It’s the innate magical ability of music that enraptures an audience. SOULO Voices will take audiences on a globally inspired journey, from Ireland to the corners of Tibet. Four singer-songwriters will perform their solo works: Tenzin Choegyal will unveil traditional Tibetan composition fused with contemporary rhythms and Alan Kelly will perform traditional Celtic tunes. Nadia Sunde from The Swing Set will perform her solo roots music, and Anje West (from The View From Madeleine’s Couch) will release a touch of Brazilian fervour. Experience SOULO Voices at Judith Wright Centre on December 9.
To travel, to really revel in a moment that will forever entwine itself into the depths of your memory, is to give in to your senses so completely that you engage with an experience with your whole heart. The whistle of a warm breeze caressing your ears. The soothing massage of ancient cobblestones under your feet. The sight of an archaic building so beautiful that it makes your heart swell. Close your eyes and re-engage with these senses at anytime and you’ll be transported back across the world to the very place you first experienced them. For some, such sensorial travel memories are a rare treat; fortunately, there are people like author, journalist and photographer Janelle McCulloch to fuel their imaginations.
With wanderlust pulsing through his veins, Loh Lik Peng’s love for travel has always inspired his adventurous spirit. His professional journey took an inadvertent turn in 2002, when he found himself making the foray from corporate lawyer to hotelier. Since opening his first hotel in 2003, Peng has refreshed the concept of boutique lodgings in Asia, driven by his passion for creating experiences that provoke thought. His vision is now responsible for a suite of unforgettable domiciles across the world, including the New Majestic and Wanderlust hotels in Singapore, clandestine The Waterhouse on the docks of Shanghai, and the Town Hall in London – all members of the Design Hotels group.
As a photojournalist, Nigel Brennan was completely transfixed by the vibrant sights and sounds of the developing world. In August 2008, his inquisitiveness resulted in him, and Canadian reporter Amanda Lindhout, being held hostage in Somalia for 15 months, throwing his family into a harrowing ordeal to secure his release. The 39-year-old photojournalist became the longest-held hostage in Australian history outside of wartime. Together with his sister and sister-in-law, Nigel has penned a book recounting his family’s traumatic experience. A brutally honest family love story, The Price of Life explores the very essence of what it means to love unconditionally.
According to Vietnamese legend, the gods sent a family of dragons to defend their country. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels of jade that turned into the islands and islets dotting the north-eastern coast of Vietnam, now called Ha Long Bay. Magically, between these islands and islets, numerous rocky mountains suddenly appeared creating a formidable fortress against invading ships. After the Vietnamese won the battle, the dragons decided to live peacefully in the bay and remain its protector to this day.
A penchant for sunshine, surf and well-brewed beer are just a few of the passions Peta Fielding shared with her husband Brennan when they first met. Together the duo have channelled their love for these elements into a range of craft beer that is helping to change the face of the amber liquid in Australia. Through impish tongue-in-cheek branding and products that each spin their own unique tale, Burleigh Brewing Co. – based, as its name implies, on the Gold Coast – prides itself on creating the genuine article.
Product by Process is a fascinating compilation of processes, material and interesting stories about products. It is an attempt to go beyond the polished products and objects that surround us and take a look at how they are manufactured and recycled. In doing so, the video collection highlights some beautiful craft and design, including everything from jeans, knives, chairs, to handmade wooden sunglasses by Capital.
“You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.” And so begins Bruce Mau Design’s Incomplete Manifesto for Growth. First penned in 1998, the manifesto details 43 suggestions to inspire daily design ventures. Whilst the manifesto is specifically aimed at designers, it could be applied to any aspect of life. Your life philosophy might align with point 29, which encourages you to think with your own mind, and stipulates; ‘Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.’ Or you might be drawn to point 41, which champions the power of laughter. As a designer and a true optimist, Bruce Mau crafts inspiring ideas and fosters dreams.
Image courtesy of Bruce Mau Design.
A handbag is more than a practical purchase to most women. A handbag is the one constant that is worn everyday while the rest of the ensemble changes depending on mood, season and occasion. It’s fair to say that a person’s clutch, purse or tote can often represent their personality. Lily Bloom handbags are adorned with fun, expressive patterns and bold colours. Not only that, the signature fabrics are made from recycled plastic bottles. Exclusively at Strandbags, the Lily Bloom collection comes at a time when sustainable fashion is in vogue and provides a balance between functional fashion and eco-friendly chic.
