Samuel Mignot....

THE END

2010-01-10T11:31:00.003+01:00

After few months of inactivity, I've decided to stop this blog.

Out of order

2009-09-23T10:26:00.003+02:00

YES YES YES!!! I KNOW !!!
I didn't write anything for ageeeesssssssss............

Why so?
To tell you the truth, I feel a kind of lack of motivation.
A few months ago, I was searching for a new blog website to start it over again but in a better quality version. I mean with a better template, with dedicated sections for topics I like (art, cinema, photography, politics, etc), with a newsletter system... but I didn't find any interesting right now and then, it turns out I had been working on several new projects so I kind of forget my blog...

So I don't really know when I will start it again.
But if you have any ideas or tips, feel free !

Sam

"Mad Max", directed by George Miller (1979)

2009-04-22T22:23:00.003+02:00

A vision of an apocalyptic future set in the wastelands of Australia. Total social decay is just around the corner in this spectacular cheap budget gang orientated road movie. Where the cops do their best to lay down the law and the outlaw gangs try their hardest to defy the system. Leather clad Max Rockatansky husband, father and cop turns judge, juror and executioner after his best friend, wife and baby are killed. Here we see the final days of normality of a man who had everything to live for, and his slip into the abyss of madness. Mad Max is the antihero on the road to vengeance and oblivion. Written by Cinema_Fan

My touch! very good... but a bit long

"MILK", directed by Gus Van Sant

2009-03-15T15:07:00.002+01:00

Upon moving to San Francisco from New York City in 1972, forty year old Harvey Milk gains focus in his life as a gay activist in the city's Castro district. Gay rights activism turns to political activism as Milk decides he can be a more effective voice for the gay community as a politician, elected or not. Through several elections and losses both for a city seat and a state assembly seat, Milk becomes the first openly gay man in the United States to be elected to political office when he wins a San Francisco supervisor seat in 1977. His many political battlefronts include one with the national anti-gay Save the Children crusade, led and fronted by singer Anita Bryant. Closer to home, Milk has a continuing struggle with his fellow supervisor, Dan White, a staunch social conservative. Written by Huggo
SOurce: imdb.com

My Touch! Fantastic movie... based on a TRUE STORY!!! GO SEE THAT MOVIE !!!

"Juno", directed by Jason Reitman

2009-03-15T14:56:00.002+01:00

A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker? Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}
Source: imdb.com

My touch! Very sweet movie. Lovely. Juno character is great.

ENORME!!!

2009-03-13T17:52:00.001+01:00

Brainstorming
envoyé par FestivalDuCinemaEuropeen

"La Jetée", directed by Chris Marker (1962)

2009-03-10T18:30:00.003+01:00

La jetée (English: The Jetty and The Pier) (1962) is a 28-minute black and white science fiction film by Chris Marker. Constructed almost entirely from still photos, it tells the story of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel.[1]

In French, "jetée" means pier. When air flight was first introduced, airplanes would taxi up to a concrete walkway built onto the runway that was at the level of the entryway to the plane. As planes changed over time, airports were forced to change to movable walkways and staircases to accommodate ever-increasing diversity.

La Jetee is a very scary movie about how the world would look like, somehow, after a nuclear war. The black and white succession of pictures with a melancholic monologue create a very disturbing atmosphere that makes you literally feel the doom of a "nucleared" world.
It is say this movie inspired Terry Gilliam's "Twelve Monkeys".

"V for Vendetta", directed by James McTeigue

2009-02-28T13:32:00.003+01:00

The movie is set in Great Britain in the near future. Under the guise of several terrorist acts, a totalitarian government is elected to Parliament under Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt) to save the country from these terrorists. The only problem is the people must give up a lot of their freedoms for being safe. The government eventually becomes cruel, corrupt, and oppressive to the people. Driven by a personal vendetta, a mysterious individual William Rookwood (Hugo Weaving) comes to the forefront to take up the cause of freedom. He wears a mask of Guy Fawkes to cover his face, and changes his name to only V. V's mission is to kill all the doctors who had tortured him at the detention center, and bring back justice to the country. On November 5, in the process of blowing up his first building, V rescues a young woman, Evey (Natalie Portman), from the secret police. V takes over the TV station and broadcasts a message to the country condemning the oppressors in Parliament. V invites all the people to join him in one year on Guy Fawkes Night to see him complete what Guy Fawkes couldn't, blow up Parliament. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy).
Source: imdb.com

My Touch! I have been a bit disappointed coz to me, the movie is not dark enough. The totalitarian thematic is well presented by could have been much more dark, like Brazil Terry Guilian for instance. But it's ok.

"The Wrestler", directed by Darren Aronofsky

2009-02-28T01:27:00.000+01:00

Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey.

Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life -- trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a blossoming romance with an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) who is ready to start a new life. Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy "The Ram" back into his world of wrestling.
Source: imdb.com

My Touch! Very touching performance from Mickey Rourke. A kind of common drama that makes you feel you get to enjoy your time.

"The Curious case of Benjamin Button", directed by David Fincher

2009-02-23T21:06:00.000+01:00

"I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' adapted from the 1921s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918 to the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
Page last updated by kilinkis, 2 weeks ago
Top 5 Contributors: kyle_bonnici, torisweettooth, macquarrie-1, kilinkis, nymovielover1961 (View full history)
Source: imdb.com

My touch! I particularly enjoyed this movie because of the constant renaming idea that time never stop running. To me, this is a great movie about what is life and what is death.

Alfredo Häberli

2009-02-08T23:25:00.000+01:00

Alfredo Häberli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1964. Today, he is an internationally established designer based in Zurich. He manages to unite tradition with innovation, joy and energy in his designs. The result are works with companies such as Alias, Camper, Iittala, Kvadrat, Luceplan, Moroso and Volvo.

http://www.alfredo-haeberli.com/

Hella Jongerius

2009-02-08T22:54:00.000+01:00

was born in de meern, holland in 1963.
from 1988 to 1993 she studied at the academy for industrial design,
in eindhoven, department ‘identity’.
she first gained notoriety in 1993 as a member of the renowned dutch
group droog design. in 2000 she started with the company-name:
‘jongeriusLab’ her own rotterdam-based company.
jongeriusLab is making a highly unique collection of products including
ceramics, textiles, tableware, and furniture.
her works deliberately show the traces of how they were made,
embracing imperfections and unusual mixtures of materials and techniques.
http://www.jongeriuslab.com

we met hella jongerius in london on september 25th, 2004.
------------------------------

what's the best moment of the day?
I like the mornings.

what books do you have on your bedside table?
I'm now reading about what everyday life in europe was like in
different countries in europe in the mid 1880s -
all the little details of how the women did the washing,
how large the living rooms were and this kind of thing.
it really interests me how it all works.

do you read design magazines?
only if they send them to me.
I just look at it.

do you listen to the radio?
I appreciate radio conversations, documentaries on the radio.
I don't like music on the radio and I don't own a tv.
I always listen to the radio, but talk. talking.

are there any types of clothes do you avoid wearing?
I would never wear girly clothes, or anything uncomfortable.

do you have children?
yes, two.
one here with me (she is visibly pregnant) and one at home.

do you have any pets?
no, I hate pets.

describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it.
I'm designer who uses a lot of ingredients to get to a product.
not only form, but also history, tradition and contemporary inspiration.
and I like to mix craft with industry. so in short... I can't be shorter.

is there any designer from the past who you greatly appreciate?
castiglioni - I can still look at his work and go 'whoa'!
in a way what he did was more shocking in that period than the
work we do now that people think is so revolutionary.
in that moment of time it was really something.

and of those still working ?
I like jasper morrison - but more because he is king of the profession.
every work he does is perfectly done.
of the others, jurgen bey I like, but then he is a friend of mine.

do you discuss or exchange ideas with other designers?
yes, with jurgen bey.
I see the rest of friend designers at receptions and openings,
but no, there are not lively discussions.

when you were a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
I wanted to be famous (laughs).
no, no, no, I wanted to be a hippie - that was first.
famous is not the right word - there is a saying you see-
something like ‘get your neck out of the woods’,
above the crowd - I wanted to get somewhere.

what is your approach to the question of ecology and
sustainable design?
I ‘recycle’ because I use old forms and old traditions,
but I don't lose much energy on that ‘ecological’ point.
what I try to do is to make work that is so layered, personal or detailed,
nicely detailed that it really touches people so they really want to buy it,
so they save for it and buy it and they have it for the rest of their life
like you buy antique or art or whatever.
in that way you give design a happier approach than the
throw-away cheap things that are on the market.

it appears to us that your work considers those who are
actually producing the work to put something of themselves
into the work so they have something that is not so boring...
do you think about the people who actually produce,
who work on your project. to give them satisfaction?
most of the time the people who work behind the machines are not
so creative. each plate that comes out of the painting room is
thought of by the director because the people are not interested.
I did a hand thrown project - there was only one man that wanted
to do this and he did it and made beautiful things, but the rest were
laughing at him. it is not a party inside the factory when I come to
visit, you can’t have it all. I make work for them that sells -when
there are big orders they think -
oh, so the market really wants it. so then they can have a job and
then they are really going to believe in it and then the love comes,
it is a strange situation. the understanding comes with the volumes
they have to make.

any advice for young designers?
make you own stories, use your personality or own ideas to
become a designer
you have to do it on your own power.

is there anything that you are afraid of regarding the future ?
any big issues behind the door?
there is a lot wrong.
africa is still dying from hunger...
and the whole aids issue - it is something you cant solve with design.
this is one of the hates I have for my own business because it is not
of political or social relevance.
the world goes on, with or without !

Source. designboom.com
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/jongerius.html

Quentin Shih

2009-02-08T22:04:00.000+01:00

Quentin Shih (aka. Shi Xiaofan) is a Chinese photographer based in Beijing, which specializes in advertising, fashion and music. He was named Photographer of the Year by Esquire magazine in 2007.

Quentin twenty sets of photos from the series "The Stranger In The Glass Box produced for the exhibition" Dior and Contemporary Chinese Artists "at the Center for Contemporary Art Ullens in Beijing.

Source: http://www.w3sh.com/en/2008/11/15/photographie-quentin-shih-the-stranger-in-the-glass-box%E2%80%9D/

http://www.quentinphotography.com

"THE AGE OF MASS INTELLIGENCE", written by John Parker for Intelliget life

2009-02-07T16:35:00.000+01:00

A very interesting article about the evolution place of culture whithin or life
THE AGE OF MASS INTELLIGENCE

"Ghajini", directed by A. R. Murugadoss

2009-02-02T20:33:00.000+01:00

Ghajini (Hindi: घजिनि) is a 2008 Bollywood film directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced under the Geetha Arts banner by Allu Aravind. The film, is a remake of the Tamil film, of the same name, which was also by Murugadoss. That film, in turn, is a remake of Christopher Nolan's film Memento. It stars Aamir Khan and Asin Thottumkal in the lead roles while Jiah Khan, Pradeep Rawat and Riyaz Khan essay supporting roles. Aamir khan spent 1 year at the gym, continuously training with his personal trainer for the role.

The movie is an action-thriller, with strong romantic elements, that explores the life of a rich businessman who suffers from anterograde amnesia following a violent encounter in which his love interest, model Kalpana was killed. He tries to avenge the killing with the aid of Polaroid Instant camera photographs and permanent tattoos on his torso. The character of Aamir Khan will also feature in a 3-D game titled Ghajini the game, which is based on the movie.[2]
Source: wikipedia.com

"El Greco", directed by Yannis Smaragdis

2009-02-02T20:27:00.000+01:00

El Greco is a Greek biographical film about the life of the Greek painter of the Spanish Renaissance, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, known worldwide as El Greco. Based on the fictionalized biographical novel, El Greco: o Zografos tou Theou (El Greco: the Painter of God), by Dimitris Siatopoulos, it was released in 2007, directed by Yannis Smaragdis and written by Jackie Pavlenko. The main cast consists of prominent, at the time, Greek actors like Lakis Lazopoulos, Dimitra Matsouka and Dina Konsta, including popular actors of the Greek cinema of the 1960s such as Sotiris Moustakas† and Katerina Helmi, who, along with Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull and others, surround the leading actor, Nick Ashdon, who portrays El Greco.
Source: wikipedia.com

"The Man Who Knew Too Much", directed by Alfred Hitchcock

2009-01-29T22:27:00.000+01:00

Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo and their son Hank are on a touring holiday of Africa when they meet the mysterious Louis Bernard on a bus. The next day Bernard is murdered in the local marketplace, but before he dies he manages to reveal details of an assassination about to take place in London. Fearing that their plot will be revealed, the assassins kidnap Hank in order to keep the McKenna's silent. Ben and Jo go to London and take matters into their own hands. Written by Col Needham {col@imdb.com}

"JCVD", directed by Mabrouk El Mechri

2009-01-29T22:17:00.000+01:00

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States. Written by Wismerhill & Redking

"YES MAN", directed by Peyton Reed

2009-01-23T18:46:00.000+01:00

Plot: A guy challenges himself to say "yes" to everything for an entire year

PRETTY NICE AND RELAXING
YES BABY!!!!!

"Platoon", directed by Oliver Stone

2008-12-19T00:21:00.000+01:00

Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive American who gives up college and volunteers for combat in Vietnam. Upon arrival, he quickly discovers that his presence is quite nonessential, and is considered insignificant to the other soldiers, as he has not fought for as long as the rest of them and felt the effects of combat. Chris has two commanding officers, the ill-tempered and indestructible Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the more pleasant and cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe). A line is drawn between the two officers and a number of men in the platoon when an illegal killing occurs during a village raid. As the war continues, Chris himself draws towards psychological meltdown. And as he struggles for survival, he soon realizes he is fighting two battles, the conflict with the enemy and the conflict between the men within his platoon. Written by Jeremy Thomson
Source: imdb.com

My Touch! War movies are definitely not my cup of tea: "Fuck you man! No I Fuck You you fucker.. Shoot HIM YOU FUCKER"... well... it's not my cup of tea. But, I know Platoon is a MUST in term of cinema history so... I did my duty... Veni Vidi Vici.... that's it.
No seriously it's very interesting movies coz you are just as fresh as Chris jumping out from the chopper and going to "do you share about your country"... and slowly... you turn you mind and change... and get scared of yourself.

