Plagiarism versus parody

Throughout the history of art copying and interpretations play an important role. Artists were honoured to be copied.

Painter Luc Tuymans investigates the position of the image in society. He believes in authentic forging, as originality is no longer possible and he clearly sees painting as a concept. Irony and photographs are essential elements in the making of his faded oeuvre. Many of his pieces are based on self made Polaroids or Iphone photographs of photocopied pictures to neutralize their colour and make them hazy. The paintings based on these images hardly refer to reality. His renowned Der Diagnostische Blick series are based on images in a syndrome manual whilst The Secretary of State, a portrait of Condoleeza Rice, was also based on a photograph.

Controversy arose on A Belgian politician, which symbolizes and parodies politics' decay of power. As always, Tuymans used an adapted picture as a basis for the piece, which was sold to American art collector Eric Lefkofsky. Tuymans' parodied interpretation shows authentic additions and vale colours.

Photographer Katrijn van Giel sued Tuymans because the artwork was based upon one of her newspaper photographs of Jean-Marie Dedecker( De Standaard, 2010). The court of justice concluded the lighting and composition run parallel to the original's and sentenced the painter with a fine of 500 000 euros per reproduction. Notice of appeal has been given. The sentence led to a polarisation between the art of painting and press photography.

In 1992 Jeff Koons experienced a similar trial concerning his String of Puppies sculpture (1988, part of his Banality series), inspired by a photograph by Art Rogers. The Dutch photographer of the picture of Patrice Lumumba's widow felt honoured when Marlene Dumas based her piece The Widow on it.

A clear distinction between plagiarism, interpretation and derivatives should be made. It goes without saying that exact reproductions are not done. But the painterly invention of concepts is allowed to use the frozen photographical moment as a basis. Otherwise problems would arise over a photograph of an art installation, an interpretation of a poem, a sample used in a beat ...

Every artwork tells a different story, functions as a historical document, an adapted form, a personal societal reaction. Dramatic ego's easily feel threatened. Open-mindedness remains the starting point of freedom and innovation. 

Mark Ronson: Uptown Special

The sound architect of Amy Winehouse's Rehab album(2006) released the follow-up to Record Collection(2010): Uptown Special(Columbia), a party album with the sound of the funky seventies. Ronson and producer Jeff Bhasker succeeded in delivering a feel good record with the help of Bruno Mars, Mystikal and Stevie Wonder.

Mark Ronson — Uptown Funk

1. Uptown’s First Finale (feat. Stevie Wonder & Andrew Wyatt)
2. Summer Breaking (feat. Kevin Parker)
3. Feel Right (feat. Mystikal)
4. Uptown Funk! (feat. Bruno Mars)
5. I Can’t Lose (feat. Keyone Starr)
6. Daffodils (feat. Kevin Parker)
7. Crack In the Pearl (feat. Andrew Wyatt)
8. In Case of Fire (feat. Kevin Parker)
9. Leaving Los Feliz (feat. Jeff Bhasker)
10. Heavy & Rolling (feat. Andrew Wyatt)
11. Crack In The Pearl II (feat. Stevie Wonder & Jeff Bhasker)

d'Angelo Black Messiah

Michael Eugene Archer(40) has come back fifteen years after his last studio album Voodoo.

His third album entitled Black Messiah contains referrals to his naked chest in Untitled, false friends and the spirit of times. Q-Tip and Kendra Foster (Funkadelic) contributed lyrics, Questlove plays the music. 

Black Messiah:
1 Ain't That Easy
2 1000 Deaths
3 The Charade
4 Sugah Daddy
5 Really Love
6 Back in the Future (Part I)
7 Till It's Done (Tutu)
8 Prayer
9 Betray My Heart
10 The Door
11 Back in the Future (Part II)
12 Another Life

The hug: the rise of commercial hugging

American neuro economist Paul Zak, referred to as Doctor Love, studies the relation between neurology, morality and economy. He pleads for more affection.

A hug is a fundamental human daily interaction. When we hug, neurotransmitter oxytocin is released in the posterior portion of the pituitary gland, making us feel connected and happy. Oxytocin is also released after social interactions.

Hugging makes us more sociable and healthier. Tender feelings entail a relaxation response: a general state of calm and contentment, which facilitates cooperation.

American professional hugger Samantha Hess(30) started her business "Cuddle Up to me" a year ago in Portland. Initially she did house visits, now she owns her own hugging shop. For sixty dollars an hour, Hess and her employees cuddle and caress the needy. Hess' business idea arose when she was feeling down and was in need of affection.

This market for intimacy indicates a societal deficit. Shortage in time tends to stimulate haste and the disappearance of warm, human behaviour. The preoccupation with virtual actions in a continuously changing, individualist society could indicate we have less time to interact with the people we truly care about.

