The current global fair trade movement involves working with local producers in developing countries to help them achieve self-sufficiency, which in turn reduces their vulnerability in the marketplace and lessens their chances of being steamrolled by global corporations when it comes to trade negotiations and deals. On May 9, Queensland will play host to the 2nd annual Fair Trade Fiesta. Organised by the Queensland Fair Trade Collective, the event is part of the Fair Trade Fortnight (May 3 – 18) – two weeks designed to bring local attention to the global issue of alleviating poverty and improving fairness in trade for smaller producers in developing countries. This year’s Fiesta promises a program of Continue reading ‘fair trade fiesta’
Monthly Archive for April, 2008
A 3G iPhone is tipped to be released in 60 days according to a technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal. But any iPod Touch or iPhone is compatable with Poolga’s free wallpaper downloads such as the image featured in this post. If you’re fortunate enough to have an iPhone, perhaps you want to customise it to make it stand out from the crowd. Available on Poolga, iPhone and iPod touch users can select from specially designed wallpapers that have been submitted from a selection of designers and illustrators from across the globe. Several artists have uploaded samples of their work for you to download to your amazing accessory. Poolga works on an invite-only basis, so if you feel your art could fit on their website, you can request an invitation from them and submit some of your work.
Break up the monotony of staying in the usual chain-store-style hotels and motels on your next intercontinental jaunt by checking into (or at least checking out) Berlin’s Arte Luise Kunsthotel. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the building housed artists, who lived, worked and created in the one space. In its original state the 173 year-old building was dilapidated and some parts were becoming uninhabitable. Jump forward 10 years and the heritage site has been completely renovated and, with a nod to its artistic origins, the ground floor has been converted into a gallery space and a different, well-known artist has designed each of the 50 rooms. Continue reading ‘artful accommodation’
lowdown on laos
It was touted as one of 2008’s hot destinations. Rightly so, with water sports and slow boats, trekking, elephant festivals, minority hilltribes, heritage-listed towns, caving, cooking classes and meditation retreats. It’s still arguably south east Asia’s cheapest destination – 70 cents for a bowl of pho, $1 for a large BeerLao and bungalows on the Mekong from $2. Without a doubt, a gem. But is it’s ‘hit-list’ popularity devouring the original allure of Laos? Tourism has spiralled in recent years, with Luang Prabang and Vientiane awash with visitors. If you’re seeking the real deal, demonstrate your respect for the local culture. Spend time outside the cities. Hire a motorbike and roll past coffee plantations on the Bolaven Plateau. Swim at the foot of waterfalls, with birds your only company. Take a sawngthaew with giggling locals to the Khmer ruins at Wat Phu Champasak. Pedal through rural villages where little girls give you high fives in the saddle. Visit candle-lit night markets in the provinces. Better still, find your own way.
separating the olympics from politics
According to Chapter Five of the Olympic Charter ‘No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in the Olympic areas’, stipulating that politics and the Olympics should be kept separate. As protests over China’s human rights abuse in Tibet has allegedly intensified in Kathmandu, protesters have used the Olympic torch flame relay as the protest destination of choice. And it’s beginning to overshadow the upcoming event designed to unify nations. As well as this, there’s an increasing pressure on sponsors to fulfil their corporate social responsibility and speak out or risk lasting damage to their brands. The event was set to mark just how far China has come since economic reform in 1978. And with the attention of the world on the ’sleeping giant’, it seems the most appropriate time to bring attention to issues of human rights concerns in Tibet and China, which are the result of years of political turmoil and religous differences. And as the Olympic torch makes its way to Australia, is this the most appropriate way for protestors to make their voices heard and should sponsors react?
When do you ever get to legally walk in a busway tunnel without the fear of getting run over by a bus? Hardly ever! 10am-2pm on Sunday May 4 is your chance. The brand spanking new Inner Northern Busway (Roma St to Queen St) will be open to the public before it starts bus operations. Most people tend to only see the construction and the end result but there is heaps of people and years of hard work behind these projects which deserves a cheer. Whether you like or loathe the design, there’s is a lot to celebrate in these significant investment in public transport and urban public spaces. It can only be good for our city.
