First official movie trailer/teaser for the movie "Lincoln", actually lets try that again this a Google Play Presents — "An Exclusive First Look At Lincoln" preety cool huh, I know I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln," a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come. The world trailer premiere will be released this Thursday followed by a Live Google Hangout with Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. www.lincolnmoviehangout.com
The official movie poster for the film was released last month, check it out HERE.
NEW YORK, NY—As one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is well known for the latest in innovative clinical research and advanced medical treatments. What was not well understood, however, was the way its doctors, nurses and staff routinely go above and beyond to care for their patients before, during and after surgery. In fact, many people believed quite the opposite was true. This esprit de corps is critical to what these individuals do every day, and has resulted in countless incredible medical outcomes for patients and their families. To showcase this remarkable standard of care, Munn Rabôt asked real patients to share their inspiring stories in television commercials for NewYork-Presbyterian as part of the hospital’s “Amazing Things Are Happening Here” campaign, introduced in 2011. To select patients, Munn Rabôt uses a comprehensive screening process where patient cases supplied by the hospital are reviewed, and patients are then interviewed in consideration for the final filming of the ads. In order to truly emotionally engage the viewer with these stories of extraordinary personal and medical care, we use 60-second ads so that these narratives can completely unfold.
As we’ve learned throughout the duration of the “Amazing Things” campaign, no two stories are the same, and any patient could have an unbelievable experience to share. One such patient we met who had a compelling story was retired Lieutenant Colonel John O’Brien. Now 52, John had served four tours as a Special Operations officer in the Middle East. The recipient of a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service to his country, John is without a doubt an American hero—but not without a cost. As John explained during our in-depth interview, the horrors seen during war can leave both the mind and the body ravaged. Over 500,000 United States participants in the Middle East conflicts may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and John O’Brien is one of them. As Munn Rabôt’s CEO, Orson Munn, states, “Many of these individuals are severely wounded, and, while it is not as apparent as a missing limb, having PTSD can be just as crippling and disabling.” Confronting the terrors of war—especially when returning home after four tours—takes an entirely new kind of bravery and courage. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been working diligently to pioneer new medical and virtual therapies to help those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Munn, once he heard that the hospital was leading a clinical trial to help returning soldiers cope with PTSD, he “wanted to get the word out” because “these people have served our country to protect our freedom—the least we can do is give them the help they need and the support they deserve.” NewYork-Presbyterian will launch five advertisements beginning April 29th accompanied by an online microsite featuring retired Lieutenant Colonel John O’Brien and his medical team, Drs. JoAnn Difede and Judith Cukor. With these unique ads, NewYork-Presbyterian and Munn Rabôt draw awareness to the common biases associated with seeking mental health treatment. Lt. O’Brien unmasks the stigma associated with PTSD treatment—the perception that seeking therapy means you’re “weak.” In the candid, engaging manner that the “Amazing Things” campaign is known for, John explains his struggles with PTSD and his treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian: “[It’s] brought me to a point in my life where I can really start to move on and do the things I want to do.
About NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ranks #7 on U.S. News & World Report™’s Honor Roll of America’s Best Hospitals. The institution is comprised of two acclaimed medical centers, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and is affiliated with two Ivy League medical institutions, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medical College. About Munn Rabôt, LLC Founded in 1995, Munn Rabôt is a full-service advertising agency based in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. The agency is renowned for its work with clients like the New York Philharmonic, BMW Motorcycles, Bessemer Trust, Citigroup Private Bank, Land Rover of North America, the New York State Department of Tourism and Emory Healthcare, among others.
Cut+Run’s Jon Grover recently edited a commercial for Coke Zero via agency Translation. Directed by Caviar’s Jody Hill, the spot stars comic actor Ken Jeong who prefers the notion of “and” (as in Real Taste and Zero Calories) over “or.”
Facing the choice between two uniquely different movies, Ken Jeong looks down at his can of Coke Zero. Inspired, he leaps into action performing a rendition of “War (What Is It Good For?)” with original dance moves and substituting the word "or" for "war," much to the entertainment and delight of passers by. After all, why choose when you can enjoy everything?
Credits: Advertising Agency: Translation CEO: Steve Stoute Chief Creative Officer: Chris Cereda Associate Creative Director: Cory Smith Senior Copywriter: James Cohen Copywriter: Sunita Deshpande Producer: Barry Sonders Group Account Director: Lauren Schwartz Account Supervisor: Julia Ruzyllo Account Executive: Rebecca Ponce Account Executive: Greg Dyer
Production Company: Caviar Director: Jody Hill Executive Producer: Michael Sagol Executive Producer: Jasper Thomlinson Head of Production: Leigh Miller Producer: Luke Ricci
Editorial Company: Cut + Run Editor: Jon Grover Assistant Editor: Adam Bazadona Producer: Ashley Carrier Executive Producer: Rana Martin
Conform: Cut + Run Flame Artist: Joseph Grosso Graphics Artist: Paul Fiterson
The Chalice Symphony is a collaboration between Stella Artois, musical craftsman Andy Cavatorta and indie rock band Cold War Kids.
This year-long journey has been the ultimate exercise in craftsmanship. We've made four instruments, composed a song that brings them to life, and filmed a music video to share that song with the world.