"East of Eden", directed by Elia Kazan (1955)

2008-12-19T00:06:00.000+01:00

Cal Trask is a particularly unhappy young man. He sees himself as the black sheep of the family and is always competing with his brother Aron, who seems to be perfect in almost every way. Aron is also their father's favorite and Cal desperately wants his father's love and affection. It's the period leading up to America's entry into World War I and these are tumultuous times. After his father loses most of his fortune trying to ship refrigerated lettuce to New York, Cal decides to speculate on a crop of beans and makes a small fortune but he soon realizes that he can't buy his father's loves either. Cal's discovery that his mother is alive - he and Aron were told that she had died - and that she is a madam leads to a final, tragic result for all three of the Trask men. Written by garykmcd
Source: imdb.com

My touch!: A very interesting movie about frustration felt over the teenage period. James Dean, again, perfectly performed the tortured teenage try to find himself.

"eXistenZ", directed by David David Cronenberg

2008-12-18T23:53:00.000+01:00

Allegra Geller, the leading game designer in the world, is testing her new virtual reality game, eXistenZ with a focus group. As they begin, she is attacked by a fanatic assassin employing a bizarre organic gun. She flees with a young marketing trainee, Ted Pikul, who is suddenly assigned as her bodyguard. Unfortunately, her pod, an organic gaming device that contains the only copy of the eXistenZ game program, is damaged. To inspect it, she talks Ted into accepting a gameport in his own body so he can play the game with her. The events leading up to this, and the resulting game lead the pair on a strange adventure where reality and their actions are impossible to determine from either their own or the game's perspective. Written by Kenneth Chisholm {kchishol@execulink.com}
Source: imdb.com

My Touch! Very realistic movie, even though it looks pretty disgusting in many points. Makes you wonder how far your sensation desire can bring you.

Gene Kelly rules !

2008-12-16T20:05:00.000+01:00

"Brazil", directed by Terry Gilliam

2008-12-13T00:23:00.000+01:00

Sam Lowry is a man stuck in a dead-end job living a dull life in a dystopian future world with an over-reliance on machines and technology. Sam habitually escapes into a fantasy world, in which he is a knight rescuing a beautiful mystery woman. His contented but lonely life becomes complicated by his mother's attempts to secure him a promotion, the intrusion of a renegade heating engineer, and the real-life appearance of the woman of his dreams.
Page last updated by SoylentBlueispeople, 7 months ago
Top Contributors: moviedude-72, jbsabc2007, SoylentBlueispeople
Source: imdb.com

Samuel Mignot

2008-12-10T22:17:00.000+01:00

Cuts - Charlotte Maison, David Baboulis

François Picabia (January 22, 1879 - November 30, 1953)

2008-12-09T18:49:00.000+01:00

Francis Picabia (born François Marie Martinez Picabia, January 22, 1879 - November 30, 1953) was a well-known painter and poet born of a French mother and a Spanish-Cuban father who was an attaché at the Cuban legation in Paris, France.

Born in Paris and financially independent, he studied under Fernand Cormon and other at the École des Arts Decoratifs in the late 1890s. In the beginning of his own career, from 1903 to 1908, he was influenced by the impressionist paintings of Alfred Sisley. From 1909, he came under the influence of the cubists and the Golden Section (Section d'Or). The same year, he married Gabrielle Buffe.

Around 1911 he joined the Puteaux Group, which met at the studio of Jacques Villon in the village of Puteaux. There he became friends with artist Marcel Duchamp and close friends with Guillaume Apollinaire. Other group members included Albert Gleizes, Roger de La Fresnaye, Fernand Léger and Jean Metzinger.

In 1913 Picabia was the only member of the Cubist group to personally attend the Armory Show, and Alfred Stieglitz gave him a solo exhibition at his gallery 291. From 1913 to 1915 Picabia traveled to New York City several times and took active part in the avant-garde movements, introducing modern art to America. These years can be characterized as Picabia's proto-Dada period, consisting mainly of his portraits mécaniques.

Later, in 1916, while in Barcelona he started his well-known Dada periodical 391, modeled on Stieglitz's own periodical. He continued the periodical with the help of Duchamp in America.

Picabia continued his involvement in the Dada movement through 1919 in Zürich and Paris, before breaking away from it after developing an interest in Surrealist art. (See Cannibale, 1921.) He denounced Dada in 1921, and issued a personal attack against Breton in the final issue of 391, in 1924.

The same year, he put in an appearance in the René Clair surrealist film Entr'acte, firing a cannon from a rooftop. The film served as an intermission piece for Picabia's avant-garde ballet, Relâche, premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, with music by Erik Satie.

In 1925, he returned to figurative painting, and during the 1930s became a close friend of Gertrude Stein. In the early 1940s he moved to the south of France, where his work took a surprising turn - he produced a series of paintings based on the nude glamour photos in French "Girlie" magazines, in a garish style which appears to subvert traditional, academic nude painting.

Before the end of World War II, he returned to Paris where he resumed abstract painting and writing poetry. A large retrospective of his work was held at the Galerie René Drouin in Paris in the spring of 1949. Francis Picabia died in Paris in 1953 and was interred in the Cimetière de Montmartre. In 2003 a single Picabia painting once owned by Andre Breton sold for $1.6 million.[1]

Source: wikipedia

Man Ray (August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976)

2008-12-05T19:20:00.000+01:00

Man Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky (August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976), was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal. Best known in the art world for his avant-garde photography, Man Ray produced major works in a variety of media and considered himself a painter above all. He was also a renowned fashion and portrait photographer. He is noted for his photograms, which he renamed rayographs after himself.[1]

While appreciation for Man Ray's work beyond his fashion and portrait photography was slow in coming during his lifetime, especially in his native United States, his reputation has grown steadily in the decades since.

In 1999, ARTnews magazine named him one of the 25 most influential artists of the 20th century, citing his groundbreaking photography as well as "his explorations of film, painting, sculpture, collage, assemblage, and prototypes of what would eventually be called performance art and conceptual art" and saying "Man Ray offered artists in all media an example of a creative intelligence that, in its 'pursuit of pleasure and liberty,'"—Man Ray's stated guiding principles—"unlocked every door it came to and walked freely where it would."[2]
Source: wikipedia

Marcel Duchamp (28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968)

2008-12-04T18:54:00.000+01:00

Marcel Duchamp (pronounced [maʀsɛl dyˈʃɑ̃]) (28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Duchamp's output had considerable influence on the development of post-World War I Western art, and whose advice to modern art collectors helped shape the tastes of the Western art world.[1]

A playful man, Duchamp prodded thought about artistic processes and art marketing, not so much with words, but with actions such as dubbing a urinal "art" and naming it Fountain. He produced relatively few artworks as he quickly moved through the avant-garde rhythms of his time.

"It is necessary to arrive at selecting an object with the idea of not being impressed by this object on the basis of enjoyment of any order. However, it is difficult to select an object that absolutely does not interest you, not only on the day on which you select it, and which does not have any chance of becoming attractive or beautiful and which is neither pleasant to look at nor particularly ugly. (Marcel Duchamp)"

Source: wikidpedia

Tate Morden Museum of London : Duchamp / Manray / Picabia exhibition

2008-12-04T18:06:00.000+01:00

Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray and Francis Picabia were at the cutting edge of art in the first half of the twentieth century, and made a lasting impression on modern and contemporary art. Duchamp invented the concept of the ‘readymade’: presenting an everyday object as an artwork, Man Ray pioneered avant-garde photographic and film techniques and Picabia’s use of kitsch, popular or low-brow imagery in his paintings undermined artistic conventions.

Their shared outlook on life and art, with a taste for jokes, irony and the erotic, forged a friendship that provided support and inspiration. At the heart of the Dada movement and moving in the same artistic circles, they discussed ideas and collaborated, echoing and responding to each other’s works. Duchamp, Man Ray, Picabia explores their affinities and parallels, uncovering a shared approach to questioning the nature of art.
Source: Tate Modern website

My touch!: Very interesting exhibition about 3 major artist that revolutionized our vision of art and, ergo, life consideration. Through their work, we can see the emergence of life questioning and somehow, criticism against the way consumption was (and still) taking most of our life. Under this post, you will see special pages about these 3 figures of Art.

"Some like it hot", directed by Billy Wilder starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon

2008-12-03T23:16:00.000+01:00

Two struggling musicians witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can't tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take "No," for an answer. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}

My touch!: One of my favorite movies!

"Rebel without a cause", directed by Nicholas Ray, with James Dean (1955)

2008-12-02T23:12:00.000+01:00

Jim Stark is the new kid in town. He has been in trouble elsewhere; that's why his family has had to move before. Here he hopes to find the love he doesn't get from his middle-class family. Though he finds some of this in his relation with Judy, and a form of it in both Plato's adulation and Ray's real concern for him, Jim must still prove himself to his peers in switchblade knife fights and "chickie" games in which cars race toward a seaside cliff. Written by Ed Stephan {stephan@cc.wwu.edu}
Source: imdb.com

My touch!: That's a great movie about teenage time and the struggling you have during that time.

"Burn after reading", directed by Ethan and Joel Coen

2008-12-02T20:37:00.000+01:00

Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who quits his job at the agency after being demoted ostensibly because of his drinking problem. He then decides to write a memoir about his life in the CIA. His wife, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), wants to divorce Osbourne and, at the counsel of her divorce lawyer, she copies many of his personal and financial files off his computer and onto an optical disc. Katie's lover is Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). The disc eventually finds its way to Hardbodies, a workout gym. An employee of the gym, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) obtains the disc from the gym's custodian and ascertains that it contains classified government information. Along with his fellow employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), he intends to use the disk to blackmail Osbourne - Linda needs the money to pay for cosmetic surgery. They call up Cox in the middle of the night, but he is not receptive. When blackmailing him fails, Linda decides to take the information to the Russian embassy. At the embassy, she hands the disk over to the Russians, promising that she will give more information afterwards. Because Linda and Chad don't have any more information, they decide to break into Cox's house.
Source: imdb.com

My touch!: It's a good and entertaining! Brad Pitt plays perfectly the Mr Muscle Naive guy and the whole story is not based on the "CIA SHIT" as the trailer might drives you. It is more kind of couple flirting around and catching opportunities wherever they can... and that's the funny thing. A bit disappointed since the Coen brothers tends to be a bit more funny in their comedy... but it's ok. If you have nothing to do or just want to chill... it worth it.

acb galeria - contemporary art gallery, Budapest

2008-12-01T19:27:00.000+01:00

Actually I haven't been to the acb gallery for a while!
I know, that's pity! ok ok... I confess, I have been a very lazy boy lol
No seriously, last exhibition I saw was very... well.... not very... hum.... ok, I didn't like it!
Besides, this place is hidden in an inside court and hard to find.

Anyway, I g2 find my way back there as what's new
Here is the acb website

So, what's up at acb gallery nowadays? Attila Szucs... find some shots below taken from the acb website

Nora Soos

Zoltan Adam

MONO Galeria - Contemporary Arts Gallery, Budapest

2008-12-01T18:59:00.000+01:00

Although I pass by almost every day, I know I don't pay enough attention to this interesting place. Unfortunately, Budapest is not very big for contemporary art and it's kind of difficult to find some good place exhibiting locals. FYI, most of the "gallery" are more kind of Ikea or something else to furnish your place ... and nurture your lazy ego. So nothin' really interesting.

HOWEVER (et oui y'a un however), it exists a small community of art lovers dedicated to their passion and decided to make Magyar artist voice hear worlwide... and for 2009, I will go encounter these people! (is that right... encounter in that case? please advice guys!).

SO (it will never end!), MONO is a small gallery located in Buda side, not far from the VAR, 2mn from the metro station moszkva tér. It shows regualry local artist, mostly paintings and sculpture. To me, this place is nice... but I get a kind of preference for Dorottya Galleria.
Very dinamic place with fields also including fashion (but on another place, to be discovered soon).
You can sometimes find some very interesting piece such as the recent Fejős Miklós exhibition.
For more information about this artist as well as next MONO exhibition, check out MONO WEBSITE

Old stuff from last Amsterdams' trip: the Muziekgebouw

2008-12-01T18:31:00.000+01:00

A glass showpiece on the harbour front
The Danish firm of architects, 3xNielsen, was selected in 1997 by the Amsterdam Council to design this new showpiece for the city. Amsterdam wanted a Dutch building with a strongly international character.

The firm was selected because of the sober style of their previous projects. The architects have put their own signature on the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ and the Bimhuis by using mainly three colours: the natural concrete colour, black, and the light maple wood with which the main auditorium is panelled. The completely angular design is broken only by the undulating shapes of the foyer decks.

Bigger inside than out
From the train or from the Piet Heinkade, passers-by see a building which seems to be moored by the quayside like a big, transparent ship. What repeatedly attracts attention is the exceptional sightlines. From all sorts of places throughout the building, unexpected vistas of the water or the city open up. Every change of weather shows the building in a different light. Inside, too, there are all kinds of hidden jewels for the future visitor. In a predominantly angular building, there is an exceptionally beautiful use of diagonals in a number of places. From the space behind the glass façade, there is a spectacular view along the two auditoriums where the building is displayed in all its glory.

The auditorium as a beating heart
Every auditorium is unique, due to the multiplicity of wishes and interests that are involved. In its move to the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, the IJsbreker wanted a change, through innovation and increase of scale. As in every concert hall, the auditorium forms the heart. Everything has been taken into consideration. What makes the main auditorium so special is its flexibility. The auditorium is moveable on three sides. The acoustic ceiling can be moved up and down, which provides unique, variable acoustics. The floor can be either completely flat or tiered, with a difference of 1.20 m. with respect to the stage, so that various auditorium arrangements are possible for both the flat or tiered floor. And finally, the side walls by the stage can move in and out, and the back wall can be hoisted up, making it possible to experience intimate chamber music or a full symphony orchestra.

