The latest Heineken ad is the funniest I've seen in a while. Isn't this every man's dream? It even makes me buy Heineken from now on. I don't know if their target was only men but for sure they make both genders "happy".
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
dekap
Girls, have you ever imagined a market where instead of fruits&vegetables you have shoes and clothes? Some of us did so Dekap in Barcelona took the matter into hands and came up with an innovative display for their items. Cool hats, bags, shoes and helmets are presented in a special way, being hanged out like washed clothes or put in boxes like they were fruits in the market. Dekap is a very cosy place and I like the retro touch that you can feel in there. The black and white photos, an old style mirror, the walls that were not touched by any restoration method are few of the elements that make it a special place. I guess the images talk for themselves. Enjoy!
I must add/the espadrilles are very fashionable now in Barcelona. Men and women, they all wear them for the summer. So go get a pair! Dekap has one of the most special models.
The roses were hanged from the ceiling for Sant Jordi and outside tens of stickers with messages from the people that pass by make the shop window. Isn't that nice?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
crochet crochet crochet
My grandma used to tell me: My dear, you have to know how to sew but this is not enough. Crocheting is what every lady of the house should know. I didn't learn it in the end because I was the opposite of a patient child but I always admire her when she is crocheting and I love the blouses that she could make. This is why this activity brings back family memories and the good old times.
But last week, in one of the nicest boutiques in Raval, La Col.lectiva, Josep Mestres presented for the first time his crochet collection. What he creates looks very different from what usually crocheting means for most of us. He is creating volumes, working even for 6 months only for the birth of one dress. "I am 95% autodidact and this allows me to be my own chief. When I have in my mind the next thing I want to do, I don't think if it is possible or not, I just throw myself in the process and have fun without compromises. I think this why my creations look like that", says Josep Mestres. (Soy autodidacta el 95% y eso me permite seguir mi proprio patrón, también tediré que cuando pienso en lo que quiero hacer no pienso si es posible o no, simplemente me lanzo y disfruto sin ningún tipo de compromiso, creo que es por eso que me salen así).
The artist, because I think this is more than designing fashion, is - maybe without being aware - part of the slow movement, preserving and supporting traditional ways of life. I love his work! You can buy his dresses in La Col.lectiva, c/LLuna 6, Barcelona, Raval district, Barcelona.
But last week, in one of the nicest boutiques in Raval, La Col.lectiva, Josep Mestres presented for the first time his crochet collection. What he creates looks very different from what usually crocheting means for most of us. He is creating volumes, working even for 6 months only for the birth of one dress. "I am 95% autodidact and this allows me to be my own chief. When I have in my mind the next thing I want to do, I don't think if it is possible or not, I just throw myself in the process and have fun without compromises. I think this why my creations look like that", says Josep Mestres. (Soy autodidacta el 95% y eso me permite seguir mi proprio patrón, también tediré que cuando pienso en lo que quiero hacer no pienso si es posible o no, simplemente me lanzo y disfruto sin ningún tipo de compromiso, creo que es por eso que me salen así).
The artist, because I think this is more than designing fashion, is - maybe without being aware - part of the slow movement, preserving and supporting traditional ways of life. I love his work! You can buy his dresses in La Col.lectiva, c/LLuna 6, Barcelona, Raval district, Barcelona.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Primavera in the metro
The countdown for Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona started already and now there are only 2 days left. It is one of the best music events in South Europe and for sure a "must-go-to". But Primavera Sound took a ride with the Barcelona metro this weekend. Universitat, Passeig de Gràcia and Sagrada Família metro stations became spaces for live performances with the help of TMB and Ajuntament de Barcelona, an institution that doesn't stop to culturally amaze me. I really think they are the perfect example for a public institution that cares, works for and educates the citizens of a region, namely Catalunya. The city is giving back to the people what belongs to them. Isn't that cool?
