AWESOME WALLPAPERS: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween with the Obama's at the White House...

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle O. participated in a Halloween trick-or-treat on the steps of the North Portico of the White House in Washington, October 31, 2010.
[photo via Reuters]

A Note on Artist Residencies

Hi gang,

Well, this must be the year for being geezerly. I'm sick again (me! I'm never sick and this is the third time in a month and a half ) and my left wrist got injured. Take it from me, stress is not good! Rest=Good. Stress=Bad. So I have tried to stay off the computer except for the stuff I really have to do for my book promotion, reader's guide, etc. Anyway, I've been getting some private questions via email about residencies, as well as a comment you can read below my last post regarding whether or not residencies are places where you can take classes.

First--I'll answer that question above: Most residencies are places where people just go to do their work. A retreat is more a place where people take classes. When you go to a place like MacDowell, you get a cabin and food and you do your thing. But I'm sure there are exceptions, which brings me to my next point—Many people ask me very specific questions about residencies---is there north light for painting, will the place accept me if I have never had a show, does the place offer a stipend, etc. You really have to check each place for yourself. I can't do that for you. And you should also know that while I do post about residencies here, they are only a tiny percentage of what's actually out there all over the world. If you are serious about going to a residency somewhere, please check out these three sites that are the motherships of residency programs: www.resartis.org, www.transartists.org, and http://www.artistcommunities.org/.

The last one charges a small fee for membership but is well worth the money. You can actually type in your preferences for seasons, genres, size, place, and on and on so that you can tailor-make your stay somewhere. And if you have more specific questions you can contact the places directly.

Finally, I highly suggest you read my FAQ section (http://miraslist.blogspot.com/search/label/FAQs%3A%20RESIDENCIES). And I highly suggest that if you can make it to the next TransCultural Exchange Conference on Opportunities in the Arts in Boston this coming April (go to the site for details), do it. You will meet people who run residencies all over the world. It's an amazing conference. And guess who will be there? Yes, Mirabee!

Off to sniffle and be a big baby....love to you all,
Mirabee

Kim Kardashian Jewelry Line

Kim Kardashian launched new jewelry line to her list that introduced already perfumes ranges, DASH fashion boutiques, Quick Trim spokeswomen and Sketchers Shape-Ups.

Kim Kardashian was launched of her new jewelry collection “Belle Noel” at Revolve Flagship store in West Hollywood, California. She launch her jewelry with popular jewelry designer Pascal Mouawad.

About Kim Kardashian jewelry line, she accessorized a glam rock ring in gold, dagger pendant in gold, a locket necklace, stud earrings and a bracelet spruced.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

gudbye alor setar, hye klang!

HYE SEGUIDORES!

haha. post ni tertangguh.

tp nk wat gak. heeeee~

21 oct 2010 ::

bertolak dr KL SENTRAL kul 9.15mlm.

haha. sumpah batak. 1st time travel jauh2 naek train. hehe.

smpai alor setar around 7 am.

22 oct 2010 ::

our destination, tesco alor setar.

n petai belalang.

*sumpah tomyam kt situ the best lahh!! heeeee~

THEN :

g umah kelahiran tun dr mahathir.

then, muzium padi. pastu, gunung keriang n taman jubli emas.

hehehehe. =PP

sehari sebelum de g padang besar. tp xbeli pape pon. hahhaaaa~

Hari seterusnye ::

haha. kami lepak2 di burger gemilang.

hahahaha. pastu, karaoke. hehe

*sumpah xbest! haha

tiap mlm lepak tempat lain. contoh kt jitra.

tp xde gmbr la. sooo, xley nk share. hehe

dinner farewell ::

bakar sate. heeeee~~

maen bunga api. hehe.

mlm tu makan2 utk sambut kepulangan kami esoknyeee.

tengsss yaww yg dtg!!

27 oct 2010::

our last day. RINDUUUUU MAMA!

tengs ma sbb terima kedatangan kami! hehehe

ktm delay. jadi kul 8.30. hehehe.

=PP

SAYA SUKE GAMBAR NIEE!

love dis pic damn much!!

gonna miss u, abu!!!

credit to ::: kucing nad! hehe

28 oct 2010 ::

ptg tuhhhh. bersama si dia.

hehehe. leviyu b!
tp kan, xlupe gak tahniah tuk NINI dan CHICHIBO (faqih).
27.10.10, semoga korg kekal. epy2 saluuuuu~

p/s : tengsss alot to mydear, nad. for food, tempat tinggal,
our journey, lepak sini sana. ~~everything la.~~ tengsss sgt3!!
tengs gak kat fizi sbb jd driver n sori asyik kne buli. bhahaha. =P
tengs to ~~zatyyyy,~~ ~~chi chibo,~~ ~~wan,~~ ~~adi,~~ ~~zul,~~ ~~bam,~~ ~~mirul,~~ ~~devon,~~ ~~zack,~~ ~~zul,~~ muke cm zizan n sume2 yg de lepak same2. hehehe. sumpah rase best giler.!
tengsss byk2 kat ~~MAMA.~~ hehe~~ tengs gak kat ~~nana n nini~~ sbb jadi partner utk perjlanan jauh kite kali nii. weeeee~~

