Jellyfish Tales

Merry Jelly!

2011-12-31T13:51:00.002+01:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

via Nerdcore

jellyfish girl 2

2011-11-27T22:23:00.005+01:00

illustration by Kat Menschik for Haruki Murakami's short story "Sleep".

jellyfish girl

2011-11-27T20:46:00.002+01:00

beautiful artwork by Katsumi Asano

home

2011-09-04T19:21:00.051+02:00

Here are some shots of the fishermen village I have spent a few days in. It is a remote place in the Danube Delta, one famous among tourists who are looking for a non-mainstream and peaceful seaside vacation, amateur fishers and photographers. An electronic music festival and an independent film festival take place there each year during summer and have made it more popular for tourists.

There is no other place I can think of, that can get me to living so presently every moment than Sf. Gheorghe in the Danube Delta. It has been three years since I have last been here. It's incredibly peaceful and I manage to forget about anything else when I am there. I actually feel separated from the rest of the world, which is why the nickname of the village, "the end of the world" seems more than appropriate to me. There may be phones and TVs now, but to buy a magazine, one would have to head over to the post office and the boats coming from the big town (There is no other way of getting there) would not even ship bread daily, let alone newspapers. I noticed more cars this year (maybe less than 10 in the whole village, though), which is a bit annoying, but I could still see people riding their horses.

We usually live with a local family, and enjoy local home cooked meals. It initially took me some time to get used to not having a proper bathroom inside the house and showering with sun heaten water from a tank. The schedule was pretty much identical every day: During breakfast I would watch 'Meercat Manor' on Animal Planet or Discovery Channel's 'How It's Made', then we would spend some hours in the morning at the beach, I would have a couple of hours of sleep in the afternoon, a late afternoon walk or boat trip on some river channels (I'm done with fishing :) and finally, after dinner, we would all watch a movie at the open air theater that was established for the film festival. By 22:30 I would be in bed. I actually had the luxury of being able to turn off my cell phone (I would not be able to do that if there would be the possibility of any relevant emergency).

I would honestly have no objection to doing this throughout the year. I would not miss work, loud music, busy streets, people I have to interact with that are not my friends, my cell phone, I could even get used to not having internet. I was an incerdibly free person for 9 days and I hope I can hold on to that feeling to fuel me for the next months. Knowing I've got my place there and I can always choose to go back there, sure is a comforting thought.

time to recharge

2011-08-16T21:26:00.007+02:00

A small village on finest sand. A sunny place drowned in reed and purple fields. A place of millions of birds in motion. A place of wild horses with a sad fate and cattle that like to bathe in the Black Sea. A place of warm greetings from strangers. A place of occasional silent boats in an architecture of river channels that local fishermen know like the back of their palms. A place of the most dramatic cloud formations, sunrises and sunsets. A place so far from the rest of the world that it can only be reached on a ship on certain days of the week.

I'll be heading home, to the place that has been holding my heart for years: Sf. Gheorghe in the Danube Delta.

perspectives

2011-06-19T16:52:00.007+02:00

Photo by gzi24◎歌無岸

We all share the same eyes. And we struggle, have desires and obsessions and anxieties and insecurities.

And we are sad and/or desperate and live

from one day to the other.

Or, if not, we kid ourselves and die

with the illusion that there must have been a reason.

And in the end, what is it all for? When we are honest to ourselves, we all miss seeing through the eyes of the child we once were. Why did we have to trade them?

there's no such thing as jellyfish

2011-06-19T16:30:00.005+02:00

interesting and beautiful video from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute on jelly-like creatures.

via nerdcore

iron

2011-06-18T00:05:00.003+02:00

I absolutely love the black and white, slow motion video of "Iron" by Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid. Lemoine is French, 27 years old and amazingly talented in a number of fields (photography, film, illustration, music). The clip was directed by him and the amazing cinematography is by Mathieu Plainfosse. I just love the characters, their motion and the overall fierceness conveyed, as well as the way how it all visually complements the song! Enjoy:

Woodkid - Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.

via artschoolvets

lissie

2011-05-09T13:49:00.004+02:00

Here is a wonderful video by @watchlistentell of Lissie in London. I fell in love with the entire channel, am discovering great new music and admiring the wonderful videos directed by David Tree.

james pan's jellyfish series

2011-05-09T13:43:00.002+02:00

Do check out the amazing jellyfish photography series by James Giovanni Pan:

via das kfmw

no idea

2011-04-01T14:05:00.014+02:00

As a kid, I have always heard people giving me pieces of advice, tell me ultimate truths of life. And I accepted these words of wisdom, tried very hard to keep them in mind. And even though I tried to rationally grasp the meaning of those words, I knew that there must be a deeper essence within them, one I would only be able to understand through my own experience.

And yet, there was one exception. We were in our final year of high school, studying for the final exams and for the entrance exams at the uni. Everyone was extremely tired and stressed out. I can't remeber the narrow context of my teacher's confession. I remeber she was talking to one student while everyone else was listening and then she said to the whole class:

"If you are terrified by the possibility of failing this exam, you have no idea of the proportions of the hardships of life."

She took her time finishing the sentence, stessing the "you have no idea" part. Her tone was crushingly honest and she was smiling while she said it, the type of smile that says: "And I should know." Her statement robbed us completely and instantly, with only one sentence, of both our fear and the only standard we had ever had for hardship. A heavy burden was lifted but a heavier one had been dropped. This was the only time the meaning of another person's words had a major impact on me, whithout me having any experiential basis for them.

Thanks, Ms. R. for teaching me perspective.

lotus flower

2011-02-19T23:26:00.006+01:00

Wayne McGregor of Random Dance choreographed Radiohead's "Lotus Flower" of their new album "The King of Limbs". Enjoy this piece of marvel:

Radiohead - Lotus Flower von h0nki

the black atlantic

2011-01-27T22:37:00.004+01:00

The Black Atlantic are a Dutch band with a great melancholy sound. Check out their song Fragile Meadow performed for Amsterdam Acoustics below:

subcarpati

2011-01-06T16:06:00.004+01:00

I was certain I had blogged about this before, but I seem to have missed it:

Subcarpati come from Romania, are based in Bucharest, and combine folklore and hip hop sounds in a quite original fashion. The project is by Alexe Marius Andrei aka Mc Bean (member of the Blanoz collective and singer for Suie Paparude, whose album you can download for free and who have one of the best horizontal scrolling sites I know, designed by Stefan Lucut).

I highly recommend downloading for free their entire album from their website (at "descarca albumul Subcarpati").

2011

2010-12-28T20:05:00.007+01:00

photograph by Luka Yang

2011 is my opportunity to finally advance by choosing either left or right instead of insisting on walking straight when this is not possible.

It is a big puzzle to me how different my perspective at the end of 2009 was, compared to this year. Because, objectively, nothing much happened in 2010 to justify such a big difference. At the end of 2009 I was extremely tired, had few future perspectives and even less energy to implement any measures to change anything. I could even barely come up with a sane resolution for 2010. The end of this year is confusing as ever but at least now I am looking towards 2011 with positive energy and faith in change and finding long lost balance.

