reality of the character being portrayed.

However far-fetched it may seem, ‘The Legend’, here portrayed by a fairly impressive Bradley Cooper, is not manufactured propaganda character but a real person. The fact that the real Chris Kyle lied about how much he hated terrorist and how many outlandish things he did to protect America merely prove the film’s point. Undegraded by post-modernism, early twentieth century love of country exists well and true in Texas. Not just that, but every time an enemy comes along, be it a fictionalized child-drilling Islamist radical or not, he will rise to the occasion and prove a model for Hells Angels columns of cycles to form in his memory. That is the American Sniper, and the way Clint Eastwood captures it is brilliant in its awfully specific and manipulative way. Deal with it.

photo imgur.com

by Paul Dunca

Paul Dunca is a freelance saboteur looking for a change of pace. He writes reviews and opinion pieces to keep appearances and can be reached at various wishing wells around London.

The post Bored at Movies: American Sniper and the legitimacy of patriotism appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Chris Gude’s Mambo Cool, is a very personal, poetic and chromatic display of the faces (literally), postures, ramblings, dreams and dancing of the lowest level of the drug industry in Medellín, Columbia, “the black market of the black market”. While mambo and drugs seem to constitute life itself, folding one over the other like the beats of the same song with no end in sight, for Mauro, the protagonist of Hernán Rosselli’s film, drugs and music are a way of life, as natural as hanging out with friends and family and counterfeiting money. The drama here is very subdued, the film’s appeal stems from the mundanity, the technicality and the routine of the character’s illegal activities that are just a party of everyday life, from Rosselli’s (!) take on neorealism. At the opposite side, the homeless heroin addicts of Heaven Knows What (Ben & Joshua Safdie) inhabit an emotional world of extreme drama brought on by a way of life that is now living them, their social and physical survival and integrity – amidst suicide attempts, OD’s, infected wounds, psychiatric wards etc. – not even a result of endurance as in Mambo Cool, but of pure happenstance. The film makes a very interesting use of music, an abrasive blend o electronica and black metal that is entirely non-diegetic but somehow permeates the story both ways: as a resonance of the character’s emotional landscape and also as an enhancer of the audience own receptiveness to what happens in the story. While it is the most fiction like of the three, Heavens Knows What into reality in the flesh of lead character Arielle Holmes who is in fact playing herself based on her own (both lived and written) story.

Another interesting aspect is how these three movies relate to space and to the bigger community inside which the specific subculture develops and the way these specific spaces echo the intensity and drama of their life choices. Mambo Cool is a world in itself closed of from the reality of the bigger city, the background is almost always a small room, a dimly lit bar, the ruins of some forgotten building, and every character we see on screen is connected to that group. The larger community seems to have vanished and the feeling is that the space we see exists in a parallel reality. As a consequence there is no reference for what an alternative, normal, lifestyle could look like. The characters – while they are all non professional actors who are in fact living the mambo cool life – bring no emotional charge to the table, only their own surreal performances. As long as we can’t determine if these performances are scripted real life stories (if not drug induced delusions caught on camera) we are left to read their faces for sorrow, regrets, insanity or any other tragedies our mainstream, not mambo cool mindsets prompt us to look for.

Heaven Knows What presents a very fluid community – homeless people with an addiction to alcohol or drugs or both – that fills up a space organically: the streets of New York, and the occasional burger joint or public library, are claimed as territory through the sonic projection of an otherwise not so threatening visual presence. Their shouting, cursing and arguing create a homogenous and impregnable bubble inside the metropolis: they are autistic to the environment and, strangely enough, the environment seems little troubled by their presence (just to be clear, I’m not talking about the times in which the characters choose to step outside the immediate reality but when they are sober). Spaces are thus unknowingly conquered and abandoned without any meaningful contact between these people and the larger group.

photo filmlinc.com

In Mauro it is the exact opposite: while the protagonist is engaging in a life of crime, there are no real borders between him and the larger community. It is a sign of his social representativity, the tolerance of petty criminal activities inside the community as a means to improve one’s life, and a necessity of the nature of his activity, money laundering. While the owners of the shop and bars where Mauro changes his fake bills will no doubt resort to violence if they found out they had been cheated, those who catch on just say that it’s a fake bill and they can’t excepted (it’s not a coincidence that you never see a policeman or a police car in the film). Because of these strong community ties, Mauro’s rise and downfall are just ordinary life events, and him just another working guy who has lost (t)his opportunity to make it big: he still has his regular job, and his former partners (a young couple expecting a child) eventually forgive him and invite him for family dinners once more.

Andrei Sendrea

The post Mauro, Heaven Knows What and Mambo Cool: Three Films about Addiction Seen at the Viennale 2014 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

It all started quite climactic, with one of the strongest opening shots I’ve seen this year: a catholic priest in a confessional, the little window is drawn open to let in the light and the words of an unknown sinner “I first tasted seamen when I was seven years old”. The priest is given a week to live, his death sentence a punishment for all the bad things other of his kind have done. As with most amazing opening shots, Calvary is bound to disappoint, but only by comparison.

Peter Strickland’s The Duke of Burgundy is a rather shy and funny account of the irksomeness of S&M relationships. Leather bodices and high heels come along with lower back problems and cramped feet, and being tied and locked in a closed space is not so stimulating when your dominatrix lover is a deep sleeper and her snoring is louder than you can whisper the safe word. What is really fascinating is the exquisite rendition of textures and colors that hint to the other side of this love story, the one you don’t see (the recurring scene with the silk pairs of underwear hanging out to dry against the backdrop of the soft blue tiles of the bathroom is a reference point). On some conceptual level, this may well be Strickland’s own pleasure denying game with the audience, not necessarily the absence of any explicit sexuality but the permanent allusions to a more darker side of the game.

52 Tuesdays directed by Sophie Hyde is another film dealing with confusing sexuality, not only for the mainstream audience but also for the characters of the story: a lesbian mother that just started hormonal treatment to become a man, a teenage daughter experimenting with her own sexuality inside a love-friendship triangle with an older couple and their gay brother/ uncle with a small kid of his own. The film is a coming of age drama – for both female leading characters, while the man is obviously trying to never reach that age – but what really sticks with the viewer is the warmth and depth of their relationships and the feeling that this is what a family should be like (no, I’m not being ironic): teenagers being treated like adults and adults that are allowed to behave like teenagers.

Mambo Cool, Heaven Knows What and Mauro are three films built on a combination of drugs, music and deliberate blurring of the fiction/ documentary line, both on screen but also in the filmmaking process. Chris Gude’s stylized depiction of the “black market of the black market” of drug trade in Medellín, uses real life members of that community and surreal, highly staged décors and monologues to render the feeling of the mambo cool life. Arielle Holmes is in fact starring in her own heroin-and-love-on-the-streets-of-NYC biopic in Heaven Knows What, a story she wrote after a chance meeting with directors Ben & Joshua Safdie. For the neorealist slice of life story of Argentinian money counterfeiter Mauro, director Hernán Rosselli first major production investment was a real forger’s printing press (the film’s detailed depiction of the forging process will bring to mind William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A.).

Tommy Lee Jones pulls a premature friedkin in The Homesman and hangs his leading lady half way through the film, which still stands for courageous Hollywood storytelling even if he kills Hillary Swank’s character only to have his own take the lead.
As with every edition, the Austrian Film Museum had it’s own programme within the larger frame of the Viennale, a retrospective of John Ford comprising fifty of his films. I saw The Whole Town Laughed, the funniest film of the festival (Birdman running a distant second), and have this piece of drunken nonsensical wisdom to impart, from the mouth of the main character brilliantly played by Edward G. Robinson: “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” With Sergeant Rutledge I was struck by Ford’s surgical use of humor and the ability to keep the comedic elements from diluting the drama and the higher social and political statement.

Striving for political commentary is something The Terror Live (Byeong-woo Kim) shouldn’t have done. The film starts off with a bang (literally, a bridge blows up) and a news anchor who is contacted by a terrorist and held hostage on live television until his demands are met. For the first half an hour the film lives up to it’s name: a one-man show real time newsroom thriller, brilliantly shot, edited and performed, that has the stakes rising higher and higher with not a moment of respite. As the plot unfolds, the increasing number of dots are getting harder and harder to connect and The Terror Live turns into an action blockbuster with one ridiculous conspiracy running under another, where all the rich people, politicians and television bosses have bribe written on their unsympathetic faces or/and are cynical bastards who don’t mind killing a few people for money, reelection, promotion or rating. To top it all, the finale ties all the loose ends together in a big flashy red bow screaming political ideas wrapped in poorly crafted artistic vehicle.

Loose ends are not a problem for courtroom drama The Blue Room, where Mathieu Amalric delivers a cryptic performance (both as film director and as lead man) that will keep the viewer puzzling over what exactly is he being charged with and who is it that he supposedly killed. Skilfully scripted and edited, the story builds up like a maze through temporally disjointed POV flashbacks and the ongoing investigation. Old pathways are abandoned and new ones emerge, connecting characters, locations, circumstantial evidence, motive, means and opportunity. But when the sentence is delivered, stating that the accused entered the labyrinth at this point, took this route and emerged on this side, the audience is faced with a procedural truth that doesn’t match the map. It is not a matter of right or wrong, but rather that the scales of justice are perfectly balanced. This is no cheap storytelling trick, some important piece of information withheld; the scales are full, the only thing that could tip them would be the accused’s flashback of his crime. But Amalric is not cheating here: either there is no such memory or his protagonist is refusing to remember, both variants equally possible and consistent the storytelling rules that the film has enforced throughout. This wouldn’t have been possible without Amalric’s finely tuned, zero-sum acting. He is in fact, delivering a performance of Schrödinger’s Cat paradox: he’s done it and he hasn’t done it at the same time, we’ll never know, because when the end credits start flowing, he’s still inside the maze.

And so am I, so I’ll just end here, with this image from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, directed by Ana Lily Amirpour: a sailor shirt, black pants and chador twisting in the wind Iranian vampire girl, is rolling on a skateboard through the middle of a dimly lit neo-noir empty street.

Andrei Sendrea

The post Why Viennale is the best film festival appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We have a shortie but goodie selection, with some very nice videos from the likes of Flying Lotus, Lana del Rey or Tycho, stay tuned.

We begin with a new music video from one of the best US’ West Coast electronic producers – none other than Flying Lotus, this is the video for his track Phantasm from the critically acclaimed album “Until the Quiet Comes”, filmed over 2 days in a desert in New Zealand by one-man-studio The Bow, in a surreal, vintage mood featuring strange creatures, light beings, glitches, using stop motion special effects to really complement the calm/psychedelic tune of the music.

Next, a meticulously hand-drawn animation video for Metronomy’s Reservoir, directed by Daniel Brereton:

Sia’s new music video is for Chandalier featuring amazing 11-years-old dancer Maddie Ziegler of Dance Moms, interpreting Ryan Heffington’s mesmerizing choreography, video directed by Sia herself and director Daniel Askill – trying to communicate the song’s theme of childlike abandon. Amazing video this one…

And next, another girl singing, this time we have Lana Del Rey’s West Coast official video, featuring herself spending quality time as a happy girlfriend with her lover on the west coast, hanging out and having fun in a dark noir music video directed by Chris Sweeney and Sophie Muller.

The last of the music video, for Tycho’s heavenly cut track See from his latest LP Awake for label Ghostly – a beautiful music video for a beautiful song – a forest setup with a girl having an adventure, following a number of symbols and almost magical shadowy figures throughout her journey of discovery. The video is directed by the amazing G Munk (Bradley G Munkowitz) – check out his works here: http://www.gmunk.com/

And there you have it, this week’s [short] selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo architype.org

You might not care why the formally known Miami Art Museum renamed itself after a Spanish surname meaning “son of Pero”, but here’s the long story short just in case you do: apparently the museum is named after Jorge Pérez , a 64-year-old Cuban-American billionaire, who back in 2011 gave the museum a 40 million dollars gift – half in cash, half in artworks, and in return, the museum agreed to rename itself after him. Just as the renaming motion passed the board of trustees, four of them quit in protest with the argument that an art museum with a specific donor’s name attached would erode the chances of future gifts from other – perhaps deeper-pocketed–donors. And then some predictable racial drama as Mr. Pérez himself suspected that there may be another issue at play, since Pérez Art Museum Miami, is the first gallery in the US, to bear a Hispanic name. At this time it seems that the dissent has mostly died down, most likely because the museum has managed to raise a lot more million dollars to date…

This is the Swiss firm of Herzog & de Meuron’s third museum in America, after the de Young in San Francisco and the Parrish in Southampton. The design of the museum was intended to deepen the connection between indoor and outdoor space – “The building’s environmental circumstances, the hot climate, the heavy storms, have informed the architectural concept in the very first place,” says Christine Binswanger, partner at Herzog & de Meuron. Taking over from the former Miami Art Museum, PAMM includes 32,000 square feet of galleries as well as education facilities, a shop, waterfront café, and exterior plazas and gardens. The project team also worked closely with landscape architects Arquitectonica Geo to select a range of plant life that could withstand exposure to sun and wind as well as the city’s storm season.

photo arcspace.com

photo artsouthflorida.files.wordpress.com

photo designboom.com

Different modes of display are deployed in a non-linear sequence, allowing visitors to map their own experiences of the Museum’s collection and physical space. The permanent collection galleries are located on the first and second levels but art is displayed throughout the entire building, including the garden and the parking garage. PAMM opened with with a pan-American perspective and the first major international exhibition of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, alongside shows dedicated to artists born in Morocco, Cuba, Poland, Israel, the U.S., and Scotland.

Ai Weiwei installation
photo nellyrodilab.com

photo designboom.com

It seems to me the big buzz was mostly created around the (as some say) spectacular architecture, and not much was left for the actual art collection, but then again PAMM is young and deserves a fair chance… so let’s be on the look out for some spectacular exhibitions as well.

by Alexandra Mateescu

Alexandra Mateescu is a photo-video junkie who left her imaginary super successful forensics career in favor of the University of Arts. She frequently gets mistaken with a 16 year old high school girl so you’ll never catch her without her ID, she has a strong passion for the 80’s, and her kind of art must be funny and a little bit ironic.

http://www.behance.net/alexandra_mateescu

The post PEREZ ART MUSEUM MIAMI : INSIDE OUT appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We have a mixed selection, stay tuned.

Starting with a graffiti video, artist Mike Giant drawing the lyrics of the song on a white wall, this is a Major Lazer collab with Pharrel “Aerosol Can”

Major Lazer – Aerosol Can ft. Pharrell Williams from DavibeJam on Vimeo.

Next, a bit of NSFW (heck! it’s Sunday, deal with it) – Brooke Candy new track “Opulence” directed by none other than famous photographer Steven Klein – lots of dark bling costumes, glitter, jewelry, speed, at glamourous party, starting Candy upfront rappin’ wild

Thomas Azier’s “Verwandlung” – a story of violent lust and dramatic longing for a connection – a bit explicit, but beautiful none the less.

Video by Sander Houtkruijer.

A slowly paced video, sort of a dreamy experience – ocean house, a writer and his muse, almost the setting of an italian drama film. Directed by Danny Sangra, this is Club Kuru’s “All the Days”

Club Kuru: All the Days on Nowness.com

EFDEMIN released “Transducer” with a video shot on Video 8 back in 1990 by Stefan Münster and edited recently by Philllip Sollmann – a deep pressure track, urban footage from Poland, unsettling atmosphere in this one, going back to those early daily after the Iron Curtain fall…

Next, something calm, Lykke Li’s “Gunshot” an acoustic version for H&M Life, a studio video, directed by Bell & Light and Lykke Li herself. A darkish performance, with accent red lights, going really well with the music. Beautiful.

Another live performance video, this time from Atoms for Peace “Before your very eyes” – featuring Thom Yorke & Co. blasting on stage with this energetic performance, you can see why these guys are so special, performing electronic music on real instruments, simply jammin’ together for the crowd, they on another level I guess – wish I could be there myself, oh well…

Part of Atoms For Peace’s Roundhouse shows series, courtesy of soundhalo.com

photo middle8mag.com

http://middle8mag.com/1/before-your-very-eyes

Kasper Bjørke released “Rush” (feat. Tobias Buch), the first single from his upcoming album. Directed by Rasmus Weng Karlsen – a “take it easy” video, an intimate show of two, lusty looks, low lights, a lap dance with a sensual reveal – yeah, you get the idea

David Lynch released some new material, this is “The Big Dream” a collab with Mobi,  featuring Mindy Jones – what can I say, an atmospheric video just like one of Lynch’s movies – a femme fatale performance by Mindy, all blurry, flashing lights, in grainy monochrome. “I wanted the video to look and feel like something that could have been made in Weimar-era Berlin in the 20′s,” said Moby, who also directed the video.

And after Lynch’s gloomy moods, a ‘50s styled video for Tiesto’s “Wasted” – a classic housewives’ tea party gone wild. This one is just for fun to start the weekend!

And there you have it, this week’s selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post SUNDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

by Alexandra Pâzgu

Imagetanz – a dance, coreography and performance festival is taking place yearly at Brut Vienna http://www.brut-wien.at/brutproduktion/aktuell/en/

This year’s festival was curated by Katalin Erdödi and included under the umbrella of Care the the premiere of the ongoing action: „Delicate Instruments Handled With Care”, concept by Alexandra Pirici, with Manuel Pelmuş, Mădălina Dan, Mihai Mihalcea and Alexnadra Pirici, lights and photo documentation by Andrei Dinu.

The performance was presented in the last three days of the festival (20,21,22 March) and was followed by a closing party, where Pirici also performed as a musician with her stage name: Adda Kaleh https://soundcloud.com/ama-diver

Alexandra Pirici and Manuel Pelmuş represented Romania at the 55th edition of the Venice  with the ongoing action “An Immaterial Retrospective of the Venice Biennale”. In 2014 she has been commissioned for a new work for the Public Programm of Manifesta 10.

Alexandra Pirici – “Delicate instruments handled with care”, enactment of Beyonce’s Drunk in Love video

After viewing and participating in the performance, I thought that the best way to vizualise what happened, was to have a written interview with Alexandra Pirici, the one who proposed the concept and coordinated the performance.

Public

Q: On a formal level, we may say that the public is deciding the dramaturgy of the performance by choosing a title/theme that they would like to see. I say formal, but maybe I should better use “conceptual”- implying that the public’s choice is a validation of the reenactment, re-creating the political situation that allows “iconic moments” to exist. How would you define the public’s role in the whole event- on a conceptual and physical level? (To what degree is the public’s participation a physical influence on the act of performing?)

Alexandra: The work was created for the context of Imagetanz festival in brut, Vienna and the curatorial frame had to do with “care” so I was also thinking of how to respond to the frame. The fact that the audience “orders” or chooses what they like to see has layered potentialities, for me. I do want them to feel “cared for” and entertained (I don’t shy away from the word, I find the concept of “counterculture” slightly dated) and I do want us, as performers, to make ourselves available for their requests. It also has to do with a more contemporary dynamic of accessing information, one that is more related to an internet-like dynamic (where you’re more encouraged to search for things) than to the general convention of theatre performance or older media in which you are assigned a more passive role. And of course I also think of this situation as potentially subversive, in regard to the power relations that implicitly arise – how the public understands this contract – and how the situation plays on the public, what is remembered and what not, how expectations get fulfilled or not. On a physical level I also like the fact that we merge with the audience, that things are sometimes very fragile and if you haven’t been following you can’t really tell if that person next to you is actually performing something or is just part of the audience. I also think not so many proposals consider how the given structure of the theatre space constructs a specific subjectivity and encourages you to conform. People are seated all together, the lights go off and that’s it, you have to watch what you are being presented until the end (so you must be seduced into that), if you would actually like to go out it looks like you make a strong statement against the play, you stand up, you bother everybody, you draw attention to yourself. I wanted a frame that would be as open as possible – I tried to reduce the given structure of the theatre space to the minimum, there are no tribunes, people can move as they like and can come and go as they please. And of course, if there is no audience to ask for enactments, the work doesn’t exist.

Q.: Did the public react in the way you expected to your proposals? Did you have any big surprises?

Alexandra: I think people react differently, for some it’s very easy to ask for things, others prefer to observe. Either way, you get something. There was only one person who actually tried to “compose” with the enactments we had to offer and asked for two in a row. I thought this would happen more but since it’s not pointed out that you can do that, maybe you don’t think that you can. We are also trying to work with the situations that arise and make the most out of them so I think it’s nice when some things happen simultaneously and different readings are created in the mix. There was this one moment when someone was performing Bolivian president Evo Morales shining the shoes of someone and another performer was delivering Bill Clinton’s apology to the nation speech – for his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and that was a nice coincidence, for example.

Then thinking of what this kind of dynamic produces and what it can reveal, the audience “ordering” things, there was also this situation during the last night, I enact a Beyonce video, it’s probably one of the most “entertaining” enactments and some people came especially to ask for that. I performed it a few times but then towards the end I refused to perform it anymore and someone got frustrated and asked why can’t they see it if it’s on the list, was it because I was tired? And I said “yes” and I was very tired and felt like I was entitled to say no, especially for that particular enactment. It ended there but I think that’s when it started to get interesting J – just to clarify the context, the work has three hours to be experienced and we programmed it for three days in a row. And we also play with these expectations, some moments can actually deliver, from a “spectacular” point of view, others totally don’t and I like that mix.

Irony

Q.: The proposal of embodying “iconic moments” from the western collective memory is also a claim for a common ground, an agreement, of what is iconic. However, its realization is depending on your own bodies and identities – which rely on subjectivity. I felt that your proposals have been mainly guided by irony. What would you say on this topic? Did you consciously and programmatically use this concept, or is it something that turned out that way?

Alexandra: As a start, we didn’t want to perform iconic moments from western collective memory but indeed, most of the situations belong to the western culture. I was aware of that and I didn’t really try to look for a balance because in a way this is also relevant, the reality of our common, westernized memory, it would have made no sense to try and correct it. Most of the things that came to our minds belonged to the western culture and I think this is beyond critique – it might be more interesting to think of why is that or how western culture had the ability to capture a lot that was non-western. But there are quite a few proposals that are different also and you can spot them on the list.

As for the irony: I think enactment is an implicit ironic commentary, to some extent. In extension to the collaboration with Manuel Pelmus for the Venice biennale, the focus here shifted on performative situations – as the context was also different, the theatre space is dominated by a very different history and function. I was more interested in bringing real-life actions and situations in the theatre context and see how this frames them, what it reveals about them, how it deconstructs them. And irony played an important part, of course, for me, when smartly done, it’s an important critical tool.

Alexandra Pirici, “Delicate Instruments handled with care”, enactment of Osama Bin Laden’s killing”.

Q.: Do you find irony an inspiring concept? What are its flaws and its gains? Do you use it in your practice? If yes,  how? Please give examples.

Alexandra: Yes, I find irony a very inspiring concept. As I said, I think it has a great critical potential when performed intelligently and I do try to use it in my practice. For some moments of the work in brut it might have been too much but I think you also need this shifting between more subtle and more obvious choices.

I am interested in detournement and overidentification, as strategies. The first intervention I did in public space was in 2010, I think, and I proposed an enactment/ embodiment of “Caragialiana”, this horrendous and very expensive figurative statuary group in front of the National Theatre in Bucharest. Public monuments and monumental art seemed to be the only legitimate and supported art form so we claimed to be doing the same thing. And of course, the difference in scale and the gap between the image created by our living bodies trying to mimic the construction and the construction itself produced something interesting, ironic and critical, in my opinion, without being a direct and obvious attack.

The drawbacks are the same as always: our subjective readings of everything. What I find subtle and ironic someone else might find totally boring. We’ll have to live with that – and of course, to try and make things as accessible as we can and to better understand what we produce.

Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmus, “An Immaterial Retrospective of the Venice Biennale, enactment of Joseph Beuys, “Tramstop. A Monument to the Future”

Critical thinking

Q.: A friend asked me in what way is your performance relevant to critical thinking. I answered without hesitation: it is relevant because it transforms the body in a critical tool of questioning the collective imagination. (Do you agree? Why? Why not?); or do you rather link this performance (and your practice, if you want) to a sort of institutional critique that reaffirms the body as a valid subjectivity, a tool of deconstruction?!

Alexandra: I agree with both readings, I am not keen to correct or re-enforce any of them.

Performance Art and political representation

Q.: How far is the project a questioning or a critique of the capitalist society and the commodification of images?

Alexandra: To be totally honest, framing your work as “political” or critical of the capitalist society became such an easy thing to do, like taking shelter under an umbrella that could cover any lack of thought or actual conceptual work. It can be both ineffective and easy to appropriate. The work of the likes of Hans Haacke is very rare, mostly I come across very blunt and dry statements so, depending on the context, I sometimes refrain from emphasizing on this.  But I think I can point out a thread of thought in relation to your question: I have the feeling that you can reclaim reality (of your body) over the simulacra through this conscious enactment of models or images that construct the fabric of our lives, our hyper reality. I think there is some potential there, when you see the human performing the simulation, the imperfection interferes with your projection of what it should be and how you knew it looked like from your mediated experience of that “object”. I think that could be an interesting area of research.

Q: What is your favorite point/scene/theme: why?

Alexandra: I wouldn’t name one – we all brought in material and I think all stuff is interesting from one point of view or another.

Duration

Q.: Are duration and the inherent repetition of specific themes contributing to your idea of how a theme/subject should be performed? I mean, taking into consideration the fact that you will be performing in Bucharest in June, do you consider changing some scenes?

