Photo: Animaris Percipiere Thumb Theo Jansen degital brainstorming
There is a think tank team called “Brainstorming” who sends out unique contemporary art works. While explaining its background may require some length of time, a Dutch kinetic sculptor, Teo Jansen was introduced by this group the other day.
Since the large-scale exhibition, first time in Asia, was held in Hibiya, Tokyo from January to April this year, many of you may already have seen his works.
The CM entitled “Defining innovation” onaired in South Africa in 2006, was talked about a lot around the world.
A strange “living creature” that you had never seen before, walked on a wind-whipped dark beach together with Jansen, fighting against a roaring rainstorm. This mysterious image and his economical phrase were cool and it demonstrated his excellent sense of creativity.
This time, Jansen has brought “Animaris Umerus” and some of its buddy small “living creatures” to Zurich.
Plastic pipes which induce electricity that ordinary household use. The framework is made by using nylon strings to fasten these pipes. Electric cables or vinyl strings were also used. Despite my expectation that he would not use any organic materials, he answered in the interview that he used egg white for the eyes and skins for some reason.
Animals on a sandy beach, or beach animals. Although such names are well known in Japan, “Strandbiester,” the German word for that, emphasizes more on an animal image that has landed from the ocean, which sounds mysterious for its collective term itself. It also gives somewhat humorous nuance such as something dangerous but cute.
As if it is a living creature of Paleozoic era, having numerous legs like a monster centipede, moves and runs by wind power. Because of the grandness of each “creature” he has created and its interesting sound of Latin language, one may easily imagine a dinosaur.
Although Jansen majored in physics at the Delft University of Technology, he became a painter.
I believe it was before he became the painter, when he used to walk along the beach to put together his scripts for newspapers. I am not sure for what he was writing the script, but one day, he was inspired to create an image of a large “living creature” walking on a sandy beach.
It had been a long time since that day.
It was September, 19 years ago. He went to purchase plastic pipes.
“Throughout that afternoon, I was playing around with those pipes. It was almost evening time. I felt certain that I would be living with these plastic pipes for the rest of my life.”
Technical ideas and art were united, and a totally new “living creature” baby was born on this day.
“They don’t require any food. What they need to survive is simply the wind. They do not need time to move around to find food, like other animals.”
“Living creatures” of Jansen eat the wind and live on a sandy beach.
“They can play with children on the beach, or they can live together with other animals. However, since the living creatures that I create continuously evolve, soon or later they may become wiser than human beings. It is a form of new life.”
“Why are you keep on creating living creatures on the beach?”
“Why? I don’t know. Now let me ask you. Why we, human beings, live on this earth?”
Interview：Digital Brainstorming
http://www.digitalbrainstorming.ch/
BMW 「Defining innovation」
http://www.bmw.co.za/onlinenews/issue1/advert.html
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Die lange Nacht der Zürcher Museen 2006 Museum Bärengasse Photo:Peter Koehl
Die lange Nacht der Zürcher Museen 2006 Museum Bärengasse Photo:Peter Koehl
You never see any children walking on the street at night.
However, one Saturday is exceptional.
The Long Night Museum (Die lange Nacht der Mussen) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Almost all the galleries in the city, mainly the exhibitions currently being held, including related hands-on workshops, guided tours or independent vents, will be open to public literally all night, rather than for a long night.
The botanical garden of the Zurich University or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), as well as lectures at the zoo and performances or concerts in small theaters will also be open to public.
It is programmed so that children and adults can enjoy hopping from art to art with single tickets.
Trains and trams run according to the exceptional schedules.
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Michel Combte was 25 years old when his talent was found by Karl Lagerfeld. This acknowledgment made him prove his brilliance of work, and triggered him to climb up the ladder of the world of photography. All Looking at his colorful career, so many episodes of his shootings, which are thrilling, sexy, and full of urgency feeling to the utmost limit, overlap.
Comte who was born in Zurich, establishedThe MICHEL COMTE WATER FOUNDATION in Zurich in 2004. Furthermore, his photo reportages from the world’s war zones are also his lifework to the public at the same time.A genius, who creates new styles, but never stays there, and keeps on creating new and fresh ways and cutting edges to the world.
Large-scale exhibition of the works by Michel Comte for the last 30 years, by looking back with a 360-degree field of vision, presenting what may come next, has just started in the Design Museum in Zurich. It will be long-run until January 3, 2010.
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We are already counting down the remaining days of summer.
Totally unexpected scorching sunlight in May, long continuous rain and cold days in July, then suddenly cleared-up skies without clouds in August, as if what had been lost was found or the heaven was trying to make up to make sense.
The weather in the mountains is unpredictable.
Once this dazzling scenery is snatched away, surely it will be fall.
