The splendor of the night sky has been a source of wonder, discovery and agitation for our species throughout human history. The observation of the heavens has defined religions, revolutionized scientific thought, guided navigators, and inspired countless mythologies. It has been said that 'they who cannot see the night sky, cannot see...'
In most urban environments, and cities in particular, light pollution renders the night sky down to a few of the brightest stars and planets, obscuring the majority of what has been so essential to our species' development. Perhaps it doesn't matter. Perhaps the stimulus of stargazing is not essential to a happy life. But just in case...
The Cardboard Planetariums will be found throughout the city, hanging in space, rotating lazily around their central hanging axis. You are welcome to duck inside, and to stand for a moment (or as long as you like) inside a solar-powered simulation of the night sky.
These cardboard universes, created with pinholes, contain a starchart accurate to 12 Midnight on Friday 22nd Feb, 2008. A solar-powered simulation of what is hidden, about and above, on a nightly basis.
About, above is a project in two parts, created by Kirsten Bradley during her time as Artist-in-Residence at Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney. Part 1 is the installation and documentation of Cardboard Planetariums throughout the Sydney CBD in mid-February 2008. Part 2 is an installation at First Draft Gallery in April, 2008.
About, above looks at pattern recognition and simulation, how we view 'nature', and what constitutes 'the natural' at this point in western thought. In a world out of balance, About, above also touches on points of Geocentricism, and asks how, as an urbanised culture, have we chosen to see as we do, for all this time.
This project has been made possible by Firstdraft Gallery through their Emerging Artist-in-residence program, and by EXPERIMENTA through their Media Art Mentorship program.
Firstdraft is supported by NSW Ministry for the Arts and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. EXPERIMENTA 's Media Art Mentorship project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Young and Emerging Artists Initiative through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. EXPERIMENTA gratefully acknowledges the assistance of CraftSouth to the EXPERIMENTA Media Art Mentorship Program.
information via THE JUNE FOX Invitation @ http://thejunefox.blogspot.com/2008/02/about-above-invitation-to-planeta...
]]>This book is a collaborative project put together by anthropologists, journalists, designers, illustrators, poets, musicologists, and photographers to capture the essence of the Boom Festival. The Boom Book includes essays, interviews, visionary art by Alex Grey, Robert Venosa or Android, and innovative texts about psy-trance. It is a cultural record of striking importance, capturing the beauty of Boom and also the role of subcultures in a modern world.
visit http://www.boomfestival.org/boombook/ for information about the Boom Book, or http://www.boomfestival.org/ for details about the festival.
the 2008 Boom Festival will be held from 11-18th August. you can virtually visit the Boom Festival location in google earth.
The place is run in line with anarchist ideology and values, which encourage an egalitarian, non-hierarchical community. Salon Mazal is run by a group of volunteers. Consensus decision-making is used to promote the expression of individual voices within the group in daily meetings.
]]>The place is run in line with anarchist ideology and values, which encourage an egalitarian, non-hierarchical community. Salon Mazal is run by a group of volunteers. Consensus decision-making is used to promote the expression of individual voices within the group in daily meetings.
]]>Translocations 1: New media practices in the urban context
17th and 24th November 2006,Seminar Room, Sarai-CSDS
Facilitated by Tapio Makela, researcher and artist in residence at Sarai
This workshop looks at new media practices in urban contexts.
The introductory session will take place at SARAI/CSDS seminar room on Friday, November 17th 11.00-13.00/14.00-16.00.
Second session on November 24th, same time.
Depending on the participants’ interests, there will either be one or two further sessions, also discussing selected readings and media art projects done or developed by the participants. Questions or suggestions, please e-mail tapio@translocal.net
Examples include:
- public media art projects- media artistic interventions- projects using mobile phones- projects using GPS
Workshop themesOne of the arguments made in the context of new media arts or Internet related theory is that in particular networked media offers new alternative public spaces. How are these arguments grounded in practice? What constitutes a public space in a given culture, to begin with, and how would new technologies amend or replace them?
