Human genius can be found in entertainment and artistry. These 3 shorts have managed to condense so much in terms of style, story and sting in mere minutes: they become so much more memorable than anything else! Quality and not quantity packs the punch. For me, these clips (developed with alot of time and people) actually extends and freezes time for me, every flickering frame burnt on my retinas and etched on countless neurons, detail and wit oozing out from the storyline.

1) KUNGFU PANDA DREAM SEQUENCE by James Baxter Studio

Watch it on MSN Movies 
If anything, the idea brought forward by this sequence is the dynamism. Earthy tones set the common base for a maximalist production with intricate inkwork, lines and Handicam-like movement.

2) CATCH ME IF YOU CAN OPENING SEQUENCE by Kuntzel and Deygas

It conveys that mystery of the late 60s with an air of playfulness and caper-cool. The geometry and stylisation of figures seems to draw cue from the sinuous linearity of Saarinen’s TWA and the noisy saturation of 60s advertisements. Bold, strong graphic design and composition!

3) ‘4 MINUTES’ MUSIC VIDEO by French duo Jonas & François

While the ’storyline’ is rather lame, its the attempt to create a new look / atmosphere that makes this video so refreshing. The snazzy transitions, pop references and combination of elements leave behind a fresh new aesthetic.

boarding a chinook next week!

03.05.08

HT Contemporary Space

tanjong pagar distripark

“The Absurdity of Aesthetic Decision-Making”

collectors contemporary

 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leave us a note for more details!

MONOCLE March

Tyler Brûlé reports on the new Changi T3, with a short overview of facilities and OK verdict in article SMOOTH LANDING. qmark will visit T3 soon so do check back!

WALLPAPER* March

Freelance Writer Daven Wu reports on Pearl Bank Apartments in PEARL GEM. Whatever opinion that might have been voiced from both camps of the en-bloc furore, I still find architect Tan Cheng Siong’s description the best, “… it was born of a heroic period when Singapore was searching for its place in the sun.” More on (proconservation)

SINGAPORE ARCHITECT March

My ex-lecturer Cheah Kok Ming muses on the use of the ferrous patina in IN PRAISE OF RUST. Textured, weathered materials are rarely seen in SG, although ironically the signs of weathering are easily seen on many surfaces. A case for following the successful examples of Gigon/Guyer and Iroje.

and school reopens.

冰糖葫芦

He got the fruits from the shop at 上海老街, washed and prepared them in skewers after which he dips in a sinful pot of sugar syrup and left them to solidify until the fruits are encrusted in a thick sugar coating.

Going for only 2 yuan per skewer, the 冰糖葫芦 may not be the best snack in town but the idea of holding and eating one, is a happy one. They look happy too.

Once again, 新年快乐!

and happy holidays!

Easily applicable to architecture (at least the 1st half), also easily my favourite part in the film:

“In many ways the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents – the new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions of a fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize: only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.” 

- Anton Ego, Ratatouille

Market at 老街，上海

THE WOOD RAT 1924 AND 1984:
Despite having a remarkable facade of self-confidence, deep down, Wood Rats are the least sure of themselves compared to other Rats. However, they wouldn’t dream of showing this side of themselves to anyone. Only close companions of a Wood Rat would ever suspect that he or she had such self-doubt. In fact Wood Rats are often worried about downfall, despite their ability to find success. Well-liked, proficient, and good leaders at work, Wood Rats seem to function best when they are surrounded by family and friends. Cordial and delicate, they are usually well loved by family, friends and peers.

THE RAT LUCKY NUMBERS: 1, 3, 6, 8

THE RAT LUCKY COLOURS: Gray, blue, white

THE RAT LUCKY DIRECTION: Southeast

THE RAT LUCKY BUILDING: HSBC, Hong Kong

THE RAT LUCKY ARCHITECT: I.M. Pei

THE RAT LUCKY MATERIAL: Litracon

THE RAT LUCKY CAREERS: Real Estate, Banking, Architecture

made the last 4 up: haha but hope its true! Happy CNY!

So here- back, after 3 weeks of roving, back to a new year, back to life and new hopes, back to SG, back to home, work… and eventssss!

sondre lerche, earth wind and fire, broken social scene? and not forgetting the freeeebies.
mosaicmusicfestival

book soon!

looks forward to the coming of march already.

The moon has set and the new sun rises in the East.

Just got back from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with many tales to tell about the culture and life in these burgeoning cities. Will update along the way. But meanwhile, there’s thanking everyone who have been visiting and supporting this little receptacle of ours.

Have a happy 2008! Let’s all Look Right!

” It is the mood of the beholder which gives the city of Zemrude its form. If you go by whistling, your nose a tilt behind the whistle, you will know it from below: window sills, flapping curtains, fountains. If you walk along hanging your head, your nails dug into the palms of your hands, your gaze will be held on the ground, in the gutters, the manhole covers, the fish scale, wastepaper. You cannot say that one aspect of the city is truer than the other, but you hear of the upper Zemrude chiefly from those who remember it, as they sink into the lower Zemrude, following everyday the same stretches of street and finding again each morning the ill-humour of the day before, encrusted at teh foot of the walls. For everyone, sooner or later, the day comes when we bring our gaze down along the drainpipes and we can no longer detach it from the cobblestones. The reverse is not impossible, but it is more rare: and so we continue walking through Zemrude’s streets with eyes now digging into the cellars, the foundations, the wells.”

- Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino

is off to Hong Kong, Beijing & Shanghai! till then…!

I am a culture junkie, a design junkie, a living sponge, interested, attracted and addicted to the cultural offerings of the urban-polis- excited by events, exhibitions, museums, films, performances… . Culture sustains urban life, render meaning, provides insight, open minds and triggers inspirations with its constant flux and flows.. sometimes it feels as though I depend on it, and live for it. It’s ecstasy.

documentation/ cultural artifacts

icon stickers for the Singapore Design Festival 2007

Where would you place these artifacts of culture? And what do you use them for? Posters on walls, brochures in pretty piles and boxes, postcards as make-shift bookmarks, stickers on sketchbooks?

What about the abstract, that of the countless images, information & experiences that come and go? Do these bits and pieces eventually come together and become a whole?

feeds on culture… yummm.