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Apr 30, 2013

Featured Exhibit | Art. 1 - LGBT Albania

Hapja e ekspozitës "Art. 1"
Opening of the exhibition "Art. 1"

13 Maj @18:00h // May 13 @6pm
Muzeu Historik Kombëtar // National Historical Museum
Tirana, AL



Çdo vit, 17 maji festohet si Dita Ndërkombëtare Kundër Homofobisë, në përkujtim të heqjes së homoseksualitetit prej Klasifikimit Ndërkombëtar të Sëmundjeve të Organizatës Botërorë të Shëndetësisë më 17 maj 1990. Në mbarë botën kjo ditë kremtohet me ekspozita, manifestime dhe evente të tjera.

Këtë vit, Aleanca Kundër Diskriminimit të LGBT ka bashkëpunuar me Unstraight Museum (Muzeu Jostrejt) nga Suedia, falë mbështetjes së Institutit Suedez, për të organizuar dy javë aktivitetesh që rrethojnë ekspozitën e titulluar Art. 1 e cila do shfaqet në Muzeun Historik Kombëtar në Tiranë. Duke marrë nenin e parë të Deklaratës Universale të të Drejtave të Njëriut si pikënisje, Art. 1 dëshiron të jetë një hap i vogël në përpjekjen e stërgjatë për të siguruar të drejta të barabarta për të gjithë njerëzimin.


Kliko këtu për programin e plotë.
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Each year, May 17 is celebrated as the International Day Against Homophobia, in commemoration of the removal of homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization on May 17, 1990. All around the world this day is celebrated with exhibitions, manifestations, and other events.

This year, The Aliance Against Discriminion of LGBT has teamed up with The Unstraight Museum from Sweden, thanks to the support of the Swedish Institute, to organize two weeks of events around the exhibition entitled Art. 1, presented in The National Historical Museum in Tirana. Taking the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as its point of departure, Art. 1 wants to be a small step in the long struggle to secure equal rights for all mankind.


Go here for the full program.

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Apr 29, 2013

Prishtina Central Mosque Competition Designs | No Winners Yet

The international architecture competition to design the Central Mosque of Prishtina, Kosovo has ended without a definite winner.

Here are a few of the top designs (via). Any thoughts?

MI’RAJ is one of two parts of the night ascension journey that the Islamic prophet Muhammad took in one night. It has been described as both a physical and spiritual journey. The proposal, MI’RAJ, is about a journey of ascension to prayer and the spatial experience that evolves. As the ascension to prayer begins, a sequence of events unfolds. (for more info + photos go here)

Courtesy of APTUM

TALLER 301 and L+CC
The main idea is to re-interpret the elements that constitute the Mosque, without pushing the limits of the already established principles of Islamic Architecture. Our approach to the question of catching ‘the soul of the time’ in a strongly pre-determined typology is as follows:

  • Mosque, as the center of a ‘modern’ community
  • Tranquility, Continuity and Unity
  • Prayer as an individual and collective activity
  • Circle and Light, as integrative elements of design
(for more info + photos go here)

Courtesy of Taller 301 and L+CC

The words such as direction, plaza, water, function and plan, shape, beauty fullness and sustainability create this architectural text. The way of composing these elements and creating a space due to this architectural concept produces a complicated space and full of findings and changes.
The mission of this text is presenting an image from this procedure. 
(for more info + photos go here)

Courtesy of Tarh O Amayesh

MADEN GROUP
The biggest architecture value is to achieve transmitting elements from predecessor which in this case is the Grand Mosque of Prishtina (Sulltan Mehmet Fatih Mosque). By analyzing the typology of this Mosque we developed the concept by using same elements to design the plan pattern. We wanted to create this transfer bridge between the past and the future. (for more info + photos go here)

Courtesy of Maden Group

There was no 1st prize, but two tied 2nd Prizes & one 3rd Prize awarded by the selected jury:

Tied 2nd Prizes:

21PR22 
Courtesy of 21PR22

1025AC
Courtesy of 1025AC

3rd Prize:
Courtesy of 487DH

** The jury was comprised of Amir Pašić, Naim Tërnava, Sabri Bajgora, Ibrahim Numan, Attilio Petruccioli, Muhamet Morina, and Jusuf Xhibo.