But with all my positive attitude towards change this year, one of the biggest of 2011 has imposed itself on me without me having anything to say about it. A certain family issue will force me to go through a major transition in terms of becoming more tolerant, selfless and responsible. It is a huge challenge for someone who has a reputation for being none of the above. But I have a strong feeling that if I don't get it right this time, I might not get another chance. Maybe it'll be my final graduation.

With respect to another issue that has been burdening me, 2011 seems less promising. The battle between old and new has yet to be settled.

snow

2010-12-27T19:20:00.008+01:00

photograph by Eden Lee

I have arrived home a few days ago. Finally, it is snowing heavily around here. I am anticipating the sound of a shovel being scraped across the pavement in the morning and that makes me happy. I've heard it other places, but the echo is never quite the same as in the interior yard of our apartment block.

thought of you

2010-12-18T15:57:00.006+01:00

It's saturday, it's cartoon day!

Today's cartoon is an old-school 2D style one, by Ryan Woodward, titled "Thought of You". Enjoy:

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

The song is "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies. Here's a behind the scenes, documenting the collaboration with modern dancers and choreographers.

via @fALk_g

you need to get off facebook

2010-12-16T17:50:00.004+01:00

written by Ross Gardiner, produced by Sonny Side Films, shot with a Canon 7D, edited with Final Cut Pro

P.S. I did watch it on FB first :)

P.P.S. the sound of FB chat is terrifying to me

P.P.P.S how awesome is it to be an English teacher in South Korea?

kordan

2010-12-15T00:42:00.001+01:00

Kordan from Brooklyn

Kordan: "Mirror" from KORDAN on Vimeo.

via Bloom CN on Facebook

memories

2010-12-13T11:13:00.011+01:00

photograph by Angus柒

I miss the mixed smell of leather impregnated with Lucky Strike smoke and intoxicating tusche. I miss the orange lemonade and the white cherry and green nut sweets. I miss listening to Willie Nelson and drinking coke from a coffee mug.

point and shoot

2010-12-08T23:15:00.001+01:00

illustration by Luz de Luciernaga

sinnvoll-berlin.de

2010-12-05T14:37:00.005+01:00

At the Xmas market in Berlin I have recently bought one of many beautiful notebooks. Each one is hand made and one of a kind. Mine looks like this (both sides shown):

I love the texture of the notebook which was made from old newspaper and thread and the colors that emerge more or less randomly from various old newspaper pictures. The notebook comes from Sinnvoll in Berlin. Do check out their website for more interesting products, all made from recycled products like bicycle tubes, old paper, packages, cans, records etc. Moreover each product comes from a social service project with fair wages. Well done!

compliments

2010-12-05T14:29:00.003+01:00

I was so happy to discover this type of street art (?) in my city! It was a piece of paper at the stop lights. It looked like an ordinary announcement, but it was written by hand, in colorful glitter and said: "for free: compliments". Anyone was free to take a compliment with them. And for the ones who didn't, it still made them smile! Great initiative!

re-formatting

2010-12-05T01:38:00.013+01:00

photograph by changer

Strong winds make my steps hesitant, the fog renders my way uncertain. For the first time, I feel tempted to give in to a reasonable (what an awful word!) offer. A strong set of old-fashioned values and ideals is threatened, now (finally?).

Reason says go the new way. But my old way is of a brilliance and purity that few will ever have the privilege of knowing. Not one argument against the new way. But my old way is frail and weeping anticipating betrayal. Which way will I turn? Convert? Reformat?

Either way, a storm is ahead.

berlin in winter by night

2010-12-04T00:44:00.006+01:00

Below I am sharing some (few) pictures of Berlin by night. It was about the same time in November two years ago, that I visited the city for the first time. And although at that point I had no time to explore the city, I tried to make up for that this year. Unfortunatelly, I had the nastiest cold, was running around with the dizziest and heaviest head I could imagine and was not really in the mood to take pictures, which is why I don't have a big selection and not even enough to show all of Berlin's faces I've seen.

If I were to describe Berlin with three words it would be: relaxed, young, international. And it would still not describe it entirely. It is artsy, modern, funny, alive. Personally, I also recognized some familiar cues, like wide open spaces and boulevards, old-school tall buildings, the subway interior, all of which made me feel comfortable. Last but not least, I love Berlin in winter, in lights, in snow (a little bit) and in the sweet scent of mulled wine and caramelized nuts.

online, offline

2010-12-03T20:48:00.016+01:00

photograph by RICENZ

"Jellyfish, are you Spanish?"

"How did you end up in Shanghai?"

"I could swear you were Chinese. Even your picture looks Chinese!"

"How's the weather like in Portugal?"

"I don't know why, but I was sure you were from Hong Kong!"

And it is not just my nationality, my occupation sparks a great deal of dicussion as well. I have to explain my interests, my CV, my choices, and to be honest, I haven't even thought of cool answers for those questions. In one picture and a timelines, people project whatever they want to see. So I realized that Jellyfish only exists for everyone as they want her to be. Because of these expectations, I find it hard to meet up with people offline or chat with them (for example for interviews).

I can't say I am bothered, but I do feel a strange vibe everytime I have to correct/contradict people. It is not what they wanted to hear, this does not fit in the picture they have made of Jellyfish. To some extent maybe they feel tricked. Then I often have to justify and excuse myself. Luckily, most people are very nice and kind, they recover quickly after the first seconds of confusion, are open minded and warm. But I know that from then on, to them I stop being Jellyfish.

nosaj thing

2010-12-03T20:37:00.000+01:00

...and some really cool visuals:

Nosaj Thing - MIS, Brasil 2010 (leg. português) from Cauê Ito on Vimeo.

direction long lost

2010-12-02T16:59:00.008+01:00

photograph by Lihan Lin

...and going wherever I am taken.

hiromix

2010-12-01T20:28:00.005+01:00

Hiromix is a successful female photographer from Japan. Born in 1976 in Tokyo as Toshikawa Hiromi, she was able to establish a name for herslef quite early as one of the most prominent representatives of the private/ introspective and snapshot style. In 1995, her photo diary series, Seventeen Girl Days, won the Canon’s 11th New Cosmos of Photography award.

Recently, I have bought her second photobook (almost identical in concept with "girls blue", which had a much more edgier feel but is now out of print), titled "HIROMIX", which contains random photos of herslef and everyday things, mainly food, flowers, pets, and friends (including actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi and photographer Takashi Homma with blonde hair).

"Photography is the place where I can express all of what I feel and think in my everyday life. It would not be understood by grown-ups or kids - only we can see what it is. So, I don't expect everyone to understand it. It just makes me so happy when it reaches people, even a few."

For more on Hirmoix link here or here. For an interview link here. Photo source.

sia - i'm in here

2010-12-01T20:20:00.003+01:00

Sia - I'm in Here from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

via Feingut & Hurkunde

the goddess of 1967

2010-11-06T21:19:00.007+01:00

I have recently watched the indie Australian roadmovie "The Goddess of 1967" (2000), the title of which refers to a car. That's right, a car. But it's not any car, it's the so-called goddess which is English for the French word déesse = DS = Citroen DS (nice play of words ;-).

The movie starts with a mysterious and eccentric Japanese buyer who flies to Australia to pick up the goddess, he had purchased online. This adventure is the context for following the car's and its owner's history back several generations. The main character of the movie is the actual car owner, a blind young woman, with a more than difficult past that will have to be explored.

