Art Basel is still the biggest and most important art show on the globe. It starts for the public on June 18th and lasts 4 days. Among interesting newcomers, it is good to see New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery bringing artist Carrie Mae Weems; the gallery specialises in work from Africa and east Asia, as well as North America, a welcome addition to the overall fairly Eurocentric scene that is Basel. The American artist who works with text, fabric, audio, digital images, and installation video but is best known for her work in the field of photography.
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Albert Hammond Jr. – He Knows What He Is Doing
Yes, sure – He is the guitarist of The Strokes. Albert Hammond Jr describes his third solo album as “a love letter to my past self”, and it’s not hard to link latest cut ‘Losing Touch’ with his tales of drug excess. “Pop your confusion into my arm/Left with a contusion and a vein full of scars”, he sings over muted guitars. After that, a high-pitched, fuzzed-up melody needles through, bringing this impassioned break from the past into furious life.
Graffiti of the Week – Street Art Nr. 166
Ponte City – Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse win Photo Prize
South African photographer Mikhael Subotzky and British artist Patrick Waterhouse have won the Deustche Börse photography prize – the most important European photo prize – for their publication Ponte City, a study of an apartment block in Johannesburg. This is a masterpiece and a document in time of the skyscraper that is a symbol of apartheid. Here is a selection of their winning images:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – This is Good
For once TrendEngel is quoting a critic. David Ehrlich of TIme Out fame says abut Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: What begins as a spirited but safely familiar pastiche of John Hughes and Wes Anderson is compelled to become its own thing, Gomez-Rejon’s film embracing the most tired tropes of stereotypical YA weepies so that it can kiss them goodbye. What a cast: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon and Connie Britton. The trailer:
Barbour – Beacon Heritage Brand
Barbour is not a brand you would think about when it comes to fashion. The word heritage also dent spring o mind when asked about trends. But Barbour Heritage Beacon Brand is one of the coolest things around in men’s fashion. Check this out.
Holy Holy – Impossible Like You
The lead track from Holy Holy’s debut UK EP ‘The Pacific’, ‘Impossible Like You’ comes over like Midlake’s back catalogue being artfully mined by the iconic Master Musicians of Joujouka (a Moroccan group noted for their part in Stones founder Brian Jones’ ‘…Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka’ LP). Feather-soft harmonies flutter over rolling Moroccan riffs courtesy of Brisbane’s Timothy Carroll and Melbourne’s Oscar Dawson. Be prepared for yet another summer of love.
Graffiti of the Week – Street Art Nr. 165
Rochelle Canteen – Paradise in London
Converted from the old school bike shed in the coolest area of London – east of Shoreditch High Street, Rochelle Canteen looks out onto the grassy playground and the trees of Arnold Circus beyond. Whenever it’s warm enough tables are set outside the canteen for a peaceful sit in the sun. Possibly the most beautiful spot in London and definetely some of the best food anywhere. This is a canteen for the creatives working here, and those lucky outsiders in the know. Once you’re one of them, you’ll find a short but enticing menu that, on our visit, included a pea soup with bantam egg and mint; grilled quails and green sauce; rabbit rillettes; and a pork chop with mustard and chard. The latter was perfect – the meat slightly charred on the outside, with a hint of pink in the middle and, best of all, a broad ribbon of melting fat and crispy skin running along one side. A colourful platter of herb gnocchi with courgettes and peppers tasted as lovely as it looked, and a dessert of chocolate pots was to die for, in just the way an indulgent, luscious chocolate dessert should be. This food ad the two owners Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson’s will make you happy.
38 Hours in – Possibly the Best Tavel Books Ever
This is all you want from a travel guide and more. Things you can’t easily find with a google search and things that are not in Lonely planet. 38HOURS works closely with local bloggers, journalists and photographers from the featured cities. The interviews, in-depth stories and photographic showcase present the city from a locals perspective. Throughout the 70 pages, the alternative guides allow you to discover interesting locations such as a hidden vineyard in Paris, or contemporary art in a WWII bunker in Berlin.