Known artists and designers have participated in advertising campaign creation «Rare prints» for exclusive series of sun glasses «Ray-Ban Wayfarer».
Traditionally colorful and bright summer collection of a brand was updated by an author's adv prints from artists and designers: Vahalla, Matt W. Moore, Aesthetic Apparatus, and Ames Bros.
The Well-known Illustrators for the Well-known Brand
Short 15-second video-clips are logic continuation of prints and show unusual characters from a collection of «Rare images».
The creative belongs to agency Cutwater (San Francisco), production by One Small Step, director Tomorrows Brightest Minds.
The landscape has remained unchanged since the Roman empire. Soft hills where barley and wheat are cultivated like 2.000 years ago surround Djemila, a city on an Algerian plateau built in 96 AD by the Roman army.
Archaeological site in Djemila, Algeria [Credit: ANSA]The settlement, which was inhabited until the 6th century, is one of many archaeological sites in Algeria, which has an unparalleled heritage in Africa. And the continent's largest country now means to exploit it in order to re-launch an international tourism business reduced to almost nothing in the past two decades.
Moreover, all Roman cities are in northern and central Algeria, the safest areas in the country with no major security issues. Djemila hosts a number of important buildings: an amphitheatre from the 2nd century, where performances and music festivals are still held, temples, prisons, altars, an arch dedicated to Caracalla and a magnificent baptistery from the 4th century which is still intact.
On Friday, the Muslim weekly holy day, the site is flooded with local tourists: women wearing the Islamic veil or Maghreb-style face veil, bearded men wearing long kaftans, lots of children observe with admiration and respect the remains of a faraway, ancient civilization and are friendly in welcoming the rare foreign visitors.
Inside the museum where extraordinary mosaics can be found depicting hunting scenes or joyous everyday scenes portraying men and gods, some glance elsewhere but most observe the figures with great attention.
What makes Algeria's archaeological sites extraordinary — from Djemila to Tipaza, Timgad and Tiddis — is the beauty, almost primordial, of the surrounding landscape which is rare in other parts of the Mediterranean.
'From a touristic standpoint, we are still children and need to become adult', Said Boukhelifa, a high official with the Algerian tourism ministry, told ANSAmed. "One thing is certain, we don't want to make mistakes which have been committed elsewhere. We are aiming for a tourism which respects nature, landscapes and our historic culture. This is the challenge we have to start from, after all the years that have been lost."
The exhibition "The Roman villa in Chatalka site. The wealth of a Thracian aristocrat" is a result of a successful collaboration between the National Institute of Archaeology with Museum and the Regional Museum of History Stara Zagora. It presents the lifestyle of wealthy Thracian aristocrats, owners of villa rustica, built in the 1st c. AD in Chatalka site, close to the city of Stara Zagora.
The exhibition includes valuable artifacts found in Roshava Dragana tumulus, where some of the family members who possessed the estate were buried, as well as items from other tumuli of the necropolis of the villa.
Protective and offensive weapons, a rare bronze helmet mask among them, refer the owners to the local military aristocracy. The gold jewellery and breastplates found in graves of a man and a woman, and the gold wreaths confirm their high social status. Luxury items imported from the East and Italy, parts of the furniture, such as candelabrum with an image of herma with faces of two youths, balsam-containers and perfume vessels reflect their exquisite lifestyle.
The implements attest to the main activities of men and women who lived in the villa. Various inquisitive objects, usually neglected and forgotten in the museum depots, are displayed for the first time at one place. Agricultural tools, model mould and pottery indicate the source of the wealth of the owners of this estate. Votive tablets of the Thracian Horseman discovered close to the residential sector of the architectural complex and the mound necropolis of the villa reveal the Thracian origin of the inhabitants.
Group of silver cups of Boscoreale type and rare glass vessels found near the city of Stara Zagora, complete the notion of the rich urban life of the local Thracian aristocracy comparable to the lifestyle of the Roman nobles in Italy.
The opening is on May 22nd 2015 in the National Museum of Archaeology, Sofia. The exhibition will be on display until September 10th, 2015.
Source: National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences [June 01, 2015]
Pointe-à-Callière presents a major exclusive international exhibition, The Aztecs, People of the Sun. Visitors will have the unique privilege of learning about the people who founded the fabulous city of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire and the site where Mexico City was built after the Spanish Conquest in 1521. The exhibition, presented from May 30 to October 25, offers insights into the dazzling world of a people who reigned over much of Mexico for two centuries.
Tláloc vessel. The highlights of the Montréal exhibits include some of the most remarkable remains from the Aztec civilization [Credit: Héctor Montaño, INAH]Exceptional participation by 16 Mexican museums
The exhibition, produced by Pointe-à-Callière in collaboration with the Mexican National Council for Culture and the Arts – National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), showcases some 265 items from 16 Mexican museums, including the Templo Mayor Museum, an archaeological site museum like Pointe-à-Callière itself, and the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology. The tremendously varied objects are both spectacular and moving. Masks and statues, gold jewellery, figurines of women, children and animals, stamps for creating patterns on fabric and skin, sculptures and objects relating to the sacrifices required to keep the Sun on its daily journey, chests, boxes for offerings, vases and ceramics, all reflect the mysteries surrounding this people.
Stunning artifacts
The highlights of the Montréal exhibits include some of the most remarkable remains from the Aztec civilization. Two statues from the Templo Mayor Museum, each weighting 250 kg and standing 170 cm (nearly 6 feet) tall, are sure to appeal to visitors’ imaginations. The terra cotta statue of an eagle warrior, with jagged claws protruding from his knees front and back and his face emerging from an eagle’s beak, could also represent the rising Sun. This true work of art was found in the House of the Eagles, next to the Templo Mayor, used for rituals and penitential ceremonies. The terra cotta statue of Mictlantecuhtli shows the god of death leaning forward toward humans. With his skull-like face, pierced with holes for hair to be inserted, his shredded skin and clawed hands, stained with human blood, he is a terrifying sight!
Other items with splendid colours, like the vessel representing Tlaloc, the rain god, tell us more about the Aztecs’ lifestyle and deities. This vase is considered one of the masterpieces of Aztec art, and shows the god with his typical “goggles” and fangs, in his usual blue colour. The pyramid shapes on his headdress are references to the mountains where the Aztecs believed Tlaloc stored the water that would later fall as rain.