Social exchange is an economic theory of human behaviour. It assumes a person's behaviour in the marketplace is motivated by the desire to maximize profits and minimize losses. The same motives determine social behaviour. Social exchange gives a perspective for analyzing all kinds of relationships.

Doctor Love believes it's positive that people acknowledge their need for physical contact. Especially during stress one's need for physical contact increases. Richard Stevens believes we lack physical contact, which is the language of love.

Roberts Sternberg's triangular love theory(1988) offered an analysis of love. Intimate relationships involve components as emotional attachment and feelings of affection, fulfilment of psychological needs such as sharing and gaining reassurance and interdependence between individuals.

Intimacy, the emotional component of love, involves feelings of closeness. Intimacy and love are not synonyms.

Some criticize this paid affection because they believe it increases a cold society, others accept these commercial cuddles as being a temporary solution for honest expressions of an unsatisfied need for affection.

Female MC Kate Tempest

Kate Esther Calvert(1985) grew up in London. Under the name of Kate Tempest she publicizes poetry, writes theatre plays and does spoken word. Passionate about wordplay, her chosen semantics seem to always grasp the appropriate atmosphere.

As a teenager, while studying at the prestigious Brit School for Performing arts, Tempest engaged in rap battles, resulting in this year's unique album Everybody Down, which tells the story of three characters and the big city's loneliness. The album, produced by Dan Carey, has been nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Seen as the female counterpart of Mike Skinner, her album even stands up to his A Grand don't come for free. Her praised work is regularly awarded. In 2013 her Brand New Ancients was awarded with the Ted Hughes award.

The Guardian believes the MC is one of the greatest new talents.

Red Bull Flying Bach: break dance combined with classical music

Red Bull Flying Bach, a street style performance on two hundred and fifty year old music, has been touring the world since 2012. The show invites youngsters to listen to classical music.

Choreographer Varcan Basil works with Flying Steps, a formation of break dance world champions, to break the boundaries between classical and urban culture on Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The break dance visualisation of Bach compositions is made complete with a ballerina and classical musicians directed by opera director Christopher Hagel. 

Sleeping disorders: social media influence teenagers' sleep

Tablets and smart phones increase sleeping disorders amongst teenagers. A study in Finland, led by Erkki Kronholm, revealed one fifth of the teenagers nod off in the classroom, leading to worse school results.

The past twenty years the amount of youngsters with a sleeping disorder has doubled. Twenty percent of the girls and ten percent of the boys suffers from chronic fatigue.

Wrong-doers are smart phones, tablets, television and computers.

The exposure to screens is still increasing, leading to problems as restless minds and the blocked production of sleeping hormone melatonin by the brain. The bright, blue light of I pads and I phones seems to be even worse than the light of digital television. The closer one sits in front of a phone, laptop or tablet, the worse the sleeping rhythm will be.

These sleeping disorders are noted amongst teenagers and adults, who all suffer from social jetlag during the week end caused by the built up sleeping shortage during the week. In the week end they then tend to sleep in too long, which leads to a fragmented sleep and intense, energy costing dreaming. The last sleeping cycles can not provide a deep sleep, which is essential for physical recuperation.

The more time one spends in front of any screen, the worse one will sleep. The screen time right before going to bed seems to be the most crucial indicator for sleeping disorders.

In any case teenagers are more vulnerable to sleeping disorders because their hormonal imbalance and puberty influences the production of melatonin.

Where an adult needs seven and a half to eight hours of sleep, a child needs between eight and nine. During sleep, muscles relax and responsiveness to external stimuli decreases. Energy is stored, bodily tissues are allowed to grow. The sleep cycle takes place in five stages: four non-REM and the last REM stage, in which dreams occur and memory is thought to be organized.

Sleeping disorders have a severe impact on daily functioning, increase the risks of mental and physical problems such as obesitas and diabetes. Touchiness can easily evolve towards anxiety disorders and depression.

Experts advise to put out all screens one and a half hour before bedtime and never to put any screen on the bedside table. A sensible sleeping hygiene is crucial: close the curtains, put out the lights, eliminate all screens.

Steve Mc Curry

copyright Steve Mc Curry: Sharbat Gula

After working two years for Today's Post, Steve Mc Curry(1950, Philadelphia), who studied film and literature, decided to tour South East Asia. While living in India, the photographer's portfolio grew, which soon led to orders by Newsweek and The New York Times.

The New York citizen soon won the Robert Capa Gold medal.

During the nineteen eighties National Geographic assigned the photographer to go to Pakistan for two months, where he stayed four months longer. While working for National Geographic, Mc Curry switched to colour photography. The Magnum member(1986) is principally known for his award winning World Press Photo of Afghan refugee girl Sharbat Gula(1984, on cover in 1985), whom he photographed again seventeen years later.

