Archive for May, 2009

POSH SQUATTING ON THE RISE

GRAB A VILLA

Squatting seems to be a credible form of housing in the current public mood, says Barbara Ellen of the Observer. The press reports frequently about evicted people who squat their former homes. So called Posh Squatting seems to be fashionable. More and more artists squat place to live, work and exhibit. This even happens in prime locations. Remember only last years TheDa! Collective which took over some multimillion-pound mansions in Mayfair.

Do you agree that squatting is widely accepted in the current days? Do you feel that a more left-wing approach to life is coming back? Might this be just some necessity in an economic downturn? Or could it be that this crisis changes our appreciation for squatting as a sustainable form of living for a bit longer?

Have your say here.
posh-sqatters

May 18th, 2009 by Christine

WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU

CURRENT SHIFT IN VALUES

Do you want to take a trip into your psyche by means of literature, philosophy, psychotherapy or visual arts rather than buying another gadget? The economic standstill might have given you time to think about your working life and you might seek some guidance to reconcile whether you still find it fulfilling.

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The School of Life offers for its clients a range of services to think about their concerns. Some of the services themselves, such as bibliotherapy (whereby a bibliotherapist prescribes you or your children books depending on your concerns or interests), or short courses on subjects such as Love, Play, Work, or Family might not be new. But the idea of bringing together literateurs, psychotherapists, philosophers and artists in a designed and intimate London prime location to offer services meant to expand peoples minds is definitely unique.

Do you think people are withdrawing from blind consumerism and draw more attention to their psychological and intellectual desires? Do you think we will see more of those services even when the green shoots are finally sprouting and when people are rushing back into the treadmills?

Check it out at: http://www.theschooloflife.com/

May 18th, 2009 by Christine

GLOBAL ACTIVISM

CAN WE20 CHANGE THE WORLD?

In current times we are realizing the full extent of globalization. We are realizing as well that there seems to be no clear understanding among the world’s leaders as to how to tackle the world’s challenges. Politicians from different nations gather together trying to find solutions, so last at the G20 summit in London.

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But also citizens from around the world should do so, thought the initiators of We20. The internet platform We20 provides the facilities for people to organize meetings on specific current challenges. The ambitious objective is for its members to come up with solutions to the global economic crisis. We20 was already promoted on the G20 summit website and it promises its users to create the bridge between them and the G20 leaders. And so We20 members are gathering together in virtual meetings and places such as Second Life, but also in real places and chew over the world’s current problems.

Do you know W20 or are you a current user? Are there events you want to share with the Novinow community? Do you want to share any solutions W20 users came up with?

Check it out:

http://www.we20.org/

NEW USE FOR CCTV

WHO NEEDS PRIVACY?

If you have got nothing to hide, whats the problem? This is a common question one hears talking about CCTV. And hey, even though there is no evidence that the 4.3 million CCTV cameras (one for every 14 people in Britain) deter or reduce the serious crime or terrorism they were initially justified with, they are still good to install a proper public order.
Imagine a world without dog fouling, illegal parking, littering and other forms of horrible anti-social behavior. web_cctv

Shouldnt we easily give up Privacy, one of those old fashioned civil liberties, to allow the state to make the country a prim and proper place? Or should we citizens actually be able to deal ourselves with the anti-social behavior which really bothers us, without calling for the state and police? And, do we actually feel different when we know the guy in the control room might be watching us? Do we spare in the presence of Big Brother the kisses or other things which make live livable?

Have your say.

May 18th, 2009 by Christine

STEVEN HELLER

CHANGES IN THE CRISIS

For 33 years Steven Heller was an art director at the New York Times, originally on the oped page and for almost 30 of those years with the New York Times book review. Currently, he is co-chair of the MFA Designer as author department, special consultant to the president of SVA for new programs, and writes the visual column for the New York Times book review.

Steve Heller

For NOVINOW he answered the following two questions:

1. In which way do you think the current economic crisis will change our values and our society?Do you think (or hope) such changes will be enduring?