Brisbane’s most treasured and eclectic suburbs inspired seven up-and-coming local artists to explore the city’s life through a wide variety of styles and subject matter. Kiln Gallery at the Paddington Substation presents Metropolis, which takes the viewer down a nostalgic path of romantic rooftops in Paddington, to mysterious side streets in the city’s centre.The Fortitude Valley, Red Hill and Paddington feature heavily and artists have incorporated their unique styles with luscious cityscapes, nightlife and dark sides to capture the ever-changing face of Brisbane. Recent Queensland College of Art graduate, Dan Cox, will be creating new work as the on site artist. He draws on architecture, skylines and aeroplanes as inspiration for his minimalist and stylish jewellery range for men and women. See Brisbane through the eyes of seven of the city’s well-known artists, for a fresh perspective on the place we call home.
Kiln Gallery April 24–May 18 Open from 10:00am – 4:00pm Wednesday – Sunday
Brands, brands, brands – they’re everywhere. From that coffee you drank this morning to the computer you are using right now – there’s a brand to match. Surrounded by an ever-increasing consumer society, where material possessions have become symbols of social status and advertising is more prevalent than ever, branded goods are becoming harder and harder to avoid. Neil Boorman, an English journalist and music promoter, realised that his life had become a slave to the brand name – to the point where he couldn’t define himself outside the boundary of the branded world. Sick of being force-fed brand loyalty through advertising, social interactions and professional affiliations, Neil decided that enough was enough. Continue reading ‘buying into it’
It’s a tough question and one a usually try and avoid, but when people ask what type of music you like, the question is usually followed by a long silence. And with the excess of musical genres to choose from, it’s expected your answer be more descriptive. Trip-hop is a musical genre, which could narrow down the aforementioned question, as well as beg for elaboration. A pioneer of this musical trend is DJ Shadow and having witnessed his performance at The Powerhouse last night, with equally as impressive Cut Chemist, he is not only a pioneer of trip-hop but also for his seamless merging of funk, rock, hip-hop, soul and dance genres from all eras into one distinct sound. Continue reading ‘what music do you like?’
oslo opera house
Watch out Sydney because here comes Oslo! Officially opened in April 12 in the presence of the Norwegian royal family, the New Opera House in Oslo was unveiled to reveal an impressive and high-tech building that rivals Sydney’s famous structure. Designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta, the building’s footprint measures over four football fields and is home to over 600 employees and 1000 rooms. Adjacent to the Revierkaia sea port, the building stands at the head of the Oslo Fjord to represent the significance of opera and performance in the Norwegian cultural landscape. The unique roof landscape has been constructed from 35,000 Italian white marble slabs, Continue reading ‘oslo opera house’
Remember when you would take your camera to a party or a school camp, use a few rolls of film and then drop the films in at K-mart? Surprised by what you would get back, some photos were great, others not so great but nevertheless there was no on-the-spot editing of photos that weren’t flattering and there was a hard-copy that you could show to your friends. And now, with everything digital, you have CDs of photos filed away, which are rarely revisited. Digital is great but the surprise of film and the truly candid moments captured on film are missed. And if you’re feeling a little creative, try making your own camera with Corbis Readymech cameras. Download the pdf from the website and then follow the instructions. It seems a little tricky but after looking at the website, the photos produced are almost of vintage quality and the camera designs are quirky and fun too.
If you wear prescription glasses, chances are you’re harbouring an old pair in a bottom drawer. Deemed too daggy for public outings, or perhaps needing some TLC, but too good to throw away. Enter travel gurus Intrepid to relieve you of your burden. The Intrepid Foundation is collecting unwanted spectacles, prescription lenses, sunglasses and hearing aids to be refitted for Cambodian and Vietnamese people who would otherwise be unable to afford them. Intrepid is working with the Children’s Surgical Centre in Cambodia, All Ears Cambodia and Vision Vietnam to help people in these countries see and hear. So relieve your drawers of clutter and put a valuable resource to good use. Drop unwanted glasses and hearing aids to Intrepid at their Adelaide Street store in Brisbane, or stores in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Auckland. Photo credit: Mark van Luyk
map magazine’s global dreamer from last year’s October issue was Jonathan Harris, an artist and computer scientist who creates online art to capture the world’s expression. Though he is known best for his breathtaking graphic interfaces that help to create a visual representations of the data floating around the internet (including We Feel Fine – a project that scours blogs to collect the planet’s collective emotions), Jonathan’s artistic talents are not simply limited to the virtual world. The Polaroid Project was a live art event created in the space of two hours, using 150 cut-up Polaroid photographs. Three photographers were each given a Polaroid camera, with 150 exposures, a bag of tools and an audience of 300 people dressed as grandmothers. Their task? To take and assemble 150 photographs into a mosaic that told some kind of story. Starting in opposite corners are uncut pictures of a fully clothed man and a fully clothed woman. Both genders twist towards the center along curved paths, discarding clothes, wigs, shoes, and other accessories along the way, as the photos start to shatter, becoming less about objects and more about flesh. Approaching the center, the pictures are increasingly difficult to discern, as body parts blend together and their owners’ identities dissolve. Throughout the piece, the male and female cut marks are symmetric, mirrored copies of each other, extending beyond the boundaries of the photographs into the white border, itself composed of the individual white borders of all 150 Polaroids, so that the whole canvas comes to resemble a single giant Polaroid exposure.
