Pics of your friends falling down drunk? Send them to us we will post them!
Nov 24, 2009 – Dec 18, 2009
”To Study Design Is To Be Brainwashed“ -{THS}
The pursuit of truth, absurdity of morality and irony of inhibition is the content of {THS} ‘s new show titled: ‘FOR ALL IS VANITY’ which follows his ‘Trash urban warfare porn dirrty pop’ style. His new canvases are the continuation of his ‘Gluebooks’, a selection of sketchbooks containing collage and filled with handwriting, rawness, dirt & pornographic images. His new work feels like a gigantic resized version of his Gluebooks from paper to canvas. An enlargement both in size and insanity.
Thomas Schostok aka {ths} was born in 1972 and started his career as a salesman for bathroom tiles. In 1999 he founded and represented himself as ‘{ths}’, working in his own studio as a designer/artist for international and national clients. He never studies design because he always thought, to study design is to be brainwashed. {ths} released three monographs/books: ‘Hard Blow’ (Rojo Editions, 2008), a book about the pornographic artwork in his so called ‘Gluebooks’ (Sketchbooks); ‘Mr. Trash’ (self published), volume one of his art and design works during the last 10 years of his career.
{ths} had exhibitions in the USA, UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, Germany and Taiwan. His love for typography can always admired in his art and design work. In 2002 he founded ‘The Cape Arcona Type Foundry’, a type foundry that produces and distributes digital typefaces. {ths} is without anger or hate, because it’s fondness for Elvis Presley and Barry White records, that continuous playing during working, make him nice and merry. - Hail to the King, Baby.
[Special Thanks to Aprile @ Notpaper]
®artspace Barcelona
ROJO®. Carrer Girona 61, Eixample. 08009 Barcelona. Spain.
talk: +34 934 673 598
online: www.rojo-barcelona.com
Friday night, I was sitting at a local bar on la Rambla del Raval, when I came across a series of collages on the wall. Hung side by side, I scanned the series and instantly fell in love with every piece hanging on the dimly lit walls. Arranged using colored construction paper, cardboard and newspaper each of his abstract figures became increasingly interesting. That is when I became a fan of Jordi Estivill.
Jordi, originally born in Barcelona- is a mix media artist who uses sculptures, wood, clay, recycled materials, and random objects as his medium. His eye for detail make his pieces so captivating and original that any one of his pieces will leave you wanting more. Impressive by themselves- his true genius is evident when taking in his work as a whole. The themes in his compositions hints towards carnival performers, circus clowns, actors, exotic women from the far east and surreal characters that look at you with watchful eyes and complicated hearts. While his work has an air of familiarity, it still manages to exude his personal style and highlight his unique ability to combine color and textures.
The pieces below are part of a series named: Compositions. Made up entirely of materials found in the flea markets of Barcelona and Beijing- Jordi uses materials such as paper, cardboard, old magazine clippings to stimulate the plastic representation of different portraits of characters.
In his series “JOINTS” - Mr. Estivill has gone a step further creating art with pieces of wood found on remote beaches on the islands of Menorca and Formentera. With its worn out textures and muted tones the magic is present by the remains of fragments of the objects original colors- eroded by the sun, sea and sand. A combination that becomes visible when the pieces are inserted, combined and engaged under the direction of the artist- revealing unexpected qualities in ordinary objects.
Composición con guitarra
Ensamblaje maderas
100cmx100cm
“Figures al jardí”
For more on JORDI ESTIVILL click on the picture below.
Porrait of an ARTIST’S STUDIO
“THE STREET IS DANGEROUSLY CREATIVE” -Christian Lacroix
While others prefer the high-profile title of “Fashion Cities” such as Milan, Paris and London. Le Look keeps their eyes on the plazas, alleys and bars of Barcelona’s 5 different barrios which make up the mix and match fabric of the city’s street fashion scene. LE LOOK’s cameras capture hunt down real people- nonconformists that happily mix H&M with Dior and can rock Alexander McQueen with the same ease of toting a 2 euro purse from one of the many vintage stores on Calle Carme.