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Apr 28, 2013

Featured Project | Photographing the City as a 2D Game

**Creative Sunday Series 

photo by Christian Åslund

Stockholm-based photographer Christian Åslund has shot a series of photos as a tribute to old school 2D video games with the streets of Hong Kong in the background. The work is part of an ad campaign for shoe brand Jim Rickey. Shot from serious heights with a tele-lens and positioning people flat on streets, sidewalks or roofs of the city, the artist creates new ways of viewing and exploring the spatiality of city elements and its environment. (via)

photo by Christian Åslund
photo by Christian Åslund

For more photos check out his website.

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Apr 27, 2013

Otherness | Misc. Projects of the Week

Otherness this week focuses on sound art installations as playful urban interventions.

PLAY IT ONE MORE TIME FOR ME ' LA VILLE FUMEE'
a sound art installation that works on hand made cigars and refers to the history of Eindhoven city, once the largest cigar-producing city in Europe


LULLABY FACTORY 
by Studio Weave
transforming a building facade into a sound installation that spans 10 stories high and 105 feet look with pipes that twist and turn throughout the piece; the sound can be heard when people put their ear up to certain listening pipes or by tuning into a special radio station
  
FORGOTTEN SONGS 
by Michael Thomas Hill
an installation of 110 empty birdcages suspended in the air that play the songs of fifty birds that once lived in central Sydney before colonization and urbanization of the area; the sounds change from day to night 
Photo credit: Steve Wakeman 

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Apr 26, 2013

Reuse: Not only for the Eco-Friendly | Cut, Copy, Paste: Remixing Culture

Internet (as a tool and enabler) has fundamentally changed our culture - the way we make, distribute and get paid for things.
The biggest explosion of creativity is happening as a result of:
1. Access to Media
2. Instant Publishing
What about copyright ©?
What's the legality of a remix?

March 2013 Portland/CreativeMornings speaker was Andy Baio, writer and coder who loves making things. . The global theme was "Reuse," and Andy spoke about remix culture:
" Cut, copy, paste. The ability to reuse and remix is so deeply baked into our tools, it's rewritten our culture. We learn to make great art by copying, and we participate in our culture by reusing and modifying what we see. But the law hasn't caught up with our changing values, effectively criminalizing the creativity of millions. Cover songs on YouTube, fanfic, mashups, and supercuts all violate copyright, and lawyers are starting to find new tools to discover and enforce infringement. Welcome to the new Prohibition."

**follow creative mornings chapters all around the world here.

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Apr 20, 2013

Open Invitation | Neighborday: A GOOD Holiday


Join in forces with  GOOD community members everywhere (in 34 US states, 12 countries and counting) to celebrate Neighborday, Saturday April 27, 2013.

From potlucks to street clean-ups, people have inspiring plans to be social the old-fashioned way—spending quality face-to-face time with the friends and neighbors in their communities.

With only one week left, GOOD is encouraging everyone to participate. 

All you have to do is sign up and create your own Neighborday with the toolkit provided. 

1. Go here and click the green Do It button.

2. Document the event on twitter and instagram with #neighborday, and also check out this link if you want to film for the Neighborday Documentary.

3. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family that April 27 is Neighborday.

a map where Neighborday is happening via GOOD
// harta e vëndeve të eventit

Bashkohuni me anëtarët e komunitetit GOOD në mbarë botën (34 shtete të SHBA dhe 12 vende të tjera) për të festuar Neighborday, të shtunën 27 prill, 2013.

