Update: The billboard has been removed. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday afternoon, Calvin Klein confirmed that the ad has since been taken down, though not in response to Zak's request. "This billboard was taken down overnight as part of the planned rotation of our spring 2016 advertising campaign," read the statement. "We take all of our consumers' concerns seriously, and as a global brand, we promote gender equality and the breakdown of gender stereotypes across the world. Our global advertising campaign images feature many different musicians, artists and models wearing all of our product categories, including our underwear products, sharing how they feel about and live in their Calvins."
via: Heidi Zak, ThirdLove YouTube Channel Earlier this month, popular apparel line Calvin Klein put up a new billboard advertisement in Soho, New York City for its Spring 2016 #MyCalvins campaign.
We are asking that Calvin Klein do the right thing and remove this offensive billboard IMMEDIATELY!
The advertisement shows actress Klara Kristin in her Calvins with the text “I seduce in #mycalvins”, directly alongside male rapper Fetty Wap with the text “I make money in #mycalvins”.
The billboard propagates an archaic and offensive gender stereotype that women are nothing more than sexual objects, while men are the breadwinners. Calvin Klein has a vast assortment of content for this campaign, so we find it appalling that the company chose to put these two images side by side in one of the most highly visible intersections in the country.
Someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 20 minutes. For many of these people, a stem cell transplant from a donor on the Anthony Nolan register is their last chance of life. The problem is, not enough men are signing up to the Anthony Nolan register.
Men aged 16-30 are by far the most in demand as stem cell donors, but they make up only 15% of the register. Men are encouraged to sign up today and be the man at www.anthonynolan.org/marchofthemen and share with the hashtag #MarchOfTheMen
Creative Credits: Production company: Spectrecom Films Creative: Danielle Wilmott Creative producer: Clemence Bartram Director: Matt O’Brien Camera: Alex Kerr, Dan Berens Editor: Alex Kerr Audio: Ted Dokov
LOGAN, a bicoastal content-creation studio, has partnered with Cisco on a series of cinemagraphs for the debut of the technology company’s newest international campaign, “There’s Never Been a Better Time,” which showcases how Cisco’s technology can help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.
From saving endangered species to clean drinking water and trucking through icy mountain roads, the cinemagraphs tell the real-world stories of how Cisco’s technologies work as a force of good.
The widely praised campaign has been called “attention-grabbing and thought-provoking” by Forbes.
Cisco’s “There’s Never Been a Better Time” is the latest campaign launch LOGAN has helped complete, following recent work for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Apple, Condé Nast, X-Men and Clinique, among others.
Credits: Production Company: LOGAN Executive Creative Director: Alexei Tylevich Creative Director: Kaan Atilla VFX Supervisor: Eric DeHaven Executive Producer: Matthew Winkel Producer: J.R. Tuason 2D Animators: Zach Kinney, Richard Powell, Fred Raimondi, Grant Cerulo 3D Animator: Kenneth Kurras 3D Modeler: Shamus McGlynn DFX Supervisor: Craig Halerin FX Artist: Warren Heimall Production Company: elevel Executive Post Producer: John Dutton Sr. Animator: Nathan Shipley
Italy's iconic Riace Bronzes will return to their home at the Reggio Calabria National Museum later this year after lengthy restoration work.
The Riace Bronzes [Credit: ANSA]For almost three years the 2,500-year-old ancient Greek statues representing warriors have been in the Calabrian regional government's headquarters, undergoing a long-awaited restoration. A host of chemical, laser and electromagnetic tests designed to help experts better understand where the statues came from, and who created them, were also carried out.
So now, it's almost time for them to return to their permanent home.
According to the superintendent for archaeological and cultural heritage of Calabria, Simonetta Bonomi, restoration work should be completed near the end of the year and the two warriors "will be back home again" in time for Christmas.
The celebrated bronzes were found in August 1972 off the coast of Calabria and quickly captured worldwide attention. They were so highly prized that they are rarely allowed to travel from their home, despite repeated requests.
Even former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi was turned down twice after seeking to borrow the statues for Group of Eight summits.
During the current restoration work, the Riace Bronzes, last let out in 1981 for a triumphant round-Italy tour, have been kept inside a purpose-built area with a glass front allowing visitors to watch the delicate restoration work.
Meanwhile, the Reggio Calabria museum has been undergoing restorations itself while the bronzes have been away. Approximately six million euros have been earmarked for that project, and regional authorities have released the final funds need to complete the work before year end.
The Bronzes were discovered in 1972 by a Roman holidaymaker scuba diving off the Calabrian coast and turned out to be one of Italy's most important archaeological finds in the last 100 years.
The statues are of two virile men, presumably warriors or gods, who possibly held lances and shields at one time. At around two metres, they are larger than life.
The 'older' man, known as Riace B, wears a helmet, while the 'younger' Riace A has nothing covering his rippling hair.
Both are naked.
Although the statues are cast in bronze, they feature silver lashes and teeth, copper red lips and nipples, and eyes made of ivory, limestone and a glass and amber paste.
Italy has the world's biggest trove of archeological treasures but the Riace Bronzes attracted particular attention.
This was partly due to their exceptionally realistic rendering and partly to the general rarity of ancient bronze statues, which tended to be melted down and recycled.
Stefano Mariottini, the scuba diver who first spotted one of the statues some 300 meters off the coast and eight metres underwater, said the bronze was so realistic that he initially thought he'd found the remains of a corpse.