This past Thursday Le Look invaded Vintage Bar in the Borne, and turned the space into it’s very own urban fashion incubator. The venue which is a great space for parties is divided into several rooms and gives the feeling of stepping into a posh living room rather than a cramped Barcelona bar. Hosted by LELOOK and the folks at Fashionfreax this event was the launch party for the latest collection of fashion designer and muse ANNA K. Normally a party like this would be filled with pretentious fashionistas but the party was incredibly laid back with more people talking face to face rather than into their cell phones.** Special Thanks to our man Martin Hesbert, for documenting the night’s vibe.
DJ Mustache had the sounds in check while VJ Sacha provided the eye candy in the background.However, the cameras were turned on the crowds at this particular party- the dress code on the invite was in bold. The simple instructions printed in 24 font EXTRAVA K.
LE LOOK staffers mingled around the room, picking out the most interesting looks and inviting the guests to strike a pose in front of their impromptu photo studio in the bars foyer. At midnight, those looks that had managed to raise eyebrows (I am talking about you bearded man in a blue dress) were invited to hit the catwalk and strut their lelook for cava sipping crowds.
Barcelona’s cool hunters, fashion editors, and stylist were out supporting LE LOOK in full force.
LE LOOK’s last event back in April made headlines and this seasons party was no different. Michael Mueller from Barcelona’s MINIGUIDE* , summed it up best… ” It’s nice to see Barcelona finally coming into its own and setting trends rather than following them ”.
For a complete look at the parties most fashion forward looks click here
On any given saturday afternoon, you can find me at RAS.
A simple concrete space that, over the years, has become the go to place for all creative minds.Often copied but never reproduced RAS is the original Barcelona design bookstore.
With the symphony of chaos outside- once inside its door RAS, feels like a decompression chamber. A temple dedicated to those with on a hunt for trends and inspiration. Sitting quietly on Doctor Dou Street, the shop is unique due to its vast collection of magazines, design books and an art/ lecture space in the back. Just a few steps from the MACBA and CCCB, it has become upper Raval’s epicenter of art and culture in an area that up until a few years ago, was the sort of place that you avoided at all costs. With countless books to choose from Ras will make a believer out of anyone.
C/Doctor Dou 10- Barcelona _ Tues-Sat 11am-9pm_93.412.71.99
This week TimeOut Barcelona announced the winners of their 2009 culinary awards at Luz de Gas, with seven categories and eight judges TimeOut managed to find seven the most distinctive restaurants in the city.
Anyone who has been to Barcelona- understands how eating here can be like an Olympic sport, with hundreds of restaurants to choose from, finding the “right” place can leave you feeling a bit stressed. This list will help you out if you coming to the city on holiday,or simply looking for a place to impress a date.
READER’S CHOICE AWARD_ Torre D’ Alta Mar
Here are the 2009 Winners of the PREMIS GASTRONOMICS, a list compiled by TimeOut and judged by 8 of the most prestigious names in the Catalan culinary world. For more information on the winners please click here
BEST TRADITIONAL CUISINE: Freixa Tradition
BEST INTERNATIONAL CUISINE : Koy Shunka
BEST MENU: La Mar Salada
BEST WINE LIST: CalXim
CRITIC’S PICK: Bar Velodromo SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: Dos Cielos ** pulso_pick
For a complete list of the Winners and Runner-ups click on the TimeOut Logo
The 15th edition of one of the world’s greatest design fairs opens today, November 12 and runs through December 13. Already a staple in design cities such as London, Miami, Sao Paulo, Milan, Lisboa & Madrid.
Casa Decor, is a yearly event where the most talented of architects, interior designers and manufacturers show off their talent under one roof. The purpose of Casa Decor is to create fully decorated rooms which temporarily transform empty buildings. This year the location is the famous CASA LLORENC in the eixample district of Barcelona.
The space allows the designers to showcase their talent to industry leaders and visitors alike. Guests walk from bedroom to bathroom, kitchen to home office designed with the look and feel of each company’s brand. The perfect platform to meet the people who move and design the trends which we will be following in the upcoming year. PulsoBCN favorite ARQUITECTURA-G, will be showing at Casa Decor this year, so if you attend make sure to say hi.