Piknik, pastrim rrugësh, kopshte urbane, workshop, mbledhje (për të diskutuar ide apo çështje të përbashkëta) në kafe apo bare, etj...  njerëzit kanë planifikuar evente nga më frymëzueset për të shpenzuar kohë cilësore me njëri-tjetrin, me miqtë dhe fqinjët në komunitetet e tyre.

Ka mbetur vetëm një javë, prandaj mos nguroni t
ë marrni pjesë.

Regjistrohuni dhe organizoni eventin tuaj për Neighborday me ndihmën e GOOD.

1. Shkoni këtu dhe klikoni butonin jeshil Do It.

2. Dokumentoni eventin në Twitter dhe Instagram duke përdorur #neighborday, dhe klikoni këtu nëse doni ta filmoni për të qënë pjesë e dokumentarit Neighborday.

3. Ftoni sa më shume njerëz. Thuajini të gjithë atyre që njihni se 27 prilli është Neighborday.

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Otherness | Misc. Projects of the Week

Otherness this week focuses on the awesomeness of light and the limitless possibilities of giving it a visible spatial dimension.

KINETIC LIGHT SCULPTURE
a visual medley of light and motion by rapidly rotating a piece of string through white light; the colors from the light are revealed in rapid succession

FRAGILE TERRITORIES
a laser and sound installation, three years in the making, featuring four fast moving laser beams that project evolving light patterns on a 30 meter wide wall in a dark room

SPEED OF LIGHT
by NVA
hundreds of runners in LED light suits created choreographed patterns of light flowing through streets, over bridges and around public spaces and buildings


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Apr 16, 2013

Obey The Giant | The Story of Shepard Fairley

Since we're on the subject of color-bombing and mural street art check out this film. Based on the true story of Shepard Fairey's first act of street art during his time at Rhode Island School of Design from 1989-1992.


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Mass Appeal | Bombing a Theme Park by TrustoCorp

Some folks bomb the system or the inner city while others bomb the suburbs. For Mass Appeal's new print issue the mysterious TrustoCorp bombed a theme park turned ghost town in California. 
The beautification of the derelict water park was captured on film and video and here's an exclusive peek at what went down. Check out the clip and be sure to subscribe to Mass Appeal for more of the illest in art, music, and culture.
" Interesting project from TrustoCorp and Mass Appeal. TrustoCorp visited an abandoned theme park in California and turned the place into their very own TrustoLand. If the video above leaves you wanting to more, check inside the latest issue of Mass Appeal magazine."  (via)
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Apr 14, 2013

Photoshop | Remixing Visual Culture

**Creative Sunday Series 
Photoshopi ka revolucionarizuar tërësisht kulturën tonë vizuale. Artistët tani përdorin atë për të krijuar imazhe komplekse, gjë që do të ishte e pamundur 20 vjet më parë. Gjithashtu ka ndryshuar thellësisht artin e foto editimit, duke kthyer një proces intensiv pune në një më artistik dhe dixhital, shpeshherë dhe kontradiktor. Por ndoshta ndikimi më aktual dhe ekspresiv mund të shihet në kulturën e meme-ve online. Njerëzit e thjeshtë tani kanë mjetet dhe aftësinë e duhur jo vetëm për të ndryshuar çdo imazh në terrenin e medias, por dhe të jenë më kritikë kur komentojnë për kulturën. Ata mund të përhapin idetë e tyre në mënyrë virale duke niveluar kështu konkurrencën midis artistëve tradicionalë dhe konsumatorëve. Photoshopi ka ndryshuar mënyrën si komunikojmë, si e shprehim veten, si e shohim botën dhe njëri-tjetrin."
" Photoshop has completely revolutionized our visual culture. Artists now use Photoshop to create complex imagery that would have been impossible 20 years ago. It has also profoundly changed the art of photo retouching, turning a labor intensive process into an artful and often controversial digital workflow. But possibly the most current and expressive influence can be seen in meme culture online. With the ability to alter any image in the media landscape, everyday people now have the means to critically comment on culture and spread their ideas virally, leveling the playing field between traditional media creators and consumers. Photoshop has changed the way we communicate, the way we express ourselves, and the way we view the world and each other." (via)
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Apr 13, 2013

Otherness | Misc. Projects of the Week

Otherness this week focuses on the physical presence of abandoned, transitional and wilderness spaces through ethereal/awe quality sculptures. Simple, primal, powerful.