I am not quite content with the directing by Macau-born Clara Law and husband Eddie Fong. The slow pace of the movie is not balanced and makes it seem draggy. Moreover some issues seem to be left unfinished, some choices unexplained, some scenes superfluous, some characters (like the Japanese man, or the young woman's mother) don't seem to develop and the flashbacks segment the narrative in an unfavourable way.

Nevertheless, the movie's strong points are amazing and make me recommend the movie without hesitation: the amazing cinematography (exquisite frame composition, beautiful colors), the strangeness/bizarreness (at least to me, reminiscent of Arizona Dream), the serious, almost distressing themes (death, coming of age, child abuse, revenge etc.), the focus on the female universe (even the car is a feminine entity) and the brilliant(!) performance by Rose Byrne.

Watch a "behind the scenes" documentary about the movie here: part1, part2, part3

I watched it since it was suggested by Scott in a comment to a post by Danica on Kitsune Noir and I loved the trailer (music: Walk Don't Run 64 by The Ventures), which is why I am sharing it here as well:

moonassi

2010-11-06T14:17:00.021+01:00

Daehyun Kim, aka moonassi was born in 1980, has studied traditional Korean painting at the College of Fine Arts, Hong-Ik University and lives and works in Seoul, Korea. He is working at "Lomography Korea" as a designer and likes to write poems, as well. I have been instantly mesmerized by his illustration artwork, I somehow feel they are simple, yet elegant, extremely clever and also relevant to myself. I am sharing a couple of them below, although I strongly advise you to visit his website for more:

Moonassi's black and white illustrations usually depict two identical characters engaged in what at first glance appear to be strange interactions. Some times one of the two characters is layered, broken into pieces or has tiny replicas of himself emerging from his body. It really takes a closer look at all the ingenious details to be able to understand the relationship between the characters and decide on its significance.

"I'm anyone or anything anywhere", says moonassi and by this he points out at the universal character of his theme. The artist's statement also underlines the anonymity of the individuals in his illustrations, which potentially mirror the viewer's own thoughts and emotions.

I am not sure whether this was the intention of the artist, but to me, moonassi's consistently identical figures represent an individual and his alter egoes. I think one of the major themes in his work is the duality (and multi-layer-character) of a person's self-concept.

dust kid

2010-11-06T12:20:00.010+01:00

It's saturday morning, it's cartoon morning!

Today I want to share a Korean animation by Yumi Jung: "Munjiai" aka "Dust Kid" (2009). It tells the story of a young woman who wakes up in the middle of the night and starts tidying up her apartment. In this small nocturnal universe, her only co-inhabitants are small versions of herself that she finds hidden in every dusty corner of her room, always naked, sad, maybe frightened, ashamed. These dust kids, appear consistently and suddenly and are in some way reminders of her own true self, that she tries so hard to hide in the comfort and predictability of routine. But are not welcome, they are uncomfortable intruders and the young woman tries to crush them, flush them away, drown them, throw them away.

Highlights of this animation are the incredibly minimalistic pencil drawings, the wonderful use of sounds (the slippers, the moving of objects on the table, the buzzing of the fridge), that enhance the feeling of loneliness and the fact that it opens up for reflection.

Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010 [2]
Hochgeladen von lever-de-soleil. - Entdecke mehr kreative Videos.

via Ma Kuangpei on Facebook

Note: A kind commenter has pointed out that the animation actually says Seoul International Animation Festival not Tokyo International Anime Fair, as suggested by the video description. I don't speak either Japanese or Korean, so I can't verify that. I do know however that the animation was present at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2010, as well as a number of other international festivals. I also realize that at the beginning of the video it says that it is supported by the Seoul Animation Center /Seoul Business Agency. If anyone can clarify this, please leave a comment.

burnout

2010-11-05T14:51:00.004+01:00

Note: Sorry, it's one of those finds, the author of which remains a mystery to me. If you know him/her, drop me a line and I will credit.

two

2010-11-04T00:11:00.002+01:00

French dancer Sylvie Guillem in one of the four parts of the fascinating "Push" ("Two", "Solo", "Shift", "Push").

outside

2010-10-31T13:08:00.007+01:00

I have recently watched a wonderful 15-minute documentary about Beijing and aspects of the life of its people, titled "Outside". The director, Sérgio Cruz, explains:

"In China, culture and the arts are very closely linked to people and their lives. The street life in Beijing is a 24-hour live show full of music, dance and sports. Over a period of month residence time (September 2007), I was observing Chinese life, collecting 'road images', documenting quotidian performances (...)"

But this beautiful piece of film, that portrays the fast-paced and busy life in the noisy and continually changing city, paradoxically manages to achieve a wonderful, tranquil effect by avoiding speech, creating beautiful transitions and using an overall slow pacing.

In my view, the film doesn not necessarily focus on the city itself or people's actions (be they dancing, performing or excercising) but rather on the context of these. And he manages to give the Western eye a glimpse of the interdependency and -connectedness of people in a collectivistic cultural frame.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

we are postrock

2010-10-29T10:35:00.006+02:00

Via We like that I came across a wonderful website, titled We are postrock, the purpose of which is explained in the following:

"Our purpose in this is to subjectify ourselves in the music and visualize imagery for the postrock community. We genuinely believe that perhaps the really provocative area for future musical development lies in postrock.
We record and produce these HD concerts because we want to capture the closest thing to what it’s like being at a live postrock/instrumental show - doing it all for the love and passion we have for postrock music and all its bands."

Here I want to share two videos.

The first one is "Black Dunes" by This Will Destroy You, where the beautiful music is matched by the stunning visuals of the video.

"This Will Destroy You are an instrumental quartet from the great state of Texas who play a cascading brand of cinematic rock music. Often compared and linked to purveyors of the “post-rock” sub-genre, the band has managed to transcend the tag and carve its own niche via a delicate and balancing infusion of electronics, strings, and an array of unconventional “rock” instrumentation over bombastic and receding harmony."

I was happy to see that they also feature Mono, one of my favourite bands. "Battle to Heaven" is like an epic tale, so powerful that it's almost kinetic:

"The band’s style of instrumental rock music is influenced by the genres of experimental rock and shoegazing, as well as by both the classical and contemporary classical periods of classical music, and also by noise and minimalism. We found that their musical structure reflect classical compositions & movements intertwined in a meditative narrative progression."

PRIVATE issue 50

2010-10-26T20:10:00.005+02:00

PRIVATE International Review of Photographs has released its 50th issue, titled: "China, True or Real?" I have already received a copy and have to say that it is now one of my favourite photobooks. It features the likes of Muge, Zhang Xiao and my favourite, Yanming.

"In contemporary China, uncertainty about what is “true” and what is “false”, “reality” and “appearance”, extends from the realm of photography to that of existence itself. We often feel that we are confronted with such an illusory, ambiguous, unexpected “reality” as to lead us to doubt not just our perceptions, but our very capacity for interpretation.

