Cats: Rough Exhibition Video | stop-motion

[CATS: Rough Exhibition Video] from Interruptions on Vimeo.

Culture sells! Exotic Falafel, made in the Orient!

Cool is so 90s! Exotica is now!

It is now official! Arabs are exotic, again! But while Edward Said tried to explain the first Orientalist hype as a distribution of geopolitical awareness on the grounds of Western domination over the Orient; this new ‘exotic’ craze is really all about falafel!

Falafel and Shirwal are exotic!

As the world is stripped out of politics in favor of a cooler, easily digested, commercial political celebrities, and as faiths and ideologies are narrowed down to slogans and differing lifestyles, other things seem to have an uprising value! That’s when Falafel and Shirwal became exotic!

Just a year ago I was struck by the sight of ‘blonde bombshells’ walking down Taksim, Istanbul in shirwals! Months later shirwal was re-adopted by cool upper-bourgeoisie class in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan as a fashionable summer outfit! Over the past few years ‘exotic’ has ‘out beaten’ ‘cool’ at many occasions, seducing lower to upper bourgeoisie in western societies as means of cultural consumption;

American pop music played oriental rhythms, celebrities started showing in belly dancers outfit, falafel took over Marks & Spencers ‘traditional food’ section and Melissa featured on an Akon song!

Well there’s nothing upsetting about that, specially that one can now take a girl out to dinner at a terribly filthy place at Al-Balad and still remain ‘exotic’! But the irony lies in this counter-stream consumption approach; as political and military tension arouses in the region, increase of restrictions and political and economic boycotting of entire populations, curiosity towards these cultures increased; and as appeared to some, curiosity sells! It always have! It sold all sorts of things, from shirwals, to falafels, to Buddhist books, to I love NY shirts, to an exotic African-American son of Hussein as president to Guevara’s most consumed poster in history, to Edward Said’s “Orientalism” book itself!

All this seems to be quite different from the counter-culture model of globalization everyone made such a fuss about; as if culture never experienced evolution, and it’s can-protected since our ancestors first invented Humos!

Culture sells, and Globalization is pro-market and not counter-culture!

And soon Falafel would be franchised and we would claim intellectual rights of our Falafel and whine like the Italians do over their stolen pizzas!

But either ways, Since Fukyama announced ‘the end of history’ there’s no place left to ‘deliver’, but rather much to sell/consume! So it’s almost ‘wise’ if we could start branding and packaging all sorts of consumer goods starting with falafel and all the way to packaging values, history, culture and all sorts of exotic things, preferably in colorful textiles with Arabic calligraphy and sell at competing prices!

Made in the Orient!

[Cats: Work-in-Progress] Video on Interruptions Vimeo Channel

CATATONIA [Work-in-progress] from Interruptions on Vimeo.

EUROPE 40 UNDER 40 / '09 LAUREATES

ALL EYES ON EUROPE'S EMERGING YOUNG ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS; BE INSPIRED!

By: Yazan Baggili

Sources: 'European Centre' & 'World Architecture News'

“Europe 40 Under 40” is an annual awards program that celebrates the next new talented generation of European architects. The program is directed to support new and emerging design talent that will influence the near future of European architectural design, thinking, and theory with the direct consequence of impacting future environments and future European and international cities. The key is to bring wider recognition to 40 of the most promising emerging architects working in the European Union and other countries inside Europe, fostering and encouraging new talent and new creative thinking at the forefront of tomorrow's profession.

The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design announced the selection of this year’s most promising and emerging European design talent with architects and industrial designers from architecture and industrial design and manufacturing firms across Europe hailing from 19 European nations.

-

Germany produced the greatest number of

up-and-coming architects with 9 winners,

closely followed by Italy's 8 recipients.

The jury included distinguished architectural practitioners, developers, architectural journalists, educators, and critics. “The jury selection and process was extremely difficult,” states Ioannis Karalias, Museum Vice President, The Chicago Athenaeum. “The jury was presented with hundreds of excellent projects and designs from skyscrapers and large-scale urban planning projects to the highest quality industrial design for commercial and consumer use. It was difficult to narrow the number down to simply 40 design firms (60 designers and partners of design firms in total).”

Architectural projects include (built or un-built): corporate architecture, skyscrapers, institutional projects, religious buildings, civic and political structures, planning projects, urban renewal, restoration/renovation, residential architecture for single family and multi-family dwellings, stores, residential or commercial interiors, sports and transportation centers, and public environments. Architects, Landscape Architects and Urban Planners are eligible under these categories.