The project was created by ad agency Mother NY for Artois called "Symphony," they worked with a unique craftsman to create musical instruments out of their famous Chalice. Cold War Kids then used the instruments to produce an entirely new track called "A Millions Eyes".
"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.''
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]
This years Harvey Nichols 2012 Christmas ad is an all out war between two ladies caught in the same dress. It's that all too familiar scenario. You've spent weeks, months even, searching for that seemingly perfect party outfit and arrive feeling fabulously festive — only for someone else to show up wearing the exact same dress.
This year, the Harvey Nichols Holiday video explores the dilemma of a #samedress situation, heightening the drama by extending the initial death stare, so that this fashion face-off is played out with laser beams and explosive energy bolts!
Hot off the wildly successful Ship My Pants and The Big Gas Savings ads, Kmart and it's creative ad agency DraftFcb hit us with this school yard war of words in the "Yo Mama" commercial.
The ad obviously aimed at younger audience features a culturally-diverse bunch of kids telling “Yo Mama” jokes to one another, though the jokes all are about how cool the clothes are and how awesome “yo mama” must be for buying them at Kmart: "Yo mama get that hoodie at Kmart?" "Yeah, dawg." "Well, yo mama must have cavities, 'cuz that hoodie is sweeeeeeeet!" And so on.
When the ruthless mastermind, Khan played by Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness declares a one-man war on the Federation, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise set out on their most explosive manhunt of all time.
Soon after elections of the American president on the country the wave of propaganda processions of gays and lesbians has swept.
They demanded equality. If to face the truth, they have equality, anybody does not punish them for in what they are engaged in the personal bedrooms, but they have not enough of it, they constantly excite the public, drawing to themselves attention, propagandising the sexual life, imposing the given type of sexual relations all and all.
Impose by means of a megaphone of mass-media. Some weeks all television screens, even rather serious news programs, were shaken with war round the Ms. of America. Well the statement of the Ms. of America was not pleasant to one of gays, he has expressed in this occasion rather cynically, but what for to make around it noise all over the country?
Have pulled together huge forces, put a microphone to lips of stars and inhabitants, millionaires and politicians.
The Ms. of America has decided «to beat out a wedge a wedge»: has declared, that the same sights at marriage at an idol of the country of Barack Obama.
But campaign did not stop, because with arrival of liberals to all double-entry bookkeeping takes place: two we write — one in mind. Officially the president has the wife and children, but informally (because the official press does not discuss this problem) on book shelves there was Larry Sinclair's book «Barack Obama and Larry Sinclair — Cocaine, Sex, Lie and Murder?» About unisex sex of the author with «the future Supreme commander in chief». Why the white House is silent? In his hands the unknown power is concentrated... Probably to the White House it is favourable, that in air hung — "perhaps". After all it too voters.
Meanwhile, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation — GLAAD with pride has informed on the achievements: «this year after three-year recession number of gays and other representatives of sexual minorities in films more than will double. Programs with heroes LGBT will make 2,6% from all displays of TV in 2009 in comparison with 1,4% in 2005, 1,3% in 2006, and 1,1% in 2007». Active workers of sexual minorities are happy with work of television channels ABC and NBC, but criticise cable networks where the number of their heroes has decreased with 40 to 32, and also channels CBS and Fox.
Owners of the White House throw down a challenge of traditional morals.
According to approximately 2,8% of men and 1,4% of women lesbians or bisexuals are identified as gays. Thanks to huge advertising last years of men of 9,1% and 4,3% of women participated in unisex sexual relations at least once. Why participated without physiological predisposition? Because it is fashionable.
The percent grows thanks to propagation influence. The propagation, the come to power liberals. US State Secretary Hillari Clinton has published an explicit statement on the occasion of a month of gays and the lesbians, founded by her husband in 2000 in which the governmental plans accurately appear: «... I highly appreciate courage and resoluteness of gays, lesbians and the bisexuals, shown by them within last forty years, and I offer our support in that important work, which else it is necessary to execute».
She has noted and State department work: «We are grateful to our employees-lesbians, gays, bisexuals and the transsexuals working in Washington and worldwide».
Proceeding from this extremely frank statement, the government is going to entrust these people any extremely important work, important in universal scale...
In some respects the business world has never been smaller. Globalization, mass communication and the internet have all put new markets within reach for businesses of all sizes. But linguistic and cultural barriers still remain, and marketers need to take care when venturing across these divides.
Lost in translation There are numerous instances of companies whose message has been lost in translation. When Pepsi took their slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” to Taiwan it was mistranslated as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead” — a claim that even the staunchest of Pepsi fans might have difficulty backing up. Not to be outdone, Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous “Finger lickin' good” was translated into Chinese as “Eat your fingers off.” Companies are advised to check that their actual brand and product names give the right impression abroad. Ikea, for example, brought out a mobile work desk for kids. The name 'Fartfull' suggested speed and mobility in Swedish, but caused more of a stink elsewhere. Good quality translation is clearly essential when taking your brand abroad. This ideally means working with native speaking translators. They will not only avoid linguistic errors, but can also identify any cultural issues and nuances that might otherwise be missed. Attention to detail is obviously important in a major international marketing campaign, but the same rule should also be applied even if you are just localizing your website. Automatic translation tools such as Google Translate can be useful for getting the gist of foreign texts. But they’re prone to misunderstandings, contextual errors, and do not deal well with colloquialisms, slang, linguistic variations or commonly used acronyms and abbreviations. English might remain the single most widely used language online, but it still represents only around a quarter of total usage. Studies have shown that customers place far more trust in websites in their own language. Localization can help you break into new markets, but a badly translated site can do as much harm as good. Cultural issues There can also be issues arising from a lack of cultural understanding or foresight. As well as translating the language, consider the use of images carefully. Sexually charged images and innuendo can end up being more risky than risqué, and even images that may be considered relatively innocuous in your home market can cause grave offence in another. Even the use of color can have different connotations within different cultures. In most of the western world, for example, white is associated with weddings and purity, while in India, Japan and China it is more likely to be associated with death and mourning. In Ireland, orange can have political and religious connotations. Using an inappropriate color scheme is unlikely to cause rioting in the streets but it can set the wrong tone and trigger a negative subconscious response in viewers.
