This collection is based on a former study of an ethnic culture. This study led to surprising discoveries, which, combined with the students own experience, gave rise to an original collection. The students have recreated a typical costume or dress from an ethnic culture as a necessary period of contemplation, before beginning to design the collection. Using the ethnic costume and resources as a reference, the colours, fabrics, patterns, techniques, accesoires and styling of the collection are developed and realised.
An inspirational and innovative exhibition, if you ask me. The creations are still on display till the 2nd of June and entrance is free.
Kunsthal Rotterdam presents a series of impressive portraits of so-called Comfort Women made by photographer Jan Banning. The photographs are close-ups of the faces of very old women from Java, Sumatra and the Maluku Islands; these pictures tell the incomprehensibly sad stories of these comfort women.
At a time when so many people still choose to remain silent about what has happened, these women were courageous enough to share their painful history of involuntary prostitution, forced upon them by the Japanese occupator in World War II. Their eyes tell the story of a past that will never leave their minds. With this series of portraits Banning breaks through the taboo history of ten thousand of comfort women from Asia which has been kept silent for so long.
Photographer Jan Banning and journalist Hilde Janssen traveled through Indonesia for about two years to find women who wanted to tell their story to the world. They created two books: one with the pictures of the almost fifty women, called Comfort Women, and the book Shame and Innocence, the repressed war history of comfort girls in Indonesia.
This month, the new fashion collection of Bea Szenfeld has premiered at Designgalleriet in Stockholm. Instead of using traditional tailoring techniques, she continues to work with paper as a dressing material. The silhouettes are inspired by the fifties, with slim wasplike waist, but are also futuristic, architectonic compositions. In the exhibiton one will see creations that resemble the oceanic demons of Jules Vernes and mythical folklore of sailors.
Bea, born in Poland, already collaborated with other designers and companies like Hello Kitty, Stella McCartney and Tommy Hilfiger, but then in a more commercial way. Today she is recognised for her theatrical fashion shows and innovative design.
Sur la Plage – haute papier collection by Bea Szenfeld April 9th - April 30rd 2010 Designgalleriet, Stockholm Written for BLEND.
Last week, the finalists of ITS#NINE, International Talent Support, have been announced. ITS is a platform for creative minds and has reached edition number NINE. ITS - a project created & developed by the agency EVE - is among the most important international platforms to discover and support young talents. It is a network of professionals, opinion leaders, international press, students and teachers from all over the world to share and evaluate the highest expressions of creativity in the fields of fashion design, accessories design and photography.
The ITS#NINE edition is going to play with the creative theme of A Confederation of Fantastic Voyagers: a bunch of valorous pioneers whose mission is to go where no man has gone before. This competition will start on Friday, July 16th and will continue till Saturday, July 17th with an event that will reach its top with the award ceremony for the winners of the three categories: ITS#FASHION, ITS#ACCESSORIES and ITS#PHOTO.
The finalists have some amazing work to show you. Check the pictures below and the ITS website for more.
David LaChapelle started his career in fashion photography, video and editorial, but over the past few years LaChapelle has focused only on his interest in fine art. In The Rape of Africa, he gives critique on western consumerism by making apparent its effect on the African continent through references to conquest and plunder, child soldiers and unethical gold and diamond mining. Drawing on Sandra Botticelli's iconic Venus and Mars (housed at the National Gallery, London) for inspiration. LaChapelle shows an apparently glitzy, bold and glamorous image to give us a very disturbing reality. David LaChapelle's work is exhibited in museums worldwide; currently at the MOCA Taipei, and recently LACMA Los Angeles, the Monnaie de Paris, Brooklyn Museum New York, and forthcoming at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Yesterday I went to the concert of the We Have Band in Tivoli Utrecht - which was awesome by the way! - and before they started there was ofcourse another act to begin the evening with. This Belgian group, named the Vermin Twins, blew me away! What a fantastic duo (and sometimes even threesome) is that!
The music they make is a gathering of pop, dance and electronica. Fundemental for their act is the use of turntables, but besides that they change and add instruments like for instance electric guitar, singing with voice deformation and rapping. Throughout the whole act dancing is central: the girl of the group seems like a kind of snake with the moves she makes.
The description on their website about them says: 'Vermin Twins like melody and rhythm, jumping insects and funky mysteries. Vermin Twins like to sing and dance, scream and jump or slap the bass with a big fat thumb.'
I just loved the energy they bring to their act, even though the audience wasn't that great yesterday: they rocked the stage. Their act is very innovative and surprising if you ask me.
