Mind The Gap

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The Château la Coste is a renowned vineyard located near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Along with fine wines, the vineyard is also known for its art. The Renzo Piano-designed gallery is currently hosting an installation from everyone’s favorite French street artist JR.

Mind the Gap is a brilliant piece based on constantly shifting optical illusions created by 700 painted model train cars moving in synchronization. Since most of us won’t be visiting the south of France before the end of February, we’ll have to be satisfied with a few peeks.

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Mapping the Past

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

In one of my frequent sojourns down the rabbit-hole of the internet, I stumbled on these wonderful 19th century railway maps. The map above was created by Joseph Beers in 1884 to depict the railroads of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His map cleverly used colors to differentiate between the railway companies.

The diagrammatic map below was published in 1890 in the French rail journal Revue Générale des Chemins de Fer. The unidentified cartographer proportionally positioned major cities connected by rail routes for the famous Wagon Lits lines.

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On My Bookshelf

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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Choose Love

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

As many of you enjoy the festive season and celebrate the story of the birth of the world’s most famous refugee child, please take a moment to consider the plight of millions of displaced children around the world.

Iranian animator and former refugee Majid Adin has directed a short film for the charity Help Refugees, titled The Journey. In 2015, he traveled across Europe to seek asylum in the UK, and studied art before beginning a career in animation.

Adin collaborated with Blinkink on The Journey, an emotional story following a young Syrian boy whose home has been devastated by war. Separated from his family during a bomb attack, he embarks on a long, dangerous journey to be reunited with his parents. The film aims to raise awareness of the ongoing refugee crisis and raise funds for struggling families facing winter conditions across Europe and the Middle East this Christmas. According to Help Refugees, one in every 200 children across the globe is now displaced.

Please consider donating here.

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Dear Santa

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

This wonderful Christmas tale is narrated by none other than Patrick Stewart. Happy Christmas.

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Christmas In Yemen

Posted on December 23, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

For his Christmas In Yemen project, the Berlin-based street artist Igor Dobrowolski combines cheery Christmas photos with images of the horrific humanitarian crisis in Yemen, to remind us that these children are living a real hell. One child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen, and during the conflict, at least 4,600 civilians were killed, more than 8,000 civilians were injured, and more than 1,200 children were killed. By the end of the year, at least 50,000 children will have starved to death.

These moving collages on the walls of Berlin, aim to remind us that while we celebrate the holiday season, thousands of children suffer a great humanitarian crisis in the general indifference. The Christmas in Yemen project seeks to raise public awareness about this conflict surrounded by violations of international law, while food and medicine are blocked, and vital supplies will run out in a few weeks. More information about the project on Igor Dobrowolski‘s Facebook page.

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World’s Smallest Bookshop

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The world’s tiniest bookshop launched this week in Malmö Sweden. The diminutive bookstore, called Frankie & Benjys Böcker, was created by an anonymous street art collective appropriately named AnonyMouse. Their mouse-sized mini-bookshop joins the group’s previous projects, Il Topolino, a miniature restaurant, and Noix de Vie, a tiny gourmet nut shop.

After browsing the bookstore, you can visit the adjoining mini-theater to see an all rodent production of Steinbeck’s play of Mice and Men.

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We Remember

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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Winter Is Coming

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Tomorrow marks the  winter solstice —the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the northern hemisphere, the solstice also marks the official start of winter. Here on the east coast of the U.S., the solstice will be happen at 11 AM.

People around the world have celebrated the winter solstice for thousands of years. In many places they even built elaborate monuments to greet the sun and mark the beginning of winter. One of the most impressive sites is in County Meath, Ireland at Newgrange, where fifty years ago archaeologists discovered the purpose for the enormous stone building. At the moment of the solstice, the sun’s rays shine through a 19 meter-long passageway, pass through a window, and illuminate a chamber where ancient local inhabitants interred their honored dead.

Every winter, thousands of people apply for the annual Winter Solstice Lottery in Ireland for tickets to witness the event in person. Few get the opportunity to attend, but we can all view the celestial event streamed on the Ireland Ancient East website.

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Reading List

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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