[...] Perhaps the act of capturing and confining – if by means of a fictitious, illusory medium such as photography – some aspect of their surrounding environment constitutes a starting point from which Chinese photographers may consider it afresh, in more subjective, less commonplace terms, thus inventing it anew."

beetle queen conquers tokyo

2010-10-26T19:55:00.005+02:00

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo is a documentary about the fascination some Japanese have with insects. via Kitsune Noir

"Working backwards through history, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo explores the mysterious development of Japan’s age-old love affair with bugs. Using insects like an anthropologist’s toolkit, the film uncovers Japanese philosophies that will shift Westerners’ perspectives on nature, beauty, life, and even the seemingly mundane realities of their day-to-day routines."

music

2010-10-21T10:33:00.004+02:00

RT @reese: the right music fights the demons. electrically surges the soul. gets the proverbial ass moving. makes dreams happen.

up the yangtze

2010-10-19T19:45:00.014+02:00

"Up the Yangtze" is a documentary film by Yung Chang, a young Chinese-Canadian director. The movie is about life in modern China in the Yangtze area. It mainly follows two characters, as they begin to work on board of a luxury cruise ship: a young, 16-year old girl, who comes from a modest family in a rural area and a young boy from a middle-class urban environment.

There are scenes that move the viewer by their cinematographic beauty, others are powerful due to the authenticity of the performances (my favrouites were: the prayer of the old lady, the father carrying the heavy closet up the hill, the young girl trying to proudly hold back her tears when her parents visit her on the ship). The luxury cruise ships were an opportunity for people to say goodbye to it, as it was slowly dissapearing as a consequence of the construction of the Three Gorges dam.

The Yangtze area has been subjected to immense change over the last years, due to the controversial Three Gorges dam project, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Its construction was not only extremely expensive, but it was aggressive and its necessity has been contested by many. The finalization of the project involved large transformations of the area, destruction and the relocation of over 2 million people.

To learn more about the film maker's inspiration, read this Q&A and/or watch this short interview.

Watch the trailer here:

I also recommend:

having a look at Muge's photography, as he tried to document the changes along the Yangtze due to the dam project;
reading "River Town", by Peter Hessler, who in 1996 had spent 2 years in Fuling, a small town on the Yangtze, and worked as an English Literature teacher. He delivers an extremely enjoyable and genuine portrait of the people and land of the famous Three Gorges area.

hana

2010-10-11T00:04:00.007+02:00

Wonderful hipnotic experimental music piece by Asa Chang and Junray. It's like a mix of oriental and cyber sounds. This really has the power to transfer one temporarily to a dream world. Enjoy!

via David Valentim on Facebook

of mothers and sons

2010-10-08T23:03:00.015+02:00

She's always been an airheaded lady but quite adorable in her own way. She never stayed long for a visit, after all, time was short and she had a dozen small things to take care of. Never tiring she ran around all day, like a whirlwind, carrying bags from here to there, her hair in a mess, her coat tied at the wrong buttons.

With age she became increasingly dependent. And forgetful, but considering her characteristic fuzziness, that never seemed particularly peculiar. She misplaced things and failed to find them, she needed help with transportation, fixing things around the house. She started calling several times a day sharing the same story over and over again. When confronted with her own disorientation, she remained annoyingly stubborn, refusing to admit her own weakness. And when she was exposed, she always covered it with an indulgent smile.

Today she failed the clock test. It shouldn't matter anymore whether she is strategically faking or not. It shouldn't matter that the tone of her voice sounds like that of a spoilt child. It shouldn't matter that you have to check up on her several times a day, that she embarasses you in public, that you have to pay for her medicine and mend her mistakes. It doesn't matter whether, considering your common history, she deserves your loyalty or not. Does it?

photo by Yuan Xiaopeng

related posts: Maira Kalman & Phillip Toledano's "Days With My Father"

dream of pink and a bit of blue

2010-10-08T22:44:00.009+02:00

I fell in love with this shot by Chinese photographer Seatory: the pose, the pink of the room, the dress and the curtain, and even the blue of the mask has a correspondent in the tiny hair tie. My favourite however are the blueish and pinkish color reflections in the hair...superb!

all the way to china - then i would stop

2010-09-10T23:08:00.004+02:00

via Ricky So

your duty

2010-09-06T16:07:00.009+02:00

RT @reese: "You have a duty to your potential as a human being. The world craves what you have to offer it."

I really love the first part of this statement. It has (at least to me) a strong motivational quality. Anything else would be irresponsibly making a mock of yourself, it would irreversibly lead to old age filled with bitterness and regret.

But I disagree with the second part of the tweet. Frankly, the world doesn't give a s***. The only person you have to impress, you have to like, love, to come to terms with is you yourself. What "the world" may or may not do does not lie in your power and is therefore irrelevant.

Never do anything because anybody wants or expects you to. But it IS your resonsibility to yourself to try your best in everything you are doing now.

my new medicine

2010-08-29T10:28:00.005+02:00

On such a beautiful sunday I will share my newest medicine below. The post was orginally published on KoiKoiKoi, where I have written more details about the video.

The beautiful short film is titled "Dear Japan", was shot with a handheld Canon EOS 7D by Nathan Miller and brilliantly edited by Matthew Brown using the track "Empty Room Trailer Version" by Zack Hemsey.

What I especially like about it is that it feels like a dream, a memory or a flashback that looks familiar enough to belong to any of us. I have to say it diminishes my itchy feet to finally visit the country and my longing for that culture, so I am re-watching it regularly. Especially refreshing is that it does not use any stereotypical representation of Japan, and if it does, it comes across very subtly (I don't remember seeing one kimono/maiko in there!).

Enjoy the wonderful imagery, the impecable sound and the fast-paced but perfectly-timed editing of Matthew's "Dear Japan":

why do i work the way i work?

2010-08-28T20:17:00.011+02:00

Today was a terribly good day: I worked with few distractions, managed to be productive and am very content of the result. Let's hope tomorrow (maybe the next month?) will be the same!

The problem is, you see, I am working to introduce an intern to some analyses we are doing. Not only is it unrelated to my actual work, but it's also rather voluntary. And yet, I am compiling information, running analyses and writing a tutorial so I can be best prepared on monday and help the poor fella understand something which took me years to grasp. And it did not take me so long to understand it, because it was too difficult. Rather, it's something I ignored for a long time, because there has always been a way around it. In fact, for years now, people have been programming scripts to run these analyses automatically and as long as you have the skills or know someone who can write one for you, there is no reason to invest that much time in understanding the mechanics behind it (after all there are tons of other relevant stuff to do).

So, in the end, the tutorial I have written will never be of any use to anyone. Maybe only for demonstration purposes for interns? But whenever the interns will actually start analyzing, they will use the automatized script files.

I think this attitude of mine that became evident during the last few days pretty much explains a lot of things in my life. No, I'm not excessiveley kind or diligent or anything. I just seem to be doing small things for the sake of getting them done. I am certain it's not productive on the long run, but something deep inside me tells me "you did a good job". Maybe it's just a way of deceiving myself. Or maybe not. Maybe that's what actually matters to me. We are our sole constant companions and in the end, when we are old, it is still ourselves that we will be stuck with.

photo by ppimm

between bears

2010-08-28T10:21:00.007+02:00

It's saturday morning, it's cartoon morning!

This week's cartoon has a somewhat difficult to grasp, abstract concept but is technically and visually stunning. It is Eran Hilleli's graduation film at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and was created using a mix of 2d and 3d (Maya and After Effects). The music was composed especially for the animation short by Ori Avni and performed by Ori Avni and Daniela Spector.

