Austrian artist Erwin Wurm first installed his House Attack at the Vienna Museum of Modern Art as a pairing piece to a temporary exhibit inside. It was originally meant to represent Wurm's view of the mass public's disdain for art, and its inaccessibility. The museum left the piece however, and in light of last year's financial meltdown, and millions of foreclosures across the world it seems to take on new meaning in the 'us vs. them' battle that has ensued.
London interior designer David Carter wants to tell you a story, and he wants to do so in his own house. Just last year, Carter turned his beautiful 18th Century townhouse into a boutique hotel with only two rooms to let. (Those are them pictured by the way. Ya I know - stunning.)
40 Winks, as it's called, has since become a hit and due to its size, a hit with a waiting list. Something that's made this little place so popular has been Carter's nights of storytelling, when hotel guests (and anyone else) are invited to gather in one of the living rooms of the house in their pajamas to listen to readers - both known and not - read, relate and recant tales by candlelight. Cocktails are served to take the edge off lying around in your Victoria's Secret silks. Events conclude with a live musical performance.
This weekend, Britain's Royal Opera House will debut a work unlike any other they've exhibited before. The libretto to 'The People's Opera' was written solely by Twitter users - "Tweeters", I suppose. For months, the venerable ROH has been accepting additions and plot twists 140 characters at a time. Once the story began to take shape, the Opera moved forward with composing corresponding music, which will be performed by an orchestra, one baritone and one soprano.
To date, users have determined that the story will involve a talking cat, a secret potion and a man kidnapped by birds. Throw in some colour forecasting and it sounds like a typical day at Haft2.
In London's Trafalgar Square, there are three plinths holding royal statuary. There was a fourth built in 1841 by Sir Charles Barry, and meant to display an equestrian monument of William IV. There were insufficient funds however, and the statue was never completed. To this day, Londonders have grown used to the empty platform, which has never been filled because no agreement could ever be settled on which king, queen or hero to feature there.
In the summer of 1999 there was an art project opened to the public in which ultimately, three winning sculptural installations each had their own time on top of the plinth. This summer, installations of a different kind have been awarded. Between July and October, 2400 Brits will be (or have been) awarded one hour each atop the plinth to speak, shout, sing, demonstrate, dance, protest. The website offers a live webcam performance on whose turn it is right now. (As I write this, "Paula C." from North-West London is quoting the songs of The Smiths and Simply Red.)
The ongoing performance continues as you read this.
http://www.oneandother.co.uk/
http://www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth
Artists Christine Santora and Justin Gignac began their sites online in the hopes of selling paintings for the exact price it would cost them to buy what it is they wanted, and the paintings themselves depicted what they'd buy if the painting were to sell. There was the painting of the 'Miniature Tulip Chair' for $227.58, 'A Slice of Pepperoni' for $3.00 and 'Cooking Lessons' (image of a burning stove) for $220.00. When the painting sold, they'd buy what was depicted. (There's something very 'The Secret' about this. Ask. Visualize. Receive.)
Well now these two have moved into the not-for-profit world, selling paintings of things, not that they want, but rather, that other people need. There's 'A Toilet' selling for $100.00 to benefit Habitat for Humanity, and 'Mr. Potato Head' selling for $250.00 to benefit Toys for Tots. Paintings are updated as new needs (and wants) arise.