A knowledge of slang, colloquialisms and naughty words in particular can also come in handy. Like many other companies, Swedish medical suppliers Locum sent Christmas cards to their customers. It's a little touch that can mean a lot — but their seasonally loved up logo took on a different meaning in North America and the UK. The above example might have been no more than a faux pas that raised a chuckle and provided a few red faces, but some mistakes are far more serious. They can also occur not just when dealing with foreign markets but also within a single multicultural market. In 2002 the British sportswear company Umbro (which would later be bought out by Nike) was forced to withdraw its Zyklon range of running shoes and issue a hasty apology. 'Zyklon' means 'cyclone' in German, which may have been an appropriate name for a running shoe if not for some unfortunate and horrible connotations. Zyklon B was the trade name of the poison used by Nazis to murder Jews and other concentration camp victims during World War II. Dr Stephen Smith, co-founder of the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, said: "Commercial appropriation of words carrying connotations of mass murder is utterly unacceptable.” It’s important to give careful thought to potential cultural oversights and misunderstandings. Native-speaking translators can again help avoid mistakes and faux pas and, at the very least, material should be tested with a sample group from the target market. Without a little attention to detail it can be relatively easy for a company to either make itself a laughing stock or, even worse, to cause serious offence and alienate a huge swathe of potential customers. About the author Christian Arno is the founder of Lingo24, a top translation service in the USA. Launched in 2001, Lingo24 now has over 150 employees spanning three continents and clients in over sixty countries. In the past twelve months, they have translated over forty million words for businesses in every industry sector, including the likes of MTV, World Bank and American Express. Follow Lingo24 on Twitter: @Lingo24.
An island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Sicily occupied a pivotal place in antiquity between Greece, North Africa, and the Italian peninsula.
Statue of a Youth (The Mozia Charioteer), Sikeliote (Sicilian Greek), 470–460 B.C. Marble. Courtesy of the Servizio Parco archeologico eambientale presso le isole dello Stagnone e delle aree archeologiche di Marsala e dei Comuni limitrofi–Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi. By permission of the Regione Siciliana, Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identita Siciliana. Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identita Siciliana. Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome, on view at the Getty Villa April 3–August 19, 2013, will showcase ancient Sicily as a major center of cultural innovation from the fifth to the third centuries B.C., when art, architecture, theater, poetry, philosophy, and science flourished and left an enduring stamp on mainland Greece and later on Rome.
“This is the first major exhibition to arise from the Getty’s 2010 Cultural Agreement with Sicily, presenting masterpieces that are among the most accomplished examples of ancient Greek art in the world,” said Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
“We are especially thrilled to have on view the exceptional statue of a victorious Charioteer from Mozia that the Getty has recently conserved. This object is a unique expression of the marvelous artistry of Greek sculptors at the dawn of the Classical era.”
Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome, co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identita Siciliana, features some 150 objects, a major portion on loan from institutions in Sicily, including stone and bronze sculptures, vase-paintings, votive terracotta statuettes and reliefs, carved ivory, gold and silver metalwork, jewelry, inscriptions, architectural revetments, and coins.
“These splendid objects bear witness to the athletic and military victories, religious rituals, opulent lifestyles, and intellectual attainments of the Sicilian Greeks, which shaped Greek culture at its peak,” explains Claire Lyons, acting senior curator of antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum and curator of the exhibition.
The Mozia Charioteer
The Mozia Charioteer, widely considered one of the the finest surviving examples of Greek sculpture, serves as the exhibition’s centerpiece. Recently on view at the British Museum in London during the 2012 Summer Olympics, the statue has since undergone conservation treatment at the Getty Villa. Part of the Getty’s cultural agreement with Sicily, this 18-month collaborative conservation project involved remounting the sculpture and the provision of a seismic isolation base, which will accompany the object when it is reinstalled at the Whitaker Museum on the island of Mozia.
The triumphant Mozia Charioteer, discovered in 1976 on the island of Mozia in western Sicily, is believed to represent a charioteer who competed at Olympia on behalf of one of the Sicilian rulers. The extraordinary style of the sculpture, especially notable in the sinuous pleating of the long linen xystis that sheathes the figure’s athletic physique, is a tour-de-force of stone carving. Clearly a master of his craft, the sculptor was able to reveal the torso and limbs beneath the thin fabric. With its confident gaze and proud stance, this statue conveys the high level of originality and experimentation achieved by Greek sculptors working in Sicily.