I especially like the paper-art feeling and the sounds in the video, I have to admit however that I was left puzzled with respect to its meaning and I think that grasping the idea behind the animation would increase its effect on the viewer. The only hint the author gives is equally puzzling: "...a debt to my childhood and other lives I hope I lived. Inspired by words of songs I admire". Nevertheless, it's a great piece and I am sharing it below.

baths - lovely bloodflow

2010-08-25T09:31:00.008+02:00

The video below was recently released for Baths' "Lovely Bloodflow" (directed by Alex Takacs and Joe Nanikn of Young Replicant) and I recommend it for its cinematic beauty. It depicts the last minutes in the life of an injured samurai, whose dying moments are prolonged by two fascinating spirits of the forest (yokai), who take him to meet the main forest spirit. This one will finally put an end to his agony in exchange of his soul.

via Nerdcore via Stereogum

andymori

2010-08-16T23:52:00.005+02:00

Andymori are a young Japanese band, whose songs always manage to cheer me up. I especially like their incredible energy. One of my favourites however is "1984", which is slower, but equally enjoyable.

1984

Follow Me (live)

Everything is My Guitar

青い空

chemical brothers - another world

2010-08-06T18:48:00.002+02:00

what's the meaning of life?

2010-07-12T22:56:00.006+02:00

Find out more answers on Rachel Mawdsley's Behance gallery, where she asked about the meaning of life and photographed funeral directors and midwives.

the journey

2010-07-12T21:17:00.015+02:00

The anticipation of two wonderful weeks in the U.S. catapults my work motivation on levels so high, I never thought they existed!

It will be my first time in the U.S.: a real adventure. More than anything, it's an opportunity to meet new people and allow myself to be permeated by their ideas and enthusiasm. There is no greater energy for me than that of other people. It will also be a time where I'll work on the project closest to my interest.

And it's the promise of a turning point in my way of thinking, an opportunity to perceive life differently. What will happen after I return? Will I have recovered my confidence in myself and the passion to keep me motivated? Will I come back less resentful, more understanding and at peace?

It almost feels like planning one of those spiritual journeys, where one undergoes purification and returns completely changed. Haha, it's actually nothing like that, and it involves intensive work and developing group dynamics. But most importantly, it's two weeks devoid of any of the harmful factors that usually consume and influence me on a regular basis. It's a blank new piece of paper for my own self to express itself on neutral grounds.

I wonder what I'll feel like when I am going to read this post after I return. May my hopes and expectations be fulfilled.

photos by Aegea

bodkin

2010-07-10T19:45:00.008+02:00

via the wonderful blog I'm revolting I came across a post on an amazingly beautiful design label. I immediately fell in love with Bodkin's 2010 fall/winter collection. The colors, the clean architectural lines, the photgraphs by Tina Tyrell...

moderat - rusty nails

2010-06-28T23:09:00.004+02:00

Moderat are an indie electronic band based in Berlin. I discovered their music via the newest "Pictoplasma - Characters in Motion" trailer. But what actually really left me in awe was this brilliant mesmerizing video by the Pfadfinderei studio for their track "Rusty Nails". The motion and shapes are so dreamlike, I feel like watching it over and over again.

I loved the part, where the human body is wrapped like a cocoon. The following parts: the wind-blown silk and the uncovering of the bodies are great. But my favourite section of the video comes at the end, where the dynamic layers of the fabric are staged by fantastic body postures and jumps. Enjoy:

Moderat "Rusty Nails" from Pfadfinderei on Vimeo.

goni montes

2010-06-24T17:24:00.003+02:00

I've just found this illustration by Goni Montes featuring a bloom of beautiful sea jellies.

found via KoiKoiKoi

lights down low

2010-06-14T10:55:00.002+02:00

Here's a superb video postcard advertising for the beauty of China, and Shanghai in particluar. It was made by Patrick Biesemans with music by "Spirits in the Basement".

"There's too many senses activated when I think about China, it's definitely left a lasting mark on me. And I hope that I captured the feeling I got on my very quick visit to this wonderful country. The trip was fast, exciting, and much too short."

Lights Down Low: In Shanghai from Lights Down Low on Vimeo.

via @weelingsoh via The Shanghaiist

lizard planet

2010-06-11T20:27:00.008+02:00

It's saturday morning, it's cartoon morning!

Via Amy and Pink I have discovered Tomoyoshi Joko's works. Make sure you check out the youtube channel for more animation shorts, since I will share below only "Lizard Planet", a wonderful fable about the universe. The author explains:

"A lizard wrapped in water represents Earth, which is composed of both land and sea. For human beings, living on this earth feels quite natural. However, the earth is both an enormous living organism and a planet in the infinite universe. It would be gratifying if, after seeing this work, the viewer could feel that we live life on a planet that itself is a living existence in space."

check out the jellyfish at 1:04! :)

alphabet

2010-05-28T19:59:00.011+02:00

overheard today on the tram: kid and his dad talk about outlaws, the wild west and cowboys. Suddenly the kid asks: "So, what's your favourite letter?". Almost instantly came the puzzled "Heingh?!" from his father (at this point my face light up in a huge smile and I looked to the other side, so they couldn't see that I was entertained). "Your favourite letter?" the kid replied ignoring his father's confusion. Dad answered promptly: "B". "Mine is 'H'. And your least favourite letter?". "A", the father answered. "Mine is "S", the child continued and when his father asked him why, he said: "You know, I hate this 'sssssssss' (he meant the sound).

Unfortunatelly I didn't get all the arguments for liking "H" but I walked home in a great mood afterwards. It is only a child's mind who can come up with this question. And only a child's mind who can come up with actual letters and reasons for liking/disliking them (the father's answers were "A" and "B" - booooring!).

So what's your favourite letter? Mine is "K". Reasons: Because it's half of "O.K." and because it makes a pretty damn cool undercover agent code name.

picture source: Balázs Szabó's Behance portfolio

personal projects

2010-05-27T23:52:00.007+02:00

Whenever I get the time, I want to work on several personal projects:

1. visual inspiration from Romania, is a short series of posts (maybe 5?) that will help me introduce Romanian artists to a larger audience. The focus of these posts lies less on fine arts in the traditional sense but more on urban, pop & digital art and youth culture in Romania. The first part can be found here on KoiKoiKoi.

2. music from Macau is a short series of posts planned for NeochaEDGE. It will profile several bands and DJ's and feature interviews with them and music videos of live performances. I am also planning an article featuring interviews with Portuguese and Chinese people from Macau (music critics, producers etc), who describe and comment on the current state of the local music scene. I am not sure yet, where I could submit such an article, but the people I have met so far, make it difficult for me not to want to put everything I discover on paper.

3. Chinese photography is a young project and the one that motivates me most at the moment. The idea behind it was that I wanted to introduce Chinese photographers, who I discover and interview for NeochaEDGE, to a German audience. Since I have access to both cultures, why not make something beautiful out of it? I have the opportunity to guest-blog for a German photography blog and I received pretty much freedom in what and how I wanted to write. But the more I plan this article, the more confused I become about its concept and what I want to achieve with it. And on top of everything I anticipate that it will take time. It's a long process of viewing portfolios, conversing with photographers, Chinese bloggers and photography experts, using google translator A LOT, deciding on how to showcase together professional and amateur photographers of different generations and different styles. But the wait will be worth it!