Eight employees assist the artist in his two Philadelphia and three New York studios, his business is managed by his sister. In 2013 his creations were shown in Siena, in 2014 he was asked for the Lavazza calender.

Joseph Koudelka, Albert Watson, Don MC Cullin, James Nachtwey and Elliott Erwitt, the latter being the main reason for wanting to work for Magnum, are Mc Curry’s main icons. Painters Rembrandt and Caravaggio are other stated inspirations. His dear friends Henri Cartier-Bresson and Erwitt taught him to look. The artist also knew and admired Elliott, Eve Arnold, René Burri and Bruno Barbey.

His travels taught him what he needed to know about people, his photographs reflect the things that move him. Each and every one of us desires the same thing: to be respected.

The ego era: (a)social media and narcissism

Social media allow people to stay in contact with hundreds of "friends". Twitter, Facebook and Instagram portray perfect lives in words and photographs. The question is whether social media make individuals happier or whether they turn us into more narcissistic creatures...

One tends to forget that social networks are being constructed around the ego, which unfortunately plays a prominent role in popular culture.

Researchers believe social media have an impact on a person's self image. In addition they think the way a person represents himself on social media could determinate his self image.

Social media do enhance the amount of digital social responses.

In average individuals look at their smart phones one hundred and fifty times a day, once every six minutes. Obviously it stays a challenging quest to deal with this swiping in a healthy way. For some the overload of impulses is hard to accept. When people are absorbed by the social network, they tend to cultivate their own image instead on focussing on the interaction with others. There's a clear correlation between facebook usage and enhanced exhibition scores.

Researchers from Western University of Illinois state that facebook appeals to our narcissist tendencies. People who regularly update their facebook status, tag themselves in pictures and have a large number of friends, are more likely to demonstrate traits of narcissism. They also demonstrated that individuals who spend one hour or more a day on a social network, have increased levels of narcissism.

Ego psychology emphasizes the role of identity, experienced by a person as a sense of self. Narcissistic tendencies can be found in normal range levels. Healthy ranges are essential for one's self image and -respect.

Named after the Greek myth of Narcissus, Narcissism involves high levels of self-absorption and conceitedness.

The characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder are excessive self-love, inflated self-admiration, self-centeredness, an excessive need for admiration, a tendency to overestimate personal abilities and achievements, extreme sensitivity to criticism and a constant need for attention. Narcissists lack empathy, are unable to recognize others' needs and expect a lot of those around them. These masters in exhibitionism( attention seeking behavior) and the manipulative exploitation of others for selfish ends tend to socialize with people who admire them and avoid social situations where their superior brilliance will fail to be noticed. When being challenged or criticized, they may become aggressive to achieve respect from condescending critics. They often daydream of fame, power, influence and envy others' successes.

Narcissists tend to look for appreciation in social media. The Me generation shows narcissist behavior. Their genuine interest in others is decreasing while they increasingly attach importance to fame, ego and money instead of less shallow values. The focus is on sharing each and every detail of their live to evoke response.

Shouldn't it be: be the best me instead of showing off the best look at me- and my selfie me?

The struggle for female rights still goes on

Time magazine wanted us to strike out the word feminism because the aggravating term is used too often and has little meaning. Time was annoyed by the association of certain celebrities with the word and called out to return to the essence. Managing director Nancy Gibbs has now apologized for including the term in the execution of the poll.

This semantic discussion about feminism proves that some still struggle with a kind of resistance to the term which simply means female emancipation. Banning this crucial concept would be ridiculous.

An objective background about women's struggle for "equal" rights is needed for everyone who wants to understand their position in contemporary society.

Women had to fight for their rights in this patriarchal society. History shows very clearly the painful oppression of women. Learned gender roles have caused misconceptions concerning the qualities of the sexes.

Catholicism, which still discriminates women, portrayed men as far more important than women. Men were allowed to go outside whereas women had to stay at home to do the household.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century two hundred and fifty women were burned at the stake for alleged relations with the devil. Harmless physical features such as warts were seen as evidence of a contract with the devil. Often the victims were women with little capital and interests in herbal medicine. The end of these witch persecutions coincides with the end of the religious conflicts.

In 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft pleaded in A Vindication of the Rights of Women for a thorough change in women's situation. Her arguments derived from the ideas of the age of enlightenment. Many of these women who fought for their rights during the eighteenth century were decapitated.

Author Olympe de Gouge(Marie Gouze, 1748) first used political theatre to defend her ideas but soon opted for genuine political action. She was the first to zealously advocate social security. In her Déclaration des droits des femmes de la citoyenne(1791) Olympe demanded all rights for women. Two years later she was executed by guillotine.

The first conference for women's rights was held in 1849(Seneca Falls). The abolishment of slavery, the right to vote en the alteration of the marital contract were on the list of demands.

