Stretching Time - In the Studio of Ahmed Alsoudani

details of progress work, untitled, 8’x7’, Charcoal, pastel & acrylic on canvas, 2010

"When we think of violence and visual art, often what comes to mind are scenes documenting brutality and its aftermath in a linear fashion - a shot, a body, a fire, the shell of a structure. Ahmed Alsoudani enters the moment of the inception of destruction - "takes time and freezes it, stretches it, goes around it" - to create a reconstructed narrative with many points of entry, often enticing, open to the viewer. You are looking at a fully developed story that takes place in a millisecond, pulled across time by many simultaneous points of view. His work is built to carry us from every direction to the vortex of his world."

21's

Let me tell you, turning 21 is a beautiful thing. Almost surreal because it’s a transition from youth into an adult. Most people would say that they “wish” they were still in their 20’s (or youth is the word), but those saying it are not gracefully aging well. That’s the pitfall of society. There is so much to look forward as you grow older; you gain more wisdom and knowledge, your body starts to look damn good, but the most important trait that we must never lose: our childish innocence. In the lieu of turning into an adult, I decided to have my photographer friend capture me in a stark contrast of black and white and everything in between.

DESPINA STOKOU// GRIMMUSEUM UNTIL 10/3

Berlin has countless non-profit spaces, and I always admire the intention behind the projects. There's only so far you can push the whole 'crumbling walls' stereotypical Berlin aesthetic - call me bourgeois, but at a certain point I find myself craving a space that manages to stay true to goals greater than just making money, while offering an experience that isn't quite so DIY. From the moment I arrived at Grimm, however, I was impressed - located inside an old building that formerly housed the Luise Grimm Museum (Luise Grimm was a Berlin-based painter who lived in the building for 18 years), it authentically embodies an aspect of Berlin's character that predates the bombed-out period, making use of professional white walls and recessed lighting without feeling at all elitist or precious.



D12 2010

The gallery spans either side of the building's lobby - a door to the right leads to one exhibition space, while the one on the left leads to another, along with the administrative office. In the left-hand space, Despina Stokou, an artist who runs the curatorial program at the Grimmuseum, currently has a show up, titled D12, part of a larger series that explores the idea of dual identities and alter egos. Stokou asks, "Where does one creative identity stop and the next one begins? Who are you and then how many? How do you define yourself? Are you what you do? I asked 5 art professionals (a gallery director, a fellow artist, an art critic, an art editor and a collector) all not primary in the profession of curating to each invent a curatorial alter ego or show their existing alter ego. I was curious how different the creative process of putting together a show would be in each case and how their main profession would influence them in this."

City of God

Margiela AIDS T-Shirt Japanese Edition

Over and Out.

After much contemplating and a lot of inspiration, I think it's set for me to pack up and head off to the Northwest. As much as the 20 years of my life living in the desert, it will be a great change for me to move to a different environment, to think differently, to create art with more aestheticism. It's a weird feeling that I somewhat became attached to some close acquaintances. I think November is my deadline. I'll still keep updated with writing, art and you'll be hearing a lot from me soon.
#ineedmoneybadly!#morewinterclothesnow

Stay Tuned.

Inside and Out

Bureau.

Long Live McQueen

Oversized Pixels

Simple squares with a magnetic backing that can be arranged to form murals which can also be changed on a whim were a hit last week in Valencia. Going by the name of Pixels XL and created by design studio CDRoig, the colourful squares are placed on walls treated with metallic paint of any colour.





The idea behind the "pixels" is that it should be easy to transform the walls of a living space without too much fuss or muss. By using magnets, there is no need for nails or adhesives that will damage the walls. All it takes is a smooth surface.

The Rapture of Maison Martin Margiela

The loyal fans of Maison Martin Margiela can rejoice again this time around. After a well rounded (no pun intended)collection from fall/winter '10, the design team is already starting to grab a hold of the reins and put avant-garde back on the map. Slowly, but surely. For spring/summer '11, they delivered a seemingly two dimensional collection that appears flat to the front, but radically squared off at shoulders, easily flowing in the back to contour the shape of the body. Extreme trompe l'oeil? Yes. Maybe it's a philosophical idea? One can only look at the front, but become totally unaware at the other side. Reference to how the Maison functions? We'll just let the clothes speak for themselves.

The catch this time: men's wardrobe better suited on women. That was the selling point, quite frankly, the only point. Blazers, trench coats, trousers and button ups are colored in the traditional Margiela code: black, nudes, greys, pale cerulean, and burning fuchsia, stretched over a cardboard form. Dresses become permanently embedded in the process (a cue in the history of Maison). The last several looks did require a second glance to what appears to be a model, vacuumed between stiff leather Hefty bags.

But real question remains: what will be on the shelves when the collection hit the retail stores? Rest assured, all this will evolve in the near future.

The Bone

Radically changing my artistic style is something that I shouldn't be blaming myself that I don't sell most of my works. In fact, I'm going to embrace this change. I graduated from "amateur, unfinished work" to "graduate artists' work" as one art curator put. Indeed I am. And this piece is the start.

In the lieu of the recycling and reusing universal theme of Eco-friendly, I reused an old cork board, a radically different experimentation. And the texture did prove otherwise.

Stop Buying, Start Saving.

Dame Westwood is never short of ideas, but if you come to think of it, she has so much ideas, it's really hard to pinpoint what theme she wants to be most important in her collection. She is ferociously fierce about saving the Earth's gloom future, the universal theme. Earlier this year, she made a prolific statement. She, as I imagined, shouted in protest, urging people not to shop for clothes. Whatever it may be, she clearly stated it loudly through her collection. She knows a way to have people wanting more.

For the spring/summer 2011 collection, models were smeared with a questionable white paint running from the eyelid to her hairline, brightly colored crayons naively scribble up the faces. Black tinted the lips in a Egyptian way. Clearly, there is a message through this playful makeup. But let's dive straight into the ready-to-wear. Taffeta, silk, and cotton, in every color and texture form heart shaped tops. Horizontal stripes, tie-dye effect skirts, flower prints, and her signature plaid molded spring/summer '11 into something that is deemed wearable. Let's face it, it's more about garnering attention.

I admire her political views, I really do, but sometimes when I'm admiring her collection, I think "how would this radically change politics and the environment? Could this be relevant?" Yes. It's more about being educated of Earth's gloom future in a feel good presentation. There is one thing to bear in mind, this is the future of the eco-warrior woman.