A wooden mask inlaid with turquoise, shell and mother-of-pearl is one of the rare Aztec “turquoise masks” to have survived. It may be a reference to the god Quetzalcoatl, whose face is emerging from the mouth of a serpent. This rare piece comes from the “Luigi Pigorini” National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography, in Rome.
A ceramic piece with three faces, adorned with 13 circular gems, or chalchihuitl, evoking the 13 months of the sacred calendar, is also stunning. It decorated a brazier or a funerary urn, and shows the three phases of existence: in the centre, youth opening its eyes to the world, followed by an image of old age, and then the face of inescapable death, with its eyes closed, all referring to passing time. This sublime piece expresses the cyclical principle of duality, so important in Aztec thought, where life is reborn from death.
There are also images drawn from historic codices, photos of archaeological sites and remains, and different videos. Then there are some 150 unique hand-built and painted figurines made in Mexico to create a colourful, joyous scene depicting the vast Tlatelolco market held north of Tenochtitlan in days gone by.
Exhibition themes
The exhibition focuses on the founding of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire, their daily lives, the Templo Mayor, and of course the question of human sacrifices and the two Aztec calendars. It looks at many themes in their rich history: the Aztecs’ migration, guided by their god Huitzilopochtli, and the founding of Tenochtitlan; the remarkable urban planning and land use development in this “Venice of Mexico”; the Aztec art of war and the tribute paid by conquered peoples, as well as their agricultural techniques and the chinampas, the ingenious floating gardens that made the city self-sufficient. It also looks at the organization of Aztec society, with its different classes, a fascinating subject that addresses the role of women, education and the administration of justice. Aztec writing and the famous codices, manuscripts made up of glyphs or pictograms illustrating the spoken language, are examined in depth. Religion, an essential and omnipresent part of Aztec society, along with their various deities and rituals, are described. And lastly, the exhibition closes with a description of the Spanish conquest and the fall of the Aztec Empire, and the legacy of the Aztecs today.
Who were the Aztecs?
The story of the Aztecs began around the year 1000, when a warrior tribe, probably driven by famine, set out on a long southward migration. Despite many difficulties on their odyssey, they persevered, trusting in the god watching over them to reveal the place where they could finally found their city. And so it was that in 1325 the Aztecs, or Mexicas, founded the city of Tenochtitlan, building a temple on an island in marshy Lake Texcoco, in the central Mexican highlands. The capital was divided into four districts, watched over by the gods associated with the four cardinal directions. In a sacred precinct in the centre of the city stood the main temples, including the Templo Mayor or “Great Temple,” which would become the heart of their city and the centre of their spiritual and material universe. The Aztec Empire lasted almost 200 years, until 1521. They built lavish palaces, temples and markets there, creating an immense metropolis with a population of about 200,000 at its height. Theirs was an imperialistic society that relied on diplomacy and near-constant warfare to expand their empire and collect tribute in the form of regular “taxes” from the peoples they conquered.
A highly innovative civilization
Tenochtitlan was founded on a shallow, marshy lake. The Aztecs were able to increase the habitable area of their city by planting pilings and installing platforms to hold sediment from the lake. Thanks to this ingenious system, the city was crisscrossed by canals, and chinampas, or true floating gardens, were created where they could grow various crops. These remarkably fertile gardens produced up to seven harvests a year, feeding much of the city. The system was also used to recycle the city’s organic waste. The Aztecs developed trade in cocoa, maize and other crops, which were sold in markets of all sizes, and produced striking ceramics and magnificent gold and silver finery.
A life governed by gods and calendars
Like many other Mesoamerican peoples, the Aztecs divided their universe into three main levels: the sky, the Earth – an island with the Templo Mayor at its centre – and the underworld, inhabited by the god of the dead and his companion. The god and goddess of duality were the source of four creative principles occupying the “four roads of the universe” corresponding to the four cardinal directions. For the Aztecs it was important to constantly maintain the balance among the divine forces – a delicate exercise governed from day to day by following two calendars that dictated not only the maize planting and harvesting cycle but also the rituals required to appease some 200 different gods.
The Aztecs considered time to be cyclical, and human lives to be influenced in turn by their gods, at regular intervals, as spelled out in the two interlocking calendars. The solar or annual calendar lasted 365 days and consisted of 18 months of 20 days, adding up to 360 days. The remaining five days were seen as highly inauspicious – it was best to avoid all activity on those days! In every month a major god was honoured. Since this calendar governed agricultural activity, it included many feasts dedicated to the rain god Tlaloc and to plant deities.
The sacred calendar also dictated religious ceremonies and important dates. Each day was defined by a glyph or written sign (there were 20) and a number from 1 to 13. These signs and numbers combined in an unchanging order, and the same combination of signs and numbers repeated until the 13 x 20 possibilities were done, that is for 260 days. Every 52 years, the solar and sacred calendars aligned once again. For the Aztecs, this was a time of fear and anguish, since they didn’t know whether it signalled the end of the world.
The importance of the Sun and human sacrifice
The Aztecs worshipped the Sun, and feared that it would disappear if they didn’t perform various rituals. Just like many other pre-Columbian civilizations, they also engaged in human sacrifice. These sacrifices were considered offerings and an essential part of the various rituals associated with their religion and daily life. Victims were put to death to nourish the Sun and the Earth. When the rains failed to appear and crops were at risk, for instance, the Aztecs would sacrifice children to regain the favour of the rain god. Different kinds of victims were sacrificed: warriors captured in battle, slaves, people condemned to death for offences, and children.
Highly significant codices
The Aztecs had a special form of writing. They transcribed their language, Nahuatl, using a combination of glyphs, figures and graphic elements. These manuscripts, known as codices, are an inexhaustible source of details about their economy, and include tax rolls, property registers, politics, history, education, religion, sacred rituals and science. They are key to our understanding of Aztec civilization.
