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Friday, April 24, 2015

Vergessliches Ließchen


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Went to a new bookstore called Topics at Weser Strasse 166 to see Travis Jeppesen read from All Fall which contains two novellas by the lovehexy power top suprema Mr. Jeppesen and is the sixth book in Publication Studio's Fellow Travelers Series.  Travis read from "Written in the Sky" a harrowing  plane crashing in slow motion tale. It was written on a red-eye flight from Beijing to Vienna in the fall of 2012.  I loved how young Travis created extra tension during his reading by expertly removing himself from the room to a far off secret garden of his own creation.  The boy has mad max alchemic writing skills but few knew of his teleportation abilities. Of course I was at the venue early forgetting that anything involving young people these days never starts on time.  The Topics bookstore has an odd vibe to it but that is probably more to my being a woman of a certain age and not usually in the company of this new Berlin ilk of men with unbecoming facial hair.  Adore Travis but next time I have to hear him read someplace with more comfortable seating.  
Earlier when I was riding around on by bicycleta looking for the bookstore I stopped at a tiny park to see a boy who looked no older then 12 macking with a girl who looked like she was ten.  The boy was being very aggressive with the girl who I was glad slapped him and retreated in a huff.  An elderly couple came by and also witnessed the scene and the older gentleman took the boy aside and gave him a highfive and told him to run after the girl sort of saying, “Squirrel climb up that tree and get your gnut!” Repugnant. 
Spring Aquakening is definitely in the air as I rode by the Skate Anlage Im Parkham Gleisdrieick to joyously oogle a quintet of immaculate shirtless skater rats and under the Ubahn bridge a gaggle of tight bodied male gymnasts attracting a lot of attention with the spectacle that comes with young muscular bodies.  Could barely tear myself away but remembered I was luncheoning with her royal highness Empress Stefanie Schulte Strathaus of  Arsenal Institute fur filmundvideo Kunst at Osteria No. 1 on the Mehringdamn corridor.  Their backyard patio was under construction but its so huge there was still room to sit alfresco and enjoy the warm golden rays and delicious food in the form of lasagne, tortellini, funicello salad, tomata soup all washed down with the most perfect carafe of Rose’ vino.  Was wonderful hearing about La Schulte Strathaus’ travels throughout India with Marcuse Siegelstein and Susanne Sachsse presenting a fab experimental film program.  The other evening I was at the Tiergarten compound of Piero Bellomo the Italio/German husband of Scandinavian Muslim Daniel Hendrickson for an Enchilada Party.  Piero brought back some freshly made corn tortillas from South Florida so when life gives you corn tortillas you have to make enchiladas.  A few nights before the Mexican feast Fearless Leader of kollektiv CHEAP Susanne Sachsse hosted a Spargel Fruhlings dinner for the great scholar  and genius writer Douglas Crimp who is the most serene man on the planet also the best dressed.
Read in a local German newspaper that Frank Castorf the veteran Intendant(artistic director) at the Volksbuehne is getting the boot to be replaced by Belgian curator Chris Dercon from the Tate Modern.  This move seems to be orchestrated by the music laden culture politician Tim Renner, of course I could be mistaken as my reading skills in German are limited, but having an art curator head a theatre doesn’t seem like a particularly good idea to me and not for conservative reasons that I am sure the usual suspects are rattling on about as they tend to do in Berlin. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

