Graphicairlines

Totally from Hong Kong. Enjoy the voyage of life creation.

Hong Kong creative group Graphicairlines has been flying around the city to spread their love of design. With a wide range of works and being unbelievably active in a variety of projects, their name has grown significantly within the last few years. Not to mention the iconic fat face character has to be credited for their recognition. This young pair will head to Paris next year for their exhibition. Good luck and enjoy the voyage!

Please tell us about Graphicairlines and what is the background of this pair of artists?

3030 New Graphic Design in China

The latest Chinese graphic arts / illustrations / art collections.

Edited by Javin Mo, "3030 New Graphic Design In China" was published by Chinise publisher, 3030 Press. This book is a collection of graphic design by young artists from mainly China.

The number in the title "3030" was taken from the name of 3030 Press, and 30 artists who were born in 1970's to 1980's are introduced in this book. They offer over 3pages for each artists, so that you will not miss their talents while you are looking through their posters, book designs, illustrations.

© Li Xinlu. Courtesy of 3030 PRESS
“3030 New Graphic Design in China” cover artwork

Minimum Interface Exhibition

Potentialities for art and design to be read from interface.

An interactive relationship in interface with running our five senses at full blast. Minimum information without verbal communication provokes our senses directly and takes us to a new domain. Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM] holds an exhibit "Minimum Interface" and suggests an attempt at analyzing the communication design based on the interface. Shift held an interview with YCAM's curatorial team. Taking a close up on unknown potentialities for the interface.

Please introduce yourself.

Yoko Ono - Fly

Yoko Ono's first solo exhibition in China.

It wasn't easy locating Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts, but once you found it, you can't miss the giant poster of Yoko Ono which flanks its exterior.

I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with a 75-year-old showing her cleavage, that was the first thought that rang through my head.

For one who was born in the 1980s after John Lennon's death, I admit I am not familiar with the woman labeled a villain by Beatles' fans, not to mention her works – a conceptual artist whose works for the most part of her life were overshadowed by her relationship with Lennon.

Katsura Moshino

Past, Present, and Future of Katsura Moshino.

Katsura Moshino is a vital artist in talking about the present graphic or illustration. Having worked out videos and products since 80s with free use of illustration, he impacted heavily on generations followed.
Though based on Nagoya, Japan, he disseminated himself to the world. His solo exhibition after 7 and a-half years' absence are going to be organized in Tokyo, which comprise revision of his past works.
Thankfully taking time in his busy schedule on the eve of the exhibition, he told us his past, present, and future.

World Famous Final (1999) © phil co.,ltd.
The poster visual for World Famous, dedicated to Mad Professor

First of all, could you tell us yourself?

MOBILE ART WATCH Ly

The eighth in the series of "MOBILE ART WATCH project" is created by Ly.

On this "MOBILE ART WATCH project", we distribute works through a mobile phone in collaboration with Crypton Future Media. You can download the pieces on the official site of Crypton Future Media with a mobile phone of Au or SoftBank (only in Japan), and use them as a watch on your phone. The 8th edition of the series is created by Ly, who draws bizarre, yet, cute creatures in black and white which are born outward from her inside.
The watch will be released on December 11th.

She created 2 versions: "Cavity Ikimono" with 4 creatures opening each mouth showing their cavities and "Hand Ikimono", numeral shaped creatures with a hand.

Venice Architecture Biennale 2008

Out there: Architecture beyond building.

The 11th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale) explores architecture beyond building. Directed by Aaron Betsky, the 2008 edition of the international exhibition concentrates on experiments, visions and concrete criticism.

Esque Glass Studio

Green products made by recycled glass that adds a value to the piece.