During the first feminist wave the right of education, the right of executing a profession and the right to vote predominated. A clear distinction between the proletarian and civilian women's right movement at that time is to be made. The first fought against the abominable economic situations whereas the latter emphasized the feminist equality idea.

During the nineteenth century many countries experienced the arise of women's organizations. The suffragettes had to campaign for the right to vote in militant protests because they were not being taken seriously.

The twentieth century was labelled by female pioneers. Married women were finally allowed to have a saving's account, to earn their own salary, to be a legal guardian.

The second feminist wave occurred in the nineteen sixties and seventies. This period of flared feminism manifested different ideas and political groups. The problem of the oppression of women was their communal problem. Five groups are to be noted.

Existentialist feminists such as the intelligent French author Simone de Beauvoir applied existentialism on the role patterns between the male and the female sexes. De Beauvoir aimed to ban all ingrained prejudice. Le Deuxième sexe(1949) denounced women's role of the second sex. She openly criticized the female as the object of the male. To free female identity, she emphasized the importance of the existentialist idea of women's responsibility for their own life. Existentialist feminism is based on De Beavoir's analysis of the human condition. Socialization processes have caused role patterns, consequently they can not be justified biologically. According to the existentialist vision women can define their own fate by choosing freedom. They should liberate themselves from marriage and motherhood, emotional dependence and the search for male approval. In addition women need to dedicate themselves to develop their intellect, to participate in the reorganization of society.

Socialist feminism criticized the capitalist influence on patriarchal ideology, victimizing both men and women. Capitalism should vanish to alter the role of the female.

Equality feminism refers to Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique(1963) about the misjudgement of women caused by the attention to their roles as housewives and mothers. It is opposed to the unequal rights of men and women as a consequence of the stereotypical roles of society. Their purpose is the offer of equal development changes for women by participating in societal life and government.

Liberal feminism is convinced that each individual should develop maximally in a righteous society. They see reason as the most important human factor and demand an egalitarian society.

Radical feminism is based on the belief that sex inequality is caused by hate towards women and by male oppression. They believe female sexuality and motherhood have been made subordinate to male wishes and desires. Radical feminists work in three ways: individual liberation by discussion groups, social liberation by means of political actions and liberation from traditional male organization forms. Their purpose is the elimination of the class system based on the sexes. Their propositions vary from androgyny to the glorification of female culture.
 
These five feminist ideologies may overlap. Simone De Beauvoir was also a equality feminist and elements of existentialist and liberal feminism can be found in equality feminism. Although the visions differ, these women were able to co operate for their communal aim: the female right of self determination.

Although female rights have been realized on paper, women are still being paid less for the same job. Now where's the equality in that? More than often these acquired ideals aren't naturalized. Sexist stereotypical role patterns are still being used as an excuse to reject women.

Nevertheless the struggle for equal rights and the improvement of the female position stays a matter of importance for the entire society. If certain communities wish to let patriarchy flourish under the cloak of cultural and religious values, the alleviation of female right violations will be impeded.

Up to this day many women are still considered to be inferior creatures.

Saian Supa Crew never does what has been done

Saian Supa crew, composed of beat boxers and MC's, was formed in 1997. Their name refers to Saïyen, manga figures designed by Akira Toriyama. The three groups(Explicit Samouraï, OFX and Simple Spirit) of this amazing underground collective met at the Nomad Studio.

There were six of them: OFX members Vicelow and Féfé (Féniksi), Simple Spirit members Sir Samuel and Sly the Mic Buddah and Explicit Samouraï members Leeroy Kesiah et Specta. All of them had different origins(Morocco, Nigeria, Guadalupe) and lived in the greater Parisian region. The eclectic bunch's differences resulted in everlasting tracks characterized by a distinctive positive sound and reflective lyrics.

All adepts of Afrika Bambataa's Peace, Love and fun, they always stayed true to the pure essence of hip hop music. 
Saian's communal slogan was "Jamais ce qui a été fait tu ne feras". (you will never do what has been done) Their original blend of hip-hop, beat boxing, soul, zouk, reggae, disco and dance hall was their force, as they were one of the first French rap groups to mix musical styles. 

Influenced by soulful musicians D' Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Erika Badu, Marvin Gaye and hip hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde and De La Soul, the vibrant crew easily succeeded in developing their own joyful French style.
Their philosophical tracks focused on moral and social items as hard drugs(Que dit-on ?), racism (La preuve par trois), AIDS(14.02.2002), intimacy between males and females, suicide(La Dernière Séance) and violence in religion(Au Nom De Quoi).

The six members autonomously produced their first mix tape entitled Saian Supa Land(1998), followed by 1999's Saian Supa Crew.