Alexandra: I think some enactments will be different, for the first “free national television broadcast during the Romanian Revolution of 1989” I was translating in real-time to the audience (as the performers were speaking in Romanian) and of course this makes for a different experience but I think both (the mediated/translated one in a foreign country and the un-mediated one in Romania) are valid. As for the repetition: I am looking for potential directions to develop within this practice of enactment, different threads to follow and a better understanding of what it could produce under different circumstances so in that sense I think the work is still in process but also on a more general level, not only referring to this particular piece.

Collaboration

Q.: Is there a way in which you would define your collaboration? What did you discover about each other? What would be worth developing in future projects?

Alexandra: We had a lot of fun. And it was interesting to see what each of us remembered or believed to be relevant, in one way or another, about our experience with “culture” at large. Of course it’s not a comprehensive overview and I would point out a work a like a lot and I would use as a reference – Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s “Suddenly this overview”. I love the low-key and the apparent, misleading “superficiality” of it that made for one of the most amusing yet touching experiences of an artwork.

Inspiration

Q: What would you say is your source of inspiration at the moment? (Perhaps you could name some artists, books, cities, places, words, concepts etc.)

Alexandra: I can’t do that, for everything I name there are so many other names that I forget that it makes it really frustrating afterwards.

Theory in Praxis

Q.: What is the question that would best describe your practice and your interest in art?

Alexandra: I make work for the theatre space more and more rarely and most of the future projects will happen in visual arts contexts. So at the moment, since I’m not so fond of self-precarization and the recent interest (from big visual art institutions) in performance/live art as a mere “event” and cheap advertisement within the economy of attention, the “question of the day” would be: can we work a decent budget? So besides the artistic points, I’m also interested in art as a way to make a living – and talking about that should not make you less interested in your art. This is a common exploitation strategy, I was once told I should work for free if I actually loved what I do. The body is not “cheap” and is not subverting the objected-oriented art market by not getting paid.

Thank you.

Alexandra Pâzgu for Inhalemag  02.04.2014

http://alexandra-pazgu.flavors.me/

http://inhalemag.com/category/contributors/alexandra-pazgu/

The post 10+1 QUESTIONS TO BE HANDLED WITH CARE – INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRA PIRICI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We start with a black and white video of Kill J Bullet directed by Martin Garde Abildgaard, a scandinavian brutally beautiful The-Knife-ish look and style video.

Next, a new video from Dublin duo Lakker, Thermohaline, created by Lakker member Dara Smith – a 5 min plus composition of abstract shapes in shades of grey and white emerging from the clip’s dusty background – to go with the tough electronic beats of the track – to be watched in full screen HD for best quality.

Again, a “digital sculpture” for Sculpture’s Hackle Scam Populator – a crazy geometric array of shapes and motion graphics into a psychedelic and whirring kaleidoscope, to make your eyes spin out of control!

And the last of the “geometric” videos, a low-fi construct of simple shapes animated to vibrate in tune with the new track by Jamie xx Girl – simple is best!

Next, the first in a series of excerpts from project A U R O R A by electronic musician Ben Frost – directed by Trevor Tweeten and Richard Mosse – dark raw visuals explorations, thoughts of a deep space traveler – dreams of a cosmonaut – beauty of space loneliness.

Now it is time for a brilliant mix of classical music AND japanese pop-dancers – Symphony No. 9 Allegro con fuoco by Dvořák part of B-Classic festival that promotes classical music. Directed by Raf Reyntjens with choreography by Ari & Miu (Waveya).

The last video in this selection, another “dance” mix from South Africa featuring a new musical genre “shangaan electro” courtesy of famous Warp Records – I give you Tsekeleke by Nozinja, a producer largely credited with creating the genre. A jubilant, vibrant, funny video to start the weekend

And there you have it, this week’s selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

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by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We start with an eclectic mix of colors in a girlish rap song, by Heartsrevolution, Ride or Die directed & produced by sweetheart Kate Moross.

Then we continue with a glitchy video directed by Kyle Bowman of Strawberryjacuzzi.com (specialized in glitchy-gif clips) for Evy Jane - Closer – a slow tune, running on distorted and scratched footage of Evy herself.

Hiro Murai directed the latest video from Childish Gambino Sweatpants ft. Problem, a crazy video featuring Gambino himself into a deja-vu mood with other selves, ending in a skit slow part into the woods… crazy talent right here!

Sundream is the fourth single from RÜFÜS‘ Gold selling, ARIA and J award nominated debut album ATLAS – directed by Jackson Mullane – it’s a kaleidoscopic video experience:

Then we have Poker an animated delight on this Shugo Tokumaru track – featuring lots of tiny creatures evolving one from the other, over and over again – directed by Mirai Mizue & Yukie Nakauchi of Mirai Film showing amazing character animation skills!

And after this crazy character animation – we have another animated short: Selfie by Andy Martin, a funny “60 second warning about self obsession” created for Pictoplasma’s http://characterselfies.tumblr.com/

Selfie from Andy Martin on Vimeo.

We get back to music with a Romanian video/track by Plurabelle Blood - this stop motion video “follows a young woman as she effervescently goes about her morning routine, despite her boyfriend’s obvious lack of reaction.” to go along with the 3rd track from this romanian music duo (Fierbinţeanu & Alex Bălă) debut LP to be released on Stellar Kinematics:

Also another one, from Romanian experimental/electronic jazzy pop duo Sibyl & Fransoa Burned Forest directed by Gabriel Durlan – a story of city and forest, of calm and aventure, of reality and dreams, of a brief encounter in the street, in a moment, two strangers – him, her and the strange forest in their mind – a “what if” story.

And I end this week’s short selection (Easter holiday coming up next) with an amazing video of Throwing Snow ft. Romanian producer/vocal diva Alexandra Pirici aka Adda Kaleh – The Tempest – showing dancers Femke Luyckx and Medhi Walerski clothed in the garb of ancient goddesses, replicated and spun into a series of entrancing mirages in this outstanding CGI piece by Rick Robin. Marvelous visuals to go with one of the best tracks released lately by London based Ross Tones aka Throwing Snow, a track even featured in the essential mix by Bonobo for BBC Radio 1 series here:

https://soundcloud.com/everybodywantstobethedj/bonobo-essential-mix-2014-04

Throwing Snow feat. Adda Kaleh – The Tempest from Rick Robin on Vimeo.

(see it in full HD!)

And there you have it, this week’s selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

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by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We begin with the latest from Jamie XX “Sleep Sound” with the message “Music is a medium formed by silence and sound.” a film by artist Sofia Mattioli, working with 13 members of the Manchester Deaf centre, who responded to the movement of the artist and the vibrations in the air given off by the song.

Jamie xx: Sleep Sound on Nowness.com

Then we have sweethearts Warpaint with their new dual-video for “Disco//Very – Keep it Healthy” directed by Laban Pheidias – featuring the girls dancing, having fun with a bunch of skaters, during the day and then late in the night.

A disco dancing mood from Hypnolove in “Beyond Paradise” featuring Puro Instinct – a very high-tech-old-egiptean-symbolistico-video, directed by Romain Ficat. This one is kinda NSFW, but a visual delight indeed.

Next, we have one of the hottest creative duos around – The GOASTT band of Sean Lennon and gorgeoux Charlotte Kemp Muhl performing “Animals”, directed by Rich Ragsdale. ”It’s a loving spoof of the Source Family, that infamous ’60s cult of polygamous vegetarian hippies. We shot it on 35 millimeter and were inspired by the surrealist aesthetics of Jowdorowsky and Kenneth Anger.”

The GOASTT – “Animals” Video from stereogum on Vimeo.

In this new video by German house duo Booka Shade, director Ryan Staake takes 8 cameras into the sky, forming a 360 degree panoramic video to visualize the name of the track “Crossing Borders”:

Booka Shade – Crossing Borders from Pomp&Clout on Vimeo.

Another interesting video is the one for “Becoming Harmonious” by The Glitch Mob feat. Metal Mother, directed and produced by Susie Sie, using water, a subwoofer, a Canon 5D and a 100mm macro lens.

The Glitch Mob feat. Metal Mother – Becoming Harmonious (Official Music Video) from Susi Sie on Vimeo.

Next, a sultry video by ADCN – “Siren” directed by Werner Damen in collaboration with Claudia Crobatia featuring the amazing & very sensual slow dance of Molly D’amour

ADCN – Siren from SINCEproductions on Vimeo.

We end this week’s selection with a fresh new cinematic retro-futuristic spin on the classic Pinocchio story, a post modern fairy tale about the limitations of using technology to battle loneliness – “We must be crazy” by Milow, directed by Norman Bates.

Milow – We must be crazy from Norman Bates on Vimeo.

And there you have it, this week’s selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post SATURDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Some of the videos are NSFW, but the selection is beautiful

We start with a short movie, Unbovine yourself, produced by Stink and directed by Ian Ruschel, “the film wants to show the “bovinized” behavior of humanity, with people acting on default mode, following the same trends and rituals, which causes them to lose their individuality and originality.”

Created by Borghi/Lowe for the Creative Club of São Paulo Festival.

Unbovine Yourself from Ian Ruschel on Vimeo.

Next, we have a collab between The End is Near Italian clothing brand and the net based production team Post Religion.

“We used the concept of a fashion film to juxtapose memetic images relating to internet subcultures alongside the fast-food aesthetic of the collection. Designing a framework reality that parodies consumer culture, a world is created in which fast food is celebrated and idolised. In this fantasy world that allures to cyber culture images and hacker database visuals, reality is reflected as the aesthetic playground that is T.E.I.N clothing.” (quote via Dezeen)

And the last short for today, an exploration in sound visualization Invisible Acoustincs.
Light projected through a soap bubble throws patterns generated by the tiny vibrations of a speaker onto the ceiling in this installation by Royal College of Art graduate Dagny Rewera:

Invisible Acoustics from dagny rewera on Vimeo.

After these shorts, we continue with some music videos.

First, The Agency with Midnight Garden directed by Pim Mory and produced by sleepless production house.

MIDNIGHT GARDEN / THE AGENCY from sleepless on Vimeo.

Next, another concept video, Glass Animals Gooey beautiful calm track and a mysterious sensual video, this one looks like a Carioca production

We continue with the latest from Arctic Monkeys, the music video for their track Arabella,
directed by Jake Nava, a black and white shot rock & roll story.

The Portuguese pop indie band The Happy Mess released a new video for their single Backyard Girl. Directed by José Maria Cyrne and João Nunes – a story of two ladies, again shot in black and white, a truly beautiful and emotional video for this track. NSFW as the ladies are kissing each other rather well.

The Happy Mess – Backyard Girl from José Maria Cyrne on Vimeo.

And the last video for this week selection – a gorgeous, sensual, authentic feminine portrait of two girls having a special connection, the video Move On by Garden City Movement, directed by Michael Moshonov and Lael Utnik with help of photographer Mayan Toledano.

“The video was made with love. In today’s progressive world, it’s still hard for people to accept love between the same sex. This clip goes to show exactly that. It also shows that even if a heart’s broken it was still worth feeling love even if it was too short.”

And there you have it, some smooth visuals and fine tunes. Enjoy

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by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We begin this selection with an “oldie” actually, from 2012, Danny, Dakota & the Wishing Well by A Silent Film, a video about getting lost somewhere, but still turning it into an adventure – great cinematography in this one.

Next, the video for Cut & Copy We Are Explorers track, a lo-fi feel, with a lot of technology behind the making of it – the video uses characters all printed using a 3D scanner with a UV reactive filament, meaning they glow in the dark. About 200 different figures were printed and used in the stop motion animation. Directed by Masashi Kawamura, Qanta Shimizu, Aramique Krauthamer, with creative agency Party.

Hey Now is London Grammar‘s new single taken from the latest album If You Wait.
A playful, magical video, going really well with the music. Forest at night, ghostly setting, stop motion animation.

Dmitry Zakharov directed an amazing mechanical 3D animated video for Max Cooper’s Impacts track, all synched to the music.

MaxCooper – Impacts by Dmitry Zakharov from Dmitry Zakharov on Vimeo.

Next, Talos with Tethered Bones. Video written, directed, and edited by Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson of Feel Good Lost, following a domestic story, beautifully shot & edited and with great acting also.

Neneh Cherry is back on the music scene, with a new album – Blank Project and we have her with a new video for Out of The Black debuted on noisey tv, featuring Robyn!
The video created by artist Dario Vigorito AKA 241-24-7, in a crazy cut-copy-paste style.

Then, in the same style, we have a video NSFW, a collab between Mister D and the famous fashion model Anja Rubik! This is the video for Chleb, written & directed by KRZYSZTOF SKONIECZNY of głębokiOFF. The clip is so ridiculous that is actually cool :))

<<We’re not sure how supermodel Anja got involved, but her presence and styling truly takes this intentionally amateur farce into the realm of the sublime. Chleb means bread, and this video feeds it to the masses, peeking in on Polish stereotypes with New Wave Cinema-meets-contemporary “Internet Art” cynicism. America, say hello to the discreet charm of the (Polish) bourgeoisie, and to a realness you’ve never seen before on Rubik.>> writes Natasha Stagg for V Magazine.

And there you have it, this week’s selection of videos for your viewing pleasure.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We start with MOZ a Guatemalan band, who released a video for Oasis, directed by Tony Ung – an L.A. based film maker and the video is about two girl friends having an adventure in the American wastelands, just wanting to escape…

Next, another female duo, the Munich based trip-hop Luko with a video for Good or Bad -  an atmospheric clip starring the two protagonists Leslie-Vanessa Lill & Lena Meckel and being produced by Stef Zins.

Yumi Zouma released The Brae / A Long walk home for parted lovers – a cool hang out and having fun video about 2 girls and 1 boy in a mixed-feelings situation. You know how that goes…Video directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko.

Hundred Waters with a video for Cavity – dark & moody feel, exploring lights & silhouettes in the night – a sort of trippy video – but very well directed for this track by Michael Langan of Langan Films (http://langanfilms.com/)

Next we have Run the Jewels with a self titled mixed media, trap fueled video Run The Jewels directed and animated by one of my favorite motion graphers RUFFMERCY (http://ruffmercy.com/) – This. is. pure. visual. madness!

Our sweetheart Maya Jane Coles released a new video for Comfort – a bio/human/earthly/grainy/eco/video – a bit NSFW as it involves mild nudity, but a very well done video directed by Jonas Lord.

And another wild/nature video for Chiara by Vendredi – directed by duo Matthias JENNY & Koya KAMURA – wild forest, ancient times, an ancient chase of a savage woman for a man, switching roles, becoming a canibal herself… this is the NSFW violent version:

VENDREDI – Chiara (Censored version) from Koya KAMURA on Vimeo.

(Censored version)

A video tribute to Takashi Ishii – a visual delicacy, cut, chopped, mixed from various asian movie clips and edited by Silver Strain for Carpenter Brut – Obituary track. The video contains NSFW parts… BUT IT’S FUCKING AWESOME!

Carpenter Brut – Obituary from Silver Strain on Vimeo.

BANKS, another favorite musician released a new video for Brain – featuring herself over-exposed between darkish motion graphics, produced by David Robertson and directed by Barnaby Roper. A beauty of a video for a great music track.

And after the hugely successful “kissing strangers” FIRST KISS video

we finish this week’s selection with a music video of the same kind – Shura Touch directed by Ammr Khalifa – a chill back track, a beautiful studio-shot video featuring random beautiful people starting to kiss and touch – a video exploration of attraction:

So, enjoy the music and the videos and have a great weekend!

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

In no particular order this time…

Max Cooper’s Empyrean – directed by Joseph Murrell and I quote: “for the video, Joseph Murrell employed a different approach from my norm, creating sets and props to give an entirely real footage video rather than the usual CGI. He has reinterpreted the concept a little, with a circle of life format here, abstracted and sometimes cryptic, but all created with natural forms, and still tied to the original empyrean, but now on earth.”

Next – not one, but TWO newly released videos by Placebo for Hold on to Me (directed by Patrik Andersson) – a slow paced night video, a wandering woman:

and for Rob The Bank – a slow motion furious black & white studio video, trying to feature the pulse of the world right now, with scenes of street clashes, toxic marriages, poor kinds in the streets, disease, all signs of a fucked up world… but still, hope is not lost as we see in the last scene:

After Placebo’s gritty view of the world, we switch to some hip-hop videos…

First one, from Iggy Azalea for Fancy – a parody to all the 90s high-school teen movies.

The second one, by A$AP Ferg – lifted from the Trap Lord – Let It Go – a wack video featuring lots of street cred, ninjas, Terminator style graphics, explosions, lazers, you name it… all that just to save a ghetto queen of his.

And from the same grew, we have A$AP Rocky new video, released under his alter ego Lord FLVCKO, Riot Rave featuring Baauer. At the start of the video, a disclaimer indicates that the riot is real and it took place in all five boroughs of the city as a way to “blow off steam for all the youth, outsiders, outcasts, rejects, underdogs, and just straight up weirdo mother-fuckers.” The short clip comes as an introduction to Rocky’s forthcoming instrumental album Beauty N the Beast: Slowed Down Sessions Chapter yo!

From the US to the UK, we have another hip-hop/grime video of Trimbal performing Confidence Boost (Harmonimix) – the track is written and produced by none other than James Blake, with the video being directed by Rollo Jackson.

Next, the new & awesome video of St.Vincent performing Digital Witness, directed by Chino Moya:

St. Vincent “Digital Witness” from chino moya on Vimeo.

And another beautiful performer, our favorite Lykke Li with a new video for Love Me Like I’m Not Made Of Stone – a slow video, featuring herself, a way more fragile state. Beautiful performance to go with the track.

We close this week selection with a saucy video produced by The Jullien Brothers for The Coward’s track Statues featuring funny animated illustrations of sex scenes. This one is almost NSFW, but give it a go anyway

The Coward – Statues from Jullien Brothers on Vimeo.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Daniel Clowes has seen his work adapted without permission
photo comicsalliance.com

Some might argue against this association with his low brow commercial career past, the point being that he is rejecting his celebrity persona. However, my main point is that he fits perfectly into the narrative of child-star–turned-rebel. While working with Lars von Trier is a notoriously transformative process, I doubt that it was the Danish director’s aura alone that explains LaBeouf’s behavior.

I had noticed The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman after a Hannibal series tour de force, and a more than delightful viewing of The Hunt, after which I was convinced that Mads Mikkelsen is incapable of being anything other than an amazing actor in any of his roles; a Norwegian Daniel Day Lewis if you will. With the conjunction of LaBeouf’s slightly baffling coverage, I decided to watch the film and perhaps notice the root of his anxiety and troubles in an indie production, where he, as an artist, could theoretically express himself more freely as a lead actor in a character driven movie.

photo puppymunch.tumblr.com

Given his recent performance piece in LA, called #iamsorry, where a crowd of mainly TMZ drawn fans lined up to sit in front of him for a few minutes as he supposedly apologized, I think I might extend the barrier of his work from the physical to the virtual, and propose a few things Shia Labeouf should be sorry about after watching the film.
1. He should be sorry for his acting inconsistency. While Charlie Countryman switches from grieving son to enamoured puppy to noir detective, the audience registers exactly zero changes in his character, and that is perhaps the most frustrating aspect about the film.
2. He should be sorry for rehashing all rom-com clichés that died once Jude Apatow got a bit serious about writing. From tired speeches about love, to single guitar cord soundtrack, the film excels at offering no original line of dialogue or film-making.
3. Shia should say sorry that he made a big deal about taking acid before filming a scene where Charlie Countryman is on LSD, only for the audience to see a minute’s worth of unconvincing moaning. Watch Enter the Void and take some acting lessons; perhaps then you can start comparing yourself to Sean Penn.
4. He should apologize for missing the opportunity to portray a vibrant Eastern European capital with anything other than soviet police state/interwar nostalgia stereotypes, and Eurotrip references.
5. As a personal note, I’d personally want LaBeouf to apologize for the worst English speaker trying to say something in Romanian scene that, as a Romanian abroad, I have ever seen.
I’d give an actual review of the film, but I see no use in pointing out flaws in paragraph form. Even Mikkelsen disappoints, and he’s the best thing to come out of the whole movie.

In the end, we might end up posing some serious questions about what celebrity culture does to the young stars that spend most of their childhood in the rainbow coloured spotlight of the Disney channel. When Selena Gomez stars in the most MTV-generation damning movie of all, directed by the all time American myth-destroyer Harmony Korine, and Miley Cyrus keeps wiping her make-up from all the tongue showing and pretend fornication acts, Shia LaBeouf actions seem more-so part of a trend, rather than a personal meltdown.

photo popdust.com

This is defined by a game of opposites that all these stars play, based on the idea that there can be no linearity between two stages in a career, no slow incursion into quality film-making or serious song-writing. Perhaps when you have so many Twitter followers telling you that you are perfect just the way you are, moving from one to another might gain tragic proportions in your mind. Maybe they were never supposed to be lauded as much to begin with, or maybe they just aren’t cut for real work. Whether we really want to or not, we will be watching closely.

by Paul Dunca

Paul Dunca is a freelance saboteur looking for a change of pace. He writes reviews and opinion pieces to keep appearances and can be reached at various wishing wells around London.

The post BORED AT MOVIES: WHY SHIA LaBEOUF #shoudbesorry appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We got some gangsta shit up in here, starting with UK’s P Money Mad video – black & white classic, rap video, featuring lots of swag, women, money – no weed though…
A bit NSFW but still raises the roof.

Then we get the new track from Jakwob featuring Tiffani Juno – Somebody New a loose dancing tune, a hang out girl video trying to find her new crush. Directed by Billy Boyd Cape, beautifully shot, purfect friday night delight…

This next one is a bit oldie, but a good one, fun and a bit weirdish Dan Bodan’s Anonymous slow tune, slow motion bits of footage featuring a bunch of people in crazy situations – from a weird bedroom to a forest, firing fireworks, throwing darts, jumping around, hanging around…this one is for the lonely ones, the crazy ones.

Next, we have a new one from Rivver – LAMU directed by Mathieu Grimard – a series for 25 slow-mo portraits of people – featuring 25 different mini-stories. Every person is shot behind something transparent – glass, plastic, water, etc. – an outside view on all these characters.

Rivver | LAMU from mathieu grimard on Vimeo.

Twigs is still rocking hard, keep releasing new tracks and videos – this new one like a short promo movie, directed in collaboration with Nick Walter – FKA x inc – black and white, mexican countryside, slow beat, beautiful vocals, the perfect setup to collaborate on new music with band inc.
Their collaboration available here http://fka-x-inc.com/

Julio Bashmore featuring Jessie Ware released Peppermint a crazy dance track, with a crazy 3D video, carefully mixed to the track, with lots of elements from singing faces to mime hands, clowds, polygons and studio mountains, jumping dogs and black hearts.

Backing away from music for a change, we have a BMX video, the bmx flatland legent Matti Hemmings featured in a clip where he took over Tate Modern gallery doing what he does best – some amazing bmx tricks, part of the somewhereto.com performance series.

And I close this week selection with the showreel of one my favorite creative studios – Universal Everything – working with generative art, particle generators, live visual shows, big video murals and lots more. Amazing work right here:

Universal Everything Reel 2014 from Universal Everything on Vimeo.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS* appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Why a Wes?

He loves books and in them he finds inspiration.

He’s a bibliophile and his love expresses itself mildly, at first, with Bottle Rocket. Stefan Zweig,  a Viennese writer, is one those that most of us haven’t even heard of. It’s in works like his that Anderson finds his inspiration now. Zweig charts every fluctuation of inner turmoil, show a propulsive force of the narrative and always adds an ingenious twist in his fiction.

A style signature are the slow motion endings, where emotions soar while the music plays.

Tripadvisor does not list The Grand Hotel Budapest.

The pastel colored establishment is situated somewhere in the 1930s’ Mitteleuropa and it’s peopled by eccentrics and lunatics. The movie set is a closed-down department store in Germany’s most eastern town, at the border of Poland, but in the fictional republic of Zubrowka.

photo highsnobiety.com

A Wes theory: “If a film takes such a big chunk of life, the process should be enjoyable”

Both the cast and crew lived together, for the duration of the filming, in a small hotel in Gorlitz, Germany. That’s why shooting with Wes sounds like summer camp.

When nothing gets you going more than the promise of an impressive cast.

Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Tom Wilkinson.

photo totalfilm.com

Tilda- a magnum of the best champagne!

Tilda Swinton is known for her age defying looks. Wes Anderson always demanded of his very famous Hollywood stars to transform into characters out of their comfort zone. Tilda left her usual androgynous appearance to play the octogenarian blonde widow Madam D, who has been wooed by Ralph Fiennes as the famous concierge Gustave H. Her character’s steamer trunk and luggage are designed by Prada and already on display, in Berlin.

“I’ve done a bunch of movies. And it’s a  luxury to me that they’re all whatever I’ve wanted them to be.“

W. A

My reality is blurred by his vision when I watch a Wes Anderson movie. It almost has the effect of a dream wrapped in a mystery. Each of his frames is packed with props and enchant with a rich color palette, a balanced symmetry and unusually absorbing richness. This 45 year old film director, a Star Wars passionate who used to fantasize about eloping with a girl in his class, mystifies me with his characters that seem to be in detail-perfect dioramas, in a clockwork plot.

photo geektyrant.com

by Silva Helena Schmidt

Silva Helena Schmidt is a lively spirited young actress, currently working as a voice-over for a media channel. Devouring, and likewise devoured by, cinematography, soundtrack curator and a storyteller.

