24/11/2013: WLASze: Weekend Links on Arts, Sciences & zero economics

This is WLASze: Weekend Links on Arts, Sciences & zero economics. Enjoy!


Shopping malls rarely inspire - both in terms of exterior architecture and interior design… their utilitarian purpose combines with aesthetic of the masses to produce bland, dentally-inspired greyness… unless, of course, it is a shopping mall in Sweden, where extreme capitalism collides often spectacularly with extreme socialism to produce unexpected visuals. Behold this Van-Damme-Volvo-ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10) equivalent in the shopping mall architecture:
http://it.phaidon.com/agenda/architecture/articles/2013/november/14/malmos-melted-shopping-mall/
After all, energising those satiated consumers to spend their money on things other than social justice requires visual experiences that are truly spectacular...

Three sets of links relating to space next.

First, NASA's latest Cassini images of the Titan - with high resolution section showing Northern Lakes (Salt Flats): http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4900
H/T: @raluca3000 @NASAWebbTelescp (click on image to enlarge)

Second, a beautiful set of visuals to put the relative dimension of the Earth and our solar system compared to some stars out there:
http://www.mbandf.com/parallel-world/our-sun-is-extremely-large-our-sun-is-fairly-small

The page above comes courtesy of a fantastic Mechanical.Art.Devices (M.A.D.) Gallery http://www.mbandf.com/mad-gallery/explore/ A fascinating glimpse into the world of unique engineering and design… (not strictly space image, but so elegant, it might just be stellar)...

Three: one hell of a cool story, via arstechnica, from the Antarctica, where earlier this year, scientists discovered Ernie and Bert, "two neutrinos with energies over 100 times higher than the protons that circulate in the LHC. Now, the same team has combed through its data to find an additional 26 high-energy events, and they've done a careful analysis to show that these are almost certainly originating from somewhere outside our Solar System."
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/11/south-pole-detector-spots-28-out-of-this-world-neutrinos/

And in a related story, http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/04/coolest-jobs-in-tech-literally-running-a-south-pole-data-center/ arstechnica covers the jobs at the South Pole data centre where they have to "heat the air used to cool… data centre".

Brilliantly written and fascinating!


Science Gallery at TCD is featuring this week in dezeen with a story about the latest show "Grow Your Own - Life After Nature" that runs through 19 January 2014 and is worth visiting…
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/11/20/olafur-eliasson-tears-used-to-make-human-cheese/ See @ScienceGallery

A brave show, pushing the bounds of what we consider aesthetically acceptable and blending these bounds with what we consider both art and science. And the science bit is not about the actual physical stuff, like growing cheese culture based on human body excretions-produced bacteria. Instead, it is a science of our self-awareness, the compartmentalising nature of our understanding of the acceptable. In many ways, this is about ethics reaching beyond their own domain into aesthetics. As we commonly have a problem with seeing the animal that provides us with a steak in their living condition, we have a problem seeing (let alone tasting) a slice of cheese that was grown from the bacteria harvested from our bodies.

"Selfmade is a series of ‘microbial sketches’, portraits reflecting an individual’s microbial landscape in a unique cheese. Each cheese is crafted from starter cultures sampled from the skin of a different person. Isolated microbial strains were identified and characterised using microbiological techniques and 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Like the human body, each cheese has a unique set of microbes that metabolically shape a unique odour."

We then frame the whole experiment into what is ethically or aesthetically acceptable to us: "Cheese odours were sampled and characterised using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, a technique used to identify and/or quantify volatile organic compounds present in a sample."

I will leave you at this and suggest you explore the said boundaries on your own…



Interesting show in London's St Petersburg gallery: Vladimir Baranov-Rossine: From Cubism to Surrealism:
http://www.saintpetersburggallery.com/exhibitions.html

Apparently, the first exhibition in 30 years retrospecting his works in Europe.

