Moroccan influence: new Zara Home catalogue

This season, Zara Home products echo Northern Africa: they travel us through Tangier, Marrakesh, Casablanca and Alexandria to exotic, mystical, colourful places, away from mundane reality.


The colours and textures are so varied, one gets dizzy just looking at the options. It takes guts to try and decorate with all that stuff without having a kitsch and overdone result. Of course these are catalogue photos, styled by experienced editors, decorators and photographers, so please, do not try this at home! Not without an experienced eye to guide you in any case.


Of course, my favourite colour, green, makes an impressive appearance, from modern versions of the ubiquitous bird cage to full-on green-as-theme room decoration:

Green bird cages

Green themed patio - awesome!

Green vases - I just love the colour!

Green dining room. Would look great in a big kitchen too.

Green bathroom too!

Eye-popping glassware is always one of their strong points:


And this veranda is one of the best I have seen in a while:


Wireframe fruit bowl and decorative fruit - simply divine:



Whenever I visit their shop, I cannot avoid searching for hours in the children's area - the stuffed toys are always surprising in their materials and colours, their softness making them most wanted.

Playtime!

I just love that sheep under the bed!

So if you need to turn your place into an Moroccan hideaway this spring and summer, try looking at Zara Home for inspiration. I know I will!

Inspiration: Tilda Swinton

In honour of one of my very favourite actresses: Tilda Swinton. The incredible Scottish (her mother is Australian and Tilda's family is one of the oldest in Scotland) actress with her indomitable style and incomparable talent, inspiring not only for directors (she was Jerek Jarman's muse and inspiration) but also for designers (Viktor & Rolf were inspired for their 2003 collection, Stefano Pilati for YSL & others).


She was awarded the Oscar for supporting actress last night, for her role in the film Michael Clayton. Always a formidable presence on screen and off, she mystifies audiences with her otherworldly physique and unique ability of transformation for each part:she inhabits the part completely.


Her bold choices of roles has resulted in a roster of films that vary from Derek Jarman΄s War Requiem to Disney's Narnia. Never one to shy away from demanding parts, she eerily portrayed Orlando in Sally Potter΄s film, playing an immortal that changes gender throughout the ages.


In a much talked about project, The Maybe, in 1995 she was herself an installation in London's Serpentine Gallery, on public display, asleep, or so it seemed, in a glass box. The following year, the performance/installation was repeated in Rome, at the Museo Baracco.


She lives in Scotland with her painter boyfriend and father of her twins. Her unconventional life has been talked about in Britain, as well as her radical political views.


In a magazine interview, the reporter asked her if her daughter plays with Barbies (as Tilda has talked against capitalism many times). Tilda answered that the little girl has never asked for toys except for one Barbie. Asked how she felt about that, she replied with a laugh:"Defeated".


Tilda studied Social and Political Science at Cambridge University, but changed courses and graduated in 1983 with a degree in English Literature.


Apart from film she has played on stage, notably with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She does not like the theatre though.


She has also appeared in the video clip for The Orbital's song "The Box"


She was declared one of the ten best dressed women in the world by Vanity Fair in 2007.

The Great Walk to Beijing 2008-A million steps in the fight against cancer

From one of my very favourite and close to my heart singers, for a worthy cause:

Olivia Newton-John

What:
Olivia Newton-John leads a team of stars from sports and showbiz, along with everyday survivors of cancer, in a 21-day extreme challenge to trek along the Great Wall of China from 7th April 2008. Their million steps journey symbolizes the cancer patient’s journey – with extreme physical and emotional challenges.


Why:
Each step of the walkers’ trek can be sponsored at a dollar a step, to fight cancer through the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre Appeal.


Who will benefit:
A unique part of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre will be the first Wellness Centre in Australia to be based at a major cancer research and treatment hospital. The centre will provide complementary therapies to support patients on their cancer journey, treating mind and spirit as well as the body. The Wellness Centre is Olivia’s special passion with a focus on the whole person and not just the disease.
Cancer patients worldwide will benefit from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre’s dedicated research facilities and clinical trials, with the development of future cancer vaccines and therapies through the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research - which is head quartered in New York. The centre will be the primary site for clinical trials globally.

Olivia with Adam Shutton, Heath Ledger's friend and inspiration for his role in Brokeback Mountain

When:
The Great Walk to Beijing takes place in April 2008 over 21 days. It will be officially launched in February for you to sponsor your favourite walker at “a dollar a step” on their million steps in the fight against cancer.