The building received 100% financial backing from the Amsterdam Council (construction budget of € 52 million). The Muziekgebouw/Bimhuis was designed by the firm of architects 3xNielsen from Aarhus, Denmark. Further info: www.3xn.dk Computer graphics by CIIID

Source: Muziekgebouw website

My touch!: A beautiful masterpiece of Dutch architecture. It comes in direct line of the fantastic Dutch legacy for archi' field. Very surprising no matter whether you are inside or outside of the building. Perfect place to have a coffee and chill out or to have a very intimate dinner next to the sea with your beloved one!

Back on track !

2008-12-01T18:26:00.000+01:00

Hi there!

As you might have noticed, I have not been posting much lately.
This is mostly due to lots of work, tiredness, little breakdown...

Anyway, as usual, I have been traveling (yes yes ! I did it!), going to cinema and checking news... so I hope you will enjoy !

CU and take care babies !
El Samuelo

Hommage a Pierro !

2008-11-23T12:50:00.000+01:00

"Star Wars" - an a cappella tribute to John Williams

2008-11-06T11:06:00.001+01:00

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", directed by George Roy Hill

2008-10-17T10:34:00.000+02:00

Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". Based on the exploits of the historical characters. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}
Source: imdb.com

"High School Musical", directed by Kenny Ortega

2008-10-17T10:24:00.000+02:00

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez met over winter break after they were forced to sing together at a party. They became friends, and expected not to see each other again. But then, Gabriella's mother's company transferred her to another home in Alburquerqe, New Mexico, where Troy lives. Then, Troy and Gabriella end up at the same school after winter break. They decide to audition for their school's musical, and after they audition and get a call back along with Sharpay and Ryan Evans, the two actors who've been in every school musical, the whole school makes the biggest deal out of it. Then, Troy and Gabriella's call back was amazing, and Troy and Gabriella got the leading parts in the musical, and Ryan and Sharpay were the understudies. Written by Hayden Vurdie
source: imdb.com

My opinion: Well... this kind of movies are definitely my cup of tea. However, HSM is a huge success in US and many others countries, it is from far the most successful Disney movie in terms of gross and profitability... so I think it is important to take a glance at it to try to understand why it works. It was interesting.

"Höstsonaten/ Autumn Sonata", directed by Ingmar Bergman

2008-10-13T13:32:00.000+02:00

After having neglected her children for many years, world famous pianist Charlotte visits her daughter Eva in her home. To her surprise she finds her other daughter, Helena, there as well. Helena is mentally impaired, and Eva has taken Helena out of the institution where their mother had placed her. The tension between Charlotte and Eva only builds up slowly, until a nightly conversation releases all the things they have wanted to tell each other. Written by Mattias Thuresson {mattias.thuresson@mbox300.swipnet.se}

"Das Leben der Anderen/ The lives of others", directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

2008-10-11T00:27:00.000+02:00

The horrifying, sometimes unintentionally funny system of observation in the former East Germany. In the early 1980s, the successful dramatist Georg Dreyman and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland, a popular actress, are big intellectual stars in the socialist state, although they secretly don't always think loyal to the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more... Written by fippi2000
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: wow... what can I say ? ... I mean... that's a fantastic legacy of some dark period of Germany. It is really a great movie.

Grand Corps Malade - Je viens de la

2008-10-09T19:49:00.000+02:00

Grand Corps Malade - Je viens de là
envoyé par GrandCorpsMalade

super

"Amen.", directed by Costa Gavras

2008-10-08T00:04:00.000+02:00

In World War II, the sanitation engineer and family man Kurt Gerstein is assigned by SS to be the Head of the Institute for Hygiene to purify the water for the German Army in the front. Later, he is invited to participate in termination of plagues in the concentration camps and he develops the lethal gas Zyklon-B. When he witnesses that the SS is killing Jews instead, he decides to denounce the genocide to the Pope to expose to the world and save the Jewish families. The idealist Jesuit priest Riccardo Fontana from an influent Italian family gives his best efforts being the liaison of Gerstein and the leaders of the Vatican. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: fantastic movie and terrible legacy about the "wait and see" attitude.

GO VOTE

2008-10-03T16:18:00.001+02:00

"Michael Clayton", directed by Tony Gilroy (2007)

2008-10-03T15:59:00.000+02:00

In New York, the divorced attorney Michael Clayton has been working for many years fixing messy situations for the law firm Kenner, Back and Odeen. He has never been invited to become a partner due to his conflictive personality of poker gambler and alcoholic that left him completely broken. Michael's addicted brother owes a high amount to a dangerous loan shark and Michael is trying to find a means to cover the debts. When the brilliant attorney Arthur Edens that has been ahead of the U-North case, a complicated three billion dollars lawsuit, for six years has a nervous breakdown and is arrested naked in a parking area in Milwaukee, Michael tries to help his friend, and is involved in an evil scheme plotted by Karen Crowder, the legal counsel of U-North. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It's really a good movie. I was a bit skeptical to see Clooney in... his own role... but actually he was very good and credible. Beyond the major story scandal, seeing all characters through their personal life is really keeping the audience close to them and to their questioning.

"A Streetcar Named Desire", directed by Elia Kazan (1951)

2008-10-01T22:02:00.000+02:00

Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the restless years following World War Two, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is the story of Blanche DuBois, a fragile and neurotic woman on a desperate prowl for someplace in the world to call her own. After being exiled from her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, for seducing a seventeen-year-old boy at the school where she taught English, Blanche explains her unexpected appearance on Stanley and Stella's (Blanche's sister) doorstep as nervous exhaustion. This, she claims, is the result of a series of financial calamities which have recently claimed the family plantation, Belle Reve. Suspicious, Stanley points out that "under Louisiana's Napoleonic code what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband." Stanley, a sinewy and brutish man, is as territorial as a panther. He tells Blanche he doesn't like to be swindled and demands to see the bill of sale. This encounter defines Stanley and Blanche's relationship. They are opposing camps and Stella is caught in no-man's-land. But Stanley and Stella are deeply in love. Blanche's efforts to impose herself between them only enrages the animal inside Stanley. When Mitch -- a card-playing buddy of Stanley's -- arrives on the scene, Blanche begins to see a way out of her predicament. Mitch, himself alone in the world, reveres Blanche as a beautiful and refined woman. Yet, as rumors of Blanche's past in Auriol begin to catch up to her, her circumstances become unbearable. Written by Mark Fleetwood {mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Yes... he is... Marlon Brando is the best of the best! Besides, the overall story is very good and the leading actress turns crazy and the end... and becomes kind of freaky!

Antisemtism in Budapest

2008-09-29T10:22:00.000+02:00

"Be kind rewind", directed by Michel Gondry (2007)

2008-09-28T21:29:00.000+02:00

Jerry is a junkyard worker who attempts to sabotage a power plant he suspects of causing his headaches. But he inadvertently causes his brain to become magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of all the movies in his friend's store. In order to keep the store's one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a tenuous grasp on reality, the pair re-create a long line of films including The Lion King, Rush Hour, Ghostbusters, When We Were Kings, Driving Miss Daisy, and Robocop, putting themselves and their townspeople into it. They become the biggest stars in their neighborhood. Written by Anonymous
Source: imdb.com

Barakonyi Szabolcs

2008-09-28T00:20:00.000+02:00

Barakonyi Szabolcs is a Hungarian photographer.
I discovered his work at Dorottya Galeria.

I have been very impressed by the "Tatabanya" collection.
Tatabanya is a city located 35 miles west from Budapest and belongs to those many communist industrial cities.
Although the Iron Curtain has fallen and Hungary is now member of the EU, those who lived in this city, and most especially the teenagers, don't see a decent future.

For more information about Barakonyi Szabolcs work, go check his website
http://barakonyi.com/

"99 Francs", directed by Jan Kounen

2008-09-27T23:59:00.000+02:00

Octave est le maître du monde : il exerce la profession de rédacteur publicitaire. Il décide aujourd'hui ce que vous allez vouloir demain. Pour lui, "l'homme est un produit comme les autres". Octave travaille pour la plus grosse agence de pub du monde : Ross & Witchcraft, surnommée "La Ross". Il est couvert d'argent, de filles et de cocaïne. Pourtant, il doute.
Deux événements vont bouleverser le cours de la vie d'Octave. Son histoire d'amour avec Sophie, la plus belle employée de l'agence, et une réunion chez Madone pour vendre
un film de pub à ce géant du produit laitier. Le doué Octave déjante alors et décide de se rebeller contre le système qui l'a créé, en sabotant sa plus grande campagne.
De Paris, où négocient les patrons d'agences, à Miami, où l'on tourne un spot sous antidépresseurs, de Saint-Germain-des-Prés à une île perdue d'Amérique Centrale, Octave parviendra-t-il à échapper à sa prison dorée ?
Source: allocine.fr

"Reservoir dogs", directed be Quentin Tarantino (1992)

2008-09-27T23:53:00.000+02:00

Six criminals, who are strangers to each other, are hired by a crime boss Joe Cabot to carry out a diamond robbery. Right at the outset, they are given false names with an intention that they won't get too close and concentrate on the job instead. They are completely sure that the robbery is going to be a success. But when the police show up right at the time and the site of the robbery, panic spreads amongst the group members and one of them is killed in the subsequent shootout along with a few policemen and civilians. When the remaining people assemble at the premeditated rendezvous point (a warehouse), they begin to suspect that one of them is an undercover cop. Written by Soumitra
Source: imdb.com

"Casablanca", directed by Michael Curtiz (1943)

2008-09-26T13:18:00.000+02:00

In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan.... Written by Gary Jackson {garyjack5@cogeco.ca}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Humphrey Bogart is absolutely amazing! Ingrid Bergman is wonderful... she reminds me someone I knew...

Historia de un Letrero (Story of a sign)

2008-09-26T13:16:00.000+02:00

Great

"Lawrence of Arabia", directed by David Lean (1962)

2008-09-25T13:21:00.000+02:00

An inordinately complex man who has been labeled everything from hero, to charlatan, to sadist, Thomas Edward Lawrence blazed his way to glory in the Arabian desert, then sought anonymity as a common soldier under an assumed name. The story opens with the death of Lawrence in a motorcycle accident in London at the age of 47, then flashbacks to recount his adventures: as a young intelligence officer in Cairo in 1916, he is given leave to investigate the progress of the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War I. In the desert, he organizes a guerrilla army and--for two years--leads the Arabs in harassing the Turks with desert raids, train-wrecking and camel attacks. Eventually, he leads his army northward and helps a British General destroy the power of the Ottoman Empire. Written by alfiehitchie
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: A fantastic epopee in the Egyptian desert. Great Peter O'Toole! a 7 oscars movie! with nomination for O'Toole and Omar Sharif!

"La Haine", directed by Mathieu Kassovitz

2008-09-22T00:00:00.000+02:00

Synopsis: The film follows three young men and their time spent in the French suburban "ghetto," over a span of twenty-four hours. Vinz, a Jew, Saïd, an Arab, and Hubert, a black boxer, have grown up in these French suburbs where high levels of diversity coupled with the racist and oppressive police force have raised tensions to a critical breaking point. During the riots that took place a night before, a police officer lost his handgun in the ensuing madness, only to leave it for Vinz to find. Now, with a newfound means to gain the respect he deserves, Vinz vows to kill a cop if his friend Abdel dies in the hospital, due the beating he received while in police custody. Written by b4arr2y

My opinion: Great movie. At the end of the movie, the narrator (Hubert) says the following "it's the story of a falling society, trying to re-assure herself that everything is ok so far... coz the most important is not the way you fall, but how you'll land"...well, La Haine was shoot in 1996...we are now in 2008... and it is, still, a perfect presentation of the French society.

Carlton... you're the best of the best !!!

2008-09-17T22:54:00.001+02:00

Racism

2008-09-17T00:06:00.000+02:00

...and now you know.

Banksy

2008-09-11T16:42:00.000+02:00

Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymous[1][2] British graffiti artist. He is believed to be a native of Yate, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol[1] and to have been born in 1974,[3] but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details.[4] According to Tristan Manco, Banksy "was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier engineer, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s."[5] His artworks are often-satirical pieces of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti writing with a distinctive stencilling technique, is similar to Blek le Rat, who began to work with stencils in 1981 in Paris and members of the anarcho-punk band Crass who maintained a graffiti stencil campaign on the London Tube System in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His art has appeared in cities around the world.[6] Banksy's work was born out of the Bristol underground scene which involved collaborations between artists and musicians.

Banksy does not sell photos of street graffiti or mount exhibitions of screenprints in commercial galleries.[7]

source: imdb.com

For more about Banksy and some other leading figures of Street Art, check the following website www.luxuryculture.com

Dominique Perrault

2008-09-11T15:56:00.000+02:00

was born in clermont ferrand in 1953 and now lives
and works in paris.
he received his architecture degree in paris in 1978 and his
certificate in town planning at the ecole nationale des ponts et
chaussées in 1979. in 1980, he received a postgraduate degree
in history at the ecole des hautes etudes in social sciences.
dominique perrault opened his paris office in 1981.
he won the international competition for the construction of
the french national library in 1989, and in 1992, the international
competition for the olympic velodrome and swimming pool in
berlin, for which he opened another office in germany.
these two projects ensured his international fame.
in 1996, he won the competition for the court of justice of the
european community in luxembourg, and opened a third office in
luxembourg in 2000. in 2002, perrault opened two more agencies,
one in barcelona and another in baltimore in the united states.
dominique perrault's work is extremely varied and includes
many new constructions and numerous renovations.
the architectural programs of these projects range from large
buildings, such as cultural or sports projects, to smaller projects,
such as urban insertions in blighted urban areas to private
housing in prestigious neighbourhoods.
in june 2003 he won the competition of an additional building
to the mariinsky theatre in st. petersburg, russia.
perrault's design was chosen from a shortlist of eleven during
secret voting by an international jury.
he gives many lectures and participates in numerous juries and
seminars. dominique perrault also teaches at several foreign
universities, among them in barcelona and brussels and at the
E.T.H. in zürich, switzerland.
he has been awarded various prizes, notably the great national
prize of architecture in 1996 and the mies van der rohe prize
for the national library in france in 1997.
furthermore, perrault is chevalier of the legion of honour,
member of the architecture academy, honourable member of
the german association of architects [BDA] and
an honorary fellow of the royal institute of british architects.
from november 1998 to february 2001 he was president of the
french institute of architects.
dominique perrault is currently an architectural consultant
for the mayor of barcelona.

did you always want to be an architect when you were a child?
'architect' for me is a very conservative term.
I am a 'project-man'. I like to develop projects, to make some
new project.
today it is in the field of architecture, tomorrow I do not know.

where do you work on your designs and projects?
I try to stay for three days a week in my office in paris
to work with my team.
and during traveling, usually it is possible to think.
but the final decision is in my office, with my team around me.

when you're working, do you discuss or exchange ideas with colleagues,
with other designers?
not alot, because I like to work very fast.
you can change details, or the whole concept...
because if you work very fast, you can change,
but if you are very slow,
it's immposible to change.
I think it's a good strategy!

quicktime clip
327 kb.
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describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it.
it's really difficult for me, becuase I produce this work,
and it's difficult to know exactly why...