The Aztec heritage
When he first saw Tenochtitlan and its many canals, Hernán Cortés of Spain compared it with Venice. But despite his admiration for the city, he had no scruples about laying it to waste in 1521. Cortés left Cuba with about 500 men, on a mission to secure the interior of Mexico. After being greeted with splendid gifts by Moctezuma II, Cortés soon took the Aztec Emperor prisoner. The destruction of Tenochtitlan marked the end of the Aztec Empire and launched the colonization of all of Latin America.
Today the Aztec civilization is considered one of the most remarkable in human history. Many archaeological digs and different museums celebrate their exceptional contribution to world heritage. Mexico City, the country’s capital and largest metropolis, was built atop the ruins of the superb city of Tenochtitlan. Today it is home to some 22 million people. The Aztec language, Nahuatl, is still spoken by about 1.6 million Nahuas. Today’s Mexicans also carry the memory of the Aztecs in their name. When their god Huitzilopochtli guided the Aztecs to the site where they would found Tenochtitlan, he called his people Mexicas. Even today, a divine eagle perched on a cactus devouring a serpent – the sign that the god had sent to the high priest of the Aztecs to tell them where to found their city – adorns the Mexican flag and banknotes. And one can still travel by boat along the canals built by the Aztecs, in Xochimilco and other districts of Mexico City.
Portrait for magazine «TIME» cover on March, 19th, 1984. The author: Andy Warhol.
As though each of us personally concerned the person of king who has recently left on rest of the popular music, undoubtedly one is there was very strange person who has left very appreciable trace on a planet the Earth. It is natural, that the outstanding personality and not trivial life drew attention of many artists using the recognised image for the author's works.
As a tribute of memory to the person-epoch we have decided to make art gallery, where the protagonist one — Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson's created to release of a film of 1988 Moonwalker the sculpture-robot in which the singer turns in the robot.
It does not matter if you’r black or white. The author: Scott Bowler.
Michael Jackson and chimpanzee. The sculptor: Jeff Koons. The sculpture of the singer from the gilt porcelain at which the chimpanzee in a lap sits, has been executed in 1988 in number of three copies (plus one author's).
Statue of the king of popular music, balcony of the house leaving on Piccadilly Circus, London.
New York hyperrealist Richard Phillips represents a picture under the name «Jacko» with the image of a porcelain face of the superstar.
Michael Jackson's digital portrait. The author: Hisui.
Everyone loves a good biff, especially when it has absolutely nothing to do with The Footy Show. Here, I’m speaking about the one and only Brisbane International Film Festival also known as BIFF. The Gold Coast, being the cultural vacuum that it is, us film geeks eagerly await the annual BIFF where a selection of films from around the world are screened over the course of one and a bit weeks. This year I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the BIFF crew by putting together articles on various films for the website and daily newsletter. With dozens of movies crammed into the 11-day event it would be easy to miss some of the real gems. The good news is I’ve taken a look at the complete line-up of films screening at this year's festival and even watched some of them early. So, the following is my list of the films you MUST SEE or die at this year's BIFF.
For you international readers this can be a handy guide of limited release films you should keep an eye out for in the coming weeks/months.
An Education — the opening night film starring Peter Sarsgaard and set in the 60s. The Sars-man in a film with romance, drama and intrigue sounds like too rare an opportunity to miss.
BALIBO — the notorious tale of five young, Australian journalists who were executed while reporting on Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 75. An impressive Aussie cast including Gyton Grantley, Nathan Phillips and Anthony LaPaglia expose the Australian and Indonesian governments shameless efforts to cover-up this important story.
Coraline — has been covered extensively on this blog given its beautiful visuals and dark storyline. Directed by Henry Selick, director of the classic Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline follows the adventures of a young girl who discovers a secret door leading to an alternative reality.
500 Days of Summer — a last minute addition to the festival line-up, this quirky, nontraditional love story deserves to be seen purely because it features the talents of my favourite Joseph Gordon Levitt. It also stars everyone’s favourite indie film star Zoey Deschanel.
CHE: Parts One & Two — director Steven Soderbergh’s stunning two-part opus based on the life Che Guevara and starring Benicio Del Toro in the title role. You’ll be hard pressed to catch this screened back to back anywhere else in Queensland.
Away We Go — highly peculiar, yet, interesting film which looks at the journey of two thirtsomethings who discover they’re going to have a baby. Instead of settling down and preparing, the couple take to the road to visit old friends. This is the latest thing from the amicable Sam Mendes and marks a return to his off-beat indie roots.
The September Issue — one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year, this film delves into the life of legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in the lead-up to the massive September issue.
Jules And Jim — this French film from the 60s is a classic love-triangle with arguably the most recognisable face in French cinema — Jeanne Moreau.
Moon — one of the films I’m most looking forward to, this sci-fi thriller i
s the debut feature from David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones and stars Sam Rockwell in what is said to be the performance of his career.
The Missing Person — a private detective is hired to follow a missing person but what started as a simple job rapidly develops into a complex mystery. Full of double-crosses and classic noir moments, this is a film not to be missed by lovers of all things noir.
The Strength of Water (below) — having Maori parentage, I like to pay special attention to films from indigenous New Zealand filmmakers. The Strength of Water is definitely worth the gaze. A unique look at the complexity of grief through the eyes of a 10-year-old living in an isolated Maori community. Beautiful, naturalistic, creative and moving. A must-see.
Van Dieman’s Land — the infamous tale of Australia’s very own Hannibal Lecter gets the big screen treatment from a filmmaker heading for the stratosphere.Subdivison — Brisbanite Ash Bradman (from Nova radio fame) wrote and stars in this appealing comedy set in semirural Hervey Bay. Fans of Aussie films like Crackerjack, The Castle and Kenny are likely to enjoy this.
The Cove — along with Cathy Henkel’s The Burning Season, this has to be one of the most important documentaries of the year and looks at the culling of dolphins in the picturesque town of Tokyo, Japan. Part horror film, part espionage thriller and part environmental documentary, The Cove is all part's essential viewing.
It Might Get Loud — there’s no time for air guitar in this documentary which takes the audience on a candid trip into the world of three of rock’s most iconic electric guitarists; Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin), the Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes).