While on Russian art, an amazing collection of rare Allies posters highlighting the role of the Soviet army during the World War 2: http://rbth.co.uk/multimedia/pictures/2013/11/14/wwii_lend-lease_posters_campaigning_for_soviet_troops_31715.html

And travelling further in time, an unseen until recently collection of early photographs of life in Russia from the beginning of the 20th century
http://www.businessinsider.com/prokudin-gorskii-photos-of-russian-empire-2013-9#a-water-carrier-poses-for-prokudin-gorski-in-the-street-25
Here's a sample - both in colour and original print:

Readers of WLASze would know that I am not a big fan of Zaha Hadid, having written before my opinion about her over-exposed, over-worked studio. However, where credit is due, it should be given. Fantastic aesthetic and total absence of respect for balance can be a cool combination. This building confirms:

http://www.designboom.com/architecture/innovation-tower-by-zaha-hadid-at-hong-kong-polyu-11-20-2013/


And for the last bit - an absolutely fantastic Gel talk by Vi Hart on mathematical applications to music composition:
http://vimeo.com/29893058?utm_content=bufferb7b81&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

Enjoy!

11/8/2013: WLASze Part 2: Weekend Links on Arts, Sciences and Zero Economics

Due to travels, I will be posting shorter versions of WLASze: Weekend Links on Arts, Sciences and zero economics this week and next. Here is the second post of the series for this weekend (the first post is linked here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.it/2013/08/1082013-wlasze-part-1-weekend-links-on.html.

Enjoy!


Nightvision is a project that involved a 23-year-old videographer, Luke Shepard and his friend plus a 90 day Eurail Pass, and Kickstarter… the group traveled to 36 cities in 21 European countries "with the goal of capturing the greatest European architectural masterpieces around today." Shepard & co have shot more than 20,000 photos and he was able to create 47 image sequences of the trip, 27 of these formed his amazing timelapse called Nightvision. http://www.lshep.com/index.html
Sadly, the group did not get to Dublin… which means someone else will have to do a good time-lapse of our Grand Canal Square…


A brilliant photography/collage artist, Sergey Larenkov (his site here: http://sergey-larenkov.livejournal.com/) combines historical images with current shots of cityscapes to deliver always poignant and occasionally stunningly beautiful collages that merge history across time and physical landscapes. One example: Pushkin 1941-2011...

Yes, at certain point we must stop reviewing or even discussing Zaha Hadid's architecture for it is rapidly becoming formulaic, non-explorative and simply predictable. Here's an example: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/07/movie-beko-masterplan-by-zaha-hadid/ And the best bit, as usual - comments by the readers.

My own view: It is rather obvious that over-production and over-design are the two core threats to Zaha Hadid's practice and legacy. She has long became singular in form and missing any progression. Putting a stop to innovation to focus on 'iconic' semiotics is the end of an architect and artist, in my view. Hadid's architecture was recently id'd by one of the commentators on her work as "Kim Kardashian buildings: Rich in curves but no meaningful content or good taste". My sentiment too.


While reading through Taipei's solo run for Design Capital 2016 (lack of any other contestants pretty much assures that the venue will go to Korea, despite the relatively obvious lack of any serious merit in the two projects submitted for it), I came across this post from 2012 on the project called the Scrap Skyscraper http://www.dezeen.com/2012/07/31/scrap-skyscraper-by-projeto-coletivo/ A very interesting concept:

An amazing Chinese photographer, Jialiang Gao
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46999807@N03/sets/72157626997860925/

Via AtlasObscura: "Covering over 16,600 hectares in Southern Yunnan in China, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces cut over the Ailao Mountain slopes down to the Hong Kong river. There for 1,300 years, the channels of water have supported farming of red rice, involving eel, fish, buffaloes, cattle, and ducks that all move through the landscape dotted by 82 villages."
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/2013-new-unesco-sites

The article linked above has some other stunning photography by, for example, Teo Gómez. The poignancy of colour, the fluidity of shapes, the compositional perfection of created landscape - necessity sometimes is not only the mother of all inventions, but also a sister of beauty… In a sense, both sets - by Gao and by Gomez - document the improbability of beauty as well as its transience and ability to return.


For those of my followers who do read Russian, a very interesting debate about the Russian national identity: http://www.snob.ru/selected/entry/63417.  The debate juxtaposes current perceptions of Russian (nationalist) identity and the long-established multicultural and multinational (subsequently federal) identity. Many outside Russia over the decades (and in Russia since the nationalist revival in the 2000s) are being sold the identity of Russian dominance (racial and cultural) over minority groups. However, this view of Russia is hugely at odds with the historical reality. this historical reality is that even in AD 880s Russian identity was organically inclusive of a large number of smaller nationalities, and that cultural, religious, ethnic, genetic and geo-political integration have been an active model for the creation of modern Russia over at least 800-900 years.

