I absolutely adore getting conceptual! Reveling in a concept's meanings and connotations makes me feel oh-so-very-artsy-and-wise. Thus, how could I deny us all the pleasure of discussing Beit Ha'Ir's latest exposition:
"Isolated Moments From a Cycle" by BOUDICCA (Brian Kirkby & Zowie Broach)
The exhibition itself is an isolated moment in the designer's cycle of creation: one idea led to another, and in the process, the collection was born; but a moment later, another idea would rise, an alteration to the previous one, perhaps, and the cycle would continue.
The display is an isolated moment is the cycle of Beit Ha'Ir's "Year Of Fashion": Many exhibits were shown there before, and many more would be shown in the future.
The act of going to the exhibition at Beit Ha'ir is an isolated moment is the urban life at Tel Aviv: Situated at the Bialik Square [which is also round, by the way], Beit Ha'ir witnesses numerous passersby. One stops, goes in and looks around and then returns to the routine.
And finally, the designs shown, are isolated moments in a design cycle the the designers utilized for this exhibition: Brian Kirkby and Zowie Broach created digital fundamental sketches, and then continues designing, sketching, and photographing until they've reached the finished products - only the clothes are not actually finished. They can be developed further, using the same process.
The photos I took at the opening event are an isolated moment is the cycle of my camera's memory card's life ... that's enough? Alright, I'll stop.
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
The Brazilian shoe designer, Andreia Chaves, also brought her works to that exhibition. My friend, Karina, took some photos of them for you:
Andreia Chaves at Beit Ha'Ir, photo by Karina
Andreia Chaves at Beit Ha'Ir, photo by Karina
Andreia Chaves at Beit Ha'Ir, photo by Karina
Andreia Chaves at Beit Ha'Ir, photo by Karina
I left the openning event with a lot of "wow" moments to remember, but there are always favorites:
Favorite #1 [the order is arbitrary]: Delicate Details
The dresses were beautifully designed and had such delicate, fregile-looking detiles.
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Favorite #2 [the order remains arbitrary]: Balerina Art
This circle was drawn by a belarina dancing on the paper. It left me breathless! [only for a while though; nothing personal - I just don't have insurance]
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Boudicca at Beir Ha'Ir Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold [from a broadcasted video; I'm not that good of a photographer]
Background:
Last night, on Tuesday June 26th to be exact, the thrilling
interdisciplinary fashion designer Jean-Charlesde Castelbajac lectured at BeitHa'ir ("City House"), TelAviv.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Beit Ha'ir, Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
It
was 20:30 p.m. on a warm, summery Tuesday night. There was peace and quiet on
the Bialic Square
at TelAviv … outside at least. Inside, magic was
happening! Girls with colorful hair, guys with fans, photographers, bloggers,
designers and curators all gathered up in one place. The music was cool; the
dimmed lighting was cool; the walls were cool; Castelbajac was cool; and
according to him, the crowd (that would us) was also cool!
The walls of the Beit Ha'ir museum, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Tel Aviv, photo source: Castelbajac's Facebook Page
Seasoning
it with humor and fun, Castelbajac explained his vision of creativity. He told
us about his childhood, his past, and the sources of his inspiration. Jean-Charlesde
Castelbajac was born in 1950 inCasablanca,
Morocco and a few years
later his family moved to France. There, he was
sent to a boarding school where he stayed until the age of 17. He confessed of
being quite unhappy in boarding school. However, with his spectacular life
perspective, he was empowered by his situation.
{ He
built his imagination on wound, his creativity on failure and his strength on
loneliness. }
During
his years in boarding school he developed his fascination with color. When all
of his classmates kept their chocolaty treasures in identical wooden boxes, he
asked his mother for a blue plastic box. Even though his candies have all gone
bad in the sealed container, the color and individuality gave him hope. He kept
that unique, colorful, and extraordinary child with him throughout the 40 years
of his career.