Saian's first album KLR(1999) was dedicated to OFX member KLR who passed away after a car accident. The album was sold more than three hundred thousand times, partly because of the hit Angela.
The record is characterized by beat boxing, theatric interludes, samples of Bachanach, Cosma and influenced by ragga, reggae, zouk and soul. 

Their second album X Raisons(2001), with its satirical interludes, ragga and soul samples, received a Victoire de la musique price for the best rap album(2002). 

The same year they released Da Stand Out EP and performed at the biggest European rap concert Urban Peace. The Saian Supa Crew shows were spectacular: entertaining the crowd with humoristic sketches, beat-boxing and break dancers.

Specta left the group in 2003 to focus on Explicit Samouraï. The same year Saian featured on RZA's The World According To RZA.

In between their second album X raisons and their third album Hold-up, the members engaged in solo projects and groups such as OFX's album Roots, Explicit Samourai's album Rap, Sir Samuel's album Vise pli o and Sly's beat box maxi. 

French DMC champion DJ Kärve joined the collective in 2005. 

Hold Up(2005) featured German singer Patrice(96 degreez), singer Camille(Si j'avais su) and Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am(La patte).
Another mature record, sparkling with positive energy, uplifted with reggae, soul and jazz samples and the traditional beat boxing.

When Leeroy left in 2007, the entire underground collective of legendary performers and exquisite musicians split up.

Will this funky formation make a comeback? We sincerely hope so...

Diamond District: March on Washington

The Diamond District trio worked hard on their freshly released album, entitled March on Washington. The title refers to the civil rights rally in 1963.

Oddissee, yU and Uptown XO focused their brainy wordplay
on social, political and religious themes. Once again Oddisee delivered compelling cohesive productions, bubbling with warmth and soul. 

Their artistic maturation is to be noted in this exceptional album. 

DMC World Championship 2014

This year's DMC World finals were held on the fifth of October at The Forum London. 
Mr Switch(Anthony John Culverwell) may now call himself DMC DJ champion.
The second place went to American I-Dee, third to Canadian DJ Vekked.
French 9 o'clock won the team championship. The Supremacy title was earned by Image from the Wood, with Vekked as runner up.

www.dj-mr-switch.com

Icy & Sot

Icy and Sot Coke can Tabriz, Iran

With funny artist names referring to icy and drunk and a challenging piece called Beer Is Not a Crime, Iranese siblings Icy(1985) & Sot(1991) are on their way of becoming as good as their role models Blek Le Rat, Banksy, Dolk, Blu and King Stencil.

The young men, who were very fortunate to have progressive parents, grew up in the city of Tabriz. In 2005, the passionate skaters started stenciling skate logos, skulls and computer game images on their boards. Their first amateur stencils were merely made of cardboard and X-Acto knives. They tackled skate parks and the streets, where their stencil and sticker work would be covered up in a jiffy. The brothers also created a giant Coke can sculpture out of a corroded tank situated near Tabriz.

They soon got in trouble because they were using green paint, which the police linked to green protest groups. The young men were caught several times in their homeland, having been interrogated for days at a time. After fulfilling their military service, they were allowed to leave the country. 

Their critical Thief piece, depicting Iranese president Ahmadinejad and Syrian Assad made it impossible to return to their country where street art is highly dangerous and illegal, could even lead to a Satanism charge.

Their universal works about war, peace, hope, love, hate, despair and human rights have been stenciled in the streets of Iran, Turkey, Paris, Sao Paulo, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco and New York. Dutch street art collectors Klerlx and van Gelderen discovered the stenciling brothers. The boys' creations are represented by their Art Agency. From 2009 on, the duo had gallery shows all over the world, from Teheran, Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, Adelaide to New York.

In 2012, their pieces were shown at Pori Art Museum's Street Art – The New Generation exhibition in Finland. The same year, their Made in Iran show at the Open House Gallery in Manhattan was an incredible success. 

In March 2013, the brothers went on a Four City East Middle West tour, with shows and musical performances by the Yellow Dogs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago. 

After winning the Red Bull Curates: The Canvas Cooler Project, they exhibited work at the Art Basel Miami Beach SCOPE fair(2013). 

They applied their signature stencil of the walking boy, which they have used all around the world. The boy represents all of those innocent Iranian children, who live in crazy surroundings while trying to keep that childlike sense of exploration and innocence. 

Children are often depicted in their creations because their happiness seeking, playful and explorative attitude is easy to relate to. 

Now living in Brooklyn, where spray paint is a lot easier to find, 

Icy & Sot continue their unique social crusade, making plans to go on a European tour.