I would like to say only one thing:
it is the research in the field of architecture.
it is not only about the the process, or about the finished idea.
I test, test, test, and I test again.
that is experimentation!
when we test - we might get something!
we learn from it and from this lesson might benefit a new project.
behind the complex study and the development of the idea,
which define the architect as a creator,
it is 'time' itself that is undoubtedly the object of the architect’s
whole attention, his only preoccupation, the permanent
restlessness of a present he tirelessly seeks to actualize.
indeed, what contemporary architecture challenges, is the idea
of 'time' that has formed the very essence of architectural culture,
an idea which turns every building into a monument, a memory,
a truth. it is a real work, like a scientific work, like in biology,
or mathematics, or astronomy. it is a real scientific work.

do you think there is an evolution from the begining of your work
until now, in your thoughts, in your forms?
now it is absolutely a new period, because we use geometry,
a rational shape, and a very efficient organization about function
itself. but now with some new materials, like metal fabric,
we transform, we develop the the architecture with relation in a
landscape. because my final idea is not anymore that I want to
build some buildings, I want to build a landscape.

is there any designer and/or architect, you appreciate a lot?
yes, but these are good for culture and education.
they are our cultural roots.
if you speak about buckminster fuller, for example,
for me his work is very close; but if you speak about le corbusier,
it is very far.
principles derive from praxis, from an outgoing research in
which the specificity of a space is endlessly reinvented, of a form,
of an intervention. architecture should be lacking in reference,
neither modern, nor postmodern - should reject history.

and young architects ?
yes, some are very interesting,
I am a little bit dissapointed by the situation in france,
because the state of france doesn't support young architecture,
and it is a pity because we have some young talent in france.

any advice for the young ?
we should plead for validity in architecture.
then we might get a more effective architecture, one to be
experienced by all, one that

source: designboom.com

Sans les nababs, les Chinois s’ennuieraient !

2008-09-11T15:44:00.000+02:00

“Il est glorieux de s’enrichir”, avait dit Deng Xiaoping pour encourager ses concitoyens à prendre leur envol. De plus en plus nombreux, les très riches Chinois sont enviés, mais n’attirent guère la sympathie du peuple.

Xin Zhoukan (extraits)
Canton

"L'argent parle mandarin" : cette expression chère aux investisseurs occidentaux fait référence à l’afflux actuel de capitaux en Chine. Ceux-ci ont favorisé à leur tour l’émergence de nouvelles grosses fortunes chinoises, et l’on a assisté à une explosion de la richesse dans le pays en 2007. Qu’ils figurent dans le rapport Hurun [qui publie, depuis 1999, la liste des Chinois les plus riches] ou au classement de Forbes, les nouveaux riches chinois de 2007 font parler d’eux comme jamais auparavant.
Un élément vient cependant ternir la gloire de ces grosses fortunes : il s’agit de la “haine des riches” qui se répand dans les mentalités. L’expression a émergé de nulle part et a déferlé sur tous les cyberforums – des plus petits aux plus grands –, sur les blogs, dans la presse écrite, ainsi que dans les conversations de trottoir. Toute la société semble focalisée sur les riches, et ils ont tout le monde à dos, à commencer par les fonctionnaires des impôts, les kidnappeurs et les journalistes de la presse à scandale.
On trouve les attitudes les plus diverses parmi les élus du palmarès des cent plus grosses fortunes, rapporte Rupert Hoogewerf, à l’origine du rapport Hurun. Certains auraient payé pour figurer dans la liste, tandis que d’autres ont eu des sueurs froides en voyant leur nom dans le classement. On se souvient de Mou Qizhong, le premier milliardaire originaire de Chine populaire [condamné à la prison à vie pour escroquerie en mai 2000], de la riche actrice Liu Xiaoqing, sans oublier tous ces milliardaires impliqués dans des affaires ou assassinés…

La bourse est devenue le premier pourvoyeur de richesses

Les premiers ultrariches de Chine ne voulaient pas porter cette étiquette, ils ne voulaient pas mettre en péril leurs biens et choisissaient de faire profil bas. Ils craignaient d’entendre soudain résonner le cri du fou du film La Cité des hibiscus [Xie Jin, 1986] : “En avant pour la lutte !” [évoquant le début d’un mouvement politique dont les “bourgeois” étaient la cible].
Lors du banquet en l’honneur de l’introduction en Bourse du groupe de haute technologie Fuxing, Guo Guangchang, son directeur, a chanté à s’en casser la voix Les Vrais Héros [une ode aux gens ordinaires] et il a promis de se consacrer à des activités caritatives lorsqu’il aurait 50 ans.
Les riches cherchent en effet à trouver le moyen de disperser leurs richesses. Il existe en gros trois moyens : les dons ou les opérations de parrainage ; la distribution de parts de société ; enfin, la succession. En réalité, le premier procédé est le moins répandu et, de plus, il dépend de l’intégrité morale des individus. Ainsi, le magnat de l’immobilier Yang Guoqiang, tout en venant en aide à des écoles et en faisant œuvre de philanthropie, a cédé son capital boursier à sa fille Yang Huiyan, ce qui a inévitablement fait naître des soupçons sur son intention de vouloir échapper au fisc.
L’économie de marché a permis à la population de disposer de plus d’argent, et les citoyens peuvent détenir des parts de société. Les sociétés Beida Fangzheng et Tsinghua Unisplendour ont affirmé vouloir créer cent milliardaires ou mille millionnaires, et c’est désormais la règle de posséder des actions dans des secteurs économiques émergents comme l’informatique et les télécommunications.
De nos jours, la Bourse est le plus grand pourvoyeur de richesses. Qu’est-ce qui pèche le plus dans notre système et empêche la diffusion des richesses au sein de la société ?
D’après des chiffres d’origine étrangère, la Chine compterait 250 000 millionnaires (en dollars américains) : elle arriverait ainsi à la sixième place mondiale et à la deuxième en Asie. Ces grandes familles fortunées représentent seulement 0,4 % de la population chinoise, mais détiennent 70 % des richesses du pays. La liste du rapport Hurun donne les noms de 50 000 personnes possédant une fortune s’élevant à plusieurs dizaines de millions de dollars et de 200 riches possédant plus d’une centaine de millions de dollars. Trente ans après le lancement de la politique de réforme et d’ouverture, la Chine ne manque pas, de toute évidence, de gens fortunés. Une enquête effectuée l’an dernier par le journal Nanfang Zhoumo montrait pourtant que les riches n’éprouvaient pas un sentiment de sécurité ; la moitié d’entre eux avouaient ne pas savoir ce que la vie leur réservait…

Les grosses fortunes ont le sentiment d’avoir commis un péché

On dit que “celui qui fait fortune se couvre de gloire, tandis que celui qui sombre dans la misère est un nul”! Pourtant, les premiers enrichis ont été sévèrement stigmatisés. Une enquête récente du Zhongguo Qingnian Bao (“Journal de la jeunesse chinoise”) montre que plus de 60 % des personnes interrogées estiment que les grosses fortunes chinoises sont des gens “peu ou assez peu honorables”. Moins de 4 % des sondés estiment que ce sont des gens “bien” ou “assez bien”. Les millionnaires chinois sont très mal vus quand il s’agit de juger leur sens de la responsabilité sociale, leur caractère charitable ou la légitimité de leur fortune. Les grosses fortunes chinoises ont le sentiment d’avoir commis un péché : aussi, dès qu’elles ont de l’argent, elles font en sorte de prendre une nationalité étrangère ; même en donnant beaucoup d’argent à des œuvres caritatives, ces gens ne parviennent pas à se faire pardonner. C’est un cercle vicieux qui empêche la diffusion des richesses parmi les Chinois.
Il faut pourtant reconnaître, en toute justice, que depuis trente ans les nababs chinois ont permis à cette société ingrate de devenir beaucoup plus brillante, intéressante et en phase avec son temps. En Occident, on dit : "Si l’on retirait des cages d’un zoo tous les animaux qui créent des ennuis, il n’y aurait plus aucune animation dans ces cages." De même, si toutes les grosses fortunes quittaient la Chine, notre propre ménagerie risquerait de devenir un lieu très ennuyeux.

(Xin Zhoukan, Canton)
Xiao Feng
Xin Bao
Source: courrierinternational.com

Mon opinion: C'est bizarre, ca me fait vaguement penser a un pays que je connais... j'y ai meme grandi d'ailleur...

"Waltz with Bashir", directed by Ari Folman

2008-09-11T11:31:00.000+02:00

One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can't remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images. Written by intlpress@aol.com
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It's a very very good movie. I personally recommend it, whether you are interested in the middle east conflicts or not. Even though it's frame is based on Lebanon wars and massacre of Sabra and Chatilas' camp, it is an extraordinary legacy on youngster mistakes. Nothing is good in war.

Sziget Music Festival 2008

2008-09-03T18:26:00.000+02:00

My opinion: It was great! even though I went there alone... get a little annoyed of that, it was very nice. Very frankly I've been kind of disappointed by JUSTICE performance... far far far from Fedde le Grand!
Excpet that, Sziget is a HUGE fesival in Hungary along with Balaton Sound Festival.
For a week, you get bands from all over the world, from Jazz to electro and hard rock and so on. Besides, you can do some shopping as well with local stuff.
It was a good experience... definitely something to do with 5/10 friends !

Fragma 'Toca's Miracle 2008' OFFICIAL VERSION

2008-08-28T16:17:00.000+02:00

j'adore

"Urga", directed by Nikita Mikhalkov

2008-08-17T17:26:00.000+02:00

The shepherd Gombo lives with his wife, three children and grandmother in a tent on the Mongolian steppe. They are pleased with their rustic conditions, until a Russian truck driver, Serguei, gets stuck with his truck nearby. The cultural gap between Gombo and Serguie seems invincible. But maybe they can learn a few things from each other? Written by Mattias Thuresson {mattias.thuresson@mbox300.swipnet.se}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Lovely movie about humans relations, not matter where they are from; the way Sergei and Gombo gap through their cultural barrier is very interesting, as well as the gap between the mongols traditional life and the Communist China.

"I am not there", directed by Todd Haynes

2008-08-17T16:32:00.000+02:00

Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan's music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the artist becoming someone else. Jack, the son of Ramblin' Jack Elliott, finds Jesus; handsome Robbie falls in love then abandons Claire. Woody, a lad escaped from foster care, hobos the U.S. singing; Billy awakes in a valley threatened by a six-lane highway; Rimbaud talks. Jude, booed at Newport when he goes electric, fences with reporters, pundits, and fans. He won't be classified. Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}
source: imdb.com

My opinion: I appreciate this film, even though I am not very into Bob Dylan. For me, I came to that movie to know better about him. It was interesting but I guess super fan would really enjoy 100% as it is filled with fammous songs and personnal breakthrough. Besides, I have been amazed by the casting: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, young Marcus Carl Franklin and Heath Ledger.

Olympics

2008-08-14T19:02:00.001+02:00

Le président géorgien a rendu, malgré lui, un grand service à la Russie

2008-08-14T17:07:00.001+02:00

«Moscou a mis à profit l'occasion que lui offrait Saakachvili pour lancer un signal clair au monde», estime Hélène Carrère d'Encausse.
«Moscou a mis à profit l'occasion que lui offrait Saakachvili pour lancer un signal clair au monde», estime Hélène Carrère d'Encausse. Crédits photo : Le Figaro

Par Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, secrétaire perpétuel de l'Académie française.

La guerre russo-géorgienne qui marquera l'été 2008 est certes un conflit traditionnel entre deux États autour d'un enjeu apparemment clair, le sort de l'Ossétie du Sud, mais elle découle, avant tout, de la volonté impitoyable des deux parties de remettre en cause les équilibres géopolitiques existants depuis près de vingt ans.

Pour comprendre l'événement, et ce qui pèsera sur les efforts de pacification, il n'est pas inutile d'en revenir aux origines - ou au prétexte - de la guerre. En investissant l'Ossétie du Sud, le président Saakachvili a revendiqué son droit à rétablir l'intégrité territoriale de son pays. Or celle-ci avait, dès 1990, volé en éclats. Les peuples minoritaires - ossètes, abkhazes, adjars, etc. - avaient reçu en 1922 de Lénine et Staline, soucieux de briser le sentiment national géorgien, un statut d'autonomie culturel et administratif au sein de la République.

Ce statut n'était pas une simple fiction et il leur a permis de développer leur langue et surtout d'affirmer leur identité culturelle. La fin de l'URSS a sonné le glas de cette Géorgie multiethnique. Les petits peuples ont entendu l'appel de Boris Eltsine à « prendre autant d'indépendance qu'ils en voulaient », et surtout ils ont été confrontés à la politique ultranationaliste du premier président de la Géorgie indépendante, Gamsakhourdia, qui récusait toute différence nationale sur le sol géorgien.

La réponse des Ossètes et des Abkhazes à cette volonté unificatrice a été la sécession et la guerre. Au terme de ces guerres, ces peuples se sont installés dans une indépendance contestée par la Géorgie, ignorée par la communauté internationale, mais que la Russie a progressivement confortée dans une nouvelle variante de l'entreprise lénino-stalinienne pour tenter de réduire l'hostilité géorgienne à son égard.