It's so exciting to discover, share and hopefully inspire!

digital inspiration from romania vol.1

2010-05-27T23:43:00.004+02:00

I recently posted a showcase on KoiKoiKoi Visual Arts Magazine (link here to see the entire post). The idea behind it was to present readers with some examples of creative talent from Romania in the field of digital arts & design. It is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to offer a glimpse at the incredible creative potential of this country. It features Stefan Lucut, Matei Apostolescu, Cristian Ienciu, Sorin Bechira, Claudia Cimpan, Andrei Ograda.

image by Matei Apostolescu

notre jour viendra - teaser

2010-05-25T23:08:00.008+02:00

Romain Gavras is the son of acclaimed Greek/French filmmaker Costa-Gavras. Below is the mysterious trailer for his first feature film "Notre Jour Viendra (Our Day Will Come)", starring Vincent Cassel & Olivier Barthelemy.

Gavras' past directing efforts (DJ Mehdi - Sigantune, Justice - Stress & the controversial M.I.A. - Born Free) have channeled towards (violent and distressing) music videos, but these are traditionally long enough to make short films, with a strong narrative and almost seeming as if the music is used as a soundtrack to the moving picture. Considering this, the announcement of the feature film came as no surprise.

Originally titled "Redheads" (oh my! reference to the "Born Free" music video?) the movie deals with the following problematic:

What do you do when you're a red-haired teenage loser with no friends except for an older guy, your shrink? When everyone hates you, especially your family? When all your peers make fun of you and kick you around? The answer: you and your loser buddy blow all the cash you can get your hands on to buy a sportscar, you dress smart and you head for the land of redheads, Ireland. But what starts off as a search for an ideal, gradually escalates into a rampage of hate, violence and self-destruction.

I am looking forward to this movie but I have to say that the trailer itself is beautiful and has definetely caught my eye (and ear).

Offical movie website.

notre jour viendra - feature film trailer from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

work

2010-05-24T20:14:00.004+02:00

Through @reese I have come across this wonderful quote from 37signals' book "Rework" :

"You want to feel that if you stopped doing what you do, people would notice."

Basically it suggests that one needs to feel that one's work is needed, helpful and that it makes a difference, that one's efforts are valuable and appreciated. This is the most important driving force behind motivated work.

And this is not just a motto I believe everyone who needs to supervise a group should try to apply when it comes to motivating individuals or teams. It's a question we might as well just ask ouselves, while we're at it. And if the answer is not satifying, we need to change either the line of work, or the "client" ;-)

only man

2010-05-24T15:16:00.003+02:00

Here is a very cool video for English band Audio Bullys' "Only Man" (out March 23rd) from their new album "Higher than the Eiffel", which will be released March, 29th.

The video was directed by Jonas and Francois (Justice, Madonna, Kanye West) from famous Paris based production company El Nino. Although their other version of the video is also noteworthy (set as a duel to be the "only man" featuring some nice vintage Porsche cars), this one is definetely an eye catcher, with interesting camera work and awesome custom type molded into sneaker soles:

audiobullys - only man from EL NINO on Vimeo.

via Stefan Lucut

bakuchi dancer

2010-05-23T01:21:00.003+02:00

Here is a very nice video for a very catchy song by DOES, titled "Bakuchi Dancer". Unfortunatelly, the quality is pretty poor but considering that it will probably be removed soon, enjoy it while you still can.

howard

2010-05-22T12:15:00.007+02:00

It's saturday morning, it's cartoon morning: This week's cartoon comes from Julia Pott, an animator and illustrator from London and member of the TreatStudios collective. "Howard" is a her first-year film from the Royal College of Art and is a beautifully illustrated short animation about falling out of love.

This link was shared by Ma Kuangpei (aka Keats), a Taiwanese animator I have blogged about before.

eureka - review

2010-05-16T17:51:00.015+02:00

Eureka (Yûreka), one of my favourite films, is a movie directed by Shinji Aoyama. Interestingly, as I was preparing this review, I have read that it is considered to be THE finest Japanese film of the last decade. It is a sepia-coloured, over 3 hours long, slow-paced film, with little dialogue and soundtrack. It is characterized by documentary - style long - shots and excellent cinematography, composition and editing. And indeed, even though it's long (I watched it in two sessions), there is nothing unnecessary about this movie and every second of it is essential for the entire whole.

The story evolves around the three survivors of a violent bus hijacking: a bus driver and two young siblings. This trauma will eventually mark their lives in various aspects. Two years later, the bus driver leaves his wife, is kicked out of his brother's home and is in search of a place to stay. Interestingly, he manages to find the two children, who had shared the unfortunate hijacking experience with him. But he finds them living alone, abandoned by their mother after the death of their father. These characters then embark on a journey and drive aimlessly in (ironically) a bus across the country. A series of murders complicates the plot and suggests a dark secret that will eventually be revealed towards the end. In short, it is a story about people, who help each other in their spiritual search of something they don't know they were looking for.

It would be too superficial to categorize the film as a draggy, pretentious art - film documentation of three people trying to overcome a deep trauma. In fact, even though slow-paced, this story has elements of a road movie, a drama, a slice - of - life comedy and a psychological thriller. Believe me when I say, it is worth sitting through its entire length and witnessing the characters' rediscovery of life.

I find it amazing how such intensity and complexity of feelings can be conveyed by such simplicity. It achieves what other movies may never be able to, it is moving without being pathetic. It is clean. It is elegant. It is one of the few movies of a very rare and powerful sensibility. And it definetely speaks a different language than anything else you've watched before.

Below is a taster for this wonderful film:

Read an interview with the director on Midnight Eye. Poster source

24 rooms

2010-05-16T12:13:00.007+02:00

I am so glad I was finally able to find an embeddable version of this. Here is a video of how a tiny appartment in Hong Kong can ingeniously be tranformed in 24 different rooms.

back to the future

2010-05-15T22:22:00.006+02:00

Here's this saturday's morning cartoon: a geat example of creative talent from China. It was made as an MV (music starts at 1:55) for Chinese 8-bit producer Baifan. It is the very first animation by Chinese animator, painter and VJ Wang Meng, whom I had the pleasure to interview for NeochaEDGE.

"When I was doing this series, I put forth a concept I call “I’m gonna regret the rest of my life if I give up my transformers and be a mama’s boy.” (如果为了比别的小朋友小红花多而放弃玩变形金刚，我会遗憾终生的。)

(...) We started losing that happiness in high school when we were pressured to study excessively, and now we are pressured to work excessively, etc. – but what’s it all for? What’s the relationship between the “ideal” and reality? Is the “ideal” that we spend so much time studying and working really all that great?