Icy and Sot Beer is not a crime

icyandsot@gmail.com

http://www.icyandsot.com/

http://www.vimeo.com/icyandsot

http://www.flickr.com/groups/icyandsot

http://www.facebook.com/icyandsot

Make the city playable: The Playable City Movement

Piano staircase Stockholm

The universal Playable City movement creatively reacts to the cold, industrial, urban environment. Running counter to boring, machinelike cities where technology enhances the fear of isolation. A global human counterpoise to the anonymous, monotonous smart city, in which (swiping) screens predominate personal lives.  

The socio cultural movement has traveled to China, Brussels, Sweden, Brazil, Sheffield, Bristol, Italy, Texas, Japan and London, offering a gateway to a city of providence, hospitality and openness. Recently city conferences have been held in Brazil and Bristol. 

Urban planner Claudio Marinho explains that the project arises from the need for an affectionate re-appropriation of public places to get city-centre life back from our bunker-high-rise isolation. He aims to renew cities with landscape (urban memories), texture (human scale) and affection (place appropriation).
Bristol's conference organizer Clare Reddington claims smart cities are over-planned, with people hurrying like lab rats, guided by smart phones and paralyzed by technology. A safe urban playground has become a utopian ideal in the restricted setting of adult managed play. 

The key idea behind the Playable City project is the fact that urban living difficulties may only be addressed by collective action. 
A sense of communal well-being is not an issue to be solved by local authorities(but nevertheless requires their co operation), quite on the contrary: citizens need to be able to take control of their own surroundings. When given this creative ability, citizens can make profound contributions to their living area. The encouragement of public activities brings joy.

Much more than a trivial good laugh, play refers to any kind of pleasant activity which can act as an interlude in the city's functional productivity and stimulate individuals to reflect on what actually makes us human. Play ground cities combine art and play to ameliorate urban living. Self-conscious, artificial interventions are applied to unsettle our self made alienating, concrete cities, which are packed with people and filled with conflict.

There are easy, cheap ways of achieving a more human, friendly community. To add color to a grey, depressing society, many thinkers and artists have been commissioned. From Stockholm's Piano Staircase to Bogotá's traffic mimes, there are no restrictions to make people laugh.
This year Bristol allowed artist Luke Jerram to transform Bristol’s Park Street, one of the main shopping streets, into 95-metre a giant water slide open to the public.  His other low-budget Play Me, I’m Yours project has seen 1300 pianos installed in public spaces in 45 cities around the world. Other humoristic installations included temporary play streets,  a zombie chasing game and a text message conversation with a lamppost.

In Bradford artist Usman Haque designed a permanent installation of fountains and lights that respond to people's movements. Paolo Cirio's Street Ghosts consisted of life-sized printed pictures of people found on Google's Street View. In Britain there are around fifty incredible edible towns and cities, which grow fruit and vegetables for everyone to share. 

This unusual playfulness creates a happy city environment, it connects its citizens to each other and engages them to think about the ways of interrelating community and people.

A tube piano, unexpected light and sound installations, a narrated fairy tale on the way to the office, ...  are all simple but highly effective city interventions to generate an incentive, interesting atmosphere, as if on a delightful exploration in an exotic country.

Playable Cities: the city that plays together, stays together.
Let's all stop taking ourselves too seriously. It's about time we have some fun, play and be filled with wonder!

Giant water slide

The Outlaw Instagrammers' urban performance photography

Copyright Humza Deas

Seventeen-year old skater Humza Deas shares his urban experiences in New York via Instagram. Armed with a camera, the young urban explorer climbs sky-scrapers, advertisement-boards and bridges to discover unusual, spectacular visionary angles. 

The Outlaw Instagrammers group consists of street photographers who dedicate themselves to the playful exploration of the urban air. 
Its members try to outdo each other by getting the most likes on their startling photographs, to achieve the attribution of the letter K when their followers exceed 10.000. Last Suspect and Humza Deas are the group's leading photographers.

Competition is tough. When blabbermouth Deas told a reporter all there is to know about city climbing, he was confronted with hate and frustration from his colleagues. However this infamy led to publications in Complex and New York Magazine. 
Despite the negative exposure, the boy stays focused on aerial challenges and is planning to sell some of his work. 

http://humzadeas.tumblr.com
http://instagram.com/lastsuspect

WK Interact

copyright WK Interact

French WK Interact(1969) is well known for his black and white pieces of the human body in motion.

In the nineties he fell in love with New York while touring the United States. A few years later he decided to leave his beloved Caen. He moved to his beloved apple with a project in mind. This is when his full size images started appearing on New York buildings. A lot of this work was situated in wisely chosen Manhattan and Brooklyn areas.  

Inspired by the city's energetic chaos, WK succeeds in adding a dynamic rush in his mobile characters. The street artist uses a variety of media such as installations, paintings, collages, prints and photocopies.  His photocopied photography is often the starting point for the creation of a piece. 

