Some months ago I was approached by the people at 20er about shooting their 2010 calendar. The theme was “Asyl und Arbeit” which loosely translates into a study on the plight of asylum seekers in Tirol. The topic is an important issue in Austria and the notion of shooting 12 black and white images for their calendar was also appealing so I agreed.
The majority of research that I did on the topic was via the internet…the United Nations, Caritas and other organizations dedicated to moving, housing and integrating refugees. Just about everything I found began to reveal to me that the situation for asylum seekers in Austria is not such a good situation. People wait for years in state sponsored ‘camps’ in hopes that they will be given citizenship. While they wait they are not allowed to work and have only limited opportunities for language courses keeping them isolated and poor. It’s not good for the country and it’s not good for the refugees and it’s amazing to me that things carry on this way.
In addition to research I also had the opportunity to visit one home for asylum seekers in Innsbruck. A dear friend volunteers German classes so I wandered the halls and talked to some inhabitants while she taught. They were eager to show me their deteriorated living conditions and to offer their stories. You need to visit your local 20er sales guy to pick up one of the limited edition calendars to see all the images.
What I hoped would be an optimistic picture of untapped potential ended up being a pretty isolated and sad perspective on people that are kept separate and in a kind of purgatory. It was a challenging and important assignment and I was honored to participate.
Saturday night and i’m contemplating my options. I finally managed to get through the Clockenflap edit. It was only last weekend but, for some reason, it feels like forever ago. Something is strange about time here in Hong Kong…it sneaks up on you incredibly quickly and when you look back on it in retrospect it still zooms, but it seems to stretch too – like the credits in Star Wars.
The Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam was home to a 2 day music festival last weekend with the strange and, perhaps unfortunate, name of Clockenflap. I scored a media pass and spent the better part of Saturday seeing how the indie culture in Hong Kong lives and hearing some new music. The crowd was dressed for the occasion and well-behaved and, generally speaking , it felt like a family affair. Soft, short grass in tiers down to a big stage it was the perfect combination of awesome, big production with the down-home feel of a little show. Really a nice combination.
Indie Pop 'aint Noise Pollution
If i’m honest, theres’s only 2 bands that I will say something about of the 10 or so that I photographed. It’s entirely possible that they were all amazing and noteworthy (well, probably not all) but there were two that really caught my attention – Chochuckmo and the all-powerful, electro clash machine that is Pet Conspiracy.
Chochuckmo is a rock band that has the full support of Time Out Hong Kong so it’s been hard not to hear about them here. Considering all the hype, they still brought it. The lead singer is definitely a rock star and the music was good. Im not sure what they were singing about per se but perhaps I’ll pay more attention to the lyrics when I go see them again next week. Here are a couple of my fav shots of them though feel free to check out my whole set right here.
Chochuckmo @ Clockenflap
Chochuckmo
Chochuckmo
Shortly after these guys left the stage the sun started to go down and with it, any doubt that Clockenflap would come and go without leaving me rocked. Pet Conspiracy is an electro clash band from Beijing and from the moment their set started to the second it ended, every minute was charged. They were totally awesome for lack of a better word. The crowd lit up and by the end of the set there was a beer pouring, crowd surfing, body-slamming Chinese disco party in action. I have since checked out all their videos on YouTube and downloaded the latest ep. None of it is bad but it doesn’t touch what they do on stage. Here’s a pretty tame and sweet track called ‘Love is Dead’ but don’t let that fool you….They are smart and sophisticated and brimming with awesome. I can’t wait to see these guys again and if the gods are smiling on me than it will be a double bill with their American evil twins Heloise & the Savoir Faire.
Pet Conspiracy
Pet Conspiracy @ Clockenflap
Pet Conspiracy
Pet Conspiracy
Sex Machine - Pet Conspiracy
Pet Conspiracy
Pet Conspiracy
Pet Conspiracy
As I write their song ‘What Do You Want’ is playing loud and I’m wondering why I didn’t post that one for you…oh well. Maybe another day. If you’re curious to see more of the hot, hot Pet Conspiracy click here for more images and here for their MySpace page. I’ve said it before and now i’ll say it again, Beijing rocks!
Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip was the poor purple-clad fool who had to follow an act that is hard to follow. I’m not dialed in on whats cool with the DJ set thing but i’m pretty sure this wasn’t it. It was all a little fragile sounding to me and lacking any real meat. Maybe that was the point, i’m not sure. In any case, he was wearing a rad purple suit so you’ve got to give that to him. Click here to see that nice blazer i’m talking about.
Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) - Clockenflap DJ Set
There are more images and more stories to tell for sure but that’s what I feel like sharing. Click here to peruse some more rock and ambiance shots if you’re so inclined…
At this very moment I am supposed to be packing my camera for a night of Swedish hip hop at Fringe Club but my motivation is lacking. Im feeling cozy on my couch and reliving Clockenflap has proved nourishing enough to satiate my need for rock.
Think about what it would be like to feel the effects of pressure without the actual pressure. Invisible hands kneading dough, gravity pulling and spreading; yeast rising up to the sky all without pressure or friction or forcing.
I had some shiatsu tonight and felt this impossible feeling…the effects of pressure without the pressure. It is a tremendous relief without a tremendous release so the energy stays concentrated and pulls you towards your own center rather than spreading you out, fraying you into a deep, tattered sleep. It’s brilliant and I am certain that I am addicted. Between my still broke-back from Mongolia, my recent bout with moving across oceans and a little cold I have been operating beyond full capacity and I am not afraid to admit that it can be too much sometimes. Fortunately I know when I am stretching the limits and fortunately I know of some things that help. If you have not yet tried shiatsu I think that you are missing one of the secrets of life…
Tomorrow is Friday, thank god. A dear old friend is due to blow into town on Saturday and I’m leaving for ‘merica later in the week so the coming days should be relaxed and filled with laundry and talk of the good old days. Assuming Autumn doesn’t creep up while I’m sleeping tonight I am thinking about bringing my buddy into my backyard for some fresh air and some wheat beer…we’ll see how it goes.
In other news the Lomo collaboration should be up for your viewing pleasure soon enough along with a riveting interview with yours truly…in the meantime I will share with you another one of my shots with Diana F+
armin cubed - triple exposure Diana F+ 35mm
I have to master (or at least quasi figure) the learning curve for the Diana AND the learning curve for my new film scanner to realize beauties like this one…I’m pretty sure this radical portrait of Armin was more luck than skill. It does inspire me to keep trying though…
It’s already tomorrow so I’m going to close my eyes and think about the gravity that can melt my stress away without ever pulling me down…
I’m strangely mellow tonight. Calm and quiet somehow when there is no reason in the world why that should be possible. The clock is ticking down to 8 weeks from now and what is scheduled to happen between now and then would be a mouthful even without a one way ticket to Hong Kong tacked to the end.
Im a little OCD with the list making sometimes and I’m tempted to make one now but I am going to try and restrain myself. Just the act of figuring out what should go first on the list threatens to shatter the mellow and keep me awake tonight. I don’t want to lay awake tonight. I want to lay asleep tonight instead.
Some might consider what follows a list…perhaps I might if I was in a different mood…but I’m gonna call it a teaser instead. What follows are three of the many, many things I am working on at the moment. Hearing somebody is always busy, busy, busy is easier to swallow when you have a sense of what they’re up to so here goes:
20er 2010 Calendar –> I am shooting 12 black and white photos for the annual 20er calendar. The theme is asylum-seekers and their work in Tirol. This is a particularly difficult situation here in Austria and, as a result, a very challenging commission. The concept I developed focuses on showing the untapped potential of these people but, after spending some time with them, its hard to make this positive. In another week I will hand over my finished work.
Mole –> A group of friends and movers & shakers here in Innsbruck have started up a new magazine focusing on media in Tirol. Lucky Bean was asked to shoot the cover for the first issue. Another tricky concept, the media landscape in Tirol is unique (to say the least) and it took some weeks to land on the right approach but I think I got there. A few peeps and I are taking over the Cinematograph tomorrow afternoon to realize the picture in my head. I’m excited.
Crystallized Trend Photos –> This is a job that I was asked to do that isn’t 100% booked yet but it’s looking good. For almost 10 years I’ve been in awe of the amazing communication materials produed by my company and now it’s looking like I may have a chance to participate…on a pretty serious level. 5 images depicting 5 trends. The details about the who and what can’t be shared now but what can be is this is an amazing thing for me…As it comes together I will keep you posted but what I can tell you is the concept I developed for this is totally next level and should produce a series of photos the likes of which you have never seen from me before. Fingers and toes are crossed this comes to fruition.
I have said many times before that I’m more of a ‘capturing the moment’ kind of photographer rather than a ‘making the moment’ kind but I think that’s because I never was asked to do the kind of work thats on my plate now. Im very excited and primed to make some moments tomorrow and in the days to come.
beana bern has officially thrown her hat in the ring with a series of 10 limited edition prints – all run in a limited edition of 10, signed and numbered and printed on archival quality matte paper. the series is called the relative size of everything and is the first limited edition print series from beana. for 25 euro + shipping you can choose what number you’d like (i’m partial to 10/10) and look forward to some affordable art. when they are sold out, it’s over so make haste while the sun shines…
I mentioned some time back when I uploaded these photos that they were for an ‘interview.’ Less interview and more ’sweet feature,’ this is a little article about yours truly and my life outside Swarovski. As a reader of 2Bean, you know all about this life of mine, too much sometimes, but my friends at work see another facet. Different name (Kristina Bern Notch), different business…Appropriate that I would land in the Rhythm issue.