The “Signing Masters”
Important evidence of Sicilian artistic innovation is also apparent in the exquisite coins of the time. Beginning in the late fifth century B.C., a group of Sicilian Greek coin engravers, mainly based in Syracuse, added their signatures to the dies used to stamp coins. Known as the “Signing Masters,” these remarkable craftsmen created extraordinary works of art on a miniature scale. Departing from the traditional profile view, they devised novel ways of representing the human body in a lively three-quarter perspective or striking frontal pose. This testimony of individual mastery of the medium is virtually exclusive to Sicilian Greek coins created around 400 B.C. Often abbreviated in tiny but legible script, the artists’ signatures are typically all but hidden in locks of hair or elements of jewelry.
Known as the “coin of coins,” the unique Aitna tetradrachm from the Royal Library of Belgium is one of the most precious ancient coins in the world. On view in the exhibition along with 50 other exceptionally crafted Sicilian Greek coins, the image on the tetradrachm depicts the head of Silenos on the obverse and on the reverse, Zeus enthroned with an eagle perched beside him, imagery that alludes to the cult of Zeus on Mt. Etna. Greek settlers and their gods
Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome will also examine how settlers from the Greek mainland brought their myths and religious practices to Sicily. To sanctify new colonies and maintain ties with mother cities, they built altars and temples to such gods as Apollo, the patron deity of colonists, as well as the deified hero Herakles. Included are terracotta heads of Apollo, Hades, and Persephone, created as cult or votive images of deities that played a central role in ancient Sicilian worship. The skillfully modeled clay, embellished with striking polychrome pigments, compares favorably with the most accomplished works in marble and bronze. An exceptional example of metalwork is a religious offering dish made of two and a half pounds of gold. Known as a phiale mesomphalos, the vessel is embossed from the center outward with bands of beechnuts, acorns, and bees above blossoms; the owner’s name —Damarchos, son of Achyris— is inscribed beneath the rim, together with its equivalent weight in gold coins.
The divine hero Herakles was also embraced by Greek settlers, who linked his deeds to their cities. Contrasting aspects of Herakles’ identity —peaceful healer, solitary herdsman, and violent aggressor— heightened the appeal of his cult among the men of rural Sicily, who tended flocks and worked as mercenary soldiers. Among the objects on view is a finely preserved bronze statuette of Herakles recovered from a river-bed in Contrada Cafeo (Modica), which suggests that a shrine to the hero was situated nearby.
Preeminent among the honored deities was Demeter, goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone (or Kore). Sanctuaries of the goddesses dotted the island, but their cult was most enthusiastically embraced in central Sicily, where, according to myth, Kore descended to the Underworld as the bride of Hades. Depictions of these deities include a terracotta bust with a rare painted figural scene that may represent part of a ritual honoring or celebrating the goddesses, and a cult statuette disc overed near an altar in Gela together with an offering jug of carbonized seeds of grain.
Archimedes of Syracuse
A section of the exhibition will focus on Archimedes of Syracuse (about 287–212 B.C.), one of history’s foremost scientists and mathematicians. More than a millennium ahead of its time, his work laid the foundation for branches of math, physics, engineering, and even computer science. When Syracuse’s King Hieron II asked him to determine whether a crown was made of pure gold, Archimedes made his legendary deduction that a solid displaces a volume of liquid equal to its own volume, a discovery that supposedly caused the scientist to leap from his bath and run naked through the streets crying “Eureka” (“I have found it!”).
On view is a leaf from the Archimedes Palimpsest, the only surviving manuscript containing copies of Archimedes’ writings. The medieval prayer book that included this leaf was inked by a scribe onto recycled parchment that originally bore the theories of Archimedes. The pages were scraped clean before being overwritten, but with the use of advanced imaging technology, the original writing is visible. The leaf on view is a section of text from “Proposition 1” from Archimedes’ Method, a work integrating geometry and physics.
Literature on Sicilian art
Finally, the exhibition examines the reflections of literature in Sicilian visual arts. Many mainland Greeks became familiar with Sicily through the epic poetry of Homer, including Odysseus’s wanderings after the Trojan War, which took him to the western Mediterranean.
Often depicted in vase-painting and sculpture, Odysseus’s encounters with strange creatures like the Cyclops and Scylla were allegories for early colonial settlement and trading enterprises that spread Greek culture to distant, exotic regions. The pastoral genre created and perfected by the Syracusan poet Theokritos (about 300–after 260 B.C.) flourished as Sicily was falling under the dominion of Rome in the third century B.C. He is renowned for his Idylls (literally, “little pictures”), which paint nostalgic word-images of Sicilian country life from the point of view of a sophisticated urbanite. Theokritos’s rustic characters—including satyrs, shepherds, and the woodland deity Priapos—also populated the visual arts of the period, attesting to the appeal of rural fantasies during a time of civic turmoil. On extended loan from Syracuse, a life-size statue of the fertility god Priapos, the earliest such figure in Greek art will be featured in the exhibition. Like the Mozia Charioteer, it was also the subject of a collaborative conservation project undertaken by the Getty Museum.
The importance and popularity of Greek comedy and drama outside of Athens is evident in the theatrical figurines, masks and scenes on vases, many of which come from the island of Lipari. The celebrated “Father of Tragedy,” Aeschylus (Greek, 525–456 B.C.) traveled to Sicily on at least two occasions, where his plays found fertile ground in the strong local tradition of performance on the island.
