July 3, 2012
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Instead of a world of transactions it’s a world of relationships. People want to be part of what they’re actually buying or participating in.

“It’s for people to decide; not one person in a suit, typically using a risk model which is 20 years old that has no idea how the market is evolving.
Slava Rubin, founder of IndieGoGo

(Source: sanjose.com)

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February 3, 2012
myneighbourjonoro: forgotten songs, by J.W_Collins. A permanent art installation set in Angel Place, Sydney, by Michael Thomas Hill. Forgotten Songs commemorates the songs of fifty birds once heard in central Sydney before they were gradually forced out of the city by European settlement. The calls, which filter down from the canopy of birdcages suspended above Angel Place, change as day shifts to night; the daytime birds’ songs disappearing with the sun and those of the nocturnal birds which inhabited the area sounding into the evening.

myneighbourjonoro:

forgotten songs, by J.W_Collins.

A permanent art installation set in Angel Place, Sydney, by Michael Thomas Hill.

Forgotten Songs commemorates the songs of fifty birds once heard in central Sydney before they were gradually forced out of the city by European settlement. The calls, which filter down from the canopy of birdcages suspended above Angel Place, change as day shifts to night; the daytime birds’ songs disappearing with the sun and those of the nocturnal birds which inhabited the area sounding into the evening.

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Art House Co-op: Inspiration in Ingredients

arthousecoop:

The studio isn’t the only place to create artwork. What about the kitchen, the table, the market or the farm? In our excitement for the new FREE Art House project - The Meal - we wanted to share with you a smattering of cool food-related works. From the conceptual to the performative, the…

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avantgardisticmeans: No Chairs on the Street!? The artist Doris Salcedo protests with this elaborate installation consisting of 1.600 chairs against the ‘no chair’ rule in the entertainment district of Istanbul. Impressive art and at the same time a meaningful statement. I really like! 

avantgardisticmeans:

No Chairs on the Street!?

The artist Doris Salcedo protests with this elaborate installation consisting of 1.600 chairs against the ‘no chair’ rule in the entertainment district of Istanbul. Impressive art and at the same time a meaningful statement. I really like! 

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theoriginalchingy: Why the Places We Live Make Us Happy - “We find that the design and conditions of cities are associated with the happiness of residents in 10 urban areas. Cities that provide easy access to convenient public transportation and to cultural and leisure amenities promote happiness. Cities that are affordable and serve as good places to raise children also have happier residents. We suggest that such places foster the types of social connections that can improve happiness and ultimately enhance the attractiveness of living in the city.” via The Atlantic.

theoriginalchingy:

Why the Places We Live Make Us Happy - “We find that the design and conditions of cities are associated with the happiness of residents in 10 urban areas. Cities that provide easy access to convenient public transportation and to cultural and leisure amenities promote happiness. Cities that are affordable and serve as good places to raise children also have happier residents. We suggest that such places foster the types of social connections that can improve happiness and ultimately enhance the attractiveness of living in the city.”

via The Atlantic.

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February 2, 2012

pafp:

Spotlight: Heather and Ivan Morison

There are a multitude of visual artists in this day and age, but very few seem to capture as many critical and contemporary issues in their work as Heather and Ivan Morison do.  It is through a wide variety of mediums—including sculpture, installation, video, sound, print and puppetry—that the two manage to create works to facilitate the engagement of their audience.  For the most part, each of their pieces is found in a public setting and perhaps what is most strikingly uniform of all their work is their ability to formulate discussion.  Each, in some way, shape or form, contribute to a very much post-modern ideal in creating community dialogue. Each installation demands attention—whether the audience wants to pay any consideration or not they are dragged in.  Their work helps to change perspectives and often leave one with a different view of their surroundings. 