Black Dynamite — if I even have to explain to you the plot of this film, given the sheer volume of posts about it on this blog, then you deserve to be pimp-slapped into a China cabinet. Here’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Dead Snow — Tarantino and Rodriguez fans, like myself, are likely to adore the work of the Norwegian lads behind this low-budget, horror slapstick about Nazi zombies. Writer/director Tommy Wirkola and writer/star Stig Frode Henriksen have been pipped for big things since their debut short Kill Buljo and their first feature doesn’t disappoint. Catch their work before it explodes as their next film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters has been picked up by The Weinstein Company (bada-boom).
Storage — a tense, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from Brisbane filmmaker Michael Craft and starring Gold Coast actor Matt Scully in the lead role. An impressively clever debut from Craft who shot the film in storage facilities in and around Brisvegas. Creepy.
The Horsemen — containing what is said to be one of the `most amazing fight scenes captured’ is there really any other reason to see this?
Ticket prices are cheap as chips compared to a normal outing at the movies and BIFF is running a series of workshops where you can meet the director, producer, writer and/or stars of some of the films.
The deliciously wacky Snapple spots “Top Secret” and “Win Nothing” are a tall glass of refreshment with just the right twist. The first offers a rare glimpse at the secret behind the precision blend of tea & lemonade in Snapple’s half and half; while “Win Nothing” is a celebration of winning nothing (i.e. no bills). The spots found an editing soul mate in Cut+Run’s Frank Effron. Known for comedic timing (in edit and beyond), Effron enjoyed a close collaboration with the agency creative team from Deutsch and Moxie directors Frank Todaro & Tim Skousen.
Credits: Advertising Agency: Deutsch Chief Creative Officer: Mark Hunter Group Creative Director: Brett Craig Integrated Creative Director: Xavier Teo ACD, Copywriter: Ryan Lehr ACD, Art Director: Erick Mangali Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo Director of Content Production: Victoria Guenier Executive Producer: Lisa Johnson Producer: Alison McMahon Music Supervisor: Dave Rocco
Production Company Moxie Pictures Director: Frank Todaro (Top Secret) Director: Tim Skousen (Celebration) Executive Producer: Robert Fernandez Executive Producer: Karol Zeno Executive Producer: Roger Zorovich Producer: Laura Heflin Director of Photography: Eric Schmidt
Editorial Company Cut & Run Editor: Frank Effron Assistant Editor: Heather Bartholomae Managing Director: Michelle Burke EP: Carr Schilling
Adv agency Jung von Matt (Alster, Germany) has embodied the Brazilian motives in advertising of alcoholic cocktails «Bit Copa». The idea shows a drink "a Bit more exciting", than other drinks, because a drink — "REFRESHINGLY BRAZILIAN".
The Brazilian Freshness
In the visual plan the agency has shown the "revived" drawings on a skin of girls which hold cocktails.
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.
This Is Now, built by an Australian Firm called Lexical Gap, is a live feed of every Instagram photo shot and geo-tagged within New York city limits. There are also feeds London, Sydney, Tokyo and Sao Paolo — although, oddly, nothing from California yet. It's a totally new way to see a city, like a voyeur that's able to peek into thousands of lives at once. It's also a rare look at Instagram's full content stream (or at least city-specific parts of it), which means you can finally see how an entire city uses the app, instead of just your circle of friends. Which, so far, means a lot of mirror pics, a lot of architecture and a lot of food. Also, some porn, which I was not expecting — it really is a raw Instagram feed. via Russell Brandom-BuzzFeed
Can a huge target made out of Hanes ComfortBlend® t-shirts soften the blow of antiques launched from a medieval catapult? Join Al Lenderson to find out now!
MORE ABOUT HANES SOFTEN THE BLOW: We took a brand new scooter, fresh produce, fine antiques, and a rare violin, then we wrapped them in Hanes ComfortBlend ™ products. From there, we crushed them, slingshot them, threw them off a cliff, and launched them from a catapult. The question we were looking to answer: would Hanes "Soften the Blow"?
Credits: Advertising Agency: 360i Production: B Reel Country: United States of America Chief Creative Officer: Adam Kerj Creative Director: Aaron Mosher Creative Director: David Yankelewitz Copywriter: Nick Panayotopoulos Art Director: Roberto Salas Senior Producer: Sarah Kapoor Account Director: Tiffany Curry Account Manager: Kelly Huibregtse Strategy Director: Shankar Gupta Strategist: Scott Sparks Technical Director: Layne Harris Production Company: B Reel Director: Jens Sjogren Executive Producers: Pelle Nilsson, Susan Rued Anderson Producer: Lawrence Lewis Director of Photography: Jordan Levy Production Designer: Jason Fijal Sound Design: Tom Rogers at Atomix Color/Conform: Shinya Sato Editor: Zoe Mougin Editorial Company: Cosmo Street Original Music: MassiveMusic Executive Producer: Keith Haluska Producer: Courtney Jenkins
High end fashion retailer AllSaints release a sexy new short film/commercial — "Sun City, It's Getting In Here" shot on location in London with the very beautiful model, dressed in AllSaints Silia Bikini and The Walker Leather Jacket.
A provocative tale of displacement and individuality, the short film was entirely devised, shot and edited in just two long hot days in the capital last week. By confronting the clichés and conventions of swimwear advertising, Sun City demonstrates AllSaints' spirit for creative disruption.
The short was directed by Paris-based Director/Photographer Jonathan de Villiers and inspired by one of his editorial shoots.
The production company: Wanda London, used their connections to obtain rare authorization to film on a working barge not usually licensed to carry passengers. (The only time the Port of London Authority have previously made an exception was during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations). So this was a unique day for AllSaints and their bikini clad model, the sight of whom prompted even the river police to get their camera phones out!
By confronting the clichés and conventions of swimwear advertising, Jonathan de Villiers, demonstrates AllSaints' spirit of creative disruption.
The final film was enthusiastically received by the client and we look forward to further collaboration between Jonathan, Wanda and All Saints in the future.
Credits: Client: All Saints Creative Director: Wil Beedle Director: Jonathan De Villiers Executive Producer: Abi Hodson Director of Photography: Alex Barber Assistant Director: Will Jasper Editor: Ed line
Here is a sneak peek into The Perrier Secret Place campaign that brilliantly combines modern day marketing strategies. We received our preview invite kit today which included the stamp to get in, and we were also given a special invite code to share with our visitors here at Great-Ads, find it and the link after the campaign Q&A's and credits below.
