Completely Beauty: Biophilia, Bjork at NY Hall of Science
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Bjork and the Choir from her home country, Iceland performing Biophilia: Live at NY Hall of Science, Queens, NY
It’s our 4th concerts of Bjork. I feel blessed to go see her. Her Freedom and Beauty Completely Shakes Me. Her Fearless and Honest Voice Makes Me Cry. She is Way WAY Ahead of Where We Are at Right Now. I Completely Admire and Am Deeply Impressed. She makes me feel Humble. Her Intellectually Genius Musicality. Her Desire and Curiosity to know Technology. Her Restless Research.
She Rocks My World. Now She Rocks the Universe.
It happens to be Gael’s Favorite Museum. Flushing, Queens.
At the venue. Architectural details remind me of Casa Milla and Sagrada Familia of Gaudi in Barcelona.
Bjork’s one of the most beloved instrument, Harp. The opening lines of ”Pagan Poetry” and her new song , “Moon” all starts with Harp.
Bjork singing to “Hang”. A new generation instrument that makes this sort of softly vibrating and echoing a monk’s Bell like sound. It makes peaceful and unbelievably beautiful sound.
Bjork is my Hope for the Future.
MASS MoCA, MA
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MASS MoCA, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams town, MA
Just passed Martin Luther King Jr’s long weekend was a perfect time for us to finally visit MASS MoCA up in MA ( about 3 1/2 hour car ride from NYC). Emiliano has been talking about to visit up there and we have been looking up their website admiring amazing space of Museum which once has been industrial factory buildings occupying 13 acres of ground in North Adams town. Most of you must have visited DIA Beacon and MASS MoCA plays Art in similar setting but in much much bigger scale in their 26 industrial buildings with soaring sky high ceilings and envious grand scale of countless windows that allow beautiful natural lighting for the most important and prominent Art of our time.
We have planned to spend a night in the town to cover entire museum as traveling takes up quite a time. Early Saturday morning, with a small bag packed with couple things, we are ready to hit the road!
Getting out of NY state, it definitely gets colder and we were happy like little kids to see snow on the road! It has been unusually warm winter for us.
So beautiful…!
The parking lot is located right in the museum sight. ( when it gets this cold, BRrrrrrrrr, it’s helpful! 15 degrees F!) We are approaching to the main entrance.
Loving this simple Positive-Negative entrance sign.
The first installation Art, Geometric Death by Federico Diaz greets you right outside of the main entrance. The Snow adds extra effect.
Read about the Site Installation. Click here. And Do not touch this!
Gael and MASS MoCA!
Day 1. Gael was over the moon visiting Kid Space first. There’s ” Under the Water” exhibition and a work shop area.
PVC pipes, Garbage cans and more.
Gael, a Boy and the Ocean.
And now, Get Creative!
8 legged underwater creature. 7 more to go!
Woooooo, A scary Underwater Monster!
Emi’s super awesome Abstract mask and/or a hat. I see 2 eyes, a nose and a mouth. LOVE !
Gael’s spaceship!
Gael having fun! Ahhh so much fun. We All are having fun!!!
Day 2. The Workers exhibition on the ground floor. I definitely liked this exhibition, especially short films and documentaries speaking about social problems, economies in different Geographies in the Blue Collar point of view such as a great interview at street Bazaar in Armenia and Garment workers in LA. Is this world not fair? Do workers get treated fairly? The whole thing got me a chill.
A mini screen of collection of films on Blue Collars. These include my all time favorites, “Dancer in the Dark” starring Bjork ( I remember balling in Angelika movie theater watching Dancer in the Dark carrying Gael in my tummy..) and ” Red Desert” by Antonioni. Each film was numbered and had designated numbered headset for audio. Each film was repeating about 10 minute screening of same clips.
A must see. This film got me feeling all embarrassed that I am in Apparel business for the first time. This is a documentary film following real group of garment workers at Sweat Shops who were hired by the third party contractors who did production for ” Forever 21″. People. You need to ask when things are way too cheap. You know somebody is paying for that price either that is in physical labor form or that is in trashed pride and dignity for selves. Or both.
We didn’t catch screening for this. But we are going to watch it. You should too.
Then wonderful Sol Lewitt: A wall drawing Retrospective on the multiple floors. The exhibition runs through year 2033!
These pictures don’t do the justice to capture the vibrancy of these amazing colors!
I love this one so much. High shine black and Matt finished Black. A massive wall and soft glare of surrounding. It’s so cool!
OK, I’ll stop here . The Scale and amount of Wall drawings are huge and heavy weight.
