July 18, 2019
July 18, 2019

Art

Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati used a swarm of drones to graffiti this artwork in Turin that is based on visual content submitted by hundreds of contributors. The vertical graffiti was created by four unmanned aerial vehicles flying simultaneously over the course of two consecutive days. The finished product measures 14 by 12 meters was developed as part of UFO Urban Flying Opera, a participatory technology and art project funded by Turin-based arts and business foundation Compagnia di San Paolo. More than 1,000 artists submitted their ideas and artwork, with 100 being chosen for inclusion. “The city is an open canvas, where people can inscribe their stories in many ways,” said Carlo Ratti, who is also director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT. Collaboration, creation and civic pride with technology as the catalyst ? Yes – let’s!

Hear

Can the sounds of silence be considered music?
John Cage’s disruptive 4’33’’ album created a controversy around that question that still lingers today. His work challenges us to define music, art, and sound. By urging us to really listen to the white space of our lives, and how we choose to fill it, we can understand how we frame up those things we want to hear, and those things that we don’t. A fascinating read…

Touch

3 Dimensional Art
In an increasingly intangible world, 3 dimensional art work is becoming more and more compelling. Accordingly, we have been witnessing an explosion in the creation of textile-based works, some of which we share here. From artists working with reclaimed fabrics, to a cleric inspired to find a meditative way to create sustainable products, the act of creation with the humble elements of everyday materials is finding a higher calling. First up, we meet Brother Adian, a Holy Cross monk who discovered knitting when cold weather forced him inside, away from his first passion, gardening. Soon, it became all consuming. “It connected so many of these various threads in my life because I was really plugging into the ecological aspects of spirituality,” he explains. “I had my Christian spirituality, I had the ecological stuff, and then I had creativity and making things. And it all came together in knitting because you’re literally clothing yourself with stuff from the earth.” He also believes that it creates an appreciation for the slow labor of craft, and the appreciation of simple beauty, which he sees as the core of any authentic spirituality. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘men of the cloth’. Read on for more hand knit stories of spiritual devotion.

Next, meet Trish Andersen

A self-proclaimed ‘tufter’, Andersen, a native of Dalton, Georgia (aka the carpet capital of the world), was initially attracted to the process of tufting as a means to reconnect with and explore her roots. Now, as a fine artist who paints with yarn, she’s developed a signature style that embraces color and texture in bold strokes. Her advice to budding artists: Inspiration is everywhere and is everything!! Be a sponge!!

Smell

Essential Awakenings
Can the sun-warmed smell of apples bring us back to who we were? Ruth Sutcliffe thinks so. Formerly a highly placed executive with Coty Fragrances, Ruth was inspired by her mother’s death from dementia-related causes to devote her skills with scent to the creation of her Essential Awakenings Smell and Memory Kits. These kits contain distinctive smell prompts, like lilac, apple and grass, that help guide conversations and storytelling. Her hope is that caregivers and families will use these familiar scents to enrich the lives of seniors living with various forms of dementia, in an activity to help stimulate their brains, encourage socialization and encourage memory recall thought the powerful sense of smell.

Trend

Get Organized!

It’s complicated. Remember notes on the fridge? Well today’s families are bringing work efficiency home, using Slack, Trello and other office productivity tools for tasks ranging from organizing children’s chores to planning vacations. Though the tools were built with the workplace in mind, frantic parents are tapping them for uses ranging from organizing children’s chores to planning weddings and vacations. Along with productivity programs, we are also seeing increased outsourcing of domestic tasks (see the growing hashtag trend #aintnobodygottimeforthat) …So much for the home-as-sanctuary digital detox movement.

Follow

@historycoolkids

With a feed entitled “Making history cool again” this insta account serves up nuggets of greatness with an urban swagger – inspiration on tap!

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