Archive for the 'streetart' Category

Wenn die Liste der Weblogs, die mensch abonniert hat, dermaszen lang wird, dass mensch nicht mehr hinterherkommt sie regelmäszig zu lesen, dann ist das Erwachen grosz, wenn auf einmal über 200 ungelesene Beiträge sich drin verstecken. Im Falle des Wooster Collectives ist das Erwachen darüber hinaus auch sehr inspirierend und beglückend. So zeichnen die letzten Beiträgen ein sehr lebendiges Bild von Straszenverschönerungskunst (lies: streetart), wie sie sich weiterentwickelt und ständig neu erfindet. Oft kommen dabei sehr praktische Videoschnipsel herum, die mensch auch als Handlungsanleitungen, Hinterdiekulissenblicke bzw kleine Ratgeber betrachten kann. Bei der Fülle gilt es dann aber auch, nicht versoimen rauszugehen, das neu Gelernte in die Tat umzusetzen und dann bei Erfolg auch Wooster Collective davon wissen zu lassen.

The Ente has been in Venice for presenting a paper at a conference. While she was there she has taken marvellous photos (the last 9 galleries). I would especially like to point the reader’s attention to the streetart set which i enjoyed quite much.

If you haven’t noticed yet: the penguins are plotting and doing the world revolution. Here in Chile we have seen the greatest social movement in 30 years undertaken by high school students – colloquially referred to penguins due to their school uniforms – demanding an education accessible to everyone. Furthermore the open source community – with the famous penguin Tux as its charismatic leader – proofs that the production of value and knowledge needs to be open and accessible. And ultimately we have penguins showing up on walls all over to underline the greatest revolution of mankind – undertaken by their black-and-white counterparts. Besides stepping into their claw steps we finally need to stop global warming to acknowledge these magnificient deeds.

Photo kindly borrowed from the Ente.

Appropriation is not just limited to software. In a Simpsons episode appropriation for and of architecture is shown: first, the famous architect Frank Gehrig is turning rumpled paper into a concert hall. Second, unrespectful skateboarders “mis-use” its curves (via).

Considering appropriation of built architecture as turning the use of public space upside down, a vast basket of urban activities during the recent years and decades pops up: Parkour, Graffiti/Streetart, Culture Jamming, and Critical Mass – to name a few. A growing number of people seek to challenge the existing mode of living and moving in the city. They don’t do this just because it is fun, but also do this as an act of resistance.

Looking at the motorized and concreted Santiago many types appropriation can be seen. Last Sunday i was biking around in Santiago and encountered quite a big gathering of skateboarders in front of the Moneda. They were asking the president for skateboarding parks where they could show and improve their skills. Upcoming Saturday there will be a big bicyclists manifestation in Santiago with the motto Compartamos la ciudad (let’s share the city). And then their are very practical appropriations of land and buildings, e.g. the Casa OkupArte AKÍ.

Appropriation is everywhere. It is organically questioning from the bottom what is dictated from the above. It shapes democratically what should have been democratically in the first place. Furthermore it has the effect that it either makes the professionials – architects, politicians, designers, programmers, …. – angry or – which is even better – think.

Giancarlo De Carlo once said: “In reality architecture is too important to be left to architects.”

More and more hackers and hackresses leave their computers turned off these days to turn their attention to a completely lo-tech pastime activity. They get their knitting baskets out filled will needle and yarn goodness and do the thing that might as well change the whole world. Some weave streetart, others knit anti-war protests and a few even start magazines devoted to the next big thing. Those webs of yarn neither need electricity nor wi-fi – just commitment to the cause. Today products of knitted fabrics of wool seem to be just as pervasive as air. There is even apparel completely made of yarn. If you ask me this is what i would call grid, everywear, or ubiquitous technology. In the future we will overcome dull necessities like electricity, internet, or computers. We will all knit together a warmer, fuzzier and more interwoven web of wool. Leave all tech lingo behind you and start to use those open APIs available in every thriftstore.

Wooster Collective is the place to visit and subscribe to, if you want to learn about the zeitgeist of street art. The special charme of the site is that they get the community involved to create the appearance of the blog. Reguarly they change the logo banner on top of the page, so that the site itself becomes art. Those ‘mastheads‘ reflect the tools, styles and attitudes of the community. It never gets boring.

By the way, the anti-graffiti forces here are not as fast or rigorous as in Madrid where i had a hard time finding any stencils. Until now i have found many witty stencils and other pieces of street art in Santiago.

Taking Javier’s advice for real, i have discovered new places in Santiago where beautiful butterflies are sitting on walls in the shade showing what they got. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

I have been in Santiago now for two days and i must say that you can see many stray dogs in the streets, a whole lot of stencils on the walls, and all the people i asked for help were very friendly and unterstanding for my small Spanish.

Santiago itself is not necessarily beautiful, yet i have found quite a few nice corners. I would like to live in a shared flat with other chilenos, but right now i am not sure how to do it, since i have several must-haves: internet access, bikability to city center, and as i mentioned some Spanish-speaking roommates. Tomorrow i will meet my ’supervisor’ from the internship i am doing, he will probably help me with that.

Tomorrow the Spanish course will start which will take a month, so i can start speaking Spanish – instead of stuttering it all the time. I have taken a small test yesterday to see which level fits me. I hope i can get into the intermediate course.

For the time being i will publish new pictures to my flickr account to experiment with it and see how it works and stuff. The advantage for you is, a tremendous increase in subscribability, quality, resolution, and interactivity – can you ask for more? I have already started two sets: Santiago de Chile and Streetart in Santiago.

Sehr coole Idee. Nur schade, dass die Baustelle am Uniplatz jetzt fertig ist…

via Wooster Collective: Fence Font by Autobahn

Erst hat es mir der Uwe zugeflüstert und dann wurde auch beim Wooster Collective darüber berichtet. Adidas klebt weiße Werbeflächen mit nem da Vinci-Zitat und ihrem Logo drauf und wie von Geisterhand sammeln sich dann Tags und Graffitis darauf. Dass jene ‘Kunst’ dann noch den Auftraggeber und sein Produkt bewirbt, scheint die street credibility von Adidas nur zu unterstreichen. Komisch nur, dass selbst die Adresse vom Webshop, der die Schuhe verkauft, gesprayed wird. Manche meinen sogar, Auftrags-‘Künstler’ gesehen zu haben…

via Wooster Collective: Man Can Not Live on Street Art Alone