A few weeks back, Parc de la Ciutadella in the heart of Barcelona was the site of a temporary star gate. Located in a repurposed DC 9 jet aircraft, the Portal estel-lar was a brilliant sound and light show that took passengers on a trip without ever leaving the ground. The very trippy installation was create by artist Eduardo Cajal, along with a group called PlayMid for a local festival. They hope to reprise the star gate soon. But for now, we will have to be content with the video below.
New York City-based artist and graphic novelist Robert Sikoryak has solved the dilemma that every iTunes user faces: how to slog through the deadly boring legal terms and conditions of use. He has created a comic book-style exploration of the complex, wordy legalese that most of us never bother to read. Mimicking the styles of famous comic book artists, such as Chester Gould, Charles M. Schulz, Alison Bechdel, and R. Crumb, Sikoryak transforms the wording of the legal agreement into manageable little scenarios that occasionally mirror the text. You can follow the graphic adaptation online here and even purchase a book version here.
The excellent TED-ED lesson below was written and narrated by Noah Tavlin. It offers a clear and succinct explanation of what the term “Orwellian” actually means. A helpful reminder to be discerning in our word choice, too.
As you might predict, New York City’s first museum dedicated to food and drink is located in Brooklyn. Launched last week in a converted garage—of course—the Museum of Food and Drink has big plans for its visitors. By 2019, MOFAD expects to move to a larger permanent space, but for now the nascent museum will be presenting changing multimedia exhibitions on food, nutrition and beverages.
The inaugural show at the Williamsburg space is called “Flavor: Making It and Faking It”. Visitors are treated to exhibits such as the “Smell Synthesizer”, which offers the opportunity to experience 19 radically diverse scents. This fragrant exhibit required the installation of smell-hiding technology borrowed from commercial marijuana growing firms.
While wandering the interactive displays that focus on the natural and manufactured flavor industry, MOFAD visitors can sample flavor infused tablets that are dispensed at a bank of gumball machines.
Maybe it’s not worth a schlep to Williamsburg just yet, but if you’re in the area why not check it out.
With all of the hubbub and hullabaloo about the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art planning to open in Chicago, last week’s announcement finalizing the plans for the American Writers Museum got lost in the media fog. The good news is that the nation’s first institution dedicated to American writers will open in downtown Chicago in early 2017.
Located across from Millennium Park on North Michigan Avenue, the purpose-built museum will feature rotating exhibitions on wide ranging literary topics such as: rare books, the Beat Poets, censorship, characters in novels, the immigrant experience, book arts, ethnic literature, and much more.
Books are the plane and the train, and the road. They are destination, and the journey. They are home.
Anna Quindlen, “How Reading Changed My Life”
Set in 1912 Ireland, “Uisce Beatha” (Gaelic for Water of Life) is based on the true tale of a feckless young Irishman who leaves his rural home with hopes of finding his fortune in America. Irish director Shaun O. Connor wrote, cast, shot and edited the award-winning short film in one month and on a budget of less than €300.
Today, the premier issue of the new Lonely Planet magazine hits the newsstands in the United States. You may be saying to yourself: “but I’ve seen copies of the Lonely Planet magazine all over the world for years”—and you would be correct. The travel guide series stalwart already publishes eleven other versions of the magazine in various international markets, but this is the first time that an edition designed for the U.S. market will be published.
From what I’ve seen, the new quarterly will offer Lonely Planet’s idiosyncratic perspective and a mildly adventurous take on travel. The new American publisher promises to include stories on travel technology and gear, tips and advice, culture and history, and great photography.
The Winter 2015/2016 issue has features on Rome, Nashville, and Cuba. Cover price for each issue is $5.99, with discounts for both print and digital subscriptions available.
Between July 1968 and March 1969, Jimi Hendrix shared a third floor flat in London’s Mayfair neighborhood with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham. For years, the apartment has been used as office space and storage for the Handel House Trust, which runs the next door George Frideric Handel museum dedicated to the 18th century composer . Now music fans of all stripes will be able to visit a newly revamped Handel Hendrix museum.
The exhibition space will continue to offer the fans of Messiah composer Handel an in depth examination of his life and work, while opening the Hendrix flat, which has been restored to its 1968 state. There are also displays of Hendrix clothing, guitars and memorabilia, along with a small onsite music and theater venue.
Tickets for the museum go on sale today, but the site won’t open to the general public until February 10, 2016.
If you have ever wandered around London as a tourist, I’m sure that at some point you noticed the ubiquitous blue ceramic plaques around the city noting where famous historical figures lived or worked. The iconic plaques commemorating figures as diverse as Jimi Hendrix and Karl Marx or Keith Moon and Sigmund Freud are administered by the English Heritage organization.
I was surprised to discover that each plaque has been produced by the same family since 1984. The charming little film below, directed by Cat McShane, explores the process behind the creation of the blue plaques. You can find ever single blue disc at the Open Plaques website.
Happy Halloween