Live music in the metro is a long term project for TMB as they started in 2001 with creating special corners for musicians to perform in the metro stations. Of course, you think musicians in the metro is not something new at all, but what is new is that here they have special spots created by the city hall!!!
Linking public transport with urban culture and the young is a great initiative and I wonder what happens in other big cities of this world. Usually citizens reclaim the public spaces and organize some forbidden instant events, like Reclaim the Sparkasse in Berlin that happens in a ATM space of a bank or in other places that need to be reclaimed. They have fun until the police comes. Sure, doing something forbidden always makes things more interesting but what happens in Barcelona is still very very cool.
Live music in the metro is a long term project for TMB as they started in 2001 with creating special corners for musicians to perform in the metro stations. Of course, you think musicians in the metro is not something new at all, but what is new is that here they have special spots created by the city hall!!!
Linking public transport with urban culture and the young is a great initiative and I wonder what happens in other big cities of this world. Usually citizens reclaim the public spaces and organize some forbidden instant events, like Reclaim the Sparkasse in Berlin that happens in a ATM space of a bank or in other places that need to be reclaimed. They have fun until the police comes. Sure, doing something forbidden always makes things more interesting but what happens in Barcelona is still very very cool.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Hussein Chalayan's tulle
My first meeting with Hussein Chalayan was in London at the Design Museum. And then, I was born :). This exhibition was the first comprehensive presentation of Hussein Chalayan's work in the UK. He is one of the most visionary designers working in fashion today. His use of material is amazing and it all comes by taking his inspiration from disciplines not readily associated with fashion, crossing between anthropology, history, science, philosophy and technology.
Mango's current shop window in Barcelona reminded me of one of his past collections Before Minus Now S/S 2000 where one of the center pieces was a shapeless bale of tulle that was cut gradually in order to arrive at a more regular dress. This technique was inspired by the way in which mountains are created by centuries of tectonic thrust and erosion. Two of the dresses were representing the collection at the Design Museum this year.
Mango's current shop window in Barcelona reminded me of one of his past collections Before Minus Now S/S 2000 where one of the center pieces was a shapeless bale of tulle that was cut gradually in order to arrive at a more regular dress. This technique was inspired by the way in which mountains are created by centuries of tectonic thrust and erosion. Two of the dresses were representing the collection at the Design Museum this year.
And this is Mango's shop window in Barcelona. The same tulle and the same colors, just that it serves different purposes and embraces different concepts. The tulle balls seem to be bath sponges if I look at the bath curtain in the back of the mannequins but the ladders confuse me a bit. Hmmm...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
let's share the Lego feelin'
Lego reminds most of us of our childhood times, sitting on the carpet in our room, very concentrated in creating something of our own world. As brands already know that selling pleasant emotions is the key to success, Lego is extending his products to a whole new audience. Now they came up with this Lego camera aimed at teeny human friends. In fact, I think we will all buy it, with or without having children. Is it just my love for these bricks or lately they are everywhere?
The brick candles
After seeing the Nintendo approach on mixing sounds, one of my readers told me about Legoloop, a very cool projects that units Lego and music. The idea evolved out of the preoccupation with the term "live" in electronic club culture and the related melting of the two formerly separated roles of the DJ and the producer. The turntable and the computer are linked up to each other and form a new interface which allows a visual approach towards sample based digital sound generation. Lego bricks take over the functions of knobs, sliders, mouse and keyboard. A video camera replaces the needle as pick-up. Structures of sounds can be built, changed and destroyed intuitively. The cameras register the position and colour of the Lego blocks or rather, the sequence or pattern that these make when revolving with the turntable. I say, WOW! Must admit the sound is veeeeeeeery strange.
Please feel free to share your Lego experiences and discoveries with me. Let's get into the Lego mood!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
food design
When it comes to food, and not only, we all have little rituals that we are not even aware of. We have a special cup for drinking coffee, special way of eating an orange, special napkins for dinner with the guests, etc. Admit it, it's true! Food is an important compound of our lives and we all have big expectations when it comes to smelling it, tasting it or just looking at it.