A million people came to see them in 1981 and the pair are even featured on a commemorative postage stamp.
The statues usually pull around 130,000 visitors annually to the Reggio Calabria National Museum.
DBA is Denmark's biggest marketplace for classified goods and owned by eBay. An analysis conducted by Epinion for DBA revealed that the Danes have used goods equivalent to more than 20 billion Danish kroner (approx. 2,7 billion Euro) lying around in cabinets and attics, that is just slowly losing value.
To stop this madness DBA created a content site www.dbaguide.dk in order to inspire Danes to do something about this major waste of resources. To launch the site we developed two films, one targeted at men, one targeted at women. The films points out the grotesque in having all these values lying around and involves two real Danes, the content of their attics, a Fender Stratocaster, an RS-40 Shredder, a celebrity designer wedding dress and a weed burner.
Content containing the two participants Maria and Christian, where they tell about their stuff and why they did not sell it will follow up the two films. DBA will also launch a competition where you can only participate by buying their actual stuff.
Some interesting facts from the Epinion analysis: · Danes estimate they have 291 things in average that they no longer use · 57% don’t do anything about it, because they feel it is difficult and time-consuming to sell the stuff · 44% feel it is not worth to sell it · However 63% thinks second hand will be a more popular in the future
This campaign for DBA is created by Danish agency Robert/Boisen & Like-minded (www.rblm.dk). Internationally known for the ‘Do it for Denmark’ and ‘Do it for mom’ campaigns.
The Credits: Robert/Boisen & Like-minded (Ad agency): Søren Christensen, Strategist Heinrich Vejlgaard, Creative Director René Sohn Kammersgaard, Art Director Gitte Andersen, Account Manager
Gobsmack Productions (Film production) Christina Bostofte Erritzøe, Producer Cille Silverwood-Cope, Production Peter Harton, Director Laust Trier-Mørk, DOP Ole Krogstad, Editor Mike Bothe, Grader Magnús Sveinn Jónsson, Visual Effects Ole Krogstad, sounddesign
Han Kjøbenhavn – the Danish men’s fashion brand famous for its minimalist designs – loves to experiment. All the models during the arresting presentation of the brand’s new collection in 2015 wore Teva sandals. That’s how the idea of developing a special Han Kjøbenhavn sandal started. A special partnership between Teva and Han Kjøbenhavn that increasingly blurs the boundaries between outdoor and high fashion.
Fitzroy has developed a video together with Teva and Han Kjøbenhavn for this special sandal, shot in Copenhagen. The video is about the interplay of Han Kjøbenhavn’s urban roots and the outdoor life that is inextricably linked to Teva. We touch on a facet that is equally important in both worlds: determination. The images are accompanied by ‘The Quitter’, Robert W. Service’s poem about how to deal with setbacks.
The Teva x Han Kjøbenhavn collection will be sold in very limited numbers in Han Kjøbenhavn stores in New York, Paris and Copenhagen, by selected retailers and online.
Creative Credits: Responsible parties at Teva : Barry Schmits, Priscilia Streefkerk Concept : Fitzroy Amsterdam x Han Kjøbenhavn Production : Nobody Danmark x Fitzroy Amsterdam Director : Jeppe Kolstrup DOP : Frederik Säll Producer : Claus Moller 1.AD : Lachlan Forbes1.AC : Kenneth Gaffer : Martin Riello Set/Props Designer : Joshua Beckford Stylist : Bjørg Frellesvig Make-up : Marianne Rud Production Assistant : Kristian Pugholm Editor : Peter Brandt Colourist : Norman Nisbet Vfx : Andreas Blinkenberg Sound Design : Lars Bo Music : Kasper Bjorke
M&S has launched a new campaign for its summer 2016 collection for women, men and children.“The Art of Summer” campaign, created by RKCR/Y&R, showcases M&S’s summer fashion, from trench coats to floral dresses, and highlights the brand’s unique quality and style. “The Art of Summer” campaign will run across TV, press, online, and on digital outdoor platforms from Wednesday, May 4th. The TV, online and press work is the latest instalment in the brand’s “The Art of” campaign and will run until the end of July.
Creative Credits: Ad Agency: RKCR/Y&R, London Creative Director: Mark Roalfe Creative Team: Pip Bishop + Chris Hodgkiss Head of Strategy : Roisin Robothan-Jones Senior Strategist: Hayley Sivner Business Director: Matt Delahunty Account Director: Eileen Cosgrove-Moloney Agency Producer: Rachel “Chops” Amess Director/ Production Co: Christian & Patrick @ Park Pictures Producer: Malachy McAnenny Editor: Sam Jones @ Cut & Run Post Production: MPC (Grade — George K; Flame – Bevis Jones) Sound Design: James Clark @ Clearcut Sound Typographer: Tivy Davies DoP: Simon Chaudoir
Wendell Phillips, a young paleontologist and geologist, headed one of the largest archaeological expeditions to remote South Arabia (present-day Yemen) from 1949 to 1951. Accompanied by some of the leading scholars, scientists, and technicians of the day, Phillips was on a quest to uncover two ancient cities — Timna, the capital of the once-prosperous Qataban kingdom, and Marib, the reputed home of the legendary Queen of Sheba — that had flourished along the fabled incense road some 2,500 years earlier.
Phillips stands with Yemeni men, including Sheik Al-Barhi (center), a leader of the Bal Harith tribe, and a child in the desert. Courtesy American Foundation for the Study of ManExhibition Highlights
Through a selection of unearthed objects as well as film and photography shot by the expedition team, the exhibition highlights Phillips’s key finds, recreates his adventures (and misadventures), and conveys the thrill of discovery on this important great archaeological frontier.