Among the many subjects the Morisons cover within their body of work, three themes seem to arise that, unavoidably, lead to this audience participation and dialogue.  One is their interest in the relationship between the arts and ecology, another is their fascination with methods of survival; keeping aware that all is temporary and the necessity to react accordingly when intervened. Finally, it is their belief in the significance of placemaking and awareness of a site that further highlights Heather and Ivan Morison’s undeniable ability to create public discourse, ultimately proving their relevance in today’s art scene and beyond.  They are truly at the forefront of contemporary art in that they create works that are not only relevant, but become a part of the viewer’s life by way of the engagement and discussion they create.

Above are just a few of the Morisons’ works that exhibit each of these qualities. For more information visit them online at: www.morison.info

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February 1, 2012

vikingpenguinbooks:

Feeling the Earth Move: Urban Sidewalk Liquid Intervention

The normal urban environment is hard, angular and not often playful. We go about our business with the type of calculated indifference cultivated through years of city dwelling. But when that cold, hard environment suddenly changes unexpectedly, we have no choice but to snap out of our collective reverie and take notice. That is precisely what happened when residents of Bourges, France came upon a highly unusual section of sidewalk.

more at WebUrbanist

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urbanbricolage: How to start book sharing in public space? Cool way to reuse obsolete phone booths…

urbanbricolage:

How to start book sharing in public space? Cool way to reuse obsolete phone booths…

(via entrappedspaces)

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January 31, 2012
humanscalecities: The Temporary City The book questions the need for permanent uses and solutions for sites and argues that we need to increasingly look for short and medium term uses, rather than obsess about the long term; realistically it will take a long time for the economy to achieve stable and meaningful growth and for sites to become viable again – especially with what was paid for many sites at the market peak – and in the meantime these same sites will lie vacant for many years without an effective framework for their interim use.

humanscalecities:

The Temporary City

The book questions the need for permanent uses and solutions for sites and argues that we need to increasingly look for short and medium term uses, rather than obsess about the long term; realistically it will take a long time for the economy to achieve stable and meaningful growth and for sites to become viable again – especially with what was paid for many sites at the market peak – and in the meantime these same sites will lie vacant for many years without an effective framework for their interim use.

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ideasmadevisible:

Modena, Italy - David Bravo Bordas, architect

DESCRIPTION

Chairsharing is a public service that offers people the free use of movable chairs that provide Internet connection. They are equipped with a wheel and, since they weigh very little, they can easily be moved to any point in the neighbourhood. The metal structure, resilient and totally recyclable, supports two horizontal surfaces set at different heights. This means they can be used in different ways: as a seat with a backrest, as a chair with a working surface, or as a high stool.

Each chair is equipped with a WiFi antenna offering free access to Internet. A geographic positioning system based on triangulation prevents mislaying of chairs and enables users to locate them on a map of Modena that can be consulted on the Chairsharing website. Since the goal is to stimulate cultural and commercial activity in the neighbourhood, users need to have a customer loyalty card, which offers them certain advantages with different facilities and businesses. Besides showing the map and managing the customer loyalty card system, the Chairsharing website puts the user into contact with other systems in the city that are concerned with sustainable mobility and responsible consumption such as public bicycles, car pooling, car sharing, CouchSurfing (a hospitality exchange network) and community sustained agriculture (CSA).

Source: http://www.publicspace.org/en/works/f264-chairsharing

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January 30, 2012
citymaus: Working into darkness that Friday night, they painted a bike lane and arranged potted saplings — lent to them by a landscape company — and outdoor furniture to narrow the street’s three traffic lanes to one. A cafe, a flower market, and a children’s art studio briefly moved into some vacant storefronts donated by landlords. Musicians entertained and people hung out. ‘Better Block’: upgrading streets quickly and cheaply. bettercities, 29.01.12. 

citymaus:

Working into darkness that Friday night, they painted a bike lane and arranged potted saplings — lent to them by a landscape company — and outdoor furniture to narrow the street’s three traffic lanes to one. A cafe, a flower market, and a children’s art studio briefly moved into some vacant storefronts donated by landlords. Musicians entertained and people hung out.