JETZT IST PFLANZEIT



Felt so lucky I got to play Berlin tour guide for a few hours while on a pitstop back home for the dearly loved New York treasure Lia Gangitano of Participant Inc., Gallery and her new BFF the beautiful Greer Lankton collector (she owns 8 dolls!)Meg Siegel.  We walked through Schoeneberg with stops by Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories residence, and the flats of Marlene Deitrich and Hildegaard Kneff in the Rote Insel kiez, had a Thai luncheon at Papaya on the Hauptstrasse snooped around David Bowie’s old apartment and gossiped about the tired New York art world at Kleistpark.
One of my other favourite New York deities is Alex Jovanovich the NYU student arts professional coordinator and Art Forum godhead writer extroidinaire who sent me this cute little missive.
Dearest All:
I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that the newest installment of TransBorder Art's video series, Tenderness, featuring the work of:
Allan Bailey Maria Bamford Jibz Cameron & Hedia Maron Ben Fain Michelle Grabner & Brad Killam & David Robbins Abbey Montymom Craig Robinson
will premier Friday, April 10 & Saturday April 11at 8:30 p.m., EST (and broadcast randomly afterwards) on:
Time Warner 56 / Cablevision 69 / RCN 84 /
Verizon FiOS 44 / BPN Channel 3 (online: bricartsmedia.org/bpn)
*BRIC Brooklyn Public Network cablecasts in
all five boroughs exclusively on Verizon FiOS cable
And for those of you not in New York, you may watch the episode on TransBorder Art's Vimeo channel (starting now) at: 
vimeo.com/user38903888/videos
I LOVE these artists so very, very much, and am honored they contributed work for the broadcast. They are FABULOUS. Enjoy!
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And this from the talented and gorgeous British artist Elly Clark:
Hello all,

It's been a while since I've written but I'm excited to let you know about CAMDEN ENCOUNTERS, a major commission from Camden Council in celebration of the Borough's 50th Anniversary. Lasting until November, this photo / audio & video project involves me having a series of Encounters with Camden residents at the sites of their 'Sticky Memories'. 'Sticky Memories' is the term I'm using to describe those memories which, though created in the past, continue to have a place in the present - and shape the lay of the land as a result...

Starting with people closely connected to the workings of the Borough itself, the net will gradually expand, as people I meet nominate the next to be involved. So far I have had just three Encounters - with Hannah Morris, Youth MP of Camden, Councillor Nasim Ali, and Ruth Ingram, artist, poet and long term resident of Camden. Over the next months, I hope to gather memories from as many as fifty people in various nooks and crannies of Camden.

The official
Camden50 website launched yesterday. My first two Encounters are up, along with info about the three other commissioned projects: from Dmitri Galitzine, Ladies of the Press and Walls on Walls. I was also honoured to take the official portraits of all artists and partners involved (about which Ladies of the Press wrote quite a nice piece: http://camden50.co.uk/projects/demo-press/performing-to-camera-a-photoshoot-with-elly-clarke.)

Various events will be taking place throughout the year in connection with all of these projects, so if you're in London it might be worth keeping an eye open for what's going on at a place not far from you. The Camden 50 arts programme is curated by 
Charlie LevineSERGINA_ The other news regards #Sergina, who has a new video out. Phone Me Don't Write was shot in Patterson, New York in November 2013 but edited in Berlin by Jacob Brosda just this year. Click on the image below to be taken to the vid directly. DIGITAL REMNANTS_ And finally, published shortly after my last mail out, is the collaboratively written article Digital Remnants: Sex Without Bodies? for Canadian feminist magazine GUTS, with (via Skype / Google Hangout / Google Docs / WhatsApp...) Amanda Turner Pohan, Robin Alex McDonald and Michelle Ty.Thanks for reading!
Best wishes,
Elly
ellyclarke.com /
 

Saturday, April 11, 2015

HEUTE ZURUECKGEBUCHTE MEDIEN



Was such a delight to see that super hot lady of high art Ms. Lia Gangitano of the incredible Participant Inc. Gallery in Berlin bringing her universally lauded Greer Lankton exhibition to Berlin at Wolfgang Tilman’s Between Bridges Gallery on Keith Strasse in Schoeneberg.  This exhibit is on every critic in the worlds top ten list as the best of the best in 2014 and it really is divine.  I first met the late Miss Lankton back in the 1990s in Chicago as she was part of the clique surrounding Steve LeFreniere.  Her famed doll sculptures do really transcend, and she was just the sweetest most lovely human being that ever called this Island earthina home. Lia was being flanked by hordes of well wishers that included art superstar Nan Goldin.  I am so glad Lia is getting her due as she is the last of a special breed of smart with it curators.  Her not-for-profit gallery Participant Inc on the Lower East Side is the only one of its kind still left in the “New Danger Capitalism New York City”.  I first met Lia in 1990 when she was the head curator at Boston’s ICA and she brought me to that city for the first time for the legendary series Dress Codes.  Lia also gave Catherine Opie her first big institutional art gig as well.  Lia left Boston and joined Thread Waxing Space in SoHo before starting her her gallery where I had my first solo exhibition in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy Duncan. 
Coming back to Berlin from my travels to Canada and the UK I caught a cold and then stomach flu with the flying patooties(projectile excrementing) so I thought I would miss Lia’s visit but thankfully I recovered-but barely.  Will be off on another trek to far off locations which I will talk more about in another postada but just want to give 1,000,000 kisses to the great and powerful Miss Lia I love you lady!!!!!
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Those of you in Frankfurt am Main area please check out this exhibition and long overdue retrospectacle by art fotog Annette Frick who along with her longtime life partner Wilhelm Hein have been getting a lot of International attention and admiration lately:
A C H T U N G !! B I T T E  V O R M E R K E N !!!
Filmkollektiv Frankfurt zeigt:

EIN AUGENBLICK IM NIEMANDSLAND
RETROSPEKTIVE: ANNETTE FRICK
FILME - VIDEOS - DIAS 
+ MEHRFACHPROJEKTIONEN

SAMSTAG 11.4.2015 ab 16 Uhr 
im HORST - in der Kleyerstr.15-17 - Frankfurt
 in den Adlerwerken an der Galluswarte

es erscheint eine Publikation
mit zahlreichen Abbildungen, Materialien und  Texten von u.A.
Angela Mc Robbie
Dennis Vetter
Gary Vanisian
Sissi Tax
Wilhelm Hein
Dr. BearBoy
Ruvi Simmons
und einem Comic von Flore Vigneron

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The wonderful Manuela Schinina’ aka:  DJane Bianca Kruk hosted an Easter Mongay dinner at her lovely flat at Kott Busser Damn the food was heavenly and the fellowship divoon consisting of Nanna Heidenreich, Daniel Hendrickson and a lovely lesbianfeministiche couple Bettina and Xana who have recently given up being artists and curators which I applaud. Their work can be found here: windberreira.comAnd now the simply delici menu:
caponata di melanzane (tradizionale siciliana) , which was the side dish with aubergine
salsa di menta , which was the sauce  insalata arance e finocchi , also sicilian ! but very fashionable lately in berlin and lamb with roasted internationalist potatoes

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Felix Knoke the editor of greatly missed D-bug Magazine and writer with Der Spiegel and Der Stern hosted a Filmhighlights Magazine studio audience intervention in the Schiller Kiez in Neu Kolln.  Felix rents a studio at the Kamo Atelier and told me he thought it would be a nice idea if Manuel Schubert aka: Vicki Baum and I did our monthly podcast promoting Rising Stars, Falling Stars-We Must Have Music in front of a live audience of his studio mates. I said yes not realizing that Felix would make a public announcement on Facebook I wanted just a nice quiet little thing in front of a few of his select friends and associates.  Well thankfully Felix took down the Facebook posting, but there was still quite a large unexpected turnout that included Felix’s beautiful girlfriend Angela Nicoletti,Glen Meadmore European tour guitarist Tilmann Schuepter,Dutch photographer Sandra van Egmond, Luca Bendandi of publishing firm Vetro Editions which is part of the Kamo Atelier, Slovenian dramaturgist Urska Brodar, penile projectionist Marius Roth who also works for Juergen Bruning and his girlfriend the filmmaker Cylixe who was a top student of Birgit Hein,interior architect Michele Bruni and psychology Phd student Anna Janssen, the underground musician Andreas “Krach”Stoiber who more people need to know about as he is a Berlin treasure, designer and illustrator Kasha Beyer, Italian Fordham Baldie Andrea Teller, hunky young and very personable Tobias Zimmerman and young artist and junior curator Andre Kirchner who took quite a liking to our little Manuel Schubert-could Springtime romance be blooming? Plus, Mariabrigida from Mama Roma, and an assortment of Argentine party girls just happy to be anywhere.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