Perrier Secret Place Premise: If you were at a Secret and Exclusive party and you wanted to party as long as possible, you’d make sure you were as refreshed as possible. And no one can throw a party and ensure you are refreshed to party as long as you can like Perrier.
Q. Tell us about this latest digital initiative for Perrier? Perrier Secret Place puts you in the shoes of a guest who goes to a very very special evening party. A hidden place in an alley in Paris, behind a laundry mat. An evening where all guests will have the opportunity to live their craziest fantasies. And you'll have the best seat in the house to enjoy since all the characters that you see on the screen are clickable. With one click you find yourself in their skin. Living their fantasy.
Q. How did you come up with this idea? We started from the following insight: drinking Perrier during the evening party is the best way to take full advantage of all the opportunities available to you… and until the end of the night. In Secret Place, not only are you at the Ultimate Party living out the experience of the Ultimate Party Guest from the beginning, but you also live out the ultimate evening of 60 other guests who are in the apartment.
Q. And there is something to win, right? Yes. At the ultimate party, we’ve hidden a very special bottle of Perrier. 5 clues are hidden in the rooms of the apartment. They will lead you to the bottle where you are entered into a drawing to win an exclusive invitation to the wildest night of the world party in St Tropez, New Year in Sydney, Miami Art Basel, Carnival in Rio and the closing of the season Ibiza. Only the most experienced gamers will succeed, believe me... Among thousands of different scenarios during the evening, only one leads to the bottle.
Q. So, it’s a game or an interactive film? Both! This project mixes Brand Entertainment and Gaming. We produced 1 hour and 20 minutes of content that allows all users to experience a unique evening scenario. We also used digital interactivity to inject this dimension of Gaming. This involves the quest of finding the bottle and the opportunity to live the lives of all guests by clicking on them.
Q. Why Secret Place? This was inspired by the emerging phenomenon of speak easy. A party venue at the rear façade that has absolutely nothing to do with the place. This is quite in line with Perrier. Completely unexpected.
Q. How are you using social networks to amplify this experience? In partnership with the agency Buzzman, we worked on a social strategy: Become a fan on Perrier Facebook and regularly you will get tips to find clues that will lead you to the secret Perrier bottle. We'll give you a little tip. Slip into the skin of the young man who looks through the keyhole and live out his fantasy. Or play a game of "Pillow Fight" (Sounds weird, but it is Perrier!)
Q. How will the experience function on the mobile? We have specifically developed an application that runs on iPhone / Android / iPad. This is not a replication of the desktop experience but a concept designed for specifically for the mobile device. By downloading the application you enter the rooms of the Perrier apartment and you can navigate through each room. The challenge: find the Secret hidden bottle of Perrier in the apartment.
Q. What was the biggest challenge to pull off this experience? This is the most ambitious project to carry. We spent 18 months writing lots and lots of different scenarios. Produced a film in which we choreographed each scene so that it is connecting with one another when the user clicks on the characters. Sound design work has also been a real challenge. Imagine having to reproduce the sound of a bottle on a bar as many times as there are people in the room who can hear it.
Q. Where will Secret Place be launched? The experience will be available worldwide but open to 20 countries to play in the major markets for Perrier France, United States and Canada. This is the first time that Perrier launches a project of this magnitude in the United States. The challenge is enormous. Positioning is also a little different there. Much more premium. We really hope that the French touch--its audacious content-- is embraced well there.
Q. What results do you expect? There is a counter on the site that counts the number of lives that all users worldwide will live on the site. 1 life = 1 click on a character. I want to hear from Perrier that this idea made 10 million lives by the end of week five of the experience’ launch.
Q. How is this truly innovative? We believe Secret Place is truly a digital first. Not because it’s the first time you can click on something and enter into his point of view. But, the ambition was really to say: Imagine you enter in any movie theater, have the quality screenwriting and the direction of cinema but also to have permanent control over the course of the story.
Q. What kind of partner did you work with to make this type of project? Fighting Fish is our production partner based in Paris. This is the first time that we’ve made a digital experience for Perrier conducted by the French. This is an opportunity to remind the world that France is in a good position on Digital Excellence.
Beyond the fact that Fighting Fish is based in Paris, it was able to fulfill the requirements demanded by this project. The team assembled to deliver this feature was made up of an interactive-hybrid. On the team was Lawrence King, the director of the experience and who is currently working on his own film. Arnaud XXX is the production designer and there were the script writers. Franck Marchal oversaw the sound design – having conducted several reputable orchestras before working with us. Fighting Fish puts digital at the heart of its "production thinking" and Ogilvy Paris thinks the same way. This allows a real synergy between the film's producers and those who are thinking through its interactivity.
Q. Why is Secret Place the right creative approach for Perrier now? Digital and social are playing an increasing role in Perrier's Communications strategy. They have an important, specific role: communicating the edgier, younger, hottest facet of the brand. Reaffirming that Perrier is a must have brand and product when it comes to partying and socialising. And proving, again and again, that the brand loooooves creativity, surprise and inventiveness. This is what Secret Place brilliantly does in my mind. – Benoit de Fleurian, Managing Director | Ogilvy&Mather Advertising. The digital space has opened up a new opportunity for brands. It's solved a contradiction that exists in the real world. Physically, you can't make an exclusive experience accessible to everybody. But with Secret Place, that's exactly what we've achieved. We give people the opportunity to live an experience they wouldn't normally live, but have always dreamed about. Like those exclusive parties you've always longed to be invited to. And thanks to Perrier, you can live it not once, but multiple times, through the eyes of multiple characters. This is an idea that is only possible thanks to the technology we have at our disposal today, and a bit of creative thinking. — Chris Garbutt, Chief Creative Officer | Ogilvy&Mather Paris, Group
Q. The Director is who? And why did you choose this director? Laurent King. We chose him because of his ability to manage this kind of project: half movie, half digital and interactive experience. It's really important to have this kind of new director that knows how to direct with all the constraints that a digital experience impose.