NIMBUS & CUMULUS
drawing on a nebulous concept of the "physical presence of transitional spaces," visible only for a few minutes and experienced through documentation and photography
BIG AIR PACKAGE
by Christo
the largest inflated frameless envelope and the most expansive indoor sculpture fills the interior of a former gas tank, amplifying the ethereal quality of the space with diffused light 

ROCK ON TOP OF ANOTHER ROCK
placed near the entrance of the Serpentine Gallery, the sculpture consists of two large granite boulders seemingly balanced one on top of the other at 18 ft tall; it materializes the pair's lifelong obsession with stability/instability and counterpoints 


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Apr 11, 2013

Architecture of Density | Squeezing Bigness in The City

Over half of the Earth's population lives in cities. This number is exponentially growing too quickly. 

Megacities!!! Now that's a scary word, no?

To put things into perspective and to actually understand what it means, NPR shows some interesting insights. They all come with a warning sign though, because no matter how many graphs, predictions or refusals to accept reality and the fact that our lives have become so big, most of us will continue to do the same and strive for even more. A bi-product of a consumerist and spectacle-driven global society. 

" We're waiting for the doomsday, but still hoping to be saved by a miracle."

How much space do we need?
How much space can a city occupy?
How many people can fit in a city?
How dense can city life be in order to still have a degree of efficiency and still work?
Can cities save the planet if its population is squeezed into their territory?

Heights seem to be one solution:

photo credit Michael Wolf
photo credit Michael Wolf

For an aerial view of how global landscapes have been transformed by human activity check out the work of  David Thomas Smith.

via
via

The above photos show density with a quality that merges fact with fiction, (mass) visibility with (individual) invisibility, (digital) activity information with (physical) formal patterns - a global order of things if you will.

What's your take on the subject?

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Open Invitation | Ardhje 2013


Ka filluar faza e pritjes së aplikimeve për pjesëmarrje në çmimin "Ardhje 2013"
Të gjithë artistët shqiptar të cilët ka perfunduar studimet e larta deri në moshën 35-vjeç, janë të ftuar të aplikojnë.

Cmimi “ARDHJE” organizohet për të shtatin vit nga T.I.C.A. (Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art), në bashkëpunim me FSC-Foundation for Civil Society në New York, dhe mbështetet bujarisht nga FAVA - Foundation for Albanian Visual Arts across borders, në Tiranë.

Lista e shkurtër e artistëve të përzgjedhur do të prezantoje projektet e tyre në ekspoziten e çmimit "ARDHJE 2013", që do të hapet në muajin Qershor 2013.

Si çdo vit fituesit përzgjidhen nga një juri ndërkombëtare e përbërë nga kuratorë, kritikë dhe artistë të njohur.

Artisti fitues i çmimit "Ardhje" përfiton një rezidencë artistike gjashtëjavore në New York, ndërkohë që fituesit e dy çmimeve të dyta, përfshihen në programin e rezidencës dy-mujore të T.I.C.A në Tiranë.

Ju mund të paraqitni portofolio tuaj duke filluar nga data 15 Prill 2013, nga e hena në të enjte, prej orës 10.oo deri në orën 13.oo dhe nga ora17.oo- 19.oo në adresën:

T.I.C.A AIRLAB

Rruga: George.W.Bush/ 1000
Dy Kullat ,(përballë parlamentit)
Kati i dytë.