‘Better Block’: upgrading streets quickly and cheaply. 
bettercities, 29.01.12. 

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January 28, 2012

miraicandoit:

Max Zorn is a street artist based in Amsterdam. His primary material is tape.

It was never uncommon to see colored tape on walls and streets, says Zorn. But more recently, it has been ‘conquering the streets’ as a new form of urban art.

In his case, the idea to create street art with tape instead of paint came from a friend working in car design. ‘These guys often use slim tapes to outline their ideas on large boards. I was surprised to see, how fast they could create stunning sketches with it,’ he says.

Tape as a street art material has the added benefits of being lightweight, easy to use, and relatively inauspicious. He got his start by decorating the old street lamps that are ubiquitous in Amsterdam. With their golden glow, they proved the perfect open gallery space for tape art experiments.

Over time and with practice, Zorn learned to apply more layers of brown translucent tape for greater impact and illusion of depth. It is a simple process of slapping tape on the lamps, he says. What’s more, it’s self-illuminating. 

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January 26, 2012
Colorful collaboration for public art… threadfullyeverafter: BUONGIORNO AMICI ED AMICHE DI KNITTING RELAYCollaborative Crochet/Knitting Installation on the steps of the Lutheran Church in Senate Square, Helsinki.  Knitting Relay is open to artists internationally, join the fun: http://knittingrelay.blogspot.com/p/english.html During studio conversation today we discussed the notion that a large project can become very managable when broken down to small steps.  A series of small samples might lead to much larger whole, perhaps more significant than merely the sum of its parts. Jimmy Kuo, the Crochet King, states that this example is it already giving him a headache!   

Colorful collaboration for public art…

threadfullyeverafter:

BUONGIORNO AMICI ED AMICHE DI KNITTING RELAY
Collaborative Crochet/Knitting Installation on the steps of the Lutheran Church in Senate Square, Helsinki.  Knitting Relay is open to artists internationally, join the fun:
http://knittingrelay.blogspot.com/p/english.html

During studio conversation today we discussed the notion that a large project can become very managable when broken down to small steps.  A series of small samples might lead to much larger whole, perhaps more significant than merely the sum of its parts. Jimmy Kuo, the Crochet King, states that this example is it already giving him a headache!


  
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“ Up until 10,000 years ago there were no permanent settlements and all human groups lived by hunting and gathering. Then agriculture was discovered and everything changed. Now a small number of people could supply food for the rest and the first cities arose. Every since that time there has been a steady movement of people out of our original arcadia and into cities, such that now over half the world lives in them. But why given that cities have historically been targets of attack and places of crime and where diseases fester and spread? The answer is that cities have acted as gardens of our prosperity, creativity and innovations and their continued existence is vital to fitting the projected 9 billion people onto this planet. Surprisingly, they are the new ‘green centres’ of the world.
Mark Pagel, Cities as Gardens •

studio630:

Popuphood: How to Revitalize A Struggling Neighborhood In Six Months

“In September 2011, Dominguez and his friend Sarah Filley, an urban planner, teamed up to create Popuphood, a project that is giving five new retail shops the opportunity to get six months of free rent at previously vacant storefronts on one block in the neighborhood. Dominguez and Filley didn’t have to work too hard to convince the landlord that owns the storefronts to get on board. The spaces had been unoccupied for at least a year, and successful storefronts might stay put past the six month mark. The Oakland Redevelopment Agency, ever hopeful to revitalize downtown, pitched in with a $30,000 grant. And the pair have plenty of creative-minded contacts in the city, so finding tenants wasn’t too difficult.

It’s not as if the idea of pop-up storefronts is new. Cities across the U.S. have been populated in recent years with a slew of pop-up restaurants, stores, and even parks. Popuphood, which officially launched on December 9th, is offering something different: the opportunity to be part of a larger, newborn retail community.”

(Source: fastcoexist.com)

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