There is always the hope that people will be less reckless, less greedy, less stupid about finance. I don’t think this will happen. I see the current crisis like a forrest fire. It burns out of control and causes much damage. But in its place, the surviving seeds will grow. There may be some government intervention and regulation to protect people from the errors of the past. But they won’t last long. The changes in values will be minimal at best.

As I said above, I think changes are not revolutionary or enduring. The history of the world seems to suggest that Crisis begets change, but then complacency kicks in.

2. Which role does design play in this context? How will such changes be portrayed and will there be new forms or directions in design?

Frankly, I’m not sure. I think designers have to play a role in changing the paradigms of practice. That is pro active. To rely on DESIGN to be the agent of change is more tenuous. I’m of the mind that information will increase and designers must address that. I also feel that entrepreneurism will increase as a hedge against unpredictable markets.

May 15th, 2009 by Christine

FREE PRINT SHAPES

REDESIGN YOUR T-SHIRTS

Bored of that print on your t-shirt?
Don’t want to see it, don’t like it any more?

Don’t abandon it, don’t throw it away: Download the shapes below and redesign your t-shirt by screen printing or ironing them on. It is also easy to create these shapes yourselves.

tshirts

Design your own shapes with these samples and redesign your t-shirts and bags by screen printing them or ironing them on. The shapes will also cover up unwanted designs and prints of brand names. Testify that you support the idea of sustainable clothing: instead of binning used clothes you redesign them and continue wearing them!

Download templae in ai format

May 14th, 2009 by Christine

SLOW DOWN LONDON

22nd APRIL - 4th MAY 2009

The Slow Down London Festival takes place in London and is part of the Slow Movement.

Further information
http://slowdownlondon.co.uk/

May 14th, 2009 by Christine

INTERVIEW WITH HARRY EYRES

ABOUT A SLOW DOWN YOU CAN ENJOY

I met journalist, poet, author and environmentalist Harry Eyres on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in mid April for this interview on the busy terrace of the Southbank Centre Café, London. Harry Eyres writes the weekly Slow Lane column in the Financial Times and is a patron of the Slow Down Festival London which took place for the first time this year.

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harry-eyres

Christine Joos Slow Down and Recession, how does this go together?

Harry Eyres There has been a lot of fear and anxiety and that does not help at all, but of course it could be an opportunity. I have been writing for years about how one can enjoy quite simple things that don’t cost very much money. So, the fact that certain people don’t have any money is not necessarily such a terrible thing. There is an awful lot of things you can do, that are tremendously life enhancing and don’t cost money. Examples in my columns are things like learning a poem by heart. That does not cost anything and it is incredibly enriching.

CJ And how did you come to this idea to write the Slow Lane Column for the Financial Times, which combines environmental issues and slowness?

HE Well, right. It was me and an editor. We kind of thought it out together, really. I have been wanting to do a column like this for ages. It was sort of ecological but not only ecological. It was a sort of looking at some new ways of thinking that I thought were kind of in the air. ‘Slowness’ sounded like a rather good title, because it is sort of quite broad, it’s more about enjoyment. The Slow Movement is really quite focused on enjoyment, whereas the environmental movement can seem rather, quite against enjoyment: “You can’t do this, you can’t do that.” And you start to feel really bad, if you go on holiday, or something. I think some of the environmental movement is a bit extreme, because it has become rather religious in some ways. It is like a sin to fly to Spain for instance. And the Slow Movement has a slightly less moralistic view perhaps. I would call myself an environmentalist, but I think enjoyment, the fact that you can enjoy yourself without spending lots of money and obviously without damaging the planet or the people is actually a very positive message.

The problem is that some people seem to assume that it has got to be very negative to be less energy consuming, but I don’t see that that has to be the case … I think walking is much more enjoyable than most other ways of getting around.

CJ Yeah, compared to the tube…

HE Cycling…

CJ …is kind of dangerous in London…

HE …it would be wonderful if it wasn’t so dangerous.

CJ Tell us about the London Slow Down Festival and how you are involved.

HE One of the organisers approached me because I was writing the Slow Lane column which is on the same lines and she asked me if I wanted to be a patron of the Slowdown Festival and I said “Yes”. I am doing a couple of events; a discussion about slow travel with another journalist here in the Royal Festival Hall and I am also doing a wine tasting and poetry reading combined.