Depuis l'arrivée au pouvoir en 2003 de Saakachvili, la crise latente entre Moscou et Tbilissi est devenue une véritable confrontation. Le président géorgien a affiché une double ambition : restaurer l'autorité géorgienne sur la totalité du territoire, et surtout s'imposer aux États-Unis comme leur meilleur allié au Caucase, pour leur permettre d'en éliminer la Russie.

Cette seconde ambition est la toile de fond et la vraie cause du conflit armé d'août 2008. Le sort des Ossètes et des Abkhazes importe peu, en définitive, à la Russie, même si elle y a attisé le feu du séparatisme pour affaiblir Saakachvili et son zèle atlantiste. Mais il s'agit ici des leviers de l'action russe et non de la logique de son action. Ce qui est au cœur du conflit pour Moscou, c'est la puissance perdue il y a près de vingt ans, l'humiliation d'un pays privé d'Empire et qui a essayé vainement de construire avec ses anciennes possessions une communauté d'un type nouveau, tandis que ses partenaires potentiels se dressaient contre lui et se tournaient vers l'Occident, les États-Unis, avant tout.

De plus, il a été insupportable à la Russie que les États-Unis, qui dominaient seuls la scène internationale, s'emploient à l'éliminer de ses terrains traditionnels en Asie centrale et au Caucase. Pendant près de vingt ans, la Russie a dû faire face à ce déclin de puissance, à l'élargissement de l'Otan à ses frontières, à un jeu international où elle n'était plus entendue, même si elle conservait son statut de membre permanent du Conseil de sécurité. La popularité de Vladimir Poutine, au terme de deux mandats présidentiels, tient à ce qu'il incarne le sursaut russe et le refus du déclin.

Dans cette tentative d'écarter la Russie de la scène internationale, la Géorgie a tenu une place particulière. C'est dans ce contexte que l'on doit situer le pari auquel le président Saakachvili vient de sacrifier fort légèrement les intérêts de son pays. Depuis 2003, il a joué la carte américaine contre la Russie, convaincu qu'il serait, en toute hypothèse, soutenu par les États-Unis et que la Russie ne réagirait pas ou trouverait en face d'elle un président Bush déterminé à défendre son petit allié. C'est dans cette certitude que Saakachvili est passé du discours sur la nécessité de restaurer l'autorité géorgienne sur l'Ossétie à l'épreuve de force.

Et il a négligé, au passage, deux données : l'engagement croissant de la Russie dans les régions séparatistes, par la distribution notamment de passeports russes à leurs habitants, et la reconnaissance par les États-Unis et quelques pays européens de l'indépendance du Kosovo, au mépris des protestations russes, ce que la Russie n'avait pas manqué d'invoquer comme précédent possible à une future reconnaissance de l'Ossétie et de l'Abkhazie. Saakachvili a enfin et surtout surestimé le poids de la Géorgie dans la situation géopolitique mondiale, oubliant qu'à l'heure des comptes elle pourrait peser moins dans les calculs américains que le nécessaire soutien russe face à l'Iran.

À ce pari imprudent d'un président qui y risque sa légitimité, la réponse russe a été, sans aucun doute, disproportionnée. Une guerre punitive contre un petit État est aussi un pari dangereux pour celui qui l'engage.

Mais la Russie a mis à profit l'occasion que lui offrait Saakachvili pour arrêter l'érosion de ses positions et lancer un signal clair au monde, indiquer qu'il existait des limites aux entreprises destinées à l'affaiblir, au Caucase surtout.

Ce signal s'adresse, avant tout, aux pays que la Russie tient pour proches d'elle. Et il est significatif que l'Ukraine qui, avec la Géorgie, tente de forcer les portes de l'Otan, soit restée plutôt silencieuse dans ces jours de crise. Elle n'est pas moins hostile à la Russie que la Géorgie, mais ses responsables semblent avoir entendu la leçon.

C'est à l'heure de la négociation qu'il importe de prendre en compte l'arrière-plan de la guerre que le conflit a, d'une certaine façon, dissimulé, et qui va peser sur le résultat final. Si le président Medvedev, opportunément revenu sur le devant de la scène, a annoncé tout de go qu'il mettait fin aux hostilités, s'il s'est dit prêt à accepter le plan de paix qui lui était proposé, c'est que son accord porte sur la réalité existante et non sur les apparences, c'est-à-dire sur la fiction de l'intégrité territoriale géorgienne.

La vision russe part de ce qui est acquis : la Géorgie à genoux, ses troupes chassées des territoires séparatistes, la perspective d'un débat international sur l'avenir de ces deux petits États non reconnus mais dont le désastre géorgien pourrait accélérer la reconnaissance.

On peut parler à loisir de retour au statu quo, la Russie y consent parce que cela signifie seulement le retour à la situation militaire antérieure à l'équipée de Saakachvili, c'est-à-dire à l'absence de troupes géorgiennes en Ossétie et en Abkhazie. La Russie accepte sans mal de s'engager à respecter la souveraineté géorgienne, car l'époque des annexions est révolue, mais il en va tout autrement d'un engagement sur l'intégrité du territoire géorgien car ce problème est plus ou moins dépassé.

Les Ossètes et les Abkhazes refuseront, plus que jamais, de s'incorporer à la Géorgie. La guerre qui, officiellement, ne visait que l'Ossétie a eu, pour effet, d'ouvrir la question abkhaze. Enfin, en dépit des protestations de la Géorgie, le sort de ces deux mini-États, même si cela n'est pas clairement dit, ne relève plus de sa seule souveraineté. Si, moralement, la Russie a quelque peu perdu à déployer sa force, politiquement elle a gagné sur deux tableaux.

À terme, elle a montré que son appui pouvait aider des peuples à disposer de leur destin, alors qu'il y a quelques mois, à peine, la reconnaissance de l'indépendance du Kosovo contre sa volonté semblait démontrer le contraire. Elle a aussi affaibli la Géorgie, non seulement militairement mais sur le plan international, diminué ses chances d'entrer rapidement dans l'Otan, et par là, mis un frein à l'éviction russe programmée du Caucase du Sud. Ce qui n'était pas la moindre de ses préoccupations.

Cette guerre confirme, en définitive, le retour de la Russie sur la scène internationale, une Russie sûre d'elle-même, affichant ses intérêts nationaux sans complexe et, c'est nouveau, l'acceptation par la communauté des nations de traiter avec cette Russie-là et non avec un État diminué.

Saakachvili, dans son projet fou de défier la Russie, lui aura rendu probablement le plus grand des services qu'elle ait connus au cours de ces dernières années.

source: lefigaro.fr
Le président géorgien a rendu, malgré lui, un grand service à la Russie

Le Nigeria veut sortir du tout pétrole

2008-08-14T17:04:00.000+02:00

Premier producteur de pétrole d'Afrique, le Nigeria cherche cependant à diversifier ses ressources économiques. Il a réformé son secteur minier afin d'en ouvrir l'accès aux investisseurs étrangers. Et cela semble fonctionner, estime le quotidien camerounais Le Messager.

Sans relâche, une vingtaine d'ouvriers chargent du charbon dans dix camions alignés sur un gisement de houille d'Enugu, un des 36 États de la fédération nigériane. Situé à environ 900 kilomètres au sud-est de Lagos, la capitale économique, ce site est mis en exploitation par Alconica, une société privée indienne. Tout en suivant du regard les mouvements de ses hommes, Rajendra Bhargava, le directeur, lâche satisfait : "On fait de bonnes affaires au Nigeria ! Oui, de très bonnes affaires !" Une fois chargés, les camions prendront la direction de Port Harcourt, au sud du pays, d'où le charbon partira ensuite pour la Chine où il servira à la production d'électricité.

La même ambiance de travail règne sur d'autres sites miniers du pays. Reprise par les opérateurs privés en 1999, l'exploitation de ces ressources s'est intensifiée depuis mai 2008, avec la promulgation de la loi sur la restructuration du secteur minier, qui bannit les mines illégales. Outre les sociétés privées locales, plusieurs multinationales étrangères (américaines, anglaises et surtout chinoises et indiennes) explorent le sous-sol nigérian riche de 34 types de ressources, dont le zinc, le bitume, le fer, l'or, selon le ministère du Développement des minerais solides et de l'acier (MDMS). Entre 1964 et 1998, aucune firme privée n'y avait accès car, en vertu du code sur les mines du Nigeria, "seul le gouvernement avait le droit d'intervenir dans le secteur", rappelle l'économiste Olufemi Johnson, de l'université de Lagos. Mais les sociétés publiques agréées étaient mal gérées et la filière, envahie par des exploitants illégaux, ne représentait que "0,05 % du PIB du pays !", affirme Sarafa Tunji Ishola, le ministre chargé du secteur.

Pendant la période coloniale, l'industrie minière nigériane était pourtant l'une des plus florissantes d'Afrique. Mais le code sur les mines, l'instabilité politique due à la guerre civile (1966-1970) et la série de coups d'État avaient fait fuir les investisseurs privés. En outre, après la découverte en 1956 des premiers gisements pétroliers, le Nigeria a accordé la priorité à la production de pétrole brut. L'économie nigériane est donc très vulnérable à la volatilité des cours mondiaux. Malgré des prix actuellement très élevés, le pays est en butte à la baisse de la production nationale, qui a chuté de 40 % en avril 2008 du fait des violences de groupes armés dans le Delta du Niger, grande région pétrolifère. Une catastrophe pour ce pays qui tire plus de 90 % de ses devises de l'or noir.

Pour réduire cette vulnérabilité, il a fallu diversifier l'économie et créer un cadre favorable aux investissements. Dès 1999, l'ex-chef d'État nigérian Olusegun Obasanjo avait promulgué The Minerals and Mining Act, une loi qui ouvre le secteur aux opérateurs privés et définit un régime fiscal "bas et incitatif" d'après plusieurs investisseurs. Désormais, ce n'est plus le gouvernement qui délivre les titres et les licences d'exploitation, mais le Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), une structure publique autonome, opérationnelle depuis 2006. Crédible et dynamique, elle accélère les procédures de délivrance de l'agrément d'exploration ou d'exploitation. Ces mesures incitatives sont renforcées par la promulgation de la loi sur la restructuration du secteur minier, qui exige le respect des normes environnementales par les compagnies. Interdits d'activité, les exploitants clandestins doivent se constituer en coopératives et suivre des formations pour accéder à certains gisements.

Par vagues, les demandes d'agrément affluent. Près de 900 compagnies locales et internationales opèrent actuellement dans le pays. Selon le ministère, la contribution des minerais solides au PIB est passée à 10 % depuis mai 2008 grâce à la vente des licences et titres d'exploitation, puis au paiement de diverses taxes par les opérateurs privés. Les prévisions de recettes sont à la hausse, l'objectif étant de faire de la filière "la poule aux œufs d'or de l'économie nationale", comme le dit Charles Soludo, gouverneur de la Banque centrale.

Tout en se réjouissant des progrès accomplis, le géologue Moses Oladeinde prévient : "On ne peut pas promouvoir le secteur minier sans développer les infrastructures routières et ferroviaires par lesquelles sont acheminés les minerais. Leur état piteux risque de décourager les investisseurs si l'État fédéral ne les modernise pas."

Daouda Aliyou (Syfia)
Le Messager

source: courrierinternational.com
Le Nigeria veut sortir du tout pétrole

LinkedIn Spanish Lessons

2008-08-13T14:43:00.000+02:00

Seen on the Linkedin blog
http://blog.linkedin.com/

Basic rules when you're in theater...

2008-08-13T10:02:00.000+02:00

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique

2008-08-12T14:50:00.000+02:00

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique (1/5)
envoyé par gazobu

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique (2/5)
envoyé par gazobu

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique (3/5)
envoyé par gazobu

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique (4/5)
envoyé par gazobu

Nietzsche, Un Voyage Philosophique (5/5)
envoyé par gazobu

"The Dark Knight", directed by Christopher Nolan

2008-08-11T14:11:00.000+02:00

Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes. Written by Leon Lombardi
source: imdb.com

My opinion: WOOWWWW ! I tell you man this movie is GOD DAMN GOOD ! seriously I was scpetical seing nice cuty face Health Ledger playing crazy disturbed Joker... but after all, he was very good! besides, the whole movie was very exciting and mind twisted. Frankly I really hated "Batman Begins", first Christopher Nolan opus for Batman franchise but this one is well well up to the others ones. It deserves place with Tim Burton best Batman.
DON'T DOWNLOAD IT! GO TO THEATER !!! IT WORTH IT !!!

"One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

2008-08-07T14:14:00.000+02:00

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Russian: Один день Ивана Денисовича) is a novel written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, first published in November 1962 in the Soviet literary magazine Novy Mir (New World).[1] The story is set in a Soviet labor camp in the 1950s, and describes a single day of an ordinary prisoner, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. Its publication was an extraordinary event in Soviet literary history—never before had an account of "Stalinist repression" been openly distributed. The editor of Novy Mir, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, wrote a short introduction for the issue, titled "Instead of a Foreword," to prepare the journal's readers for what they were about to experience.

My opinion: I recently finished to go through "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" and I must confess this book chocked me in many many points. For one single day, you share life of Chouckhov or Ivan Denisovitch in the Gulag and see what makes his "life" in the Gulag. The very straight, familiar tone and vocabulary makes the reader feel closer to this day to day terrifying reality.
This book is a great legacy for future generation and, to me, is a MUST.

Soljenitsyne, mort d'un emblème de la dissidence

2008-08-04T16:40:00.000+02:00

Prix Nobel de littérature en 1970, l'homme au long visage de prophète s'est éteint dimanche soir à l'âge de 89 ans à son domicile de Moscou.

