Category: Uncategorized

Pre-viewing Film :: Samsara

Hunter Chee


In short, this film collected footage from 25 countries over 5 years and is the latest in a line of nonverbal films – Chronos and Baraka. The nontraditional documentary is meant to be “…showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet”

Mark Magidson, the producer of the film, says that Samara is much more modern in comparison with its predecessor Baraka. “touches on a lot of elements of human experience, conflict, war, birth, death, sexuality…the film is, hopefully, an attempt to let you feel like you’re part of the phenomenon of being alive at this moment”

The Director, Ron Fricke said, “…[Samsara] was conceived as a nonverbal guided meditation on the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Really sculpted, really produced by the power of [guided] flow” (Samsara itself is a word derived from Sanskrit and has different meanings to different eastern religions. In Buddhism, it means suffering, in others, flow)

Baraka hit me real hard. Just like straight jumping into glacial runoff, the same kind of shockingly refreshing feeling. The scenery shot, in combination with the music, had a chance to speak for itself – beauty for beauty’s sake, free from assumption or assertion or distortion. It was an open style in which you connect your own meaning and be as amazed and curious about what you were watching without being told about it, lots like a mental ‘choose your own adventure’ book. While at the same time providing eye candy in bulk to convey something words cannot. Going bonkers for this, cannot wait!!

Where
The Michigan Theater FREEEEE with an arts passport
Times
Sat 10.13 4:45, 7:00, 9:30
Sun 10.14 4:45, 7:00, 9:30
Mon 10.15 4:30, 9:30
Tue 10.16 4:15, 6:45, 9:00
Wed 10.17 9:45
Thur 10.19 7:15, 9:45

Mabe sees you there, review to cooome . Hunter Chee

The Trailer
The Film Webpage
Feisty ass mother f*ing squirrel

Preview: Rhymenoceros in the HOUSE

Danny Fob

I’m back! It’s been a long time and I was an ocean away last time you heard from me. Writing about the arts in Italy was a really great experience, but I definitely missed American musical theater and especially the culture of the arts in Ann Arbor. The Power Center

has been my favorite venue on campus for three years now and nothing like it existed in Bologna. Of course they had huge grandioso 200 year old theaters, but still, not the Power Center. And saying that, I am so happy to be back to art[seen] and to Ann Arbor. My first show, though only because I had to miss the Kidd Pivot performance :(, is the Théâtre de la Ville: Ionesco’s Rhinocéros performance. I’ve heard really great things about it and I would really like to see a show before going somewhere for fall break. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a show of any kind that I feel like I might explode if I don’t go to a show soon, so I chose the one where people randomly turn into rhinos. What can you do?

I am very interested in the show tonight, even if I make fun of the premise. The writer, Eugène Ionesco, was influenced by his time in Romania when everyone around him began converting to a more fascist way of life. Being an Italian major, I’ve spent so much of my academic concentration studying the culture, structure, and effects of fascism in Italy, Europe, and worldwide. I hope this play will continue to help us understand such a large part of the world’s darker history and entertain the us like only the theater can.

Normally here I would give a breakdown of how much I’m paying for tickets and everything, but I still don’t have my tickets and I’m sort of writing to you during class, so I will get the tickets afterword, but I assume student rush tickets are around $10 or you can use Passport to the arts vouchers. Other than that I can give you the other details.

What: Théâtre de la Ville: Ionesco’s Rhinocéros
Where: Power Center for the Performing Arts
When: Friday, October 12, 2012, 7:30pm and
Saturday, October 13, 2012 7:30pm

Maybe I’ll see you there! Happy break!

coming to you from Art History lecture,
Danny Fob

REVIEW: Art Outta Town ArtPrize

nina.j 2 Comments

ART OUTTA TOWN: ARTPRIZE

Two weekends ago, Art Outta Town ventured to Grand Rapids for the nation-wide festival, ArtPrize. I missed the boat on the Michigan affiliated trip, but I did make it on my own just in time for the closing weekend. From museums to galleries to restaurants to public parking lots to rooftops to bridges to store fronts and even in the river, the city was sprinkled with creativity and craft. The genres ranged broadly from installation pieces to sculpture, paintings, fibers, wood, glass, laser etching, metal, and photography.

Similarly, the mediums were also alternative and exploratory. In the photos below, the last is comprised entirely of jelly beans and just above that is a mosaic of water bottle caps. The second photo, one of my favorite pieces of the whole show, is made of twisted branches that resemble a stead of mustangs traversing the river. The piece is called ‘Stick-with-it-ness,’ a perfect title for the steadfast, life-like creatures. The photo just below the horses is an installation piece that reach from the bank of the river to a near-by rooftop. In fact, this piece is what brought me to ArtPrize: my friend is a Kalamazoo Art School grad and the man behind the metal. He is competitive for a prize in the show. The winners are yet to be announced, but fingers crossed!

