Four formidable wrestlers – and you get to vote who gets kicked out of the ring. As long as it’s a space cadet, because interviews with the other 3 are lined up to knock you down in coming weeks. Berlinski boy begins.
Neoangin
True stories to encourage visits to jimavignon.com:
Jim Avignon makes great computer-kitch-electronic-pop as ‘Neoangin’ with crazy, endearing lyrics and mashed up beats.
Everyday for 3 weeks at Germany’s “Documenta” festival, Jim Avignon painted a large picture and destroyed it in the evening by running and jumping through the canvas.
Jim Avignon once opened a shop in Berlin called “Curatorkiller” where he sells cheap art from various artists.
Jim Avignon makes his money with commercial jobs like designing cars (the new Rover) or a watch (SWATCH) and spends it on radical exhibition projects like building a giant brain in a greenhouse.
Jim Avignon painted the Frankfurt University (more than 2 miles of pictures) in 1993.
Jim Avignon makes lots of art constantly, some of which is covered in his way tasty cut n pasty ‘Attack Delay’ magazine/art-book.
Jim Avignon makes art at snowflake sculptural festival, on the side of aeroplanes, ships & Berlin buildings.
Norwegian Wood ( FFF )
Cute, dreadlocked Leona & Tommy are concerned about the continued destruction of forests and rainforests. And these Norwegian activists think different – they decided to put their money where their mouths are. And they’ve also put money where their genitals are. After setting up www.fuckforforest.com, they’ve managed to raise $17,000US which they’re donating to environment groups willing to accept their money. This is proving trickier than expected – given most environmental organisations wish to maintain appeal to a broad spectrum of the population. They’ve found groups willing however, and FFF hope to continue their momentum. Offering a range of explicit photos, videos and live chat for paid-up members – including private paid chats, they’re hoping to re-channel the geek-porn dollar, and enjoy themselves at the same time. In the pipeline? Some entrepreneurs have contacted them about ‘wanting to make a documentary movie about us going to Brazil, giving the money to an environmental project there (and fuck some jungle-girls/boys?)’. Believe. And they’re also looking for volunteers.
Hi-NRG
While www.energybulletin.net will give you a quick insight into the ways energy use is shaping the world’s current and future problems and power structures, and a great updated collection of relevant news & links, there’s another set of energy fiends also worth a look: GENI – The Global Energy Network Institute. Inspired by the likes of Buckminister Fuller ( yeah, that guy who invented the geodesic dome and harnessed other patterns in nature), their mission if you choose to be accepting and helping it, is to encourage a Global Energy Network GRID kind of like an internet for electricity which would redistribute power better and save us much energy apparently. Worth a browse at any rate, and the Australian rep is also an author of a book with interesting provocations but an unfortunate name: “Cosmic Accounting”. Interview on it’s way.
Space Is The Place
For those ready to leave this place, space is the mightiest of dangling carrots. And if you’re one of the geeks behind the world’s biggest software company ( Paul Allen ), it’s easy enough to make a pile of money so big that when you set fire to it, the rocket above it almost inevitably becomes the world’s first private entry into space, that domain just outside of the earth’s atmosphere. You’ve seen this in the news, yeah? (Or check www.space.com) For those without their own multinational software company, The Association of Autonomous Astronauts be yer best bet. A non-hierarchical network of local, community-based space exploration groups, developing their own space exploration programmes, and building their own spaceships. www.uncarved.org/aaa.html. Also recommended:
Disconaut AAA who hope to explore the potential of dance cultures for autonomous space exploration, inspired by the likes of George Clinton (Mothership Connection ), Sun Ra ( Space Jazz Reverie, Love in Outer Space) and the 19th Century German philosopher and apparent dance enthusiast, Fred Nietzsche. Say tha nauts:
“The days of this society are numbered. Its reasons and its merits have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; its inhabitants are divided into two parties, one of which wants to build its own spaceships and leave this world behind.”