Q. Where did you shoot and tell me one challenge with organizing the shoot or a challenge that arrived at the shoot? How did you overcome the challenge? We filmed in an amazing appartement in Paris that was almost a piece of art by itself. We loved the parisian kind of architecture of it, with lovely rooms, very different to each other. It's very rare to find a place with different moods and atmosphere in it. Moreover, we were looking for a place where you can imagine secret parties happening in it. The biggest challenge was to choreograph all the action of the 60 guests. It was a real challenge because every character had a link to each other in terms of scenario.
Q. Is there a music track? The track of the experience is played live by the group called "TOYZ".
Q. Would love to hear from one of the party-go’ers at this Ultimate Party... The Host: All Secret Places have their secrets. You understand why I'll keep this one...
Credits: Secret Place, a campaign imagined by Ogilvy, produced by Fighting fish while Buzzman was in charge of the Social Media and PR strategy. Format: Digital/Brand Entertainement Chief Creative Officer: Chris Garbutt Creative Director: Frederic Levron, Thierry Chiumino Copywriter: Baptiste Clinet, Nicolas Lautier, Florian Bodet Art Director: Baptiste Clinet, Nicolas Lautier, Florian Bodet, Chris Rowson, Global Business Leader: Constance Capy Baudeau Account Supervisor: Stanislas Vert Film Producer: Diane de Bretteville Digital producer: Hugo Diaz, Cyril Duval, Sandra Petrus Production company: Fighting Fish, Olivier Dormerc, Cyril Couve de Murvil, Adrien Moisson, Benjamin Przelspolewski Sound Design: Le COMPTOIR DU SON / Franck MARCHAL & Alexandre POIRIER Film Director: Laurent King Story development: Olivier Domerc Story editor: Benjamin Bloch Production manager: Caroline Petruccelli Production designer: Arnaud Roth Director of Photography: Frédéric Martial Wetter Line Producer: Vincent RIVIER Location manager: Timothée TALANDIER Main title music: Toys Client: NWFB head of marketing and category, Muriel Koch. Sparkling Brand Director, Fabienne Bravard. Perrier International Brand Manager Armelle Roulland Social Media & ePR Strategy Buzzman: Georges Mohammed-Chérif (CEO & DC) Hubert Munyazikwiye (Head of Social Media & PR) Nicolas David (Social Media Manager)
Visit www.perriersecretplace.com and use the invite code "PE757 " enjoy the party.
The Royal Ontario Museum unveiled The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors, presented by the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation with Manulife as Lead Sponsor. The exhibition is on display in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall from Saturday, March 8 until Monday, September 1, 2014. Presented in collaboration with Beijing’s Palace Museum, the show brings to Canada for the first time approximately 250 treasures that were part of Chinese imperial life for five centuries in a city strictly off-limits to all but the emperor, his family, and his personal servants. These objects are the relics of a momentous chapter in China’s long and fascinating history.
More than 80 of the exhibition’s objects, including textiles, calligraphy, paintings, and armour, have never before travelled outside the Forbidden City. Complemented by stunning artifacts from the ROM’s own internationally celebrated Chinese collections, these objects tell captivating stories and reveal the fascinating characters that made the Forbidden City the centre of an immense empire for more than 500 years. Due to the significant number of light-sensitive textiles and paintings, there will be an extensive rotation of objects half way through the exhibition’s engagement, presenting a new opportunity to experience the stories and exquisite objects of the Forbidden City.
The emperor's role as head of the military required special ceremonial 'armour'. Worn for reviews, it was made more for show than active battle [Credit: ROM]“The ROM’s exhibition takes visitors on a remarkable journey to the heart of the Forbidden City — once off limits to all but a privileged few,” said Janet Carding, ROM Director and CEO. “Carefully selected by our curatorial team, these extraordinary artifacts from Beijing's Palace Museum will give visitors an inside view of life within the Forbidden City and immerse them in China’s rich history. The exhibition is the centerpiece of the Museum’s Centennial, bringing to life our promise to connect our visitors with their communities, world, and with each other.”
The ROM has partnered with Beijing’s Palace Museum to create an exhibition that uncovers untold stories about life in the courts of the Chinese emperors. Dr Chen Shen is the exhibition’s lead curator and the ROM’s Vice President, World Cultures and Senior Curator, Bishop White Chair of East Asian Archaeology. He said, “This exhibition allows Canadians to see, for the first time, the finest objects hidden from view in the Forbidden City. We have worked with our Palace Museum colleagues to develop untold stories about life in the courts of the Chinese emperors; ensuring ROM visitors will enjoy many of China’s national treasures, many of which have never left the palace. These objects — both luxurious and everyday — provide the unique opportunity to advance our understanding of the people who lived within the walls of the Forbidden City.”
The emperor's role as head of the military required special ceremonial 'armour'. Worn for reviews, it was made more for show than active battle [Credit: ROM]In December 2012, Dr. Shen travelled to China with co-curator Dr Wen-chien Cheng, the ROM’s Louise Hawley Stone Chair of Far Eastern Art, and curatorial advisor Dr. Sarah Fee, the Museum’s Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Textiles and Fashion to spend time in the vaults of the Palace Museum and select the most compelling objects in the vast and storied collection.
Robert H. N. Ho, Founder of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, said “The Foundation is pleased to present The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors in Canada. Advancing the understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture is a key mission of our foundation. Robust educational programming in support of the exhibition should encourage wider exploration by the public, especially teachers and students. The Foundation is also proud to once again be working with the ROM, an outstanding institution which together with Beijing’s Palace Museum, has developed this wonderful exhibition, bringing to life the 600-year-old imperial palace and revealing for the first time many of its treasures and secrets. ”
This gemstone-decorated gold ewer was used only on special occasions such as the emperor’s birthday [Credit: ROM]“The Forbidden City is a true celebration of Chinese culture and history," said Nicole Boivin, Chief Branding and Communications Officer for the exhibition’s Lead Sponsor Manulife, “As a global company, Manulife is committed to engaging the international communities in which we live and work, including China where we've been operating since 1897. Partnering with the ROM to support this exclusive exhibit is an excellent way to honour the China-Canada Cultural Exchange and the ROM’s 100th anniversary.”