Plaque with inscription and phiale held in protruding right hand Yemen; mid-1st century BCE Bronze Gift of The American Foundation for the Study of Man, Wendell and Merilyn Phillips Collection, S2013.2.203 On view will be eyewitness videos, photos, diaries and first-hand documents alongside over 80 of the most important documented collection of Yemeni artifacts outside of the country, dating from the 8th century BCE to 2nd century CE.
The exhibition will highlight a famed pair of striding Hellenistic bronze lions surmounted by a figure of Eros, the Greek god of love. Known as the “Lions of Timna,” the skillfully cast sculptural forms — once featured on Yemeni currency — exemplify the vibrant cultural exchange between the Qataban and Greek empires, and inscriptions on its base allow researchers to reconstruct the home it came from and explore familial relationships of its affluent owners.
Head of a woman (known as Miriam) Yemen; mid-1st century CE Alabaster, stucco and lapis lazuli Gift of The American Foundation for the Study of Man, Wendell and Merilyn Phillips Collection, S2013.2.44 Also featured is an iconic translucent alabaster head of a young woman, with lapis lazuli eyebrows and an Egyptian hairstyle. Unearthed in the cemetery of Timna, the head was named “Miriam” after the daughter of a member of the expedition.
Other excavated objects featured include precious incense burners, delicately carved alabaster ibexes, finely articulated funerary sculpture, and a wealth of inscriptions that offer unprecedented insight into the life and times of the ancient people of Arabia.
Where: The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
When: Oct. 11, 2014 to June 7, 2015
Source: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery [August 06, 2014]
Creative Credits: Ad Agency: adam&eveDDB Project name: Great Men Client: Shadi Halliwell, Group Creative & Marketing Director; Anna Davidson, Head of Marketing Chief Creative Officer Ben Priest Executive Creative Directors Ben Tollett, Richard Brim Art director: Tim Vance Copywriter: Paul Knott Head of Design: Alex Fairman Agency Producer: Amanda Davies Production Assistants: Nic Akinnibosun & Raluca Anastasiu Account Management: Paul Billingsley (Business Director), Britt Lippett (Account Director), Katie Gough (Account Manager) Agency Planner: Michelle Gilson Media agency: Zenith Optimedia Media planner: Tim Payne; Becky Dorfman Animator: Rob Rae @ MOTIONCULT Post Production: Touch Digital VO Artist: Joe Dixon @ Sue Terry Music Supervisor/ Audio post: Factory Studios Soundtrack name and composer: main track – Moonlight Sonata/ Beethoven. Dance track composed by Si Begg/ Siren
More than 300 astonishing objects made from gold and other precious materials are presented in the major exhibition “Beyond El Dorado. Power and gold in ancient Colombia”, held by the British Museum in conjunction with the Museo del Oro, Bogotá. The exhibition opens on October 17, 2013 and will run through March 23, 2014.
In ancient Colombia gold was used to fashion some of the most visually dramatic and sophisticated works of art found anywhere in the Americas before European contact. This exhibition will feature over 300 exquisite objects drawn from the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, one of the best and most extensive collections of Pre-Hispanic gold in the world, as well as from the British Museum’s own unique collections. Through these exceptional objects the exhibition will explore the complex network of societies in ancient Colombia – a hidden world of distinct and vibrant cultures spanning 1600 BC to AD 1700 – with particular focus on the Muisca, Quimbaya, Calima, Tairona, Tolima and Zenú chiefdoms. This important but little understood subject will be explored in this unique exhibition following on from shows in Room 35 such as Ice Age art: arrival of the modern mind, Grayson Perry: Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World and Kingdom of Ife: sculptures from West Africa in shining a light on world cultures through their craftsmanship.
Although gold was not valued as currency in pre-Hispanic Colombia, it had great symbolic meaning. It was one way the elite could publicly assert their rank and semi-divine status, both in life and in death. The remarkable objects displayed across the exhibition reveal glimpses of these cultures’ spiritual lives including engagement with animal spirits though the use of gold objects, music, dancing, sunlight and hallucinogenic substances that all lead to a physical and spiritual transformation enabling communication with the supernatural. Animal iconography is used to express this transformation in powerful pieces demonstrating a wide range of imaginative works of art, showcasing avian pectorals, necklaces with feline claws or representations of men transforming into spectacular bats though the use of profuse body adornment.
The exhibition will further explore the sophisticated gold working techniques, including the use of tumbaga, an alloy composed of gold and copper, used in the crafting the most spectacular masterworks of ancient Colombia. Extraordinary poporos (lime powder containers) showcase the technical skills achieved both in the casting and hammering techniques of metals by ancient Colombian artists. Other fascinating objects will include an exceptional painted Muisca textile and one of the few San Agustín stone sculptures held outside Colombia. Those, together with spectacular large scale gold masks and other materials were part of the objects that accompanied funerary rituals in ancient Colombia.
Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum said “Ancient Colombia has long represented a great fascination to the outside world and yet there is very little understood about these unique and varied cultures. As part of the Museum’s series of exhibitions that shine a light on little known and complex ancient societies this exhibition will give our visitors a glimpse into these fascinating cultures of pre-hispanic South America and a chance to explore the legend of El Dorado through these stunning objects.”