With shows at Agnès B galleries and the Jonathan Levine gallery(2013, 2010, 2009, 2008) Interact may say his work paid off.

www.wkinteract.com

A view on the concept of emptiness

In Western culture, emptiness has a negative connotation as it is often associated with depression. 

In Eastern society, the Buddhist concept of emptiness is known as śūnyatā,  a key element to liberate the illusive mind from mind labeling and suffering. 

The ideas of emptiness, alienation, boredom, anxiety, suffering and despair were crucial elements in postwar existentialist philosophy and literature. 

Although it has historical roots in Greek and medieval philosophy, the fundaments of existentialism derive from German philosopher Martin Heidegger's Being and Time(1927).  

This philosophical movement is centered on the recognition of individual existence. 

The absurd, indifferent universe has no intrinsic meaning or purpose. Living in a crowded city, performing work without a passion for it, superficial entertainment, ... enhance the empty, unhappy feeling of human beings.

In contrast to "Pour soi ", Sartre described "être en soi" as a self deceiving state of inauthentic existence, in which an individual avoids responsibility and the freedom of choice. 

Existentialists believed all individuals should face emptiness and be responsible for their actions, by choosing and shaping their own destinies. As soon as a person accepts the concept of emptiness, he will accept the responsibility to live an authentic life by exploring his own possibilities. 

In order to understand human existence, authenticity is necessary. Responsibility, autonomy, commitment and integrity are all necessary ingredients for a meaningful self chosen life. Self-defining individuals freely choose which projects they engage in. These projects of self- understanding reveal the meaning of existence and one's identity. 

As Jean Paul Sartre said: "Existence precedes essence".  
The essence is what we make of ourselves, what we choose to be, who we become.

Concrete Canvas Tour

In Ghent a Concrete Canvas Tour is now available, leading tourists towards all the essential street art spots. The free map guides you to interesting paintings or installations. 

You can either opt to walk 7 km to see thirty two pieces or to cycle 14 km and see fifty two creations. The abandoned industrial site Inter-beton and the Roa pieces remain the must-see street art spots in Ghent.

http://www.visitgent.be/nl/brochure-concrete-canvas-tour?context=tourist

Marvel doggy style controversy

Copyright Marvel, Manara

Fans have expressed their discontent concerning the stereotypical image of Spider Woman. 
Marvel presented the cover of the new Spider Woman series, designed by erotic comic writer Milo Manara, on Comic Con in San Diego. Outrageous critics think the cover of the comic heroine in doggy style is a sexist act, in an attempt to attract horny male readers. They claim male heroes would never be depicted in the same bottom up manner.

Bonom, le singe boiteux

Vincent Glowinski(1986) first enlarged his sketches in urban settings such as abandoned houses or factories. He was clearly bitten by the overwhelming sense of freedom and adventure outdoor creation brings on. Tagging freed his nostalgic teenager mind.

When the Parisian artist came to Brussels to study arts, he felt inspired by animals in the museum of science where he had to study their anatomy during school trips. Bonom, a contraction of homme and bonobo, was born.

Bonom's black painted animals and skeletons appeared in Paris and Brussels in 2005. Mysteriously painted on hard to get to rooftop spots, far away from the hectic life downstairs. These dangerous spots allowed more overview and hiding places, although they were very close to sleeping individuals in their flats.

In 2007 the artist was asked to draw dinosaur skeletons on the museum of natural sciences in Brussels. 

Later on he painted human figures, fetuses, a portrait of his father with the body of a snake and the masturbating woman.

After meeting Wim Vandekeybus in 2010, collaborations on murals and dance performances followed.

Glad to be freed from a street artist's restraints Glowinski now only works on commission under his real name.

The release of an art book(CFC Éditions ) accompanies Bonom's first solo exhibition "Bonom, le singe boiteux" in art institute L'Iselp's gallery. The artist's drawings, sketches and an enormous sculpture are illustrated with photos by Ian Dykmans(1974), who started following Bonom in 2007. 

www.bonom.be

'Bonom, le singe boiteux'

24th of January-  22nd of March

L'Iselp, Waterloolaan 31B , 1000 Brussels. 

Monday- Friday: 11- 18.

Free admission.

The altruistic, versatile soul of Angie Stone

Angela Laverne Brown(1961) grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. As a child, she sang gospel at the Baptist church, inspired by her gospel loving father. Stone worked hard to be able to record demos.

At sixteen, Angie B. formed the female hip hop trio The Sequence with Cheryl The Pearl and Blondie. They were signed by Sugar Hill Records. The Sequence scored hits with Funk You Up, Monster Jam and Funky Sound.

During the 90's Angie was a member of the neo soul trio Vertical Hold, who made two albums: A Matter of Time (1993) and Head First (1995).

