View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Wednesday 16 June 2010
What's Hot, What's Not! - CouchSurfing
Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time
There are
many ways to travel the world, whether it is on foot or by mechanical means,
but at the end of each day we all need a place to rest our heads and stash our
baggage. This calls to mind the well-sung words of a 1983 UK chart topper by
Paul Young, ‘Wherever I lay my hat is my home’.
When
travelling aboard, there are a multitude of options and types of places to stay
on the market and budgets vary accordingly. A hotel, however, whilst a comfortable
option on the one hand, remains an impersonal one, even after you have finished
plundering the mini bar. Also, from your ivory tower you have to make a
concerted effort to get out and get to know the city and its inhabitants and
hope that your guidebook is still up to date.
Enter an
increasingly popular solution in the form of CouchSurfing. No, this is not a
modern twist on the Walt Disney musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).
CouchSurfing is a non-profit organization that was set up in 2004, and boasts
connections in 230 countries and territories around the world. Their aim is to
promote cultural exchange, understanding of others, friendship and education
amongst world citizens.
By becoming a member you become part
of an international community of travelers and can Surf or Host or both.
Hosting is when people around the world offer their ‘couch’, as a place to stay
to someone planning on visiting their country, the length of time being
pre-determined between the two parties. Or you can Surf for ‘couches’, in
countries you would like to visit. The only requirement of becoming a member of
CouchSurfing is that you too will reciprocate your ‘couch’ to a fellow traveler at some stage in your life. On top of this via their website
community, they also organize regional events and activities.
The advantages of such an exchange are
many. By staying with the people local to an area, it is a far more interesting
way to explore a new country. From your host up to date information on places
of interest, things to see and do will be at your fingertips, plus if you get
on particularly well with them you may even be included to join in their social
scene. It’s a way of leaving the realms of total tourist behind and being privy
to a country from your host’s perspective as well. Also, from reading a few of
the testimonials on their website, a far cheaper option than the afore
mentioned hotel. For the host there is the fun of meeting new people and
learning about new cultures from around the world without leaving the comfort
of their home and of course they can also use CouchSurfing too and may even end
up on your couch in the future!
For more information: CouchSurfing
First
published in the Connections magazine #26
Winter 2009
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
William van de Velde - Kunsteboer
On a blustery and rainy Sunday afternoon (kitted out head to toe in rain gear, in anticipation of what the delightful Northern European weather was going to throw at me), I set out on my trusty bicycle to visit William van de Velde, also known as Kunsteboer (Artistic farmer), to learn more about him and his work.
Nestled
in the woods, you enter chez William’s via a little bridge over a stream, the
railings of which have been designed and created by him. Then through a large
gate topped with an impressive iron bird, rust-red and in mid-flight.
The house has three separate
parts to it. In one part Karen (William’s partner) was preparing to give a
Thai’s massage to a client. Then we had a peak into the trailer, transformed by
William into their son’s (Padouk’s) bedroom-playroom. The interior is of wood
complete with one of William’s creative wood burning stoves, in the form of an
elephant. In the garden everywhere you look there is a piece of William’s work;
some pieces are functional whilst others are decorative and amusing. A fusion
of pieces of metal and found objects, the older pieces having added charm due
to being aged by the weather. Then we moved onto the hub of their house and the
kitchen-living room. I was greeted by a very friendly dog and astutely ignored
by two cats, as we sat down over hot drinks and William began to tell me about
his life.
He was born in Paris, but his youth was quite a
nomadic existence, (he lived in a variety of places in southern France), so it
wasn’t until he visited Groningen, in the mid nineteen nineties, that he found
a place he actually wanted to stay. He likes The Netherlands and the sobriety
and directness of the Dutch, in comparison to the passionate often-irrational
explosive nature of his fellow countrymen. According to William, with the Dutch
you know what to expect and where you are with them. He also likes Groningen
because it is bursting with art, exhibitions, festivals, music, and
attractions, far more than his native France. This has definitely played a roll
in him becoming an artist: “I have become what I am because I came to live
here,” he says. Also, as most of his circle of friends are artists too, there
is a constant stimulation to develop oneself.
He had a brush with Minerva (the art academy) for a
period of three months, before deciding it would be better to just go out and
do it, seeing as he was already exhibiting at the time (at Stichting Baksteen),
funnily enough with his entrance piece (a man-lamp) to the art school.
Having the Dutch directness off to a tee, he became
a member of the prestigious Groningen art circle ‘de Ploeg’ by asking to become
one. When they questioned him as to why, he unabashedly said, in order to
promote himself. Liking his audacity and the fact that they didn’t have a
sculptor at the time in their numbers, they accepted him!
An artist of circumstance, as a ship restorer the
start of William’s creativity was when he noticed the sheer amount of metal
left lying about, after the welding process was over. This was considered waste
and so he took the pieces and began to solder them together, often giving his
creations away as birthday presents. One time he made a set of Jujitsu fighting
figures, which were so popular that they went like hot cakes, with orders for
more.