Olivia and Australian swimmer and TV host Johanna Griggs

Who’s supporting the event:
The Great Walk to Beijing 2008 is headed by Olivia Newton-John who will lead a team of walkers, which will include high-profile celebrities, Olympians, everyday cancer survivors, business leaders, corporate partners. The event is brought together by the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre Appeal at Austin Health in Melbourne, Australia, www.oliviaappeal.com


Facts about cancer:
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and will continue to rise with an estimated 9 million people dying from cancer in 2015, and 11.4 million dying in 2030,according to the World Health Organisation.*

*The World Health Organisation Global InfoBase Source Metadata

For more information in the event, visit www.greatwalktobeijing.com

For more on the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre Appeal visit www.oliviaappeal.com
For media enquiries email: greatwalkmedia@austin.org.au

Syn_athr(0)isis - an architectural exhibition in Thessaloniki

From this Thursday, 21th of February, until Sunday 24th of February 2008, at the "CORONA" hall of HELEXPO, the architectural exhibition called Synathroisis (gatherings) is taking place.


Organized by TEE/TKM (Technical Chamber of Greece) in cooperation with HELEXPO AE, and taking place concurrently with Infacoma, it will present the work of ten relatively new architectural offices of international stature. Their exhibited projects research architectural systems as gatherings of units.



The exhibition has as its basic nucleus the presentation of contemporary architectural projects, where architects draw their inspiration from the total of communication codes called "algorithms" in computer language. The projects that are shown use scripting code during their digital design process, so that the swarm logic is the syntax logic of an architectural proposition.


On the opening day, 21st of February, at 19.30, architect Evan Douglis, Chairperson of Undergraduate Architecture Dept. of Pratt Institute NY, will give the inaugural speech. On Friday 22nd of February at 19.00, a presentation of his work will take place at the P. Panagiotopoulos amphitheater of the Polytechnic School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The curators of the show are architects Yiota Adilenidou, Sofia Vyzoviti and Christina Spilioti.

The set-up of the exhibition was done by Tetragon Ltd.

Another blogger game! Books this time.

One cannot say not to these. Again dear DustRoad (how can one not love this name?) invited me and five other fellow bloggers to play an utterly useless but funny game:

1. Grab the book closer to you.
2. Open the book at page 123 (if there is no page 123, grab the next book that has that many pages)
3. Find the fifth period (that is from one full stop to another if you have forgotten) of this page.
4. Post the next three periods, that is the 6th, 7th and 8th periods of the page.
5. Ask five more people to do the same.

The book nearest to me at any given time for the last months is this:



It is a collection of essays by exhibition professionals (curators etc) edited by Paula Marincola and published by Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative.

So on to the game:

Of course, the agendas of assimilation versus difference become transparent with hindsight. Yet as Steyn also points out, this strategy was accepted by a people whose very survival depended on acceptance within a host community. She continues, " The Jews of Whitechapel, with all their diverse cultural identities, were invited to become spectators of a culture already complete, presented and represented to them and for them by their trustees."

This particular essay, titled Temple/White Cube/Laboratory was written by Iwona Blazwick and is about the Whitechapel Gallery in London.

So on for the invitations: I call for the esteemed collaboration of my friends: Indiktos, Natassaki, Ritsa, Meniek and Tzotza (who still has not finished her previous assingment!).

Nixon: my favourite haunt in Athens

Everyone has a favourite place to go out at night. If, like me, one travels to other cities regularly for work, they create a sense of home away from home to you, making you feel at ease as soon as you enter, taking away your exhaustion and angst, relaxing you and making your night fantastic.

Nixon is such a place for me. The bar/restaurant/cinema that Grigoris Stefanidis and his partners have opened at Agisilaou 61B at Kerameikos in Athens, is one of the most elegant places to go out on any night. Great owners, great DJs, great personnel and great people make up a very exciting combination. The inspiring surroundings of course play a major part in the recipe.

The décor features walls painted in deep green, combined with old red leather couches brought in from antique shops, as are most of the things in the establishment. The wall lighting fixture is from the Hilton Athens hotel (before its renovation) as well as two big silver frames with President Nixon's photographs hanging on the walls. Other Nixon memorabilia decorate the place, subtly reminding you the origin of the bar's name.