Designed products include (manufactured or in production): electronics, medical equipment, furniture, textiles, equipment, hardware, tools, kitchen and bath, floor-covering, table top, household products, personal effects, appliances, office products, transportation, children's products, sports and recreation, lighting, public environments, fashion, and graphic design. Professionals in Design, Graphics, Fashion, and Textile Design are also eligible for these categories.

Projects were judged on the merit of design innovation

with the emphasis on pushing the envelope on

conventional methods and exploring new ideas,

theories, and approaches to contemporary design.

And the winners are: (drum roll…)

AUSTRIA
- Josef Saller, Architect / heri & salli
- Herbert Wolfmayr, Architect / heri & salli

BELGIUM
- Frederik Aerts, Industrial Designer / Berghoff Worldwide
- Thomas Bercy, Architect / Bercy Chen Studio LP.
- Wim Goes, Architect / Wim Goes Architectuur
- Pieterjan Deblauwe, Industrial Designer / Pieterjan Deblauwe

DENMARK
- Thomas Brinch-Møller, Architect / DOK54
- Anders Lendager, Architect / MAPT
- Jacob M. Lund, Architect / DOK54

FINLAND
- Olli Komulaninen, Industrial Designer / Polar Electro Oy.
- Illka Suppanen, Architect and Industrial Designer / Studio Suppanen

FRANCE
- Charles Bessard, Architect / Powerhouse Company

GERMANY
- Alain Berteau, Architect and Industrial Designer / Alain Berteau Designworks
- Jens Bruenslow, Architect / Architecture Project
- Kati Meyer-Brühl, Industrial Designer / Brühl & Sippold GmbH.
- Holger Kehne, Architect / Plasma Studio
- Tobias Kraus, Architect / Kraus Schönberg
- Claudia Schmidt, Architect / MIR Architecten
- Timm Schönberg, Architect / Kraus Schönberg
- Alexander Tränkle, Industrial Designer / Alexander Tränkle
- Constantine Wortmann, Industrial Designer / Büro für Form Designstudio

GREAT BRITAIN
- Simon Frommenwiler, Architect / HHF Architects GmbH.
- Morten Villiers Warren, Industrial Designer / Native Design Ltd .

GREECE
- Panos Parthenios, Architect / Parthenios Architects + Associates

ICELAND
- Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdótir, Architect / Minarc

ITALY
- Federico Bargone, Architect / Sbarch Associates
- Francesco Bartolucci, Architect / Sbarch Associates
- Franco Cervi, Industrial Designer / 27_9
- Alessandro Console, Architect / Console-Oliva Architects
- Francesco Iodice, Architect / IODICEARCHETTI
- Daniele Lago, Industrial Designer / Lago SpA.
- Orsola Pezone, Architect / IODICEARCHETTI
- Marcello Silvestre, Architect / IODICEARCHETTI

LATVIA
- Juris Mitenbergs, Architect / AB3D Ltd.

THE NETHERLANDS
- Nanne de Ru, Architect / Powerhouse Company
- Frederike Top, Industrial Designer / Frederike Top Ontwerp
- Ronald Schleurholts, Architect / Architectenbureau Cepezed

NORWAY
- Petter Knudsen, Industrial Designer / Petter Knudsen Design
- Leif Steven Verdu-Isachsen, Industrial Designer / KODE Design AS.

POLAND
- Beata Goczol, Architect / Goczolowie Architekti Studio
- Barbara Grabczewska, Architect / Ovo Grabczewscy Architekci
- Oskar Grabczewski, Architect / Ovo Grabczewscy Architekci
- Marcin Kościuch, Architect / Ultra Architects SC.
- Tomasz Osięgłowski, Architect / Ultra Architects SC.
- Anna Siedlecka, Industrial Design / Studio Puff-Buff Design SC.

PORTUGAL
- Camilo Rebelo, Architect / Camilo Rebelo Arquitecto Uniperssoal Lta.

SERBIA
- Branko Lukic, Industrial Designer / NONOBJECT

SLOVENIA
- Aljosa Dekleva, Architect / Dekleva Gregoric Arhitekti
- Tina Gregoric, Architect / Dekleva Gregoric Arhitekti

SPAIN
- Raul del Valle González, Architect / Maquinas Para Vivir, SL.
- Luis Suárez Mansilla, Architect / Suárez Santas Arquitectos
- Pablo Oriol, Architect / FRPO-Rodriguez y Oriol Arquitectos
- Fernando Rodriguez, Architect / FRPO-Rodriguez y Oriol Arquitectos
- Asier Santas Torres, Architect / Suárez Santas Arquitectos

SWITZERLAND
- Simon Hartmann, Architect / HHF Architects GmbH.
- Tilo Herlach, Architect / HHF Architects GmbH.
- Pascal Müller, Architect / Müller Sigrist Architects
- Tanya Ruegg, Architect / Camenzind Evolution Architects
- Peter Sigrist, Architect / Müller Sigrist Architects
- Claude Zelleweger, Industrial Designer / One & Company