The post THERE IS SOMETHING WITTY ABOUT WES ANDERSON appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We open the selection with a slow-mo dancing video, directed by filmmaker Dugan O’Neal and Ry X of The Acid – Basic Instinct beautifully shot in San Monica, Ca.

The Acid: Basic Instinct on Nowness.com

Forest Swords just released a video for The Weight of Gold in anticipation of their extensive world tour, directed by Benjamin Millepied and featuring androgynous dancer Billy Barry bounding over barren landscapes throughout Israel, as the atmospheric track nudges Barry’s primal movements with drum clacks and howling waves of filtered guitar.

Forest Swords: The Weight of Gold on Nowness.com

Next, to continue on a “basic” human level, I found a making-of clip about the work process of artist Sam Jinks – featuring amazing hyper-real sculptural work of – almost real – people! Sam creates his work out of silicone, fiberglass, resin, calcium carbonate and real human hair, to capture still moments of vulnerability and silence, striking portrayals of the human condition.

Also worth mentioning, is a video from indie electropop artist iamamiwhoami for her track Fountain, a majestic performance over the backdrops of raw northern (icelandic?) realms.

iamamiwhoami; fountain from WAVE on Vimeo.

Now back to music, with the latest from Metronomy – Love Letters released just before Valentine’s Day this year, directed by Michel Gondry as a retro-set-band-performance-story-thingy to go with the retro vibe of the track.

Phantogram released a new video as well, for their Fall in Love track from the new album “VOICES”. The video is a collaboration between some well known creative folks – director/photographer extraordinaire Timothy Saccenti + generative code wiz Joshua Davis and agency Sub Rosa – the video is mesmerizing, shot in black and white, featuring the Phantogram duo performing the song over Joshua’s generative graphics backdrops & projections. Cool!

After a love song, I present next a no-love song, from the hardcore industrial hip-hop band Death Grips, latest No Love video – directed by themselves… 3D effect on footage from a live concert, bluntly disrupted by “I used to give a fuck” messages. This is some intense stuff…

Chet Faker released a video for Talk is Cheap featuring himself, his portrait gradually awakening from Winter’s ice, into Spring flowers, Summer sun and sand, Autumn’s fallen leaves and back into Winter… a full circle – video directed by multidisciplinary creative duo Toby & Pete.

The National finally released a video for their well known I Need My Girl track.
Shot in black & white, directed by Sophia Peer – the video features elegantly dressed couples slowly dancing, celebrating their connection. Simply beautiful!

Another black and white video, for C2C Arcades a vibrant video directed by Rémi Paoli featuring actress Charlotte Poutrel dancing, jumping, falling, in all sorts of ways…

Chase & Status duo have a new song and video – Blk & Blu featuring british youngsters having fun, going wild – you know – that sort of thing…

Finally, another Zebra Katz video for LAST NAME KATZ directed by Ruben XYZ & Zebra himself, revealing high end debauchery, katz eyes, models going wild in a “was it all a dream?” mood… NSFW ofc!

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo cdn.stereogum.com

photo c-heads.com

And continuing with another adventury video, this time filmed in a urban setting from The Script for their Millionaires track, featuring a bunch of young teenager friends having fun around the neighbourhood like there no tomorrow…

photo vimeo.com

Stealing Sheep next, with a video for their Rearrange tune, directed by Jack Whiteley, involving diamonds, smoke, fire, monsters, dancing and hypnotism in all kinds of ways.

photo bloodyloud.com

So, there you have it, these are this week’s video choices, enjoy and have a great weekend.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Starting with Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal – a story of a skateboarder’s ride, a beautiful video with great cinematography, directed by Aoife McArdle & production from Colonel Blimp.

Another storyline video from Arcade Fire – Afterlife – a touching story of a father and two sons lamenting the loss of their mother/wife. Directed by Emily Kai Bock

Then we have Rhye with Open – a love story video, a cute couple hanging out, having fun, a video with lots of feelings attached.

Making the list, a brand new Chase & Status video for Alive ft. hard vocals from Jacob Banks. The short film tells the story of a young indian boy who attempts to get back in touch with his roots after a tragedy, beautifully shot on The Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana, USA and working perfectly with the track.

On a happier note, Pharrell gives us Happy – a good times, dancing video, written and produced by himself. This is the official 4:07 mins cut, although Pharrell released the video in a 24 hour interactive online version, through his i am OTHER collective effort: iamOTHER

We continue with our favorite “wonder kid” Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid, featured here with one of the videos from his trilogy – again, self-directed – I love you

Next, another black and white beauty, this time a dark & sensual R&B video about sexual control and romantic submission, from FKA Twigs – Papi Pacify self directed by Twigs & Tom Beard – NSFW

Jumping next to David Bowie’s Love is Lost music video – the Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA. A 10 minutes visual madness, mixing geometric 3D visuals with the distorted & glitchy film of a couple making out – NSFW

After a full week, this next music video feels just great – Chris Morphitis Where to Go – directed by Alice Dunseath & Annlin Chao & produced by Blinkink & The Royal College Of Art.

Chris Morphitis – Where To Go from Village Green on Vimeo.

I conclude this week’s selection with a Romanian video, from Robin and the Backstabbers, directed by Barna Nemethi & Vlad Fenesan of Griffon & Swans – SPNZRTR
Although the video was released in 2012, I think is one of the best Romanian videos of the last year or so and it deserves to be included on this list with some of the best international releases.

So, there you have it, these are this week’s video choices, enjoy and have a great weekend.

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post SATURDAY VIDEOS 14th DECEMBER appeared first on INHALE MAG.

“Box” explores the synthesis of real and digital space through projection-mapping on moving surfaces. The short film documents a live performance, captured entirely in camera:

Balthazar Klarwein directed a beautiful glitchy video – “Others”, performed by Nimmo And The Gauntletts:

photo allthingsgomusic.com

Leslie Verbeeck directed “Apart” for Bering Strait – a melancholic video for a easy going dreameazy track:

Pablo Balderas delivered a “girls-on-the-road” video for Deap Vally – “Gonna Make My Own Money”:

photo vimeo.com

RY X directed his own indie video “Howling”:

Hiro Murai worked with Cults for “High Road”, a beautiful black & white video full of meaning:

photo consequenceofsound.net

Cults – High Road from Collin Doherty on Vimeo.

Myzyk & Moriceau of Division & Mathematic created a crazy NSFW animated video for Jackson and His Computerband – “G.I. Jane”:

-

Hope you’ll like the selection, until next Friday…
by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post FOR A GREAT WEEKEND HERE ARE THE FRIDAY VIDEOS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

DJ Butcher’s collaboration with SOFLES — LIMITLESS for a graffiti/bombing extravaganza:

photo dashburst.com

Andrew Thomas Huang directed an amazing stop-motion-live-action video for Atoms For Peace “Before Your Very Eyes”, featuring Thom Yorke

photo spin.com

Aloe Blacc performing Love Is The Answer:

photo stupiddope.com

Lorin Askill directed a nightly street dancing video for Drop the Game, from Flume & Chet Faker’s collaborative Lockjaw EP, featuring dancer Storyboard P:

photo acidstag.com

Dan Hankinson’s video for Om Unit – The Road featuring Charlie Dark’s vocal poetry:

photo blog.lessthan3.com

Metronomy’s cover of “Hypnose”, Jean Michel Jarre’s classic ambient work:

Hope you’ll like the selection!

by Dragos Gavrila

Dragoș Gavrilă is a Freelance Designer. Specializing in Graphic & Interactive Design, Typography, Illustration & Graphic Art. Also an online curator of image and music, cultural informer, occasional writer, lover. Currently living, working & playing in Bucharest, RO.

More http://grafician.launchnext.com/

The post MONDAY VIDEOS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo kvs.be

The beginning is an ironical homage to Joseph Beuys’s performance I like America and America Likes Me where the actor Jerry Killick plays Joseph Beuys and the four dancers are the coyotes attacking him, while Danny Willems, the photographer, is taking as much pictures as possible exposing himself to the risk of being attacked. This is a first reference in order to make a very essentialised passage through performance history and Jerry aka Joseph Beuys is pushing the moment even further by proposing an even more dangerous game, allowing the four “coyotes” to tear up his clothes and eat him alive.

photo kvs.be

Well, we’re in a theater, actually there is no coyote on stage and the difference between the real performance (with all the word’s “real” connotations) and this fake remake is strongly related to the title. Booty Looting means stealing what has already been stolen and in a first phase; Vandekeybus steals Joseph Beuys’ art that Beuys himself had stolen from the reality. “You steal from me, I steal from you. Art is a bit like that”, says Vandekeybus in an interview.
Now it’s the moment for Brigit Walter to enter the stage being presented as an anthropologist interested in Joseph Beuys’ activity in order to give her opinion about the remake. But everything gets confusing, she drops dead and all of a sudden she comes back to life as a famous actress.

photo kvs.be

For those who know Vandekeybus for his dance perfomances, the right thing to say is that this show has a bit of everything, as you can see from the cast; the accent goes on the mixture of these elements (photography, dance, theater, music) and it’s difficult to label it. But, as Vandekeybus declared in the same interview, his major concern was the photography and its impact on stage. The connection between photography and the study that Roland Barthes wrote about it plays an important part for a better understanding of Vandekeybus intention. It’s said that people were afraid of being photographed because they thought their souls were being stolen. Photography has a lot to do with death because it immortalizes something that is gone/dead and Barthes talks also about a special function of photography, confirming that something happened, something real.

photo kvs.be

In this performance, there are pictures taken every minute and projected immediately on a big screen, the photographer gives us pieces/photos of Brigit Walter’s past. A past that is part true, part fiction. In this case, photography has a double power: of the past and of the present and it works in the same way as the theater does: showing something that perhaps it doesn’t exist but is present on stage. The frame of the photos confronts the frame that the spectators have from their seats, so the photographer is there for giving another vision, another reality or a made-up one (see the photo session for reconstructing Brigit Walter’s relationship with her sons having some fake views behind them).

photo kvs.be

Who is Brigit Walter? Jerry Killick is a post-dramatic story-teller, he gives fragmented details intentionally confusing the listener, the pictures could say a different story and the stage becomes a mess where everybody can be anyone/anything. Brigit Walter is an anthropologist, an actress, a bad mother, a desired woman. She is Romy Schneider playing in L’Infer of Henri Georges Clouzot, she becomes Medea killing her children by putting them on the photocopier and printing images of their tormented faces. There is no Brigit Walter, there is a performance playing tricks on memory.

photo kvs.be

by Petro Ionescu

Petro Ionescu is a playwriter, still an unknown one, and she sometimes even performs herself on stage. For the moment she studies in Brussels trying to better understand the performance writing.

The post A WIM VANDEKEYBUS SHOW – BOOTY LOOTING appeared first on INHALE MAG.

PFF took place last week, 23-27th October, and, once again, shocked the audience and mostly the non-German audience since we, the rest of Europeans still don’t understand an erotic performance at VMA, not to mention a festival of porn film.

photo indiewire.com

photo pornfilmfestivalberlin.de

Still, this edition was a little more “accesible to under-age people” if I can say it so. The explicit, hardcore or mainstream films have been presented to a smaller audience, since the majority of films were artistic, documentaries, experimental or films that we would have problems to define.

photo pornfilmfestivalberlin.de

In other words, Sasha Grey, this Alice in Wonderland of porn indistry is still among the few actresses who continue to prefer hardcore sex instead of artistic productions since she is no frigide. If there is Sasha Grey, then there is rope, whip, dirty talk and deep penetration.

photo stilinberlin.de

photo stilinberlin.com

photo pornfilmfestivalberlin.de

by Mike Scar

Mike Scar an urban teen blogger and creative dreamer, obsessed with cool stuff. He has plenty of creative thoughts and opinions concerning various topics that are waiting to be revealed. As far as concerns him, the term “cool” is a smogarboard of unconventional, sex, shocking, stylish and contemporary innovations.

Check his blog : www.room-services.com

The post PORN FILM FESTIVAL IN BERLIN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo craig-green.com

photo craig-green.com

Craig started making women’s clothes, but soon realized that he is more into men’s fashion: “Menswear just makes more sense – and the clumsy, chunky aesthetic of my work I find just works better on a man… Another point that has always interested me is ideals of masculinity and D.I.Y, I think growing up around so many tradesmen and my dad being a plumber has somehow influenced me.” He collaborated with Kokon To Zai, Adidas, Bally, Robert Wilson, Christopher Shannon.

photo dazeddigital.com

He works with raw materials or materials that are not finished in a way or another: wood, remains of textiles, threads, tape. He prefers the contrasts: dark materials mixed with light ones, black and white contrast, shiny and flat colours, teared up materials put together with materials that are impeccably sewed. In his collections, he likes to experiment and his characters seem to come from a world filled with fantasy and adventure: “I always start a collection or project with an idea of a strong visual, this may come from art, stories, horror or a mix of influence and then the ideas seem to grow from there.”

photo dazeddigital.com

In an interview, he talks about the way he became mature in his work, about the obstacles a young designer finds at the beginning of the career and about the contrast between his vision on fashion and the public’s expectancies: “A lot has happened in the last year and I think when you are pushed, when you leave the MA course and suddenly you are in the real world you have to stand by your work yourself and there is this realization that you have to sell clothes, it is a business at the end of the day. It is not a visual or a concept. I am slowly starting to find the balance between wearable – desirable clothing and also an exciting show. It can’t be so arty all the time that it is unapproachable to people. People should be able to approach and relate to it. Because it is fashion, not art. Although they blur into each other; fashion is much more fast-paced business with a lot of restrictions and art can be extremely slow paced with not a lot of restrictions. I guess restrictions within the fast paced fashion what makes it exciting as well. I have always looked at art, performance and sculpture for references. Whether it is the running order, the way I do a photo shoot, fabric or something I make for the show they all come from that kind of place.”

photo dazeddigital.com

photo catch-fire.com

photo craig-green.com

photo craig-green.com

“ARRRGH! MONSTERS” Project
photo craig-green.com

His advice for young designers is “Taking a risk. I don’t think people take risks anymore in fashion. People want to sell, of course I want to do that too but I think you should still take a risks.”

Video:

Website: http://craig-green.com/

quotes vis dazeddigital.com

by Alexandra Ivascu

Alexandra Ivașcu is a fashion designer living and working in Cluj. She is pursuing her PhD at the University of Arts and Design, Cluj, studying the representation of the couple in contemporary art.

Website: http://www.ivascualexandra.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artisallwehave

The post RISK-TAKER – FASHION DESIGNER CRAIG GREEN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The black and white succession of images lasts 17 minutes and the film talks about the actual problems of the world, from the economic crises to hunger or homosexuality.
On why she chose a manifesto through art, Madonna states on her official website “My goal is to show by the example of secretprojectrevolution my creative commitment to inspire change in the world through artistic expression. I hope my film and other submissions to Art For Freedom will be a call-to-action and give people a place to voice their own creative expression to help fight oppression, intolerance and complacency.”

photo i2.cdnds.net

We can observe here an interesting term used by the 55 years old star, and that is “call-to-action”. Through this term we can deduce the artist’s will that the public would replicate this protest through art, given the art’s intrinsic purpose, which is to set free, to create a space where you can express freely your thoughts, your ideas or even the discontentment on the world, on life, on politics or economy, just like the genius Steven Klein underlines: “This film operates on many levels. It examines our private prisons. It questions what we do, how we do it, and how we treat others. It questions our governments, and our collective thought patterns. Think about it – the power of art can lead to peace.”

photo pagesix.com

This film is part of a larger project called “Art For Freedom” through which each person that wants to produce art in order to set simself free is invited to put on the www.artforfreedom.com platfomr which is for sharing. Once again, the site welcomes you with a call-to-action : “Madonna & Steven Klein invite you to start your own revolution of love. We have created this platform to give people around the world and opportunity to answer the question : <>”

photo we-are-awesome.com

Although very new, Artforfreedom.com has great success and each day users all over the world pos through the section “submit artwork”. I’ve tried it too, but I didn’t get to see it up, maybe tomorrow…
Back to secretprojectrevolution, I don’t think it’s a short film, because the 17 minutes are full with meaning, it’s filled with the experience of a modern history where cruelty is present and it is expressing the way nations think because of totalitarian leaders. Secretprojectrevolution it’s not about secrets, doesn’t encourage violence, but merely exposes real and actual problems, unstoppable due to some mentalities based on paradigms that have a basis on underdevelopped, barbarian and old axiom. Secretprojectrevolution encourages people to express through art, to freely let go your thoughts and to be less interested by what others say or think. Secretprojecrevolution enocurages you to be the way you want to be, not the way others want you to be, encourages a revolution of expressing love through art.

photo rickey.org

The world crisis and especially the economic crisis with which USA confronts and the recent outrageous anti-gay events in Russia probably made Madonna take action.

“History is repeating, you don’t see some patterns.” Madonna says. History has its own cycle, but the human mind is unstoppable and the spiritual evolution can change the history cycle. Through creativity we can beat the evil in the world and we can change the history.

photo blog.bittorrent.com

The star’s discourse is simple, with simple phrases with simple words, that anyone would understand, without metaphors, but very strong, addressed to any category of people, no matter the ethnic group, sex, sexual prefferences and so on. It is a discourse strategically wrote for any mentality, but having a generalized effect, of waking up from an ireal reality.

Talking about the artistic input of the film, Steven Kelin’s presence is nore than obvious from the first 10 seconds. His approach is generally black and white, as well as the S&M direction, while guns and bed are present in many of his works.

We look forward to Madonna’s revolution as we will keep an eye on the sharing platform created by Madonna and Steven Klein, which is www.artforfreedom.com

by Mike Scar

Mike Scar an urban teen blogger and creative dreamer, obsessed with cool stuff. He has plenty of creative thoughts and opinions concerning various topics that are waiting to be revealed. As far as concerns him, the term “cool” is a smogarboard of unconventional, sex, shocking, stylish and contemporary innovations.

Check his blog : www.room-services.com

The post MADONNA AND STEVEN KLEIN TEAM UP – SECRETPROJECTREVOLUTION appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Damien Hirst is no artist that plays with small exhibitions or small works. When he puts on a show, the dimensions are impressive. “Relics” – why that name? Is it an irony towards contemporary art? So, when does a contemporary work become old?

photo economist.com

“For the Love of God” is the main piece of the exhibition. No work that contains the word God in it was translated into Arabic. It’s quite an interesting topic and nudes are also not allowed for public viewing. This makes the exhibition even more interesting, because it Hirst is a controversial artist even for the Western world. Dead animals, nudes, diamonds – it’s a powerful mix that will surely remain in the focus of the public.

photo economist.com

photo economist.com

Of course, such an exhibition should produce a change in people’s perception, since it is a sign of the liberation of art and a proof of freedom of expression. Will this happen here? We will see this in time, after people visit this show. Anyhow, it is an important event on the art scene.

photo economist.com

photo economist.com

photo economist.com

photo economist.com

The post DAMIEN HIRST EXHIBITS IN DOHA appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo galacticmauve.blogspot.ro

The silhouettes he creates are architectural and have asymmetric cuts, which makes people associate him with designer Yohji Yamamoto. The limited color palette keeps the austerity and simplicity of Nordic design. Most outfits are black with accents of gray, white, red or cream. He is not interested in prints, even if this is in opposition with the advice that might help him “develop and enrich business”: “Every now and then sales people try to talk me into bringing the flowers in but I resist. My darkness is dear to me.”

photo galacticmauve.blogspot.ro

His preferred materials are leather and fabric, mixed with accessories like bags with oversized pockets and straps of different sizes.
Grundhal has over 70 stores in Danmark as well as shops in the UK and U.S. His public is formed of women that wear 36-46 and aged from 20 to 70 years. The strategy is as pragmatic as it is good since the designer addresses a wide audience without precise boundaries between generations. Therefore, Grundahl ‘rejuvenates’ old people and encourages young people around 25 to get used to a certain implicity and well-tailored clothes that are also comfortable.

photo galacticmauve.blogspot.ro

This concept is rarely applied by young designers or by the major fashion houses : ” Most designers target young ages, which is very natural. You may think of a middle-aged clientele- which some top- selling designers no doubt do- take Versace, for example- but there is no way to survive in the fashion industry as a self-styled old women’s label. There is one very simple reason: everyone wants to look young. I am 55, and I would never go to a store advertising itself as selling clothes for men in their mid-fifties. No way!” The designer adds: You have to carry yourself with dignity and style — in the sense that there is no need to show your cleavage when all you have to expose is a bit of saggy tired flesh. Natural and cool, classy, comfortable and down-to-earth would do beautifully.”

photo galacticmauve.blogspot.ro

photo odalisquemagazine.com

photo odalisquemagazine.com

by Alexandra Ivascu

Alexandra Ivașcu is a fashion designer living and working in Cluj. She is pursuing her PhD at the University of Arts and Design, Cluj, studying the representation of the couple in contemporary art.

Website: http://www.ivascualexandra.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artisallwehave

The post IVAN GRUNDAHL – “MY DARKNESS IS DEAR TO ME” appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Her works are violent and might shock the audience. Though the shock doesn’t come from the naked body, but from the position and the disposal in the gallery. And it’s a well-curated show, since it creates a claustrophobic feeling to the viewer. It’s too personal, too close to you and once seen it can’t be unseen.

Everywhere you turn you see a statement: the mattress is one, the photos as well, the kinky boots, the penises – they are all equally powerful. The artist is interested in the way power and fragility can be expressed and she is not afraid to melt them together.

Sarah Lucas
photo whitechapelgallery.org

photo whitechapelgallery.org

photo whitechapelgallery.org

photo theguardian.com/

photo theguardian.com

photo theguardian.com

Sarah Lucas. Situation. Absolute Beach Man Rubble
2 October – 15 December 2013 at Whitechapel Gallery, London.

The post SARAH LUCAS AT WHITECHAPEL GALLERY appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Karolinksi is interested in telling a good story, rather than to work on specific areas. “To say something is a documentary or a narrative or a hybrid — what does that even mean? Fifty years ago, there were filmmakers making fascinating projects we’d call hybrids today. I just want to tell a good story.”

What if Punk was actually linked to motherhood? Here is the result:

photo vimeo.com

photo vimeo.com

photo vimeo.com

photo vimeo.com

photo showstudio.com

The post PUNK AS SEEN BY ALEXA KAROLINSKI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

It was that summer when the wind decided to walk away from the empty trees that stood near our small house. We used to watch it depart in silence. Then, it felt like we were being left behind, grounded in fear, the same way as the emotion behind Aleksandra’s paintings has its way of getting stuck with the viewer after it shakes our beliefs about life. With bold sincerity, the 33 year old Polish artist manages to steal our sensible gaze. She has the habit of thrusting her personal questions about life into our inner, most intimate parts of ourselves.

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

Whenever we experience her art, we are summoned to answer questions about sexuality, anguish and fear. Those feelings are transmitted through an inventive points of imagery that melt into powerful statements. Ranging from cats and foxes, all the way to guts and gore, Aleksandra manages to bypass what we would usually see as horror art. Rather then that, she uses depictions of violence with a sense of calmness, thus giving birth to the tragedy of her works. It is the undisclosed absence in our lives that makes us look with suspicion and fear at each other.

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

Her allegories are sprung within a twofold frame. Balanced between everyday factual elements and reinterpretations of medieval imagery, the paintings merge into a very particular, signature style.

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

Fresh and provocative, Aleksandra Waliszewska has recently recieved the prestigious ARCO prize for Best Foreign Artist, awarded by the Spanish Association of Art Critics AECA. Her works are currently shown at the Center for Fine Arts Brussels (BOSAR), within the Enfant terrible. La nouvelle affiche polonaise (5.09.13 – 13.10.13) exhibiton. She also has works on display at the Saatchi Online Gallery.

photo flickr.com/photos/walisz

by Andrei Simionescu-Panait

Andrei Simionescu-Panait is a PhD Canditate in Philosophy at the University of Bucharest.

His debut short “Diafan / Lightly” had its international premiere at the Cannes Short Film Corner 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/user/aSimionescu/videos

The post UNBRIDLED – ALEKSANDRA WALISZEWSKA’S ART appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo standbyformindcontrol.com

It would be hard to add anything new on the topic of Blanchett’s Oscar-deserving portrayal of an Upper East Side socialite turned manic depressive who moves to her sister’s house in San Francisco after her husband commits suicide while imprisoned for running a Ponzi scheme. There are few performances where you can distinctly feel an actor’s choice in developing a character. Faced with a role that is defined by a lack of sensibility, a constant denial of her actual situation, Blanchett chooses to repeat each mistaken premise that Jasmine embodies to the point of desperation. And that is what depression feels like in Blue Jasmine. A frustrating lack of perspective that creates a vicious cycle of impotence that drives one crazy. What would normally be a classic neurotic charming dialogue between Allen-esque New York hypochondriacs, in Blue Jasmine, turns into infuriating ramblings of an ungrateful sister.

photo cinekatz.com

Her pill and empty mantra addiction are always self-serving and only deepen Jasmine’s manic state. As the title character’s guilt is slowly revealed, there is no empathy that the audience can project for her, only a sense of embarrassment. While there are elements of chance (a staple of Allen’s oeuvre) that alter Jasmine’s life course, they end up serving the same linear narrative. A chance encounter on the street or a lucky break in the dating game doesn’t lift Jasmine from her state of depression, and only highlights her practical inability to get past her tormented past, despite her repetition of the opposite.

photo filmblerg.com

I’d ideally give a special mention to each small character, as Allen managed to get the best out of his entire cast, but one that truly deserves a special mention is Louis CK. As the 21st century’s comedian of the everyday, his cameo as a character embodying lack of sophistication is a nice touch to the story. Although presented as a gentleman towards Jasmine’s sister Ginger, he is a cynical cheater whose defining characteristic is his unmistakable blandness. He is opposed by Alec Baldwin’s now typecast character: the New York investment shark; an easy fit for Baldwin, especially as his character is released of all pretences of sentimentality. His final confession of being in love with an 18-year old French au-pair seems more like a crisis point from a man on the brick of disaster rather than a genuine confession. Ultimately though, they both buy their love and cheat on their lovers, so the difference lies more in Ginger’s ability to admit that her ‘settling for less’ is in fact a path to happiness.

photo laughspin.com

A mere 4 years ago, in Whatever Works, Woody Allen’s most stereotypical and self-congratulatory feature, Larry David’s character glances into the camera and joyfully serves the film with a tragi-comical ending that references the title. This gives the audience the impression that it is precisely because of our self-awareness, that we can enjoy the ever-deflating lifejackets that destiny throws in our troubled waters. In Blue Jasmine, there is no mention of this, and the only scenes of joy that we can see are Ginger’s cliché New York sightseeing tours, and her re-engagement to a man she so easily discarded once a gentleman courted her. Her story ends the same as the 2004 film, only now the audience is no longer smiling, as Chilli is objectively presented as a weaker choice. From this point of view, while the film definitely provides depth in terms of character complexity and stylistic details, its over-arching message about human happiness is that ‘ignorance is bliss’ and that we should all stop trying. It is somewhat ironic that this comes at a late point in Allen’s career, when he most certainly seems to be doing this.

photo aceshowbiz.com

The post BLUE JASMINE: EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DEPRESSION BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The exhibitions include three different approaches on conceptual art and the way it has been exhibited and curated during the Foundation’s 25 years of existence. Against Method is temporally, the last of the three exhibitions, curated by Gertrud Sandqvist.