Ever so conveniently placed beside each piece was a telephone number the viewer could dial to hear a recording of each artist explain his or her piece. There was also a code the viewer enter to vote for their favorite. The competition is juried but there is also a huge prize for the fan favorite. The entire ArtPrize experience was both inspiring and entertaining. It’s a great way to celebrate art in the community and art in the city. If only Ann Arbor held a similar exhibition! I guess we’ll have to wait til Art Fair next summer.

Similarly, the mediums were also alternative and exploratory. In the photos above, the last is comprised entirely of jelly beans and just above that is a mosaic of water bottle caps. The second photo, one of my favorite pieces of the whole show, is made of twisted branches that resemble a stead of mustangs traversing the river. The piece is called ‘Stick-with-it-ness,’ a perfect title for the steadfast, life-like creatures. The photo just below the horses is an installation piece that reach from the bank of the river to a near-by rooftop. In fact, this piece is what brought me to ArtPrize: my friend is a Kalamazoo Art School grad and the man behind the metal. He is competitive for a prize in the show. The winners are yet to be announced, but fingers crossed!

Ever so conveniently placed beside each piece was a telephone number the viewer could dial to hear a recording of each artist explain his or her piece. There was also a code the viewer enter to vote for their favorite. The competition is juried but there is also a huge prize for the fan favorite. The entire ArtPrize experience was both inspiring and entertaining. It’s a great way to celebrate art in the community and art in the city. If only Ann Arbor held a similar exhibition! I guess we’ll have to wait til Art Fair next summer.

PREVIEW: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

nina.j

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET

There will be three performances this weekend at the Power Center by the visiting dance group Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. The company is known for its skillful, contemporary ballet and its reputation for being a ‘uniquemulti- dimensional arts organization.’ Founded in 1996 by Bebe Schweppe, the small company works with dancers and directors from all over the world, incorporating European and American movement styles into their choreography. As they name suggests, the company has homes in both Aspen and Santa Fe. Their repertoire is ‘accessible,’ ‘sophisticated,’  and ‘resonates with an electricism and energy.’ It ‘speaks a complex language’ and ‘challenge its audience.’

If it sounds like too much for you, though, do not fear! Among the three performances, there is one designed for families and young children!Saturday, September 6th at 1 pm (family performance) & 8 pm, and Sunday September 7th at The Power Center.

Click here for more on the performance, to see a video of the company, and to get information about tickets (rush tickets and half-priced student tickets) from UMS.

PREVIEW: Word of Mouth StorySLAM

nina.j

WORD of MOUTH STORY SLAM

Ever been caught in a headlock by your arch nemesis? Come tell us about it! Join Word of Mouth Stories for our next Story SLAM event

Thursday October 4, 2012//Work Gallery, 306 State Street// Doors at 6:30, stories at 7 pm

Never been to our slams before? Audience members tell five-minute stories from their lives relative to a theme. Judges from the audience rate the stories; the winner takes home the title for the evening, as well as an invitation to the finale event in April. The friendly competition includes appetizers and live music.This month’s theme is COMPETITION. Whether it is a tale of victory or flunking, come share your story at our SLAM.

To get emails about more upcoming events and workshops or to join our planning crew, shoot us an email and check out our FACEBOOK page. For more about our group check out our BLOG and our SOUNDCLOUD where you can hear recordings of past events. And be sure to take a quick listen to this month’s band Our Brother The Native.

Should be a great night, hope to see you there!


PREVIEW: Art Outta Town Art Prize

nina.j

ART OUTTA TOWN goes to ARTPRIZE

Art Outta Town is a program through Arts at Michigan that organizes trips for students to attend art happenings outside the city limits of Ann Arbor. This weekend, the destination is Grand Rapids for one of the country’s largest art competitions: ArtPrize. This ‘radically open competition and social experiment’ features 1517 artist installations throughout the city. Unlike the Ann Arbor Art Fair, this festival utilizes pre-established spaces, like store fronts and window displays, such that the entire town transforms into an gallery. The goal of the giant display is to create both ‘harmony and tension among disciplines and between mediums.’ The grand prize for the winning artists is a large some of cash money. Finalists are determined both by a jury and by popular vote, which you can do via texting, so be sure to remember your favorites!

If you do find yourself at ArtPrize this weekend, there are a few important names and places to remember. The Prison Creative Arts Project is featuring three artists who are no longer incarcerated and are competitive members of the festival. On Saturday, September 29th there will be a meet n’ greet with the artists at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (2 West Fulton). At 2:30 pm, all are welcome to join the PCAP Art Walk to the Department of Corrections where their work is displayed. This is an incredibly celebratory moment for both PCAP and the artists who have submitted work. Their names, images of their pieces, and codes for the popular vote are as follows, so be sure to send a text!

Brian Wagner, ‘Grist Mill at Sedona Arizona’ 52712:

Clifford Wade, ‘Ostracized’ 52624:

Fernando DeLezica, ‘Forethought’ 52487:

Image not featured

Unfortunately it is too late to sign up for this week’s Art Outta Town. Luckily, however, ArtPrize runs until October 7th so you have a chance to see  it on your own. Follow the link here if you are interested in other Art Outta Town escapades, including next week’s Dlectricity. Click here to sign up! See you at ArtPrize!