The big Art Deco chandelier is defining the space, hanging in the centre of the dining area. The ceiling is very high, differentiating the bar from most of its contenders, making the visitor feel more comfortable, even when the place is packed with people.


On the walls you can see some photographs that looked like Nan Goldin's to me, but I might be mistaken. The big bar with the glasses hanging from a metal frame above it attracts a big crowd but the same goes for the DJ booth opposite, especially when friend Makis Papasimakopoulos spins his wild music choices.

The wine list is impressive and the menu is small but great, with the Nixon burger the most enticing choice. It is also open from 13.00 on Sundays for brunch, while kids (big and small) can watch cartoons in the Screening Room. What? A Screening Room?


The "secret" of Nixon is it's Screening Room: a cinema room right next to the main room, all red walls, with big green couches, where you can watch unusual films from all over the world. The latest project was the Psarokokkalo film festival, with great success.

A Game: Favourite poem.

Dear friend and fellow blogger Dust Road asked me to post about my favourite poem. Not an easy task as there are so many of them, each for different reasons.


Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favourite English language poets. His work still resonates today as it did back in the 19th century when he wrote it. Let me quote another favourite writer, Mr. Neil Gaiman, about Poe:

The best of Poe doesn't date. "The Cask of Amontillado" is as perfect a tale of vengeance as ever was crafted. "The Tell-tale Heart" is a clear-eyed look through the eyes of madness. "The Masque of the Red Death" seems more relevant with every year that passes. The stories still delight. I suspect they always will.

Poe isn't for everyone. He's too heady a draught for that. He may not be for you. But there are secrets to appreciating Poe, and I shall let you in on one of the most important ones: read him aloud.

Read the poems aloud. Read the stories aloud. Feel the way the words work in your mouth, the way the syllables bounce and roll and drive and repeat, or almost repeat. Poe's poems would be beautiful if you spoke no English (indeed, a poem like "Ulalume" remains opaque even if you do understand English -- it implies a host of meanings, but does not provide any solutions). Lines which, when read on paper, seem overwrought or needlessly repetitive or even mawkish, when spoken aloud reshape and reconfigure.

So here is one of my favourite Poe poems (love this!)

A Dream Within A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe - 1849

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream:
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision or in none,
Is it therefore the less _gone_?
_All_ that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
_One_ from the pitiless wave?
Is _all_ that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

And beautifully interpreted by a favourite band, Propaganda.


Let me invite, in my turn, Elafini, Indiktos, Tzotza, Meniek and Ritsa.

Inspiration: YSL menswear collection fall/winter 2008

Stefano Pilati is one of my favourite fashion designers. This season, as opposed to just changing the content of men’s fashion, he decided to toy with the context of its presentation, eschewing a catwalk show in favour of presenting a short film – which SHOWstudio prepared. Originally shown during the menswear collections in Paris earlier this month, the video is edited to evoke the passage of time – a day in the life of the Yves Saint Laurent Homme – as well as showcasing Pilati’s designs for Autumn/Winter 2008. Click here to view the whole film.



I love the choices he made for the colors, the smart idea behind the three screens, and the choice of music is impeccable. Below some images from the actual clothes - notice the bold use of colour, the shapes, the lines, the wearability of the outfits (there is of course some eccentricity but that is the point after all, we cannot all wear grey suits, so boring!).

Creative Director: Stefano Pilati
Directors: Chris Sweeney and Sarah Chatfield

Character: Simon Woods

Producer: Rhun Francis
Executive Producer: John Hassay
DOP: Gosta Reiland
Production Designer: Morgan Kennedy
Production Manager: Oliver Roskill
First Assistant Director: Jim Cole
Editor: Amanda James at Final Cut London
Editors: Dan Sherwan, Darren Baldwin at Final Cut London
Assistant Editor: Arriana Tomasettig at Final Cut London
Visual Effects Supervisor: Nick Bennett at Moving Picture Company
Film Colourist: Mark Gethin at Moving PIcture Company
Sound Effects: Peter Morris at Street Furniture

Hair: Christiaan
Make-up: Karim Rahman

Production Company: Colonel Blimp
Edit House: Final Cut London
Post Production: Moving Picture Company
Sound Mix Company: Street Furniture

Music: Michel Gaubert
Remake Soundtrack for Internet usage: Mix of "Sound of Silver" by LCD Soundsystem