“American Airlines and American Airlines Cargo are thrilled to be partnering with the British Museum on Beyond El Dorado: power and gold in ancient Colombia.” said Tristan Koch, Managing Director of Cargo Sales for EMEA – American Airlines. “American Airlines is a supporter of the arts in many cities that we serve around the world and it’s exciting to be linking the two destinations of Bogotá, Colombia and London by transporting precious passengers and cargo between them.”
Brilliant new ad campaign just unveiled for The Sunday Times, created by Grey London the "Icons" advert is thrill to view.
Being tasked with promoting The Sunday Times’ month-long series and refresh of its Culture section got us thinking. What are people’s favourite iconic cultural moments across film, music, art and TV? Why do some things enter popular culture and remain there, while others fall by the wayside?
Shot in one stunning take by Us through Academy Films, the film tips its hat to some of the most instantly recognisable moments from culture through the ages. In just 50 seconds, it recreates six iconic scenes from more than 500 years of history: Rodin’s The Thinker, the epochal ‘bench scene’ from Forrest Gump, the Mad Men title sequence, Michelangelo’s seminal Creation of Adam, the Mr Pink/Mr White ‘altercation’ from Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and, finally, the helmeted, Grammy Award-winning electronic duo Daft Punk.
Creative Credits: Ad Agency — Grey Creative Director — Dave Monk Creatives — Jonathan Rands & Johan Leandersson Agency Producer — Debbie Impett Director — Us Production Company — Academy Films Executive Producer — Lizie Gower Producer — Juliette Harris DOP — Ben Fordesman A&R Operator — Simon Wood Art Director — Alison Dominitz Hair & MakeUp — Lu Hinton Stylist — Rebecca Hale Casting — Hammond & Cox Editor — Dave Stevens @ Assembly Rooms Post — Electric Theatre Collective Grade — Aubrey Woodiwiss
Behind the scenes...The making of The Sunday Times "Icons" advert.
American filmmaker Paul Feig was always the bridesmaid and never the bride when it came to his career. At least that's how he saw it. But at 48-years old he's now the blushing bride. The writer, director and producer's latest film Bridesmaids is a colossal success, having just passed the $130 million mark at the US box office and opening in Australia last week. Feig said he relates to the central character Annie (Kristen Wiig) who's at a slump in her professional and personal life.
``It's the exactly kind of story I do in everything,'' he said.
``This person doesn't know where they belong in the grand scheme of things and that appeals to me because that's how I feel in every single moment of my life, even when things are going right.
``That's how I felt for a lot of my career. I mean, I think I'm making good work and then . . .
``Bridesmaids is the first thing I've had a big part in that's been successful.''
Success is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to Feig. After meeting Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year Old Virgin) when they were both teenagers and doing stand-up together, the pair created Emmy-nominated teen series Freaks and Geeks. It was cancelled before the end of the first season, but not before it launched the careers of its stars James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Linda Cardellini. It also became a cult hit. Feig went on to direct several unsuccessful features such as I Am David and Unaccompanied Minors, before making a considerably more successful return to TV directing Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Mad Men, Weeds and the US version of The Office.
But it was Apatow who coaxed him back to the big screen with a ``fantastic script'' from former Saturday Night Live star Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo.
``With Bridesmaids, we wanted to tell a very relatable and real story that appealed to both women and men,'' he said.
``It was easy to avoid all the pitfalls of the chick flick genre because it's not how any of us thought.
``Those types of films come from people doing things they think women want to see, which is really condescending.
``We knew we wanted to go R-rated with it and we wanted women to see other women on screen who are just as dirty as they are.''
From suffering food poisoning in a bridal shop to dropping the C-bomb, the ensemble cast of Bridesmaids don't play clean. Feig said he and executive producer Apatow even shot a PG-version of every scene in case the women at test screenings didn't like it.
``But they loved it,'' he said.
The film follows a rag-tag group of Bridesmaids as they're led through the pre-wedding rituals of bachelorette parties, bridal showers and dress fittings. Led by Wiig, Bridemaids also stars Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Aussies Rose Byrne and Rebel Wilson (Thank God You're Here, Fat Pizza) in her first big Hollywood role. Wilson plays the sister of Annie's weird room mate, Little Britain's Matt Lucas.
``I'm so happy Rebel's in it, I'm such a big fan of hers,'' said Feig.
``The room mates weren't originally in the script but we knew Matt Lucas wanted to do something in the film but we didn't know where or what.
``Then Rebel came in to audition for one of the bridemaids and she was so hilarious, I turned and said to Judd `she looks like Matt's sister.'
``She's such a great improvisational comedienne and it's so exciting to have her in it.''
With Bridemaids a financial and critical success and talk of a sequel, Feig and Apatow are now working on another comedy starring Mad Men's Jon Hamm. Hamm has openly spoken about his appreciation of the skilled and suave Fieg - who's known for wearing a suit to work everyday.
``Other directors are just a bunch of slobs,'' joked Feig, in reference to the director's stereotype of casual dressers.
``I've been doing it for the past 11 years.
``In fact, I went to direct Mad Men and I showed up on the first day and they thought I was there for casting.''
"A Rodriguez regular, the character and film were created around Trejo and his signature, erm, charm..."
Ah yes, with 2011 comfortably over it's time to shift focus to the films of 2012. Not to get ahead of myself, but it's going to FREAKIN' AWESOME BRO! Even Bane's excited. Although there were some gems last year — as evidenced in my top 10 and honourable mentions — in general the films of '12 could be summed up with one word; disappointing. From Sucker Punch to Red Riding Hood, blockbuster after blockbuster sucked. It was the small films from unexpected corners of Hollywood that brought audiences to the proverbial yard.