Gael meditating in front of Penelope Umbrico’s wok. An avid collector of images through which she identifies strange phenomena and trends in online visual culture. Suns From Flickr assembles hundreds of photographs of sunsets found on Flickr. Each sunset, depicting a fleeting moment in time, becomes a timeless and universal pictorial structure. People with Suns from Flickr, her new work in Memery, looks at the online response to Suns From Flickr, presenting pictures that viewers have taken in front of the work as it has been shown in various international settings.
I do quite like it!
Now we are moving onto ” Mango Tourists” from Nari Ward: Sub Mirage Lignum.
They look like a gigantic rubber band balls from the distance, but these are strips of industrial foams, mango seeds and found objects.
Nu Colossus.
Something So beautiful about this.
Cold but beautiful MASS MoCA
What an amazing Space!
A Beautiful and creative place where you can have fun and learn. MASS MoCA offers concerts, dances, dance parties, Art performance, theater, films and many others through out the year. We will go back when weather gets warmer as surrounding areas also offer fun festivals and concerts. With loved ones and kids. You will have fun no matter what!
LOvE Art!
Inspiration & Expression: De Kooning
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Much anticipated De Kooning Exhibit at MoMa, NYC
LOvE ART!
A Powerful Stimulation: Fuerza Bruta, NYC
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They will walk all over you in the rain, in the puddle and in this magical setting of FUERZA BRUTA, NYC !!!
The space was bit smaller than what I expected. But also intimate in a just right way. Mysterious red hue of warm light wraps you around and higher than high ceiling with awesome music with great sound starts get you going before the real thing starts. A good size of crowd is gathering and it totally feels like we are going to have a real good dance party! There were only 2 kids in the entire crowd. Gael is one and just this girl with long braided hair at maybe just about Gael’s age. It’s a good mix of crowd and we are all just so curious to see what will happen in anytime soon! People are patiently waiting…
People are already looking up!
Entering the room.
Emi, Denny and Me! Gael’s here with us too! 5 years old and over are permitted to this performance.
Great beat goes on.
Starting!
Absolute Highest light of the show. Water above your head up on the ceiling!
I am trying to reach out to her as the water stage’s getting closer to the crowd. It’s CRAZY Amazing!
I believe Fuerza Bruta is NOT about synchronization,which is what I really like about, but there’s a short moment of this. 4 performers coming together.
The creators on the front.
Closing dance with crowd.
The evidence of great fun for the night!
The crew outside on smoking break after the show.
That was maybe the best thing we did for the raining friday night of September in NYC. It was still warm out and rain felt somehow friendly and safe and getting inside of theater of Fuerza Bruta made me feel like we were not wasting the golden friday night sitting on a couch watching a TV because of the rain…
This one big crowd participating performance of Music, Dance, Light, Air and Water of Fuerza, the Force is something that you should totally experience! It’s one good stimulation for your senses and mind. And Huge credit to excellent beats and music for the entire night and I really would love to be there if Fuerza Bruta ever will have a one kicking dance party.
Now watch the teasers!
LOvE NYC!
Cool Films for Hot Summer Nights!
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1. 10:30 pm, Summmer by Jules Dassin
2. IL Divo by Paolo Sorrentino
3. Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni
4. Before Night Falls by Julian Schnabel
5. Mother by Bong Joon Ho
6. Diva by Jean-Jacques Beineix
7. White Ribbon by Michael Haneke
A scene from Diva
Enjoy!
When Fashion surpasses Art: Savage Beauty, Alexander McQueen, Met
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The Alexander McQueen exhibit: Savage Beauty at Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
I have been dreading to go to Met to see Savage Beauty as whoever went to the exhibit said, “It’s so popular you need to be in the line for so long like hours then it’s too crowded that it’s hard to see all in detail!” But regardless, I knew it was going to be amazing. ” Exhibit will make you cry!” that’s what I heard a lot too. I was lucky enough to get free private access to the Museum this Monday through a friend at the museum as the Museum is closed on Mondays. But due to the high demand of this show, Museum had introduced ” Met Mondays with McQueen” starting from June 6. And it will cost you hefty $50.00 entrance fee but I highly recommend it otherwise not sure how you can say you really saw the exhibition with all that big crowd. And very nice audio tour ( narrated by Andrew Bolton, Sara Jessica Parker, Philip Treacy and more!) is on the house with this special Monday tour I believe.
Last Year, The 40 years of YSL Retrospective at Paris was amazing, beautiful and unbelievable. But still it stayed in fashion. Beautiful clothing with impeccable workmanship in beautiful setting. But Savage Beauty definitely felt closer to an art exhibit. McQueen’s fashion surpasses countless Artists’ art out there today. And I like to pay a huge credit to Mr. Andrew Bolton, the curator of this exhibit and Costume Institute who handled many years’ yearly gala. I had a privilege to work with him personally on a small project related to the last year’s Gala, American women as Gap was major sponsor to the exhibit.
