The exhibition Made Active, curated by Natasha Conland from the Chartwell Collection, is on at the Auckland Art Gallery until July 15. It features more conceptual artworks.
I relished one of my regular visits to the Auckland Art Gallery, still so new that the rooms are a surprise. The top floor, level two, has several wings devoted to the Chartwell Collection on long-term loan.
The Chartwell Collection is an interesting thing in its own right, founded in the early 1970s in Hamilton, and has more than 1000 artworks. The Chartwell wing frequently changes its works, arranged in curated exhibition themes.
Made Active is a perfect tableau for a curator, particularly one who likes writing, to pick through.
It explores ideas about movement, something possibly that seems at odds with art being something that most would think of as static. But ideas involving activity can be found in all manner of things. There are the obvious video works and things with engines that twirl and spin.
There is the very neat addition of some paintings by the late Allen Maddox, New Zealand's best example of an action painter.
His wild gestural crosses are always great works to study.
A large portion of the space is devoted to the artwork Black Market Next to My Name, 2007, by Daniel Malone, which consists of the contents of the artist's flat with a year's accumulation of general dross and litter. Arranged in five themed rooms, it has a special boardwalk, so you can make your way through.
Large partitions are arranged at weird angles, so outside this enclosure there are odd, thin tunnels that you are not sure you are meant to use for passage through. I guess this is about disarming the viewer.
This is played with in many artworks – one where a bucket moves around on a tabletop (are we to wonder what is underneath?); high-heeled shoes on a skateboard (a double sense of balance required here); an open carton of eggs balanced above an aluminium door frame (is the artist daring me to walk through?).
There are a lot of works where, if you hung them upside down or back to front, few of us would have noticed, but you can suddenly get stuck on something you do find profound, such as Equilibre IV, 1992. It's a simple assembly. A boom stands straight up on the gallery floor, on which is balanced a pulled-out coat-hanger with a candle on one end and a bell on the other. It is a quiet, elegant-looking structure (when many of these in the gallery are plain ugly) but more so the concept.
If you lit the candle, it would burn and become lighter, causing the rod to move and trigger the bell to ring. The work "allows us to hear the sound of light". Really, it's combustion, rather than light, but let us not be particular.
2012年7月3日星期二
Evidence of 'God particle' reportedly found
Physicists say they have all but proven that the "God particle" exists. They have a footprint and a shadow, and the only thing left is to see for themselves the elusive subatomic particle believed to give all matter in the universe size and shape.
Scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher plan to announce Wednesday that they have nearly confirmed the primary plank of a theory that could restructure the understanding of why matter has mass, which combines with gravity to give an object weight.
The idea is much like gravity and Isaac Newton's discovery: It was there all the time before Newton explained it. But now scientists know what it is and can put that knowledge to further use.
The focus of the excitement is the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle long sought by physicists.
Researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, say that they have compiled vast amounts of data that show the footprint and shadow of the particle, even though it has never actually been glimpsed.
But two independent teams of physicists are cautious after decades of work and billions of dollars spent. They don't plan to use the word "discovery." They say they will come as close as possible to a "eureka" announcement without overstating their findings.
"I agree that any reasonable outside observer would say, 'It looks like a discovery,'" said British theoretical physicist John Ellis, a professor at King's College London who has worked at CERN since the 1970s. "We've discovered something which is consistent with being a Higgs."
CERN's atom smasher, the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border, has been creating high-energy collisions of protons to investigate dark matter, antimatter and the creation of the universe, which many theorize occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang.
The phrase "God particle," coined by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman, is used by laymen, not physicists, more as an explanation for how the subatomic universe works than how it all started.
Scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher plan to announce Wednesday that they have nearly confirmed the primary plank of a theory that could restructure the understanding of why matter has mass, which combines with gravity to give an object weight.
The idea is much like gravity and Isaac Newton's discovery: It was there all the time before Newton explained it. But now scientists know what it is and can put that knowledge to further use.
The focus of the excitement is the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle long sought by physicists.
Researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, say that they have compiled vast amounts of data that show the footprint and shadow of the particle, even though it has never actually been glimpsed.
But two independent teams of physicists are cautious after decades of work and billions of dollars spent. They don't plan to use the word "discovery." They say they will come as close as possible to a "eureka" announcement without overstating their findings.
"I agree that any reasonable outside observer would say, 'It looks like a discovery,'" said British theoretical physicist John Ellis, a professor at King's College London who has worked at CERN since the 1970s. "We've discovered something which is consistent with being a Higgs."
CERN's atom smasher, the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border, has been creating high-energy collisions of protons to investigate dark matter, antimatter and the creation of the universe, which many theorize occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang.
The phrase "God particle," coined by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman, is used by laymen, not physicists, more as an explanation for how the subatomic universe works than how it all started.