In 2012 that's likely to be the opposite. With two new films from Tim Burton, the first instalment in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, the superhero movie to end all superhero movies Avengers, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, World War Z, The Great Gatsby, Tarantino's newbie Django Unchained and SO many other massive flicks, it's safe to have our expectations set relatively high. There are big directors making big movies this year. There are also some smaller gems that will bring an entirely different (yet tasty) meal to the table. I'm talking genre flicks like Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters from the stylish team behind Dead Snow, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and a movie adaptation of one of my favourites books Warm Bodies. Out of left field there’s The Grey which pits Liam Neeson against wolves, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Michelle Williams vehicle My Week With Marilyn, the hilarious A Few Best Men and Ralph Fiennes directorial debut Shakespeare war film Coriolanus.
The film I’m most looking forward to in 2012 is unsurprisingly The Dark Knight Rises. Everything else I’m excited about is on this list, including the epic looking Snow White and The Huntsman and animated charmer The Pirates! Band Of Misfits. I’m also going to make an early call and predict Mirror, Mirror as the worst film of the year and The Hunger Games as the biggest disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a colossal fan of Suzanne Collins' book series but from the casting to the severely disappointing trailers, I think this is going to be a disaster. I hope I’m wrong.
Let me preface this by saying; I'm not joking. I actually interviewed Kim Sasabone (the one at the top end of the rocket) a few weeks ago ahead of their first Australian tour in over a decade. My eight-year-old self would have been so please with 23-year-old me. When the Vengabus isn't coming and everyone's not jumping, Kim says she enjoys nothing more than chilling out and watching a movie. What movie, you ask? Read on:
"Oh, that's hard because there are so many I love. One of my favourites from my childhood is The Wizard Of Oz. That's such a beautiful movie with so many great songs and moments. If we're talking about later on in life I'd have to really think about it. The Wizard Of Oz is my stand out favourite though.''
As London hosts the 30th modern edition of the Olympic Games, Dr Craig Barker from the University's Nicholson Museum and Michelle Kiss, a Year 10 work experience student from William Carey Christian School, evoke the ancient Olympic spirit with a look at the origins of the world's oldest sporting festival that may provide parallels for the next three weeks of competition in London.
[Credit: Getty Images]
The first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC at Olympia in Greece, a sanctuary site devoted to the Greek god Zeus. The ancient Olympics were held every four years, a tradition that remains today. However, whereas cities around the world compete to host the modern games, ancient-world athletes always competed in Olympia.
Olympia boomed as the games increased in importance — a statue of Zeus was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world — before the games were eventually abolished by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in 394 AD, supposedly because they were reminiscent of paganism. While there is much talk of the legacy of London 2012, Olympia and its athletic stadium is an important historical and archaeological site.
In 2012, news surfaced that Australia's men's basketball team travelled to London in business class while their female equivalents languished in economy. However, during the first ancient games, gender equality in sport was even worse: women couldn't compete. Competitors were split into two groups, boys (12-18 years) and men (18+ years). Horses were also split into colts and fully grown age groups.
While the composition of the crowds of spectators is less well understood, it's likely that only males and young girls were allowed to watch.
In antiquity, a lit flame was tended throughout the celebration of the Olympics, and the idea of the fire was reintroduced in 1928 in Amsterdam. Every four years the Olympic flame is lit in front of the Temple of Hera then carried by torch to the host city. The torch relay was not an ancient practice and was introduced at the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Judges were handpicked from people living in Elis, the area surrounding Olympia. The 'Elean Judges' enforced strict rules on the competitors: fines were issued for failing to arrive on time for the training period, cheating and for cowardice.
Events in the ancient Olympics included foot races, discus, jump, javelin, boxing, pentathlon, pankration (a blend of boxing and wrestling) and chariot races. Most events, including the races, discus and javelin, took place in the Stadium of Olympia with other events taking place in the surrounding area.
Before the start of any Olympic Games a truce would be announced, proclaiming that all wars, disputes and death penalties be put on hold until the end of the games. This truce also guaranteed athletes a safe journey to Olympia in the month leading up to the games. The truce was written on a bronze discus and placed in Olympia. The modern International Olympic Committee has revived the tradition of the truce, and all 193 United Nations member states have, for the first time, united to co-sponsor the Olympic Truce Resolution for the 2012 London Olympics.
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Rooms :ChildAdult(s)var cal = new Zapatec.Calendar.setup({firstDay: 1,weekNumbers: false,showOthers: true,electric: false,inputField: c_ARRDTHIDDENTXTID,button: c_ARRDTIMGID,ifFormat:"%d/%m/%Y",daFormat:"%d/%m/%Y",numberMonths: 1,monthsInRow: 1,dateStatusFunc: disallowDateBefore});var cal = new Zapatec.Calendar.setup ({firstDay: 1,weekNumbers: false,showOthers: true,electric: false,inputField: c_DEPTDTHIDDENTXTID,button: c_DEPTDTIMGID,ifFormat:"%d/%m/%Y",daFormat:"%d/%m/%Y",numberMonths: 1,monthsInRow: 1,dateStatusFunc: disallowDateAfter});setcurrentdate('EN');doValidation();document.getElementById("htnWidget_btnSearch").style.backgroundColor = "#EBEAEA"; Sporting controversies are not new! Famous athletes of antiquity included:
the sixth-century BC wrestler Milo of Croton, who was said to have died when he was wedged against a tree during a display of strength gone wrong and subsequently devoured by wolves
Astylos, also of Croton, who competed at Olympic Games between 488 and 480 BC, but was expelled from his home city when he agreed to compete for Syracuse, and so can lay claim to being the first free-agent in sporting history
Roman emperor Nero, who despite being thrown from his chariot in the 10-horse race at the 67 AD games, was still proclaimed the winner on the grounds that he would have won had he been able to complete the race
The Maya are one of the oldest cultures in the world. This exhibition is all about the magnificent artistic forms of expression of the Maya. With a collection of around 300 works of art, including many Mexican national treasures, it displays the fundamental aspects of pre-Hispanic art: the body and the physique are central to this exhibition.