But who would of thought there can be a fairy doing the PR for our food? Such a person is called a food designer. Although you may think this is kind of a Chef, the job requires different skills. Beatriz Lloret, my teacher from the Coolhunting course that I take at IED, is a technical engineer in industrial design, studied a postgraduate in product design, has some notions of chemistry and alimentary industry and works as a food designer with elBulli and Escriba.
Food designing is part of a creative process. It all starts with the constant motivation of making the client happy. When creating an event for a specific brand, food can communicate much more than we think and it has to match a lot of variables. Are the people at the event standing or sitting? Which working domain do they belong to? Are they vegetarian? How can we make food matching the brand's personality? How can we make it innovative, tasty but also easy to eat? This is when the food designer comes in and starts talking about deconstruction, reconstruction, trompe l'oeil, crio-kitchen, trash cooking, cromatherapy and aesthetics. In food, of course!
So, after the shop experience we are now talking about food experience. We are not satisfied anymore with food that only stops our hunger but it has to be good looking and offer us a certain amount of fun. Oh, human kind will never ever get bored, that's for sure! The cakes in the pie chart shape from the picture are designed by Marti Guixe, one of the most playful food designers in the world.
But who would of thought there can be a fairy doing the PR for our food? Such a person is called a food designer. Although you may think this is kind of a Chef, the job requires different skills. Beatriz Lloret, my teacher from the Coolhunting course that I take at IED, is a technical engineer in industrial design, studied a postgraduate in product design, has some notions of chemistry and alimentary industry and works as a food designer with elBulli and Escriba.
Food designing is part of a creative process. It all starts with the constant motivation of making the client happy. When creating an event for a specific brand, food can communicate much more than we think and it has to match a lot of variables. Are the people at the event standing or sitting? Which working domain do they belong to? Are they vegetarian? How can we make food matching the brand's personality? How can we make it innovative, tasty but also easy to eat? This is when the food designer comes in and starts talking about deconstruction, reconstruction, trompe l'oeil, crio-kitchen, trash cooking, cromatherapy and aesthetics. In food, of course!
So, after the shop experience we are now talking about food experience. We are not satisfied anymore with food that only stops our hunger but it has to be good looking and offer us a certain amount of fun. Oh, human kind will never ever get bored, that's for sure! The cakes in the pie chart shape from the picture are designed by Marti Guixe, one of the most playful food designers in the world.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
I wannabe...
Wannabe Society is not about fashion, it is about who you want to be. It is just you and the chosen word. No design. Pure you. Black on white or white on black. Sounds nice, ha?
In fact it goes like this: you go on wannabesociety.com, you select the type of t-shirt, its non-color (black or white) and who you wannabe. Tuff question, isn't it? Well, you have to think hard. If you have no clue, you can choose from the 672 words available in Word Bank. If you still can't find your inner self there, you can suggest your own. Each member can suggest a word, which is added to the bank after approval.
But choosing the word is not that random, guys. When we know what we want, we are already half the way towards reaching it. "Wishing to be something is more than just being it", says Wannabe Society.
The project was established in 2005, 100% Slovenian-Ljubljana, as a result of an experiment in invisible design. Igor Arih, the man with the idea: "I have never believed that people were sheep with no imagination that needed everything to be drawn nicely so that they could imagine the contents." So, this is why at the very beginning you may think the t-shirts are boring, weired and somehow unfinished. That's what makes it a wannabe t-shirt!
But you know, be careful what you wish for, it might come true! "Be aware of the power of the message" is my favorite from all the funny 10 commandments. You thought buying a t-shirt with a message on is that easy?!??!
I like the project very much as it creates consumerism with spiritual meaning. It is aspirational and inspirational. I also believe in the power of the subconscious but it takes a lot of discipline and work to concentrate your wishes in just one word. Interesting enough if you take it seriously as they suggest. What do you wannabe today?
