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I came across this recent TED talk from award winning Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and just had to share. Bjarke tells three photo/video stories of the Bjarke Ingels Group’s design philosophy and eco-minded buildings that not only look like nature, but act like it.
To see more of Bjarke Ingels’ inspiring work, visit BIG.dk.
The video below is a very moving TED Talk given by American photographer Chris Jordan. Jordan depicts images of western culture’s consumerism revealing the startling statistics of our daily consumption. He transforms the data about everyday items such as paper cups, cell phones, plastic bottles, and other mass produced goods, and makes large-format, long-zoom artwork.
Jordan has published a number of books including “Intolerable Beauty – Portraits of American Mass Consumption”, “In Katrina’s Wake – Portraits of Loss from an Unnatural Disaster”, “Running the Numbers – An American Self Portrait”, and “Running the Numbers II – Portraits of Global Mass Culture”.
Jordan’s goal is to create meaning out of the enormous statistics we encounter. He does this by taking the raw language of data and translates it into a more universal visual language that can be felt. He believes that if we can feel this information, then it will matter to us more and hopefully encourage action towards change.
To find out more, visit Chris Jordan.com.
Recently, I came across the Papergirl Art Project, a unique idea that, in the style of American paper boys/girls, rolled art pieces are randomly distributed by bicycle to unsuspecting recipients in the streets of Berlin.
The initial concept began in 2005, after the city of Berlin began tightening laws and fines on anyone pasting posters in public spaces, equating the act with graffiti. Aisha Ronniger, then a first year art student, brainstormed with her fellow students about new ways to bring art into urban spaces without breaking any laws. The idea of passing out art in the streets by bicycle was suggested and the Papergirl Project was born.
Now in its fourth year, the Project consists of a two week exhibition followed by the “aktion” (distribution of the rolls of artwork). Anyone can participate in the event by submitting their artwork or by helping with the distribution. Each roll contains 10-15 different works in different genres and formats.
Papergirl is non-commercial so the art rolls cannot be sold or subscribed to. The distribution is a spontaneous act and chance plays a big part in who receives the artwork. The Papergirl motto is: “Anyone who picks up a roll is lucky, and money can’t buy luck. Such as giving something is most fun when you don’t expect anything in return!”
The Papergirl Art Project has gained international attention and branch projects have been started in Albany, NY, Northampton, MA, and California.
For more information on how you can get involved, and to view past events, visit the Papergirl Berlin website.
Every once in a while, I like to share outstanding websites I come across in my art-web travels. Recently, I discovered ArtBabble.org, a website dedicated to spreading the word of art through video. Launched by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Art Babble showcases video art content in high quality format from a variety of sources and perspectives.
Currently, Art Babble partners with Art 21, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, MOMA, The MET, San Francisco MOMA, Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, the New York Public Library and others to provide videos on a wide range of topics (aka channels). Browse by Series, Channel, or Artist.
In the short video below, Jenny Holzer discusses the programming of her LED sculptures during the installation of the exhibition PROTECT PROTECT at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Check out this great resource yourself at Art Babble.org
New York based artist, Joshua Allen Harris harnesses subway exhaust to make his inflatable creatures come to life. Harris tapes his creations to sidewalk grates and vents and the air expelled by passing subway trains animates his animals.
In 2008, Harris, who is a fine arts student at the School of Visual Arts in New York, worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to create a commercial that promotes the use of public transportation to fight global warming. You can view the commercials at Fight Global Warming.com.
For all you Banksy fans out there. I saw this news article on BBC and had to share.
Thought I’d share this interesting TED talk by Siegfried Woldhek presenting evidence on the true face of Leonardo Da Vinci.
See more great talks at the TED website.