The title comes from Paul Karl Feyerabend’s acclaimed book Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge (1975), where the author claims that science would make good use of theoretical anarchy. Critique is brought to methodological monism and to the assumed strictness of scientific methods. The curatorial concept is linked to the ironical phrase used by Feyerabend in the end of the book: “anything goes”. Anything goes – in the sense that Sol Lewitt also explained in his Sentences on Conceptual Art: “Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists. They leap to conclusions that logic cannot reach.”[1] The exhibition is a joyful presentation of pieces dating from the seventies, a period in which video art gained great popularity between artists, becoming for some the necessary tool of expression: video art – regarded as the most appropriate medium to express immateriality, video art – used as a medium of communication not as an artistic object in itself.

The exhibition is structured with the help of concepts like The Retinal, Identity/Body, Gesture, and Transgression. The highlight is on conceptual art from the late sixties and seventies and the different media one had used in order to make new ideas visible.

Lamelas’s Gente di Milano (1970) was probably one of the pioneering works that introduced the idea of a surveillance camera. The piece implies a camera fixed in a street corner in Milano. Through the mechanical gaze, the author is gaining spatial property. The view is singular, and attested by snapshots of the people passing by. The final piece includes the film installation reproducing the filmed images from the seventies, and eleven black-and-white printed photographs indicating the exact time when the picture was taken. A piece that questions the art object as being central to the viewer’s interest and transgresses the interest onto the process of looking. Is the act of looking a way of changing reality? Lamelas’s piece is a good reminder of this question.

Exhibition view: Against Method, Generali Foundation, 2013. Photo: Margherita Spiluttin
foundation.generali.at

Elective Affinities/The Truth of Masks and Tables of Affinities is a great example of using art as a method of interpretation and analyses and reflexion of past events. I loved this piece for its capacity to express the reflexive characteristic of conceptual art, not only its quest for originality. One of the claims of the emerging conceptual artists, in the seventies, was the commercialization and objectification of art. This doesn’t mean that conceptual art an immaterial art is, but rather that conceptual art uses expression as a reflection, as a proof of a process of thought, without aiming to produce an aesthetic experience. Torf’s installation includes 14 tables with a lamp, comprising the information of a book in making – probably Walter Benjamin’s never finished book, on which he worked more than seventeen years and never completed. Secondly, the installation comprises a series of photography that have in the center a person reading a book. We can’t see the face of the reader, only the covers of the book he/she is reading: Goethe’s Elective Affinities (1809); Oscar Wilde’s The Truth of Masks (1891), Benjamin’s German Men and Women: A Sequence of Letters (1936); Arendt’s Men in Dark Times. The third component of the installation consists in slide projections on two free standing projection walls. The projection is a loop of pictures of a man and a woman standing alone, each on a wall. Every change of picture shows the same couple dressed differently.

Exhibition view: Against Method, Generali Foundation, 2013. Photo: Margherita Spiluttin
foundation.generali.at

The objective of this action: to re-enact Goethe’s concept of elective affinities and demasque marriage as a failure scenario consisting in role-play and routine. Torf’s installation is the incorporation of thought that emerges when a critical theorist uses a classical text in order to discuss the status of marriage in contemporary society. Torf not only shows this process of revisiting culture but she makes a further step by transgressing from reflection to action. The projection of the couple is Torf’s own interpretation of the elective affinities. The final objective is the visualization of a process of thought plus the application of the observed. What Torf does is to create a relation of interchangeability between object and viewer. The dynamic of the piece happens in the relation between the viewer-viewed: the artist – as reader of past processes, the readable object- a document of the process, the process of viewing – objectified, the viewer himself is not only a reader but also a potential creator, a visionary and promoter of the idea.

Exhibition view: Against Method, Generali Foundation, 2013. Photo: Margherita Spiluttin
foundation.generali.at

The same aspect of looking and being looked at is trapped in the works of Lamelas with Gente di Milano, and in Zobering’s work Video nr. 5(1991).  Zobering’s video is a loop showing the artist on his knee, with a rifle in his hand, leaning towards a window, ready to shoot. We can hear the sound of the rifle releasing the safety catch and the pop of champagne corks. Zobering’s short film is a visual demonstration of Benjamin’s comparison between a photographer and a hunter (see Short History of Photography 1931).Dan Graham’s Body Press (1970-1972) is a film projected on two opposite walls, showing the a man and a woman while filming each other. As mentioned in the presentation paper, the piece is a study of identity. Identity is defined not only through the camera’s eye, which is a tool in the viewer’s hand, but it is also a question of trust between the two holders of the camera. At some point they also change the cameras, the viewing perspectives are changed. As a spectator you are trapped between the two walls with the projections of the two subjects who film and are being filmed simultaneously. On the right wall you see the woman filming. On the left wall you see the man filming.  Graham superposes the camera’s filming perspective with the looking perspective of the viewer. The camera is integrated into the relation viewer-viewed, and becomes not only a documentation tool but the subject of the view. The dramaturgy of the installation relies on the camera’s subject. The viewer’s reading experience is perfomative in the sense of actually having to choose on which wall to look. It doesn’t matter where you take it from, the experience is a mirroring game.

Check out this 1994 interview with the artist in Bombmagazine: http://bombsite.com/issues/46/articles/1722

More about Dan Graham’s work at: http://artpulsemagazine.com/words-mirrors-dan-graham-beyond

Other artists like Mary Kelly, Hans Haacke are present in the exhibition with works that offer a conceptual reflection upon biological and organic processes. Lili Dujourie uses the camera as a tool of empowering the viewed subject. Her series Hommage a…are all essays of deconstructing the relation of power- and subordination that usually gets installed between a viewer and the viewer. Marta’s Rosler video Semitotics of the Kitchen, 1975, is a great delight. Here is a performer with a intelligent sense of humour, a piece that speaks about the objectification of women, a critique of a society of spectacle, where reality is being shaped by media. Rosler’s piece shows the artist in a kitchen, explaining the use of kitchen tools, in a mechanical and performative way. The piece is also a critique of culinary TV shows.

The exhibition includes also pieces from 21th century, like Andrea Fraser’s piece Untitled, 2003, a video recording of the artist and a collector in a hotel room, naked, in a bed. The concept is one of destabilization of the relationship between artist and collector, which is often seen as a prostitute and client relation. The artist spent one night with a collector, who bought the first videotapes out of five. The power relationship between artist and collector been redefined when the artists sold the tape nr.2 to the museum of Generali Foundation. In the process of doing and selling art, the artist regains her rights as she is the producer, the seller, and the sold.

Andrea Fraser, Untitled, 2003
photo old.likeyou.com

The post AGAINST METHOD AT GENERALI FOUNDATION – VIEWS ON THE EXHIBITION appeared first on INHALE MAG.

What is beautiful about this project is the fact that it reminds of Pantone colors, therefore is a common thing, but here it becomes the concept behind the project, thus making the public rethink the famous code. And who would have thought that so many colors at the same time wouldn’t create some sort of a “noise”? The colors create a very positive space, and the light put an accent on each color and on each degree. It’s a nice way of showing color in different degrees that blend so well together.

photo archdaily.com

photo archdaily.com

photo archdaily.com

photo archdaily.com

photo archdaily.com

The post THE ARCHITECTURE OF COLOR appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The Chanel show is always awaited by the public and the critics. What’s it gonna be this time? An iceberg? A globe? What? The show opened with a piece that would give a direct view into the collection: a pink suit made of tweed. And from that moment on, you could guess the direction of the show. It’s classy and well put together, it’s young and unpretentious, it’s posh and it’s wearable.

photo washingtonpost.com

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

photo fashion.telegraph.co.uk

The post ART AT GRAND PALAIS – CHANEL SS 2014 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

“I look at each Robert Mapplethorpe photo as if I were reading a poem. In the ones I have chosen, his way of seeing the world is pent with softness – and silence. They are silent photos. In that particular world that he made his own, everything is connected. He blurred the frontiers, merged the mobile and the immobile. His flowers are alive, almost human, and his bodies are frozen in their eternal beauty. Each photo is pure emotion. In each one of them there is a perfection of form, the delicacy and mystery of light and shade. Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer poet.”

The exhibition in on view until the 26th October 2013 at Gallerie Thaddaeus Ropac  in Salzburg.

Horse #2, 1982
mapplethorpe.org

Bill T. Jones, 1985
mapplethorpe.org

Lydia Cheng, 1984
mapplethorpe.org

Lisa Lyon, 1982
mapplethorpe.org

Rose, 1977
mapplethorpe.org

Lisa Marie/Breasts, 1987
mapplethorpe.com

Patti Smith, 1975
photo tate.org.uk

The post ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE – EXHIBITION CURATED BY ISABELLE HUPPERT appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Somerset House celebrates this woman through an exhibition called “Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!”, by displaying more than 100 pieces of her famous wardrobe. Every time Isabella Blow appeared in public it was a statement, all the pieces she was wearing were stunning. She was born in an aristocratic British family, and she started to work as Anna Wintour’s assistant for US Vogue, then for the British Vogue, Tatler and Sunday Times Style. Her sense of style made people more courageous, due to the way in which she provoked the audience.

Isabella Blow with Horns, Gloucestershire, 1996.
photo bungalow1a.com

After she died, Daphne Guinness bought her collection and she directly helped the exhibition together with Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins.

“This exhibition is, to me, a bittersweet event. Isabella Blow made our world more vivid, trailing colour with every pace she took. It is a sorrier place for her absence. When I visited her beloved clothes in a storage room in South Kensington, it seemed quite clear the collection would be of immense value to a great many people. I do believe that in choosing to exhibit them we’ve done the right thing – and that it is what she would have wanted. I am doing this in memory of a dear friend, in the hope that her legacy may continue to aid and inspire generations of designers to come”.

Isabella Blow and Philip Treacy, 2003
photo dailymail.co.uk

photo societeperrier.com

photo blog.thephotodiner.com

David LaChapelle
awhitecarousel.com

photo opestyle.blogspot.com

The post ISABELLA BLOW: FASHION GALORE! EXHIBITION appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Fish & Cat won the Special Orizzonti Award for Innovative Content, an award that wasn’t even on the menu. The fact that the Venice jury felt they should somehow reward this film has two implications. The film is indeed something you don’t come across every day. At the same time, the award sort of labels the film and, labels are misleading. This is not that Iranian movie all in one take.

First of all, there is nothing Iranian about this movie, except for the talent of the cast and crew. The story could as well be set in any other part of the world. There is nothing wrong with cinema that has a local flavor, but credit should also be given to a director that eludes exoticism (always big with festival juries) for a more universally human approach.

photo hollywoodreporter.com

Secondly, being a one-take film it’s the least of its merits. Even if we reduce the film to this one technical aspect, Fish & Cat still stands apart from other such films. It is shot entirely outdoors,  using natural light, in rough mountainous forest terrain, in winter, and the story has the characters (which are not few) moving in all directions. The film looks and sounds impeccable except for a few quivers of the camera. Put into context these quivers should be regarded more like the signs (scars) of a great cinematic achievement rather than mistakes.

The greatest thing about this technical aspect however, is that is not gratuitous, it’s not showing off, it’s not just pretentious form filled with whatever story was available. The form is intricately intertwined with the theme of the film: time. The film flows in one single take because time flows in one single take. Unlike other films and other directors who profess their preference for long takes or even one take films as a way of framing reality, in Fish & Cat, real time does not equal diegetic time. In both cases time flows, just not in the same direction. Analyzing the film from the perspective of different time structures (that is, a structure defined by a set of characters that perform a set of actions in a certain order, and a location), the film looks like an illustration of the Gordian Knot. Just like a piece of string (or Rope, if we are to mention the first film that tried to do something similar to the one take film), the string of time in this film has a linear unidirectional flow in the beginning and in the end, but there’s no telling what that direction is. As with a piece of string, you can’t really say which end is the beginning.

photo asset1.sourehcinema.ir

When watching a film we never question the beginning and the end, we never switch their places to see if it makes sense the other way around. There are films that choose to tell the story backwards, but there is always a clear time frame (past-present-future), cause and effect.

The confusion wouldn’t be at all obvious if it weren’t for the knot in the string, the body of the film that makes you question the beginning and the end. As with every knot in every string, a time knot means a time string that twists and flows back on itself – actions that cause other actions and so on, until some action causes the same action that started the whole chain of events. Only this time the camera has moved to another place, it’s somebody else`s point of view. Each point of view advances the plot, gives you a more clear understanding of the situation. Still, these puzzle pieces are so well designed that they fit perfectly with every other piece, and no single direction of causality (time flow) emerges, but a multitude.

photo asset1.sourehcinema.ir

I mentioned the fact that the film was shot outdoors, using natural light. Sunlight can be a good indicator of the passing of time. The light in Fish & Cat is always the same, no indication of the the time of day, no indication of time. This small detail fits perfectly with the whole concept put forward by the movie and brings us to the most important merit of this film.

Shahram Mokri had a great concept, but he didn’t stop there. He found the perfect form for his concept, the one take film, but he didn’t stop there either. He chose the most difficult setting imaginable and he managed to keep the camera flowing while following characters up mountains, and even squeeze in a bird’s eye view in the ending.

photo asset1.sourehcinema.ir

At any point in the making of this film, the director could have stopped pushing the limits, and it would have been enough to make this film memorable. To top it all, he chose to stay true to narrative cinema. There is an articulated, well written story in Cat and Fish, the film is not just an interesting cinematic exercise about time. What is that story? Seems appropriate to end this review with the words with which the director decided to open his film, based on a true story about a restaurant that served minced human flesh for food.

Fish & Cat (Mahi va Gorbeh), r. Shahram Mokri, 2013

by Andrei Șendrea

http://www.liternet.ro/autor/3761/Andrei-Sendrea.html

The post FISH & CAT – ORIZZONTI OFFICIAL SELECTION, 70th VENICE FILM FESTIVAL appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo news.rapgenius.com

Let’s start by looking at the horrible habitat Earth has become in Elysium. The year is 2154 and humans are split in a two tier class system between citizens,with access to the lush tropical-resort-like Elysium station outside Earth’s atmosphere, and the rest. The first shot of the rotating Elyseum made me think of the opening scene in 2001: Space Odyssey, but it turns out that even 150 years into the future(fictional or otherwise) humanity has only managed to advance A.I.as far as recognizing irony and being more muscular. It’s been obvious for a while that future worlds will no longer be portrayed in a positive manner, but given that the film’s technical crew was mostly drawn from District 9, the fact that we’ve gone from ‘this is how a South African alien ghetto looks like’, to ‘this is how Earth looks like’ seemes a bit dramatic. The landscape is filled with Mad Max imagery, geek-communities living in underground shelters, neons flicking all around, planning the next horribly flawed attack on the establishment. The ‘opposition’s’ main goal is to smuggle people onto the Elysium station, where state of the art facilities can cure any disease, and they do this in the least strategic way possible(until Damon shows up). Also, the choice of music does not appear to have evolved past dubstep. This is truly sad.

photo dailystormer.com

What this sets up is an allegorical space for a conversation on equity and politics that is reinforced by every character in the film, especially Matt Damon’s Max De La Costa. Firstly, he is Mexican. It is never explained or worked on, but we just know that he is, the film arbitrarily identifying the main character with the biggest immigrant population in current day America. As a person, Max is a cog in the system, trying to sort his life out after various stints in prison. He is thus part of the working class, assembling the robots that make up the police force that harasses him every day and break his arm on his way to work. On top of the fact that it’s a very bad metaphor, it also assumes that although there is highly superior technology, full automation is not something that has been introduced in the manufacturing process. The system thus operates on the logic of 19^th century capitalism, with ruthless businessmen apparently thinking that a worker’s life is less important than the assembly line being stopped for 5 seconds. This particular incident leads to Damon’s character being irradiated and triggering Max the hero character.

photo kurzweilai.net

Fortunately for the likely bored audience, Max the hero is somewhat unique in his drive for most of the movie. I would identify him with middle class America if anything. Namely, he finds himself in the situation that he needs to cure himself, and the only way to do that is to bring the entire system down. Although he ends up bringing along a sick child of a former lover with him, he obsessively repeats that he is doing all of it to stay alive, the perfect self-involved 21^st century man. But as those exact words are heard over and over again and mixed with images of suffering populations, the audience is supposed to realize that his striving for life is the call of all humanity that is stuck on Earth to be granted the right to live. This is why he sacrifices himself at the end and appears to forget everything his character said up to that point in the movie. Indeed, the middle-class American, underneath his ego-driven persona, is in fact a humanitarian that is willing to trade his precious life for the good of others. How noble.

photo cdn-static.denofgeek.com

In terms of negative characters, there is Jodie Foster as the commander in chief of Elysium’s defenses. Given her rhetoric and militarism that stands in contrast to the supposed ‘enlightened’ leaders of Elysium, she is either a critique on the Republican party’s war-mongering crowd of neocons, or a slight wink at Israel. It doesn’t stop here though, as this system is attacked right before Max’s crew get a chance to, by the rogue assassin Jodie Foster’s character employed on Earth, Kruger. He sports a ridiculous South-African accent and is likely to make even the most unassuming viewer think of apartheid. As cartoonish right-wing characters parade at the helm of Elysium, exposing structural flaws that could be spotted by an 8-year old, our heroes finally achieve victory and save the day. The hackers finally over-ride the Elysium system, the child is saved and drones are heading to Earth to provide assistance to the newly registered citizens. This finally wraps up what can be best seen as a 2 hour long advertisement for the Obamacare program, ardently supported by Hollywood figures, Matt Damon included.

photo bp.blogspot.com

I could of course not look at it like that, but then the film fails on every account of cinematic experience, mainly because it lazily drifts into familiar patterns of action movies that have long lost their appeal. Now, Elysium will always be:

‘Hey, remember when Matt Damon did that advertising campaign for Obama’s re-election?’

’Ow yeah, didn’t it come out like, a year too late though?’

‘Yeah, that was funny’.

photo hollywoodreporter.com

Next up, how Tom Cruise went from scientology nutter to Tea Party hero.

by Paul Dunca

Paul Dunca is a freelance saboteur looking for a change of pace. He writes reviews and opinion pieces to keep appearances and can be reached at various wishing wells around London.

The post BORED AT MOVIES – ELYSIUM AND POLITICS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

It so happened that on the 5th of September, the infamous New York Club Kids, with their insane style and incomparable lifestyle was celebrated in a one-night-only special exhibition in London, entitled Fabulousity: A Night You’ll Never Forget… or Remember! This exciting project accompanied by a limited edition catalogue (500 copies), published by Wild Life Press, features rare and unseen photos taken by Alexis Dibiasio during the late 1980′s and early 1990′s.

photo anothermag.com

First, a little history: The Club Kids were a group of young New York City club goers who more or less defined New York nightlife in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Amongst these, Leigh Bowery, Michael Alig and James St. James led the subculture, which redefined disco through their wild pranks and outlandish costumes. Dressed in bodysuits and unitards, they emerged at clubs such as Savage and The Tunnel, before moving onto The Roxy, Love Machine and eventually The Limelight.

If you happen to be searching for some info about The Club Kids on the internet, you’ll probably notice that the name Michael Alig comes up a lot. That’s mostly because he’s the one who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 1997 for the March 1996 murder of former Limelight employee and reputed drug dealer Andre “Angel” Melendez.

photo disneyrollergirl.net

The murder of Melendez is certainly a story that tells the tale of the recklessness and insanity going on in the New York party scene of the period, and as some say, it marks the official death of nightlife in the city, which has really never been resurrected. Funny enough, Alig is supposed to be getting out of jail any day now and word on the street is that he’s finishing his memoir, Aligula, and plans to have an art show of his paintings (http://www.michaelaligclubkids.com). As always, someone’s misfortune is another’s good luck charm, as James St. James, Michael Alig’s former party friend, published his memoir in ’99: Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland, which seems to deal more with the rise and fall of Michael, and which was turned into a movie in 2003 (Party Monster), that starred Macaulay Culkin as the “King of the Club Kids” / Michael Alig.

Anyway, enough history. The catalogue/book is a collaboration between Alexis Dibiasio, former club kid Ernie Glam (who also wrote the forward of the catalogue) and a guy called Steve Terry, about which I can’t seem to find anything relevant except the fact that Ernie and Steve met on ebay, whilst they were trying to auction off some of their excess Club Kid card collection. Inside the main catalogue is a complimentary publication celebrating the flyers, posters and ephemera disseminated at the time for New York’s most happening nights at clubs like the The World, Red Zone, Limelight, Tunnel & Save the Robots. Plus a fun flexi disc, featuring an unreleased track by Ernie Glam.

So, here’s some Instant Glamour from Ernie himself, and if you’re wondering: yes, I’m accepting early birthday presents this year, and Fabulousity: A Night You’ll Never Forget… or Remember! is like totally on my list dude! Later!

photo fashioninstallation.com

photo fashioninstallation.com

photo disneyrollergirl.net

photo anothermag.com

by Alexandra Mateescu

Alexandra Mateescu is a photo-video junkie who left her imaginary super successful forensics career in favor of the University of Arts. She frequently gets mistaken with a 16 year old high school girl so you’ll never catch her without her ID, she has a strong passion for the 80’s, and her kind of art must be funny and a little bit ironic.

http://www.behance.net/alexandra_mateescu

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A gay related murder in an age when homosexuality is still incriminated, that’s enough to fill any director’s plate, but this case has a very particular posthumous attraction to it. Lucien Carr is the man who introduced Allen Ginsberg to Jack Kerouac and both of them to William S. Burroughs and was an important figure in what would later became known as the Beat Generation.

photo geektyrant.com

A very dense subject indeed and the film has received criticism for it’s holistic approach, trying to tell too many stories  and ultimately failing to tell a single one. While the premise can not be denied (the capillary expansion into all aspects of the story: the murder, the Beat origins, Ginsberg`s coming of age sexually and creatively, Lucien Carr’s relationship with Kamerer), the outcome is a matter of how much is the viewer willing to let director John Krokidas get away with.

photo collider.com

While at some moments very well documented, the film seems to operate and twist real facts and characters into deliberate fiction, a romanticized view over the whole affair that becomes a sort of ritual sacrifice, a founding murder of the Beat movement. Every film based on “a true story” has to rely on some kind of creative license in order to fill in the gaps. This movie is special because the process seems to be flowing backwards: the gaps are not filled with fiction derived from the historical context but rather from what the Beat culture and it’s prophets came to be years after the incident. From this point of view, Kill Your Darlings, is in fact, a crash course in Beat ethos condensed in the time frame of a few months, when Ginsberg, Burroughs and Kerouac were not the Ginsberg, Burroughs and Kerouac that have made it through to the English literature manuals.

photo collider.com

photo collider.com

In the end, it comes down to the viewer and his ability to experience the Beat movement through the duality of this film. Had it been completely accurate from a historical point of view, the film wouldn’t have been entertaining, so upbeat. Had it been utter fiction, just some young guys having fun, planning a literary revolution, maybe even succeeding, the film would have lacked the incredible appeal of the actual Beat counterculture and it’s very recognizable darlings.

by Andrei Șendrea.

http://www.liternet.ro/autor/3761/Andrei-Sendrea.html

The post KILL YOUR DARLINGS – VENICE DAYS, 70th VENICE FILM FESTIVAL appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo cargocollective.com

photo cargocollective.com

photo cargocollective.com

He was born in Essex, England and he worked for Givenchy, Maharishi, The Duffer of St.George. His visual stories come from a deep analysis, from a great intuition and from his ability to credit the authenticity. His collections have something from the atmosphere created in  Gregory Colbert’s documentary “Ashes and Snow” and the typology of the character seems inspired from the mixture of austerity and grace that is so common between Buddhist monks. The projects have their own direction, and they are a personal research leading to non-conformist results: the painted shirts with the help of solar light, the piece that has pressure points with therapeutical effects which “levitate”, constructed with magnets.