Curious about this amazing act? May 22th they'll be in Holland again at 013 in Tilburg. Or you can ofcourse visit them in one of the cities of our southern Belgian neighbors! Just check their myspace for more information.
Every Friday I'll post a simple, different and delicious recipe to begin your weekend with. Today's recipe is maybe not that simple, but I found it rather funny. With this snack, fresh popcorn is tossed with melted butter, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, red pepper flakes, cumin and a splash of tequila. Maybe a good recipe for a lazy Friday night with a movie and sleepy dog on your couch?
Enter:Space portrays our surroundings, tangible or not, as the leading character in photo and video work. How do people influence the landscape or atmosphere around them? How do surroundings influence people? What do surroundings or atmosphere, visible or not, reveal about human presence? All these questions centre around a non human subject that says everything about our humanity.
In the upcoming months an international photography exhibtion is on display in different Sofitel Hotels in a number of cities in Europe and North America.
From the elegance of Gérard Uféras' models to the intimates snapshots of Derek Hudson. From Cathleen Naundorf's polaroids to Jean-Marie Périer's eccentric poses with the greatest fashion designers. The four photographers tell the enigmatic and sensual world that fashion is. The fascinating photographs are chosen by Polka Galerie in Paris and are exhibited in cities like London, Brussels, Berlin and New York. So if you're by any chance in the neighbourhood, you need to check this unique fashion photography exhibition.
LONDON: february - march 2010 BRUSSELS: april - june 2010 BERLIN: june - august 2010 MUNICH: august - october 2010 ROME: october 2010 - january 2011
NEW YORK: february - april 2010 WASHINGTON: april - june 2010 CHICAGO: june - august 2010 LOS ANGELES: september - october 2010 MONTREAL: november 2010 - january 2011
In the weekend of April 30th till May 2th, Gallery Weekend Berlin is the unofficial opener of the spring art season in Berlin. With 40 Gallery Weekend openings and countless others spotted around the city, this three-day art extravaganza will have enough to show you. Andreas Murkudis Berlin is one of them. Besides the new Skull from Nymphenburg Porcelain, the first fragrance of Maison Martin Margiela, new design pieces from E15, an exhibition of the fashion designer Lutz as wel as 20 meters of silk dresses in a range of 143 colours by designer Kostas Murkudis will be presented.
Two Window Project and Janine Bean Gallery present in and in front of the current gallery exhibitions areas, the performance Blond Dame mit Berliner Pfannkuchen by the infamous drag queen Chicago Rose. The theme of this performance is Berlin - the topic is also the focus of the painters in each gallery. It's Berlin presented from 3 very different perspectives.
And this is just a handful of what's to see and experience in Berlin in the Gallery Weekend. All the gallery openings are drawn on a map and all the info is bundled on the very handy Gallery Weekend Berlin website.
This work was inspired by exploring feelings of emotional restrain and uncertainty about position in time. Gabriella uses escapism to create a subconscious reality were time has no boundaries. She collects data in an attempt to discover her purpose in the present. The collection mixes periodes and materials to create a historical camouflage making it difficult to associate with a particular period in time. The pieces are entirely handmade adding a personal and emotional connection to each individual piece. The collection consists mostly out of brown and cream leathers, bronze fixtures and old stamps which gives the appearance of being made from reminisce of an abandoned Victorian house.
As it May Be is a solo exhibition with photographs from the New York-based artist Maura Sullivan (1971). Sullivan's photographs are mostly of people: portraits or pictures from children, all in black and white. Sullivan makes short movies in a single photograph. The pictures have meaning, words and tension in it, but without searching for a deeper meaning they still leave you with beautiful, well-styled photography. The images reveal enough to draw you in and withold enough to make you curious.
Sullivan prefers the hands-on approach of working in the darkroom, were she can draw with light. The silver gelatin prints are printed on fiber matte paper. Each of her prints has a painterly quality revealing subtle details of film grain as well as great depth and contrast. Her work is also part of the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.
Maura Sullivan started her artistic career exploring writing and drawing and furthered her studies in photography at the International School of Photography in New York City. She is also a freelance art director for film and print. All of these elements combined create exciting unexpected compostions and results in wonderful pieces of art.
Sometimes fashion designers want to explore a different kind of field instead of their own familiar fashion designing profession. So Versace did: last week the Italian super brand launched a furniture and glass collection at Milan's Design Week.