And Mr. Bolton, you’ve had beautifully executed Savage Beauty to translate Alexander McQueen’s dark, strong, complex and bold approach to his artful inner world. The rooms were perfectly McQueen. The lighting, the materials of the wall, the music and utterly dark and chick showcases and the stage. I absolutely loved it. The Colors in the room, runway clips, the most amazing head and shoulder pieces, the materials of the setting… I could go on and on about this. It felt beautifully expensive and perfectly regal but also completely modern and dare futuristic. Just like who Alexander McQueen was.
The entrance! Red tinted microscopic glass pieces and ostrich feather dress on the left and the infamous Razor clam shell dress on the right. It kills me. I highly recommend you to get the Audio tour. You get to hear stories behind from actual people who worked on or worn the actual pieces.
The first room, ”The Romantic Mind”, is dedicated to the tailored and mostly jacket pieces. Lots of these pieces were landed by the actual owners for the exhibit. McQueen’s Savile Row in London’s tailoring experience is showing through these pieces. Only showing a few pieces here.
The washed concrete wall and naive wood flank is familiar contrast we see everyday now but again it works beautifully against McQueen’s impeccable hard tailoring.
The second room, “The Romantic Gothic” filled with aged mirrors.
This guilded golden glass showcase is absolutely to die for and the amazing McQueen’s work…
“The Cabinet of Curiosity”, a room dedicated to many of McQueen’s amazing Accessories and their relationship to related items. This room truly made me fill like I was in a Art exhibition.
My heart deeply aching…. The Spine corset with a tail.
Approaching to the Fan dress. Just like those delicately cut out Japanese wooden fan.
Yes, She’s turning.
There are ton more in this “Closet of Curiosity” room. I kept going back in there. It was hard to end myself and move on.
” The Romantic Nationalism”, McQueen celebrates his root, London. He was very proud of the city where he came from.
“The Romantic Primitivism”
” Romantic Exoticism”
“Romantic Naturalism, the last room”
I only have a few pictures from the Savage Beauty in this post. You need to see All in person. It ends on August 7. So hurry up!
It was truly one of the most amazing exhibitions I have seen. Not just McQueen itself but the whole package, it is a great exhibition. Also excellent website.
And NEVER TO MISS, click on THIS to watch clips of McQueen’s runway shows.
Ultimate Summer Party: MoMA PS1, NYC!
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Awesome Breezy Entrance at MoMA PS1. Warm Up Ps1: the Ultimate Summer Party for NYC!
I can’t believe it’s already the 14th year now MoMA PS1 is holding this music, dance, art installation that’s all happening in one gigantic outdoor party on Saturdays all summer long at this cool industrial area in Queens, NYC!!! When we all heard then MoMA was branching out a sister MoMA out to Queens: PS1 taking over formal Public School #1 on Queens, We all were bit skeptical even though there are a few prominent Art and Design institutional places like Noguchi museum in the same neighbor hood. \It felt bit out of the way compare to the mail one is on posh and touristy uptown in Manhattan. But PS1 had proved that was only a worry that we didn’t have to have at all after all. PS1 now has grown into a proud and even more rebellious and interesting little yet not so little sister of MoMA fueling Powerful Energy of New and Young Generation of Cool NYC peeps. And maybe even of the “World” as you will be surprised to see and hear how many international visitors at not just “Warm” but maybe more of “Hot” summer Dance parties that PS 1 is housing year after year. Every year PS1 holds a competition to design and doll up their envious grand schemed concrete and grabbled awesomely modern yard, and I personally like to thank to MomA doing this so as this is an absolutely a brilliant idea and also a another definite reason what attracts me and sure all other visitors to go visit PS1 as the yearly brand new Summer installation is something that you must not miss.
This year’s simple yet breezy and green installation is another winner that you want to see and I highly recommend the actual exhibitions that are going on in this beautiful formal public school space as it’s filled with much entertaining (I rather like to call it entertaining! ) Rayan Trecartin’s Any Ever : the short film series, and my absolute favorite of all, a screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain ( the screening ends on July 24th) which I ended up buying the DVD at the bookstore is another one you should not miss!!
The Warm Up Summer party at PS1 runs until the September 3rd with various DJS from around the world, So you haven’t missed much but certain exhibitions will do end at certain point, so if you are not sure what to do on Saturdays, pS1 Warm up party will be the perfect thing to do for this entire summer!
Now I like to share some pics from my visit to PS 1 Warm Up party this Saturday, July 16!
Yes the kid are welcome, but if you like to bring your little ones go early and live early. It get’s bit intense for the little ones later on. The party hour is 2-9 pm.