Among his experiments we mention:

• HANDCRAFTED CURIOSITY / Distressed Leather Varsity / Personal Projects (2013) (+poza)

photo cargocollective.com

• HANDCRAFTED CURIOSITY / Sun bleached / Personal Projects (2012) (+poza)

photo cargocollective.com

• NON / AN OBJECTS TALE / Concept sketches (+poza)

photo cargocollective.com

photo cargocollective.com

One of the designer’s concepts for the Odi et Amo AW 2011-2012 men Collection is “I hate and I love. Why do I do this, perhaps you ask?

I do not know, but I feel it happening and I am tormented.”

photo cargocollective.com

The designer then explains : “This particular experience of trouble from Catullus is a sad realization that situations arise independently of the human will. It is beyond logic and only in the realm of feeling. Is it then that our physical world is a projection of the mental world and therefore, you are the ruler who imagines the world as it is and this world exists solely in your mind, even if what you feel is not fully understood?”

photo cargocollective.com

by Alexandra Ivascu

Alexandra Ivașcu is a fashion designer living and working in Cluj. She is pursuing her PhD at the University of Arts and Design, Cluj, studying the representation of the couple in contemporary art.

Website: http://www.ivascualexandra.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artisallwehave

The post “THE NON” LABEL- RESEARCH AND CREATION appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Little by little we begin to see the cracks in the wall: the daughter is sneaking off to see her boyfriend, the father is an authoritarian figure and he clashes with his older son, his business is going bad and his beautiful wife is cheating on him. These invisible signs of decay of the home are mimicked by very material, almost imperceptible signs of decay in the house: real cracks in the wall and bits of paint peeling of the woodwork, details that fit so perfectly with the clean, austere, simple and luminous house.

photo medeasthefilm.com

At the same time they tell the age old story of “nothing lasts”, they remind the viewer that good things come in frames: always limited. The house was once new, freshly painted; their happiness was once real (the bathing scene is filmed, also captured in a frame). There are also the more ominous cracks in the ground, coming from the lack of rain. Everybody is waiting for the rain, the children even do a rain dance, and somehow you know that the rain is going to come and is going to come down hard, because there is a storm brewing inside this family.

photo medeasthefilm.com

Now, the real magic that should be noted here is this: the film manages to show these changes, both material and within the soul of the characters, in a very slow manner, with as little violence as possible. Violence in the broadest sense, violence as movement, as opposed to the stillness of a single moment in time, the stillness of something that is contained within a frame. Why is this magic? For two reasons. First reason is the very good cinematography, MEDEAS works perfectly as a visual poem (credit goes to cinematographer Chayse Irvin). Second, because you know something is happening, you can sense the members of the family growing apart, you can sense the static electricity building and you brace yourself for the storm; but at the same time, nothing really happens, that is to say, nothing in the classic narrative frame of cause and effect. And this is a great feat of cinematic artistry, coming from a debutant director, no less.

photo medeasthefilm.com

That is why the word poem seems to fit so well, because the understanding of the situation is more somatic than cerebral. At the same time, everything makes sense. You don’t see the actual storm (you do feel it), but the outcome matches the premise, the director just made a choice not to show the road between them. The rain falls softly on the windows of the family truck and once again, the camera lingers over the peaceful, happy faces of the members of this family. It might as well be put in a frame, like any other happy memory.

photo medeasthefilm.com

MEDEAS, r. Andrea Pallaoro, 2013

by Andrei Șendrea

http://www.liternet.ro/autor/3761/Andrei-Sendrea.html

The post MEDEAS – ORIZZONTI OFFICIAL SELECTION, 70th VENICE FILM FESTIVAL appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo vladtenu.com

There is a specific energy of objects, the matter shapes its form. This project is a long-term project, where research is very important. Creation, in this case, is directly linked to science and to a programming code, which creates a pattern that is repeated all over again. Can we talk about innovation? We can, but I’d rather use another term, which is attention. Vlad Tenu is an artists who is constantly paying attention to the world, which is a constant inspiration, no doubt about it.

And this particular area that he is interested in is very large, and, therefore, his research can continue in the same direction. The artist is interested in working with architecture and design and 3D printing and we’ll keep an eye on him to see what’s next.

vladtenu.com

photo vladtenu.com

photo vladtenu.com

The post VLAD TENU’S MC/3 PROJECT AT BUCHAREST EBIENALE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The film focuses on several key moments from the history of the group which was founded as a reaction to the re-election of  Vladimir Putin as president of Russia. Their strategy was to appear in different public spaces (subways, squares, luxury-stores) and to shock the public with their socio-political messages, namely to criticize  the excessive nationalism of Putin,  the capitalism, the authoritarian regime or to fight against a male view of the world.

photo emoviz.com

In 2012, feminist activists from Pussy Riot performed a concert inside the Christ the Savior Cathedral,  the holiest place from Moscow for any Orthodox  believer, space which symbolizes the union of church and state. They decided to perform at the altar in their usual way: wearing coloured balaclavas, tights and minidresses, screaming a punk prayer and waving their hands in the air. As a result of this agit-prop guerilla-performance, three members of this group were arrested.

Featuring  interviews (with the band members, with their families who support their daughters, with the pro and con protesters) with publicly available footage (courtroom footage, DIY videos of their rehearsals and performances, speeches of Putin or of church leaders), the documentary tells the story of these three members: Nadia, Masha and Katia. The filmmakers try to understand the real people behind the masks, they try to illustrate the  way in which their act (a 40-second punk prayer protest) became an event of national, even global importance  and to present the  absurd and injust trial they had. The girls were sentenced to two years in a women’s corrective labor colony where they are still today, except Katia, who was released on probation, following an appeal.

photo rapidmoviez.com

The purpose of this documentary is obviously a political one. Speaking about Pussy Riot  already implies depicting the background in which the scandal occurred, namely contemporary Russia. The two directors portray a conservative Russia, a system rotten from head to tail, with corrupt politicians who use the Orthodox church to maintain their authority and with a society that is not ready to understand the performance art activism. In this context, any protester who tries to break the status quo, to free the society from prejudicies and stereotypes is considered from the beginning a Bolshevik, a real demon.

photo saltypopcorn.com.au

The documentary (rewarded with a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury award for Punk Spirit at Sundance Film Festival and bought by HBO)  assume  a form of social criticism because it describes  various kinds of discrimination. The film directors are trying to avoid the dogmatism, so they chronicle the event in a dialectical manner, showing  the two sides of the scandal (the most intriguing exemple: the Russian Orthodox Church calls for a prayer meeting at the cathedral to protest against Pussy Riot).

Created just in six months, the documentary has the aspect of something improvised: it dramatizes the information we have already from the newspapers, but it doesn’t offer us a deeper understanding of the problem;  it deserves though to be seen, as an honorable document of a subject of such relevance.

by Andreea Andrei

Andreea Andrei studied Performing Arts (Arts du Spectacle) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. For the moment she is an independent researcher, interested in the critical potential of art and in the artistic power of criticism.

The post MOTHER OF GOD, CHASE PUTIN AWAY! appeared first on INHALE MAG.

My third contribution on the KFDS is reserved for discussing one of the most inspirationally and avant-gardist piece I have experienced in Brussels this year.

Traditional art has used us with liking or disliking what we see. Few years ago we would go to a performance/show and expect a nice story, well defined characters, an evolution/involution of one of the main hero’s and a tear drop or a hair raise on our left or right hand – all proofs that the show has invested us with some kind of aesthetical appreciation.

It is hardly the case of the performance art going on today. And it is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Things stand.

As art historian Boris Groys argues in his revelatory Introduction; Global Conceptualism Revisited[1] : Conceptual Art comes with a shift of paradigm in terms of spectatorship; viewing art transgressed from aesthetics to poetics and rhetoric. In other words, art is not supposed to be presented as a nicely wrapped present meant to tickle the spectator’s senses, but has become a tool for communication, transforming the art object into a channel, disputed by both artist and spectator. Spectatorship has enriched its de-codifying role by the participatory feature of creating sense simultaneously with the artist. Translated into practice, this doesn’t imply forcing spectators to intervene into shows; neither does it mean that the creating subject is sitting between the spectators. The perspective is a philosophical and a dramaturgical one. The contemporary paradigm explores the Society as Spectacle and transforms everyone in viewers. The performer becomes a journalist who is reporting on his subject of matter- this may be real or fictive.

“Institute for Human Activities ON THE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES”[2] is a performance lecture about a Belgian based kind-of-art-kind-of-sociological institute that developed a long term artistic project in Congo. The lecture is a presentation of the institute’s activity in Congo, from the first steps of the project (buying land on a plantation, doing studies, interviews with the locals) to its inaugural activities (group activities, a conference, skype interview with scholars on the matter of gentrification[3]). The main performer acts as the artistic president and the communication agent of the institute, his role being to inform the public in Brussels about the institute’s philosophy and activity.

photo artnews.org

The performance respects a lecture’s protocol, by investing a speaker with a subject to report on, by the use of rhetoric, and also by documentation the verbal and gestural discourse of the speaker with visual proofs (slide show presentation). As in a typical scenario for a lecture, the public is asked for its feedback on the matter of doing an artistic project in an underdeveloped country with the aim of creating an economy around it. On a long run, this artistic centre this artistic center is a creative space for the locals, who will be offered support to “create” art objects that will be sold on the Western art market, with the specification that the money will come back to the locals and in this way start an economic bubble around the centre. Furthermore, when extended, the centre will offer summer residencies for western emerging artists. One of my friends was so seduced with the idea of the project that he asked the performer Renzo Martens what conditions the participation to such a residency would imply.

After leaving the performance, outside the Wiels[4] people started to murmur about this amazing idea of creating economy by artistic means in low developed countries. Just like art could save the world and this would be possible – here is the example, “IFA” is doing it! Righttttttttt… “how come we Romanians didn’t think of it before?” “Of course, we didn’t we are at least 20 years behind all artistic thought and practice happening in Europe.

photo 24.media.tumblr.com

Towards a synchronisation. In thought, at least….

By means of this article, I hope to start up a discussion upon ways of creating fiction and structures for telling stories. More and more people start to doubt the fact that media presents an undistorted image of reality- using the tools of journalism; media is supposed to present facts not to represent interests. Still, when seen at TV things seem real, people hardly doubt the veridicity of the information they are receiving. Contrary, when going to the theatre, people believe everything because they accept to be part of the convention where fictional facts are presented in order to make us feel connected to each other by the universalism that bounds all living souls on this extremely crowded planet. What happens when, the presented material doesn’t deal with feelings – as “IFA” does, but with questions? What happens when fictional structures are substituted by documentation/research tools (report, lecture, presentation)?  Does art become political? Does politics become art? Maybe that all this questions should quit the dialectical perspective of or/or and should be regarded as proofs of the rise of a new paradigm in art. In today’s Society of Spectacle[5], what is real and what is fiction?

photo 2003-2008.telic.info

Creators of “IFA” seem to be very familiar with these questions, since they are actively using a serious, informative, scientific language to create FICTION. What kind of fiction? It doesn’t matter. Society is demanding this days that art should talk about community[6], all art is political nowadays…well, be it! “IFA” talks about political economy. Is it really? Or is the subject of the economisation of the art and the scientific language only used as tools to speak about the politisation of the art?! But this is less important. What counts is that by means of a subject of interest, art created a debate around DISCOURSE! As Groys stated: ART has shifted from AESTHETICS to RETHORIC.

No actual proof of the existence of the “IFA” artistic centre in Congo, has been found. Still, spectators continue the debate about the power of art to improve economy or even the world’s order. What can be more poetical than an engaged community of spectators who sincerely believe that art can save the world?!

The post KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS 2013 UNDER THE SIGN OF PUBLIC DEBATE – A VIEWER’S DIARY – PART 3 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo style.com

photo style.com

It didn’t leave the best impression on me. My first thought was “McQueen”, and apparently, so was everyone else’s. Ok, so there’s some McQueen in there. It’s theatrical and it’s definitely not the happy kind. It’s more couture than most of the collections shown at NYFW. The clothes are layered in strange ways, latex pieces are juxtaposed with precious beadwork, handbags hang open and pearl necklaces seem to be stiffly levitating. There’s a lot of white, and a total amount of zero innocence associated with it. On the contrary, the models seem to be sad characters out of American Horror Story. Season 2. Which brings me to the epiphany: what seeing the show in person, as opposed to online, would reveal.

photo style.com

photo style.com

Call me narrow-minded, but what I couldn’t tell from the runway pictures was that the whole presentation was a spectacle. I could’ve guessed something was going on, but only to little extent. According to attendees of the show, the mood was set by a singular flickering light bulb, white walls and hanging mannequins. Then, there was the music and the delay of the show, which kept the public on their toes. First entered the ten nurses. Recognizable through their hair nets and round specs, wearing all white (including powdered hair). They slowly dispersed through the room to establish their corners, where they starting sorting medicine from jars. And then came the patients: messy hair, bleeding lipstick, necklaces and collars that seemed to barely keep their necks from falling apart. Their outfits were more elaborate, with prints and sculptural details of sorts. Asylum. It all makes sense now. These were so much more costumes than anything else. That explains the latex gloves, and the straitjacket-like sleeves and even the broken doll looks. One thing I’m still curious about: what did the invitation to this show look like? Betsey Johnson already did the pill jar this season, so what does that leave for Browne? I’m just spitballing here: a creepy music box with tiny padded walls, a syringe (duh!), or maybe a plain rubber glove?

photo style.com

photo style.com

by Daria Patrunjel

Daria Patrunjel lives in Cluj Napoca, with a photographer and a cat. The three of them together make the blog Kittenhood possible, although she clearly does most of the work.

http://kittenhood.wordpress.com

The post THOM BROWNE SS14, A COLLECTION YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LIKE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

What is interesting about the project is the fact that the artist tried to connect an animal to a type of clothing, so an animal’s personality would influence the way they dress. Also, you will definitely appreciate the clothes: so classy, so well put together, like they have such a good sense of fashion. It’s a pleasure to see the way in which colours mix, and the choice of materials which is absolutely stunning. It makes you think that animals would make so beautiful people!

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

Second Skins is the project that made Miguel Vallinas famous. Something so simple became so well-known because these animals, although strange, have a touch of melancholy, effect which is given not only by the subject, but by the way the artist creates the context. It’s also the light, it’s the colours, it’s the way in which they blend in so well, creating these half-humans, half-animals that do not look like monsters, but on the contrary, they underline the beauty of them both. Also, you can imagine that these animals have a human life and do human activities and you can see them going to work in an autumn morning.

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

photo dailymail.co.uk

The post SECOND SKINS PROJECT – MIGUEL VALLINAS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo showstudio.com

Abbey Clancy
photo showstudio.com

Iggy Azalea
photo showstudio.com

The photos went on Instagram and went viral pretty soon. It’s nothing to be amazed by, since these women are more that famous and are people on the internet try to find their next move. So, what I’m saying is that if you put it all down on paper, you see how successful this project is even before it started. Nick Knight- talented photographer, influencer (read about that here http://inhalemag.com/influencers-nick-knight/) works with beautiful females, all with a strong personality. So, what could have gone wrong? Nothing. Nothing.

Kelly Brook
photo showstudio.com

Kelly Brook
photo showstudio.com

Lily Allen
photo showstudio.com

The post NICK KNIGHT AND THE ALL-FEMALE ARMY OF SOCIAL MEDIA-MOGULS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The International Festival started in 1995 and each year it has a different theme explored by the presented shows. This year’s theme sounds like this: “The crisis and the open sea” and might make us think that an overrated problem is brought into the spotlight. In fact, the crisis goes beyond the economical part and looks for a deeper and wider understanding. So here are some shows that deal with this issue, maybe not in a very obvious way.

The movement crisis – Anatomia publica

Tomeo Verges’ opening show of the festival consists of a number of repetitive movements in which the quotidian is decomposed in small sequences that become strange gestures. Everyday life actions like sitting on a chair, taking a newspaper off the floor, hugging and kissing your wife, putting your coat on the hanger, lighting your cigarette, opening the door, are repeated all over again just like someone is playing with the remote control pushing the back and forward buttons.

The body is tracing the expression of every change: the face muscles are holding a one second grin, the hands and the legs are tense, the body position is stopped in the least expected moment. But there is a story being told and it is related with a true story of the choreographer’s grandmother. She was living with two husbands: while the first one was at the war, his wife married once more… They decided to live together, the three of them, trying to find a new harmony.

The choreography and the title are inspired by the public human dissections from the 16^th century seen as a form of entertainment, but also by the films of Martin Arnold.

The light plays an important role being synchronized with the dancers’ movements and creating a cinematic effect. The image is intermittent just like the image of an old movie. Everything is in fact synchronized: the music, the light, the gestures, the set, the plot, they all follow the same rhythm.

Anatomia Publica
Tomeo Verges
photo journal-laterrasse.fr

The colour crisis – Mystery Magnet

Coming from a visual artist, Miet Warlop, this next show is a colorful madness where some hard-to-define creatures are filling the space with loads of paint. If at the start of the show the stage was almost empty, only one big white wall standing in the back, as the ending scenes are approaching, the stage is almost flooded. The weird characters puke rainbows, fart pink, smash and crash and splash the wall with their hairy heads and a rain of multicoloured little arrows is attacking the stage from beyond the wall. But the performers don’t stop here and they disembowel themselves cutting out flocks of red cotton. Everything seems like an organic protest against symmetry and order, reminding of Jackson Pollock’s performances.

Mystery Magnet
Miet Warlop
photo archive.kfda.be

Some visual effects are created in order to break the colored violence: a girl seems to be hanged on a bouquet of helium balloons, a high heeled man is transformed into a horse, a kitsch painting of dog becomes a sparkling golden dress.

The final touch is an electronic acapella chorus (Laurie Anderson – like) of some white mannequin busts on a white plateau and controlled with a sort of vacuum cleaner that make their soft plastic necks move.

The love/sex crisis – 7 ways

Geumhyung Jeong is a Korean dancer and the choreographer of her own shows. 7 ways proposes a particular approach in which the object is incarnate and comes to life. The performer finds herself alone (and somehow lonely) on the stage, she hides and uses her body as a vehicle for creating 7 possible love stories. That’s how a mask put on a foot can caress a mannequin or a big-headed jellyfish hand can have sex with a melodica.

7 Ways
Geumhyung Jeong
photo concertnews.be

Each story is twisted and has powerful sexual connotations, some parts are poetical and kind and some others create the impression of a strange dream, or even a nightmare. Probably one of the strongest and disturbing images is the one with an old man-vacuum cleaner raping the “dead” body of the dancer.

The difference between the human and the object is blurred and creates an intended confusion, but after several sequences the spectator gets used with the convention and the performance becomes a bit boring.

The meaning crisis- Les Bouveuses de cafe

English translation would be “The coffee drinkers” and, of course, we have two women drinking coffee during the show in a very symmetrical and well calculated way. The set has something from Twin Peaks red room and even the mood is quite similar to the movie. But who would have thought that drinking coffee can produce such a mysterious ambient? Of course, the performance is not reduced only to this: after the first scene, things are getting ambiguous. A third women appears on stage and she is going through a strange ritual that makes her become like the two other women. There isn’t a clear relation between the scenes. “Hey, but that’s normal! Didn’t you hear about postdramatic performance?” you would firmly say. I actually did, but something, I don’t know what, made things illegible this time… The music remains a plus, it can be very catchy for the spectator.

Les buveuses de cafe
mossoux-bonte.be

The body crisis – Sweat baby Sweat

Probably one of the best “crisis”, a hard physical training with a man and a woman. In fact, a love affair that consumes itself on the stage. The choreography follows an approaching process between the two performers, everything is very intimate and touching. So the kissing scene comes as a relief, it is a waited, wanted, needed moment and a natural one. There is also a sort of exhaustion mostly because of the repetitive slow movements: the bodies are getting wicker and wicker and the muscles are shaking.

The second part contains a subtle irony that lets the audience to enjoy an endless romantic song. While the two dancers are crawling and almost fading in the darkness, some lyrics of the song are projected on the wall just like in karaoke. The funny part is when we notice that the romance is gone and we are starting to read what we might think in that moment.

Jan Martens
Sweat baby sweat
photo janmartens.com

Well, I guess this is where the crises end.

by Petro Ionescu

Petro Ionescu is a playwriter, still an unknown one, and she sometimes even performs herself on stage. For the moment she studies in Brussels trying to better understand the performance writing.

The post A SHORT STORY ABOUT PERFORMING CRISES – THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL LES BRIGITTINES appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The event takes place from the 1st of September until the 28th, and it includes a large range of events and of artists and means of expression (mainly installation and videos).

photo artwe.ro

One of the important artists is Norwegian-Romanian artist Timon Botez, who is interested in sound. I feel that here, talking about architecture and sound goes hand in hand: the artist creates wood installations through which the sound is propelled from a loudspeaker and each installations creates a different sound. How can you form a sound? For Botez the sound can be given a physical shape due to the means through which the sound passes in order to turn into a final shape. And, after all, each ear perceives the sound differently, so the ear gives a different physical shape to the sound before it would be perceived by the brain. Sounds complicated?

photo Radu Sandovici

When you are in the presence of his works you understand the links between architecture and sound. The disrupted works seem to have a body and a continuity. Also, it makes you think that the objects, those boxes, have their own voice. His pieces work on different levels and play with texture, sound and his installations are very urban. He is interested in the way humans interact with technology and the way in which different objects with their own shape and rules mix with other object, creating a hybrid.

The exhibition is on view at Galeria Galateca (str. C.A. Rosetti nr. 2-4) until the 28th of September.

photo photo Radu Sandovici

photo Radu Sandovici

photo theseedersreport.ro

The post EBIENALE IN BUCHAREST appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo francisbitonti.com

The designer’s first project emerged in 2007 for the New York City Department of Transportation when he created Squiggle Rack, a playful alternative to the ever-so-boring bicycle racks found on sidewalks. After that, Bitonti worked up his name through projects that generate more than a few “a-ha moments”, including the appearance of Dita von Tesse as a Sci-Fi evil character with a hidden agenda and a very revealing look.

photo francisbitonti.co

Ever since Bitonti started to experiment with the broadening technique of 3D printing, his work has been tinted with a fresh, organic approach that is visible in everything he creates, whether it is a chair, a mirror or a garment.  For instance, the Bristle Stool and Bristle Chair consist of multiple thin and inflexible stems developed through specific algorithms and designed using one single ABS plastic part. Hempitera is another cutting-edge piece of furniture which resembles a mirror moulded in a chair-like form. It is actually made of polished aluminium, but it looks very deceiving as it reflects the surrounding environment.

photo francisbitonti.com

Being a designer who makes a statement not only through his work but also in the way he presents himself to the public, Bitonti brought 3D printing into the fashion world. The collaboration with Katie Gallager for her Autumn/Winter 2013 collection translates into laser wool textiles that make the body melt into the clothes. Each netting corresponded to a specific piece of clothing and was digitised in computer algorithms that generated the pattern for laser cutting. The collection also included belts created by Francis Bitonti’s Studio that keep to the all-black look and twiggy motif.

photo francisbitonti.com

Since I adverted to inventive elements, I must refer to the impressive Setae Flatware, the kind of cutlery that the graceful elves from Lord of the Rings might use during a lavish dinner. The intertwining of four individual strands made of silver plated 3D printed stainless steel provide an elegant functionality.

photo francisbitonti.com

From the dinner service worthy of fairest Lothlórien to the black and white design of Peconic Ballet Theatre in Riverheard, New York, Bitonti never ceases to baffle. This 2,000sqft facility is reminiscent of the ballet company featured in Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). White walls balance against black floors, black ceilings and black leotards, making the performances stand out and highlighting the dancers. In the waiting room a couple of laser imprinted acrylic Rorschach Tables that double as chairs are randomly displayed. The lighting helps to create a diffuse yet simple and elegant space where the art of ballet is the main ruler.

photo francisbitonti.com

Francis Bitonti’s work is straightforward and technological, yet it doesn’t upset the eyes with an overspill of details. He turns computer techniques into wearable garments and transforms spaces and objects into human-friendly products. Ironically, this comes from a designer who looks like a walking-cliché with his punk hairdo and all-black clothing.

photo francisbitonti.com

photo francisbitonti.com

by Cristiana Șerbănescu

Cristiana Șerbănescu is allergic to describing herself to the public. The one thing she is sure of is that she wants to come to terms with her own artistic differences. She is now attempting to INHALE.

The post UNEXPECTED DESIGN FROM EVERYDAY REBELLIOUS DESIGNER // FRANCIS BITONTI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

SOUNDS INTERESTING category

1.     Her

Director and writer: Spike Jonze

The director of such gems as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation. and Where the Wild Things Are is another one who likes to take things slowly.  After the looks of the trailer…

… it seems to be worth the waiting. The story of an introverted, heartbroken writer who falls in love with his intelligent operative system promises to be a thought provoking, bittersweet film, about human nature, about love and loneliness and the way we build things as projections of ourselves, utilising technology to fill the void we don’t know how to fill otherwise. Yes, I feel like I can tell how the entire movie is going to be after just seeing the trailer, but that doesn’t mean that I am any less impatient about watching the whole thing.

photo blogs.artinfo.com

2.     Inside Llewlyn Davis

Directors and writers: Ethan and Joel Coen

I don’t know why I’m not a fan of the Coen brothers. I greatly enjoy their films, I just don’t get extremely excited over them. With the exception of The Great Lebowski, perhaps. I love their style, their sense of humour, their beautifully imagined characters and I keep expecting to fall in love with them. Maybe it’s Inside Llewlyn Davis that will finally make that happen.

photo craigskinnerfilm.com

3.     Blue Jasmine

Director and writer: Woody Allen

The man is like a clock. It’s like he never suffers from writer’s block, like he has an endless bag of ideas and an inexhaustible energy to make them happen. His 2013 film is about an egotistical socialite facing a midlife crisis and looks very promising from the trailer.