A specially designed restaurant and bar (usually a collaboration between a local restaurant group with a favorite design house) is fully functioning and is open for breakfast, lunch and for private events in the evening.
CASA DECOR 09 BARCELONA
Location: Casa Llorenc C/Corsega 261 Open: 11-21hr_ everyday from 12.11.09 through 13.12.09 Admission:12 euros
For more info on {click here}
![le cool[1]](http://pulsobcn.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/le-cool12.jpg?w=490 "le cool[1]")
photo by: David Naveira
Seven months ago I packed up my things and left the pastel colored buildings of South Beach, for the more exciting city of Barcelona. Part Spanish myself, I thought it would be easier to assimilate. It was harder than I thought…However, one book did change save my life…
”The Weird & Wonderful Guide To Barcelona” by LeCool.
While Vicky and Cristina were spending time in a basically non-existent Barcelona, I sat in a café in the Born, listening to a guitar player and flipping through the copy of my little red book. Filled with tips and illustrated maps, this book is packed with information on every neighborhood and is compiled using tips from people on the streets, waiters as well as local celebrities. That afternoon was perhaps my best day in Barcelona and it did not involve an encounter with Javier Bardem.
For those of you coming to Barcelona, take heed. As soon as you arrive in the city- ditch you bags in your hotel and find a book store and buy this Barcelona bible. If you weren’t a believer in the church of LeCool you will be by the time you have your 3rd encimada.
To buy the little red book try the bookstores at the MACBA or CCCB or any other small bookstore or lifestyle store.
For more info on LeCool click on the logo.
Direct from Paris – Wax Tailor brings his signature sound to the Barcelona stage on November 19. His latest album “In The Mood For Life” features his trademark sampling and seamless blend of jazz arrangements over soulful lyrics and Hip-Hop beats. The video below shows a talented producer collaborating with up and coming artists from New York to Paris to create an orchestra of vintage inspired beats with old movie sound bites. Bouncing back and forth between styles and genres his newest sonic endeavor will appeal to those looking for chilled out tracks (Oscar) as well as those with more adventurous musical palate (Cheron).
To sample the mind-blowing new album “IN THE MOOD FOR LIFE”
WAX TAILOR – @ SALA APOLLO - NOVEMBER 19, 2009 – 20hr
is a brilliant Show at the Santa Monica Art Center in the lower RAVAL. Now in its 20th edition, they have provided a great retrospect of the catalogue of their work. Aimed at bringing art and technology together, they have presented a great collection of work that spans two decades in the making.
“At the beginning of this third millennium we enter a process in which art and science run together on parallel paths..”
Artificial Life, Virtual Reality, computer generated images… are only the first chapter of a new universe, capable of both broadening and shrinking the human spirit
_ ART FUTURA
Last Thursday Improv Everywhere partnered up with ART FUTURA for the MP3 Experiment on Las Ramblas. Hundreds of people downloaded instructions on their MP3 player and showed up to the front door of the center without any idea what was in store for them. See what happens when technology encourages real time interaction.
In 2004 a brilliant idea was unrolled over the dinner table. After years of owning Papels Airbau, the owner Jamie Bermejo Cutillas, wanted to focus on a different way to do wall coverings. A more modern approach to what was being considered at the time- as something extremely ugly and in poor taste.
They stripped the former company of its outdated image and went to work on the new company’s make-over. The first change came when they came across the decade old archives of his father’s samples from the 1970′s. With dozens of designs, they found roll after roll of wallpaper which inspired them to create their first collection as Tres Tintas called : REVIVAL
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The color combinations and flair for the print was a smashing success and a modern-day company was born. With an appreciation for new talent, the owners set out on a quest to find the most talented new designer in Barcelona. From the streets of the born to the design Studio, Tres Tintas has been a launching point for street artists and students alike. Since its inception the idea was not only to discover new talent but also to encourage designers to be inspied by the city and collaborate with TRES TINTAS to produce unique wall coverings with a spanish point of view
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Perfect for accent walls, home offices or commercial spaces, Tres Tintas offers a wide variety of styles and colors that allow you to make a BOLD statement or subtly dress up a corner.