On display is a terracotta mixing vessel with the earliest known depiction of the myth of Perseus and Andromeda, which likely reflects a performance of Sophocles’ Andromeda (about 450 B.C.). The Greek inscription painted above the figure of Perseus—“Euaion, the son of Aeschylus, is handsome”— names the actor, son of the great tragedian.
Rich harvests, bountiful seas, and a favorable trade location brought immense wealth to the Sicilian city-states, and the exhibition highlights their widespread reputation for luxurious lifestyles with five gilt-silver vessels, part of a larger group of fifteen. The silver treasure had been buried for safekeeping beneath the floor of a house in Morgantina during the Roman sack of the city in 211 B.C. The entire hoard comprises religious vessels as well as a set for the symposion, a convivial drinking party for men that was an important part of the social life of well-to-do Greeks.
Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome is the latest in a series of cooperative efforts between the Getty and the Sicili an Ministry of Culture and Sicilian Identity arising from a 2010 agreement that calls for a number of collaborative projects, including object conservation, seismic protection of collections, exhibitions, scholarly research, and conferences. Recent related projects include the 2010 loan of the Gela Krater, a monumental red-figured volute krater (wine mixing vessel) attributed to the Niobid Painter; The Agrigento Youth, a rare example of an early classical marble statue called a kouros (an idealized nude young man), loaned to the Getty from the Museo Archeologico Regionale in Agrigento (2010/2011); and most recently the loan of thirty-six objects from the sanctuaries of Demeter at Morgantina (2012/January 2013).
The exhibition is co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identita Siciliana, and celebrates 2013 as the Year of Italian Culture in the United States, an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, realized under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Italy.
“The archaeologist,” said Sir Mortimer Wheeler, one of the grand old men of archaeology, “is digging up, not things, but people.” The point about sites of antiquity is that, often surviving in a fragmented state, their meaning doesn’t immediately rear up and hit you between the eyes. It can be hard on a 21st century holiday to see a temple and imagine the priests and priestesses, the colours, the crowds, the ceremony and the sacrifices.
Selinunte – ancient Greek archaeological site in Sicily, Italy [Credit: Chiara Marra]But tours with the specialist company Andante are led by archaeologists who understand how to translate the remains left by real people into the story of ancient lives, lived thousands of years ago.
Sicily’s archaeology is extremely high calibre. The island was at the centre of trade routes in the days when travel was often easiest via sea. Ancient empires, from the Greeks and Romans to the Moors and the Normans, cast covetous eyes upon Sicily and left an enduring imprint with a great many magnificent buildings.
When the Greeks arrived here shortly after the turn of the first millennium BC, they quickly settled and started building their magnificent stone temples on an enormous scale. At Agrigento, they were erected along a ridge to create an intimidating line of massive architecture visible from the sea, which remains visually arresting today.
At Syracuse — once occupied by the Corinthians and over which the Greeks and Romans waged a drawn-out war – much of the story is told by remaining monuments: temples, fortifications and the famous stone quarries which doubled as the final prison of thousands of enemy soldiers used as slaves, most of whom died.
All of ancient life is here; religious, military, those of vast fortune with their showy villas, as well as the gifted craftsmen and artists who made them.
In some places in Sicily, the archaeologist’s trained eye helps put together the less obvious clues to bring the place vividly back to life.
The 12th century cathedral at Monreale is one of Sicily's most impressive sights [Credit: Telegraph]At others, such as the grand 12th-century Norman cathedral of Monreale, or in the private chapel of Roger of Sicily at the palace in Palermo — both decorated with glittering swathes of Byzantine mosaics — you put the brain on hold and simply succumb to the pulse-quickening visuals.
The Graeco-Roman theatre at Taormina, set against the formidable backdrop of Mount Etna, also takes some beating for sheer emotional impact.
Andante stresses the “knowledge worn lightly” aspect of these comprehensive tours of the island, and also offers a Relaxed Break here – seven days based in one lovely hotel on the island of Ortygia with your own archaeologist, as well as Andante With Independence, for those who want the archaeologist and the specialist arrangements, but less of the “group” aspect.
Sir Mortimer would have been proud — on every tour it is not the monuments that are the focus, but the people who made them.
Author: Jack Wilkinson | Source: The Telegraph/UK [February 03, 2012]
When MJZ Director Rupert Sanders and Grey New York needed high-end VFX to bring a World War II epic, a medieval fantasy battle, and a bit of science fiction together in a new spot for DIRECTV, they turned to the team at MPC. The spot is a showcase of MPC’s impressive skillset and resources. The LA office led a team that included artists across MPC’s global family of studios, taking the project from rough concept design to photo-real rendering to flawless compositing.
“This was one of those projects that only comes along once in a while,” noted MPC LA Managing Director Andrew Bell. “To help create three disparate and fantastic environments with such an incredible director and agency is a VFX team’s dream come true.”