The talented singer-songwriter dated D'Angelo. Stone was responsible for the backing vocals and a fair amount of the songwriting on his first albums: Brown Sugar (1995) and Voodoo (2000). Unfortunately D'Angelo decided to focus on his super star sex symbol status instead of loving his female muse and altruistic mentor.

In 1996 Stone, Charlie Mole and Gerry DeVeaux formed Devox. The trio recorded one album: Devox Featuring Angie B. Stone. 

Angie's vocals on Vertical Hold's popular track Seems You're Much Too Busy led to Angie's solo career. 
Her debut solo album Black Diamond(1999, Arista) was followed by Mahogany Soul(2001, J Records). Her chart hitting third album Stone Love(2004) came a year before The Best of Angie Stone.  The Art of Love & War(2007)'s single Baby, which featured Betty Wright, was nominated for best R&B Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards. More recent albums include Unexpected(2010, Stax Records) and Rich Girl( 2012, Saguaro Road Records).

Angie Stone is a versatile polymath, utterly bursting with talent and passion. An activist, a poet, keyboardist, writer, basketball player, record and play producer, theatre and film actress and - last but not least- an amazing soul singer.

SpY doesn’t lower your cholesterol

SpY Banana, New York, 2008, copyright SpY

SpY is an anti-conformist street artist from Madrid whose first graffiti attempts took place in the mid 1980′s.

He soon abandoned graffiti to explore the vast variety of other artistic media. He first spread his name by means of posters, then by altering billboard advertisements.

His street art work is based on the observation of urban components which he replicates or transforms to produce innovative urban art installations that comment on urban life. Readapted everyday objects create a dialogue, ironic interventions encourage reflection.

Whether traffic lights, road signs, phone booths, police cars basketball courts or Braille messages, SpY wants his humorous interventions to cause an interpolation in the apathetic urban setting, to surprise people with something unexpected, to awake their ordinary lives and make them smile. 

Talib Kweli Gravitas

With over twenty years of field experience, Talib Kweli released the Attack The Block mix tape, Prisoner of Conscious and Gravitas in the last two years.

The MC used Khrysis, Oh No, Statik Selektah and J Dilla productions. The album includes guest appearances by Raekwon, Black Thought, Rah Digga and Mike Posner among others.

Kweli's sixth solo album doesn't sound innovative, nevertheless it is proficient thanks to the lovely soul samples, spiky rhymes and active beats.

Tracklist:

1. Inner Monologue
2. Demonology – f. Gary Clarke Jr.
3. State of Grace – f. Abby Dobson
4. Violations – f. Raekwon
5. Rare Portraits
6. New Leaders – f. UnderAchievers
7. The Wormhole
8. What’s Real – f. RES
9. Art Imitates Life– f. Black Thought, Rah Digga & ALBe. Back
10. Lover’s Peak 
11. Colors of You f. Mike Posner

The essence of street art

The street art movement arose from the graffiti movement, which was a reaction to the injustice poor youth in NY were confronted with.

Imprisoned in their social situations, artists used graffiti as an artistic 
protest against the authorities. The expression form, mostly applied in subway stations and public buildings, provided urban frustrations 
with a sound board, a highly original way to share personal opinions and inspiring, positive messages about politics and social abuse in a dysfunctional society.

Street art is a revolutionary art form based upon the continual relation with passers-by and the environment. The concept surpasses the narrower meaning of graffiti but it did remain loyal to the playground and the direct interaction with the public.

By means of a self devised , utmost unique language versatile artists communicate activist, critical messages about political and societal themes, materialism, consumerism, violence, immorality or propaganda for a good cause: to influence the collective behavior and stimulate reflection.

The use of catchy, popular images easily attracts passers-by, who connect with the recognizable, to mass culture referring symbols such as comic characters, super heroes or celebrities.

The spray cans made room for an immense variety of expressive forms: from collages, murals, installations, sculptures, video projections, stencils, knitta, photography, poster and sticker art, to virtual kidnappings.

Evolved from a territorial subculture into an innovative, surprising, subversive phenomenon, providing each and every one worldwide with free art, street art performs the essential role art should have in the development of insights and perceptions.

With its diverse references, interactive messages and intrinsic motivation the possibilities remain endless.

Red Bull BC One World Final 2013

The 10 year anniversary of Red Bull BC One was celebrated in Seoul's Jamsil Arena. On the 30th of November the final breaking contenders fought each other in a one-on-one b-boy battle. 

To celebrate ten years of world-class b-Boying, the previous eight winners were present. 

The world finalists first had to prove themselves in the cyphers and regional finals, held throughout 2013. Judged on their skills, choreography, innovation and character, the six qualifiers competed with previous belt winners such as Omar, Lilou, Neguin, and Mounir.

The new world champion is South Korean Hong 10, who had already won the 2006 world final in Sao Paulo. He amazed the crowd with an incredible display of signature moves, epic stare-downs and powerful freezes.