top end magic
Living in a new place is bloody exciting. New town, new territory, new job, new house, new friends, new car; barely a trace of normalcy remains in this stimulating dawn. The first few months form a whimsical honeymoon period; a time of wide-eyed discovery and exploration, when you can relish being a tourist in your new hometown. Every day is a chance to meet new people, visit a new café or walk down an unfamiliar street. There is such excitement in getting blissfully lost on your walk home from work; driving in a new direction to see what you find; and eagerly noting the must-dos for newcomers from friendly locals. Instead of spending weekends in the usual pursuits of reading, writing or reflecting; they become time to get a sense of the lay of the land, or simply find a new vantage point to contemplate your new aesthetically-pleasing surrounds from. Continue reading ‘top end magic’
The Brightest Young Minds Foundation promotes the idea that it is possible to be both successful, powerful and responsible economic agents, as well as significant contributors to community and social change. The BYM Foundation annually brings together the 100 brightest, most dynamic and creative 18-25 year olds in a national summit that connects them with some of Australia’s leading visionaries, and Australia’s leading socially responsible corporations and organisations. To be amongst the 100 young people this year send your applications in before 20 May.
The fusion of art and fashion is not a new concept. From haute couture to artwear, the two genres are consistently interlinked. Now you can experience the intersection of both worlds with the recent launch of IMA@TCB. The Institute of Modern Art has taken up space at Brisbane’s exclusive sartorial shopping strip in Fortitude Valley’s TCB Building. Last Friday’s launch unveiled new work by Melbourne-based photographer Adept at portraiture that looks at societal stratas, Simon’s exhibition is a compilation of 80 faces in black and white. Each subject was chosen by the photographer for having an interesting face and then photographed in a minimalist setting with a plain black shirt or bare shoulders. The result is Continue reading ‘ima@tcb’
The success of contemporary art is attributed to the artist’s vision to experiment with ideas, mediums and themes with fresh and innovative functions of art. It can be interesting, incomprehensible, quirky and even boring. In 2007 the ‘artist’ Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, tied him to a rope in an art gallery, and starved him to death. For several days, visitors watched on showing no emotion toward a shameful ‘masterpiece’, based on the dog’s agony, until he eventually died. Is this art? Or has the artist gone too far? Continue reading ‘is this contemporary art?’
low carbon travel.
In 2007, Ed Gillespie, co-founder of Futerra Sustainability Communications, went on sabbatical for one year. His odyssey? To travel around the world without flying and raise awareness of the benefits of low carbon travel. After 381 days, Ed and girlfriend Fiona, travelled 45,000 miles producing only 1.5tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions; one tenth of what it would have been had they flown. From sharing bunks with pineapples and bananas aboard ocean crossing cargo ships, to sharing train carriages with cognac laden locals aboard trans-Siberian railway lines, Ed and Fi discovered the challenges, and joys, of travelling under 30,000feet. While on leave, Ed wrote a fortnightly article for the Guardian and every entry can still be read, as can his most recent posts after returning to his beloved Britain. Even a spray painted panel van in Brisbane is mentioned in the tale. It seems Slow Food was just the beginning.
If the last German film you saw was ‘Run, Lola, Run’ it might be time to refresh your experience of German cinema. Now is your chance, as The Festival of German Films 2008 will launch in Brisbane on April 23. Many of the films in the festival programme, including the opening and closing night films, have been nominated for a LOLA award – Germany’s equivalent to the Academy Awards. Considering the sold-out success of the recent French Film Festival, it might be an idea to check out the programme Continue reading ‘die feier deutscher filme 2008′
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