PARADE

PARADE by Nathalie Djurberg. Currently at the New Museum.

MORE DOMESTIC

HIDE & SHOW

James Barker illustrations.

600 YRS IN PRAGUE

HUMAN NATURE

Debbie Carlos - Human Nature.

TIDY

OCD........ engage.

THE BLACK CHURCH

The Black Church of Transylvania.

MUSEUM OF WITCHCRAFT & SORCERY

HARINEZUMI SHOW

This Friday, at the New Museum. Digital Harinezumi video show.

NEW HUMANS

From New Animals to New Humans. I don't know if I can really recommend New Human's recorded efforts. They could be construed as dense, dull, or dynamic. However, I'm excited to see them play live on April 9 where some interesting visuals may be offered, and the collective noise might be better ingested in mass. They play the new non-profit space in Chelsea, the X-Initiative. This new endeavor occupies the space of the old Dia Chelsea at 548 w 22nd Street. It will only be open for one year with four "phases" of exhibitions.

New Humans recordings can found at ubuweb sound along with numerous other recorded artist interviews and sounds.

AMERICAN MYSTIC

I ran into the photographs of Patrick O'Hare on a recent visit to PS1 in Queens. I've seem severals attempts to reconcile the strange collision of american construction and the broad grandeur of nature. But rarely have these two divergent elements been so elegantly married. The photographs of O'Hare bring us right to the border, right to the weird, fuzzy edge of man's ambition and nature's abandon. O'Hare's photos feel like the eyes of a modern Walt Whitman, a romantic, yet boldly unflinching view of what America has wrought. View more photographs at patrickohare.com.

DEEP DEUTSCH DUB DEVOTION

I'm endorsing this show before I even see it, but I love Pipilotti Rist. Now at the MOMA, Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters), until Feb 2. Must see now.

WEIRD WINDOW

Giorgio Morandi, 1890–1964 retrospective at the MET now open. Simple, subtle, sublime, weird painting. Don't miss it.
New Yorker review.

THE MORNING AFTER

This past weekend I visited the New Museum to see the exhibition entitled "After Nature." The title vainly presumes that humanity will finally kill off nature once and for all. It's another dire entry in the contemporary art world's backlash against biennials and big art market consumerism. Like the International Center for Photography's recent exhibition, the ironically titled Ecotopia, the New Museum's current morbid exhibition is slathered with pessimism for a world past salvation. This is plain acceptance of a bleak, barren and boring landscape free of human or animal life. Many of the works are too mundane to stir much interest, apart from the spacious fourth floor which houses a taxidermy horse body rammed into the wall, a frankenstein tree and tiny photographs of star light. All in all, another downer from the bowery's New Museum, home of the summertime blues. Never mind the building's shiny facade, the contents within create a feeling reflective of the neighborhood - the dirge of dingy and disposable modern life. Save your money and take a walk round the bowery at night for the same effect.

New York Times Review
New Yorker Review

BEACON AND BACK

A friend and I took the Metro North train from Grand Central up to Beacon, NY on the Hudson River. We were off to see the Dia Museum which was well worth the trip. Converted from an old paper factory, the building is gigantic and appropriately houses massive, mostly minimalist artwork. Each section is divided by artist and the work is given a huge amount of breathing room. Endless hardwood floors and plentiful sky lights and comfy couches all compliment the work. A great place to really get away from New York and relax with some work that provides the same rewards as the effort you supply it. Personal favorite rooms were the Robert Smithson, Bruce Nauman, and of course the Andy Warhol (as pictured above). Highly recommeded.

SLICE OF JAPAN

JAPAN CUTS - Festival of New Japanese Film starts this Wednesday, July 2 and runs until July 13th. Lots of great movies, subtitles, giant monsters, after-parties. Check out the LONG CUTS page for all the feature films. So far, Adrift in Tokyo is my fave, but there are lots of good ones to love.

MIXED UP

It seems all I can post about lately is music. MUXTAPE is a new way to make mixtapes online. Thanks to Tomorrowland for the info. You can listen to everyone else's tapes too. Great for when you're tired of your itunes collection. I made this tape all with songs about night - for some reason...



For pictures of old analogue tapes, head over to www.tapedeck.org where some soul has dutifully catalogued these relics in all their plastic glory.