Death by Megaphone

http://interruptions.ning.com

Happiness is Universal! [Virtual Networking]

Few months ago during Pre-WEF sessions at the YCM program I got to meet Naseem Tarawneh, Mariam and Ramsey Tesdell who spoke of communication ecology as a networking pattern where 'everything is connected to everything' whereas ecology to architects is a matter of balancing and sustaining resources and built/artificial objects by being aware to these connections, the connection itself was the matter to these great guys at 7iber.
And since then I found my new hobby! And basically started playing and messing around until I really confused things up, so I finally had to point fingers to 7iber for my sinning new habit!

Since releasing 'Banana' we've been trying to extend Interruptions network both physical and virtual, after all our early homepage was a bit too retarded after all for a so-called 'activist non-standardized creative platform', and posting that on our crappy homepage sounded a bit too ridiculous!

So first came the BLOG! http://interruptionists.blogspot.com
Interruptions attempt to go digital went off with riots and mayhem!
none of Interruptionists ever had a secret blogger's life and all feared virtual communication making me realize all of Interruptions team is bloggophobic!
I don't know if such a thing ever existed but we surely had to struggle out of it until blogging became 'cool'! And since then, our insane colorful blog gave birth to some of the craziest ideas, and developed Interruptions dramatically. Communicated our thoughts on a broader more elaborative level and increased collaborative material!

The Watwet channel came along, http://watwet.com/channel
and seriously, if blogs were alright, watwet can get annoying as hell!
But also as our Blog, Watwet also was a dose of creative 'on-phone' arguments
and our channel broadcasts to 48 mobile phones now, and is going to be featured by Kareem, CEO of Watwet!

Online Publications! http://issue.com/interruptions
Issuu offers a handsome interface where we uploaded Interruptions editions which can be browsed online at a very flexible and very clear format and can also be downloaded in pdf extension

The Ning network! http://interruptions.ning.com
So here's where everything floods in! A social-network model and a data pool where viewers can sign up for profiles @interruptions and are continously updated with all Interruptions news and uploaded content and can actively engage and upload content, pictures, video and blogposts

Everything synchs with the Ning, better yet, everything synchs with everything!!
The ning features a watwet badge, RSS feed from Blog and views editions uploaded on issuu.com

But here's how everything works now!
take the blog for instance, we post something on the blog and here's what happens
- Blog post is feeded to the Interruptions.ning
- Blog post is feeded to my Facebook profile page
- Blog post title is posted to Interruptions watwet page
- Watwet is sent to 48 mobile phones
- Watwet synchronizes badge on the Blog
- Watwet synchronizes badge on Interruptions.ning
- Watwet sends post to Interruptions twitter account http://twitter.com/interruptionist

The same would happen when a recent activity happens on the Ning!
- activity sent to Interruptions watwet
- watwet synchs with mobiles, badges, twitter and facebook!

And just when this starts to sound nutts, it truly raises a very exciting data exchange models breaking out of rigid virtual dominating online platforms into a more fluid pattern creating endless possibilities of feeding and exchanging content. It's more of a hybrid virtual space, but yet remains a host to typical ideas, typical ways of expression which should, as well, benefit from such technologically driven hybrid spaces to produce boundless content.

(entire post was improvised to test the new blog/watwet/twitter link!)

Too bad I missed this fantastic and surreal event, for I am a lover of cat and owner of many throughout my seven cat lives, the latest being an amazing Russian blue we called BAZZOON, also had the privilege of delivering three litters in one of the bedrooms of our country house, read one of the greatest literary work of the 20th century where one of the central characters is an outrageously funny and demonic cat. All that to say that my comments should hypothetically carry some weight!!!!! So here it is: Design all you want, you will never be able to get into the fantastic mind of a cat. When our cat delivered her litters, for more than 2 months we played hide and seek, the mother kept hiding her litters in places even the most creative or devious mind could not have imagined, (tearing the bottom padding of a a lounge chair and stuffing the litters inside the upholstery. When we asked our veterinarian in exasperation for advice, this is what she had to say: "A cat will hide its litters in places even the devil can't find, and there is nothing yo can do about it!" Our pharaonic ancestors considered these creatures to be mini gods, and sentenced anyone who inflicted harm on them to the death penalty. So you folks have taken on a monumental task, IF YOU FALL SHORT in Catalonia, its population will revolt and cast its spell on all of you!

A toast to these fantastic creatures and any anyone who tries to get into their sublime mind, despite the futility of the feat.

Eman