Had a great shoot today with Christian,
here in Johannesburg. The
Blair Bush Project is slowly moving along, and we’re hoping to get session
#002 up some time on Monday. You’ll then see us attempting to get into the American
consulate with a video camera, to ask about the upcoming war. The only bonus was
my American passport, which seemed to get them to at least consider it (sans-camera,
of course). As you can imagine, we were sent on a wild goose chase over town for
answers; actually, for anyone even ready to listen to questions… Will post a
link here, when it’s online. By the way, check out this
fantastic blog, by Kevin
Sites (featured on blogger
today)!
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13 March 2003 by nathanielcity+suburban studios
Today is bigger than it seems. I moved into my first art studio space, in downtown
Johannesburg. CITY+SUBURBAN is a share between myself, Kathryn
Smith and Christian Nerf.
Granted, most of my computer "stuff" (video editing, internet access,
etc.) will remain in my home office, but smaller physical computing feats, writing,
reading/research, and post-computer production (like [hektor:]
abstract machines of faciality), as well as meetings with collaborators,
funders, etc., will now happen there. Rock on. I spent most of today outside on
the balcony, doing research (note-taking from The
Last Word, by C. Nadia Seremetakis) for a new gestural dance/poetry piece
(with Luana Nasser) whose working title is "hearing things."
I thought this title very clever until I realized that I hadn’t thought of it
– it’s David Schwarz’s
new book (not finished yet). Guess we’ll just have to ask him for permission.
David? If you are
out there, let me know, OK?
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12 March 2003 by nathanielgrahamstown festival
The Grahamstown National
Arts Festival just got word that it will have funding for the next 3 years
from the South
African National Lottery – R10.5-million (currently about $1.3-million-US).
This is the biggest arts festival in all of Africa! It’s mostly dance and theatre,
and also sponsors some traditional and contemporary art (and one can’t forget
that festivals this big always have a fringe and a fringe-fringe…). I had
a great time there last year, both performing (the
double room) and viewing stunning work such as Andrew Buckland’s "Feedback"
& Helen Iskander and James Cuningham’s "Baobabs Don’t Grow Here."
Lately, I have been thinking that the United States is really the only country
in existence (or Bush, Blair and Rummy are the only men?) and that they created
the rest of the "evil" world so that they could judge themselves as
"good" against it. But then, why do they need all that oil?
Being the only three men in the world, you’d think these
guys would chat more…
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11 March 2003 by nathanielvomitus wheatgrass
My middle name is googlewhack.
And today’s winner is: vomitus
wheatgrass. Juice, anyone?
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11 March 2003 by nathanielphenomenomadic
phenomenomadic,
which opened at the Dance
Umbrella last night, was a surprise hit! Since the audience was comprised
of people familiar with the dance community here, they really got into its quirky
humor, which parodies famous South African choreographers.
In other news, the edu site,
which I have been working on for several months now, launched its BETA
today. They are a group of education
consultants, whose work I really believe in. Douglas
Spencer is a pleasure to work with.
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10 March 2003 by nathanielBBP begins!
The Blair Bush Project
has begun. This project, a collaboration between myself & christian
nerf (I’m soon to be moving much of my work into the CITY+SUBURBAN art studio
– the two of us and Kathryn Smith
– in downtown Johannesburg) is an ongoing, web-based, satirical exploration into
the current international sociopolitical climate. Session
#001 is here, and you can expect weekly updates from us, as well as a call
for participation around the globe, soon…