Plus qu'un grand écrivain, Soljenitsyne était une légende. «Et malgré tout, il arrive qu'un cri déclenche l'avalanche…», a écrit l'homme au long visage de prophète. Son cri fut entendu dans le monde entier. Et ce cri fut la raison d'être de l'écrivain : témoigner pour les victimes du goulag et dénoncer le communisme comme le mensonge absolu. Sa révolte contre la machine totalitaire, ses incessants coups de boutoir contre la «doctrine unique et vraie» ont fait de ce rescapé des camps de concentration le témoin à charge numéro un des tortionnaires soviétiques. Rien, jamais, ne l'arrêta.

Sa longue vie fut placée sous le signe des miracles. Par trois fois, en effet, il échappa à une mort donnée pour certaine. Il sortit vivant des terribles combats du front russe, pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, où son comportement héroïque durant le siège de Leningrad lui valut d'être promu capitaine. Puis, il résista au calvaire de plusieurs années de camp. Enfin, durant sa captivité, il fut atteint d'un cancer dont il guérit miraculeusement.

Ce sont ces épreuves que ce survivant de trois grands fléaux (la guerre, les camps et la maladie) raconte dans deux livres mondialement célèbres : Une journée d'Ivan Denissovitch et Le Pavillon des cancéreux.

Un homme brisé assigné à résidence

Mais revenons à cette condamnation qui frappe le courageux soldat de l'Armée rouge. Que lui a-t-on au juste reproché ? Tout a commencé à cause d'une lettre, écrite en 1945, dans laquelle le jeune capitaine d'artillerie laissait entendre à un ami d'enfance que Staline lui semblait s'être éloigné de l'idéal de Lénine. La police politique intercepta la lettre et arrêta Soljenitsyne, accusé d'être un «ennemi du peuple». Cette simple lettre lui valut d'être condamné à huit ans de camp pour activité contre-révolutionnaire. À l'expiration de sa peine, en 1953, c'est un homme brisé qui est assigné à «résidence à perpétuité» en Sibérie. Brisé, mais décidé, coûte que coûte à montrer le vrai visage du communisme. La brève période de détente ouverte par Khrouchtchev en 1956 lui permet d'être réhabilité et de mettre fin à l'exil. Il peut alors s'installer à Riazan, à quelques kilomètres de Moscou, où, petit professeur, il enseigne les sciences physiques dans une école secondaire. C'est à ce moment-là qu'il va faire paraître, en 1962, Une journée d'Ivan Denissovitch. Cette plongée de vingt-quatre heures dans l'enfer des camps donne une voix aux innombrables martyrs qui n'ont pas survécu, comme lui, à l'enfer du goulag.

L'écrivain sait de quoi il parle quand il décrit l'univers concentrationnaire. Rien de ce qu'il a vécu et vu durant sa captivité n'a été oublié. Contre toute attente, son livre n'est pas censuré. C'est même Khrouchtchev en personne, alors maître absolu du Kremlin, qui autorise sa publication. Grâce à cette imprudente approbation du régime, le «roman» est lu dans tout le pays. Du jour au lendemain, Soljenitsyne devient célèbre. Il est présenté comme l'un des principaux champions de l'antistalinisme. On l'encourage à publier encore divers courts récits.

Mais très vite, une nouvelle glaciation fige le système. Krouchtchev est remplacé par Brejnev. Mais Soljenitsyne n'entend faire aucune concession. En 1967, il provoque à nouveau le système en réclamant la suppression de la censure. Deux ans plus tard, il est exclu de l'Union des écrivains d'URSS. Le prix Nobel couronne l'écrivain le 8 octobre 1970, ce qui met dans l'embarras les autorités soviétiques. Brejnev fait tout ce qu'il peut pour empêcher l'écrivain de se rendre à Stockholm. Pour ne pas en rajouter dans la provocation, et par crainte de représailles sur sa femme et ses trois enfants, Soljenitsyne préfère jeter l'éponge. Il n'ira pas chercher sa récompense en Suède. Mais rien, en revanche, ne semble pouvoir faire dévier l'écrivain de la route qu'il s'est tracée : témoigner, pour son peuple, pour son pays, faire connaître au monde entier le système oppressif sur lequel repose l'URSS. Et ce, quel que soit le prix à payer.

En 1973, L'Archipel du Goulag déclenche à nouveau les hostilités avec le Kremlin. Le KGB a en effet mis la main, à Leningrad, sur un exemplaire du roman. L'amie à qui l'écrivain avait confié son manuscrit est arrêtée et interrogée plusieurs jours. Elle est finalement retrouvée pendue. Lorsqu'il apprend la nouvelle, Soljenitsyne n'hésite pas à déclarer ouvertement la guerre au régime.

Par des voies mystérieuses, il parvient à faire passer une copie de son manuscrit de l'autre côté du rideau de fer… Une édition russe paraît à Paris dans les derniers jours de 1973. Les autorités russes ne réagissent pas aussitôt. Mais, le 12 février 1974, l'écrivain est arrêté à son domicile, déchu de sa nationalité et expulsé. Il s'agit du premier citoyen soviétique expulsé depuis Léon Trotski. Le lendemain, un avion spécial de l'Aeroflot le conduit à Francfort. Quelques semaines plus tard, sa femme et ses trois enfants le retrouveront. Plus encore que le Nobel, la condamnation à l'exil en Occident met le nom de Soljenitsyne à la une de tous les journaux du monde. Et son nouveau livre, L'Archipel du Goulag, est un véritable coup de tonnerre qui oblige les Occidentaux à se réveiller, à regarder en face la réalité soviétique.

Commence alors pour Soljenitsyne, à cinquante-cinq ans, une nouvelle période d'exil. Il s'installe d'abord à Zurich, en Suisse, puis émigre en 1976 aux États-Unis. Il va s'isoler dans sa propriété de Cavendish, aux nord-est des États-Unis, au cœur d'une vaste forêt de l'État du Vermont.

À la télévision, les Français découvrent en 1983 l'ermite du Vermont grâce à une émission mémorable d'«Apostrophes». L'écrivain accepte de montrer aux Français un peu de sa vie et de son âme. On le découvre entouré de sa femme Natalia et de ses trois fils. On visite sa maison, son immense bureau.

Ses dernière années sont consacrées au travail

Aux États-Unis, sa voix peu complaisante sur le mode de vie matérialiste du monde occidental («un bazar commercial») ne fait pas l'unanimité, loin s'en faut. Si le Sénat américain le nomme citoyen d'honneur, ses positions radicales déplaisent à beaucoup d'intellectuels. On lui reproche de ne rien comprendre à la démocratie.

Les dernières années de sa vie sont vouées au travail. Soljenitsyne reprend toutes ses œuvres déjà publiées afin d'aboutir à une version définitive de chacune. En 1990, paraît Comment réaménager notre Russie ?, essai dans lequel il défend l'idée d'une Union soviétique plus petite, plus russe, d'un retour aux valeurs familiales, traditionnelles, après un long cauchemar. Ce texte provoque un débat. Certains l'accusent d'être rétrograde et de vouloir éloigner l'URSS de l'Europe. Trois ans plus tard, il accepte de parrainer, à l'invitation de Philippe de Villiers, les manifestations du bicentenaire des massacres de Vendée. Il y prononce un vibrant hommage aux insurgés vendéens de 1793. Leur combat est comparé à celui des paysans russes contre les bolchéviques. «Toute révolution déchaîne les instincts de la plus élémentaire barbarie», déclare-t-il devant une foule enthousiaste.

Il restera vingt ans dans le Vermont, vingt années au cours desquelles l'Empire rouge va se fissurer puis s'écrouler. Celui qui avait affirmé «Je rentrerai vivant dans mon pays, je le sais » retrouve enfin le sol natal en 1994, quatre ans après avoir été officiellement réhabilité par Gorbatchev. Les conditions de son retour ont été longuement et minutieusement négociées, parfois même avec Boris Eltsine en personne.

Isolé dans sa datcha située à moins d'une demi-heure de Moscou, dans une zone de luxueuses résidences de l'ancienne nomenklatura, Alexandre Soljenitsyne rédige ses souvenirs d'exil en Europe et aux États-Unis. Il se sent de moins en moins romancier et de plus en plus historien. Jusqu'en 1998, il conserve une activité sociale intense, se montre souvent à la télévision où il a sa propre émission, rencontre de nombreux écrivains et historiens. Seule la maladie a pu interrompre, à la toute fin de sa vie, les activités d'un des plus grands résistants de tous les temps. Celui qui, tout seul, ébranla l'empire soviétique.

SOurce: lefigaro.fr
par Dominique Guiou

"Wild at Heart", directed by David Lynch (1990)

2008-08-01T14:21:00.000+02:00

Lula's psychopathic mother goes crazy at the thought of Lula being with Sailor, who just got free from jail. Ignoring Sailor's probation, they set out for California. However their mother hires a killer to hunt down Sailor. Unaware of this, the two enjoy their journey and themselves being together... until they witness a young woman dying after a car accident - a bad omen. Written by Tom Zoerner {Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: A great "drug, sex and rock'n'roll" + love movie by Lynch.

"Intolerable cruelty", directed by the Coen brothers (2003)

2008-08-01T10:10:00.000+02:00

Miles Massey, a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney has everything--and in some cases, two of everything. Despite his impressive client list, a formidable win record, the respect of his peers and an ironclad contract (the Massey pre-nup) named after him, he's reached a crossroads in his life. Sated on success, boredom has set in and he's looking for new challenges. All that changes when Miles meets his match in the devastating Marylin Rexroth. Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of his client Rex Rexroth, a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. With the help of hard charging private investigator Gus Petch, she has Rex nailed and is looking forward to the financial independence a successful divorce will bring. But thanks to Miles' considerable skills, she ends up with nothing. Not to be outdone, Marylin schemes to get even and as part of her plan, quickly marries oil tycoon Howard Doyle. Miles and his unflappable associate, Wrigley, unwittingly dig themselves in deeper and deeper as they go head-to-head with Marylin. Underhanded tactics, deceptions and an undeniable attraction escalate as Marylin and Miles square off in this classic battle of the sexes. Written by Sujit R. Varma
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: This quite a funny comedy! George Clooney is great, Catherine Zeta Jones... is sublime! this is really a good movie to relax and have fun!

Marilyn Manson In Bowling For Columbine

2008-07-31T12:07:00.000+02:00

Renaissance... Taschen small edition

2008-07-30T22:36:00.000+02:00

The rebirth of culture

Art as we know it today could not exist had not the revolutionary work of the Renaissance artists paved the way. Widely considered the most important and influential movement in the history of fine arts, literature, architecture, and science, the Renaissance marked the emergence of Western civilization from the Middle Ages into the modern era. Beginning in the 14th century in Italy, the movement spread throughout Europe by the late 15th century, the main centers of fine art activity being in Florence, the Low Countries, and Germany. For the first time, art became intellectual; influenced by humanism, artists experimented with secular subjects and revived classical antiquity. Advances in anatomy and geometry produced more realistic depictions in terms of space and perspective for the Italians, while new oil painting techniques made their mark in Flemish painting and woodcuts and engravings were the specialties of the Germans.

Artists featured: Albrecht Altdorfer, Fra Angelico, Giovanni Bellini, Hieronymus Bosch, Sandro Botticelli, Pieter Breughel, Agnolo Bronzino, Vittore Carpaccio, François Clouet, Correggio, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Dürer, El Greco, School of Fontainebleau, Piero della Francesca, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Giorgione, Matthias Grünewald, Maerten van Heemskerck, Hans Holbein the Younger, Fra Filippo Lippi, Lorenzo Lotto, Andrea Mantegna, Masaccio, Antonello da Messina, Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Pontormo, Raphael, Luca Signorelli, Tintoretto, Titian, Paolo Uccello, Veronese, Leonardo da Vinci

My Opinion: I have recently decided to push my art culture to new areas such classical paintings and thus... Renaissance was the first name to pop to my mind as it probably the most important shift in Art History. Thus, I've been to the Ludwig Museum book shop to buy... TASCHEN book... you know... the can of book you feel like buying all of them and spending days and nights to read them... it's just perfect when you are a total novice like me.

Anyway, I bought this introduction book about Renaissance and I must say - aside from the very simple, clear and pedagogical structure of the book - I have been completely subjugated by the following 4 paintings from masters Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and my favorite... Andrea Mantegnas' Christ.
Perspective, composition and colors are absolutely phenomenal in these masters work and more especially - in my little nerdy novice opinion lol - in Raphael's "Transfiguration"; to me, it is very impressive work on composition (2 parts division, up and down to the Christ) as well as strong colors and humanity reality (I mean the little boy on the right down part having a kind of trans state or something... i know I am not clear... I don't even understand what I want to say... but its to say that, as far as I have understood, Renaissance is about catching human reality and beauty lol).
To finish, my favorite is Mantegna's Christ laying. To me, the actual point of view on the Christ body highlight his actual Human being or Human reality... not as the soon of God, but as a Human like everyone else. In this case, we are not into the traditional sublimation of the Christ figure but in more common presentation of God's son that makes it closer to audience and... finally even more beautiful in some point.
There you get my novice point of view :)

GOOD: Oil Addiction

2008-07-30T20:53:00.000+02:00

My opinion: to come soon

Hadag Nahash

2008-07-30T00:19:00.001+02:00

My opinion: It's Zohan soundtrack ... I can't help myself listening it all day long! lol

Comic-Con expands its reach

2008-07-29T12:35:00.001+02:00

Confab makes room for comedy, other genres
By MARC GRASER

Superman, Batman and the Hulk have long been welcome at Comic-Con, the annual San Diego confab where comicbook enthusiasts gather to geek out over the latest in genre entertainment (or "the popular arts," as the event's organizers call it).

But Hollywood has been relatively slow to realize Comic-Con's potential as a launching pad for other forms of mainstream entertainment. Expect a major shift this year, as fewer-than-usual superhero pics ("Watchmen," "The Spirit" and "Punisher") make room for everything from comedies like "Tropic Thunder" and "Pineapple Express" to such family-friendly fare as "Land of the Lost" and "Race to Witch Mountain."

"The same audience that likes genre movies likes comedy," says producer Peter Safran, who will push his Carmen Electra-starring "Disaster Movie" spoof in San Diego. "It's the right audience. There are few places you can go that have a targeted demographic."