Since
one should never conclude a day without learning something new, I bring to you the
summery of all the new content that now inhabits my brain:
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Beit Ha'ir, Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold
Don't
be afraid of failure:
At
the age of 17, Castelbajac graduated from boarding school. With no experience,
no diploma, and zero desire of becoming a fashion designer, he started working
for his mother, who owned a fashion business. Yet, instead of reveling in
self-pity Castelbajac became … well, Castelbajac.
{
"There's emotion in things we don't achieve" ~ Jean-Charlesde Castelbajac}
Open
your eyes:
He
finds his inspiration in things that people don't see, in the everyday life, in
accidents. His advice - look around yourself. Inspiration is everywhere.
Have
a clear say:
Each
collection he creates has its own manifesto, a distinct saying. His current
line, for instance, deals with "Dystopia". Castelbajac says that
Dystopia describes our time – the rapid existence in which we abandon
traditions and forget old beliefs.
{ "you
don't just buy a piece of clothing. You buy a philosophy, an idea". }
In
a fashion show, Castelbajac said, the first garment on the runway sets the tone
of the entire show. When his whole collection is complete, he spends hours in
the studio pondering on the selection process.
Laugh
at yourself:
After
his divorce, Castelbajac created a double poncho that had a zipper in the
middle.
Learn
from others:
Castelbajac
says he absolutely can't work alone. He has to be in a studio and around
people. Theirs is always something we can learn from others. Their perspectives
are contributive, not disturbing.
Last
and most important: Stay true to yourself:
Even
though that during the 90's grunge era, Castelbajac's colorful and poppy
designs lacked popularity, he remained loyal to his aesthetic. Surprisingly
enough, since his clothes were sold on sales and in cheap department stores,
they became popular among the rising NY rappers. Now, JZ has a collection of
these then-disapproved sweats and they are sold for thousands of dollars on
e-bay!
{
" What you do can have more than one life. It's about whether you're
sincere or not." ~ Jean-Charlesde Castelbajac}
What
do you think about his work and his life perspective? What is your favorite
piece from the latest collection?
There's nothing quite as
magnificent as getting lost in a big, lively city; wandering aimlessly around
the streets; discovering it as you go. "When I travel and in my life in
general, I’m always looking for those little surreal and magical moments that
make every long journey worthwhile because they are so uniquely awesome."
Oh how I wish these were my words. But unfortunately (for me; awesome for
everyone else), this is a quote from ShimritElisar's DIY TelAviv
guide that gives you the straightforward answer to "Where do the cool kids
go?"
No more staying in the dark; no
more missing out on cool festivals and events; no more being unaware of Tel
Aviv's most adorable café's and trendiest clubs. After reading the guide from
cover to cover, I got more inside info about the city than years of
walking-around-until-my-feet-would-threaten-to-fall-off have ever taught me!
My excitement is justified, believe
me. For instance, did you know that TAR, the Tel Aviv Rollers group hosts a
Tuesday night TelAviv roller ride? Or that Pua café
in Old Jaffa is also a vintage shop? Or that the RakShniya
second-hand store is open daily till midnight? Or that Rogatka bar serves
vegan, cruelty-free brunches every Saturday morning? There's even a list of
cool, up-and-coming TelAviv based bands!
And if you're a tourist looking to
discover the "city of life", the guide is just shameless enough to be
perfect. It tells you everything you need to know for a wonderful vacation -
from insight to the morning-after pill to an explanation to what is Sabiah.
So come, by bus, train or plain,
and travel, discover and live! Directions are not your thing? Fear not! The guide
comes with a map that spots all the locations for you. (Now you can toss your old
GPS, or recycle, in the spirit of TelAviv.)
There is also a blog, which actually initiated the guide, where you can find
daily posts about what's hot right now in the city: http://www.diytelavivguide.com/blog.
Do you prefer the aroma of freshly-printed volumes? Then there is good news for
you! DIY TelAviv guide would be released in
it's first-ever printed version this month!
Getting into design school is hard; graduating from said school is hard; finding a job is hard; succeeding is hard - this is what everyone says. However, the people who've been there and done that have a more positive outlook. Here are my top favorite quotes from the exhibition "Designers +10" currently shown at the Holon Design Museum.
