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4 years ago
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Busca Vida Filmes
Êxtase (Ecstasy), a beautiful, unsettling pseudo-documentary from Brazilian filmmaker Moara Passoni, is the semi-autobiographical story of a young woman with anorexia, set in the tumultuous political climate of 1990s Brazil. Eating disorders are often a young person’s extreme method of exerting control over her life, and young protagonist Clara is no exception. She traces the origins of her sensitive psyche to a photo of her activist mother standing up to police during a protest, her pregnant body flooded with adrenaline. As Clara notes when her mother is elected to Congress at a time when politicians were often physically attacked, “As long as I kept an eye on my mom, nothing would happen to her.” The wary girl finds not only control, but ecstasy through starvation.
The film’s narrative is just part of the experience of Êxtase, an inventive, impressionistic work that casts its strange spell using photo stills, old news footage, beautifully framed reenactments, and sound designer Cécile Chagnaud's dramatic, disquieting soundtrack. The latter, which includes Ismael Pinkler's original score and a collaboration by David Lynch and Lykke Li, is full of classical music snippets, animal sounds, strange mechanical noises and a lot of whispering. Scenes are narrated by Clara as both child and adolescent.
Busca Vida Filmes
She describes her family's move to the country’s federal capital, Brasilia, its sleek, modern architecture adding to her culture shock[...]
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5 years ago
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Zeitgeist Films
We may not be able to see movies in actual theaters these days and the release dates of many films have been pushed back, but some distributors are working around our current COVID-19 lockdown.
Arthouse and international film distributor Kino Lorber has recently expanded its virtual theatrical exhibition program Kino Marquee into 150 theaters nationwide. This streaming initiative enables local movie theaters shuttered by the coronavirus outbreak to continue serving their audiences while generating some revenue. Film lovers are able watch spring releases while supporting their favorite theater.
Opening on Friday through the websites of various theaters across the country is Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint, Halina Dyrschka’s documentary about the revolutionary Swedish artist. What a great time to immerse oneself in the fantastical world and stunning visuals of af Klint’s work. On the other hand, it’s unfortunate that the film isn’t get the big-screen release it deserves. (Hopefully in the future?)
Beyond the Visible is foremost a depiction of af Klint's unusual life, but it's framed by the bigger issue of her undervaluation and near-anonymity until recently. Though Vasily Kandinsky has generally been credited as the first abstract artist, the film makes clear that af Klint was creating abstract works years earlier. Yet, many in the U.S. had never heard of her until a retrospective was mounted in 2018 at the Guggenheim, an amazing show that [...]
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5 years ago
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by Beláxis Buil
We met a few years back. Our meeting encounter happened during an exhibition Intersectionality, 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, Florida. Eurydice Kamvyselli struck me as a woman who resists nonsense, but more so, foolishness from any opponent who questions her prerogative. But her confrontation is directed towards men (since it has been men creating most sex scandals), and rescuing our vaginas and womanhood, as an agency. Her ammunition deeply roots in communication and literature, with an array of published books on sexual identity, investigations on socio-sexual practices and the raging plague of sexual violation women face every day.
In her first novel, F/32, she tells the story of a "woman's vagina abandoning her body as a stranger on the street is assaulting her." It is not to say Eurydice has a problem with sex, but more specifically, she reminds us of how women are silenced when faced with the woe of the patriarchs' contamination of its true meaning and intention. After all, sex should be an element of power for women in both public and private spaces, not a transactional feature as compromised in Western capitalism.
Her practice as a writer, visual artist, speaker, and activist has given her a voice: one that aims to dismantle "the patriarchy that binds women to its words, laws, paradigms, and aesthetics." Since the #METOO movement, Eurydice grabbed the "bull by its horns" and commenced a new project: SpeakSex Podcas[...]
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6 years ago
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Traveling opens one's eyes to truths that otherwise become lost to distance, suspicions, and misinformation. By traveling, we connect with cultures and find out about crippling circumstances that may impair individuals from being included in global communications in which they should participate.
During a recent trip to Costa Rica, I found some surprising facts on the local view on art. First, I must disclose: aside from national institutions, there are hardly any galleries in the city of San Jose. Some of the residents claim an enormous problem with the few public works facing vandalism or individuals uncertain of art's purpose in a town, or even as a serious career.
It is true that cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Costa Rica and the Jade Museum boast an extraordinary dose of Pre-Columbian art and jade artifacts. MADC ( Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo) exudes a lovely exterior and has gained the public interest of many traveling abroad because it is one of the only contemporary art spaces in the city.
Upon entering the space, there were two modestly small galleries. The first had a few paintings wrapped in plastic. It seemed as though a transition of works was taking place. The second displayed smaller pieces lined up in a row or salon-style arrangements.