Cate Blanchett is amazing (Mr. Allen has great taste in actresses) and I’m always happy to see Louis C.K. acting or talking or anything, so I can’t wait for this one to finally hit theatres, which is in a very short time.

4.     Venus in Fur

Director and writer: Roman Polanski, after a play by David Ives and a novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

About manipulation, sex and power, this is, just as Carnage, Polanski’s previous film, based on a play and filmed in a confined space. The director has a way of building tension that makes his movies almost unbearable to watch at times and I think this one won’t disappoint, either.

photo ropeofsilicon.com

5.     The Grandmaster

Director and writer: Wong Kar Wai, also writers Jingzhi Zou and Haofeng Xuefully

The story of Ip Man, the man who taught Bruce Lee martial arts, might not have interested me too much, were it not for the director of the lovely In The Mood For Love, which assures me that it is at least going to be a visual treat, and hopefully more than that.

6.     Nymphomaniac

Director and writer: Lars von Trier

I can’t help but expect von Trier’s films with a smirk on my face. I know it’s going to be dark and disturbing, but I also know it cannot be bad. A nymphomaniac recounts her erotic affairs. What more is there to say? I don’t even think anyone is even going to get offended by it, but I really hope they do. That way I can imagine this brilliant Danish troll devilishly chuckling to himself with sick satisfaction, already thinking of new ways to push the boundaries of what is appropriate and acceptable in modern cinema.

7.     Only Lovers Left Alive

Director and writer: Jim Jarmusch

He’s been a hipster since before it was cool and that says it all. I enjoyed some of his works, I detested others (not going to say which are which), but the fact that his last movie is about vampire love has to make one curious. I can only assume that immortality is just another way for him to talk about loneliness, which seems to be his theme of choice. This should be interesting.

8.     L’ecume des jours

Director: Michel Gondry, writer: Luc Bossi, after a novel by Boris Vian

From the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and La science des reves, this film promises to be as touching and beautifully surreal as his earlier works.

9.     The World’s End

Director and writer: Edgar Wright, also writer and star: Simon Pegg

The creative duo that is also behind such movies as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the popular TV series Spaced guarantees a fun watch. If you really must know, their newest production is about five friends trying to finish a drinking marathon they failed at 20 years before, while fighting for the survival of the human race. Just go see it.

10.     Don Jon

Director and writer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Before you roll your eyes and think this is here just because JGL is a good looking actor, I have to stop you and show you the trailer

Now, doesn’t that look interesting? They are having so much fun, how can you not want to see it? I, for one, am happy he decided to try his hand in directing, he seems like a smart guy and I hope he’ll turn out to be at least as good a director as Ben Affleck and George Clooney.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Behind the Candelabra

Director: Steven Soderberg, writer: Richard LaGravenese, after books by Scott Thorson and Alex Thorleifson

There’s already an article here about it:

http://inhalemag.com/behind-the-candelabra-palatial-kitsch/

Only God Forgives

Director and writer: Nicolas Winding Refn

Also reviwed here: http://inhalemag.com/only-god-forgives-beyond-neo-noir/

The Monuments Men

Director and writer: George Clooney, also writer: Grant Heslov, after books by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter

Speaking of actors turned directors, Clooney’s latest film looks very promising, despite looking like a mix between Ocean’s Eleven and Inglorious Basterds.

Trance

Director: Danny Boyle, writers: Joe Ahearne, John Hodge

About an art auctioneer who has become mixed up with a group of criminals, and who partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.
http://inhalemag.com/trance-psychedelic-travel/

Nebraska

Director: Alexander Payne, writer: Bob Nelson

From the director of About Schmitd, Sideways and The Descendents, a movie about an aging man who makes a trip with his estranged son, in order to claim a million dollar prize.

photo awardsdaily.com

The Wolf of Wall Street

Director: Martin Scorsese, writer: Terence Winter, after a book by Jordan Belfort

Is this the film that finally gets Leonardo di Caprio his goddamn Oscar? We’ll see.

The Bling Ring

Director and writer: Sofia Coppola, after an article by Nancy Jo Sales

About a group of teenagers who rob celebrities’ homes.

NOT FEATURE FILM BUT I DON’T CARE

How and Why

Writer and director: Charlie Kaufman

A comedy series from a brilliant man, it could have been a wedding video of his favourite pet and it would still be one of my 2013 highlights.

photo indiewire.com

Louis C.K.: Oh, My God!

Writer, director, star: Louis C. K.

An HBO special from a great comedian, here’s a glimpse:

QED

It looks like a good year, I think. I’m sure there are other films that are not on the list, feel free to say which ones in the comments.

by Alexa Băcanu

Alexa Băcanu is a private investigator and awesome mercenary. Interests: everything (except Math and most people). She doesn’t write anywhere else (no one other than us would let her) except in her diary and on public bathroom walls.

The post 13 REASONS WHY 2013 IS A GOOD YEAR FOR CINEMA – PART 2 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Now, the internet is overflowing with Abramović news, and I have to be honest, I needed time to pass over all the media frenzy to actually be able to sit down and put things together as to what exactly happened over the last few months (and believe me, there’s way more info out there than you will ever need). That being said, please, bear with me, it’s all a little confusing.

photo fastcocreate.com

So first, let’s go back to 2010, when Marina had a performance retrospective at the MOMA (The Artist Is Present), which included: “in an endeavor to transmit the presence of the artist and make her historical performances accessible to a larger audience, the first live re-performances of Abramović’s works by other people ever to be undertaken in a museum setting” and a new, original work performed by Abramović in which she shared a period of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Well, what do all mortals have in common? They just adore a good love story! So when Marina experienced a strong emotional reaction while seeing her former partner in life and art, Ulay, sitting in front of her, the internet angels started singing. Performance art or not, almost everyone saw the two meet again. Gifs, PowerPoint presentations, YouTube music videos, Facebook shares… I’m almost certain my 78 year old grandmother even shed a tear while secretly watching the video on her smart phone. And just like that, most of the internet population heard about Marina Abramović.

photo artobserved.com

Now, back to more recent times. A few months back, Jay-Z proposed to director Mark Romanek to make a video for his track “Picasso Baby”, an upcoming single from his latest album Magna Carta Holy Grail. Mark Romanek, who is the director of some of the most memorable music videos of the past two decades had a striking idea: performance art. And about a month ago, it happened at Chelsea’s Pace Gallery. It was mainly a reenactment of Marina Abramović’s The Artist Is Present MoMA performance, a process that involved him singing the song for six hours straight in front of various people and Abramović herself. Of course, reactions ranged from excitement (HuffPost “Jay-Z is an artist — one of the defining artists of our time”) to bemusement (Gothamist called it “artful mockery of the art world”) to hand-wringing despair (Hyperallergic declared the event to be the day performance art died) and I really can’t say which one I’m feeling the most.

Then, after the “Picasso Baby” stunt, Marina started the Kickstarter campaign to raise founds for the Marina Abramović Institute, an idea she got back in 2010 while doing The Artist Is Present performance. Long story short: MAI is dedicated to the presentation and preservation of long durational work, including that of performance art, dance, theater, film, music, opera, and other forms that may develop in the future. Until the found raising campaign begun, Marina had paid $1.5 million out of pocket towards the early stages of MAI.

photo yatzer.com

Now the other bombshell: as part of the Kickstarter campaign, Lady Gaga decided to take it all off – mentally and physically – during a grueling three-day retreat at Abramović’s home in upstate New York – no computer, cell phone, watch, or makeup allowed. Marina instructed Lady Gaga in the Abramović Method-a series of exercises designed to heighten participants’ awareness of their physical and mental experience in the present moment, a method which will be the center focus of the MAI. Oh yes they did!

And again, reactions ranged, from very good to very bad to down right hilarious. Even more hilarious was the news put out by the global edition (www.theglobaledition.com), which stated: “Marina Abramović admits to Lady Gaga she was just fucking with her this entire time”. And again, everyone went mad: half were happy as could be and the other half simply outraged and probably in the first few days only a few really figured it out: the global news is a satirical news website, as they state in the about section: “We do our best not to provide you with factual and accurate information”. Most likely some of you just found out also, but don’t feel bad about it, I had no idea either untill a few days ago. In the meantime, Marina was busy raising money for her institute, pulling all the stops, like answering fan questions on reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1jctbp/i_am_performance_artist_marina_abramovic_ask_me/) and Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/422090958/marina-abramovic-institute-the-founders/comments).

photo kalliopeamorphous.wordpress.com

The story has to have a happy ending: apparently the campaign reached it’s goal and beyond, but we’ll have to wait a while until everyone will be learning the Abramović method, since the MAI is said to open in 2015.

After all the drama, after all the critics yakking about how performance art died and what not, Marina Abramović is a very busy woman. From her Jay-z/Lady Gaga stunts, to telling light bulb jokes, to single handedly editing a movie about James Franco’s life, she seems to be taking over the internet and I have to tell you that the internet is loving it!

Surprised? I know I am, but then again… I’d rather see the Abramović method over and over again, than catch another glimpse of Miley Cyrus’s soggy ass…

by Alexandra Mateescu

Alexandra Mateescu is a photo-video junkie who left her imaginary super successful forensics career in favor of the University of Arts. She frequently gets mistaken with a 16 year old high school girl so you’ll never catch her without her ID, she has a strong passion for the 80’s, and her kind of art must be funny and a little bit ironic.

http://www.behance.net/alexandra_mateescu

The post MARINA ABRAMOVIC BABY! appeared first on INHALE MAG.

HALLELUJA! category

1.     The Wind Rises

Director and writer: Hayao Miyazaki

Oh, blessed be the gods of film!  Why, oh why, Mr. Miyazaki, can’t you follow Woody Allen’s example and make a movie a year? I sometimes go again along the list of films he wrote or directed, hoping against hope that there’s one which has escaped my eye the previous hundred times I’ve done that. Unfortunately, I have the eyes of an eagle. But not in 2013, no, sir. In 2013, I can bask in the exquisite feelings that precede and follow the release of a much awaited movie. That great anticipation, the thrills of seeing the trailer, the careful planning of the perfect place, mood, friends to see this film in, on, with.

photo vulture.com

Hayao Miyazaki is a well known Japanese animator, co-creator of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio Westerners refer to as Japan’s Disney, because of its great success. But Ghibli is no Disney. As much as I love the latter’s films, it’s impossible not to see the huge company behind everything, the polls and social studies that obviously play a big part in constructing a story to the liking of millions. I see no such background in Ghibli movies. They are not afraid to break the rules, to forget about a happy ending, or an uncomplicated plot, or about the necessary love story, or about the presumed patience span of its public. They trust their viewers with the intelligence and emotional maturity to understand and appreciate a complex narrative, heavy themes such as war and ecology, or anything unfamiliar, for that matter.

photo blogs.indiewire.com

Returning to Miyazaki – obviously all of the above apply to him, but no matter how wonderful Ghibli’s films usually are, the ones he himself authors are remarkably superior and some of the loveliest, most meaningful and imaginative works of art I have ever seen.

That is why the news that this movie

is out in 2013 caused me such uncool fangirl giddiness.

Keeping with one of his dearest motifs – flight – Miyazaki decides to tell the story of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of a fighter airplane which served in World War II and has apparently managed to upset pretty much everyone in Japan. Which is not to say the film is not popular with the general public, who has flocked to see it in movie theatres. I, for one, can’t wait to do the same, or, if (as it’s to be expected) nobody is going to distribute it in my country, put my trust in good old Internet to see it.

 2.     The Zero Theorem

Director Terry Gilliam, writer Pat Rushin

Gilliam is great. He is weird, funny, dark, absurd, playful, philosophical, inquisitive, fantastical. He’s always surprising and never boring.  He’s instantly recognizable, still he doesn’t repeat himself.

It’s always refreshing to see a director who’s not afraid to play. The fact that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is his most realistic film says a lot, I think, about just how much he likes playing with fantasy. Most of his films happen in two parallel universes: the “real” one and the “dream” one. In Fear and Loathing, the dream parts are the drug-induced sequences, in The Fisher King, they’re the visions of a madman, in Brazil they’re the main character’s dreams of freedom, and so on. This serves to show just how much value Gilliam places on imagination and the power of the human mind.

photo plus.google.com

These seem to be the main guidelines of The Zero Theorem, too, as it tells the story of a computer genius working on a formula for the meaning of life. Just think of how zany of a subject that sounds like. Of course no major studio would want anything to do with it. And thank those gods of film for that, too. At least we know that nobody pressured him into doing anything he didn’t want to do, we know the great actors in it got involved out of love for the story and the director and not for some monetary reward. It sounds snobbish, I know, but this is how great films (great anything, for that matter) happen.

“The whole point of cinema is to be surprised all the time” Gilliam said in an interview and that pretty much sums up his entire body of work. He rejects playing along with the public’s expectations in the same way Miyazaki does and the world of cinema is a happier place due to that. Which is not to say his films aren’t some of the most entertaining I have ever seen.

photo hotnewsgator.com

 3.     The Young and Prodigious T. S. Spivet

Director and writer Jean-Pierre Jeunet, also writer Guillaume Laurant, after a novel by Reif Larsen

I’m really not trying to be politically correct in any way, but apparently my most anticipated films this year come from people from three different continents. Like the previous two men on this list, Jeunet possesses a unique style, exquisite imagination and some noticeable obsessions. He also likes to take his time between films.

photo eyeforfilm.co.uk

One common trait of all his pieces of work is their innocence (yes, even Alien: Resurrection, shut up), as if everything’s seen through the eyes of a child. A child who is both a playful dreamer and a dark and cruel soul, combination which I believe is the essence of innocence. I don’t know how the man has managed to preserve this way of looking at things, but I’m grateful he did. His films are so perfectly balanced between light and darkness that they never become too sugary or too depressing, although they have more than enough elements to become both. Another common trait in his work is Dominique Pinon, this guy:

photo hotflick.net

The only thing I can say against him is that he declined the offer to direct a Harry Potter movie and I’m finding that pretty hard to forgive, given that he could have made it so much better than how it finally turned out. Oh, well…

The Young and Prodigious T. S. Spivet is his second English language movie (after Alien), but be not afraid, Pinon is still a member of the cast. It tells the story of a talented twelve year old cartographer who runs away from home and travels across country via a freight train, in order to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute. I expect it to be as positive and charming as it sounds.

To be continued…

by Alexa Băcanu

Alexa Băcanu is a private investigator and awesome mercenary. Interests: everything (except Math and most people). She doesn’t write anywhere else (no one other than us would let her) except in her diary and on public bathroom walls.

The post 13 REASONS WHY 2013 IS A GOOD YEAR FOR CINEMA appeared first on INHALE MAG.

After years in documentary filmmaking (a powerful example is Animal Love, a documentary about the strong relationships between people and their pets), the director has turned to fiction, making films like Dog Days (2001) and Import ̸ Export (2007). Even if he says that he is not interested in portraying reality and that his work is “very artificial, strongly dependent on carefully constructed imagery”, the mixture of documentary and fiction techniques is widely used in his filmography.  He blends authentic details with staged ones, professional actors with amateurs, a structured dialogue with an improvised one.

photo spiegel.de

The three films of Paradise Trilogy: Paradise: Love (2012), Paradise: Faith (2012) and Paradise: Hope (2013) are released separately so they can be watched separately. This boschian triptych continues his previous work, focusing on desperate lonely contemporary women. Satirically titled Paradise Trilogy, the films show with a cruelty à la Haneke the  ruinous ways in which the characters are struggling and failing to conquer the Happiness, through Christian values like love, faith and hope.

photo spiegel.de

In the first part, Teresa (Margarethe Tiesel), an obese 50-year-old lonely woman,  leaves her teenage obese daughter Melanie (the central character of later Paradise: Hope) in the care of her sister and goes for a solitary vacation in Kenya. This exotic destination is the pretext for Seidl to explore themes like sexual tourism, colonial relations, exploitation and women’s liberation. Following the advice of a friend she meets there, Teresa starts to hook up african beach boys (taxi drivers, vendors) just to satisfy her lack of love and her sexual desires, in exchange of money. But soon we figure out that the exploitation is mutual (while the white women treat the local boys as commodities, the kenyans, on their turn, take advantage of the money of the European women), and that the pursuit of love is futile and tormenting.

photo spiegel.de

The second part portrays the intimate life of a middle-aged fanatic woman: Anna-Maria (Maria Hofstätter), the sister of Teresa from Paradise:Love is a medical technician, who devotes her free time to  missionary work and religious rituals. More precisely, she walks on the streets of Vienna, from door to door, carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary to bring people (mostly immigrants) to the right path, to Christianity. At home, she flagellates herself or plays religious songs on her electronic keyboard.  Everything changes when her disabled Muslim husband appears home, unexpectedly, after two years of absence. Anna-Maria turns to be not so compassionate with her husband as Jesus would demand, treating him  in an offensive way.

photo spiegel.de

She completely ignores him, she forbids things to him, she refuses to have sex.  Instead, she gives in all her love to Jesus, sublimating her erotic desire (in a provocative scene, because of which Seidl was accused of blasphemy, Anna-Maria is masturbating herself with a huge crucifix).  The husband replies in an aggressive way, so the conflict between them is getting worse, occasion for Seidl to refer to the aggravation of the war between Christianity and Islam.

photo spiegel.de

We said that the work of Seidl has the air of a grotesque realism, in a bakhtinian sense. He is interested in the human body as it is dominated by the primare needs, in the human body treated as an object. He uses exaggerated, grandiose grotesque images and grotesque situations (sexual orgies, sadomasochism, profanation) to explore degradation and depravation. Despite the fact that he is oftenly accused of cynism, misanthropism or pessimism, Ulrich Seidl manages to keep a humanist regard toward his characters generally put in embarrassing situations and to induct a form of empathy for the viewers.

photo spiegel.de

by Andreea Andrei

Andreea Andrei studied Performing Arts (Arts du Spectacle) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. For the moment she is an independent researcher, interested in the critical potential of art and in the artistic power of criticism.

The post THE GROTESQUE PARADISE OF ULRICH SEIDL appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The philanthropic limb of the Swedish leviathan – a.k.a the Ikea Foundation – has invested $ 4.5 millions in order to create better housing units for refugees. Alongside UNHCR (the United Nations’ Refugee Agency) and RHU (Refugee Housing Unit), the organisation is sending 50 prototypes to be tested in Iraq, Lebanon and refugee camps in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia.

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

What were the priorities in this 3-year-long development? In accordance with everything Ikea represents, the prime issues were durability, security, handiness and comfort. And all of these come in the well-known flat-packs which take about four hours to construct, quite a bit longer than it takes to set up a canvas tent (a single hour). However, the new shelter needs no special tools to be built, as most Ikea shopaholics know, so the mallet is useless in this scenario (advantage: Ikea unit; handiness: checked). Also, the prototype is more sustainable than a simple tent, with a resistance up to nearly 3 years (durability: checked).

Simplicity remains the norm for Ikea’s prototype in such a way that the rectangular panels of lightweight plastic snap onto a metal frame and are held together by wires. Hence, four walls made of Rhulite (a lightweight polymer easy to transport but strong enough to confront harsh climate) and a rooftop covered in solar panels offer insulation and privacy in a space of 17.5 square metres (security and comfort: checked).

photo visible-good.com

At present, the price of one Ikea shelter is about $7.500, but it could drop to less than $1.000 once it becomes mass-manufactured. And this might happen in the future, as the prototype is easier to ship, assemble and live in than its predecessor. Although Ikea Foundation deserves all the praise for orchestrating such a complex collaboration, I must call to record another initiative of this manner.

The RDM (Rapid Deployment Module) developed by Visible Good (a company which provides housing not only for people in need, but also for their caregivers) is a shelter destined for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. This modular unit stands at the crossroads between a trailer and a tent and requires only 25 minutes to set up, without the use of tools. The hard walls and good insulation properties are signs of a sustainable unit that is easy to ship, as it can pack into its own floor. Although the cost of such a project reaches $15.500 per unit, the durability extends from 10 to 20 years (with the exception of the roof that requires a makeover every 3 to 5 years). Ikea might have found a cheaper way to help refugees in the short-run, but the RDM proves to be more innovative with its ability to affix to other prototype units, whether it is a shower or a lavatory.

photo fastcoexist.com

I believe that this is just the beginning of a new course of action concerning emergency housing. The examples mentioned above are proof that smart design can be applied in any given circumstances. There is more than enough room in this world for ambitious, philanthropic products. If only nature was solely to blame for the calamities that require such devised improvements…

by Cristiana Șerbănescu

Cristiana Șerbănescu is allergic to describing herself to the public. The one thing she is sure of is that she wants to come to terms with her own artistic differences. She is now attempting to INHALE.

The post WHEN EMERGENCY RELIEF MEETS SENSIBILITY FOR DESIGN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

She She Pop- “Schubladen”

She She Pop is a Berlin based performance group, formed mainly by female members: Sebastian Bark, Johanna Freiburg, Fanni Halmburger, Lisa Lucassen, Mieke Matzke, Ilia Papatheodorou and Berit Stumpf .

“Schubladen” – is a meeting between former East and West german female residents, confrontating each other, their lives, their education and the society they were brought up. Biographical elements are inserted in the collective history of the last 40 years.

“Schubladen” is a performative encounter of different destinies, all being presented, compared and opposed on stage. There is no good or bad, no right or wrong. Events are regarded with humour and intelligence.

The show is structured as a repetition of confrontations. Sitting face to face, two by two, the 6 participants explore their pasts and bring a personal interpretation to the known historical facts, a catwalk of imagined and reimagined clichés that people have about each other. The conclusion: creating a dialog between opposite sites. Does it work? Can we change who we are if we cannot change the past? Is the past totally defining our lives? The question is to be answered by our personal choises.

Read more on She She Pop’s site: http://www.sheshepop.de/en/productions/schubladen.html

Foto: Katrin Ribbe

www.sheshepop.de

www.sheshepop.de

Mette Edvardsen

“Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine”

The Royal Library of Belgium has hosted the utopia described by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451. In a future far far away all the books are burnt and the only way to support knowledge is by becoming yourself a book. So why not try it out before the disappearance of books?! Following Mette Edvardson’s concept, a group of artists from all over the world, have started to learn books by hard and to become the book they love. There are already 30 live books(in German, English, Spanish, Arabic, Norwegian, Greek, Dutch), one of them I met this year in Brussels.

photo bellyflopmag.com

He was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He took me somewhere in one of the library’s archive and started talking. It was a weird feeling, the book was not an object anymore but a person. The book was embodied by this middle aged man who had no biography for me. He became the story; without trying to add extra feelings to what he was saying or to set a scenery or to make it theatrical. No, it was just the two of us and the story, and the words, the language, the texture of fiction.

More about the project and about the coregrapher and performer Mette Edvardsen: http://www.metteedvardsen.be/projects/thfaitas.html

by Alexandra Pâzgu

Alexandra Pâzgu is an artistic researcher and practitioner, interested in contemporary dramaturgical dynamics. Currently enrolled in an artistic based Ph.D.  at UBB Cluj, with a proposal that links dramaturgy to conceptual art.

http://flavors.me/alexandra_pazgu

The post KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS 2013 UNDER THE SIGN OF PUBLIC DEBATE – A VIEWER’S DIARY – PART 2 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

1) Beastie Boys

At the beginning, these guys were more into punk, but it was Rubin who tried to get them mix that with rap. He was in a continuos research for bands, for styles, for mixtures of different music levels. And Beastie Boys had now their own personal touch, that was never on the scene before. And that’ how you create mainstream music.

photo hiphopwired.com

2) Johnny Cash

Apparently, at the beginning of the 90s, his career was not working so well. For Rubin this was almost like a bet: how can you revive such a great legend, how can you integrate his music on the market? The common ground in all of Rubin’s projects its the continuos quest for success and the record-selling. This might be ultimately the best proof, right? And the album American Recordings sold so well, that they decided to continue to work together, as a team, for the next five albums. That’s quite a commitment, right?

photo wallpoper.com

3) Adele

This is probably a moment where you could have seen his face, since he won a Grammy Award for best album of the year. He closely worked with Adele, and the result was an album that was sold all over the world. I imagine you’d want to stick to that producer whose interest in the mainstream and in bringing to light bands and singers.

photo bigfm-saarland.de

4) Kanye West

The producer claims in interviews that West came in a hurry, stating that there are only 5 weeks left until the disc should be launched on the market. And apparently it was so far from being final, that they had to lock in the studio and to shape the album to what it is today. Like I said, Rubin likes to make artists cross borders, and this is maybe one of the reasons why Yeezus is so controversial, since it’s not what the public was used to.

photo urbanislandz.com

The post THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC – RICK RUBIN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

One of the artists present is Javier Perez, who is more and more visible on the art scene. His work here was the famous crow and chandelier piece, which creates a powerful impact in a white room, because of the blood-flood that looks to have taken place there. It is an important work for the artist who, in 2001, represented Spain at the Venice Biennale:

photo designinvogue.com

Jaume Plensa is famous for his interest in the way light works with glass and bronze. Indeed, his work at the Glasstress exhibition can be characterized as glass meeting light, as simple as that. He is also interested in scenography, so his range of works expands a lot and he gets to experiment new materials.

photo glasstress.org

Tracey Emin needs no introduction. The artist developed a style where the personal life is expressed through art, shocking the audience, especially at the beginning of her career, when the public was probably not ready for such confessions.

photo craftscouncil.org.uk

A beautiful project comes from Mimmo Paladino who is a painter, and this is where you understand better the purpose of this project, since you see the direct effect of changing the medium. As a painter, he was interested in abstractionism and he was a representative figure in the Transavangarde movement. Here, he creates a sculpture reminding of winter and ice. An underevaluated material gets into the spotlight and it should stay there:

photo 1fmediaproject.net

Oliver Clegg is obsessed with the materials he works with, as well as with the way his works interact with light. He feels at his ease both painting, drawing or using wood or, as you can see below, glass. Indeed, the work looks as if it were the mastership of an artists that works on a conceptual level, as well:

photo 24.media.tumblr.com

More on the exhibition:

The post GLASSTRESS EXHIBITION IN VENICE – GLASS AS ARTISTIC MEDIUM appeared first on INHALE MAG.

