Mobstr - The Story (2012)
The first installation of The Story was a simple “Once upon a time…” The artist expected maintenance crews to paint over his graffiti. As soon as the wall was cleaned, Mobstr proceeded with the second installation, which was then also painted over, and so on until the narrative was completed. His intention was to create an indirect “teamwork” between two opposing societal forces exemplified by street artist and street maintenance crew.
In Focus: Protests Spread Across Brazil
Starting late last week, with several small protests denouncing a hike in public transport fares, demonstrations flared up yesterday, encompassing larger public anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption. More than 200,000 took to the streets of Brazil’s biggest cities yesterday, voicing frustration with the billions of dollars set aside for upcoming sports events like the World Cup and the 2014 Olympics, despite crushing levels of poverty in some places, and underfunded public education, health, security and transportation. Though the majority of the protests were peaceful, a few violent demonstrations were broken up by police in Rio de Janeiro.
See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]
Maurizio Cattelan - Amen (2012-13)
“Amen is Cattelan’s first retrospective after a year of silence and retirement from the art world. On view at Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw, Poland, is a selection of the artist’s most recent works in which he explored the deepest areas of human life.
In front of the castle visitors are captured by the hanging child replacing the flag on the pole (Untitled, 2004), questioning society’s sense of responsibility toward the youngest generation.
Inside, the work Mother, a memento from a famous performance at the Vienna Art Biennale in 1999 recalls the search for spiritual values that is common to religion and art while the dying horse and tormented woman compel us to reflect upon the ethical and anthropological dimension of sacrifice, victim and dying.
The exhibition expands beyond the gallery, a part of which can be seen on 14 Próżna St., a former Warsaw Ghetto, in which Cattelan had (controversially) placed the work Him (2001), a statue of Adolf Hitler praying on his knees.
In a Warsaw ravaged by the cataclysmic 20th century, Cattelan’s works take on a particular dimension: they become an artistic commentary on the Catholic credo… What does it really mean to love your enemies? What does forgive for those who trespass against us mean? In evoking the traumas of history, his art represents a difficult challenge to the identity of the Poles: to what extent is our national memory a form of forgetfulness? To what degree does that which we wish to forget determine us and constitute a sui generis form of concealed memory?”
"And I think one of the reasons that’s happened and has repeatedly happened throughout the War on Terror is that the system, the internal system for whistle-blowing, for the watchdog and oversight system is broken. There is no good way for anyone inside the government do go through the chain of command and report about something like this. They all fear retaliation, they fear prosecution.
And so most whistleblowers, the really, the only way they now have is to go to the press or to go to someone, go outside like Snowden did. He chose people in the press to go to. He picked and chose who he wanted. But the problem is people inside the system who try to go through the chain of command get retaliated against, punished…"
And so most whistleblowers, the really, the only way they now have is to go to the press or to go to someone, go outside like Snowden did. He chose people in the press to go to. He picked and chose who he wanted. But the problem is people inside the system who try to go through the chain of command get retaliated against, punished…"
— James Risen (via azspot)
(via azspot)
Living the Tiny Home Life: An Interview With Tammy Strobel
When tiny homes enthusiast Tammy Strobel decided she needed a life makeover, she wasn’t immediately drawn to small home living. But through the journey of simplifying her life to a mortgage-free existence, she discovered the big happiness that tiny house living can provide.
By Katy Tynan
Photo by Tammy Strobel
I love this new trend of actresses calling reporters out on their bullshit.
Can I just, Renner’s face is the second and third frames. He’s so disappointed in the male race at that moment. And so proud of Scarlett.
Scarlett Johansen, you are badass.
(Source: alianovnataliasoldblog)
The Farm Bill that is expected to pass the U.S. House this week explains income inequality in America.
The Republican-sponsored proposal slashes food stamps for poor children and pads farm subsidies for wealthy agri-businessmen.
This comes just a week after Senate Republicans refused to protect the poorest students from doubled college loan interest rates because that required closing tax loopholes that benefit big corporations. It comes just weeks after a new study showed the Walmart heirs, among the richest people in the world, pay their workers so little that taxpayers fork over billions to subsidize Walmart’s payroll through programs like — food stamps.
This all violates America’s cherished ideal of equal opportunity. Americans strive to achieve believing they have the same chance at success as everyone else and, more importantly, that the egalitarian American system will provide their children with a level playing field on which to attain their full potential. Americans believe their government should maintain that level field. But it does not. Not when poor students are denied access to low-interest college loans while Washington charges Wall Street virtually no interest. Not when the House farm bill feeds the rich and starves the poor.
(Source: azspot)
Fairy Rings
A fairy ring is a naturally occurring arc of mushrooms that usually appear in forests, but may also grow in grasslands. While the name of this phenomenon and lore behind it vary by culture, the most widely recognized tale indicates that fairy rings were created by a circle of dancing fairies. Numerous tales caution against entering these rings for fear of being cursed to die at a young age, being lured away into the fairy realm etc.
Modern science now recognizes this phenomenon as the result of fungus (the most common of which is Marasmius oreades). The body, or mycelium, of the fungus grows underground in an outward circle and as it grows it steals nutrients from nearby grass. Mushrooms spring up around the outer edge of the mycelium. As the ring grows the fungus releases a chemical to break down outward organic matter, allowing for a surplus of nutrient the mycelium can use when it reaches it. This accounts for the darker, taller, thicker grass often seen with fairy rings.
Another beginning of the work week, another Moral Monday. Check out our slideshow of the past few weeks of the weekly protests at the North Carolina state house, where thousands have congregated to push back against the General Assembly’s ever right-ward shift.
While you’re at it, read our Q&A with the most awesome Reverend Doctor William Barber, the North Carolina NAACP chair who’s lead the ever-ramping up social movement in the South’s once most moderate state.