The hardcore fanboys won't feel left out, however. For sci-fi enthusiasts, there's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Terminator Salvation" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still," plus horror buffs have the relaunch of "The Wolfman," Alexandre Aja-helmed "Mirrors" and latest "Saw" installment to look forward to. Even teen girls have "Twilight."

Comic-Con is fast becoming ShoWest for fans, a place where studios can tout their upcoming slate by teasing exclusive footage and trotting out A-list stars to greet the crowds. It's an odd mix of tastemakers: Some come dressed as their favorite characters, others bring the entire family or plan their vacations around the event, but all seem eager to tell anyone who will listen what they think about what they've seen. That gives studios a one-stop opportunity to reach out to their target demographic and shape the early buzz, especially across the Internet.

"They're the first people to buy tickets, the first to buy the merchandise, the DVDs, the toys, the videogames," says Jeff Walker, a longtime consultant to the studios when it comes to planning convention presentations. "They're the hardcore fans everyone wants on their side."

And yet, the crowd's enthusiasm has been broad-ranging since the beginning, says Comic-Con marketing director David Glanzer, who cites an early appearance by Frank Capra as evidence of fans' ecumenical taste. It was only in subsequent years that marketers pigeonholed the event as a platform for genre film.

George Lucas sent a group to promote the first "Star Wars," for example. "Our message was always, 'Genre films are great and deserving of special recognition,'" Glanzer says.

Over the years, the number and variety of films seeking exposure at the Con has expanded steadily. Today, the event draws such A-list stars as Hugh Jackman, Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. as well as behind-the-camera names such as J.J. Abrams, Zack Snyder and Guillermo del Toro.

While presentations run all day in a massive 6,500-seat exhibition room known as "Hall H," studios sponsor booths and eye-catching displays on the convention show floor, handing out T-shirts, posters and other freebies. In the past, effective crowdstoppers have included everything from the screen-used "Iron Man" costume to a one-legged model shilling "Grindhouse" DVDs.

"It's great to give swag away to people who are happy to receive it," says Lisa Gregorian, exec VP of marketing for Warner Bros. Television Group, which screened "Chuck," "Pushing Daisies" and "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" last year and is pushing "Fringe" on Fox this year. She calls Comic-Con the "mecca of fans": "We're tapping into the psyche of this demographic."

What happens outside the facility is just as important. Last year, "The Dark Knight" bypassed Hall H, with Warner Bros. kicking off the film's viral marketing campaign with a downtown scavenger hunt. In the evenings, studios typically hold word of mouth screenings for their pics in nearby theaters.

This year, Walden Media has outfitted a San Diego-bound Amtrak rail car to promote "City of Ember," and Lionsgate serves as the official sponsor of the Eisner Awards, named after "The Spirit" creator Will Eisner.

Another recent development has been TV's ability to draw crowds on par with its bigscreen brethren, with shows such as "Battlestar Galactica," "Lost" and "Heroes" outgrowing their smaller meeting rooms and moving to Hall H this year. Even BBC has jumped on the bandwagon, bringing "Doctor Who" updates to the show's devoted followers.

"It has evolved spectacularly," says Focus Features topper James Schamus, who calls Comic-Con "an ongoing empowerment of fan culture." U's genre arm will promote "Hamlet 2," another nontraditional fit. Filmmakers who go are "in direct dialogue with that part of the community that rightfully feels a bit of ownership over the process," he says.

Hollywood's presence has become so high-profile at the Con that it's news if a studio pulls out of the confab. Last year, 20th Century Fox was flogged for deciding not to showcase any of its pics.

"Not every studio has a presentation every year," Glanzer says. "It's not an earth-shattering event. Sometimes people read too much into it."

Yet the irony in all of this is that film- and TV-specific programming makes up less than 25% of the Con's schedule, Glanzer says. And even on the event's show floor, studios are overshadowed by comicbook publishers, retailers, videogame and toy companies.

The rest of the panels are educational sessions on how to break into the comicbook biz, for example, which allows Comic-Con to consider itself an educational nonprofit.

"It's an opportunity for attendees to talk to (their idols) at the height of their professions," he says.

TIP SHEET

What: Comic-Con Intl.: San Diego
When: Thursday through Sunday
Where: San Diego Convention Center
Featuring: Panels, screenings, portfolio reviews, autograph sessions, Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Web: comic-con.org

source: Variety.com

"WALL E", directed by Andrew Stanton

2008-07-29T08:53:00.001+02:00

What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets an adventure into motion. Joining WALL*E on his journey across the universe is a cast of characters including a pet cockroach and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: WALL E is a good movie... but nothing like Toy Story, Nemo or Shrek. The main problem, to me, is related to the many trailers available on the internet that somehow spoiled the movie. According to J.F. Camilleris' book "Le Marketing du Cinema/ Cinema Marketing", lots of trailer are made in US, where audience need most of all to be comfort about the movie quality - if it is a good movie, if it's worth it - while French audience seek surprise and unexpected story... many distributors have simply no time (and not enough ... flexibility) to customize trailer to their local audience. Never mind.
To sum up, it's a good movie, cute and cuddly, for the whole family.

"You Don't Mess with the Zohan", directed by Dennis Dugan

2008-07-20T23:16:00.000+02:00

This is the story about a Mossad agent Zohan Dvir, who fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist. He romances his clients by giving them "special services" in the back room. However, he is eventually recognized, and risks losing his newfound life and career. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Source: imdb.com
official website: You don't mess with the Zohan

My opinion: It's a funny movie. At least a bit more original than the SCARY MOVIE sequels... seeing an Israeli agent dreaming about hair style is somehow... funny!
Actually, I have found myself more interested in the female character of Dalia, played by Emmanuelle Chriqui... ok ok ... I get the crush on her! She is... OH MY GOD !!!! I am in love !

Street art ou vandalisme ?

2008-07-18T17:29:00.000+02:00

Condamné à Londres, exposé à New York : la mésaventure d'un collectif anglais pose une nouvelle fois la question de la place des graffeurs dans la culture contemporaine.

Notre société est manifestement un peu perplexe face au phénomène du graffiti et plus largement, du "street art". Mais la confusion s'étend maintenant au-delà des seuls graffiteurs – et nettoyeurs de leurs œuvres. La semaine dernière, la loi anglaise a été appliquée par le tribunal de Southwark : cinq membres du collectif de graffiteurs DPM ont été condamnés à une peine de prison après avoir reconnu s'être associés pour commettre des dommages qui ont coûté au contribuable plus de 1 million de livres [1,263 million d'euros]. A deux pas de là, la façade côté fleuve de la Tate Modern était couverte de gigantesques fresques exécutées par six artistes urbains de réputation mondiale, dont Blu, de Bologne, Faile, de New York, et Sixeart, de Barcelone, pour la première exposition de street art dans un grand musée.

"La simultanéité de ces deux événements est profondément ironique", reconnaît l'un des artistes. C'est à Banksy que l'on doit l'entrée du street art dans les espaces muséographiques reconnus. Il y a quelques années, il faisait entrer son travail en douce dans des musées comme le Louvre ou la Tate Britain. Aujourd'hui, son livre est en vente à la boutique de la Tate Modern. C'est lui, plus que tout autre, qui a donné sa légitimité au genre, faisant de nombreux émules parmi la nouvelle génération.

Bob exécute des graffitis depuis sa période punk, en 1982. A présent, il travaille de jour dans une galerie d'art londonienne. "En ce début du XXIe siècle, Londres est au street art ce que Paris était à l'impressionnisme au début du XXe", déclare-t-il avec un manque de modestie assumé. "Pourtant, nous avons une haine du graffiti sans égal dans le monde. L'Angleterre est, et de très loin, le pays le plus sévère dans ses sanctions contre ce qui ne sont, après tout, que des délits économiques."

Le 19 juillet, une galerie new-yorkaise inaugure une exposition fondée sur le travail des condamnés de Southwark. "DPM – Exhibit A", à l'Anonymous Gallery Project, à Soho, montrera au public de grandes photographies de leurs œuvres, avec, à côté, des copies de leurs dossiers d'inculpation. Avec la volonté de poser une question : ces hommes sont-ils des délinquants ou des artistes ?

Le street art, voyez-vous, est un phénomène qui divise. D'un côté, il y a ceux, comme l'artiste américaine Elura Emerald – qui participe également à l'exposition qui va s'ouvrir à New York –, qui estiment que "les artistes qui peignent dans la rue ne font que s'exprimer, et ne font de mal à personne", et qu'ils devaient être "appréciés à leur juste valeur et célébrés". L'autre camp partage le point de vue du juge Christopher Hardy qui, devant le tribunal de Southwark, a décrit les activités du collectif DPM comme "une vaste campagne complaisante de vandalisme à grande échelle".

Comment résoudre pareille divergence ? "En ne les envoyant pas en prison", assène Bob. De toute façon, qui va juger de "ce qui est artistique et de ce qui est laid ? J'imagine que plus le nettoyage d'un graffiti coûte cher, plus dure doit être la sanction, sans toutefois aller jusqu'à la prison", tempère-t-il de façon assez surprenante. On n'est pas si loin de la décision du juge Hardy sur cette campagne de deux ans pendant laquelle le collectif DPM a joué de la bombe et mené plus de 120 offensives nocturnes contre gares, trains et matériel roulant à Londres, Liverpool, Manchester, Sunderland, Paris, Amsterdam, dans le Somerset et en République tchèque.

"Certains de vos travaux manuels témoignent d'un immense talent artistique", a reconnu le juge Hardy. "Le problème, a-t-il toutefois conclu, est que vous avez tagué des biens appartenant à des personnes sans leur autorisation, et cela s'appelle tout simplement du vandalisme." La municipalité de Peterborough, elle, a cherché un compromis en faisant installer des panneaux de 2,50 m par 1,20 m où les artistes peuvent s'exprimer librement. Hélas, des vandales les ont abattus...

Arifa Akbar et Paul Vallely
The Independent

courrierinternational.com

Fedde le Grand... in BUDAPEST !!! I WAS THERE !!!!

2008-07-17T11:15:00.001+02:00

My opinion: IT WAS AWWWWWWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly it was very VERY GOOD PARTY !
Never been to Cafe del Rio so far and definitely I'll be back there. Very cool open air ambiance + lot's of hot girls !
Actually, I've been there mostly to see Fedde Le Grand live mixing since I'm kinda big fan... and guess what?... this motherfucker really master his art man! the other DJ's were really baby dogs compared to this master !!!!
So to sum up, IT WAS REALLY REALLY GOOD PARTY !! THANKS FEDDE LE GRAND !!!!

Cafe Del Rio website

Olivier Rousseau : «La décision de la CGT entraîne 402 licenciements à Amiens»

2008-07-16T09:48:00.000+02:00

Olivier Rousseau, PDG de Goodyear Dunlop Tires France, explique pourquoi 402 salariés sur 1 450 seront licenciés en septembre à Amiens.

Dernier acte pour l'usine d'Amiens Nord de Goodyear Dunlop. Après plus de vingt mois de négociations, la CGT, syndicat majoritaire du site, a fait valoir son droit d'opposition à l'accord sur l'organisation du travail en 4 × 8, pourtant accepté par les salariés.

Le Figaro. La décision de la CGT rend caduc l'accord trouvé avec les salariés et rend « inéluctables », selon vos propres mots, les licenciements.
Olivier Rousseau. Je suis consterné par la décision de la CGT, dont les conséquences sont connues. Quel est l'intérêt, pour le syndicat ? En quoi les élus respectent-ils le mandat qui leur a été donné. Nous avons négocié pendant plus de vingt mois, obtenu plus de 72 % de « oui » à un vote auquel 54 % des salariés ont participé, en dépit d'un appel au boycott de la CGT et de SUD. Et, malgré tous nos efforts pour laisser une porte ouverte, les élus CGT l'ont définitivement fermée. Conséquence : 402 lettres de licenciement vont partir en septembre. Je n'ai aucune envie d'envoyer ces lettres, qui ne seront pas les dernières, ni de fermer une usine. La CGT ne me laisse pas le choix.L'avenir du site d'Amiens est donc menacé ?La décision de la CGT fragilise l'usine, les salariés, la région. Nous sommes le premier employeur privé en Picardie. Je regrette fortement cette décision. J'aurais compris que la CGT ne vote pas cet accord et laisse à chacun le choix. Là, la CGT ne respecte ni le verdict des urnes, ni sa parole de se conformer au choix des salariés, quel qu'il soit. Cette décision va à l'encontre de tout ce qui a été dit. Personne ne peut en tirer gloire. Je ne comprends pas cette position. Il faut aussi imaginer ça vu de l'étranger. Nos actionnaires sont américains. C'est déjà bien assez compliqué de leur expliquer qu'il faut faire voter les salariés pour réaliser un investissement… Alors là !

Vous estimez n'avoir désormais pas d'autres choix que de réduire la production et les emplois. Cela ressemble à un chantage à l'emploi.
C'est un choix. Soit on rend l'usine compétitive, soit on la ferme. Sur chaque pneu tourisme à faible valeur ajoutée fabriqué à Amiens, on perd vraiment beaucoup d'argent. Les coûts de production du site sont de 25 % plus élevés que ceux du groupe en Allemagne. Et je ne vous parle pas de Pologne ou d'Asie.

Vous pourriez réaliser les 26 millions d'euros d'investissement promis, sans modifier l'organisation du travail.
Cela ne suffirait pas à combler le retard. En moyenne, les équipes de production travaillent moins de 32 heures par semaine contre 39 heures 45 en Allemagne. L'accord portait le temps de travail à 35 heures par semaine, avec une organisation en 4 × 8 pour toutes les équipes et non plus une organisation partagée entre équipe de semaine et de week-end. Cela permettait de combler en partie le retard de compétitivité. Le tout avec une hausse de la rémunération mensuelle des salariés concernés, comprise entre 160 et 190 euros par mois (pour des salaires bruts mensuels compris entre 1 800 et 2 000 euros). Nous avions même mis en place une « prime au changement d'organisation » de 3 500 euros.