Over the last few years there has been a resurgence of all things “retro” in China – 8-bit music, of course, can be included in this trend. This trend has greatly influenced me and my work. I think the reason people are into these things is not because the retro games or fashions of the past are better than the modern games or fashions or whatever. It’s mostly because people nowadays want to rediscover the happiness we all had when we were kids. That’s what’s happening with 8-bit music, it’s being made all over again as a re-fabricated retro thing because it makes us happy."

more MTH

2010-05-15T21:11:00.006+02:00

Some time ago I promised more from my favourite band: Maximum the Hormone. For now, here are some nice videos:

Bikini Sports Ponchin

Buiiki Kaesu

nowhere boy - preview

2010-05-14T19:05:00.003+02:00

Watch below the trailer to "Nowhere Boy" chronicling the life of 15-year old John Lennon, played by Aaron Johnson

via PlokaRobot

baden baden

2010-05-12T00:10:00.002+02:00

Don't let the name fool you, Baden Baden is a band based in Paris, France. Below is their debut video to the song "Anyone":

via Feingut

brahman

2010-05-10T22:13:00.003+02:00

Brahman is a 1995 formed Japanese alternative punk band. Although I only like few of their songs, I appreciate and admire them for their hard work and for having inspired an entire generation in Japan. Below I share the MV for "Silent Day". Did I mention that I have a soft spot for Japanese longhaired stringstummers?

the birthday

2010-05-09T23:13:00.007+02:00

Below I am sharing a video featuring Japanese band "The Birthday" performing live "Piano". I love Yusuke Chiba's husky voice, whatever band he's in, it's strong. Very Strong.

One of my favourite songs comes still from the good ol' Thee Michelle Gun Elephant days: "Gypsy Sunday".

puma reinventing the shoe box

2010-05-09T01:53:00.009+02:00

Puma has partnered with The Fuse Project to completely redesign the packaging for their shoes. They came to the solution of foregoing a box altogether, and instead used a special bag and a foldable cardboard sheet. This is quite innovative and has several advantages:

the packaging uses 65% less cardboard than the standard shoe box, has no laminated printing, no tissue paper
the special bag is made of non-woven polyester consisting of recycled PET, and eventually is also recyclable.
the special bag has a handle and can also be used to carry the shoes, hence replacing the traditional plastic shopping bag
this type of "box" takes up less space and weighs less in shipping, which means that a larger amount of "boxes" can be transported at once (economical). It also means that they can be stacked and stored more convenient in the shops who order them.

Puma claims that this new design will save about 8,500 tons of paper, 20 million Mega joules of electricity, 1 million litres of fuel oil, 1 million litres of water and 500,000 litres of diesel.

via PSFK

the white ribbon - review

2010-05-08T14:49:00.006+02:00

***may contain spoilers***

Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" was an unexpected find, like a breath of fresh air in a landscape of both mainstream movies and art films that have all forgotten what it's like to be subtle . "They don't make movies like this very often", my friend said. No, they don't.

The movie's strong points are: Incredibly authentic rendition of time, space and characters, wonderful framing and camera work, crushingly magnificent and intimidating dialogues, excellent performances and actor choices.

I did however feel, there were some inconsistencies in the plot (Why did Sigi never tell on the ones that harmed him, once he recovered? Why did the midwife never come back and where did the doctor's family dissapear to?).

But all in all, I believe that it might have been the director's intention to confuse, in order to help the viewer identify with the perspective of the school teacher, who was himself far from beeing the omniscient narrator, we have all been used to lately. Haneke's movie was not going to tell us "who" or "why", it's not about blame or motivation behind actions. It's simply about telling a story of a series of strange and violent events happening in a small rural village in the north of pre-WW I Germany.

And now, this might be my own personal opinion, but I strongly disagree with the idea that Haneke's village is to be seen as a microcosmos to reflect Germany as a whole and that his movie is about the depiction of the generation of children who would grow up into the fascist youth of WW II (you see, that would not be subtle at all). I believe that it stands for how, on a global level, a context of sexual and emotional repression, dogmatic religiosity, familial abuse, mistreatment and oppression of women, strong patriarchal values and social hierarchies can breed evil forces that will eventually exteriorize themselves.

I have found a user comment on imdb that I find quite appropriate:

"A powerful film, sharing so much information without any answers; it takes our mind into overdrive, trying so hard to find a reason for it all. But sometimes there are none; sometimes bad things just happen."

poster source. previously featured trailer. read an interview with Haneke here.

alice in wonderland - review

2010-05-08T14:21:00.006+02:00

I've recently seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in 3D and I have to say that I am deeply dissapointed.

There is little doubt nowadays that the 3D visuals are an enriching experience to any fantasy film. And even though I am both a huge Tim Burton and Alice fan, I was immensely let down by this film. The narrative was poor, the visuals mediocre (although a quite good character and set design) and all in all, I think that whoever knows and loves Lewis Carroll's "Alice" would have a hard time finding that character in Tim Burton's adaptation.

Although this movie was not mainly intended for a very young audience, throughout the time while I was watching it, my thoughts kept sending me back to Wolfgang Petersen's "Neverending Story". I kept wondering when they would make a 3D release of that fantastic tale. On second thought, you know what? Forget about the 3D. Somehow, movies back then had a whole lot more heart:

poster source

t(h)ree

2010-05-08T12:12:00.014+02:00

T(h)ree (http://www.myspace.com/projectothree) is a wonderful musical project that brings together, for the very first time, musicians from Portugal, Hong Kong and Macau. The sales of the album will be entirely donated to Unicef Hong Kong. In Macau the sales will be donated to: Anima (http://www.anima.org.mo/now/) and Na Terra (http://www.naterra.org/).

If you want to buy the album, you can contact Bloom Creative Network at www.bloomland.cn/antonio@bloomland.cn

Listen to the show by Hugo Pinto on Próximo Oriente (http://proximo-oriente.blogspot.com/) featuring the music made in Portugal, Macau & Hong Kong, as well as an interview (in Portuguese) with the man behind this adventure, David Valentim:

Próximo Oriente - Edição 17.04.2010 by Hugo Pinto on Mixcloud

I have blogged about Hugo's show before, make sure you follow his mixtapes!

interactive billboard against aggression

2010-05-06T20:09:00.004+02:00

This video speaks for itself:

music: album intro The XX

via dosomething studio

cloud man

2010-04-26T15:27:00.004+02:00

I've recently posted a wonderful video for Fleet Foxes' "Mykonos" and have now come across another stop-motion paper art MV for Grieves & Budo's "Cloud Man". As opposed to the first one, the latter does not have a narrative but is, nevertheless, technically and visually enchanting:

Grieves & Budo "Cloud Man" Music Video from Jesse Brown on Vimeo.

via Oh, Hello There

yan ming's photography

2010-04-23T09:38:00.012+02:00

This post was originally posted on NeochaEDGE, a bilingual blog that I contribute to and that showcases emerging artists and creative content from China.

Yan Ming is a talented photographer based in Guangzhou. He took up photography in 2002 when he became interested in digital cameras but is currently using a Rolleiflex 2.8f.

He is a true master of the square format – if you take a look at his portfolio, you will discover a series of wonderfully framed black and white photographs with a great use of balance and beautiful repetition of forms.

In addition, Yan Ming manages to avoid the clichés of documentary photography as he does not merely rely on overly-sentimental and easily interpretable visual cues. He’s adept at capturing brilliant poses, which enable his work to tell incredibly nuanced stories fused with a great sense of humor.

To see more of his beautiful square format b&w photography link here.