In fact it goes like this: you go on wannabesociety.com, you select the type of t-shirt, its non-color (black or white) and who you wannabe. Tuff question, isn't it? Well, you have to think hard. If you have no clue, you can choose from the 672 words available in Word Bank. If you still can't find your inner self there, you can suggest your own. Each member can suggest a word, which is added to the bank after approval.
But choosing the word is not that random, guys. When we know what we want, we are already half the way towards reaching it. "Wishing to be something is more than just being it", says Wannabe Society.
The project was established in 2005, 100% Slovenian-Ljubljana, as a result of an experiment in invisible design. Igor Arih, the man with the idea: "I have never believed that people were sheep with no imagination that needed everything to be drawn nicely so that they could imagine the contents." So, this is why at the very beginning you may think the t-shirts are boring, weired and somehow unfinished. That's what makes it a wannabe t-shirt!
But you know, be careful what you wish for, it might come true! "Be aware of the power of the message" is my favorite from all the funny 10 commandments. You thought buying a t-shirt with a message on is that easy?!??!
I like the project very much as it creates consumerism with spiritual meaning. It is aspirational and inspirational. I also believe in the power of the subconscious but it takes a lot of discipline and work to concentrate your wishes in just one word. Interesting enough if you take it seriously as they suggest. What do you wannabe today?
Monday, May 11, 2009
celebrating the full moon
where: c/Lluna (Moon St.) in the Raval district/Barcelonawhen: every full moon
featuring: all the shops in the area, hair saloons, Catalans with their children, people from the neighborhood, art fans.
featuring: all the shops in the area, hair saloons, Catalans with their children, people from the neighborhood, art fans.
what's going on? each edition has its own specific activities. This Sunday was about live music, workshops for children, body painting, documentaries and projections, erotic reading, swing concert and God knows what more was this street hiding. The best thing is that people get involved in this celebration and start creating their own gimmick, installation, art or games for the ones that passed by. I love it because it is all about giving and sharing. No one is there for earning money (correct me if I'm wrong) but for the supreme purpose of having fun with the others. So, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. the Moon street was filled with happy people, all having fun underneath the shiny looks of the full moon.
My favorites:
Truly reviving the Nintendo but giving it a different purpose...the DJs were scrathin' on Nintendos!!! Where's Mario?!??!?!
Pepi's hair saloon. Specialized in natural rasta and extensions. (You will see why when you visit Barcelona). They were body painting this night.
Paper people. The project is very interesting as they inspired from Joan Colom' pictures portraying el Raval in the '60s and remade them but this time they switched the real people in the pictures with the paper ones they created.
El color da vida. So sweet!
Brazos y Abrazos/Arms and hugs. Accidentally or not, on the street with the blinking heart (it's there since forever and it never stops 'beating') there was an installation with lots of sweaters, tied by their hands, as if they were hugging. People had to add a sweater and create a big chain of...hugs.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
a collector's heart
When Barca is playing, the world stops in Barcelona. If the team wins, the city becomes wild. Everybody is out in the street, singing, dancing, hugging, jumping. Football really brings people together...it is incredible how human kind is suddenly just full of joy.
Collecting football cards is a passion for many football fans. I found myself walking near Sant Antoni market on a Saturday afternoon and a crowded street corner caught my attention. When I got closer I realized there was a football cards trade fair. I almost forgot that this still exists. There were so many people, children with parents, old collectors, and they were so into it that they didn't pay any attention to me when I almost stuck my camera into their eyes. So, yes, the world stopped again for them.
Do you remember the mechanism? You buy packages with different cards or stickers and the album. You have to complete the album with all the cards and if you do it you are the king. Or you just buy a notebook with blank pages and you stick them in. The main idea is to collect them all. But completing this task takes very long time and on the way there are other fun activities like exchanging the double cards. This is like a social event. People meet, they bargain (of course there are special rules like for example you can get 2 cards for some special/rare one that you have), they exchange them and they go home, anxiously waiting for the next trade fair.