Lucy Lippard wrote about lure of the location as a warning of essentialist artist practices about location. Today one can discuss lure of location data – as many artists offer views on urban experience based on location data, which in most cases, is merely indexical about a given location with its rich layers of urban life. Through several examples I will illustrate this new genre of locative art or location based media and discuss it in the context of technological sublime and fetishization of new technologies.
Personal computers, mobile phones, networked servers act as auxiliary memory devices. Also many artistic projects work with archiving, databases, and different ways of creating private or shared memories. How media artists and theorists address memory – and how to relate with the frenzy of creating digital artifacts, digital fever?
To register, please send in a short bio and a paragraph on why you wish to attend the workshop to dak@sarai.net by the 12th of November 2006.
]]>Translocations 1: New media practices in the urban context
17th and 24th November 2006,Seminar Room, Sarai-CSDS
Facilitated by Tapio Makela, researcher and artist in residence at Sarai
This workshop looks at new media practices in urban contexts.
The introductory session will take place at SARAI/CSDS seminar room on Friday, November 17th 11.00-13.00/14.00-16.00.
Second session on November 24th, same time.
Depending on the participants’ interests, there will either be one or two further sessions, also discussing selected readings and media art projects done or developed by the participants. Questions or suggestions, please e-mail tapio@translocal.net
Examples include:
- public media art projects- media artistic interventions- projects using mobile phones- projects using GPS
Workshop themesOne of the arguments made in the context of new media arts or Internet related theory is that in particular networked media offers new alternative public spaces. How are these arguments grounded in practice? What constitutes a public space in a given culture, to begin with, and how would new technologies amend or replace them?
Lucy Lippard wrote about lure of the location as a warning of essentialist artist practices about location. Today one can discuss lure of location data – as many artists offer views on urban experience based on location data, which in most cases, is merely indexical about a given location with its rich layers of urban life. Through several examples I will illustrate this new genre of locative art or location based media and discuss it in the context of technological sublime and fetishization of new technologies.
Personal computers, mobile phones, networked servers act as auxiliary memory devices. Also many artistic projects work with archiving, databases, and different ways of creating private or shared memories. How media artists and theorists address memory – and how to relate with the frenzy of creating digital artifacts, digital fever?
To register, please send in a short bio and a paragraph on why you wish to attend the workshop to dak@sarai.net by the 12th of November 2006.
]]>ok, these links aren't all strictly hip hop, but some of the galleries do show some graf, and if you're visiting NZ/Auckland, it's worth checking them out.
in the galleries, there's usually an "Artwalk K Road" brochure created by the K Road Business Association - this is where all these links & descriptions come from. (typos & errors below are mine)
K Road = Karangahape Road, I'll use the abbreviation to save more typos
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Disrupt Gallery
level 1, 145 K Rd
Aotearoa's premiere urban art gallery
www.disruptiv.com
Verona Cafe
169 K Rd
started in 1992 Verona has become a K Road icon, with their excellent coffee, superb menu and extensive wine list making them a legendary cafe and bar
www.verona.co.nz
Misery, Illicit
200 & 202 K Rd
www.miseryboutique.com
www.illicithq.com
The Cross Street Orphanage
Basement, Illicit H.Q - 202 K Rd
the Cross Street Orphanage art gallery - established in 2005 to expose new artists in the genre of left-field lowbrow contemporary art. currently striking fear and intrigue into the heart of Auckland's art scene with underground art, under the ground on K Rd.
www.crossstreetorphanage.com
Canary Gallery
Arcade - 214 K Rd
Canary Gallery is an artist-run-space that was established in March 2004. we are a not-for-profit gallery and our program of exhibitions brings innovative and diverse art practices to the fore.
www.canarygallery.com
Hard to Find Books
(But worth the Effort)
238 K Rd
twenty years of rare, collectable and interesting books!
www.hardtofind.co.nz
The Area
Basement La Gonda Arcade - 203 K Rd
Studio and offices of music producer, multi-media artist and culture manipulator Mike Weston. This year Mike's producing paintings in collaboration with Graffiti/Pop artist Otis Frizzell, supplying art dealers around NZ. next major show Nov 15, 2005
www.thearea.co.nz
Habanero Cafe (licensed)
65 Pitt St
this European style cafe is a slice of tranquility in the bustle of Auckland. we serve Kiwi cuisine with a Spanish and Mexican flavour, made to order by our international chefs and accompanied by our hand crafted coffee.