Their prints are a great modern solution for young urbanites who are price conscious yet understand that saving money doesn’t mean you have to cut down on style. Always one to be a step ahead- Tres Tintas will be rolling out WALL-A-PORTER, a new software that will allow you to upload a picture of your room so that you can get an idea of what your space will look like with different shades and patterns. To start picking your accent wall you can can head over to TRES TINTAS and start browsing {HERE}
_Aerial View Of La Barceloneta
MUJI and WHOTELLS (not to be confused with THE W HOTEL) have teamed up and the collaboration has been inspired by the sea. The result is a simple holiday flat for those who want the comfort of staying somewhere that feels more like you have the keys to a friend’s pad rather than staying in a corporate chain.
They offer three properties around Barcelona however, keep in mind that depending on which neighborhood you choose to stay at it, it will have a dramatic impact on your perception of Barcelona. These apart-hotels have buildings in 3 areas: The Barceloneta, The Raval & The Eixample but, like three children its hard to say which one you like best
Having furnished all of their apartments with the simplistic modern touch of MUJI ( one of my favorite stores) the Barceloneta property is a laid back loft done up in simple blues.
The edgier brother is the property in Raval home to vintage shops, cool pubs and the skateboarders at the MACBA.
While the Eixample property is the personification of the uncluttered urban attitude with a definite point of view.
Check it out for yourself. WHOTELLS and MUJI: a match made in heaven.
This solar powered universal charger is exactly what the world needs now. Throw it in your bag and charge up your phone or ipod while you sit on the terrace of your favorite cafe.
-David Naveira
YEAH …BUT IS IT ART?…..
Ray Johnson will be rolling in his grave next week when the MACBA presents a retrospective on the ART World’s most famously unknown artist: RAY JOHNSON
I came across his work 6 months ago when reading The Accidental Masterpiece: On The Art Of Life And Vice Versa by Michael Kimmelman, a book written about the most staggering geniuses the world never knew.
Ray Johnson was the first to revel in POP ART. The original Andy Warhol, he manipulated his public image as an artist/celebrity, no one really ever knew the man behind the artist. The fact that he died with 400,000 in a bank account when most people thought he didn’t have a dime, is a true tesitimony to his secrecy. He increasingly became hell-bent on blurring the line between what could be considered art. The ANTI ARTIST, his specialty was mind games, puzzles and clues.
One of my favorite Johnson anecdotes is the one where a bargin-hunting art collector offered him 1/4 of the price of the canvas. Johnson then took his check and cut out 1/4 of the canvas.
The grandfather of mashup and sampling, he became interested in MAIL ART, a project in which he would mail unfinished pieces of his art to other famous people, friends, and strangers with the simple instructions to: “Please ADD to and RETURN”.
His Final OPUS was an art performance he called NOTHINGS inspired by the number 13. On a cold winter’s day he checked into a hotel, room 247 (2+4+7=13) to be exact. He then drove up the highway to the bridge where he completed his final work by jumping off a bridge into the freezing waters of Sag Harbour in New York on JAN 13th the day of his birthday. No coincidence then that he was found dead at age 67 (6+7=13).
The exhibit in Barcelona curated by Alex Sainsbury in collaboration with Chus Martinez is simply called: “Ray Johnson. Please Add to & Return” and opens at the MACBA on November6th. This retrospective of Johnson’s collages and mailings will mark the first time that an exhibition dedicated to the artist will take place in Spain.
The exhibitions Ray Johnson: Please Add to & Return and John Cage and Experimental Art: The Anarchy of Silence will be simultaneously on view at the MACBA, affording an opportunity to explore the relations between the work of both artists. Ray Johnson, frequent reference is made to the figure and work of John Cage. His work reflects an in-depth interest in the idea of chance applied to the artistic approach developed by Cage.
Barcelona Cathedral- Cathederal Seu by Coyle1982 -{