The Maya present their vision of life using various materials and techniques from their daily life, splendid buildings and works of art. They describe their relationship with gods, their everyday existence, their literature, their astronomy, their music and their dances. What often dominates these works is an idealised notion of humanity, which the Maya retained not only in their conception of humans and the ideal of beauty, but also in the location of mankind in the cosmos.
The exhibition which opened on July 2 at the Musee d’histoire de Nantes, was organized in partnership with the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, and offers a chance to discover the exceptional objects from the Refugee Treasures exhibition presented in 2009 in Athens, and a selection of items conserved in France that will be presented for the first time.
The treaty imposed the exchange of civil populations and defined the terms of forced migration on both sides of the Aegean Sea. 1.3 million Greeks and 400,000 Muslims were forced to leave their homes, leaving their belongings behind.
Icon of Saint Catherine. Late 17th century [Credit: Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens]At the moment of their exile, many of the Greek men and women of Asia Minor left with their religious icons, or those from their churches. These precious, sacred, or protective objects established a link between an old and a new country, between an old and a new life.
Today, some icons in France act as a testament of a migration extending far beyond Greece’s borders.
Silver revetment of icon depicting St. George killing the Dragon. From a Smyrna workshop, 1878 [Credit: Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athen]Each one tells a story.
Exhibition curator: Kiriaki Tsesmeloglou, member of the Icon Network association, restorer and conservator of painted works.
The exhibition will run through November 13, 2016.
Source: Musee d’histoire de Nantes [July 08, 2016]
A museum in Sweden will digitise its mummy collection in 3D to allow visitors to unwrap a real mummy in digital form.
Visitors will be able to virtually explore what is inside a mummy's sarcophagus [Credit: Institute Swedish ICT]The mummies from Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm will be digitised by technology which uses photos and X-ray scans to create 3D models.
The permanent exhibition is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.
The curators hope it will help visitors gain a deeper understanding into the lives of ancient Egyptian people.
The museum will scan six mummies using a process called reality capture technology, where high-resolution 3D digital models can be made by compiling data from photos and X-ray scans.
Museum visitors will be able to explore the mummies in a way similar to what archaeologists do when they are looking for novel discoveries from ancient remains.
"We aim to set a new standard for how museums work with 3D digitisation and interactive visualisation to make collections more accessible to other museums, researchers and museum visitors," said Thomas Rydell of the Swedish Interactive Institute.
"In this project we are working with mummies, but the same methods could of course be used on large variety of objects, such as natural history objects and other historical artefacts."
The museum visitors will be able to zoom into very high resolution to see details like carving marks on a sarcophagus. They will also be able to "unwrap" a mummy by peeling off virtual layers of the wrapping to explore the artefacts buried with the body.
"We can literately create a virtual copy of the mummy. This version could be shared with other museums, be used for research or be part of an interactive visitor experience," added Mr Rydell.
The work is a collaboration between Swedish visualisation researchers, Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm and two technology companies, Autodesk and Faro.
"The technology will enable our visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the men and women inside the mummy wrappings," said Elna Nord, producer of the exhibition.
"Layer by layer, the visitor can unwrap the mummy and gain knowledge of the individual's sex, age, living conditions and beliefs. With help from the technology, the mummies become so much stronger mediators of knowledge of our past."
All around the hull of the longest Viking warship ever found there are swords and battle axes, many bearing the scars of long and bloody use, in an exhibition opening in Copenhagen that will smash decades of good public relations for the Vikings as mild-mannered traders and farmers.
A violent animated backdrop to a reconstructed Viking warship [Credit: Guardian]"Some of my colleagues thought surely one sword is enough," archaeologist and co-curator Anne Pedersen said, "but I said no, one can never have too many swords."
The exhibition, simply called Viking, which will be opened at the National Museum by Queen Margrethe of Denmark on Thursday, and to the public on Saturday, will sail on to to London next year to launch the British Museum's new exhibition space.
In contrast to recent exhibitions, which have concentrated on the Vikings as brilliant seafarers, highly gifted wood- and metal-workers, and builders of towns including York and Dublin, this returns to the more traditional image of ferocious raiders, spreading terror wherever the shallow keels of the best and fastest ships in Europe could reach, armed with magnificent swords, spears, battleaxes and lozenge-shaped arrows. "The arrow shape did more damage," Pedersen explained, "the wounds were bigger and more difficult to heal than a straight-edged slit."
Other powers employed the fearless warriors as mercenaries, including Byzantium and Jerusalem, but some were anxious to keep weapons of mass destruction out of their hands: a Frankish law forbade selling swords to Vikings. They got them anyway, as the exhibits prove.