A fallen tree can be very well used to sit on. If you should add some back classic bronze seat, this fallen tree can become a real piece of furniture, a successful combination between nature and culture. Jurgen Bey, the designer of this work, clearly expresses the idea that it is ridiculous to transport trees when they can be used locally.

photo trendland.com

Who is Jurgen Bey? Visionary designer Jurgen Bey is a Dutch who likes to deal with things at a superio level. Renowned for his truck bench made ​​out of a tree trunk with classic back seat, cast in bronze, Bey is known for works such as Light Shade Shade, a lamp made out of mirror reflecting its surroundings during the day, becoming a chandelier when turned on, or Ear Chairs, some large armchairs with giant ears that allow people to have private conversations in public spaces.

photo dezeen.com

Birdwatch
photo arttattler.com

Deeply interested in the emotional side of things, the Dutch designer Jurgen Bey creates images and new works directly making you think but also talk about the value of modern industrial production. His work stands at the boundary between art and design, treating the environment as a treasure waiting to be discovered. Most times Bey takes the time to observe people’s actions and discover certain intrinsic qualities that are often overlooked. To achieve this he ventures in a journey beyond the ordinary, creating his own way, an original way.

photo vunzooke.com

photo droog.com

photo dezeen.com

by Marta Nedelcu

Marta Nedelcu is an art historian, researcher and manager at Supreme Gallery in Bucharest. Supreme Gallery offers a collection of Art-Deco and Mid-Century furniture.

More at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Supreme-Gallery/166953380118187?ref=tn_tnmn

and you can find them at Intrarea Tudor Stefan nr. 7.

The post JURGEN BEY – THE BEAUTY OF THE LOCAL appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Jenny Jokela is an animator and illustrator born in Helsinki and working in London. What is interesting is the way in which she combines two areas which rarely are put together, but as you can see below they not only work but underline each other even more. What is punk? Jokela’s interpretation is a little different:

As for other projects, here is one we liked a lot, in collaboration with Alvar Magazine. It has that dreamy touch, beautiful image and what is most important is the fact that it gives you a clear line of Alvar’s direction and interests.

The second winning project is Charlene Bagcal‘s project, which is dark and very daring. Again, what Nick Knight chose is a little different from what you’d expect, and this is why his selection becomes interesting. After years have passed, Punk is seen in a new way and, therefore, the term is open to interpretation.

http://youtu.be/-xklHNxzsgo

photo charleybee.tumblr.com

Of course this only makes you want to see more from the artist. Apparently, the film below, Dreamland for Dresslab was accepted in La Jolla Fashion Film Festival and up for a nomination at another festival, the International Fashion Film awards. We’ll probably here more about Charlene Bagcal, because the artist already has a position in the fashion film industry that makes her stand out. Her works are surrealist and daring and she questions themes like power, fragility and sexuality.

photo charlenebagcal.com

So, I thought I should see what the dictionary mentions about this term. The Merriam-Webster states it’s 1. prostitute (archaic), 2.  a young inexperienced person : beginner, novice; especially : a young man,a usually petty gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian, a young man used as a homosexual partner especially in a prison 3. a punk rock musician, one who affects punk style and so on. The word was first used in 1596. And I liked a lot the definition given by the Urban Dictionary (urbandictionary.com):

“A guy walks up to me and asks ‘What’s Punk?’. So I kick over a garbage can and say ‘That’s punk!’. So he kicks over the garbage can and says ‘That’s Punk?’, and I say ‘No that’s trendy!

So, what is punk?

photo charlenebagcal.com

The post PUNK SEASON appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Backing further away in time, in 2006, the headquarters of Österreich newspaper in Vienna, Austria receives a makeover which follows the principle “order out of chaos”. What do all of these have in common? Three innovative minds that carry a nostalgia for modernist intentions (“there are no rules”) and have the courage to play across the spectrum from serious mass-produced objects to experimentation with surprising materials.

photo numen.net

The journey began in 1998, when industrial designers Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljković started to create objects of predefined functions and immediate usage for big-name companies such as Cappellini, ClassiCon, Moroso or Zanotta. Their work developed under the name For Use (very short-spoken and catchy, considering they were mostly creating furniture).  One year later, the same three craftsmen grew out of the industrial conventions and entered the realm of experimental design. Thereby, Numen was established and was the designer’s identity when dealing with projects outside their incipient profession.

The lucky break came in 1999, when the group won the Grand Prix of the Zagreb Salon. From that point on, the designers became artists and their  work turned into a truly visionary art, expanding in fields such as installations, scenography, spatial design and video projections.

Revolve
Producer: Kvadra / 2012
photo numen.net

photo archdaily.com

When being confronted with such an outflow of art and objects, it is rather difficult to pinpoint the best ones (I, for one, stand in awe of everything they create), as Numen/For Use is not about promoting mere products, rather internalising the surrounding environment and creating new links between people.

In this manner are the installations Tape or Net, which have been presented across Europe in various locations. The projects consists of multiple layers of the assigned material suspended in the air in such an ingenious way that visitors are able to climb in and inhabit them. These “floating landscapes”, as they are seldom called, are surprisingly accessible, safe and carefully planned. Nothing (and nobody) is ever left to accident and the end result is a feeling of levitation and individual performance – because the works do not fulfill their function if people do not interact with them. Net was last exhibited earlier this year, between April and June in Berlin, Germany, while Tape made an appearance in November 2012 at the House of Contemporary art in Hasselt, Belgium.

Tape Installation, Odeon, Vienna, 2010
photo c-cyte.blogspot.ro

photo archdaily.com

Scenography is another area that places Numen/For Use on the map. Ever since they engaged in stage designing in 2004 with a project for Dante’s Inferno at the National Centre for Drama in Madrid, Spain, they have been intensively working with major theatre companies and transformed canonical stories in impressive visual performances – here I advert to Cinderella (City Theatre Tresnja, Zagreb, Croatia 2006), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Gavella Drama Theatre, Zagreb, Croatia 2008), Medea (Festival Internacional de Teatro Clasico de Merida, Spain 2009), War and Peace (Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb, Croatia 2011), Dangerous Liasons (Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Sahnesi Theatre, Instabul, Turkey 2011).

Suffice it to say that Numen/For Use is here to stay in the long run while the public waits eagerly to see what is going to be their next mise-en-scène.

Inferno / Divine Comedy National Theatre Maria Guerrero
photo metalocus.es

by Cristiana Șerbănescu

Cristiana Șerbănescu is allergic to describing herself to the public. The one thing she is sure of is that she wants to come to terms with her own artistic differences. She is now attempting to INHALE.

The post THE WORLD IS A STAGE WAITING TO BE DESIGNED – NUMEN/FOR USE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

He was always interested in the relation between science and art, death, beauty, life. Quinn underlines here the wonder of life, the processes and changes through which a body goes through and how all these changes in different people are put together in the same space. One can see clearly which are the differences between people as well as what makes them similar.

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

Artists are generally interested in the human body, since it is the first material to work with. Clothing is another way of presenting the body and underlining the social life of different persons. His sculptures look so real as if there really is someone under the material. The hood is an important detail to some of his characters, since they would rather hide or try to be anonymous, as if hiding from the police.

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

His exploration of life and body goeas as far as studying the fetal states and there are 10 such large sculptures of the fetus. This is even more powerful since they look as if comprised in some structures.

photo designboom.com

Marc Quinn’s sculpture exhibited on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is one that truly questions the way in which people perceive art. Of course, centuries have passed since Bosch and his weird creatures, but what about a muse, an inspiration? How to they have to look? Quinn was inspired by a female artist, Allison Lapper, who was born without arms and who pursued her career as an artist. More than that, the woman is pregnant which may look even more shocking to the audience.

So, even if you are not in Venice for the Biennale, you surely can’t miss Marc Quinn’s presence. Not only that it is a very visible work, but   you might hear locals and tourists talking about it.

photo designboom.com

The post MARC QUINN AND HIS EXHIBITION IN VENICE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo maastricht.gezien.nl

The Act of Killing is one of those good movies you wished you hadn’t seen. Not because of the obvious horrors they unravel but because of the special way they make you connect with the people involved and the reality of what happened to them. The way in which they magnify your perspective (directorial vision is crucial for this part) and show you that what you perceived to be black and white is actually a suffocating murky gray. I remember only one other movie that managed to stir inside me the same kind of uneasy feeling, the feeling that, while the movie was no doubt a masterpiece, I would have been better off not seeing it, that in the end, as tribal people used to fear, the camera (by what it showed me) had managed to steal away some piece of my soul. That other movie was called Grizzly Man and, while researching for this review, I wasn’t too surprised to find out that Werner Herzog, the director of Grizzly Man, was one of the producers of The Act of Killing.

photo filmcomment.com

            In both movies, the reason for this uneasiness is the special nature of the rapport between documentary and reality, and the powerful way in which cinema, as these two examples prove, can transform fiction into something very real. In the case of The Act of Killing, this kind of disturbing transformation is best understood by drawing a parallel to method acting. A method actor aims at creating in himself (the actor not the character) the feelings and inner life of the character he is about to play. Imagine now, that an executioner is asked to play the part of an executioner, and not just any executioner, but of himself! Let your imagination go even further, as director Joshua Oppenheimer has, and set-up this acting exercise in a twisted moral universe, in which the executioner has not been punished but declared a national hero and thus, has no reason (neither guilt nor shame, nor any social pressure from his peers) to adapt his acting to what he genuinely perceives, or at least formally accepts, as right and wrong. From this point on, what you see is not only acting and re-enactment, but also, the reality of killing.

photo theverge.com

Take the scene of the burning of the village for instance. As they are getting ready to film, a veteran of the 1965-1966 massacres chats with his friends, talking about how he used to rape “communist” women back in the days when they were the law. As a spectator, naturally you are outraged. But the real chills come later on, when after the re-enactment of the burning of the village and the murder of its inhabitants, Oppenheimer masterfully sets the camera on the same old executioner. We see him from a distance,  through a curtain of fire, smoke and hot air. He is now resting in a chaise longue, smoking a cigarette and laying back after a tiring day of filming. And then it sinks in. That image is a double folded reality: that is a man smoking a cigarette after a tiring day of rape and murder. Of course you know that it didn’t happen, not now, but forty years ago, that is exactly what that man would have done. Because he is an executioner and not an actor, because his feelings and inner life are not of an actor playing an executioner, but of an executioner playing himself.

            Plato comes to mind with his determination to banish imitative poetry (theater and cinema would qualify as such poetry in modern times) from his perfect city. The Greek philosopher argues that bad people tend to imitate bad actions and bad people and that, on viewing such an imitation, the spectator will he himself become bad. Therefore, imitative poetry should only limit itself to the imitation of good people performing good actions. By switching perspectives, what it comes to is this: bad people who have themselves done the bad actions they are imitating, are not imitating, but are doing. Take away those two seconds, the murderer resting, gazing through the fire he had started, and edit them on real live footage of an actual Indonesian massacre. The result is not real in the common sense of time-space continuity but, on a metaphysical level, one could argue that the two reels edited together are as closely connected as cause and effect can be.

photo vimeo.com

Another example of this kind of chilling reality coming to life through fiction, is the scene in which we see Anwar Congo under a table, strangling an imaginary communist lying on top of the table. We don’t see the man, he is obviously not there, the wire is not tied around somebody’s neck. But forty years ago there was somebody on that table. And the skill and effort Anwar puts in this imaginary murder is the exact image of what would have happened during the massacres. Anwar himself realizes that when predicting the success of the movie: “there has never been a movie where people get strangled, except in fiction, but that’s different, because I did it in real life.”

photo australianfilmreview.files.wordpress.com

But the high standard for this kind of disturbing cinema, that comes at you with the same intensity as reality does, is not set by the murderers. Early on in the movie, during a script meeting between the old gangsters, a middle aged man reveals himself as the stepson of one of the communist murdered in the massacres (though not by the hand of anyone shown in the film). How he got there is unclear, he is never credited, but Oppenheimer admits that he found out about the massacres when interviewing the relatives of the victims for his Globalization Tapes project. The man tells them his story in gruesome detail but assuring them that he is not judging in any way, he just wants to be sincere about it. Bearing this in mind, we see the same man delivering an amazing performance as one of the victims, being interrogated by the executioners. We also see the man playing one of the victims in the burning village scene, and then happily shaking the hands of the paramilitary after the shooting. In another scene, we see him yelling furiously “Cut his throat!” to the demon of Anwar`s nightmares. A victim playing a victim and the murderers playing the murderers. It doesn’t get any more real than this, and to top it all, the man gives such a powerful performance that he would qualify for an Oscar nomination and a psychiatric evaluation at the same time. Or maybe this is exactly that: therapy through art, the victim and the murderer, accepting what happened to them by going through the rituals of murder, through the act of killing.

photo slantmagazine.com

On the surface, this film could best be described as a making-off documenting Anwar`s attempt at re-enacting his murders in various film genres: gangster, western and musical, all with a distinct Indonesian flavor and a (good) taste for grotesque (his sidekick, Hernan, plays the fatty love interest in many of these featurettes), black humor, that sometimes spills outside the frame of the movie within the movie, and all out surrealism. The scope of the film however is much more profound, and beneath all the surreal elements that the imagination of the old executioner conjures, what truly matters in this movie, are the real elements. At the same level of depth with that uneasy feeling I have talked about (that comes from knowing, that on some level, this is all very real), the camera seems to work in an opposite direction for Anwar Congo, not taking away a piece of his soul, but on the contrary, making his soul visible, for his mind and reason to deal with.

photo whatculture.com/

An important part of the movie is made up of screening sessions and in the last one of these screening sessions, director Joshua Oppenheimer pushes Anwar on what seems to be, a tearful acceptance of his past. To the spectator, Anwar`s repentance seems more a fear of bad karma coming his way. From a cinematic point of view, you’d want more, you’d expect his coming to terms to be more emotional, more powerful, not a result of the fact the the director confronts him. You want him to convince you that he has found his moral compass, that he truly repents so you don’t have to feel guilty. Guilty about getting to like this guy, this gentle grandpa who teaches his nephews not to harm little ducks, this funny old man who dresses like a pimp with a fashion degree, this Nelson Mandela look-alike and Sidney Poitier wannabe, this cinema gangster, this murderer. You want to be sure, you want the murky gray to turn black and white again. In fact, you crave for fiction (there is no such thing as a pure documentary, it is always someone’s point of view), for an auctorial intervention that would edit some sort of moral meaning in this ending. But then you realize that this is exactly what this kind of cinema is aiming at: an emotional vertigo of reality that doesn’t let you have the easy way out, once seen you just have to check it as something that happened, something real, not something that makes sense.

by Andrei Șendrea.

http://www.liternet.ro/autor/3761/Andrei-Sendrea.html

The post THE ACT OF KILLING – ACTION IS DOING appeared first on INHALE MAG.

This is the legacy of Walter de Maria. Though an unfamiliar name for the general public, de Maria decided to be on the map in other ways. I mean literally, on the map.

His most famous work, The Lightning Field (1977) expands over an area of one kilometre long and one mile wide in the desert of Western New Mexico, USA. Four hundred poles made of polished stainless steel with pointed tips are mathematically arranged and fixed into the ground 220 feet apart (this guy really had a sense of humour with choosing numbers!), thus creating a monumental installation which visitors can not merely look at from afar, but also walk through at appropriate times.

The Lightning Field
1977
photo theguardian.com

The well-directed artistic intention of de Maria takes effect not only during storms – as the poles are murderous conductors of electricity – but also at specific hours of the day. During sunrise and sunset, the visual performance created by the light gradations on the poles are said to be memorable. On one hand, de Maria managed to praise the higher forces of nature while still making it accessible and somewhat playful. On the other hand, his expansive thinking materialized into something that goes beyond the narrow spaces of traditional art quarters such as galleries or museums.

Another attempt to override artistic conventions was the Vertical Earth Kilometre (1977) in Kassel, Germany, included in that year’s Documenta. In this case, the work is ironically hidden from view and placed into a borehole in the ground. One thousand metres of solid bass cut into six metre sections were inserted in that bore, making visible only the top part which quizzically sits level to the ground. If this is a game of hide-and-seek, I honestly think that Walter is the winner.

Additional to the list of viewer-interactive works is The Broken Kilometre (1979) located in New York, USA. Five hundred solid brass rods, of two metres in length and two inches in diameter apiece are placed in five parallel rows of one hundred rods each. The artist’s mathematical precision goes even farther as the distances between the rods increase by five mm with each consecutive space, from front to back. The prodigious work occupies the wooden floor of a monumental hall, illuminated by metal halide lighting fixtures.

The Broken Kilometer
photo artobserved.com

This is not the only work by de Maria commissioned and maintained by Dia Art Foundation in New York. An earlier piece, The New York Earth Room (1977) can also be found under the same patronage and is the last remaining of three similar Earth Room sculptures (the first in Munich, Germany – 1968, the second in Darmstadt, Germany, 1974). The title of the work doesn’t convey anything; on the contrary, it overtly denominates the indoor art-piece: a 335-square-metres floor space evenly covered with 197 cubic metres of earth.

The New York Earth Room
photo nothingmajor.com

Adding-on to the list of works, I should mentions 360° I Ching (1981) and The 2000 Sculpture (1992) which are demonstrations of how art can be too elusive to the viewer’s visual coherence. De Maria manages to conquer difficult spaces by moulding them into Minimal sculptures of massive proportions and meticulous display that trigger a reflective state of mind. “No matter how pure I try to be” the artist noted in 1968, “something always enters in, a streak of non-purity. It’s a point where warm meets cold, action meets inaction, that’s what interests me. And what goes on in people’s minds”.

360° I Ching
photo pavlinalucas.com

The 2000 Sculpture
photo archpaper.com

Such artistic convictions of Walter de Maria are harboured in some of his essays that are quick-witted and genuine with taunting titles: On the Importance of Natural Disasters, Art Yard, Beach Crawl, Meaningless Work (I just love it when a great artist is being modest about his art).

Among so many seriously conceived works of art, I will raise the barometer of coolness by pointing out that de Maria was also a talented drummer, playing alongside of Lou Reed and John Caleb in The Primitives (a New York-based band which was a predecessor to The Velvet Underground).

The 2000 Sculpture
detail
photo archpaper.com

I must admit that it is distressing for me that Walter de Maria’s death earlier this year is an inducement of his work being recollected in various articles (this being included). However, it’s never too late to recognize good art, especially when it is waiting for you in open field.

photo stendhalgallery.com

photo stendhalgallery.com

by Cristiana Șerbănescu

Cristiana Șerbănescu is allergic to describing herself to the public. The one thing she is sure of is that she wants to come to terms with her own artistic differences. She is now attempting to INHALE.

The post THE MEANINGLESS WORK OF WALTER DE MARIA appeared first on INHALE MAG.

The Belgium pavilion is one of those that can’t be forgotten. You enter in the large space lightened by a soft light and you see on the ground a wounded tree. Its texture looks almost like flesh and bones. It looks as if someone came and tried to heal it. The artist, Berlinde de Bruyckere, is famous for her sculptures that treat subjects such as death. The entire setting is so powerful and the atmosphere is gloomy.

photo designboom.com

photo designboom.com

Canada is represented by Shary Boyle, and it was, probably, one of the most expected exhibitions. She works in different media and the audience was curious about her video and sculptures. For this Biennale she created some beautiful sculptures and a projection was running, thus giving the works even more layers. Music for Silence is the name of the exhibition and you might want to be alone in the space, because of the emotional setting. The space looks a little crowded, thus making you feel that anyway you turn you are surrounded by sculptures.

photo canadianart.ca

photo cbc.ca

Greece is represented by Stefanos Tsivopoulos, and the project is called History Zero. What is interesting in his approach is the fact that the artist takes the painful problem of money and austerity in Greece and turns it into a positive thing. The film has three parts: in the first one a hobo finds in a garbage bin a bouquet of flowers made out of money and runs away, leaving behind everything he had found before, in the second a very stylish artist looking for inspiration on the street and taking pictures of pretty much anything finds this hobo’s belongings and in the third part there is a wealthy old woman that bought a work by this artist and who throws away a bouquet of money she herself has created. History Zero is like a starting point in the way money should be perceived. It has that optimist and positive touch, where things are organic and are continually changing, and where people’s needs are complementary.

photo fadwebsite.com

photo port-magazine.com

photo port-magazine.com

And because Venice Biennale is work and fun, here is the project of the pavilion of Serbia, Nothing in Between Us, represented by artists Vladimir Perić and Miloš Tomić. You know how they say that an artist sees things where other people don’t? It’s exactly the same here, since this project puts into light the playful part of art as well as the power to observe things. One of the works is 3d Wallpaper for Children’s Room, where 247 toys are pun on the wall to for a beautifully coloured wallpaper. Photo Safari concentrates on the photographer and on the object used in order to create a piece of art. In this case, art is made out of the bags that protect the camera, with little intervention. What’s even more intriguing and enjoyable is the fact that they create animal figures, therefore an object which has a functional use becomes, now, a piece of art.

photo junk-culture.com

photo junk-culture.com

photo modernism.ro

The post WE WERE THERE: VENICE BIENNALE 2013 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

This installation looks very strange because of the powerful light that is created in the room. So, you might just discover that you’re scared of too much light. Also, there are some sculptures that have the shape of a foetus and which are moving in circles on the walls. It is a proof of his interest in different areas meeting art, since his art is based so much on technology, here.

He creates conceptual works who work on different levels: they use sound, they use light and they create an entire show for the public. Indeed, his works look as if the audience is always in his mind, because he creates very immersive pieces.

photo lorisgreaud.com

photo lorisgreaud.com

photo lorisgreaud.com

photo lorisgreaud.com

The post LORIS GRÉAUD AND HIS LIGHT INSTALLATION AT PALAZZO GRASSI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Gwon Osang is often called a rising star of the Asian art world. He has shown his work around the globe, done projects for Fendi and Nike, and collaborated on a record cover for the band Keane.

Gwon Osang’s work consists largely of Deodorant Type, The Flat, and The Sculpture series. Started in beginning of 1998, Deodorant Type is the oldest, most acclaimed of Gwon’s work. Deodorant in the title Deodorant Type is a product we all know and use, that alleviates human odor. Usually, instead of essentially eliminating the source of the odor, a deodorant lightly covers the unpleasant smell so that people cannot smell it. This in many ways has similarities with the attributes of  Gwon’s photo-sculpture. While he captures the subject with the medium of photography, the captured image becomes mixed, creating something slightly different from the original subject.

Deodorant Type

Khumbu & Kuma, 2012
photo osang.net

Untitled, 2012
photo osang.net

Fennder, 2012
photo osang.com

 The Flat

So how does a sculptor begin working with photo cut outs? Osang says that bronze, metal or wood are materials which for him are too large and heavy, so he kicked in his petite person imagination and eventually came up with the photo sculptures made out of paper, which are lighter and more mobile. In time, he began to use Styrofoam as a base for the imagery, I guess mostly because of those people that can’t keep their hands away in an art exhibition: “Whenever people touched the work it went in, and it was hard to pull back out. I glue the photos in place and use epoxy resin to varnish and seal the final work.” The models he most frequently uses for the photo-sculptures are friends or people from the art world, who have the time to pose for long periods of time, as he takes up to thousands of pictures per sculpture, the total time for the creation of these three-dimensional images being around 2 months.

For his ‘The Flat’ series Gwon cut out advertisement images such as watches, makeup and jewelry, attached supporting objects on the backs of those images so as to set them up as if they were still-life sculptures and photographed them. The Flat 16, 17, 18, which is made of three panels, is composed of the images of jewels taken from the 6-year copies of a Korean magazine entitled ‘Noblesse’. With this series he makes a full life circle for the objects: from 3-dimensional (product) to flat (image on the magazine), to 3-dimensional (sculpture) and again to flat (photograph).

October (Vase), 2011-2012
photo osang.net

December
photo osang.net

October (3D)
photo osang.net

The Sculpture series was the highlight of his solo exhibition in Seoul in 2010. Gwon focused on the contemporary industrial design such as high-end automobiles and motorbikes that exemplify the height of commercial society as pure artistic materials. All five works in the exhibition are portrayed in the shape of a torso with handles and wheels eliminated. Before Rodin introduced the concept of torso in the 19^th century, it was seen as an unstable body, and the common convention was that it is difficult for the torso by itself to have any kind of aesthetic value. However, Rodin produced torsos in his conviction that the unstable form can activate the imagination much more than the completed form can.