The ROM’s exhibition uncovers the stories of the Forbidden City and China’s last emperors who led their lives deep within the palace’s opulent interior. Through intimate encounters with everyday objects, visitors meet a cast of real characters, including emperors, court officials, concubines, and eunuchs — castrated men who served the imperial families. The ROM’s exploration of life inside the mysterious Forbidden City transports visitors through increasingly restricted areas — the palace’s great halls, grand courtyards, and intricate terraces and roofs, until visitors ultimately gain access to the most private space of all: the emperor’s personal study.
'Being Ruler is Tough' was the motto Emperor Yongzheng inscribed on this seal. At his wish, copies of this seal were placed in different rooms for his use and as a reminder of his role [Credit: ROM]Upon arrival, before reaching the admissions desk, visitors are introduced to the Forbidden City in the exhibition’s Prologue. An intricate model including many of the complex’s significant features is displayed in the Thorsell Spirit House, complemented by the one of the ROM’s most recent acquisitions — a yellow-glazed bowl, commissioned by Ming Emperor Wanli. The colour yellow was strictly reserved for royal families and could not be used in any way outside the Forbidden City unless explicitly permitted by the emperor himself.
Thrones were not made for comfort, but as a symbol of the ruler’s imperial and authoritative power. All the pieces here are part of the 'throne set' [Credit: ROM]Visitors next enter The Inner Court, the residential space where only the imperial family and their eunuchs lived. Empress Dowager Cixi, a towering presence over the Chinese empire for almost half a century, is profiled in this section. Stunning gilt silver nail guards represent her. Up to six inches long, they protected the extremely long nails of imperial women — signifying their leisure status. Also on display are the opulent objects of the emperor’s everyday life including silk dog coats, gold eating utensils, and the last emperor’s gilt bath tub.
The exhibition’s climatic section takes visitors inside the Emperor’s personal spaces that were once forbidden to all but the emperor. As rulers, emperors were bound to strict institutionalized governance. However, their choices were their own in collecting and personal cultivation. This area showcases some of the most exquisite objects in the imperial collection including jades, calligraphies, and ceramics and an exceedingly rare porcelain “chicken” cup, commissioned by Emperor Chenghua for his mother; only two such cups exist today in the Palace Museum. In this section, a British-made musical clock and the character of a Western missionary represent the foreign dignitaries who gained access to the Forbidden City with gifts from their homelands — pieces much admired by Qing dynasty emperors.
Pages like this, in a fourteen-sheet album, presents the emperor assuming various ethnicities and characters – in each he is accompanied by an animal or a bird. [Credit: ROM]Finally, Twilight of the Last Dynasty portrays the Forbidden City’s last chapter as it began its transformation to the Palace Museum. Here, visitors learn of the fall of the empire during the last dynasty and the imperial collection’s fate. The magnificence of imperial life is countered by the poignancy of the last emperor’s departure. As visitors are brought back to their own world, they gain an appreciation for the Forbidden City then and now.
The Forbidden City
China’s imperial palace, known to the world as the Forbidden City, was built from 1406 – 1420. It was the center of government and home to China’s last 24 emperors of the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) dynasties. Made up of about 980 buildings and 8700 rooms in over 90 architectural complexes, the Forbidden City remains to this day the largest palace complex in history. Once strictly forbidden to all but the emperors, their families, servants, invited guests, and most trusted officials, the palace gates are now open to all.
The Palace Museum
The Forbidden City became the Palace Museum in 1925, one year after the last emperor was forced into exile. Located in the heart of Beijing, the magnificent site spans over 720,000 square metres and houses the largest collection of China’s imperial treasures. Designated by China’s State Council as one of that country’s most important protected cultural heritage sites in 1961, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Today, it is considered one of the world’s most important museums. Popularly called The Forbidden City, it houses over 1.8 million art treasures spanning 5,000 years of Chinese history with many from the Qing imperial court. It is one of the world’s most visited museums, welcoming a record 182,000 visitors on October 2, 2012.
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.
In a composition «Sounds of silence» two known guys there is such line: «Silence like a cancer grows».
Eshel Ben-Jacob from one of universities of Israel knows not by hearsay this silence. And not only it. It is necessary to take pleasure such at times in .
Grey London has unveiled its first work for Volvo Car Group: a beautifully-shot, highly sensory film urging the viewer to ‘seek feeling’ – a dramatization of Volvo’s human-centric ethos.
The quietly epic film – a global TV campaign for Volvo’s existing XC60 model – is a shift in tone for the car manufacturer. Moving the brand into a more premium space, it introduces some of the pillars that will underpin its revamped brand positioning: ambition, simplicity, authenticity, Swedishness, and the same level of design quality and craft that goes into its cars. It represents a stylistic prologue to what is to come from the Volvo Kreativ Studio, including a high-profile, multi-faceted campaign for the launch of Volvo’s revolutionary flagship model XC90.
The film itself is about movement; about dynamism and intuitive response – the visceral, emotional experience of the Volvo XC60 brought to life. It begins in the passenger seat of the car –parked on an empty beach, radio quietly humming in the background, door left open, and a pair of shoes discarded in the footwell. Moving toward the water, the radio fades into the distance – drowned out by the sound of the ocean as we reach the shoreline…
“to feel to really feel is a rare thing these days”
…then out into the surf. Through the water, through the first tentative laps to the thundering crash of enormous waves, out into the darkness…until the water is still. Serene. A lone figure sits on her surfboard, her windswept silhouette visible only through the moonlight. Staring out toward the horizon, she’s waiting; a defiant look in her eyes.
And then it comes. The swell rises. A wave approaches, powerful and unstoppable. Adrenaline racing, we rise up. She rises up. Her arm takes one graceful, powerful swipe through the water as the wave is about to break…and then we cut. Against the black, we hear the earth-shaking thunder of the wave collapsing. The film ends with the line ‘Seek Feeling. The responsive XC60’.
Hollie Newton, Global Creative Director at Grey London, says: “The last thing the world needs is another overly-retouched car, hooning down a mountain road to a soft rock soundtrack. There's a defiant, slightly renegade Swedish spirit to Volvo that simply doesn't fit with the bland world of car advertising. And thank god for that. We have an enormous suite of work coming up for Volvo which challenges the conventions of the sector. This is the first. A quietly epic piece of film that, hopefully, makes you feel something.”