2012年7月2日星期一
Shoes get royal treatment
Dusty Cairo streets require special adjustments to personal grooming, especially for footwear. Enter an age-old, traditional profession: the shoe shiner. Just as other professions evolve, the shoe shining business has changed from the times it involved sitting on the sidewalk, as a polish and brush cleaned up your pedestrian act.
In one of Cairo’s top-of-the-line hotel malls you can now sit on a veritable throne while your shoes receive the royal treatment. Mr. George, the owner, holds a degree in physical education and speaks English well. He started his career as a waiter in a large hotel in Cairo. His manager at the time invented the concept of offering traditional shoe shining to their guests, but in a new and glamorous way.
That was seven years ago and since then Mr. George has become a master in the art of shoe polishing.
The impressive seating Mr. George offers his clients is nicknamed the Chair of Haroon Al-Rasheed – in reference to the extravagant Arabian ruler. The chair towers above the ground, and invites clients to place their feet on shoe-shaped, iron footrests. Mr. George sits on a much simpler chair when he brings the shine back to shoes, reinforcing the royal sensation of having-risen-above his clients get to experience.
And all this for a minimum charge of EGP 20.
Mr. George deals with over 200 clients per week, or 400 shoes. Some of his rich and foreign clients appreciate his services so much, that they happily pay well over the set price for a polish.
Before the January uprising Mr. George charged EGP 10 per shine, but the mall’s management asked him to hike up his rates 100%, citing the worsened economic climate in the country. This advice had no financial motivation however, since the mall does not share in the profits.
They know very well that the unique polish and shine service Mr. George offers to the mall’s clients is priceless.
In one of Cairo’s top-of-the-line hotel malls you can now sit on a veritable throne while your shoes receive the royal treatment. Mr. George, the owner, holds a degree in physical education and speaks English well. He started his career as a waiter in a large hotel in Cairo. His manager at the time invented the concept of offering traditional shoe shining to their guests, but in a new and glamorous way.
That was seven years ago and since then Mr. George has become a master in the art of shoe polishing.
The impressive seating Mr. George offers his clients is nicknamed the Chair of Haroon Al-Rasheed – in reference to the extravagant Arabian ruler. The chair towers above the ground, and invites clients to place their feet on shoe-shaped, iron footrests. Mr. George sits on a much simpler chair when he brings the shine back to shoes, reinforcing the royal sensation of having-risen-above his clients get to experience.
And all this for a minimum charge of EGP 20.
Mr. George deals with over 200 clients per week, or 400 shoes. Some of his rich and foreign clients appreciate his services so much, that they happily pay well over the set price for a polish.
Before the January uprising Mr. George charged EGP 10 per shine, but the mall’s management asked him to hike up his rates 100%, citing the worsened economic climate in the country. This advice had no financial motivation however, since the mall does not share in the profits.
They know very well that the unique polish and shine service Mr. George offers to the mall’s clients is priceless.
2011年6月22日星期三
Wimbledon 2011, Day 3: Six Things We Learned On Day Three
Though there will be fewer and fewer matches each successive day at The Championships, Wimbledon 2011, it's still not hard to learn at least a half-dozen things. Here's what Wednesday's Day 3 action taught us:
1. Old ladies can play. The days of women's tennis youth movement seem to be completely over. Not only has there not been a teenage slam champion since Maria Sharapova won the 2006 US Open, the oldest end of the spectrum keeps playing better and better tennis. The French Open final was contested between twenty-nine year-old Li Na and thirty year-old Francesca Schiavone, and the match of Wimbledon thus far was today's second round battle between thirty-one year old Venus Williams and FORTY year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm.
2. Young Brits will be able to play. British tennis, however, is still banking on youth. Aside from the obvious contributions of Andy Murray, two young British women are looking more and more like forces to be reckoned with in the long term. Heather Watson, the 2009 US Open Girls' Singles champion, put up a valiant fight before losing in three sets to Mathilde Johansson, a match she almost certainly would have won if not for an elbow injury. Laura Robson, the 2008 Girls' Singles champion at Wimbledon, won her first main draw match at a grand slam on Day 3 with a 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Angelique Kerber. She next faces No. 5 Maria Sharapova, which should be a good learning experience for her if nothing else. Robson hit a whopping 53 winners in her win over Kerber, so she should be able to win her share of points against Sharapova as well, one would assume.
3. Milos Raonic will not be the breakout star of Wimbledon 2011, which sucks. No. 31 Milos Raonic, a young Canadian one of my ten players to watch in the men's field, suffered a leg injury early in his second round match against Gilles Muller, and was forced to retire while up a break at 3-2 in the first set. With his powerful serve and hard, flat groundstrokes, Raonic could have very well made a name for himself by beating Rafael Nadal in the third round the two would have contested if Raonic hadn't been hurt. Raonic could have become tennis' answer to Rory McIlroy with a win at Wimbledon 2011, but his star turn is now going to have to wait.
