Fritz Khan’s painting Der Menschen als Industriepalast in dreamy animation

Fritz Kahn’s Der Menschen als Industriepalast by Henning Lederer.   Fritz Kahn combined industrial and mechanical functionality with the working wonders of the human body. He was a creative genius whose work remained undiscovered for many years. Until a curious curator Uta Von Debschnitz unearthed them. Kahn was a Berliner who did well for himselfContinue reading “Fritz Khan’s painting Der Menschen als Industriepalast in dreamy animation”

Seeing

We do a lot of looking; we look through lenses, telescopes and TVs. Our looking is perfected every day – but we see less and less. Never has it been more urgent to speak of seeing…we are onlookers, spectators. ‘Subjects’ we are, that look at ‘objects’. Quickly, we stick labels on all that is, labelsContinue reading “Seeing”

Infinite attention, infinite regard and the minor deities of the internet

“That’s the dream of replication: infinite attention, infinite regard. The machinery of the internet has made it a democratic possibility, as television never could, since the audience in their living rooms necessarily far outnumbered the people who could be squeezed into the box. Not so with the internet, where anyone with access to a computerContinue reading “Infinite attention, infinite regard and the minor deities of the internet”

Book Review: Awaken in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-discovery by Mark Coleman

Awaken in the Wild is a really great introductory book about the connection between mindfulness and the natural world. Published in 2006, it feels before its time in terms of the themes of overstimulation from technology and mindfulness. There are around 40 brief and themed sections in the book, with a short lesson and thenContinue reading “Book Review: Awaken in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-discovery by Mark Coleman”

Welcome to Starlink Express brought to you by Elon Musk!

It turns out that Wellington CBD and Mount Victoria close to where I live is prime viewing for the Tesla Starlink Satellites as they cruise through the sky after dark. Blink and you’ll miss it though. It’s all over in about 2 minutes. They rocket past in a straight line and look alien-like and unmistakablyContinue reading “Welcome to Starlink Express brought to you by Elon Musk!”

Strange Victorian Journeys Into the Fourth Dimension

The last gasp of Victorian spirituality infused cutting-edge science with old-school mysticism. Theosophy was all the rage; Many weird and and wonderful ideas being developed at the turn of the century around death, ghosts, the fourth dimension filled the Victorians with a palpable sense of possibility.

Book Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Japan Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer

Time magazine journalist and author Pico Iyer has lived in Nara (land of the rabid deer) in Japan for the past 30 years. In this book, Iyer follows his instincts to uncover the depths of the Japanese psyche, Japanese soul and character. This is fascinating to me because I am (in case you didn’t know)Continue reading “Book Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Japan Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer”

Film Review: High Life

I saw this one at this year’s NZIFF in Wellington. Directed by Claire Denis, High Life is about a group of prisoners who are used as guinea pigs in sexual experiments by an evil nurse played by Juliette Binoche on board a space mission. I don’t normally speak in such plain terms about the plotContinue reading “Film Review: High Life”

Ambient album review: Suzanne Ciani Buchla concerts 1975 @sevwave

Electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani never achieved the critical mass appeal of Brian Eno or Aphex Twin. Although once you listen to her album I’m sure you agree, she deserves to be up there with the greats of ambient music. You never really hear much about female ambient music artists, it’s always men really –Continue reading “Ambient album review: Suzanne Ciani Buchla concerts 1975 @sevwave”