Actually, I am not a Berliner,
and my hereditary relation to Germany is painfully slim. However,
it didn't hinder me from enjoying an exhibition with that name that is
exhibited right now in the HELENA RUBINSTEIN PAVILION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
in TelAviv. "The exhibition seeks to
counter the international tendency to see contemporary Berlin
as clichéd revival of the Weimar-era city, as well as the assumption that the
art produced in Berlin
is inevitably shaped by an underlying political motivation. At present, the
city of Berlin
is being shaped by a whole new series of historical and material realities.
Like the individual practices examined in the context of this exhibition, it
remains a work in progress, while celebrating a plurality of creative voices."
[1]
Favorite Color Palette
Michelle Jezierski, set, 2011, oil on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Contemporary Fine Art, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Color chips created at Chip It!
The colors of the painting create a serene atmosphere. The grey and neutral shades create a calm, slightly cool base and the two dominant pigments - which complete each other across the color wheel - contribute to the overall harmony of the palette. If asked [please, do ask!], I would name this palette "A Snowy Winter Dawn".
Favorite Technique
Gregor Hildebrandt, Hanging Garden (Cure), 2011, Cassette tapes, adhesive tapes and dispersion paint on canvas
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Wentrup, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
This piece was created using cassette tapes, adhesive tape and paint. When you take a closer look, you see that the entire composition is constructed of long, painted white strips.
Favorite Reminder of Another Favorite
Christian Hoischen, Butterfly, 2011, Enamel and fiberglass on plystyrene
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin
Photo source: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
The Artist, 2011, Michel Hazanavicius
Perhaps this is what "The Artist" would look like after one too many bottles of fine German beer?
And, last but definitely not least:
Best Picture [Literally]
Clemens Kraus, Untitled, 2007, Chromosomes, oil on canvas
Photo source: Dominik Mersch Gallery
When I first saw this piece, I stopped and said [probably louder than I should have] "Wow!". It was just that - wow : a big white canvas hanging on a wall with nothing on it but a few heads. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they going and what are they thinking? We, the audience, have no clue - and that's the beauty of the painting. With no faces to reveal emotions, no bodies to define genders and no background to tell a story, this painting is subjected entirely to our personal interpretations.
What did I see? I saw people who's lives are completely occult from the eye of the beholder. "We're not as plain as we seem", they say, "there's much more to us underneath the surface".
And there sure is something there. For the very least, numerous layers of paint. For the painting was created with crude, thick brush strokes of thick oil paint.
In short, if you are looking for a ridiculously pricey gift for me [how could you not be], this is it, in all it's glory.
Have you been to the exhibition? Have you seen the pieces in other galleries? I would love to hear your thoughts!
On January 15 the artist KrzysztofWodiczko
gave a lecture at TelAvivUniversity
about his work. And I, being the architecture geek that I am, obviously
attended [and took notes shamelessly, I admit with a sly smile]
So, first, a quick intro:
KrzysztofWodiczko (born 1943 is Warsaw,
Poland) is a
video mapping artist with a long history of creation behind him. His works are
large-scale and site-specific and deal with social issues such as memory,
trauma, immigration, alienation, and human rights. His projections usually
feature real people and share their stories. He now teaches at the Graduate
School of Design at HarvardUniversity.
One project that I especially liked was a public
projection on the façade of the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland
(2006).
The project reveals the illegal immigrants in Switzerland. As
they share their sometimes horrible experiences, their identities remain secret
and all we can see is a few pairs of legs. This position – sitting on top of
buildings with their legs hanging down, Wodiczko says, is stereotypically
common for the immigrants. I think this design is strong and moving. It gives
people to opportunity to open up and tell the truth as it is, without risking
exposing their identity and involving themselves in any consequences.
I also find the choice of the location of the work
quite genius. The screening on top of the Kunstmuseum –Switzerland's most
prominent art museum, a palace of culture even - presents the sometimes inhumane
experiences with an interesting sense of irony.
Are you familiar with Wodiczko's work? What do you think about this project?