I love this photograph of a bare-footed smoking man in the rain:

kmr.img

2010-04-23T08:20:00.023+02:00

Some wonderful work by Japanese artist Jun Kumaori aka kmr.img:

josefin the writer

2010-04-21T23:51:00.008+02:00

Scotland-based Hanaé Seida created this wonderful animated video for the song "Josefin the writer" by UK/US duo Olney Clark.

via theKITE

rin toshite sigure

2010-04-20T00:40:00.004+02:00

Here is "Jpop Xfile" by Japanese band Rin Toshite Shigure (aka Ling Tosite Sigure / 凛として時雨 ). The vocals (both male and female) are often high-pitched loud screams. And I mean that as in irritating. However, I like to see the vocals not as a downside, but rather as giving their sound a certain rawness. Plus, the instrumentals have a lot "The Fall of Troy" in'em. Love it!

noper

2010-04-20T00:11:00.009+02:00

Noper is a Romanian illustrator, comic artist and animator. He currently lives in Bucharest and works as an art director with an advertising agency. In his early career he often found himself juggling with various illustration styles, but his more mature work clearly underlines his passion to create surreal characters and worlds. His work was selected for "Lürzer's Archive: 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 09-10".

aleksandra rdest

2010-04-19T23:35:00.009+02:00

This is the kind of artwork I could stare at for hours. Canadian artist Aleksandra Rdest's paintings are inspired by

“sound waves, clouds, particles and cells on a microscopic level. The point of departure for these works is growth and decay; cellular division and multiplication, weather patterns biological colonization. My love affair with colour gives rise to these paintings which are created by richly layering veils of paint to form a deep surface.”

dorian denes

2010-04-19T23:30:00.005+02:00

See below for some of Dorian Denes' "Linear Interpretations". His drawings are highly recommendable, as well.

via Pentru Ochi

bye bye kayo

2010-04-19T22:51:00.003+02:00

I've recently found out that Polysics' Kayo is graduationg from the band after 12 years of being part of it. Polysics are a Japanese new wave band known for their high energy music, entertaining videos and...orange overalls & straight-bar sunglasses.

"I spent most of my twenties on POLYSICS. I'd like to spend my thirties and onwards going back to becoming a regular girl doing regular things."

Let's hope we'll get to experience some of those "regular things" she wants to try her hand at :)

Here's a video for their song "Young Oh!Oh!". I find it suitable as it seems to include a story on the four of them "growing up" together.

Here's a special version of another video I've posted on them before.

locks on a bridge

2010-04-18T00:20:00.010+02:00

Today, as I was crossing the Rhine over the narrow walkway at the side of one the bridges I was surprised by an unusual sight: small padlocks of varying designs and shapes were attached to the fence that separates the walkway from the railway tracks. They had names, years and sometimes pictures of couples written or engraved on them. Apparently, this ritual was inspired by a best-selling novel of Federico Moccia, Ho voglia di te, where young couples wrote their names on a padlock, chained their locks around lampposts on Ponte Milvio in Rome and finally tossed the key in the river as a symbol of everlasting love.

Unfortunatelly, I saw some locks where the names of the lovers had been scratched out...I guess it was not so everlasting after all.

umbrella

2010-04-17T01:48:00.005+02:00

It's Saturday morning, it's cartoon morning!

"Umbrella" is a short film created by Philip Vose for his character animation class at Cal Arts which is about a girl who takes a big risk for a chance at a better life. via Kitsune Noir

Umbrella from philip vose on Vimeo.

the magic shoe polish kit

2010-04-15T23:19:00.006+02:00

Coilhouse introduced me to an interesting video featuring a young man...polishing shoes. The video gives another perspective on a seemingly unspectacular activity. Such a complex process executed with great skill, dedication and elegance got me spellbound within the first few seconds.

"precise movements set to a soundtrack of clinking, tapping, rattling and scratching. It's almost disturbingly riveting."

And if you find ironing just as fascinating as I do, I am certain you will appreciate it done in a similar style by another Japanese gentleman.

After all there is nothing more relaxing then watching Japanese men meticulously and efficiently engaging in mundane activities and listening to the sounds they produce as they immerse you in the universe of their craft.

twinkle twinkle

2010-04-12T00:36:00.006+02:00

See below for a wonderful video for Vital's "Airport", directed by TAKOM (Takafumi Tsuchiya) - use headphones and play loud for full audio-visual experience:

V ITAL "Airport" from VITAL on Vimeo.

download it for free here.

via Das Kraftfuttermischwerk

pixels

2010-04-08T20:32:00.004+02:00

"Pixels" is a short by Patrick Jean that illustrates how New York is attacked by 8-bit creatures and how evetually the entire world becomes pixellated.

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Hochgeladen von onemoreprod. - Unabhängige Web Videos.

via KoiKoiKoi

if i want to whistle, i whistle - preview

2010-04-04T17:20:00.000+02:00

incotro

2010-03-30T20:10:00.005+02:00

The new Romanian Visual Survey 2009 is now online: a nice project from Tudor Prisăcariu.

The second edition of Romanian Visual Survey gathers some of the best visual works produced in 2009 in Romania and by Romanian visual artists in general. This year’s selection includes the work of 49 visual artists active in the field of photography, graphic design, illustration, painting and digital animation, among others. Although it is representative of the Romanian visual universe, the selection is not exhaustive.

Link here for another compilation of Romanian artists: 100ToWatch

próximo oriente - auditory treats from asia

2010-03-30T20:02:00.003+02:00

I've recently come across a wonderful Portuguese blog that features alternative musical inspiration from China and Asia. The program is called "Próximo Oriente/Middle East", it is created by Hugo Pinto and runs on Radio Macau. Have a listen, it is definetely worth it: an unexpected breath of fresh air, well-documented and with a lot of information on the musicians, if you understand Portuguese. Highly recommended!

Here's just a taster: All mixtapes are so good that I did not know which one to pick. I embedded the most recent one below:

Próximo Oriente - Edição 27.03.2010 by Hugo Pinto on Mixcloud

Become a Fan of Próximo Oriente on Facebook

fleet foxes- mykonos

2010-03-28T13:06:00.008+02:00

See below for a wonderful paper art/origami-style stop-motion animated video for Fleet Foxes' 'Mykonos'.

shallow sleep

2010-03-27T20:19:00.008+01:00

It's saturday morning, it's cartoon morning!

Link here to watch a fantastic animation titled “Shallow Sleep” created by Beijing-based Little Kong and Feng Ling.

The eight-minute short invites viewers to follow the adventures of a young girl as she explores her dream universe and meets incredible creatures, bizarre machines, and singing robots. The short is characterized by resourceful transitions, beautiful coloring, and a story-line that manages to ingeniously diffuse the boundaries between reality and the surreal realm of the subconscious.

The animation’s soundtrack is by Neocha.com-user The Curry Soap and Cha Liangfen.

This post has been originally posted on NeochaEDGE, a bilingual blog showcasing creative content from China that I contribute to. Picture source: Little Kong on NeochaEDGE.

nuit blanche

2010-03-27T14:07:00.004+01:00

Nuit Blanche explores an experience many of us have lived before – a fleeting yet powerful connection with a perfect stranger. Set in a dark cobblestone street in the 1950’s, a man catches the gaze of a woman in a cafe across the street. This split-second moment becomes suspended in time, as the two gravitate towards each other in a hyper real fantasy where nothing can hold them back:

Watch the making of here. via KoiKoiKoi