Acclaimed production designer Dominic Watkins (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Bourne Supremacy) and his art department helped MJZ transform a quiet canyon two hours north of Los Angeles into the otherworldly scenes. Working with MJZ’s footage of a battle scene populated with 50 extras in authentic military garb, Jeeps, a burnt-out half-track, derelict troop carriers, and a Sherman tank, MPC joined forces with the physical special effects experts at Full Scale Effects to help provide in-camera explosions and balloon lights to illuminate the vast canyon. MPC enhanced these elements in VFX as well as adding the parachute flare in CG.
They also collaborated to create the computer-generated dragon and a spectacular live-action fireball of dragon’s breath. Watkins worked closely with Sanders to recreate the backdrop with several imaginative twists, including a matte painting, a gnarled tree reaching toward the moon from a built-up hill, and a valley rippling with trees, scorched earth, and the skeletons of fallen combatants. The spot’s samurai warrior was shot onsite with a high-speed Phantom camera and lit by glimmering heatwaves to match the CGI dragon.
“One of our greatest challenges in this sequence was to have the dragon’s fireball interact with, but not touch, the warrior and his stallion,” said Mike Wynd MPC LA’s VFX Supervisor. “We solved this problem by digitally rearranging the scene to provide more distance between the two opponents with some of the live-action trees moved and foreground scrub added.”
To create the UFO scene, a small second-unit MJZ team shot the car traveling down a darkened country road. MPC then added the computer-generated spaceship and digitally added light to the ground, the car, its shadows, and the surrounding scenery. The studio also added additional atmosphere and jolted the power poles and cables with an alien-induced shake.
MJZ shot the plates of the back-seat observer with a green screen outside the windows and MPC composited the outside environments in afterward. MPC sealed the effort with interactive lighting in both the live-action and digitally enhanced segments.
View the: 60 version below the credits.
Credits: Client: DIRECTV Spot: “Road Trip” Air Date: May 2013 Agency: Grey New York President/CCO: Tor Myhren Executive Creative Director: Todd Tilford Executive Creative Director: Perry Fair SVP Creative Director/AD: Denise O’Bleness Executive Producer: Andrew Chinich Associate Producer: Lindsay Myers VP Account Director: Tamar Arslanian VP Account Director: Beth Culley Production Company: MJZ Director: Rupert Sanders DOP: Greig Fraser Producer: Laurie Boccaccio Editorial Company: Work/Spotwelders Editor: Neil Smith VFX: MPC LA Managing Director: Andrew Bell VFX Supervisors: Franck Lambertz, Mike Wynd VFX Team: Ben Persons, Brendan Smith, Sharon Marcussen, Brinton Jaecks, Ryan Knowles, Mike Wynd, Ross Denner, Daniel Marsh, Fred Durand, Ian Wilson, Danny Wynne, John Cherniack
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.
Samuel L. Jackson narrates "Wake The F**K Up." It goes like this: a girl realizes her family, who back in 2008 were so involved in political campaigning, seems to have become a bit lazy about the whole thing this year. So Jackson steps in to help her convince these guys to get out and do something. "Sorry my friend, but there's no time to snore. An out-of-touch millionaire has just declared war. On schools, the environment, unions, fair pay. We're all on our own if Romney has his way. And he's against safety nets. If you fall, tough luck. So I strongly suggest that you wake the f*ck up."
Credits: http://WTFU2012.com Starring : Samuel L. Jackson Directed by: Boaz Yakin and Kitao Sakurai Written by: Adam Mansbach Produced by: Jesse Schiller Executive Producer: Mik Moore Project by: Schlep LabsA creative playground unlike any other in American politics, engaging a broad audience in a diversity of production efforts. Through Schlep Labs, we are developing a new grassroots model that will innovate the way political campaigns leverage talents across the creative spectrum. At Schlep Labs, we combine your skills with our experience to shape the outcome of the 2012 presidential election.
Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History Complex, and the Canadian Museum of History are pleased to announce that they will be welcoming a world-premiere exhibition to Canada later this year: The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great. To be presented in Montréal from December 12, 2014 to April 26, 2015 and in Gatineau from June 5 to October 12, 2015, the exhibition covers more than 5,000 years of Greek culture, from the Neolithic Period to the Age of Alexander the Great.
The so-called gold death-mask of Agamemnon, found in Tomb V in Mycenae by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876. [Credit: WikiCommons]“It is a privilege to welcome this exhibition — the largest presented at the Museum since we opened in 1992,” says Francine Lelièvre, Executive Director of Pointe-à-Callière. “As Canada’s only archaeological museum, Pointe-à-Callière is proud to be showcasing archaeological treasures from Ancient Greece. An exhibition of this scope and importance is also a vibrant tribute to the large Greek communities in Montréal and across Canada.”
The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great is the most vast and comprehensive exhibition on Ancient Greece ever presented in North America. It brings together more than 500 artifacts from 22 Greek museums, including many pieces never before displayed outside Greece. Among other treasures, visitors will be able to see a number of priceless objects, the result of some unparalleled archaeological discoveries.
“We are delighted that Pointe-à-Callière is participating in the consortium formed for the exhibition’s North American tour,” says Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. “The consortium, which our Museum is proud to lead, includes several prestigious museological institutions and we are all honoured that the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports has agreed to lend us artifacts of such great historical value for the benefit of Canadian and American audiences.”
To facilitate the production of an exhibition of this breadth, a consortium of North American museums was created. In addition to the Canadian Museum of History and Pointe-à-Callière, the consortium includes The Field Museum in Chicago and the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC. The Museum of History will oversee direction of the consortium, as well as work on production of the exhibition in association with the Directorate General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.