A skull from a grave in Gotland bears the marks of many healed sword cuts, but also decorative parallel lines filed into the warrior's teeth, like those recently found on teeth from a pit of decapitated bodies in Dorset, in what must have been an excruciating display of macho bravado.
"Probably only a small percentage of the Vikings ever went to sea on raiding parties, but I think those who stayed home would have told stories of great warriors, great ships and great swords they had known," Pedersen said. "It was very much part of the culture."
Some of the objects assembled from collections in 12 countries, such as a heap of walnut-sized pieces of amber, or jewellery made to incorporate Islamic and Byzantine coins, probably did come through trade. Others, such as a pair of brooches from the grave of a Viking woman made from gold intricately twisted into tiny animals, originally panels chopped up from a shrine made in Ireland to hold the relics of a saint, certainly were not.
One magnificent silver collar found in Norway has an inscription in runes saying the Vikings came to Frisia and "exchanged war garments with them" – but that may be a black joke. Iron slave collars from Dublin confirm that the wealth they sought wasn't always gold and silver.
This is the largest Viking exhibition in more than 20 years, bringing together loans from across Europe, including hoards from Yorkshire, Norway and Russia, a silver cross and a diminutive figure of a Valkyrie, a mythological battlefield figure, both found in Denmark only a few months ago. Loans from Britain include some of the famous Lewis chessmen carved as fierce Viking warriors, biting on the edge of their shields in an ecstasy of rage.
The most spectacular object, fitting into the gallery with just 1.7 metres (5ft6in) to spare – the new space in Bloomsbury has already been measured carefully – is the sleek, narrow hull of the longest Viking warship ever found, specially conserved for the exhibition and on display for the first time. Just over 36m in length, it was built to hold at least 100 men on 39 pairs of oars.
The ship was found by accident at Roskilde, home of the famous Viking ship museum. The museum was built 50 years ago to hold a small fleet of Viking boats that were deliberately sunk 1,000 years ago to narrow and protect the approach to the harbour. In the 1990s, workers building an extension chopped through the massive timbers of what turned out to be nine more ships, including the awesome length of the warship, estimated to have taken around 30,000 hours of skilled labour to build: only a king could have afforded such a vessel.
Recent scientific tests show it was built from oak felled in 1025 near Oslo, probably for King Cnut the Great – the sea-defying Canute to the English – who conquered England in 1016, and Norway in 1028. Only a quarter of the timbers survived, but they included the entire length of the keel.
Although the exhibition includes sections on Viking politics, strategic alliances through marriage and trade, and beliefs including the contents of the grave of a sorceress with her iron magic wand and little pots of narcotic drugs, the warlike tone was dictated by the ship, which was itself a weapon of war. Vikings sang about ships – one refers to a new ship as "a dragon" – played as children with toy ships and, if rich enough, were eventually buried in ships.
The displays and some of the contents will change in London, but in Copenhagen the ship is spectacularly displayed against an animated backdrop of stormy seas and a ferocious raid that leaves the target settlement in flames.
The animation was made in the United States and the Danish team was initially dismayed as it appeared to show raiders attacking a much later medieval walled town. Eventually, curator Peter Pentz said, a Hampshire site saved the film: they agreed it was plausible that the towers and curtain walls could represent the ruins of a Roman shoreline fort, such as Portchester castle near Portsmouth.
As well as the swords, some bent like a folded belt to destroy their earthly use as they went into a warrior's grave, there is one unique weapon, a battleaxe with an intricately decorated golden shaft. Such golden axes are described in the sagas, but this, from a settlement in Norway, is the only real example ever found.
"I think the main point was to impress, not to kill somebody," Pedersen said, adding with satisfaction: "but you can kill somebody with it if you want.
Viking, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, until November 17 2013
Author: Maev Kennedy | Source: The Guardian [June 19, 2013]
One of the sites chosen as part of the green cultural routes program organized by the Culture Ministry’s Directorate of Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programs Department was Aristotle’s Lyceum. The tour, which introduced attendees to new and exciting information about life in ancient Greece, was led by the head of the Third Ephorate of Classical Antiquities, Eleni Banou.
The site of the Lyceum in August 2013, with grass, flowers and herbs growing strong and a row of young pomegranate trees along the footpath on the west side of the ruins of the gymnasium [Credit: David John/My Favorite Planet]The walk down Rigillis Street from Vassilissis Sofias Avenue toward Vassileos Constantinou Avenue was the perfect start, accompanied by the fragrances of herbs including oregano, thyme, rosemary and lavender. On our right, separated from the Byzantine Museum’s garden by a fence, we spotted a green retreat with glass shelters protecting the discoveries on the site which has been identified as Aristotle’s school of philosophy, or Lyceum, established in 335 BC.
The Lyceum, located between the Officers Club, the Athens Conservatory and the Byzantine Museum, is poised for its grand opening. The display areas are ready, the information signs are up and the site is officially waiting for visitors. Those passing the well-tended 11,000-square meter grounds on the Culture Ministry’s tour asked Banou when the ancient philosophy school would be ready. Some of them managed to sneak in through the door on the Vassilissis Sofias side of the site to take in the ancient lyceum from up close.
Plan for the archaeological park, Aristotle's Lyceum by architect Eleni Markopoulou [Credit: To Vima]The signs are insightful, even if architect and site supervisor Niki Sakka is not there to provide a guided tour, informing the public about the history of the site that Aristotle rented in order to set up his Peripatetic School, a part of the Lyceum. They also provide information on the three big compounds of Ancient Athens – the Academy, the Lyceum and Cynosarges – used for the physical and mental exercise of the city’s youth and men.