Towards the back wall, a larger-scaled painting with jagged angles in vibrant blues textured, ragged greens, and crisp whites stood out as a lovely landscape. Perhaps, one of Cost[...]
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6 years ago
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Milly Cardoso was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is the Director and Curator for the University of Miami Gallery in the Wynwood Art District. Prior to joining University of Miami, she worked for the Miami Art Museum (Pérez Art Museum, Miami) and the Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Private Collection.
Milly is currently organizing an all-female group exhibition titled " Yes, I'm a Witch" to be presented at FATVillage Projects on September 24 – October 28, 2018, strongly supporting the works of local artists residing in South Florida.
I decided to chat with Milly about America's obsession with the topic, what or who determines a witch and the '' mass hysteria" ( of sorts) we still face today.
Interview with Milly Cardoso:
BB: From my understanding, it's been stated, you title the exhibitions you curate after songs? Why is that?
MC: Not for every exhibition, but yes, I’m very inspired by music. Lyrics inspire me. I hear a great lyric and think “that would make a fantastic exhibition.” I like every genre; I feel sorry for people who only listen to one form of music. They don’t know what they’re missing.
BB: What song, in particular, has most personally affected an exhibition? How so?
It’s difficult to pick a favorite, but it would have to be Clang, Boom, Steam. It’s an exhibition I curated in 2013 with male artists that focused on the state of masculinity in contemporary art. Clang, Boom, Steam is a song by Tom Waits. It’s only 52 seconds long, but it delive[...]
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6 years ago
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One of the things I used to detest so much as a child was watching the Spanish actress Charo shaking her ass and screaming out “cuchi, cuchi!" on stage. Her famous act would make my blood boil. Please, Charo, forgive me (for we are both Spanish, Latin women) but you're capitalizing on broken English and the need to be sexy all the time, and I wonder if you helped shape the brand, image for Latin women.
There is more to my personal history with Charo's legacy than growing up watching her on television: my paternal grandmother was a performer too and there was a crossing of paths between these influential Latin women. Seeing such a beautiful Latin woman depicted in Charo’s characteristic way was beyond me. I questioned this image constantly, wondering about the advantages of being famously sexy and vulnerable. As opposed to all the women in my family who were immigrants and championed higher education. They worked as professionals, speaking fluent English, and every single one of them was extraordinarily attractive.
On one hand, I saw Charo as a brilliant entrepreneur. She seized the opportunity to commoditize a stereotype and hence became a star with a net worth of twelve billion dollars. In a society where money is synonymous with power, that is a ton of power.
In contrast to Charo's sexy Latina character, Panamanian artist Sandra Eleta tapped into another Latin female stereotype by photographing housemaids, albeit, with a much different attitude depicted in her su[...]
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6 years ago
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It was the industrial revolution that first attempted to record sound “as a medium for preservation," activating the phenomena of noise as an integral source when documenting history. Thomas Edison received notoriety for the phonograph in 1877, but it was really Edouard-Lèon Scott de Martinsville who invented the phonautograph in 1857, the first recording device. The device was specifically created to study frequency found in sounds, an intention much different from the phonograph invented by Edison which was to play and “reproduce the recorded sound… originally recorded onto a tinfoil”. As per historical reference ( author unknown ), “The phonograph revolutionized the art of music. Performances were recorded and people could listen to them at their leisure. It also made music and communication more public. The invention signaled the birth of a new form of entertainment and an entirely new field of business that fed the demand for the new invention, the music industry”- hence both inventions put an end to the masses' naiveté to the sense of hearing, and introduced the start of audio’s sensational future possibilities.
When we fast forward through the history of music and sound, we could say that the underground rave music scene (which famously erupted somewhere in between Chicago and the UK during the late 80’s), had a lot of thanking to give the founding fathers of sound, more so Edison’s phonograph. It was the phonograph that gathered groups of people before a speake[...]
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7 years ago
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Dear Artem, welcome to Art For Progress. You are a New York City based artist. Please tell us about your work.
Hi Nerea, yes as you describe, I am a New York based artist, curator and entrepreneur. My imagination allows me to create a new world within each frame while drawing connections with different cultures and to my own heritage. History and mythology play a large role in influencing my work, often igniting the creative process. I am fascinated about mythology, and I am a space time voyager at heart. Traveling is also one of my biggest catalysts for art. I have traveled extensively, experiencing diverse culture, spirit, architecture and ways of life, which helped me to shape my perception and artistic vision of the world. A sketchbook always accompanies me on my journeys. When words alone cannot describe what I envisions in my mind, I just draw...
What inspires you to create such awesome paintings and landscapes?
I absorb everything around myself and filter it through my "art filter." Books, music, architecture, friends, strangers, other artists, travel, relationships, etc inspires me to create my own world of landscapes and adventures.