“I am especially proud to see this unique project take shape as a showcase for Greece, our heritage, and our treasures, illustrating an important part of our history. The fact that 22 Greek museums have come together to produce this exhibition—the largest ever to be held outside of Greece—demonstrates both the scope and the value of this project, as a number of major objects will be travelling to America for the very first time,” stated Eleftherios Anghelopoulos, Greek Ambassador to Canada.
About the Exhibition
The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great invites visitors on a breathtaking and illuminating journey through 5,000 years of Greek history and culture. It is the most comprehensive exhibition about Ancient Greece to tour North America in a generation and features some of the finest artifacts of the classical world. Many of the objects have never before travelled outside of the country. The exhibition includes priceless treasures, the fruit of fascinating archaeological discoveries, along with items recounting the epic adventures of heroes of Ancient Greece, from the siege of Troy by Agamemnon to the triumphs of Alexander the Great.
The journey begins around 6000 BCE, revealing the deep roots of Greek culture. It ends in the days of Alexander the Great (356 to 323 BCE), whose military conquests created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Along the way, visitors will meet the legendary King Agamemnon, leader of the united Greek forces in the Trojan War (12th century BCE) and one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. They will also learn about numerous milestones in Greek and human history: the birth of democracy, philosophy, theatre and the arts, science and medicine. They will see how the first democracy functioned and discover the tools that made it possible.
Visitors will also be able to admire over 500 exquisite treasures drawn from the collections of 22 Greek museums, including the renowned National Archaeological Museum and the new Acropolis Museum in Athens. Among the many exceptional pieces are the iconic portrait of Alexander the Great, found near Pella, the impressive kouroi statues of young men and women dating from the 6th century BCE, and a dazzling array of golden jewellery from royal tombs. All these items come from Greek museums, co-ordinated by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports –Directorate General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with a consortium of museums led by the Canadian Museum of History. All in all, hundreds of golden objects will be presented, including two magnificent death masks from Mycenae (16th century BCE); superb warrior’s helmets; the beautiful myrtle wreath of Queen Meda from the antechamber of the tomb of Philip II of Macedonia (about 336 BCE); and a marble bas-relief representing a young man crowning himself.
As they tour the exhibition, visitors of all ages will be captivated by the stories of historical figures like Aristotle, Plato, Philip II of Macedonia and the Spartan King Leonidas, and the epic heroes and gods of Greek mythology, including Achilles, Aphrodite, Athena, Zeus and Poseidon.
They will also enjoy captivating interactives, fascinating hands-on objects, and a stunning design treatment.It all adds up to a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition and a truly memorable visitor experience.
Source: Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History [March 26, 2014]
National Maritime Museum Cornwall is bringing the Vikings to Cornwall in a new major exhibition called Viking Voyagers, opening on 20 March 2015. The new exhibition, featuring nationally and internationally historically significant artefacts, explores what is behind the popular myth of the bloodthirsty raiders, what it meant to become a Viking and shows how their mastery of maritime technology was the secret to their success.
Ships and boats were vital to Viking expansion; they explored and colonised, were invaders and migrants and the seas and rivers were the highways and byways to amassing huge wealth and power through raiding and trading.
Their power was built on their knowledge of boatbuilding and their seafaring skills, enabling them to sail across the Atlantic’s icy waters to Newfoundland and Iceland, down to the warm Mediterranean to Istanbul and as far East along the river Volga as Ukraine and Russia.
Visions of horned helmets, unkempt beards and fearsome raiding fighters carried by longships that were dragon headed war beasts come to mind when thinking of Vikings. However, this new show dispels the myth and reveals that just like us they also wore jewellery, combed their hair and many were entrepreneurs, using smaller boats and ships to do business and seek new opportunities far from their Scandinavian homelands.
This new show invites you to encounter these Norse voyagers and the people and things they met along the way, contrasting the mayhem of the raiders, pillagers and ransackers with the resourceful trader, boat builder, craftsman and family man, woman and child.
The humanising of the Vikings is conveyed through engaging interactive displays that amplify what life was like as a Viking. With institutional and loaning partners including the British Museum, National Museum of Ireland, National Museum of Denmark and Manx National Heritage and others, a stunning number of artefacts show a culture that enjoyed ostentation and hierarchy as well as ritual, religion and the simplicity of family life.
These archaeological finds, which are over 1000 years old, include weaponry, jewellery, household implements, slave chains and coins, richly showing the global reach of the Vikings and their ships.
Richard Doughty, Director of National Maritime Museum Cornwall says: “It is enormously exciting for National Maritime Museum Cornwall to be bringing the Vikings to Falmouth and hosting historically significant artefacts, in what is undoubtedly our most important exhibition to date. The Museum’s legacy of award winning work has now afforded us the opportunity to access national and international collections, securing loans with major partner Museums, and offering Cornwall and the South West a unique first in being able to see these items outside of these national and international institutions.”
“This new state of the art show has taken years to develop. You might think you know the Vikings but you will have never experienced them in the way this new exhibition promises. All I can say is watch out, the Vikings are coming!”
The theatre is provided by a beach market scene. A full scale replica of a 14m coastal cargo Viking ship, from 11th century Denmark, invites you to climb aboard and discover what it was like to sail and row in these awe inspiring vessels, and explore the wares they carried.