Blob Bowl
White w/ Turquoise, Blue or Ruby / 7”W / $600 / 2008

Within my 5 minutes of (miraculously) finding the meet-up location, I was worried I had arrived a bit too late. Being not a huge coffee drinker makes it slightly difficult to keep tabs on all of the java joints in town. I finally found the Stumptown coffee café at the Ace Hotel downtown, which felt more than appropriate for this interview. Not only is Stumptown known for good coffee, but their business practices run well in line with Esque’s, being eco-smart/friendly as well as offering fair-trade coffee beans to their customers as well as having Esque pieces on display in the shop.
I grabbed a nice seat by the window, looking out on the all-too-familiar grey morning that is the Pacific Northwest only then realizing I had never seen Andi Kovel before in my life. I took a couple minutes looking online for “esque andi kovel” and I found a nice video done by the Coolhunters, featuring a mini interview of Andi & their studio space. After trying to memorize the face, she came through the door and I had a chance to introduce myself. She was sweet, sprite-y, almost like a hippie lumberjack who’d stay up late drinking with the boys and still got up early to make flapjacks.
“It’s sorta like you’re a rock band, in a way, you know? Where the thing is bigger than you, bigger than itself,” Andi says. “We’re definitely looking at the White Stripes & the Gorillaz as the model (of anonymity and mystery), and it’s cool because nobody does that with designers and artwork (in glass).”
Here is a portion of the interview with Andi Kovel. I wish I could transcribe the entire thing, but it would be around 10 pages, and as all writers and women know, you have to leave something for the imagination.

Kustaa Saksi

Kustaa Saksi creates retro-futuristic kaleidoscopic imagery, daunting and irresistible.

The Shift cover for December is created by Kustaa Saksi. As you might have seen his artworks once before, his creation bears the aesthetic aspects of psychedelic and bizarre characteristics, which make a strong impact on as almost intoxicating our brains. SHIFT interviewed Kustaa Saksi who will start his solo exhibition at Maxalot Amsterdam from December 12th.

Could you introduce yourself including your background?

Six Scents

A collaboration between fashion and fragrance that fascinates all women.

The perfume is a magic. A tiny bit of the essence will make you feel elegant and will even more heal your heart. The scent will also bring back a memory from the past. You must remember the scent someone special had perfumed.
Six Scents is an annual project of the limited edition of the fragrance series by 6 groups of artists and perfumers collaborated with Symrise, Metaproject and Seven New York. Participated artists and perfumers for its first edition are Alexandre Herchcovitch, Bernhard Willhelm, Cosmic Wonder Light Source, Gareth Pugh, Jeremy Scott and Preen, who will deliver nice and sweet fragrance to you.

Please tell us about Six Scents. What is it? How did it get started?

Viennaartweek 08

Audacious art venture in Austria.

Excuse us, but has anybody ever given the pitiable flock of art lovers, fashionistas and design aficionados a caring thought? With fashion, art and design weeks popping up like mushrooms all over the globe, how is one supposed to organise one's travel agenda? It would seem vital to figure out the real hotspots, which could turn into a difficult tast given the great number of potential candidates. Let's have a look at an art initiative based in Vienna, Austria.

Not only do the Viennese have their own art fair ViennaFair held every year in spring, for the third time running they have also come up with viennaartweek to attract members of the international art jet-set to the heart of Central Europe. Organised by the Art Cluster Vienna, which is constituted by directors and art experts from all of the city's notable institutions, viennaartweek represents quite ambitious an enterprise.

Sharon Lockhart and Diederich Diederichsen - ArtistsTalk at Secession. Courtesy of Secession

Microwave 2008

Microwave International New Media Arts Festival 2008.

Officiating guests about to connect to oranges for electricity.
Photo: Shong Lam for Microwave International New Media Arts Festival

It’s no doubt that technology takes up a big part in our daily life. On the other hand, technology could be the key element of creating extraordinary artworks. From 7-23 November 2008, Microwave International New Media Arts Festival brings artists/scientists from all over the world to Hong Kong. Through their new media art to explore life technologies and biotech from the point of view of art, under the theme of “Transient Creatures”.

Does it Make Scents to Have Fun? - Players' responses / Mei Kei Lai

Berlin Night Club

Pulsations everywhere - a glimpse of Berliner electronic music.

Berlin has an international reputation for being the cutting edge of european and international electronic music. If you live in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg or Kreuzberg sometimes it seems that you are surrounded by non German international residents from everywhere. Even the Arabian or Turkish guy, who sells Döner Kebap, Falafel or Shawarma can speak both German and English. People say that the whole Canadian electronic music scene except for Akufen live in Berlin.

Weekend © Bullet Event GmbH

First there is the famous "club mile" which is approximately five kilometers long and starts at Alexander platz with "Weekend" and continues with "Golden Gate", "Tresor", "Bar 25" (just in summer), "Maria am Ostbahnhof", "Berghain", "Watergate" and ends on the Kreuzberger side of the spree with "Club der Visionäre".

Bruno Dicolla

"You will return to earth as an animal".

