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10 December 2005 by nathaniel

those crazy capers

So, there was that ekapa conference in cape town this last week. I, unfortunately, didn’t make it – was overseas – but heard some interesting things about it. The ballot seemed to have a lot more non-SA Africans on it, rather than the usual suspects, but I also heard there were a few no-shows, and a whole lot of gripes – by the usuals – to be sorted out. At minimum, I’m hoping some of the cats got the necessary bitching off their chests, and can move towards a great exhibition next year – they’ve got 9 months, and 2 years worth of work to do before then. There’s some amazing potential here – great artists, hard workers, interesting topics and organizers – so we’re all holding our breath and hoping that this will fill the BKAA void (among others), and then some.

Some articles here and here.

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08 December 2005 by nathaniel

Gerhard Marx @ Warren Siebrits Gallery

skull without nomenclature (2005), by Gerhard Marx @ Warren Siebrits
skull without nomenclature (2005), by Gerhard Marx @ Warren Siebrits

I love it when generous and talented people produce brilliant work, and so forgive me if I gush a little too much about maps to get lost by, Gerhard Marx’s current solo show at Warren Siebrits.

Although the show also boasts some of his award-winning work with Lara Foot-Newton, it is mostly a continuation of the series he first exhibited at outlet (minus one show his wife curated – I believe Siebrits himself bought most of the pieces at the former). Marx is “cutting and reconstituting maps,” in order to create images, meaning, emotion. In other words, after chopping up various cartograms, he then puts back together the roads, train lines, currents, etc, in the fragmented lands and seas in order to tell us something within the new image (as above). The process itself, which is devastatingly transparent in each work, feels moving, tedious and achy. The results are astoundingly beautiful, in the most curiously empty and fragile ways. He’s asking us to ‘look again’ at things far too complex to summarize on a blog, and the complexity of his source material, his process, his context: it works magnificently.

Gerhard Marx is going to be the next big thing; I promise you. And he deserves it. If you see one show before the year ends, make sure it’s this one. Oh, and I like him a lot, too, so if there are any left, buy his art. — up til 13 Dec (um, I think – you may want to check with the gallery, tho….)

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02 December 2005 by nathaniel

the other half

It’s weird to be stuck in a beautiful hotel room in Budapest. Luckily, I was here a few months ago on holiday, so I did see a lot of the city then. This time, it’s pure business. I flew in last minute, had brilliant meals and drinks and a room in a fab part of town taken care of, and am being paid handsomely for a cheezy interactive toy I set up at a party last night (I will not name the company, nor will I likely use this piece ever again, unless the same company wants it for another party).

But I am exhausted, have heaps of writing to do for a publication I’m working on (had anticipated doing this over the last few days, but that was before this corporate job came up), and I’ve noticed that altho most of the business peops made it to the party, they’ve not seen much of Budapest, save for each other – in the pre-organized meeting places, at the pre-organized meeting times, doing pre-organizeds things, which have little to do with Hungary.

I think I liked my last trip better.

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01 December 2005 by BradyDale

Underground Literary Alliance

I know that most of the folks who read this aren’t American… but if any of you follow American literature for what ever reason and find it wanting… it’s worth knowing that there is a group that is resisting the mainstream not just by producing its own work, but by doing the occassional protest and bellicose hollering at the tyrants of American lit.

We’re a bit grumpy.

Anyway, I’m one of the 30-something members around the states… recently inducted. Go me. We are working on kicking up a few particular storms in coming days, but I thought I’d promote a little something I’ve started doing on the site in South Africa before I really start talking about it in the states too much. I’m going to start running a weekly homily, or public prayer, on the site. These homilies will be humorous commentaries, but they are genuine prayers as well. They are audio files recorded with an old Compaq Ipaq.

Here’s the first.
And the second.

The third will be out next Wednesday. I promise it will make you laugh… though it will also be rather crass. The fourth is already recorded… in it, I’ll actually touch on literature for the first time.

I also highly recommend checking out the ULA’s Monday Report Box and other fine ULA writing.

The ULA’s leader and founder, King Wenclas, has the fine distinction of running the most threatening and hated blog in literature. Check it out! Get scared!

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Brady Russell
Underground Literary Alliance
Rank-and-file

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