(I need to go there to see what kiwi cuisine is!)
Artspace
Level 1 - 300 K Rd
ARTSPACE presents cutting edge contemporary art practice from emerging and established New Zealand and international artists
www.artspace.org.nz
(I've been to some of these - excellent. highly recommended!)
New Zealand Film Archive
Level 1 - 300 K Rd
the Auckland office of the NZFA has a video collection containing about 1200 items for public viewing, a moving image exhibition space, a reference library of books and magazines, two viewing stations and Viewfinder, a continuous moving image presentation at Auckland Central Library
www.filmarchive.org.nz
Moving Image Centre and Galatos
17 Galatos St
the Moving Image Center (MIC) is a contemporary film, digital media, performance & music organisation located at Galatos Bar and Club. MIC supports innovative artist' work. for the upcoming programme please visit the website
www.galatos.co.nz
(another recommended spot for great performances!)
Ivan Anthony
Level 1 ANZ Building - 312 K Rd
representing a number of leading contemporary New Zealand artists
Michael Lett
478 K Rd
www.michaellett.com
Merge Cafe & Bar
453 K Rd
fantastic homemade food and cakes, great coffee, fully licensed. enjoy it all in our private outdoor courtyard
Starkwhite
510 K Rd
www.starkwhite.co.nz
Artstation toi tu
1 Ponsonby Rd
the Artstation Gallery is a professional space for artists to exhibit quality work which represents and engages the wider community
www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
Objectspace
8 Ponsonby Rd
Objectspace is a new and award winning centre for craft and design that puts 'objects into play' through exhibitions, publications and activities
www.objectspace.org.nz
Whitespace
12 Crummer Rd
Whitespace artists represent the diversity and cultural richness of Aotearoa. we aim to nurture and work with artists to develop their careers over many years through a vigorous exhibition program and international exhibitions
www.whitespace.co.nz
Muka
68b Ponsonby Rd
Muka's main gallery exhibits contemporary New Zealand and international art: focusing on lithographs and monotypes but also exhibiting paintings, sculpture and jewellery. Muka's special youth gallery presents lithographs by leading artists exclusively to young people (5-18 years)
www.muka.co.nz
K Road Arts Manager
the K Road Business Association has appointed Nora West to: promote the unique cultural identity of the street, foster a broad range of arts activities and map it's local vernacular expressions i.e. tattoo, graf writing, nightscaping with light, fringe theatre. artists are featured each month in the office and online
www.kroad.com
VAANA Mural Restoration
Corner of K Rd and Ponsonby Rd
painted in 1985 by a group of artists concerned with the increasing threat of nuclear war, Visual Artists Against Nuclear Arms (VAANA). the murals were a significant tool in the establishment of NZ's nuclear-arms-free policy. twenty years on, this policy remains intact and the eight founding artists have become senior practitioners in the art establishment.
www.kroad.com
(I have photos of this at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliak_com/tags/grafitti/ if you want to see)
Art Venues & Suppliers
Artscape : 14 Gundry St : www.artscaping.co.nz
KJ Art : 501 K Rd
MAOTA Gallery : Samoa House - 283 K Rd : pacificasiagroup.com
The Canvas Company : 518 K Rd : www.thecanvascompany.co.nz
Revel Cafe : 146 K Rd
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I'd also add a couple more for music/sound art and digital arts if those are of interest to you (great discussion mail lists on those topics also):
Audio Foundation - http://www.audiofoundation.org.nz/
Aoteaora Digital Arts (ADA) - http://ada.waikato.ac.nz/
and even:
Creative NZ - Creative Communities NZ
http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/
I've been collecting similar theme links @ http://www.aliak.com/taxonomy/term/159 if you're interested (or search for New Zealand or use one of the categories on the site)
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