thought entry #02

MODERNISM - POSTMODERNISM - HYPERMODERNISM

A few friends and I were sitting at dinner discussing school and such arose the topic of modernism, postmodernism and hypermodernism. This discussion began from a confusion that was brought upon by some inter-related readings. Our discussion is as follows:

What REALLY is postmodernism?? We know that postmodernism consists of no absolutes and is referential of history... And what is hypermodernism then? It must preceed postmodernism by understanding, and thus a premeditated theory about a state of culture and society to come...

Our absolute answer to the latter two, laid in the first... modernism. Modernism was born from a state of industrialization and finite and absolutes (especially in terms of the rigidity of form). Modernism can be seen as an reaction to the the baroque, rococo, and gothic, and a pace and state of life which is associated with the past. Thus can modernism, postmodernism, and hypermodernism can be simply understood as a pendulum of action and reaction? If modernism is of absolutes, then postmodernism is a reaction to those absolutes, granting the freedom of no absolutes. And thus hypermodernism is a reaction to postmodernism, an attempt to redefine a state of postmodern which would be found to be no longer representative of a current state of affairs, and would attempt to provide a definition somewhere between postmodernism and hypermodernism.

False Creek, views from The Olympic Village

thought insert #01 - TV & VIDEO

We all realize the cultural effects of MTV on the late eighty's and nineties. Music videos use to borrow from film as much as today; i.e. thinking of the Lady Gaga, Telephone, it's not only extremely referential of Thelma & Louise, Kill Bill, and any Americana film, but also referential to Michael Jackson's Thriller... in terms of the time span to the video, certain choreography, and even the relation between artist and director.
However, what is the largest difference between current and past music videos? SELLING OUT, aka. plugging products and companies! Heartbeats earphones, Virgin Mobile, Diet Coke, Virgin Mobile (again), HP Envy ‘Beats Limited Editon’ laptop from Monster,Plenty Of Fish dating site, Chevrolet, Polaroid, Wonderbread, Miracle Whip, Polaroid (again).
IT WAS NEVER OKAY TO PLUGGING PRODUCTS FROM HUGE CORPORATIONS!! BECAUSE YOU'D BE A HUGE FUCKING SELLOUT!!! BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY... after grudge (circa Kurt Cobain) to Moby, Moby made it okay to sellout (plus other artists, I don't want to put the entire blame on Moby)... but we're digressing...

But what is the MTV of the postmodern? The internet? More specifically, YouTube... Streaming media sites (not mentioning any is intention... less attention = less chance they'll get shut down). Largest change between YouTube and MTV? Indiviualistic control (within the legal boundaries of multi-national capitalistic telecommunication corporations). Control of time and viewing pace - an evolution to adapt to current cultural and sociological pace of existence.

Mandula, Vancouver

A boutique store in Gastown, Vancouver for local designer Hajnalka Mandula.

MANDULA
http://mandula.com/
214 Abbott Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2K8
(604) 568-9211

How to end an unforgettable day (which will later go on an even better night)

How do you end an unforgettable Friday in Vancouver during the Olympics... venturing the city... and going to H-Mart (a new Korean grocery store in downtown), galleries, the Rennie Group building, the private Keefer Hotel, Fortune nightclub, and boutique stores?

Well, by watching the sunset fall behind the downtown cityscape while eating Ja Jeoung Mein (Korean noodles you got from H-Mart) and Vancouver's best apple pies (from Chinatown)...

and just think... the night brought so much more: the Olympic Village, GO! installation, more galleries, drinks at Chill Winston, drinks at a pop-up bar in Blood Alley, more drinks at The Diamond, Gay Bash (a party) in a random residential house in East Vancouver, seeing the "EastVan" cross installation by Ken Lam, finding an after hours party in an industrial part of town where factories, shipping crates and trucks exist in the plenty ("follow the sound of music... we'll find it.")

The Keefer

The Keefer is a boutique hotel consisting of only 4 suites and a bar. This adventure was experienced right after sneaking up into the Rennie Group building... I knock on the locked door, spoke briefly with the manager and he offered to take my up to the penthouse to look around! The penthouse was two levels: living quarters and rooftop terrace with a lap pool that can be viewed from inside the suite. I was strictly told by the gentleman that pictures of the interior is not allowed (even though I took a lot of pictures and videos as well), but I can reassure you that the interiors are beautiful. The penthouse goes for about $3200/night.
Check out photos of the hotel at their website:
http://www.thekeefer.com/

Rennie Group office

The Rennie Group office is located in the Wing Sang building in Chinatown, the most historic building in Vancouver Chinatown. The building was owned by the Yip family in 1889, a successful Chinese-Canadian business man who made a flourishing living employing Chinese immigrants who faced discrimination. The Rennie Group purchased the building... at sometime, and initiated a restoration which took four years. As well as being their headquarters, the building also hosts the Rennie Collection of fine art (a private collection).

I snuck into the office and somehow managed to make it all the way up to the private rooftop sculpture garden!!!! Most amazing Vancouver moment ever...

Sola

This was another pop-up gallery in Gastown that I stumbled upon. Sola is the artist and she does these huge tapestries of each Olympic city. The pieces are about 10 feet by 6 feet and are woven with wool from vintage knit sweaters etc. She begins the tapestry of the Olympic city when it is announce and travels to each Olympic city to live the Olympics and show her piece in progress. Each piece then takes, you guessed it, TWO YEARS.

LYNNsteven

A new boutique store in Gastown that opened in December of 2009. The store was designed by McFarlene Green and Biggar Architects.

Brown & Black

I saw this group of friends walking in Gastown after I came out of Woodwards. They looked so great together that I just had to take a photo!

Grace Satellite Galleries

Grace Gallery in Vanncouver opened several pop-up galleries in the Gastown district for the duratio of the 2010 Olympics named Grace Satellite Galleries.
Extremely inspiring spaces... the first couple images are of a commercial space in a condo building that wasn't being used, so the owners of Grace Gallery appealed to the Vancouver City council to lend the space to them for free for two weeks. IT WAS SUCH AN INSPIRING, MOVING SPACE, I WAS ACTUALLY DRIVEN TO TEARS... that this could exist in Vancouver.

GO!

www.asirarch.net

"GO! A Temporary Gallery For Permanent Change"

Created by ASIR Studio in Vancouver, GO! is a collaborative production comprising of light-based installations, video projections, performances and community events which took place in the Yue Shan couryard for the duration of the 2010 Olympics.

Icarus

“Air Force One” by Baptiste Debombourg.
A piece of Icarus, made with 35000 staples.