8 seems to be THE age for this activity but there are a lot of nostalgic persons. Some of them are doing this since they were young or others stopped at a certain age and are just remembering the times.You just need to have an emotional connection to do it. In Berlin, 2006 World Championship was the moment for everybody to get back to the old times and start collecting the cards that portrayed this event.
Collecting football cards is a passion for many football fans. I found myself walking near Sant Antoni market on a Saturday afternoon and a crowded street corner caught my attention. When I got closer I realized there was a football cards trade fair. I almost forgot that this still exists. There were so many people, children with parents, old collectors, and they were so into it that they didn't pay any attention to me when I almost stuck my camera into their eyes. So, yes, the world stopped again for them.
Do you remember the mechanism? You buy packages with different cards or stickers and the album. You have to complete the album with all the cards and if you do it you are the king. Or you just buy a notebook with blank pages and you stick them in. The main idea is to collect them all. But completing this task takes very long time and on the way there are other fun activities like exchanging the double cards. This is like a social event. People meet, they bargain (of course there are special rules like for example you can get 2 cards for some special/rare one that you have), they exchange them and they go home, anxiously waiting for the next trade fair.
8 seems to be THE age for this activity but there are a lot of nostalgic persons. Some of them are doing this since they were young or others stopped at a certain age and are just remembering the times.You just need to have an emotional connection to do it. In Berlin, 2006 World Championship was the moment for everybody to get back to the old times and start collecting the cards that portrayed this event.
Friday, May 8, 2009
starting point: film noir
Latvian duo, Mareunrol's, hits the fashion industry with film noir inspired collection. Marite Mastina and Roland Peterkops are part of those very few designers that make more than fashion. They are involved in the music, arts and fashion movements in Riga, making a hell of a good job.I saw their latest collection, entitled Private Detective at 080 Barcelona Fashion and they really stood out from the other brands. Heavily influenced by the film noir genre, gangster and detective stories, the collection was about concealing hidden messages, and also led to the creation of their first ever short fashion film with the same title, directed by Kristine Kursiaa.
I like the extra volumed hair that doesn't give you the chance to see the person's eyes and face. It wraps the whole collection in mystery, making it very unique. The fashion show is not only presenting clothes but is story telling and meaningful, playing with your expectations and feelings. They are trendsetting and cool. Great, just great!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
artvertising
A few centuries ago, art was considered/used as advertising (some of my favs: Alfonso Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec). Now there are a lot of debates on whether advertising can be considered art. All the creatives from the advertising agencies long for the 'artist' status. Is placing fine art in the ads a way of getting it? Of course not, but the number of famous paintings used in prints is increasing lately and I find some of them interesting and funny.
El Corte Ingles launched this year a campaign inspired by Velázquez's 'Las Meninas'. Practically, the painting is being brought into modern times, each and every element from the original painting being edited according to today's life. Velázquez is becoming a photographer, the canvas is an umbrella, even the wardrobe keeps the times' feeling, besides the painter's leather jacket obviously. Nothing is random, not even selecting Velázquez for promoting a very traditional supermarket for Spanish people. El Corte Ingles is their every Sunday store, a family tradition as they go together, almost a ritual. I could go on and on talking about Las Meninas and its mirror and reflection game, about the semiotics of this painting, as it was also a subject for my thesis at University, but I will let you discover its meaning.
Another long term debate in advertising is on the efficiency of the campaigns. I won't go to El Corte Ingles just because I like Velázquez but for sure this print will stick to my mind. What exactly are they counting on when creating such an ad? They say it's useful because art catches your eyes and the ad grabs its quality, increasing memory on the product. It is true that art connects emotionally with people and in a way it is less artificial and has a stronger impact.
Art appropriation is the use of a work of art in an advertisement. It seems that in the process of appropriation, art lends some of its cultural aura to the advertisement, which becomes aesthetically charged. A bit too spiritual, isn't it? A few qualitative studies suggest that not only does appropriation result in the advertisement gaining some aesthetic value, but it also results in the artwork losing some of its original aesthetic value.