Qu'advenait-il des salariés qui auraient refusé l'accord ?
Nous avons bien conscience des difficultés que peuvent engendrer de tels changements d'organisation. Comme pour l'usine d'Amiens Sud, les salariés qui auraient refusé individuellement cet accord auraient dû quitter l'entreprise, mais dans des conditions financières favorables, avec un plan d'accompagnement. Rien de tout cela ne sera mis en place.

Source: lefigaro.fr - Elsa Bembaron

Mon opinion: il est assez hallucinant de voir qu'en 2008, les Français sont toujours dans un déni le plus total 1. de l'économie de marché...et de ce fait des principes de compétitivité 1.de la mondialisation... diabolisée par la Gauche et les Syndicats.
Prendre l’entreprise privée comme le « Grand Satan » de notre époque est insultant 1.pour les gens qui dirigent ces sociétés et de ce fait, assument d’énormes responsabilités 2. pour les actionnaires… qui… et toute la classe politique Française a l’air de l’oublier… représentent pas mal de personnes comme vous et moi… qui placent leurs économies et attendent un retour.
Le licenciement de ces 402 salaries est bien entendu une catastrophe pour la région et pour toutes ces familles. Maintenant, il faut se poser la question de l’après Goodyear. Comment faire pour que ces personnes retrouvent un emploi rapidement en lien avec leurs qualifications et compétences ?

"The Boss of It All", directed by Lars Von Trier (2006)

2008-07-16T00:17:00.000+02:00

The owner of an IT firm wants to sell up. The trouble is that when he started his firm he invented a nonexistent company president to hide behind when unpopular steps needed taking. When potential purchasers insist on negotiating with the "Boss" face to face the owner has to take on a failed actor to play the part. The actor suddenly discovers he is a pawn in a game that goes on to sorely test his (lack of) moral fibre. Written by Trust Film Sales
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It's simply... GREAT! FANTASTIC! One of my favorite movie !
Merci Laurent !!!

"Open water", directed by Chris Kentis (2003)

2008-07-15T23:39:00.000+02:00

Based on an actual event, Open Water tells the story of a young couple, Daniel and Susan, (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan), who go to the Bahamas to scuba dive the coral reef, and are accidentally left behind in the ocean. The couple boards a tour boat that is crowded with divers; after the first dive of the day, the captain makes a mistake on the numbers of divers who have surfaced from the dive and are aboard. When the number reaches 20, the boat leaves the area and goes to the next site. Daniel and Susan did not stay with the group underwater, but they were supposed to be back within 35 minutes. They were 5 minutes late and the boat left without them. Susan blames Daniel for being left behind, and their ordeal goes down the drain from there. After several hours, sharks begin to circle them. They begin to realize that their workaholic life is not important anymore. Only if they had a second chance, they would change. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)

My opinion: That's a terrifying movie... based on true event... makes it even more freaky!

László Moholy-Nagy

2008-07-15T19:02:00.000+02:00

László Moholy-Nagy (pronounced [ˈlaːsloː ˈmohoiˌnɒɟ]), July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism. He was a strong advocate of the integration of technology and industry into the arts.

Moholy-Nagy was born László Weisz to a family of mixed Jewish and Hungarian heritage. He changed his German-Jewish surname to the Magyar surname of his uncle, Nagy. Later, he added the pseudonym Moholy to his surname, after the town in which he grew up. After studying law in Budapest and serving in World War I, Moholy-Nagy was in Vienna in 1919, where he first discovered constructivism in exhibitions of works of Malevich, Naum Gabo and El Lissitzky.

In 1923, he replaced Johannes Itten as the instructor of the preliminary course at the Bauhaus. This effectively marked the end of the school's expressionistic leanings and moved it closer towards its original aims as a school of design and industrial integration. The Bauhaus became known for the versatility of its artists, and Moholy-Nagy was no exception. Throughout his career, he became proficient and innovative in the fields of photography, typography, sculpture, painting, and industrial design. One of his main focuses was on photography. He coined the term "the New Vision" for his belief that photography could create a whole new way of seeing the outside world that the human eye could not. His theory of art and teaching was summed up in the book The New Vision, from Material to Architecture. He experimented with the photographic process of exposing light sensitive paper with objects overlaid on top of it, called photogram. While at the Bauhaus, Moholy's teaching in diverse media -- including painting, sculpture, photography, photomontage and metal -- had a profound influence on a number of his students, including Marianne Brandt.

More about László Moholy-Nagy on his Wikipedia's page and on the Moholy Nagy Fondation website

get the good boots !

2008-07-15T10:53:00.000+02:00

HotForWords - Intelligence is Sexy

2008-07-14T21:54:00.000+02:00

"Intelligence is Sexy", by Marina Orlova.
ohohohoohoho YOU GET IT BABY !!!! YOU MAKE IT MY NEW MOTTO !!!! YEAH

Seriously it's quite interesting

JORDANIE - Des superhéros arabes

2008-07-14T10:21:00.000+02:00

Un jeune Jordanien vient de créer des personnages de BD 100 % arabes. Dotés de pouvoirs surnaturels, ces superhéros tolérants et foncièrement bons ont pour mission de sauver la planète du chaos, relate le quotidien Público.
Un soir, trois mois après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, Suleiman Bakhit, âgé à l'époque de 25 ans, revenait au campus de l'université du Minnesota après avoir fait ses courses. "Quatre types blancs sont sortis d'un bar, raconte-t-il. Ils m'ont reconnu. J'étais président de l'association des étudiants étrangers et je participais à de nombreuses actions contre le racisme. Ils m'ont insulté, puis ils m'ont frappé." Son visage et son cou subirent des opérations de chirurgie plastique et, aujourd'hui, il arbore une grande cicatrice avec la même vanité avec laquelle il exhibe ses tatouages. S'est-il vengé ? "Oui, à ma façon, souligne-t-il. Je suis intervenu dans plusieurs écoles primaires, un an après le 11 septembre, dans le cadre du programme d'une ONG. J'ai expliqué aux élèves les coutumes du Moyen-Orient. Je leur ai dit que tous les Arabes n'étaient pas des sympathisants d'Al-Qaida. Un jour, une fille m'a interpellé : ‘Avez-vous une Barbie arabe ? Un Superman arabe ?'" Bakhit est alors resté sans voix. "Je me suis rendu compte qu'effectivement nous n'avions pas de superhéros. Aussi, j'ai eu envie d'en créer un pour qu'il soit une source d'inspiration et d'espoir pour la jeunesse arabe, se souvient-il. J'ai contacté des personnes talentueuses, comme le dessinateur brésilien Eduardo Francisco, qui ont accepté de m'aider. J'ai ensuite quitté les Etats-Unis et suis rentré chez moi, en Jordanie." C'est là qu'il a créé l'Aranim Media Factory (pour arabe et animation). Et Naar ["feu", en arabe] fut le premier personnage à sortir de cette fabrique de superhéros. "Il y a beaucoup de personnages occidentaux qui ont le pouvoir de maîtriser le feu. J'ai voulu faire quelque chose de différent en m'appuyant sur la mythologie arabe", explique son créateur. L'histoire relate une apocalypse dans un Moyen-Orient sans pétrole, en 2050. Un groupe d'enfants se réveillent dans une ville cachée sous les ruines de Pétra et découvrent qu'ils ont des pouvoirs surnaturels. Ils s'interrogent alors sur la manière de reconstruire un monde meilleur. La BD fut été très bien accueillie par le public.

"Mon objectif est de combattre l'extrémisme pour contrecarrer des idoles, tel Abou Moussad Al-Zarqaoui [Jordanien, leader d'Al-Qaida en Irak, tué en 2006]. Je veux favoriser chez la jeunesse des valeurs positives comme la tolérance, la persévérance ou le travail", affirme Suleiman Bakhit.

Abou Khadija est un autre superhéros de l'Aranim Media Factory. Il s'agit d'un boxeur jordanien au chômage. Ses enfants sont malades, et il boxe pour sauver sa famille. "Nous voulions faire une BD, mais des producteurs nous ont proposé d'en faire un film d'animation", précise Suleiman Bakhit en espérant que tout soit prêt cet été. Ce devrait être le premier film d'animation arabe. Suleiman Bakhit regrette au passage "que les Américains aient malmené Aladin avec un stéréotype éloigné de l'histoire réelle et que les Japonais aient transformé Sindbad en un type stupide". L'objectif de Bakhit est d'utiliser "des personnages, des thèmes et des styles authentiquement arabes, tout en réussissant à attirer des jeunes du monde entier". Après la BD et les films d'animation, l'étape suivante devrait être celle des jeux vidéo, avec "beaucoup de guerriers arabes", et le merchandising. L'ambition est d'atteindre les 200 millions de jeunes Arabes et, par la suite, le marché international.

Pour mettre en application ses rêves, Suleiman Bakhit a besoin de partenaires. Parmi eux, la King Abdullah Fund for Development. Avoir comme mécène une institution liée à la monarchie jordanienne ne limite-t-il pas la créativité ? "Pas du tout ! On est entièrement libre", assure le patron d'Aranim. Certains investisseurs ont proposé à Suleiman Bakhit de financer un Disneyland arabe. C'était du temps où le père de Bakhit était Premier ministre de Jordanie. Le jeune créateur a alors refusé la proposition, convaincu que celle-ci était plutôt motivée par l'espoir d'obtenir quelques faveurs politiques.

"Heureusement, mon père n'est plus aujourd'hui qu'un simple parlementaire", sourit Bakhit. En 2009, il espère que son entreprise – et ses quatre employés – deviendra bénéficiaire.

Repères

Parmi les autres personnages créés par Suleiman Bakhit, on trouve Mansaf et Ozi, dont les noms ont été inspirés par des plats nationaux jordaniens et qui ont connu un franc succès. Signalons également les aventures d'un héros jordanien ayant existé, devenu superhéros grâce à Bakhit : le lieutenant Muwaffaq Al-Salti, un pilote dont l'avion de chasse fut abattu par un Mirage israélien pendant la guerre des Six-Jours, en 1967. Avant la sortie de la BD, 50 000 exemplaires furent distribués gratuitement par des journaux jordaniens ; quelques jours après, on les trouvait à 1 dinar (89 centimes d'euro) au marché noir d'Amman. Finalement, il fut publié à 2,4 millions d'exemplaires, dans une région où il n'existe pas de tradition – ni de moyens – pour ce genre de publication.

Margarida Santana Lopes
Público

courrierinternational.com

"The Bank Job", directed by Roger Donaldson

2008-07-13T20:30:00.000+02:00

Based on the true story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery which was prevented from being told for over thirty years because of a Government gagging order. The real story of how one of the biggest robberies in British history took place with no arrests ever made nor money ever recovered. Written by Mark Thomas
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: Very good movie. The story is good and most of all, the directing and sequences are very good. Besides, it is very pleasant to see Jason acting in a non "super kikin' movie" for once... even though he is still same kind of tough character... he is good.

"The Black Dahlia", directed by Brian de Palma

2008-07-11T11:33:00.000+02:00

In 1946, the former boxers Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are policemen in Los Angeles. Lee has a good relationship with his chief and uses a box fight between them to promote the department and get a raise to the police force. They succeed and are promoted to homicide detectives, working together. Bucky becomes a close friend of Lee and his girlfriend Kay Lake, forming a triangle of love. When the corpse of the aspirant actress Elizabeth Short is found mutilated, Lee becomes obsessed to solve the case called by the press Black Dahlia. Meanwhile, Bucky's investigation leads him to a Madeleine Linscott, the daughter of a powerful and wealthy constructor that resembles the Black Dahlia. In a environment of corruption and lies, Bucky discloses hidden truths. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: It is a good movie. Brian de Palma make it xtremly frightening in some special sequences (the big smiley crazy mama)and at the same time keep it calm. One critic... it's too long, almost 2 hours and you start to get chill at the very end of the story... when the puzzle starts to be clear. Otherwise it's good!

"Kung Fu Panda", directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson

2008-07-10T16:27:00.000+02:00

It's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: ... bof... it's ok but something is missing to make it a real good animated movie.

"Tres bien, merci", realise par Emmanuelle Cuau

2008-07-09T17:36:00.000+02:00

Alex, comptable, et Béatrice, chauffeur de taxi, forment un couple sans histoires. Mais un soir, Alex se mêle au travail de la police lors d'un contrôle d'identité. Un engrenage implacable et absurde se met alors en marche : il se retrouve au poste, au chômage, et en clinique psychiatrique. Sauf que les fous, ici, ne sont pas ceux qu'on croit...
Source: allocine.fr

Mon opinion: j'ai beaucoup ce film qui traite de notre "monde de fous". Assez touchant et violent d'une certaine maniere.

Très Bien, Merci TRAILER
Uploaded by yokatai

"Blue Velvet", directed by David Lynch (1986)

2008-07-09T13:01:00.000+02:00

Returning home to visit his father who is in intensive care at the hospital, Jeffrey Beaumont stumbles upon a human ear he finds in a field. With local police detective Williams and the local police department unable to investigate, Jeffrey and Sandy, Detective Williams's daughter decide to do their own investigation. But what Jeffrey and Sandy's investigation leads them to discover that a dark underworld exists in their hometown. Jeffrey becomes suspicious of nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens, who is involved with Frank Booth, a violent and evil man. Written by Daniel Williamson
Source: imdb

My opinion: That's a very very good movie. It is filled with symbols, perfect music, Dennis Hopper is incredible and it's a great movie about human relations. So complicated. It's really impressive. Feel like "wow"!

"Untraceable", directed by Gregory Hoblit

2008-07-08T11:38:00.000+02:00

A secret service agent, Jennifer Marsh, gets caught in a very personal and deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer who knows that people (being what they are - both curious and drawn to the dark side of things) will log onto an "untraceable" website where he conducts violent and painful murders LIVE on the net. The more people who log on and enter the website, the quicker and more violently the victim dies. Written by McCormack
Source: imdb.com

My opinion: ... bof...

Some of mt favorites AXE commercial... enjoy... and fantasy!

2008-07-06T00:12:00.000+02:00

FYI, this one is taken from a real video of a guy playing with quarters !

Webcam axe
Uploaded by thomevincent