“As it is so beautiful, we just thought about having a party.” We received an invitation with a very short notice. As we did not have anything planned over the weekend, we just loved that idea.
There is my favorite florist in the residential neighborhood. This is the place where I always buy flowers for presents.
Now I am a regular to this shop, but as a matter of fact, I did not recognize the store for a long time even though we passed by car in the front many times. When the season changed and the trees became leafless, I just realized the existence of this shop when I saw people coming in and out.
It blends in the town too perfectly to recognize, unless somebody introduced to you. Somewhat, I felt it has an atmosphere where strangers are not welcomed.
Up the stone steps, and you open the door.
Some Europeans who look snobs in this neighborhood with picky orders to place, are choosing large white flowers.
Inside the room where flowers and trees are abundant, a rock table is placed and dead branches of the trees, driftwoods and old pots are scattered around. The lantern hanging from the ceiling might be available if I ask for.
The interior shows some mixture of taste, but it is close to the one of southern France.
I found the color that will suit the madam that we meet tonight.。
Alt Rosa.
Western hydrangea with huge flowers that you have to hold in both hands, is called “rose color of the past.” Subtle pink color, as if regressing. Since Victorian age in the 19th century, this color has enchanted many women.
Looking down from the terrace the lake where white-sailed yachts were heading to the opposite shore, glasses went around to start apero. All the church bells started to ring at the same time, telling that tomorrow would be the Sabbath.
The dinner at the end of summer went very slowly. This feeling of freedom was so comfortable.
Surrounding the main dish, the time of laughter passed by, and all of us looked up the star-lit night sky, each quietly moved.
Alt Rosa was at the back of the room.
Author : Mieko Yagi | Posted : 2009年8月24日 | No Comments | Categories : Interior, Life style
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Octopus 2006/2009 Katharina Fritsch
The 3-dimentional image created by Katharina, shakes human’s fundamental mentality, desire and fear, in the space where a new life is alive and vivid.
Her latest work is a strange contemporary elegy.
The man wearing a diving suit was easily caught in the tentacles of the octopus like a toy.
Photo: Kunsthaus Zürich
http://www.kunsthaus.ch/
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Annual gay parade was held in Zurich about 2 months ago. Summer brings many festivals in various areas, and this is another unique and large-scaled festival to be noted.
Every year, on the 2nd Saturday of August, this Street Parade is held.
Originally it was the Love Parade in Berlin, however, since it started in Zurich in 1992, the parade has become bigger and bigger every year. Now it is known as the biggest European techno & dance parade.
The year 2004 recorded the number of audience as many as 1 million. This year, heavy rain continued throughout the day, and the cold weather discouraged some people or some returned home early, we hear. However, 600,000 people all over the world gathered together for this day. Just for your information, the population of Zurich is 360,000.
This year’s catch phrase was STILL HAVE A DREAM !
Stefan Epli, the Communication Director, mentioned in his statement to appeal, by quoting the words from “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King, “Although this is the speech made many many years before the street parade was born, we are still fighting for the same goal 18 years later. (an omission) The Street Parade is a demonstration for love, peace, freedom and tolerance.” Is it just to reflect the current age?067-b-jpg67
It started near the Opera House, and 27 showy trucks called Love Mobiles moved along the Lake Zurich. These are the moving stages, the signatures of the Street Parade.
Charismatic DJs from Switzerland, Japan, USA and European countries, rode each mobile and the artists and dancers performed hot live stages, screaming and dancing.
The audience called Ravers blended together in the Parade, linking each mibile, screaming and dancing in the same way, and moved on in the heavy sound.
Just before heading to the opposite side of the lake, as the parade was getting closer to Bürkliplatz, where the center stage of the highlight was located, the crazy excitement got crazier and the tention was skyrocketing.
Usually the young people in Zurich seem to be polite and orderly to me, but on this day, they loosened up together with the guests from overseas. Parties continued to the following morning all over Zurich
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By the way, the spectacular sight you cannot miss of the Street Parade is outrageous fashion, or costumes I should say, as more appropriate term.
While the Japanese girls’ fashion is now exported to Paris or Milan these days, the Japanese may be accustomed to little surprises. However, seeing such people all over town was surely bizarre.
Gender, age, occupation, or whatever, it was borderless. The young and the old, as well as the middle-aged, joined the parade. Straight tolerance, telling forget about metabolism, was openly welcomed by smiles.
When asked for pictures, most of them gave certain pose right away. I wonder where they practice how to pose. It was fun to have pictures taken with them, but I fear once you enjoy that moment, it may become habitual.
Well, you never know. You may find me somewhere in this parade next year.
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Click here to see more aggressive costumes
http://www.streetparade.ch
Click here to see more aggressive costumes.
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Nice to meet you. We are Swiss cows.
For this year’s summer campaign ad, we ran through the city by skateboarding Although it was a hard work, we were able to manage smooth riding, and the finish is quite good, too.