Anyway, there is a constant fear among contemporary artists that, if their work will be stripped of the artistic context, very little would remain. Do Dali, Velázquez , Magritte and many others turn in their graves right now?
Advertising, as McLuhan said, may have indeed been the greatest art form of the 20th century. Perhaps art will be known as the greatest form of advertising in the next.
El Corte Ingles launched this year a campaign inspired by Velázquez's 'Las Meninas'. Practically, the painting is being brought into modern times, each and every element from the original painting being edited according to today's life. Velázquez is becoming a photographer, the canvas is an umbrella, even the wardrobe keeps the times' feeling, besides the painter's leather jacket obviously. Nothing is random, not even selecting Velázquez for promoting a very traditional supermarket for Spanish people. El Corte Ingles is their every Sunday store, a family tradition as they go together, almost a ritual. I could go on and on talking about Las Meninas and its mirror and reflection game, about the semiotics of this painting, as it was also a subject for my thesis at University, but I will let you discover its meaning.
Another long term debate in advertising is on the efficiency of the campaigns. I won't go to El Corte Ingles just because I like Velázquez but for sure this print will stick to my mind. What exactly are they counting on when creating such an ad? They say it's useful because art catches your eyes and the ad grabs its quality, increasing memory on the product. It is true that art connects emotionally with people and in a way it is less artificial and has a stronger impact.
Art appropriation is the use of a work of art in an advertisement. It seems that in the process of appropriation, art lends some of its cultural aura to the advertisement, which becomes aesthetically charged. A bit too spiritual, isn't it? A few qualitative studies suggest that not only does appropriation result in the advertisement gaining some aesthetic value, but it also results in the artwork losing some of its original aesthetic value.
Anyway, there is a constant fear among contemporary artists that, if their work will be stripped of the artistic context, very little would remain. Do Dali, Velázquez , Magritte and many others turn in their graves right now?
Advertising, as McLuhan said, may have indeed been the greatest art form of the 20th century. Perhaps art will be known as the greatest form of advertising in the next.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
make them kiss the canvas
Sorry! Nope, it is not a boxing game. It's fashion again!? Yep! Mango Fashion Awards, a contest between young designers from the most prestigious design schools in the world, competing for 300,000 euros and the chance to break the ice in the real fashion world.
I was taking a walk through the city and suddenly my eyes fell on some fashion booths. Very unexpected! The 10 finalists of Mango Fashion Awards displayed their collections on the most luxurious avenue of Barcelona, Paseo de Gracia. People's reaction to the display had a convergent point, namely taking pictures of themselves with the fashion aquariums. Young, old, tourists or Catalans, they all stopped to see what's going on with these clothes out in the street.
Korean-born Jin Youn Lee won the contest and got the largest sum offered to date in a competition of this kind. I admired his collection: all black, with android look&art deco influences (big shoulders, sharp cuts).
I say congrats to the winner, to the creator of the project and to the brilliant mind that had the idea of an exhibition staged on one of the most famous fashion streets in Europe. High design, high innovation!
I was taking a walk through the city and suddenly my eyes fell on some fashion booths. Very unexpected! The 10 finalists of Mango Fashion Awards displayed their collections on the most luxurious avenue of Barcelona, Paseo de Gracia. People's reaction to the display had a convergent point, namely taking pictures of themselves with the fashion aquariums. Young, old, tourists or Catalans, they all stopped to see what's going on with these clothes out in the street.
Korean-born Jin Youn Lee won the contest and got the largest sum offered to date in a competition of this kind. I admired his collection: all black, with android look&art deco influences (big shoulders, sharp cuts).
I say congrats to the winner, to the creator of the project and to the brilliant mind that had the idea of an exhibition staged on one of the most famous fashion streets in Europe. High design, high innovation!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
rolling
London is roller skating! You would think, yeah, OK...but people are roller skating since the 18th century. What is new? As every trend, social actions come and go out of fashion. They always come back when you least expect and with additional details, adornings that make things so wanted again.