I love depictions of ancient civilizations, philosophy, present society, and the exploration of " the nature of man.”
As I have mentioned, I draw a lot of inspiration from my readings. History and mythology play a large role in influencing my work, often igniting the creative process. I am fascinated by how the tw[...]
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7 years ago
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Jean-Michel Basquiat was a well known plastic artist based in New York and sponsored by Andy Warhol. Music was very important in the life and work of this artist, and in 1979 he formed an experimental band with the artist and actor Vincent Gallo.
They named the band "GRAY" as a tribute to the book of anatomy published by Henry Gray in 1950.
The band arises in the middle of the punk explosion of New York, but especially to a more experimental branch known as No wave. No wave has a very industrial sound where the electric guitar is used not as a musical instrument, but as a tool that generates noise. He was also interested in the frenetic and eclectic rhythms of the seventies and eighties, like the incipient rap of the hip hop movement.
Basquiat played the clarinet and the synthesizer and the band frequented famous venues like CBGB where Blondie and The Ramones made their debut, the Mudd Club, etc.
The music from "Gray" can be heard in several films including "Downtown 81," starring Basquiat, talking about his life as an artist in New York.
Nerea T. Ruiz
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7 years ago
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Savina Tarsitano is a visual artist born in Calabria, Italy. She enjoys traveling around the world, but her main interest is experiencing new cultures and countries while sharing her ideas and art across the world. Thanks to her artistic research, she obtained several fellowships and artist residencies. Her work has been selected for the Biennal of Venice, and exhibited in many countries. Savina's work has also been published in several books and catalogues. She is a member of the European Cultural Parliament and Ambassador for the Rebirth project of Michelangelo Pistoletto and Cittadellarte.
Savina, nice to meet you and welcome to Art for Progress. Please, tell us about your art.
My art is focused on the idea of the landing, after different sojourns in theme- places like islands, abbeys, castles, military fortresses and so on. My works are made with different languages that represent embodied visions from the relationship with space, which in my representation is not only a real, but also an imaginary territory. During the period I, I developed three main projects: The Icons of the Chaos, Emotional Architecture and Creativity in Motion for Social Integration through Art and The Island You Want. Through The Island You Want, I was investigating the character and the specific difference of island spaces and landscapes through which I developed an artistic theme. This hermetic operation touches upon both nature, history and culture.
My stays on the island of [...]
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7 years ago
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On Wednesday 17th November, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Salvator Mundi, became the most expensive artwork ever sold, after being purchased for £450M during an historic event celebrated at Christie’s auction in New York.
The two hour auction took place at Christie’s with a total of sold artwork in the amount of $692 million ($785.9 million with fees), on 58 lots. The sale unexpectedly turned into a historic show.
Since the auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen announced lot nine: Leonardo Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi (circa 1500), it took 19 minutes to sell the artwork for $400 million ($450 million with fees). People clapped and laughed during the unbelievable show. The sale of Davinci’s painting resulted in the most expensive piece ever purchased at an auction and broke all the previous records in the history of art, including the $179.4 million for a Pablo Picasso painting at Les Femmes d'Alger in 2015.
The crowd came to Christie’s expecting a show, and in the end they finally got history.
Salvator Mundi represents a secular image of a a serene-looking Christ dressed in blue and holding an orb. It also shows an ambiguous gender aspect about his appearance that makes it very mysterious and special.
The picture is one of fewer than 20 works by Leonardo still in existence. It's hilarious that the painting was sold by London's Sotheby's auction house in 1958 for less than 50£ when experts refused to believe Da Vinci painted it. For many years it was considered as t[...]
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7 years ago
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Ballet Rotoscope is an experimental short film made in 2011 that connects ballet with technology. By empowering the natural beauty of ballet and utilizing physical computing, the concept adds value to the real-time action and performance.
The artists and researchers involved in the project, have created a relationship between geometric shapes with an animation technique known as rotoscope which was invented in 1905 by Max Fleischer. The object’s contours are traced and controlled by an algorithm that brings a mathematical layer to the natural movements of a ballerina.
The awesome result is the ballerina dances while she draws perfect geometry. The joints on her body are traced with a computer –generated rotoscope animation technique created by mathematical methods.
In the process, each of the steps of the ballerina were tracked with accuracy to translate and synthesize it with a vectorial animation.
Rotoscope technique is normally used in motion pictures to make realistic cartoons, but artists use it to generate an abstract animation of shapes that follow the movements of a ballerina. Therefore, this project makes sense in how to bridge the gap between arts and technology and create new concepts of beauty.
This great artwork was created in Keio University of Japan, and the proposal intends to be an interaction between live performance and animation and new ways of expression. This was developed by the EUPHRATES Group, founded by the students of[...]
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