Hay Garden. No Smoking!
Real good seating this year. Not too obscure to sit down and there were plenty of these to mingle and chat.
Loving the fact they had brought quite an amount of trees this year.
Gael, no worries, I promise you I’ll take you here! The September 3rd, We will come back all together with Dad!
Yes, we will play ping pong too! Love you. Miss you Gael!
Loving the Crowd. The People. All together. Can’t help it!
DJs and Bands rotating all day.
Inside the Museum building. Entrance at Ryan Trecartin’s.
There were 6 rooms I believe set up in all different way with Head sets for you to use. Plenty of odd and fun seating were built for the audience. And comfy!
Hospital beds turned to mega seating.
I have mixed thoughts and feeling about Laurel Nakadate: Only the Lonely work series. Hmmm , If anyone likes to discuss about it with me, shoot me an email!
I adore PS1’s staircase murals!
Permanent collection: James Turell’s ” Meeting”, 1986
Visitors gaging and enjoying this wonderfully opened up room with natural light and air coming through.
Here’s the movie I was talking about. Crazy, beautiful photography, not normal, disturbing, funny, sick, calm, tripping and everything else. Alejandro Jodorowsky: The Holy Mountain, 1973 and couple more scenes from the film below.
The Book store.
The cafe.
7:30. Now it’s really crowded! Music’s pumping, people are dancing, being silly, whatever!
Ahhh Emi, I so wished you were standing right next to me!! I miss you Emi!!
With Adriana and Dani.
Good job Sir! The last DJ.
If you haven’t yet, go check it out!!!
Escadaria Selaron, Rio de Janeiro
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250 steps of Escadaria Selaron, connecting Santa Teresa and Lapa, Rio de Janerio
Oh it was so not easy to find these steps covered in all sort of colored tiles as it’s tucked in between hill top of Santa Teresa and the small side street next to aqueduct at Lapa. Steps are covered in mainly yellow, green and red as the Artist calls the red portion is his “personal problem” which he did not explain why but you and I can understand the reasons behind the yellow and green. See I totally remember watching the music video, “Beautiful” of Snoop Dogg featuring Pharell cheerfully singing on these steps and fearlessly cruising Favelas and Copacabana with hot Brazilian ladies, and I used to say to myself, if I go to Rio then I’ll go see that steps! and Here I am finally at the top and the bottom of the very famous steps, Escadaria Selaron!!!
So here, Watch this!
The very first step on the top looking down. See you would not expect to see the grand colorful view just yet. You can only see it by looking up!
The Chilean born artist Jorge Selaron began renovating a dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house back in 1990. It started as his side project along his painting but this soon became the main project and real passion still continuing till today and he claims to do so until he dies. There are many tiles were sent or given to the artist from people around the world for him to add on within his own tile work. You can see small individual tiles designed with names of cities such NYC as well.
Here, I’ll lead you step by step!
The first top portion of the steps.
Along the steps, the side walls of the houses are all dolled up too!
Here’s the artist himself painting. Jorge Selaron. He’s sitting in front of his Gallery.
That white flag is from my home, South Korea!
Yeap! My tourist moment.
Getting closer to the bottom of the steps. It get’s more elaborate. See I think it is good to start from the top. So you don’t have to walk up that 250 steps! Get there through Santa Teresa Convent form Santa Teresa rather than from Lapa.
One more pic with the very man, Jorge Selaron. Yes all of this work is done by him!
Here’s the manifesto of Mr. Selaron about the steps.
If you are ever in Rio, You can’t miss this.
It’s one big color result of one small artist’s passion that is recognized internationally!
Viva, Escadaria Selaron!!
Chasing walls of Rio!
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They are everywhere and I’ll keep adding!
Back to the Funky Town, David LaChapelle at Lever House, NYC
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My favorite piece of all, ” Raft of Illusion, Raging the Truth” by David LaChapelle at Lever House NYC. The Opening party!
It’s been a while to see David LaChapelle’s work at NYC. And it is my very first time to see him in person and it was quite fabulous to be there for his return to this funky town, NYC after he had left to Hong Kong to reside and work since 2006!
This all-glassed reception room was filled with incredible energy even without one single beat of music because of the artist himself there standing welcomed by the city and completely surrounded by million paparazzis and drag queens like Anna and big stars like Uma, Mr.LaChapelle ( I always envied his last name by the way) taught me again what NYC is all about! And his one big bunch of fun and friendly groupies and friends were definitely sweet eye candies.
Not to mention too much about it, today I have many many pictures to share that energy of successful opening night for return of David LaChapelle. Enjoy it! Also Check out this, www.lachapellestudio.com
LoVe NYC!
LoVE ArT!!!