Farcical Honda EV Neo Motrocycle

Honda EV Neo Motrocycle

Alevtina Kakhidze - Revolutionary Obedience

"Art must concern itself with the real, but it throws any notion of the real into question. It always turns the real into a facade, a representation, and a construction. But it also raises questions about the motives of that construction." - Mike Kelley

Here is how it went:
Ukrainian artist Alevtina Kakhidze has been working on value and power for a while. In one of her charming projects (The Most Commercial Project), for instance, she drew objects that she liked, most of them she couldn't afford, and gave the drawings the same value that the objects had. So, a drawing of a Louis Vuitton handbag had the same value as the object itself. And when she brought her goods into her marriage, the lawyers confirmed that her estate was worth much more than her entrepreneur husband's.

In one of her projects, back in 2008, Alevtina drew the earth seen from the sky. No, this needs more precision: the earth seen from an airplane which is not her own private airplane.
Once she made the drawing, Alevtina Kakhidze wrote to some of the richest people in Ukraine - Rinat Akhmetov and Viktor Pinchuk (who has his own adventure in the art world now) - and asked them to make a drawing for her of how the earth looks from a private plane. It was a nice portfolio she sent them, very professional and smooth. She tried encouraging them, telling them it wasn't about drawing well. If anyone can draw, so can you!
This (and the obvious silence afterwards) made for a nice work. A clean statement about what we see and the position we see it from.

But two years later, unexpectedly, an answer arrives. Akhmetov decided to make his huge foundation to support artists' projects. And Alevtina's project was thought perfect for a beginning. Unfortunately, Mr. Achmetov is too busy/shy/untalented to make a drawing, but he will be happy to rent a private plane for Ms. Kakhidze, so she can make her project herself.
And make it she did.
The project, called "I'm Late For A Plane That Cannot Be Missed", started with Alevtina going by collective transport from her house in the suburbs to the airport. She hitch-hiked a little, took a suburban mini-bus, a suburban train, and (as expected) arrived late at the small private airport near Kiev. There was already a TV crew traveling with her by then, asking everyone on the way who they were and if they knew Alevtina. At the airport, there were several more crews, and over a dozen news photographers. After all, this was an important day for art and culture in Ukraine: the richest man around decided to support real artists, and started by allowing this innocent-looking girl to realize her dream.

And off she went. Onboard, she took only a few reporters. (There was even a struggle for the seat.)

The anxious journalists were mad when, upon returning, Alevtina declared only one thing: she will tell the whole story and answer all the questions tomorrow during her lecture performance. That made no news story at all! Disappointed and frustrated, they could do nothing but wait.

However, the next day arrived quite quickly. And here they were, the journalists, and tens of artists gathered at the conference in one of the most prestigious places in Ukraine (a part of the Saint Sophia Cathedral complex). Waiting mainly to learn how to get money for their projects. And, also, to hear what Alevtina has to say. And to see the drawings.
Alevtina starts describing how she prepared for the trip, how she got clothes specially designed for the occasion, she talks about the cost of the plane rental (10 000 euros). And then she declares:

I felt so calm on the way to the airport and in the sky but now I have to account for this tranquility. What have we done on the plane? We were there. There is no result. I have nothing to show for what actually happened there.

The journalists were confused. This is surely a scandal? No drawing!
But also - no demolition! No shocking performance! No reaction! Nothing! Alevtina did strictly nothing - she did not change the game, she did not make the plane fly somewhere else, she did not paint it red, she made no drawing. She took the flight.
Did I say she didn't change the game?
Of course she did.
Her non-action was performative. It created a new reality. It brought about a challenge to the system, keeping up the power struggle between the art and the money. Who is the boss here? And why?
Certainly, they want us to do what we want. But if we do what we want our way, we are the ones defining what they want. And for a fraction, it becomes our game. And this fraction, for me, is the work.

In one of her works, Alevtina writes (or quotes, the origin is unsure): “And do you remember, I found 10 roubles, and ran home to show mom. Not the 10 roubles, but how lucky I am.”
It is not the thing we find. It is about how lucky we are.
And how we subvert this luck.

PS. The struggle continues: in the description of the event on the Foundation's site, the actual request for Akhmetov to draw the earth is not mentioned, making it all seem slightly more like making "Dreams come true in art". What dreams, exactly?