CJ Why do you think it is better to do things more slowly and not as fast as possible?

HE Enjoyment is really the key. Some people maybe do really enjoy rushing around, but I really hate it when I feel rushed. I feel at that point you seize to enjoy anything. Life actually becomes incredibly sort of empty if you try to do too much.

CJ But there seems to be a lot of pressure from outside to do as many things as quickly as possible?

HE There is a great pressure. The Slow Movement, although it seems to be quite light in a way, has quite a radical potential. I mean it would be a quite real challenge for the way people live if anyone took it seriously. But I think I do because I am just sort of maybe constituted that way that I can’t rush all the time.

I noticed there was a piece in The Guardian today, about the Slowdown Festival that really rubbishes it. The writer obviously thinks it is kind of a ludicrous idea, because you can’t possibly slow down, there was so much to do. She sounds like she did not really want to.

I thought she could rather say more about the potential political issues, gender issues about slowing down. I got the impression that this writer, Jess – she probably describes herself as a feminist– felt somehow there was something anti-feminist about this slowing down, because it seemed as if she kind of prided herself as a woman of being incredibly busy and the whole idea of she should be less busy sounded to her as kind of an insult, or maybe going back to the past. That could be maybe a danger of the Slow Movement and it could be seen as a conservative movement in a bad way.

CJ The idea that there is such big festival about Slowing Down now means there must be a general interest in the Slow Movement.

HE Yes, I think you can see that quite generally around in the culture. In the media there are endless articles about slowness suddenly. It is certainly kind of in the air as an idea.

CJ Do you think this has got something to do with the current global crisis?

HE Well, I think the crisis has made it more relevant in a way. I think in the past it was only seen as something quite harmlessly excentric. Only few people here I knew were talking about slowing down as being a nice idea, but suddenly … a sort of Slow Down has hit everybody. But can you make something positive out of that? That’s what I am trying to do. This is also kind of a time of reflection and thinking.

CJ Rethinking of values maybe? In your “Does Madonna read Nietzsche?” column you were suggesting ”old and higher” values of the 19th century had been superseded by the lower, materialistic values in the 20th century, which were now again breaking down in a way. Do you think we need new values now?

HE I think it’s a very, very interesting situation actually and it’s not that obvious that a lot of people feel very disoriented. Money was kind of the only thing left, if Nietzsche was right, and I am not saying he was altogether right. It’s amazing how money suddenly turned out to be not actually that solid. There were a few weeks you were not sure whether it was entirely gone, whether your money would come out of the hole in the wall. Well, it might not come out, I thought: “Is there anything in there?” It’s really weird and I think that’s definitely disorienting and I think it could be profoundly creative in some way.

I think the trouble with new values is that when people rush in saying: “We need new values.”, then the new values turn out rather like the old values so in a funny way I wonder what would happen if we tried to live for a while without, not without values in the sense of anarchically or just not caring, but just valuing small things rather than…

CJ …something heavy and exhausting?

HE I do not know whether we really have to search for values. I think they are there; it’s just that we cannot see them. We tend to run and walk faster. I mean there is a value in being alive, a value in this day, it’s a sunny day.

CJ From your perspective, with all these changes going on at the moment, what do you think how design is going to change?

HE I think it is a very interesting subject. Attending a conference at the Art Centre in Barcelona, we were staying in a hotel which was meant to be THE designer hotel [Hotel OMM, Barcelona, Spain]. There was something clearly wrong to me with this design from an environmental or ecological point of view. It was very wrong because it wasn’t at all low energy. It was very high energy. Everything was designed to be ON all the time, there were all these screens, devices and everything. And you really don’t need all of that. I think minimal is a way design should be probably going. I think it is a very important subject to rethink design in this ecological context.

CJ Maybe less pretentious and more human-centered in a way that is more working like an organism?

HE I am sure that’s right. Because who wants all this fancy stuff? I mean functional design that does not waste resources, that is easy to use, that is not pretentious, is needed.

CJ Thank you very much for this interview.

http://www.ft.com/arts/columnists/harryeyres

May 14th, 2009 by Christine