Saturday, July 29, 2006

Ryoji Ikeda / Skoltz_Kolgen / Alog / Richard Chartier / William Basinski - all Performing in SF

C4I


Official Ryoji Ikeda site


Those of you who know the work of digital minimalist composer Ryoji Ikeda also no doubt know of the rarity of his US performances and recognize this as the opportunity it is to be aurally & visually stunned. Especially in the case of the surround performances. Sadly, not happening in my town and I was just in SF a month ago and won't be able to attend these shows. Breaks my heart. If you live in the Bay Area the word I would use is Unmissable!

Recombinant Media Labs Ryoji Ikeda site


Montreal multimedia maestros Skoltz_Kolgen will be perfoming a new audio/video piece in SF a week later as well as an exhibit of their installation piece "Aaska" which was premiered at Mutek last year in the Museum of Contemporary Art and was a thing of beauty. Making for another couple nights of unmissable sound/video arts.


Recombinant Media Labs Skoltz_Kolgen site


If that aint enough Rune Grammofon artists Alog from Norway are perfoming in the SF Electronic Music Fest that same week along with James Tenney among others:

SF Electronic Music Fest site


...And Richard Chartier, William Basinski, Tim Hecker and Frank Bretschneider are performing as part of the 'Bleeding Edge Fest' along with a number of other quality names in a diverse bill of good avant-rock and exceptional electronic sounds:

Bleeding Edge Fest site


I shoulda invested in that time machine and moved to San Francisco six months ago.
Fark.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Lead Pencil / Lawrimore Project : 'Maryhill Double' Installation / 'If These Walls' Opening

MARYHILL DOUBLE

Once again Lead Pencil go about their ingenius work of blurring the definitions of architecture and installation - best read the details at the site rather than me getting all wordy on it - this one being out in the middle of nowhere aka the Columbia Gorge. Future roadtrip in order!

Lead Pencil 'Maryhill Double' Installation site


SuttonBeresCuller - If These Walls 'Revelation Ceremony' - Opening July 15. Yep, a bit post-event on this one, but if you've ever had the joy of seeing the mobile installations by SuttonBeresCuller such as 'There Goes the Neighborhood' or their 'Trailer Park' out and about town, this is an opportunity to witness more of their work - albeit in a 'bug caught under glass' ( ie: presented in a gallery) sort of way that takes away the situationalist-public-interraction aspect that I find to be my fave thing about their various works. The Lawrimore is an attractive gallery and certainly shows much promise for future shows, no surprise in the fact that the space was designed by Lead Pencil.

Lawrimore Project - SuttonBeresCuller site


Saturday, July 15, 2006

New Films by : Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Yoji Yamada, Cristi Puiu - at NWFF & Landmark


HIDDEN BLADE


Seems like cinema is the only thing I've been writing on as of recent - probably due to there being an abundance of films like these going on - all return engagements of some of my SIFF faves from this year:

The new Hou Hsiao-Hsien is at the NWFF - just saw it last night - man is it ever slooooow, but good. More methodical than his last two "Millenium Mambo" and "Cafe Lumier" and more varied in style - reflecting each of the three 'times' depicted - 1966 - 1911 - 2005. Prepare for the clock to stop. Serious.


"Three Times" site w/ Trailer


Yoji Yamada's second film in the trilogy after "Twilight Samurai" another beautifully shot quiet examination of the struggle of the individual vs. the feudal institution - at the Landmark - Varsity 7/13 - 20:


"Hidden Blade" site w/ Trailer


Cristi Puiu's Cannes award winning film "Death of Mr. Lazarescu" brutal examination of a man's slow corporeal decline - sounds painful to watch and it is, but pretty incomparable cinema experience too. Landmark - Varsity 7/28 - 8/3


"Death of Mr. Lazarescu" site