Marcus Söderlund, Director (and Swede), adds: “I am working my way through the four classical elements with Grey: last time it was a fire film, now water. The perspective in this film is pretty special; it´s not a first person perspective. The whole way through it’s the viewer’s film and view. Working in the element of water is fantastic – there is so much you just can´t predict or control. If you embrace that, you can get imagery you can’t even dream of.”
As very specific weather, moonlight and tidal conditions were required for the highly technical shoot, the time of year made shooting in Sweden impossible. Instead, the film was shot in Durban, South Africa. After looking at dozens of potential locations, Durban emerged as the only that could provide the essential quartet of good waves, high-quality levels of moonlight, shark nets and – most importantly – an area which closely resembled Swedish environments. Just as vital as the location was the casting – with 46 year old Cape Town resident and experienced surfer Lisette Forsyth eventually chosen. Not only was she at ease in the ocean and a passionate surfer, she had a beautifully graceful and serene look in the water.
The campaign is Global Creative Director Hollie Newton’s first for Grey since joining from Wieden + Kennedy last year, where she created Lurpak’s multi-award-winning Good Proper Food. It was directed by Gothenburg-born Marcus Söderlund through Academy. Print photography was from Gian Paul Lozza, best-known for capturing his subject using only ambient light. Allan “Willy” Wilson – famed for his surf films – was underwater DoP, while André Chémétoff – known for his beautiful, technical films such as Our Day Will Come by Romain Gavras and Jaron Albertin’s Sony Volcano – was DoP.
Credits: Project name: The Swell Client: Volvo: Tomás Caetano (Vice President Brand Marketing), Ingela D'Angelo, (Director, Marketing Communication), Magnus Brodd (Marketing Content Director), Anna Wirsen (Project Leader) Agency: Grey London Executive Creative Director: Nils Leonard Global Creative Director: Hollie Newton Creative Team: Hollie Newton / Jamie Starbuck / Howard Green Managing Partner: Nick Dutton Business Director: Camilla Ashenhurst Account Manager: Mel Caplan Agency producer: Harriette Larder Creative producer: Glen McLeod Planning Director: Matt Buttrick Planner: Hayley Cannon Production company: Academy Films Director: Marcus Söderlund Editor: Tom Lindsay @ Trim Producer: Medb Riordan Exec Producer: Lizie Gower DOP: André Chémétoff / Allan “Willy” Wilson Colourist: Aubrey Woodiwiss Post-production: Yourick Van Impe (Flame) & Aubrey Woodiwiss (grade) @ Electric Theatre Collective Audio post-production: Aaron Reynolds @ Wave Photographer: Gian Paul Lozza
The highly anticipated 2013 Subaru BRZ rear-wheel-drive sports coupe makes its debut in Canada with the launch of a new campaign ‘Scorched,’ and car aficionados and passionate drivers will agree, car porn has never looked so good.
Developed by DDB Canada’s Toronto office, the national campaign features a 60-second online film, ‘Scorched,’ shot with Phantom camera technology, creating extreme slow-motion shots. The suspenseful story unfolds inside a garage where an unknown source of heat melts everything in its path. Amplified by a dubstep track, “Execute” by Excision, the final shot reveals the heat source to be the Subaru BRZ emerging out of a drift, demonstrating that the BRZ handles as incredibly as it looks.
“The Subaru BRZ is a hot car, with a great deal of excitement already surrounding its release,” says Todd Mackie, creative director, DDB Canada. “We wanted to create a visual story to mirror that anticipation while captivating both existing fans and reaching new ones.”
Print, online, ambient, social media, public relations and targeted blogger outreach round out the campaign; each highlighting the sizzling sports coupe. Selectmedia and bloggers also got the opportunity to feed their gear head inside by attending the ‘Scorched’ shoot, to get a rare, behind-the-scenes peek at the Subaru BRZ in action.
“This is Subaru’s first rear-wheel drive sports coupe and with limited quantities available in Canada this year, it’s the most highly anticipated launch in the category,” says Geoff Craig, director of marketing, Subaru Canada. “We challenged DDB to accelerate the buzz and launch the BRZ with creative that’s just as hot as the car.”
A hologram lenticular in The Grid and attention-grabbing creative in national newspapers and magazines reveals the BRZ burning through the pages. Similarly, online advertising burns up computer screens and tablets to unveil the hot new sports car.
The Subaru BRZ turned heads at the 2012 Montreal Grand Prix (June 8-10), with an ambient street-art installation produced by DDB Public Relations. The BRZ was showcased as part of an eye-popping, movie-style set featuring a burnt mailbox, singed bike rack, melted street lamp and a massive 32’ heat-blasted brick wall. The result was a surreal replica of a Montreal street corner that appeared to have been utterly “scorched” by the hot new sports car.
To enhance the installation DDB Public Relations engagedCanadian NFC tech firm, TAPmeTAGS Inc. to provide NFC enabled tags as part of a test-pilot program to encourage consumer interaction onsite. Singed wild postings surrounding the installation encouraged passersby to “tap or snap” using their NFC phones. This directed consumers to a dedicated BRZ landing page where they could learn more about the vehicle, view images and book a test drive.
The Montreal ambient installation is the first of a series, with more coming to major cities across Canada this summer.
Credits: Advertising Agency: DDB, Toronto, Canada Creative Directors: Denise Rossetto, Todd Mackie Associate Creative Directors: Paul Riss, Adam Bailey Copywriter: Adam Bailey Art Director: Paul Riss Agency Producer: Ken Rodger Account Team: Michael Davidson, Peter Brough, Julia Morris Media Company: OMD Production Company: Radke Director: Common Good Common Good Creative Directors: Eric Makila, Jamie Webster, Jordan Clarke Executive Producers Common Good: Marie-Pierre Touré, Stefanie Kouverianos Executive Producer Radke: Miriana DiQuinzio Line Producer:Dwight Phipps Director of Photography:Chris Mably Editorial: Ross Birchall, Bijou Editorial VFX: Common Good VFX Supervisor: Alex Avram Post-Production: Alter Ego Colourist: Erin Whipp / Alter Ego Online Editor: Darren Achim Music: “Execute” by Excision
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