Versace's fashion is well-known for its loud colour scheme and daring attitudes. So it makes sense that Versace's new Home collection follow suit. Sunburst, for example, is a crystal round table with a base composed by 14 elements in chromed metal that conveys the strength of a solar explosion. The Vanitas armchair is more subtle, at least in its colour: it's presented in an all-black shade. Also, in collaboration with Venini, Versace launched a collection of hand blown vases.
The two classic Italian brands Versace and Venini each bring their characteristic aesthetics and superior craftmanship to the collection, which will be available in Versace stores next autumn.
The fact that graphic design is also a form of art is proven by graphic designer Job Rompa, if you ask me. One whole month his work will be shown at the first Expo 444 in the Gallery of Mwah in Rotterdam. The opening of the exhibition, with six of his pieces on display, will be on May 14th from 6.00 PM.
Mwah is a fresh and promising concept of graphic designer Ropp Schouten and independent copywriter Erwin Pols. Mwah contains texts with a twist in powerful typographic surroundings. Erwin and Ropp focus purely on the textual creative content and typographic design of the message, without using images.
This time it's not about Ropp's and Erwin's work, but of fellow graphic designer Job Rompa. Check his work at the bottom of this blog! Expo 444 - Job Rompa May 14th till June 14th Mwah Gallery, Rotterdam Opening: May 14th at 6.00 PM
In addition of the exhibition Stof tot nadenken from Alexander van Slobbe and the associated project Patroon Ontrafeld, the Central Museum in Utrecht organises a final fashionshow, next weekend, on April 25th. In the show, 25 models will show the best designs of the contest which was based on the one released pattern Joy-CM by Alexander van Slobbe.
The project Patroon Ontrafeld was an addition to the exhibition Stof tot nadenken: one of the spaces in the museum was transformed in a working place full of sewing-machines and other sewing tools. It was possible for visitors to purchase the pattern which Alexander created and make it their own. When ready, the visitors could hand in their own 'Alexander van Slobbe' for the contest.
Now the deadline is crossed and the 25 best designs are selected out of at least 100 entries and will be shown in the fashionshow at the museum. With the show, there will be a jury which will judge the designs by form, originality and choice of fabric. The jury will consist of John de Greef (fashion editor with Elsevier), Susanne Vegter (Consultant Design, Styling & Creative Management with HTNK fashion recruitment & consultancy), Melody Deldjou FardCentral Museum). (conceptual designer) and Ninke Bloemberg (project curator fashion and costumes with the Central Museum). The winner receives 250 euro and a tour through the fashion depot of the Central Museum, which is normally not open for public. The winning design will also be shown next to the designs of Alexander till the end of the exhibition Stof tot nadenken.
Curious what these visitors created? Tickets cost only 5 euro and can be purchased at the website of the Central Museum.
From this week, every Friday I'll post a simple, different and delicious recipe to begin your weekend with. Today's kick-off represents this tasty Ravioli Pasta Salad Recipe, full of seasonal ingredients and springtime treats like asparagus, greens, and peas. Enjoy!
Stars and Models is the theme of this years International Photography Festival 2010 in seaside Knokke-Heist in Belgium: the place to be for photography and audivisual art at this moment. Over a period of ten weeks, the work of several contemporary photographers and artists will be on display at various locations throughout Knokke-Heist. Every day publicity, fashion magazines, and newspapers show us images of famous people such as photographers, models, politicians and authors.
This years' guest photographer is Tim Walker. Visitors can discover this London-based photographer's original oeuvre in the Sharpoord Cultural Centre. Tim Walker is a fashion photographer of magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair and many more.
New to this years' edition is the exhibition Pavilion, contructed especially for the Photography Festival, on the beach opposite the Rubensplein. The pavilion will form the backdrop for several exhitions, including The Set To Get In With by Sir Cecil Beaton. Beaton has harboured a lifelong fascination with the glamorous world of high society. This exhibition offers an historical overview of how Cecil Beaton captured the stars of his time.
Alongside the exhibitions by Tim Walker and Sir Cecil Beaton, there will be an extensive and varied list of other exhibitions, a significant of which consisting Belgian photography. In accordance with tradition, the World Press Photo will also be present at the Photography Festival. The winning pictures of this event will premiere in the Cultural Centre on May 13th.
Finally, several art galleries in Knokke-Heist will also be hosting exhibitions as part of this years Photography Festival. In fact, the works of national and international artists and photographers will be on display until June 13th in a record number of galleries in and around the city.
