Category Archives: activism

Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary)

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Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary) – (2006, 65.8MB, 6:05)

From the excellent Media That Matters, powered by Arts Engine,
a short film from the Media Matters Film Festival 6.
Submissions are soon due for the 8th annual online festival.
Since I saw much of 6 on the big screen last year,
I’m reposting some of the most striking pieces.
All pieces are made by youth or other independent producers,
all under eight minutes.
This stalkumentary is also a 72-minute documentary,
cut down here to reach a wider audience.
Stories like these make so much sense to me,
being from a similar area, similar background.
Poignantly done, this is a lovely piece.
I also happen to really like asparagus.

Kevin Flanagan – Transformations

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transformations
Transformations v 1.0 (2007, 54MB, 2:47 min)

We’ve featured some of Irish artist Kev Flanagan’s work here
before.
He’s just started a new video blog which manifests a radically different
approach to that of his previous work.
Here’s an example – it’s slow (in a good sense), meditative and hypnotic.
Kev says he’s been looking at a lot of Chris Marker’s work – I can see that high
seriousness coming through, but this puts me in mind more of Tarkovsky or
particularly Tarkovsky’s sensibility in the face of natural phenomena.

What Would Jesus Buy?

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Trailer for ,
a documentary about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping,
produced by Morgan Spurlock.
I’m not convinced that Spurlock is the man to spread a good message,
but I sure would go to any church where Rev. Billy showed up.
DRIVE THE DEMONS OUT OF THOSE CASH REGISTERS!!

Patrick Lichty Season – #2

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One Language, Indivisible
One Language, Indivisible (2003, 20.9MB, 2:52 min)

Corporate Ritual
Corporate Ritual (2003, 5.4MB, 1:43 min)

Corporate Ritual
America’s Most Famous Mexican (2003, 9MB, 1:41 min)

‘Two!’ I hear you cry ‘Two! – WHEN WAS ONE!?’
Well it was er..um..in April & I meant to post more
sooner only I was just plain dilatory.
Partly because the body of work Patrick has handed over
to us is simply somewhat overwhelming in volume & scope
& I’m actually a bit overawed.
So now I’ve grabbed the bull by the horns & am going to
post these three, which showcase Lichty the radical.
They’re funny, pointed and (always a good sign with political art
IMHO) really, really weird…
[Actually, coming back to revise this post, it occurred to me
I don’t think Swiftian is entirely hyperbolic]
There’ll be more before too long…

Deaf Culture

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Deaf
Deaf (2006, 5.7MB, 56 sec.)

Volcano
Volcano (2006, 7.6MB, 54 sec.)

Two beautiful & expressive poems in sign language.

The first is in British sign language
& comes from the deaf arts forum in Edinburgh,
Scotland. There are subtitles for the hearing.

The second is in American Sign Language & is written &
performed by Ellie, a sixth grader at the Metro deaf school in St Paul.

No translation for this one, so non signers should bear
the title in mind & enjoy the volcanic performance.

Inflatables in Public Space

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JooYoun Paek – Self-Sustainable Chair (2007, 4.2MB, 1:37)

Joo Youn Paek demonstrates how to use her
self-sustaining chair on a walk down the street.
This and several related excellent related projects
originate in the NYU ITP program.


Real DMB TU – Life Dress (2007, 5.2MB, 0:33)

From Anna Maria Cornelia (also known by pseudonym
Ann De Gersem), a Life Dress which allows a person
to create instant personal boundaries in public.
As a woman often bothered by unwanted attention
in public – not to mention a lover of profound design
– I am so pleased by this concept, even if the end
result might be even more unsolicited scrutiny.
The dress is featured here in a commercial for
South Korea’s mobile broadcast service, TU Media.

Peace Not War – Glass Bead Collective

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Peace Not War
Peace not War(2007, 33.8MB, 1:06 min.)

Will this action/piece by the Glass Bead Collective hasten the
end of any war? Dunno – nice to think so, but I’m sceptical.
What it certainly does, though, is to add considerably to the
store of human wonder.
When we stop our lords & masters spending money on invasions,
& we’ve fed & housed everyone, then we should definitely
spend some of what’s left on high-powered projectors.

Smolarski/Langager – <em>Robert Roth's 'Health Proxy'</em>

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Robert Roth
Readings from ‘Health Proxy’ (2007, 32.7MB, 8:19 min.)

So..declaration of interest..Robert Roth is a friend of mine & I get mentioned in the book.
Nonetheless, if he was my worst enemy, I’d still say watch this, then .
Health Proxy is pretty much sui generis..the only comparisons I can think of being those fragmentary, diaristic things in the Japanese tradition:The Pillow Book or Essays in Idleness.
Of course Kenko & Sei Shonagon never wrote about baseball or AIDS,
nor were they animated by the massively warm oppositional & radical spirit we find here.
The video is a nice job too – not only is it elegantly made, but Langager and Smolarski
pass the documentary acid test of honouring their subject matter whilst still creating
something with a palpable sense of their authorship.