The Sculpture

Torso (The Sculpture 12)
2008-2010
photo osang.net

Torso (The Sculpture 13)
2008-2010
photo osang.net

Torso, Gallery 2, Seoul
2010
photo osang.net

Gwon’s models are often depicted in unusual poses, which he says are mostly taken from ads and magazines. He is interested in exploring how the human figure can express different meanings in different contexts, through their gestures and expressions. His work is heavily influenced by contemporary advertisements, and a fascination with the way they reflect modern-day life.

Gwon Osang is based in Korea and represented by Arario Gallery, Korea. He has exhibited work in China, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan and The Netherlands.

by Alexandra Mateescu

Alexandra Mateescu is a photo-video junkie who left her imaginary super successful forensics career in favor of the University of Arts. She frequently gets mistaken with a 16 year old high school girl so you’ll never catch her without her ID, she has a strong passion for the 80’s, and her kind of art must be funny and a little bit ironic.

http://www.behance.net/alexandra_mateescu

The post THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SCULPTURES OF OSANG GWON appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo showstudio.com

photo showstudio.com

The collection focused primarily on layers and on different materials but together. Also, colours and textures mix, but the show started with some all black looks. The jackets have tulle fabrics that flow. The models looked like walking zombies at some point, with make-up all coming down and clothes teared up. Everything became lighter the moment when colourful bermuda shorts matched shirts that were also colourful.

photo showstudio.com

photo showstudio.com

photo showstudio.com

“I’m not interested in rules, or whether they are there or not. I do not consciously set out to break rules. I only make clothes that I myself feel are beautiful or good-looking. People maybe say that this way of feeling is against the rules.” says Kawakubo, an artist with a strong direction, famous for her independence and her vision.

photo showstudio.com

photo showstudio.com

The post DARKNESS IN LIGHT : COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS SPRING 2014 appeared first on INHALE MAG.

She worked with Maison Martin Margiela, Gareth Pugh, and Alexander McQueen. And because her films are so artistic, they were screened at ICA and Fash/On Film Festival London 2012. Lady Gaga commissioned her and Nick Knight to make the visuals for her US tour which brought Hogben, if necessary, even more recognition. If you look at the clip below, you might think that there is a certain connection with the one made for Gareth Pugh. This is because she has a specific direction and her style is easy to recognize.

photo dirty-mag.com

photo dirty-mag.com

She then worked again with Gareth Pugh, in 2010, and then in 2011.

photo bareps.tumblr.com

photo www.yatzer.com

Fashion films are important because they become very popular on Internet and get to a lot of people. Her films are very architectural, and she works with black and white that also makes it very clean and clear, and the result is that only the important lines remain in the photos. What is even more interesting is the fact that she does it all! From meeting the designer and deciding what the collection mood is to cameras, light, editing and colouring, doing, therefore, the work of an entire team.

She doesn’t exclusively work in black and white, and here is the proof. Hogben worked with Eliza Cummings for Dazed and Confused July 2013.

photo wearesodroee.wordpress.com

photo wearesodroee.wordpress.com

Here is an interview with Rugben:

Read the article about Nick Knight for more information:

http://inhalemag.com/influencers-nick-knight/

The post FASHION VIDEO ARTIST: RUTH HOGBEN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

His latest collaboration is with Daniel Arsham. They are preparing a performance show, Occupant, that will be presented in December at Art Basel Miami. Four dancers will dance near Arsham’s objects (they are white and made out of chalk). What is beautiful about this project is the warmness and the ability of mixing two areas, which is a thing both artists do, in such a natural fluid way, without intruding. What is interesting about Johan Bokaer is also the fact that he constantly challenges himself and other artists when they work together. Among others- Isaac Mizrahi, Robert Wilson, Robert Gober, Iri Batsry.

photo nowness.com

photo nowness.com

photo nowness.com

In False Start, in 2008, his body is standing in front of a garage door, which underlines the contrast between the body and the metal. Then what he does is to fold again and again, as if he tries to find a way to use it in this fight with the metal. How can you get through this door? How negotiate with this powerful object? Also, he body takes the time needed to start over again. All this hope is very important in the entire process, because it keeps the body moving. He also used 3D animation, which, once again, makes a statement on how a body mixed with a different medium to create an organic work.

photo boston.com

In On Vanishing, the choreographer worked with Lee Ufan, that exhibited at the time at Guggenheim, Marking Infinity. It was his first work where dance met sculpture. Here, the dancers used their body to underline the changes through which it goes. What was impressive is the use of space- there are many dancers that have difficulties in really filling a space and in using its full potential. But On Vanishing seems natural there is a great use of the space. Also, they make music when touching the paper, while they were curled up in it, as they were standing in a fetal position.

photo hartharthart.photoshelter.com

photo youtube.com

The post KEEP AN EYE ON CHOREOGRAPHER JONAH BOKAER : NEXT AT ART BASEL MIAMI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

She received an MA scholarship from University of Arts, London and she won LCF Best Design Award 2012 as well as the Accessories Collection of the year at International Talent Support in 2012 for the collection below. She exhibited in Berlin, Rome, Paris, London, Rotterdam, New York, Trieste and Istanbul.

ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution (fiberglass, polyester resin)
photo anarajcevic.com

ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution: (fiberglass, polyester resin, 2012)
photo anarajcevic.com

She started from the skeleton shape in order to create sculptures. The result is that it looks warmer and that it fits somehow weird somehow interesting the human body. When attached to the head, the sculptures look as if they are part of it, and giving the owner a sense of sensuality and power. Of course, when there is a mix of human and animal the result is very strong, because the animal features bring into question a time when humans were closer to that area.

ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution: (fiberglass, polyester resin, 2012)
photo anarajcevic.com

ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution: (fiberglass, polyester resin, 2012)
photo anarajcevic.com

What she wanted to create is sculptures that would be difficult to put in a specific category: accessories or jewelry? Anyway, the works can be exhibited separately as well as on a model.

ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution: (fiberglass, polyester resin, 2012)
photo anarajcevic.com

photo anarajcevic.com

photo lostateminor.com

The post ANA RAJCEVIC – SCULPTURE AND FASHION DESIGN appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Schumacher was invited to talk in Bucharest at the end of the two weeks workshop where the focus was on different energies which exist in a given environment, such as wind. These energies were identified, simulated and publicly presented by teams made of architects. The researcher’s paper was on Parametricism as a style. What is that?

photo Andreea Chindris

It’s what the Zaha Hadid Studio works on, trying to create a dogma, indeed, while Modernism should be seen as taboo, his words exactly. There was an ontological shift from rigid shapes to more malleable materials and shapes, and this is very present in their works. The world is dominated by lines, but when entering the logics of this dynamic field, they changes their shape, creating a more fluid line and, therefore, a fluid starting point. Parametricism is a style that integrates different elements in order to give a new coherence to the result. Each element brings its own dynamics and when thinking about the medium where it has to fit, the building has to take into consideration the space, as it is, how it relates to other building and to the topography of the space.

Kartal-Pendik Masterplan, Istanbul, Turkey, 2006
photo patrikschumacher.com

Of course, there is the battle between functional and formal, and the result should be an esthetically beautiful building as well as functional and related strictly to the needs of the audience. And Parametricism is vey aware of the importance of the public.

As for the principles that guide this style, we must mention that there are forbidden the rigid forms, repetition and collage of unrelated elements that give a specific structure. Among the principles that do guide the Zaha Hadid studio are the attention to nature, soft forms, differentiation.

photo Andreea Chindris

Here is an example of what a building designed by their studio looks like:

Zaha Hadid Architects – Azerbaijan Cultural Centre, Baku
photo patrikschumacher.com

The researcher made it very clear why the studio wins so many projects: it’s because of their high-performance and because the mayors and politicians understand their interest in the city where they would build a structure and think ahead – when they make a proposal, they also think how the work would integrate in the city and how other similar buildings could change the general aspect. Also, they do not create sameness, meaning that they play a lot with structures while they are in the research phase in order to get to a different shape, created for that specific project. He is also interested in the history of architecture and tried to place Parametricism in the general context. He talked about  the fact that architecture is very linked to a specific period of time and to politics, and Parametricism comes after the fall of Communism in a period when the public is important and when there is a movement towards a holistic view of a town and of each element.

Galaxy Soho
photo archdaily.com

Civil Courts – Madrid, 2007, Accentuating Environmentally Adaptive Façade
photo patrikschumacher.com

by Andreea Chindriș

The post ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS AND PARAMETRICISM – THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL STYLE? appeared first on INHALE MAG.

photo cinemasalem.com

The story follows a family of drug smugglers that own a boxing arena searching for the killer of one of their brothers. All the ingredients are present for the film to be viewed as a neo-noir representation of the Bangkok crime scene and the classic cinematic artifices are all employed in this sense. Firstly, the black and white colour scheme is replaced by variations on red and blue which dominate the screen throughout the movie. The city is mired in darkness and narrow streets that form a maze for the characters, with the diegetic sound mainly used for punctuated footsteps, creating a sense of expectancy and heightened tension.

photo imgur.com

Also formally within the noir genre is the femme fatale character Crystal, the evil blonde mother that seeks to push Julian (Ryan Gossling) into murdering his brother’s killer. She is opposed by the classic ‘good girl’ Mai, who tries to reduce and replace the influence of the mother. The moral ambivalence of the characters is often emphasized with the use of shadows, with both Julian and Chang moving in and out of dark spaces.  These two stand in opposition, emanating energy on the screen with full body shots that are linked to crescendos in the soundtrack. Julian’s role as a leader in his family group is matched by Chang (The Angel of vengeance), who is a spiritual leader of the police department, with a god-like persona that is adored by his colleagues. In classic noir tradition, the film ultimately looks at the main character’s struggle to reconcile good and bad and achieve spiritual unity.

photo i.imgur.com

Given that this is a movie that breaks the East-West divide, it is also interesting to look at the way the differences between characters follow those lines. In this respect, a clash between kitsch and cliché is neatly presented in Only God Forgives and the play between appearance and essence is important in reading this aspect. While Bangkok is filled with Chinese lanterns and cheap colourful spaces, all Thai characters present a strong sense of morality and family values. From the prostitute’s father who kills his daughter’s assassin, to the hit-man whose only concern is his son’s well-being, a sense of right and wrong permeates.  Outside of whorehouses with art-deco interiors and Greek sculptures, there appears to be a singular understanding of ethics that is enforced by Chang.

photo i.imgur.com

On the other hand, Julian’s family is characteristic of a dysfunctional modern ‘unit’. With a dead father, a child abusing brother and a manipulative, perhaps incestual mother, their moral bankruptcy is evident in the mother’s dialogue, which jumps between vulgar and neurotic. These themes are all portrayed in very straightforward psychoanalytical narrative sequences that reek of ‘white’ insecurity and oppose the clean aesthetics of the mother’s hotel room. This clash between cultures offers Julian a space to go through a transformative journey that ends with his purification.

photo i2.cdnds.net

The last point and the unifying theory for the unfolding of the film appear with the dedication of the film to Alexander Jodorovsky. Firstly, we can look into the ways Refn borrows from the Chilean’s director supra-realist style to explain much of the performance of the characters. We also see the use of sound as a primary source of cinematic experience (tip!:close your eyes when Chang asks the girls to do so and see the results). More importantly however is Jodorovsky’s writing and experience as a tarot reader and his method of psychomagic. The technique relies on the psycho-genealogy (psychoanalysis that takes the family tree as the key aspect of therapy) of the subject that is targeted and then healed, based on the patient’s subjective superstitious beliefs. Under this lens, violence is the purifying agent, and Chang is the healer. Gossling’s character acknowledges Chang’s morality and pardons his brother’s killer after hearing what the Angel of Vengeance made him do. This sets up a spiritual link between the two main characters from the beginning, and Chang goes on to gradually kill all the negative elements in Julian’s life. Furthermore, Julian’s willingness to fight is in fact his preferred choice of superstition(that of archetypal male behaviour), his only means of communication, and the scene is followed by his salvation, as he stops his mother’s assassin from killing Chang’s daughter.

photo media2.firstshowing.net

As Julian slowly moves closer to the Angel of Vengeance, he finds himself searching for the purification that his brand of justice offers, and finally accepts his punishment. While the Ryan Gosling school of deadpan acting might see a fall in applicants, Only God Forgives cannot be judged singularly on those standards (on which it mainly fails). Meant to be released soon after Valhalla Rising, it follows Refn’s thread of non-social violence explored through characters placed outside classic understandings of morality and offers a distinct tale of man’s resolution with his violent self.

by Paul Dunca

Paul Dunca is a freelance saboteur looking for a change of pace. He writes reviews and opinion pieces to keep appearances and can be reached at various wishing wells around London.

The post ONLY GOD FORGIVES – BEYOND NEO-NOIR appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Gaga Pays Tribute to Andy Warhol as “Candy Warhol”
Though Lady Gaga has not actually worked together with the late Andy Warhol, she has credited the King of Pop Art as a driving force behind many of her theatrics, even making her own video tribute to Warhol a few years ago. The pop singer also modeled her her own creative team, Haus of Gaga, after Warhol’s Factory.

The HAUS OF GAGA, the superstar’s personal creative team, has also coordinated an ‘Art Rave’ event prior to the album/app’s November 11 release, featuring collaborative works with the likes of Jeff Koons,Inez & Vinoodh, Marina Abramovic and Robert Wilson.

or the launch of her fragrance Fame, Lady Gaga crept into an egg-like structure in the Guggenheim and fell asleep. Fashion, art, and film celebrities looked on and also reached into an opening in the egg to touch the sleeping beauty. After she woke up from the first half of the performance piece, she invited tattoo artist Mark Mahoney inside the egg. Mahoney proceeded to tattoo Gaga’s neck in front of the onlookers. Of course Gaga doesn’t sleep like anyone else.

Could these collaborations be anything like the one Jay Z did with Marina Abramovic at Pace Gallery in New York? Could the app be anything like Bjork’s Biophilia app from October 2011, corresponding with the release of her album at the time? Perhaps, but regardless, Gaga has repeatedly stated that she’s an artist first and previously collaborated with visual artists like Nick Knight, Steven Klein, and Terence Koh. Photography duo Inez & Vinoodh also directed her “You and I” series of fashion films and photographed her for V Magazine.

Cover | Lady Gaga by Inez & Vinoodh for V Magazine #71

Cover | Lady Gaga by Inez & Vinoodh for V Magazine #71

Photography and Film Collaborations With Inez and Vinoodh

American artist Jeff Koons poses next to his artwork “Michael Jackson and Bubbles” (1988) in the Fondation Beyeler
in Riehen, Switzerland.Photo creativeboysclub.com

The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic- Luminato Festival 2013, Pgoto credits: Lucie Jansch

The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic- Luminato Festival 2013, Pgoto credits: Lucie Jansch

The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic- Luminato Festival 2013, Pgoto credits: Lucie Jansch

While we are looking forward to whatever Lady Gaga has in store individually or collectively with these artists, we are also welcoming a moment where musicians are placing their work in the realm of performance art. For both Jay-Z and Gaga, much remains to be seen, but what we do know is that the next few months will be full of art, pop, performance, and big collaborations between the art and music worlds.

-via hypebeast.com & complex.com

The post JEFF KOONS, MARINA ABRAMOVIC & ROBERT WILSON GO GAGA appeared first on INHALE MAG.

So, yesterday you read just a glimpse about this guy, Nick Knight. He might not be a name on everyone’s lips, but, in fact, he is now becoming more and more visible, due to the artists he is working with. Let’s look back and see who he worked with the whole time. Amazingly, you’ll see that you already knew some of his works, maybe you wanted to check the-director-of-that-video and the photographer-of-that-crazy-photo-shoot. Here they are, lying there, just waiting to be read:

1. Nick Knight and Gareth Pugh – magnitude 5 

In 2008 the two collaborated on a project called Insensate.

There are artists that know exactly what they want to do and whose direction is well established- once you see one of their works you recognize it as being theirs.

photo dazeddigital.com

But then there are those artists who are constantly changing, adapting to a context or creating a special context for their own creativity. Indeed, Knight seems as if he is boundless when it comes to thinking fashion photography.

Gareth Pugh A/W 2008- Insensate film

2. Nick Knight and Yohji Yamamoto – magnitude 7 

The Yohji Yamamoto catalogues made by Marc Astoli, Nick Knight and Peter Saville between 1986 and 1988 were creating a new dimension to fashion.

So, a long time ago, when these names did not immediately open doors, the two artists collaborated on a project. Also, this area became more and more visible and he gave it a new direction, where it was see more as art.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I happen to find such proofs of influencers that worked long before together, it makes me think that eventually all important people meet to create together. Also, it gives me a sense of how much time and energy they’ve invested in something they believed in. In 1986 and 1988 they were already doing what they wanted to do and what they do still the present day, only that they didn’t yet get there. How many of you were born between these years? Yeah, see what I mean? That’s a whole lifetime.

Yohji Yamamoto Catalogue, Pour Homme 1987/88
photo a modernmatter.com

photo mariankihogo.com

photo reelfoto.blogspot.com

photo hmslatex.tumblr.com

3. Nick Knight and Björk - magnitude 6 

How I feel about this collaboration? You know when you have two great friends, that don’t yet know each other? But you start thinking that they should meet, since they are both imaginative, determined and very self-aware of what they can do. Then you start think what if they met? And you are so excited about it and hope they would get together well. An when they do- Bam! Fireworks! Everything works. I don’t know how they came to work together, maybe they liked each other’s work and said it was time they did something together. Anyhow, the beautifully video became instantly a buzz in the art scene.

photo kosmiche.wordpress.com

4. Nick Knight and Lady Gaga – magnitude 5 

As much as she is blamed, she is admired. Lady Gaga is truly interested in working with artists that are very good on their specific area. Behind her image there are so many talented persons and it is so good to see that emerging artists grow in visibility due to their common projects. And keeping an eye on the art scene is something that Lady Gaga does. We’ll talk more about that in another article. For now, here is what Nick Knight did with her:

photo fernandoirigoyen.com

photo fanpop.com

So, which collaboration did you like best?

The post INFLUENCERS : NICK KNIGHT appeared first on INHALE MAG.

I.

Sanja Mitrovic’s performance Speak is designed as a speech contest between the artist and fellow performer Geert Vaes. Famous speeches are reenacted by the performers with the purpose of reinterpreting the text and the meaning of the discourse without taking into consideration the original context.

World-known speeches are opposed, some examples include Barak Obama’s A New Beginning, Egypt June 4, 2009; Martin Luther King, Jr. Beyond Vietnam, NY, April 4, 1967; Adolf Hitler, Speech on Foreign Policy, Reichstag, Berlin, January 30, 1937; Vlaclav Havel, The Future of Hope Conference, Hiroshima, December 5, 1996; Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms, Washington, December 6, 1941 etc.

photo sanjamitrovic.com

The spectator is confronted with one speech at a time, and after each round he has to vote for his favorite speech. The difficulty arises when trying to define the reasons of voting: what do you choose when you vote? Does your vote go to your favorite speech or to your favorite performer? Or do you choose for how a speech has been performed?

The performers are not only playing a historian’s role, but become also the creators of new meanings for old speeches, due to their personal interpretation and subjective way of performing.

Speak incorporates an ambitious urge of debating around the theme of political speeches, but ends up presenting the obvious theatricality of speeches and fails in addressing a political question towards art or an artistic question towards politics. Nevertheless, it’s worth seeing it, it may disturb you!

http://vimeo.com/66479150

II.

The most tonic/vivid and yet reflective performance, mixing the borders of possibility and potentiality in performance art, was Antonia Baehr’s performance Abecedarium Bestiarium CREATION- Portraits of affinities in animal metaphors.

The performance consists of multiple stops each revealing a letter that names an extinct animal or a crypto zoological element. The script for each mini performance was written at the artist’s demand by friends or acquaintances.

photo kampnagel.de

The sum of the mini performances creates a fictional alphabet of mystical animals: the Dodo bird, the Tasmanian tiger, the Mermaid, the Dolphin etc. By enacting the words and actions from the scripts, the performer accomplishes a panoply of endangered human features. Each performance is different because every time the performer chooses different letters. Here are some examples:

The horses: the relationship between two good friends, who painted horses when they were young and for whom the Art school becomes the main reason for not painting horses anymore. The story is told by visual means. The performer is handling a video projector and manipulating different images and drawings of horses to create action and a story. Poetical, sentimental, graphic.

photo kampnagel.de

The cat – the limit between tenderness and aggressiveness, between domesticity and wildness. The performer is using her body, gets undress and finally uses her breasts as puppets on table. Provocative, asexual, groovy.

The mermaid: a sound intervention that reproduces mermaid language, that is created in front of the spectator’s eyes and ears by mixing different old tapes, registration and voice overs. Imaginative. Nostalgic. Vulnerable.

To sum up, Antonia Baehr’s (in German read bear) is recreating in her Abecedarium a selection of extinct features that are represented by archaic animals but that are actually part of our spiritual human mythologies. Untraceable characteristics are made visible by the invisible means of performance art. Is this art? The question is addressed with every gesture of the performer, and every time the answer is suspended between: 1. Who cares as long as you love it, 2. Of course it is art – look how far it’s going, 3.It’s so simple and yet so complex 4. As long as it makes the invisible- visible- it.is.art.

photo kampnagel.de

photo ausland-berlin.de

by Alexandra Pâzgu

Alexandra Pâzgu is an artistic researcher and practitioner, interested in contemporary dramaturgical dynamics. Currently enrolled in an artistic based Ph.D.  at UBB Cluj, with a proposal that links dramaturgy to conceptual art.

http://flavors.me/alexandra_pazgu

The post KUNSTENFESTIVALDESARTS 2013 UNDER THE SIGN OF PUBLIC DEBATE – A VIEWER’S DIARY appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Synecdoche New York

written and directed by Charlie Kaufman

starring Philip Seymour Hoffman

This is my favourite film in the whole world. I hesitated about putting it in the list, because it’s just so wonderfully complex and simple at the same time, so unique and hard to compare with anything else, that I didn’t think I could possibly find a food to do it justice. And I was right, I didn’t. Keep reading.

photo aceshowbiz.com

The film

It’s the story of a theatre director who gets a funding of as much money as he needs to create his magnum opus. The man is socially awkward, hypochondriac, and generally unlikable, as all great artists are (at least for Kaufman, apparently, remember his previous movies, the artist is never cool). His dream is to make something great, as great as life itself, and that’s where the problems start. You see, as his life keeps changing and expanding, trapped between his ever present feeling that he’s dying and the ever growing sets of his performance, the artist finds himself incapable of completing what he had in mind. It’s complicated. If you haven’t seen it yet, go do that immediately, then come back and tell me how you would have summarized that better.

photo learninthecloud.wordpress.com

The dish

This is the tricky part. I’m going to slightly break the rules here, given they are my rules and nobody cares anyway, and say the only thing suited is a combination of alcohol and cigarettes. Not exactly food, but they still go in your mouth, so just be grateful I’m keeping it civil. Allow me to explain.

We start it off with the drink, and not just any drink, but the mother of all that’s pure and clean and metaphysically painful about alcohol: vodka. That will make them shiver in disgust, then almost at once feel a kind of inner warmth, bringing with it the promise of great things to come. They don’t know yet whether they like it or not, but their interest is, in any case, awoken, like a sleepy dragon from the distant jingle of a gold necklace.

photo rt.com

The drinks need to keep coming at a steady pace, for a couple of hours, until our trusting client has gone through almost all stages of drunkenness. First they laugh, poor bastards, unaware of what’s next. Then they are overwhelmed with the desire to go on the dance floor and get jiggy with it (is that still a cool thing to say?). Afterwards they should discover a sense of human connection with everyone around them, a love for their fellow man, as imperfect as they may be. As a simple precaution, it’s important that during this stage they are kept at a safe distance from people they might find attractive (that is, everyone), as they will be very willing to see what’s all the fuss about that make love, not war thing everyone keeps talking about. NOW is the time to give them that pack of cigarettes they were craving all night, but that you sadistically refused to take down from the upper shelf.

photo media.theiapolis.com

It will taste something like Monte Cristo’s first breath of air as a free man. Like the blood of a virgin for a starving vampire. It will be wonderful and disgusting and wrong. And each cancerous breath of delicious smoke will make them think, suddenly aware of what they’re doing, tragically incapable of stopping. Soon, all that previous love will turn to: everyone I love, including myself, are going to die. We are going to totally die, before we even do what we dreamed of doing when we were young and innocent and happy, and we’re going to be alone and sad and oh, God, why don’t you exist? Then they cry. They always cry, as they realize how they’re trapped in their own destiny, which they themselves are creating, unaware of how tragic and pathetic it all looks like from the outside.

photo billblog.blogspot.com

And, should they dream of maybe one day becoming chefs themselves, they will shed one extra tear at the realisation that, not only will they never be able to create the chef-d’oeuvre they’ve been dreaming of, as it is impossible to do so, but they won’t even match you and your devilishly combined dish. Or they will just puke and hate everything you carefully constructed for them, because they can’t hold their liquor, so they’re not prepared yet. Give them some time to grow and try again.

Read part one here:

http://inhalemag.com/six-more-or-less-delicious-films-and-their-food-equivalents/

Read part two here:

http://inhalemag.com/six-more-or-less-delicious-films-and-their-food-equivalents-2/

by Alexa Băcanu

Alexa Băcanu is a private investigator and awesome mercenary. Interests: everything (except Math and most people). She doesn’t write anywhere else (no one other than us would let her) except in her diary and on public bathroom walls.

The post SIX MORE OR LESS DELICIOUS FILMS AND THEIR FOOD EQUIVALENTS – PART 3 appeared first on INHALE MAG.