The Lyceum (first brought to light by archaeologist Effi Lygouri in 1996), was an overgrown suburb of ancient Athens named after a nearby temple dedicated to Apollo Lyceus. The archaeologists of the Third Ephorate of Classical Antiquities, which is responsible for the site, want it to become a part of Athenians’ everyday life, a place where visitors can take a walk, rest or read.
Greek archaeologists working at the site of Aristotle's Lyceum [Credit: David John/My Favorite Planet]“Our reasoning is that we don’t want people to be afraid of interacting with the site,” Banou said during the tour. The Lyceum is a new archaeological destination, with free admission, which is also expected to boost visitor numbers at the nearby Byzantine and War museums.
However, a date for its formal inauguration has not been set yet, though it is slated to take place within the next couple of months, before the end of summer.
The history of the horse is the history of civilisation itself. The horse has had a revolutionary impact on ancient civilisations and this major exhibition explores the influence of horses in Middle Eastern history, from their domestication around 3,500 BC to the present day. Britain’s long equestrian tradition is examined from the introduction of the Arabian breed in the 18th century to present day sporting events such as Royal Ascot and the Olympic Games.
Fragment of a carved relief featuring three horses drawing a chariot. From the north-west palace, Nimrud, Assyria (modern-day Iraq). Neo-Assyrian, 9th century BC. [Credit: BM]Important loans from the British Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Royal Armouries, as well as rare material from Saudi Arabia, will be seen alongside objects from the British Museum’s exceptional collection, including famous pieces such as the Standard of Ur and Achaemenid Persian reliefs. Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms. In association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities.
The domestication of the horse more than 5,000 years ago dramatically changed human history. Domestication is thought to have first happened on the steppes of South Russia with horses being introduced into the Middle East around 2,300BC. Before this introduction, asses and donkeys were used for transport, predominantly as harness animals pulling cumbersome but technologically advanced vehicles — as seen on objects found at the Royal Cemetery of Ur -but gradually horses became the means of faster transportation for these early societies.
The exhibition includes one of the earliest known depictions of a horse and rider: a terracotta mould found in Mesopotamia (Iraq) dating to around 2,000 – 1,800 BC. Horses became a vital component in warfare and hunting, as reflected in the art of ancient Assyria, where elaborate and ornate horse trappings and ornaments were developed reflecting the prestige and status of horse, charioteer and rider.
Riding became an essential part of society during the Achaemenid period (5th -4th century BC), a cylinder seal of Darius, dating to 522 – 486 BC shows the king hunting lions in a chariot, and famously, the Achaemenid’s introduced ‘post horses’ which were used to deliver messages on the royal road. The horsemen of the Parthian Empire (3rd century BC – 3rd century AD) were celebrated by Roman authors for the ‘Parthian shot’, in which an apparently retreating rider would shoot arrows backwards whilst on horseback. The renown of Parthian horsemen is shown in their representation on terracotta plaques and bronze belt buckles in the British Museum collection.
Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Mughal miniature paintings, ceramics and manuscripts all attest to the growing importance of the horse in the Islamic world from the 7th century AD. Exquisite Mughal miniatures depict princes with their valued Middle Eastern steeds, horses that were famed for their speed and spirit. A magnificent Furusiyya manuscript, dating to the 14th century AD, on loan from the British Library, is a beautifully illustrated manual of horsemanship, including information on proper care for the horse, advanced riding techniques, expert weapon handling, manoeuvres and elaborate parade formations.
The horse has a long history on the Arabian Peninsula, becoming an important cultural phenomenon and a noted part of the traditional Bedouin way of life. The ‘Arabian horse’ was developed through selective breeding, and with features including a distinctive head profile and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most familiar horse breeds in the world. The exhibition includes ‘Gigapan’ panorama photography of rock art which show horses in scenes of various dates from sites in Saudi Arabia, as well as loans of objects from Qaryat al-Fau which include wall paintings and figurines.
The importance of fine horses in the Middle East is explored through the fascinating Abbas Pasha manuscript (dating to the 19th century and on loan from the King Abdulaziz Public Library, Riadyh). This document is the primary source of information about the lineage of the purebred Arabian horses acquired by Abbas Pasha (the viceroy of Egypt) throughout the Middle East.
The story of the Arabian breed of horse is examined in parallel to that of Wilfrid Scawan Blunt (1840-1922), poet and agitator, and Lady Anne Blunt (1837-1917), the granddaughter of Lord Byron. The Blunts travelled widely in the Middle East and established a celebrated stud for purebred Arabians, which was crucial for the survival of the Arabian breed, at Crabbet Park in Sussex, and another outside Cairo in Egypt.
Horses, including Arabians had long been imported from the Middle East to Britain, but from the 17th century, three Arabian stallions in particular were introduced, which, bred with native mares, produced the Thoroughbred breed, now the foundation of modern racing; some 95% of all modern Thoroughbreds are descended from these three horses. Paintings and prints, trophies and memorabilia explore their remarkable success and their influence on sport and society, from early race meetings through to modern equestrian events.
Faissal Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Al-Saud, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund said "It is well known that the horse has played a crucial role in the development of civilization, and that a close bond exists between horses and men. I am very pleased that it has been possible to support this exhibition in London which gives us an opportunity to look at different aspects of the history of the Arabian horse and the context from which it emerged."
The exhibition runs until 30 September 2012 and is part of the celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee.
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