One example, striking in its powerful contradiction to the mantra of cultural or ethnic purity or dominance of the standardised 'Russian' identity is the case of Ivan Kalita - Muscovite duke - who in 1327 as a head of the Golden Horde mission burned to the ground orthodox Tver dukedom, as a response to the murder in Tver of the Tatar Ambassador. In a punitive expedition the Tatars alongside the Muscovites "Turned the whole Russian realm to ash." Tver prince fled to Novgorod and then in Pskov. Ivan Kalita demanded his extradition, and the Metropolitan Feognost sitting in Moscow, excommunicated him and all the Pskov from the church, thus revealing one of the top models of the Orthodox collusion between the Muslim Horde, Moscow and the Moscow Church. At the very time of the Muscovite power, that power rose above the notions of kinship, and above the Orthodox faith.

Sadly, I would not recommend using google translation for this article, since its format leads to translation providing exact opposite interpretation to the actual meaning of the complex phrases in a number of cases. It is, thus, to remain the material suited to Russian-language readers.

4/8/2013: WLASze Part 2: Weekend Links on Arts, Sciences and zero economics

This is the second part of my regular WLASze: Weekly Links on Arts, Sciences and zero economics posts for this weekend. Part 1 is available here. Enjoy...


A beautiful medium and a perfect balance between art (texture, colour, composition) and design (geometry, balance, space, utility): http://the189.com/design/art/works-by-japanese-ceramic-artist-shinobu-hashimoto/

Shinobu Hashimoto's site is here: https://www.facebook.com/shinobuceramic

On a similar theme, wonderful works in different wood media, united by the weaving technique:
http://howtospendit.ft.com/home-accessories/30923-woven-wonders-of-the-world
Scottish artist Lizzie Farey's 'sculptural baskets'

An interesting new (at least to me) artist: Glasgow-based artist Scott Naismith
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/scott-naismith-landscape-paintings

Pushing the range of colour out to higher contrast limits and juxtaposing these against light and composition. Not bad… not bad at all… A bit more of the artist's portfolio: http://www.redbubble.com/people/scottnaismith/works/3579801-2-deep-blue

I am not quite decided on his work, yet - it seems to need more careful definition and a build up of selective quality works not to be fully confused with over-exposed kitsch street art, but… I intuitively like it.


Intuitive liking, however, is dangerous, just like intuitive disliking, whenever action is concerned. Good reminder - the recent controversy in Kiev, Ukraine:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Kiev-museum-director-accused-of-censoring-work-by-covering-it-with-black-paint/30156
Political over-sensitivity leading to censorship is never a sign of strength, always of weakness of the regime and underlying national fundamentals… There is nothing that screams louder 'Massive chip on ya shoulder!' than painting murals over… More paint over paint and you might end up in a world similar to this: http://instagram.com/p/cYpGAEgw2B/


On a much more positive note relating to the national identity and art, Happy Birthday this week to Henry Moore - British most brilliant sculptor of all times:
http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/pictures-big-birthday-tribute-giant-british-art
Saatchi were running a list this week, asking people to relate their memory of the first encounter with Moore's works. My own was at UCLA - in the sculpture garden. If you ever in the vicinity of the campus - I suggest you stop by and experience the sculpture garden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2GK7aV-UeY


It was only a matter of time that Zaha Hadid - with her practice's prolific stamping out of the curvature-obsessed architecture around the globe - will run into some trouble. And so she did…
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/03/zaha-hadid-galaxy-soho-riba-award-lubetkin-prize-chinese-heritage/
It looks like Hadid's firm oversaw bulldozing of a historical heritage (already generally lacking in China's urban jungles) and replacing it with a… you guessed it… megalomaniac curvature set. The Royal Institute of British Architects decided to award this 'mushrooming of honey pots' an award… I am not convinced by RIBA call there... [Note: MrsG disagrees]


A fascinating topic of gender differences in behaviour is a tricky one and not exactly rewarding, but important. Here are four links on the same study which uncovered significant differences in managing risk between men and women: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=men-and-women-gauge-risk-differentl and abstract of the study itself is here http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432812006419, while whole paper can be seen here http://www.wangqiyu.com/bio/index.php/archives/693.


To wrap things up for this week, a really off-beat and wonderfully light-hearted photography by Samuel Bradley http://www.blog.samuelbradley.com/

http://the189.com/design/art/imagery-from-samuel-bradley/


Enjoy!..