Mer-chan: technocuddly, cute, arty, geeky stuff from Asia and beyond » Green

ƒ(nature)=photo

merchan — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:29:45 +0000

When mathematics is integral to an art project, it risks becoming derivative. But when nature speaks for itself, its quite radical. That’s why we love the prints of Nikki Graziano, which uncover found equations in bushes and rockpiles. The world, after all, is nothing but zeros and ones. And that’s why babies should grow accustomed to digital love as soon as they need a bib. Perhaps, they too will be photographers one day. They’ll snap images of graffiti murals … and trace the natural functions of wildstyle math beneath the words. But that’s another tangent…

Urban Camo

merchan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:53:39 +0000

Artists Sabina Keric and Yvonne Bayer are in Urban Camouflage. They don the elements of their environment (bags at Ikea, work gloves at a hardware store, soda bottle suit at a grocery store) and camp out. The best part is seeing their feet stick out at the bottom of their disguises. There is a photo series of Urban Camoflage, but their videos (and below) really capture the works and the viewers who are treated and perplexed to this intervention. Reminds us of the bumbling assassins in Dubai with their moppy wigs and fake moustaches but with more wit and of course less blood.

Art Powered Future

merchan — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:01:10 +0000

A little bird told us about Yvan “Lozzi” Pestalozzi exhibitng his kinetic art powered by natural energy at Abu Dhabi’s World Future Energy Summit this week. He’s being represented by the Swiss Art Gate UAE. Lozzi makes colorful, fantastical wind contraptions, hydromobiles, and even a giant ball that runs on a track to tell time (below). I wonder if Lozzi is going to apply for the newly open Land Art Generator competition?

The Year of Camel Cheese

merchan — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:44:26 +0000

It took a year of searching in two Gulf countries, but we are finally enjoying the fruits of camels’ labor: camel milk cheese. We’ve already made yogurt, yogurt cheese, quark, and a hard quark pressed cheese, similar to ricotta salata. And we like a strained quark that we roll into logs on chives and cracked peppercorns like chevre. Camel milk has about half the fat of cow’s milk making less creamy, but it’s more concentrated in protein and vitamins. It’s possible to buy commercial camel milk, but the supply is limited and it’s only sold in specialty boutiques. But production might be ramping up; if they can make robot camel jockeys, we’re eagerly expecting robot camel milkmaids. Hopefully in time for when our flora danica cultures arrive from America to make a bloomy camembert style cheese – camelbert if you will. Picture below from left to right: camel milk choclate, camel milk, camel milk cheese starter.

Disney Shanghai

merchan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:10:16 +0000

Even though it’s location in Hong Kong has not been doing so well financially, Disney is going ahead with its Shanghai theme park but predictably on the corporate blog, there are no scathing comments yet.

Like in Hong Kong, Disney will forgo immediate profits to use it as an inroad for the hearts and minds of billions of Chinese kids. It’s unfortunate the Chinese people cannot have a say on whether they even want Disney in their backyards. Just outside of Washington DC, Disney bought acreage near the Manassas Civil War battlefield and other historic parks. But Disney’s America was scrapped when the company abandoned plans after high-profile criticism from property owners, environmentalists and historians. The free-market capitalism debate doesn’t even come into play because even in the States, Disney operates on government subsidies, and will continue to do so in China. Don’t you think the money is better spent elsewhere?

Cassette Graveyard

merchan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:51:21 +0000

Just when you thought the antler craze was over, artist Brian Dettmer melts down cassettes and makes a mix tape of trends to include upcycling, dead technology, morguetality. His sculptures of skeletons, skulls and bones are organic sculptures that situate technology as a mutable, malleable thing — no less fragile than a bird.

Complete the Pig

merchan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:07:35 +0000

Designer Ariel Rojo was inspired by a piggy bank to make his compact fluorescent lamp. The exposed bulb gives the cute pig a curly tail. It’s available at MOMA, so splash out $80 and save some energy. Just don’t stare directly at the bulb!

For a smaller splash of piggy product, try the Monokuro Boo bag.

Root Bridges

merchan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:49:08 +0000

When Mer-chan went to Ghana, we had trust falls and rope courses for team-building. We even went to Kakum National Forest and did the canopy walk – a rope bridge high suspended above the rain forest. 4 out of 7 rope bridges were closed for repairs with park workers diligently sawing and hammering to get the bridges back in action. But the living root bridges of Cherrapungee in India could have showed the Kakum bridges the ropes about green design. The roots of the Ficus elastica tree are so strong, they are manipulated and used as bridges that can span rivers. One root bridge, believed to be the only one in the world, is one bridge stacked over the other and is called the “Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge.”

Prepare for Ponyo

merchan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:09 +0000

We can’t wait for Hayao Miyazaki’s new movie Ponyo! We’ve seen ads all over, from Africa to the UAE. We kept hoping to see a glimpse of Ponyo on our flight over the Indian Ocean. Even though this is a Disney film it seems very Studio Ghibli-anime, and we hope there won’t be a Little Mermaid cameo.

For Any Time of the Month

Katy Chang — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:09:34 +0000

Tampon Crafts is a website devoted to crafts that you can make with tampons. Any day of the month, all year round. For Hanukkah, there’s the tampon menorah — insert unfortunate burning bush joke? For Halloween the tampon ghosts are adorable! For more beefy crafters, try the tampon machine gun with matching bandolier. Start a revolution! I especially love the tampon pan flute because it’s the rare combo of recycled and melodic. Watch it in action.