Për të caktuar takimin tuaj, ju lutemi kontaktoni :

Alketa Kurrizo
alketa.kurrizo@gmail.com
+355 (0)682128881

Sonja Lau
lau.sonja@gmail.com
+355 (0)696130410

Në pamundësi për tu paraqitur personalisht, ju mund të dërgoni materialet e kërkuara për aplikim në e-mail adresat: alketa.kurrizo@gmail.com, lau.sonja@gmail.com

Shënim: Ju lutem sigurohuni që imazhet të cilat po dërgoni për aplikim të jenë të emërtuara saktësisht. Emërtoni folder-in me emrin tuaj të plotë dhe file-s si më poshtë vijon:
shembull: ana_vale_ mengjezi_pikture_ 2010

Afati i fundit i dorëzimit të punëve është data: 20 MAJ 2013


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The phase of accepting applications for the "Ardhje 2013" award has began.
It is open to all Albanian artists 35 years of age or younger that have already completed their studies.

This is the seventh edition of “ARDHJE” organized by T.I.C.A. (Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art) in collaboration with FSC-Foundation for Civil Society in New York and generous support byFAVA - Foundation for Albanian Visual Arts across borders in Tirana. 

The finalists are selected by an international jury of well-known curators, critics and artists; and will showcase their work as part of the exhibition "ARDHJE 2013" in June 2013 

The award winner will receive a six-week artist residency in New York, while the two second-prize winners will obtain a two-month residency program at T.I.C.A in Tirana.
TICA is the first centre for contemporary art in Tirana. It offers a much needed permanent platform for Albanian and international contemporary art in Albania. During the last years, the Albanian scene has thrived with various events of different size or quality. The Tirana Biennale has been Albania's most ambitious art event, however a biennale only takes place every second year and this leads to a serious discontinuity in the art scene that also suffers from a highly limited institutional respective private support. TICA has thus been an important complement to support a vital art scene on a more continuous basis through a diverse program supported by a light and flexible organizative structure that has allowed for exhibitions, film screenings and performance events as well as to create a forum for discussions and debates about art, politics and power.
Another important function of TICA is it's international A.I.R. program. The residency program is important as the first structure to offer support and encouragement to promising local artists and for enabling cross-cultural exchange in the Balkan region and beyond, as a response to the lost communication that has led to a nationalistic misuse of culture. Other important functions of TICA are the supporting of artistic production, the establishment of an archive of contemporary art in Albania and a reference library on international contemporary art. A great awareness and a strong engagement in gender-related questions and concerns will also permeate not only the activity of TICA but also its organization as a whole. TICA will be an attempt to reintroduce culture as one of the most effective ways in pushing for critical thinking in relation to our contemporary condition and will bring together all the energies, knowledge and contacts of all its founding members, to create an independent platform for socio-politically engaged contemporary art.
Partners:TICA is established in partnership with:THE INSTITUTE OF TIRANA BIENNALE,1.60 INSURGENTSPACE (www.1-60insurgentspace.org) 
Leadership: 
TICA is initiated collectively by: 
TINA FINNAS (artist and project leader) 
JOA LJUNGBERG (curator and project leader) 
MONICA MELIN (artist and project leader) 
EDI MUKA (curator and project leader) 
GEZIM QENDRO (curator and project leader) 
STEFANO ROMANO (artist, curator and project leader) 
Leading Team:  
TICA is currently jointly run by: 
TINA FINNAS (artist and producer) 
JOA LJUNGBERG (curator and producer) 
EDI MUKA (curator and producer)
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Apr 8, 2013

Open Invitation | East Centric Architecture Triennale 2013

EXPOSING
EAST AND CENTRAL
EUROPEAN

ARCHITECTURE

This is an open call for architects, designers, urban planners and landscape architects from Central Eastern Europe with a project (or more) built post 2008 that relates to the Triennale's Trans(ap)parencies theme.