4. Juan Martin del Potro doesn't need shoes (or he has spares). After dropping the first set tiebreak 9-7 to tiny Belgian Olivier Rochus, Juan Martin del Potro took off his enormous shoes and walked to the net, asking for the match to be called due to darkness. When the tournament referee agreed that play should be called, del Potro threw each of his shoes into the stands, throwing one clear over the top of the stadium and hitting an exiting fan in the head with the second.
5. It's best to be lucky and good. Lucky Loser Simone Bolelli lost in the final round of qualifying, but has not dropped a set since, winning both his first round match against qualifier Martin Fischer and his second round match against No. 14 Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets. Bolelli's win made Wawrinka the highest seed thus far to be excused from the Gentlemen's Singles draw. Two other Lucky Losers made it into the second round as well, with Grega Zemlja losing in four sets against No. 9 Gael Monfils, and American Ryan Harrison still awaiting his second round match against No. 7 David Ferrer. On the women's side, Canadian Lucky Loser Stephanie Dubois pushed No. 11 Andrea Petkovic to three sets before falling as darkness descended on SW19.
6. We will have a rematch of a Wimbledon 2010 semifinal in the third round of Wimbledon 2011. No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova both won the necessary two matches to set up a rematch of their thrilling semifinal from last year in the third round of this year's tournament. Pironkova has been the sharper of the two so far in this event, though has faced considerably inferior competition. It should be a good one.
1. Old ladies can play. The days of women's tennis youth movement seem to be completely over. Not only has there not been a teenage slam champion since Maria Sharapova won the 2006 US Open, the oldest end of the spectrum keeps playing better and better tennis. The French Open final was contested between twenty-nine year-old Li Na and thirty year-old Francesca Schiavone, and the match of Wimbledon thus far was today's second round battle between thirty-one year old Venus Williams and FORTY year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm.
2. Young Brits will be able to play. British tennis, however, is still banking on youth. Aside from the obvious contributions of Andy Murray, two young British women are looking more and more like forces to be reckoned with in the long term. Heather Watson, the 2009 US Open Girls' Singles champion, put up a valiant fight before losing in three sets to Mathilde Johansson, a match she almost certainly would have won if not for an elbow injury. Laura Robson, the 2008 Girls' Singles champion at Wimbledon, won her first main draw match at a grand slam on Day 3 with a 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Angelique Kerber. She next faces No. 5 Maria Sharapova, which should be a good learning experience for her if nothing else. Robson hit a whopping 53 winners in her win over Kerber, so she should be able to win her share of points against Sharapova as well, one would assume.
3. Milos Raonic will not be the breakout star of Wimbledon 2011, which sucks. No. 31 Milos Raonic, a young Canadian one of my ten players to watch in the men's field, suffered a leg injury early in his second round match against Gilles Muller, and was forced to retire while up a break at 3-2 in the first set. With his powerful serve and hard, flat groundstrokes, Raonic could have very well made a name for himself by beating Rafael Nadal in the third round the two would have contested if Raonic hadn't been hurt. Raonic could have become tennis' answer to Rory McIlroy with a win at Wimbledon 2011, but his star turn is now going to have to wait.
4. Juan Martin del Potro doesn't need shoes (or he has spares). After dropping the first set tiebreak 9-7 to tiny Belgian Olivier Rochus, Juan Martin del Potro took off his enormous shoes and walked to the net, asking for the match to be called due to darkness. When the tournament referee agreed that play should be called, del Potro threw each of his shoes into the stands, throwing one clear over the top of the stadium and hitting an exiting fan in the head with the second.
5. It's best to be lucky and good. Lucky Loser Simone Bolelli lost in the final round of qualifying, but has not dropped a set since, winning both his first round match against qualifier Martin Fischer and his second round match against No. 14 Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets. Bolelli's win made Wawrinka the highest seed thus far to be excused from the Gentlemen's Singles draw. Two other Lucky Losers made it into the second round as well, with Grega Zemlja losing in four sets against No. 9 Gael Monfils, and American Ryan Harrison still awaiting his second round match against No. 7 David Ferrer. On the women's side, Canadian Lucky Loser Stephanie Dubois pushed No. 11 Andrea Petkovic to three sets before falling as darkness descended on SW19.
6. We will have a rematch of a Wimbledon 2010 semifinal in the third round of Wimbledon 2011. No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova both won the necessary two matches to set up a rematch of their thrilling semifinal from last year in the third round of this year's tournament. Pironkova has been the sharper of the two so far in this event, though has faced considerably inferior competition. It should be a good one.
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