But, when you think of it, we believe it was the result of our yoga training for several months last year.。Munching grasses and taking naps are not good enough. In order to have a good quality of milk, we also need fitness exercises.
If you feel like, join us.
Photo by SMP
http://www.swissmilk.ch
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Huge planters are all over the city of Zurich at the moment.
Gartencity Zürich 2009 Campaign which commenced early this summer
It is a unique plan by the Zurich Tourism Office, which theme was integration of art & design, plants & nature, and city and environment. The planters are made of glass-fiber-enforced polyester, with the height of 150 cm and diameter of 120 cm. The participating artists around the world as well as from Switzerland have created these planters.
Swiss artist, HR Giger, who is well-known for the movie “Alian,” and Hans Langner from Germany are among such artists. From Accademia di Brera in Milan, collaboration of the professors and students contributed to some creations.
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From the Zurich Airport to the center of the city, especially along the shopping street stating from the Central Station, the streets are decorated by artworks, and the area from the Baunhof strasse to Paradeplatz is one of the highlights. The artworks are arranged so that they will lead you from here to the lake, to the stone-paved old part of the city near the Lake Limmat and then to the Opera House. The number of artworks easily surpasses 300 in the whole city. 。
Oleander, palm, dogwood, Bird of Paradise, Japanese maple tree, fig tree, chestnut tree, and so on…
More than 30 different kinds of plants were planted, and every little daily changes you may notice when you pass by will never bore you out during this 4-momth long-term campaign.
The current season is the most beautiful time of the year. With full of colorful flowers in bloom, the whole city has become a mysterious garden.
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Although the art displayed here vary every year, it goes back to the Cow Parade in 1998. The participating artists painted freely the top of the head of 400 glass-fiber cows, which were displayed all over the city. This body-painting on cows become a big topic, much more than the city had expected, and the number of cows during the campaign reached 800, we understand.
Furthermore, this trend expanded to Chicago, New York, and other parts of Europe. Even in Tokyo, cows had appeared 3 times until last year.
Later, here in the original city of Zurich, cows changed to benches, then teddy bears and then this year’s huge planters.
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One interesting thing is that around the time when this event started in 1998, Zurich started to attract attention as the base of modern art, and artists around the world started to move into this city. The time overlaps this era when creative activities grew stronger.
When they thought about marketing the city, utilizing the brand power of “cows” and the power of modern art riding the wave of attention, was probably very natural.
First of all, Zurich is the birthplace of Dada. Therefore, this city has the ability to accept avant-garde.
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From children to the elderly, the messages conveyed through art and plants are gentle.
Having the distance shortened by art, and having art as the hook to talk to people and society, Garten-City Zurich 2009, advertises the city in a dynamic way.
Richness of nature, and accessibility. While this campaign is a development of brand strategies to enhance the image of Zurich as a sustainable city, focusing on attracting tourism, it is, at the same time, to launch innovative charm that this city has as well.
Zurich does not have convenience stores like in Japan. Although it is an international city, one may feel that time goes several times slower than Tokyo.
However, iphone is a big boom even here, and information is customized by the development of cell phones and Internet.
On the other hand, while communication may become more personal, people still love the warms of skin and voice, and sometimes feel like to join the circle of dance. Such simple excitement and thrill are next-door neighbors.
Working people stride on the street. A young person is enjoying sunbathing on the lawn. Old lady of your next-door neighbor is talking about her cat. You pass by a traveler.
Thinking about the fact that people of every genre share and experience the same air, having the city as the media, you may feel that there is a future for communication.
Something makes me feel happy.
It will be held until September 20, 2009.
http://www.gartencity.ch
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by Mieko Yagi on July 29, 2009
photo: Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation http://www.montreuxjazz.com
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Unfortunately, this is not my personal property.
Along the Lake Zurich, there is a place called “private beach” where only the local residents can use. Once the key of this beach is opened in early June, in the afternoon of any hot days, you will find at least someone lying under the sun. 。
When weekend comes, families enjoy sunbathing. Adults enjoy reading or simply gazing the lake. Diving, sailing and canoeing are alternatives.Birds in the lake and humans swim together.The summer in the northern Europe is beautiful and shortThere is no period that you may enjoy end-of-summer melancholy feeling, and the weather turns straight into autumn.
Because of this or not, it is not unusual to see some people who rather stay in Switzerland around this time of the year, and then travel to the southern Europe, North Africa or around Turkey for longer vacations.If you are an adult-only couple, this is another way of enjoying freedom supported by the adjective of “independent.”After you send out an email and you receive an automatic reply saying the office will be closed for 2 weeks. They are off again! I always wonder how many times they take holidays a year.Zurich entered into Sommerferien yesterday. Schools are closed for summer until the middle of August.