HAMER ON THE HEATHER



. . .With me one and only highland fling . . .
Yes Glasgow Scotland is divine and the Vagimule Davis doll is having the time of her life at the Glitch Film Festival presented by the dynamic lovesexy Digital Desperados curator team of Nosheen Khwaja and Cloudberry. Glitch is a queer, trans, intersex, people of color film festival that is completely free of charge.  More festivals should follow the Glitch example. I hadn’t been in Glasgow since 2003 when Franko B. was the artist in residence at the National Review of Live Arts at The Arches.  At that time I only saw my hotel and the underground venue with all the people coming to the performances being other artists or art students with no one outside of that realm.  Glitch which was held at the Center For Contemporary Art (CCA)seems much more open and inclusive then The National Review of Live Art which I don’t think exists anymore.
I was picked up at the airport by the wonderful Ben a sweet otter of a boy who has lived for 18 years in Canada but has just returned to making art in his hometown of Glasgow.  I just loved my accomodations at the Citizen M. Hotel in the downtown district.  The lovely and gregarious Scotish/Polish hotel ambassador Dominike gave me the full Monty celebrity treatment sending me a giant gift bag of designer products that included anatomical day cream believer daily face cream and puffy the eye bag slayer revitalising eye mask and champagne.  The Digital Desperados also presented me with a giant gift bag and a huge beautiful  bouquet of flowers.The CCA was only five minutes away from the Citizen M hotel but with my bad sense of direction I needed an escort so the wonderful David from North London was recruited as the celebrity wrangler.  David has that typical Sloan Ranger dry humour and had me rolling doubled back in stitches the entire time I was at the festival.  It was so good to also see Raju Rage who was in Glasgow from London presenting with his Collective Creativity Arts Collectiv.  I met the marveoux Raju when I was at the Perverse Assemblages Congress in Oldenberg.  Want to give shoutouts to hot Gordon who did my signage wearing a pair of leopard skin pumps, Lewis the tech guy and Michael one of the CCA head production managers who is the step cousin of my great friend and collaborator Glenn Belverio of New York.  Michael is married to a Scottish man and used to live in Pennsylvania and NYC but has been in Glasgow for several years.
Special kissyz go out to  The world famous Open Barbers: Felix & Greygory who came all the way from London who brilliantly styled my wigs and gave free haircuts to the audience members. The Open Barbers are part of a new breed of business entrepeneurs who have vision and purpose providing a salon experience at affordable pricing, non-judgemental environment welcoming people of all ages, genders and sexualities.  Please check them out at openbarbers.tumblr.com and tell them Ms. Davis sent you.  My make-up artist was a UK rose name Kaeleigh Wallace who had me looking so major Ms. Gorgeous that I didn’t recognize myself.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see that much of the festival as I had to concentrate my energies on my performance and since I am a chatty Cathy every time I socialize it drains me physically.  Was happy I was able to catch the documentary film Kuma Hina directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson about the legendary Hawaiian transgendered activist that also featured a little 12 year girl who was so self-possessed in becoming the leader of an all-male hula troupe. 
Was also impressed by the expert curatorial selection of short subjects that included 1000 Cumshots and My Asian Boyfriend by Canadian Wayne Yung who I never heard of before but who must be part of  Nguyen Tan Hoang ’s gaysian mafia who I later found out has been living in Berlin for almost as long as I have.  Wayne is very tall and personable,  so strange that our paths have never crossed before, but Berlina is a big town and I live mostly out of a suitcase so there are a lot of queer artist that live in Berlin that I haven’t met or who are not part of the cosmos that surrounds The CHEAP kollektiv.  Something about Mr. Yung reminds me of that other Canadian video artist Benny Namerofsky famous for having had a sexual liason with Berlin’s gay mayor Klaus Wolvereit. 
Other shorts that really got my attention were: Drone by Sharlene Bamboat, In The Ladies Lounge by Fadia Abboud, Group of Seven Inches by Kent Morkman and the stellar standout Vogue Train by Kemar Jewel.
Was grateful to have a day of cooling down and the curators treated me to a fab vegan luncheon at the Mononucleosis Café in the centrale district.  The Mono Café is owned by a local musician who also runs several other cafes in town under the names of Stereo, and 78.  One intriguing fact about Glasgow is that it has the highest number of vegan oriented restaurants in the entirety of the UK.  Joining the Digital Desperados for lunch Miss Eva who is an old friend of my British husband Andrew “Lord Audre Beardsley” Gould of Brickstops at the Parlouclub fame, and juicy couple Sherrie from Canada & Ms. Evelyn Waugh.  I also learned a new Glaswegian word called Tattie Scones.  HA