The iconic Viking small boat, a 6m Norwegian faering, built by ‘apprentice Viking boat builders’ from Falmouth Marine School, is the centrepiece of a ‘touch and feel’ boat builder’s yard. Visitors can hold tools and materials used to design these clinker-built ships with their shallow drafts, which allowed them to navigate inland rivers and conquer kingdoms.
The history of Britain and Ireland was transformed by the impact of Viking raiding and colonisation. We still utter their words in our everyday language such as starboard, berserk, kid and ransack. What began as small encampments up river grew to be Viking towns such as Dublin, which for a time was the centre of the European slave trade. Cornwall was very much part of the Irish Sea world, and the exhibition will reveal tantalising evidence for Vikings in Cornwall.
Dr Tehmina Goskar, Exhibitions Registrar at the Maritime Museum says: “The story of the Vikings is incredibly alluring. Not only have they left us with a legacy of beautiful storytelling in their Sagas but also an astonishing material culture. Above all, the Vikings were sailors, their men, women and children thrived because of their skills with boats and seafaring so with our harbour location, celebrating the sea and small boats, there is no better place to come to hear their stories.
“I am completely delighted to bring amazing Viking antiquities to Cornwall for the very first time, some of which have never been on display in any museum before. Working closely with our Guest Curator Dr. Gareth Williams of the British Museum, a world-leading expert in the Vikings and also an outstanding Viking re-enactor himself, has been an immense privilege and a lot of fun, and hopefully visitors will feel this from the way we tell the story of the Viking Voyagers in the show.”
The two year exhibition, funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of generous trusts and foundations, aims to show how the Vikings were a maritime culture, not an ethnic group but something you became when you wanted an adventure.
Ben Lumby, Exhibitions Manager concludes: “Aboard their ships Vikings reached further than any culture had before them and they have left huge legacies behind since the 300 years of the Viking Age from the 8th to 11th centuries. This atmospheric exhibition will evoke the Viking world through thought-provoking stories, stunning exhibits and engaging interactives which take you on an epic journey. We invite you to discover who the Vikings really were and what was the secret to their success. ”
Viking Voyagers runs from 20 March 2015 to 22 February 2017.
Source: National Maritime Museum Cornwall [Jabuary 16, 2015]
Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels today launch the latest instalment in the ‘Samsonite VERSUS the World’ campaign. ‘VERSUS’ showcases the latest innovations in travel design and technology that set Samsonite apart from the competition. Brought to life via a series of tongue-in-cheek videos, the POS and instore campaign will also run online from 11th August, 2014.
Following on from the success of the campaign’s earlier films, the latest work introduces the many features of the Samsonite range by subjecting each product to rigorous, real-life testing. Five new products are put through their paces in a series of unexpected endurance trials in the Samsonite Quality Lab.
Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels, Alexander Cha’ban said “The brief for this project was a great challenge; tell the world that Samsonite products are built to last and endure. Well we decided to go one better and actually show the world by inviting them into the heart of the Samsonite Quality Lab. Then we set about holding Samsonite to their word by letting loose the greatest forces of nature against each innovative feature of their range. The result is a series of quirky and funny videos that really reinforce the strength, resilience and durability that have kept Samsonite at the forefront of the luggage industry for years”.
Samsonite VERSUS Small Spaces The new Pop-FreshTM case is the ideal size for on-board luggage, and the ultimate cabin companion, easily gliding through a high-rise obstacle course of tight spaces.
Samsonite VERSUS Everything Twice. At the centre of the ultimate tug-of-war between tractors, horses and weight-lifters, the new Lite-LockedTMcase remains intact thanks to the innovative Curv® technology and 3-point-lock system, a winning combination of strength and security.
Samsonite VERSUS International Weather Forecast. Whether it’s raining cats and dogs in the UK, buckets in Belgium or nails in Canada, disastrous weather is no match for the Samsonite RainsportTM Umbrella. Constructed of storm-proofed material and innovative ‘floating ribs technology’, the ultra-flexible umbrella keeps the carrier dry in even the most extreme conditions.
Samsonite VERSUS Boarding Time. In a race against time with a remote-controlled car, the new Samsonite X-Pression +TMcase emerges triumphant. The winning feature is the 360° spinning wheels that offer extreme maneuverability to help speed through airport checkpoints with the greatest of ease and agility.
Samsonite VERSUS Risky Business. Even when under attack from flying tennis balls, the new TriForceTM laptop case offers the ultimate protection for your business essentials. With 360° shock absorbing casing and extra corner cushioning for a laptop, the TriForce case will protect against any unexpected falls or bumps.
Creative Credits: Creative Director: Alexander Cha’ban AD: Arnold Hovaert Copy: Damien Veys Production company: Denzzo Production Director :Lars Damoiseaux Producers: Jeroen Berx, Bea Catteeuw Account Director: Jonathan Moerkens
Have pulled together huge forces, put a microphone to lips of stars and inhabitants, millionaires and politicians. 
According to approximately 2,8% of men and 1,4% of women lesbians or bisexuals are identified as gays. Thanks to huge advertising last years of men of 9,1% and 4,3% of women participated in unisex sexual relations at least once. Why participated without physiological predisposition? Because it is fashionable.