Now, roller skating is turning London crazy. It is a frenzy! And they do it the cool way, buying the classical roller skates. Remember them? I am a fan of the vintage influence in our lives now, just that sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself...but, honestly...that's what's going on! Vintage is taking over our lives and now it's into the roller skating. It came as a surprise for me the fact that not only women but also man buy this kind of skates again. I always thought it's more like a girly thing, as I remember mine, white with pink wheels. These days roller skates is among the most popular search words on e-bay and they have more models for men!
The question is how far will this go? Will Manolo start designing roller blades too? Will Louis Vuitton put the monograms on some skates? Till then, see ya rolling in Hyde Park.
Now, roller skating is turning London crazy. It is a frenzy! And they do it the cool way, buying the classical roller skates. Remember them? I am a fan of the vintage influence in our lives now, just that sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself...but, honestly...that's what's going on! Vintage is taking over our lives and now it's into the roller skating. It came as a surprise for me the fact that not only women but also man buy this kind of skates again. I always thought it's more like a girly thing, as I remember mine, white with pink wheels. These days roller skates is among the most popular search words on e-bay and they have more models for men!
The question is how far will this go? Will Manolo start designing roller blades too? Will Louis Vuitton put the monograms on some skates? Till then, see ya rolling in Hyde Park.
Monday, May 4, 2009
the flash mob phenomena
I am crazy about flash mobs. Ever since I heard about the phenomena I wanted to be part of it and then I was constantly trying to convince my clients (when i was doing my PR job for Lowe Public Relations in Bucharest) of the awareness of such an event. I guess Eastern Europe is not yet ready for this kind of crazy happenings but there are some big cities all over Europe that do it and do it good.
For those of you who are not familiar with the concept, a flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse. Usually the people are notified by e-mail or social networks where to be, at what time and what they have to do.
In fact, this kind of event is not new at all. It is in a way a form of performance art and it works like a political demonstration but with totally different goals. The first flash mob dates from 2003 when Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, convinced more than 100 people to go to the 9th floor rug department of Macy's, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by a sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse in New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group. Then followed: 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo that was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip.
Starting as an action made just for fun, it became a PR&advertising tool, a bit overused but still very entertaining. It is pretty clear that T-mobile has an on going flash mob based advertising strategy.
A lot of people today wish to be part of a flash mob. My friend who lives in London is almost crying now for not being in the right time at the right moment, 3 days ago, when T-Mobile hosted a huge karaoke session in Trafalgar Square. The footage from the event will be used in the new T-Mobile TV ad.
Most notable was worldwide pillow fight day in March 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first "international flash mob", which was the world's largest flash mob to date but I can't decide whether my favorite is Frozen in Grand Central or the T-Mobile dance.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Casa da Música
What is that?! Is it a bird? Noooooo! Is it a plane? Noooooo! Is it an UFO? Nooooo! Is it Casa da Música? Yeeeeaah!
The year in which Porto was Cultural Capital of Europe, 2001, gave birth to the first new building in Portugal to be entirely dedicated to music - to the presentation and public enjoyment of music, to music education and to the creation of music. It is so cool that Roisin Murphy - who is for me the Queen of Coolness - held her concert there last year.
Interaction and engagement are very important these days when it comes to successful happenings, as everyone wants to feel part of the process. Everybody wants to be an artist now and wants to make things with his own hands. At Casa da Música you can even create your own music or play various types of games which imply sounds.
I've been there to an impressive show which featured people with disabilities and was bringing together live music, videos and contemporary dance. The purpose of this show was to raise awareness on the social problem that these people have. It was shocking but extremely good.
Looking like a building from the future, Casa da Música is the place to go when visiting Porto, not only for the show experience but also for the architectural one. The pictures speak for themselves. I just want to add that there are no 90 degrees angles here.
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