I find that every time I head to a flea market I am always drawn to the same things….clocks, religious art, mirrors, cameras and portraits of strangers. Could an analyst read something into this? I was contemplating this thought sifting through a pile of clocks at this mornings flea market. Maybe I’m trying to by myself some time…
I’m listening to This American Life and the theme is “This I Used to Believe.” If you had to write a 3 minute essay about something that you used to believe in, but you don’t anymore, what would you say?
There’s a lot on my mind right now…too much to try to translate into words so, instead, we will take an existentialist approach, a game of sorts….Via images and titles let’s see if you can’t get an idea of where the Bean stands
It’s not often that you have a chance to peruse Beana Bern prints in a venue that doesn’t require fiber and electricity but on April 5th you will! A funky hand-made market will spring up in the pmk and yours truly will be hanging selected limited edition prints from the performance archive, the Holga stash and, if you’re lucky, the remaining pieces from last years austellung PARALLEL UNIVERSE. Priced from “that’s all!!!” to “uh…really? how much??” there will be options so bring some cash and a desire to take home some artwork.
No real profound thoughts on my mind today…just an everday, average Hump Day in Innsbruck. The gray skies and wet snow falling don’t make me want to leap out of my apartment and into the world so I’m combing iTunes looking for a little inspirado while catching up on some news and strategizing how, exactly, im gonna kick this days ass from here…to right over there.
Aside from my duties with the Crystal Kraft, today’s the day I’m gonna ask China to let me in for my trip in May. Oddly enough I already got my visum for Moscow eventhough it’s likely I won’t even really need it for my 14 hour layover but I wanted to cover the bases. If my ass isn’t broken from the Gobi camelwalk and the freewheeling Mongolian horses then I might want to scoot over to Red Square for a photo opp. Regardless, the application for China is already downloaded and I just need to ship ‘er out…preparing for travel is almost, though not really, as awesome as getting on a jet plane and taking off. It gives me goosebumps.
Now, for no particular reason, I will share some photos with you from Sunday’s ramble…can you detect a theme?
You likey the graffiti? You wanna little more? Noch einmal, I dare you to f-ing click it!
Preparing to head to the office on what I know will be a challenging and stressful day, I am sipping my coffee and pouring my thoughts out onto this digital paper to try and clear my head and – for the first day in weeks – not feel overwhelmed about the task at hand. It’s a new state of being for me to dream about work at night and, though its totally uncomfortable, I will trust [starting again from now!] that its temporary.
Dont see the player? Click here to dust YOUR broom.
Sunday I walked along the railroad tracks for hours. I went from one said of the city to the other, width wise, feeling that lonely, bluesy freedom that seems synonymous with railway travel. Scrapper Blackwell and Big Bill Broonzy in my ears and thoughts about where I’m headed on my mind.
Lonely Road
i went down
dont fence me in
There was more to see and if you’re inclined, you can click here to see it.
Aside from the wandering was also an austellung at pmk to celebrate International Womans Day. Click here to see it all.
tattoo und tabu
Alright…enough of this dillydallying. Its time to dust my broom.
I think I was asleep before 9pm last night. When my alarm chimed about an hour or so ago it was as though I needed a rope ladder to climb out of my meditative state. Dreams of sand storms and past lovers and avacados and train travel were holding onto me with both hands. I dont think I could recount any one of the many interesting story lines that was pulsing through the grey matter last night but, when reflected on collectively, it was a nice (and adventurous) nights sleep.
Today I find myself not quite half way through the week with a metaphorical mountain to climb. Sisyphus is alive and well today. If I had a hamster suit I could wear to work and if I could travel there by running on a big, squeaky wheel I would. Knowing is half the battle though so Im just gonna drink this delicious coffee, listen to some John Hartford and trust that its gonna be okay.
Monday evening I managed to get to my photo lab before they closed only to find that my dates with Diana have been a roaring failure. 2 rolls of film that I might as well never thnk about again. Its sad and also confusing but Im not the type that gives up so easily so Ill take another crack at it and see what I can muster. The good news, fortunately, was that the Seagull is everything I dreamed it would be. The test roll I shot isn’t particularly interesting from a composition standpoint but I learned about how she works and am looking forward to doing some more. The images are so rich and deep in a way that even the best digital images never are. The classic debate of vinyl versus mp3 holds true and, not surprisingly, analog wins again.