A photo can capture an intimate glance, a breathtaking view, or a single snapshot of time. Local photographer Mark Lobo’s latest film-photography series, Von Vintage, focuses on keepsakes of the past, captured through the eyes of a dying medium. Harnessing the art of vintage film photography, Mark uses old vintage film cameras in an effort to capture and preserve a bygone era. Capturing the beauty and the intrigue of objects that were once a part of everyday life, but are now gradually making their way to op-shop shelves, Mark focuses on creating images that capture ‘vintage on vintage’. Photographing old-school, vintage and retro items at antique stores around Brisbane, Mark exhibits and sells his Von Vintage prints online. Von Vintage images will be on display at Urban Grind, 121 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, from November 27 to December 10. For more information email mark@vonvintage.com or phone 0415…
Digital Editorial Assistant Required // With a range of new publishing projects planned for 2012, map magazine and map creative are looking for an experienced Digital Editorial Assistant to join our passionate team. Working on various map magazine projects and for a range of map creative’s clients, you will work across our portfolio of custom-publishing projects, both print and digital. We’re looking for someone with a genuine passion for print and digital, social media and a true sense of design thinking. Experience across social media is critical. You will be responsible for listening, understanding and engaging in positive conversations with people and igniting positive word of mouth for map magazine. You will also need to have a strong grasp of spelling and grammar, as well as a creative flair and passion for writing, and be able to edit your own work and write large amounts of varied copy within tight…
If Junior Masterchef is kids playing as chefs, then ‘Next: Childhood’, is chefs playing as kids. Next is an innovative restaurant in Chicago that is reinventing childhood classics like peanut butter and jelly, chicken soup, mac and cheese, Jell-O and hot chocolate. The dining experience features fun elements like 80’s lunchboxes with Knight Rider and Strawberry Shortcake and a “campfire” to end the desserts. Next changes its menu themes every 3 months, and previous themes have included “Paris 1906” and “Tour of Thailand”. The childhood theme seems like it would be the most fun for both diners and chefs. The executive chef, Dave Beran, said, ”we’re trying to find those triggers that have that sense of wonder, sense of discovery, the idea that when you’re small, everything seems big”. If you can’t get to Chicago, Brisbanites can discover something similar at Esquire, where…
Traditionally, the garden shed has been somewhat of a refuge – a place to while away the hours in solitude and lose yourself in the simplicity of handiwork. Helsinki architect Ville Hara and designer Linda Bergroth have created a unique twist on the backyard escape. The Greenhouse and Shed Summer House not only offers owners a storage space for prized petunias, but also a place to unwind and enjoy the world around you. Made from Finnish pine and toughened safety glass, with solar panels and reclaimed bricks, the transparent glasshouse can be easily assembled with a screwdriver wherever you may be – making for the perfect lakeside cabin or backyard spare room. There’s also a discreet storage shed at the back where you can stash your possessions to maintain a minimalist aesthetic in the rest of the space. The only problem…
A photograph– capturing a fleeting moment in life – can break your heart, make you smile, incite anger and incite overwhelming feelings of love. The photographic works of Singapore-born Australian humanitarian photographer Liz Loh-Taylor evoke unambiguous meaning that makes it virtually impossible to remain unmoved in their presence. Leaving behind a successful career in finance for life behind the lens, Liz’s motivation comes from the well-trodden yet largely ignored social issues in developing countries and their communities, such as poverty, economic development and displacement. From Africa to Mexico, Liz has been inspired by numerous stories of dignity amongst poverty. Her work, always displayed in emotive black and white, has been celebrated through various awards and exhibitions. But what is most important to this inspiring artist is to raise awareness and promote understanding and change in regard to the pressing social issues that are ever-present in the world today.
Diana Thater, a controversial artist residing in Los Angeles, has brought her work to Brisbane once again. Her audacious show features video installations that tell a visual tale of Ukrainian nuclear plant Chernobyl, following its 1986 explosion. With deeply moving imagery of a post-apocalyptic landscape and way of life, the exhibition represents the failure of social systems, questions politics and science and reminds us that life should not be taken for granted. Diana’s Chernobyl will be on show at IMA until February 4.
Aside from beautiful landscape and the history that engulfs it, many European nations are united in their appreciation of fine dining and culinary delights. Germans, although perhaps most renowned their love of bratwurst, sauerkraut and, of course, lager, are also popular cheese producers. The cheese pencil, a novelty product courtesy of advertising agency Kolle Rebbe, comes complete with sharpener-style grater and offers Parmesan in three flavours – truffles, pesto and chilli. Much like sharpening a favourite pencil, gourmands can cover their food in cheese with a mere flick of the wrist. Proving that the love of cheese is universal, the limited run of 500 sets sold out in just two weeks. The design itself was awarded a Silver Lion at Cannes, leaving many advertising savants wondering why they didn’t think of such a simple idea first.
While it is generally a time of joy and celebration, Christmas can also be somewhat confounding when you are faced with the task of finding gifts for loved ones. It can be tempting to resort to the old ‘socks and jocks’ solution, but a more creative touch will always be appreciated. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has created an alternative for gift-giving that also highlights the under-exposed issue of animal cruelty and welfare. Via the society’s website, visitors are able to choose an animal they would like to benefit (ranging from bears and pigs, to dogs and elephants), buy a gift that benefits that animal (from bedding and food, to providing proper training to farmers) and finally, create and send a card that gives the gift in the name of a friend or loved one.
How much time do you spend with your mobile phone? Do you keep it beside your bed? Is it the first thing you look at in the morning? As our lives become more dependent on our ever-advancing mobile phones, the technology is infiltrating our lifestyles in ways never thought possible. Biome, a modern-day terrarium by product designer Samuel Wilkinson, uses either a smartphone or iPad technology to control the life of the flowers inside a flora terrarium. Characterised as a design for ‘digital downtime’, Biome was made in response to the speed of life in the digital age. It encourages users to take time out of their schedules to care for their plants. Being able to control water, light, climate and overall nutrients through your technological appendages, there is no reason to forget about your mini-ecosystem.
Image via Inhabitat.
Via Next Level: The idea behind this video was to document whatever sort of culture could be found in Brooklyn within an 8 hour span with literally no pre-production.