Arhitext Design Foundation, editor of Arhitext magazine, has launched this open call for the selection of the projects to be presented at  the Trans(ap)parencies Thematic Exhibition, at the East Centric Architecture Triennale 2013 (October 10-27, 2013) 
The deadline for entering is April 11!
For more information check out the triennale's website.

- The inclusion of the works in a thematic exhibition will reveal the conceptual side of the projects, making them part of critical discourse/dialogue and highlighting extra-formal connections.

- This thematic exhibition offers practitioners a platform for communicating their answers to the needs and requests specific to this region.

- The selected projects will also be included in the exhibition catalogue, conceived as an independent project. The catalogue will feature the projects selected for the exhibition, along with several theoretical and critical articles that will tackle a range of issues pertaining to current architecture in Central and Eastern European countries.* The texts will be signed by architecture theorists and critics in the region. The catalogue will be bilingual. 

Eligible Countries:
*Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary.

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EKSPOZIMI
I ARKITEKTURËS
EUROPËS
LINDORE DHE QËNDRORE

Kjo është një thirrje e hapur për arkitektët, dezajnerët, planifikuesit urban dhe arkitektët e mjedisit nga Europa Qëndrore / Lindore me një projekt (ose më shumë) të ndërtuar pas vitit 2008 që ka të bëjë me temën e Trienales Trans(ap)parenca

Arhitext Design Foundation, redaktor i revistës Arhitext, ka shpallur këtë thirrje të hapur për përzgjedhjen e projekteve që do të paraqiten në Ekspozitën Tematike Trans(ap)parenca, në Trienalen e Arkitekturës Centrike Lindore 2013 (10-27 tetor, 2013)
Afati i fundit për të marrë pjesë është 11 Prilli !
Për më shumë informacion shkoni tek websiti trienales.

- Përfshirja e punimeve në një ekspozitë tematike do të zbulojë anën konceptuale të projekteve, duke i bërë ata pjesë e diskursit kritik/dialogut dhe duke theksuar lidhjet ekstra-formale.

- Kjo ekspozitë tematike ofron një platformë ku profesionistët mund të komunikojnë përgjigjet e tyre në lidhje me nevojat dhe kërkesat specifike të rajonit.
- Projektet e përzgjedhura do të përfshihet në katalogun e ekspozitës që është konceptuar si një projekt i pavarur. Katalogu do të shfaqë projektet e zgjedhura si dhe artikuj teorikë e kritikë që do të trajtojnë një varg çështjesh të arkitekturës aktuale në Evropën Qendrore dhe Lindore.* Tekstet do të nënshkruhen nga teoricienë dhe kritikë të arkitekturës në rajon. Katalogu do të jetë në dy gjuhë. 

Vëndet Pjesëmarrëse:
*Shqipëri, Austri, Bjellorusi, Bosnje dhe Hercegovinë, Bullgari, Kroaci, Republika Çeke, Qipro, Estoni, Gjermani, Greqi, Kosovë, Letoni, Lituani, Maqedoni, Moldavi, Mali i Zi, Poloni, Rumani, Rusi, Serbi, Sllovaki, Slloveni, Turqi, Ukrainë, Hungari.

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Apr 6, 2013

Otherness | Misc. Projects of the Week

Otherness this week focuses on anticipating idle space when inhabited by scientific and natural elements. The potential for disorder as geometric fractals or natural forces break its otherwise nothingness.

FRACTAL PROJECTIONS
a cube broken in space to create an interlocking grid system that follows a linear deformation, allowing a break from the norm grid behavior into a family of fractal surfaces

via
RAUMZEICHNUNG
a 3-dimensional installation out of 5 km of black paper tape

MUTUAL CORE
by Bjork
this video combines music with technological innovation and exploring themes of science and nature; the forces of nature explode across a futuristic landscape where volcanoes erupt from a dessert floor, a snowstorm transforms the environment, and anthropomorphic rocks come to life orbiting around a goddess of nature
via


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