Return as an Animal, 2008

The second part of this month's cover will feature Bruno Dicolla, whose selected work for DOTMOV 2008 has been now showing at the festival around the globe. Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Bruno Dicolla is an artists whose works can be found and enjoyed in the field of art, motion, design, illustrations and animated gifs. The interview to him will invite you to the microcosm of Bruno Dicolla.

Could you tell us about your background and living environment?

Illustrative Zurich 2008

International Illustrative Art Forum.

The sky was a perfect uniform blue, and the air fresh and crisp, as I touched down at Zurich airport from London. I’d just enjoyed fabulous weather there too, while at the London Frieze Art Fair, so I was in a good mood to see more art.

This year is the third Illustrative Art Forum, Illustrative Zurich 2008, and after last year’s critical success in Berlin, once again celebrates the many facets of the illustrative arts, from the worlds of fashion, textile arts, graphic design through to comics and more ‘high-brow’ illustration.

Opening night

Pierre Vanni

"A picture like a movie, must suggest a lot of different story, different interpretation".

Les Siestes Electroniques / 7th Edition Identity (Music Festival) / 2008

As a graphic designer based in France, Pierre Vanni has been implementing diverse activities of not only 2D creations but also 3D and 4D including the paper sculpture, the combination of the paper sculpture and graphics, film works and etc. His work has been featured in the 3D graphic artbook "Stereographics", released recently from Victionary. SHIFT had a chance to interview with Pierre Vanni who has been known as a Japanophile to ask his creative activity and its background .

Could you introduce yourself including your background?

Stereographics

Graphics in new dimensions.

A new book "Stereographics" has been published in October, 2008 from a Hong Kong based publisher focusing on design and art, Victionary. Entitled Stereographics, with reference to the geometric term ‘stereography’ (art of picturing 3-D solid bodies on a 2-D plane). The tomb reveals how graphics makes its mark on the 3D realm through 4 inspiring case studies explaining each step with insights into problem-solving, plus a diverse collection of works from over 60 design units worldwide.

The cover work is designed by Jean Jullien. This work provide a strong impression to us by the geometric term with simply and bright colours.

Vienna Cafe Festival

The cafe played a crucial part in city life.

It is not only the love story born in a café. It is also where culture is born. The greatest art, literature, even revolution began in cafes. From the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, cafes were the home fire where people would get together and socialise. The cafe played a crucial part in city life. The Viennese Café Festival shows us the historical, cultural and artistic complexity of the Viennese café as an urban space in order to better understand the culture of cafés.

Exhibition, Music, film screening and conferences are held over two weeks and reveal this spectacular world of cafe. In addition, the traditional Viennese pastry and chocolate company Demel will run a café in the gallery for visitors to sample the delights of a genuine Kaffeehaus.

Hiraku Suzuki

Drawings discovering the future that exists deep in the moment.

Hiraku Suzuki has been working on a series of drawings including wall paintings, leaf-vein drawings, asphalt drawings, live paintings with earth, and etc. His drawings visualize something that emerges to the surface, which is very archaic and futuristic at the same time. These 2 bipolar dimensional aspects cross each other through the moment and invite you to a new space. Shift interviewed Hiraku Suzuki during his stay for the artist in residency program in Norway, and now he is waiting to participate in the art event that will be held here in Sapporo, "FIX MIX MAX!2", starting on November 8th.

portrait at Mt.Fuji 2008 / © Hiraku Suzuki

Please introduce yourself.

Federico Urdaneta

"My name is Federico Urdaneta."

V&A barney / © Federico Urdaneta

“I went to a college in Colombia for comparative literature, something that was not so related to what I did for a living in the beginning. After graduating, I decided to move to Big Apple (New York), where I went to Parsons and did a Master degree in Design and Technology. I specialized in audio-visual installation work in there. During all this time, I went back and forth between DJ-ing and playing guitar in different bands with my friends. When I was in New York, a teacher of mine (Zach Lieberman) recommended me to travel to Italy to work in this place called Fabrica. I packed my things and worked there for over a year, doing installations and music, and DJ-ing with my friends all over the northern part of Italy.”

Do the opening lines sound familiar? Like one of our new acquaintances?

Who actually he is? His name is Federico Urdaneta – a Colombian-born interactive artist, graphic designer and musician, who is currently in London freelancing for different production studios and has worked on exhibitions and client projects such as Benetton, MTV, Coca-cola, Samsung and Toshiba, etc. His recent work is Fashion v Sport, commissioned by Victoria & Albert Museum, UK.

What makes you decided to specialize in audio-visual installation works?