I'm no good next to diamonds

The past few weeks have been laced with exhaustion. I would ask myself what fresh hell the fates could come up with, how much shit I'd have to wade through to get to some point far off in the distance that signalled an end to whatever this limbo was. And I'd wallow in the apparent hardship of things not working out quite as planned, also because I had not in particular planned anything.

But the tides have turned somewhat. May the odds be ever in your favour, and all that.
One of the reasons is that I get to see JR on a daily basis. The new job is situated in an old industrial area that is being gentrified to seduce startups and other exciting medium-sized enterprises to use the tall stone buildings as bases. One of the towers features an image that was part of JR's 2013 project Wrinkles of the City  where the portraits of an older generation on buildings that have equally stood the test of time indicate how people grow and change with the hardships and joys that their cities experience.

I wonder if this will be true again in 50+ years when a portrait is created of this generation, a generation that is constantly on the move and wanting to experience the world. Do we all have a home? A place we cling to, a place we can return to, when all else breaks away? Or do places and spaces become increasingly irrelevant as concepts of what home is in a time of crisis have to adapt to people being driven by the hundreds of thousands out of the cities that were once theirs?

Questions for another day.

In my city

I recently discovered Humans of New York. Now there's even a Humans of Pretoria. Although I think we are a bit of a conservative bunch, and not as willing to play with the way we look.

This is a trailer for Everybody Street, a (you guessed it) street photography documentary.



Everybody Street Trailer from ALLDAYEVERYDAY on Vimeo.

Was ich lieb/das is n dicker Beat und n Bass/

This video, entitled Berlin speaks for itself by Emus Primus, is via Street Art Berlin, and the music consists of the words in the graffiti that was posted around the city.

Smoke without Fire

via Morley's site

I'm listening to some Billie Holiday and searching for good street art as a reward for writing today. Two more exams to go. I don't really mind when my knowledge is tested(haha that sounds slightly arrogant), these exams just feel redundant after assignments and presentations and so on. I'd much prefer everyone coming prepared, sitting around a round table (we're just eight people in the group) and then discussing the theme.

One of the articles was on how our perception now is based mainly on what we see, because we equate vision with truth, reality, objectivity and reason. But throughout history, people have chosen to split the body from the mind (Cogito ergo sum and so on), to make it separate entities. This is not the thing that interested me most though. The writer, Coleman I think, stated that the belief that we can separate our consciousness from our bodies (for instance Moravec's idea that in the future our consciousness will be downloadable to some supercomputer and we'll be able to live forever) is similar to the Christian belief, or probably belief of most religions come to think of it, that after death our soul transcends its earthly bounds, leaves the body behind and can live forever in Heaven. I wonder if it is not all just a fear of death, of not living before or after this, that makes us believe in both God and technology.

Here's more Morley, check him out on his site and on FB.

via the Facebook site

via the Morley's website. 

Street

I wish there were more street art in Pretoria. But we are so used to sitting in transport rather than walking ourselves that I don't think street art is "big" here. Also, I doubt whether all the nice neighbours will appreciate art on their pristine walls.

Here is one from my Paris days. Harsh?!

Vir Schoemanstraatslette en ander inwoners *

My friend Berdene features in the following videos, which are part of Webfest's finalists.
Vote for her if you like it:

 - Car Guarded

 - Devil in a Fishtank

The first year I was studying here I was constantly comparing the city to the one's I had lived in in Europe. But one must realize that Pretoria is far removed from the socio-cultural activities that happen in big metropolitan cities and that here, there are different things to experience. You cannot hope to relive Paris in Pretoria. But you can embrace what this city is trying to offer.

As already blogged about, the Pretoria Stadstapper Fotoklap ( read more here and here), aims to experience different neighbourhoods and to explore them with their cameras.

Also, Capital Arts is another venture to bring art back into the city.
Recently, they hosted the Capital Arts in the Park, where one could get together at Magnolia Dell park and look at the exhibited pieces while enjoying a soft serve. Although I did not appreciate any of the art that much, I did enjoy going somewhere a little different and watching all the people.

At Magnolia Dell , October 2011

There is even a blog dedicated to happenings in Pretoria: IlovePretoria.

What else is there to do here? Ah yes, Park Acoustics.

I know there is a lot more going on in the city that I am not aware of, and that if one resists the urge to constantly compare this city to other capitals in the world, one will find that there is still a lot to do here other than sitting at home watching the rugby, having a braai or washing one's car.






* for Schoemanstreetsluts and other residents

Be kind

I am not sure whether one should be kind by looking away quickly, or whether these are separate tags.. 

Both are sound advice..

Found outside Pure café near Duncan road..

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JR : can art change the world?

Download the original at TED.com

www.insideoutproject.net