14 October 2012

This Leak


I found this short film, directed by Juanma Carillo and Felix Fernandez challenging but rewarding – even though I am not sure that even after a few viewings I can adequately describe my emotional response to it. That, however, is not so important – it is your own reaction which is important, after all.

There are occasions when a simple discovery can change a life forever and This Leak follows a financial sector worker, in New York City, through his unplanned discovery of how his actions, and those of  others in positions of authority impact on individuals at the bottom of society’s ladder.  In some ways it is en extended visual metaphor, his reactions interpreted through some stunning cinematography and dance choreography.  I found the gold vomitus a particularly compelling image. This is a captivating and enigmatic piece of film-making.

The music is by Rubeck from their 2011 album The Incident.

9 January 2011

The Art of Assange

Over the last few weaks Julian Assange has been in the headlines a great deal (you don't say). More than a little street art has sprung up around the internet activist - most of it internet based. However, the art which I have found the most compelling are the three portraits created at Paris based Abode of Chaos.

To all intents and purpose the Abode of Chaos looks, from a distance, like a squat - the kind of place you might find in the center of Amsterdam or Berlin, not in a small village on the outskirsts of Paris.  However, the place is owned by Thierry Ehrmann who founded the Server Group - the company that manages an enormous database of art auction quotations.  With over 400 employees the organisation has a revenue of around 70m Euros. It ain't no squat.

Ehrmann works from the Abode of Chaos. The 17th century mansion style house has been converted in to a replica war zone - and as you can imagine the locals are deeply unhappy about it.  However, although Ehrmann has been fined for unauthorised construction work he has not been told to restore the house to its former state.  As a war zone it was perhaps inevitable that Julian Assange would appear there - albeit only in the form of art.


This is the entrance to the Abode of Chaos. You can see perhaps why the other local residents mau not like it in their village - but it does look extremely interesting.

18 December 2010

The Julian Assange Pronunciation Plan

Julian Assange, the Australian publisher, journalist and internet activist has been in the news more than his role as spokesperson for the whistleblower websire Wikileaks. Yet as various debates rage there is one which demands to be fully addressed. How do you pronounce Julian Assange's name? Here is our short guide.

The options

Assang-er - as in anger
No, afraid not. It doesn't quite get it although it is not a bad attempt. A shame in a way because this could have given many newspaper headline writers a really easy time of it. On second thoughts, maybe it's not a shame at all.


Assang - as in sang
No. Sorry. Again this would have been handy for journalists, what with Wikileaks singing like a boird. We have to look for a more European pronunciation of the name to get it right.


Assanj - as in flange
It is amazing just how many gift horses the various different (but incorrect) prononciations of his name would have given the hacks (of the journalistic variety. Again, though, we may be nearing the correct way of saying Julian's name but we are not there just yet.

Assanji - as in Angie
Ah, well. No. This would have been pretty neat though, as it wound make it rhyme with Jumanji, the story of a boy trapped in a game for decades (hold on...). However, much as this has been used by many broadcasters, it is wrong.


Assahnj - as in blancmange

The nail on the head at last. This concoction of cream and sugar mixed with gelatin shows us the way to the correct pronunciation of the name Assange.

OK, now you have it make sure you really irritate all your friends by correcting them every time they say his name in the wrong manner.