When asked about his artistic process from start to
finish, he says that initially rubbish is abstract, so he aims to make
something recognizable out of it. Often seeing heads and arms amongst the
pieces, he takes them and waits to see what they become in his hands. When it
comes to commissions he is quite happy to work to the specified design of a
client, but of course to be given free licence is his real passion. As to
influences, he says although he is a culture barbarian he is not consciously
influenced by anyone in particular, except himself, and then roars with laughter.
Does he have
plans for the future? Yes, he wants to create on a larger scale, the bigger the
better. With this in mind he would like to be given the chance to embellish
buildings throughout the city. One such idea is to make a palm tree out of the
chimney attached to the Simplon building. He apparently has been given the go
ahead, now all he needs is investors; anyone interested? It will be a feat of
mastery to realize, but once completed it would certainly improve the Groningen
skyline.
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Connections Magazine - Autumn #25, 2009
Cover of Autumn issue 2009 - Art & Culture
First published in
the Connections magazine #25 Autumn
2009
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
What's Hot, What's Not! - Sky Cars - The Only Way is Up
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to
fly,
but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay Ash
Mid-flight to England this summer, trying to take my
mind of the nausea provoking turbulence, I noticed in the in-flight magazine an
interesting addition to the gadget section. Nestled on the page in between this
years ‘must haves’, of a pair of Skull-crusher headphones, a weird USB stick
and an ugly suitcase cover was a cherry red PAL-V (Personal Air & Land
Vehicle).
For one horrible moment, I thought that the makers
of the Reliant Robin (a 3-wheeled car from the 70’s, infamous for
toppling over whilst cornering) was trying to make a 21st century come back.
Upon further inspection, it became apparent that this is far more superior.
Intended to be the world’s first practical ‘flying car’, the PAL-V is a single
seated, three-wheeled vehicle that can fly as a gyro-copter, drive as a regular
car and handles with the diversity of a motorbike. Now how cool is that, in
these days of increasing gridlock and road rage! Its fold-able rotor means that
it can be driven from your doorstep and then flown to your destination of
choice. This could revolutionize personal air travel, as just getting to the
airport and one’s flight is a nightmare these days.
The PAL-V is due to appear in 2012. Conceived by
John Bakker working with Spark design (amongst others), it has taken 6 years to
develop a vehicle concept that can fly as well as drive. The PAL-V has a
possible speed of up to 125 mph on land and 120 mph in the air, as well as
being able to soar to heights of 4,000 feet.
With transport going vertical, our highways may soon
look like something out of the film ‘The Fifth Element’, with Bruce Willis. But
it’s not all plain sailing or should I say flying? In order to be able to
drive/fly one of these you will need a plethora of licences. For starters, an
aircraft certification: “Small Rotorcraft”, road certification: Three wheeled
Motorcycles, Class L5e, car drivers license, 20-40 hours of flying experience
and approximately $ 7000 to pay for it all! That’s all before you have bought
the aircraft, which will only set you back a paltry $75,000.
The PAL-V on the other hand is ‘cheap’, compared to
the middle of the range priced, Terrafugia at $194,000. This one looks rather
like a plane and has been dubbed ‘not a true skycar’, by its critics. Then
there is the top of the range (not on sale just yet) Moller Skycar M400 at
$526,634.35. This can comfortably seat four people and travels up to speeds of
380 mph.
Warner Bros./Getty Images
Of course in
order to fly with the happy abandon of a Jetsons cartoon, (Hanna Barbara), a
foolproof GPS navigation system will also have to be implemented for transport
that is going to be land-air, at a moments notice, otherwise it could be
disastrous. But all said and done, I must admit I like the idea of this mode of
transport and should I decide to invest in one, it’ll land nicely on the roof
of my vertical garden!
Sources: Pal-V
Moller Terrafugia
First published in
the Connections magazine #25 Autumn
2009
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Het Paleis, Groningen
Once upon a time Het Paleis (The Palace) used to be a laboratory for physics, but now this magnificent building found at Bloemsingel 10 (near the centre of Groningen), has been totally renovated and transformed into a cultural venue for artists, designers and cultural entrepreneurs. Also, included in the plans were accommodation, in the form of apartments, most of which I believe went like hot cakes, and the complex also has a coffee shop.
Creatief Stad (Creative City) who are also housed in Het Paleis, organized the opening of Creatief Stad, which was opened by the then Mayor of Groningen, Jacques Wallage on 20 July 2009, accompanied by Cuban music, food and drink.
Included in Creative City is the prototype for a rather unusual but thought provoking hybrid shop, called ‘Zooi Box’ (literally, ‘Mess Box’) with re-cycling, as it’s central theme. So much of what is thrown away these days, can of course be re-cycled and re-used again, not only our daily lives, but also in art projects and workshops. The sky’s the limit! Also, if you have any ‘rubbish’, to get rid of…
The official opening took place 19 September, and was opened by the new Mayor of Groningen, Peter Rehwinkel, who was newly inaugurated on 18 September 2009.
For more information: Het Paleis
First published in
the Connections magazine #25 Summer
2009
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Monday 14 June 2010
Connections Magazine - Summer #24, 2009
First published in
the Connections magazine #24 Summer
2009
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)