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What the fuck is gaming? Not that we really want an answer. But generally, it is assumed that games are used in downtimes--times of non-productivity. Since we're all about work and have all the confidence that all of our actions are leading to some future product/production, we thought we should maybe glance at those who simply see gaming as gaming. This Saturday Edition starts in the city of games, Vegas and then moves to a history of video games that surprisingly doesn't include Vegas as their inspiration.
We've also found a creative solution to those periods of downtime. Instead of playing games, make a new one, like Renato Ornelas and Kelly Coats did while they we're editing (rendering) videos. Also included a review of Lola Sosa and Mario Marques's soon to be produced game out of someone's old idea and a failed attempt at creating a new game by Holly Ward plus plus plus; and Janis Demkiw's week in review.
Instant Coffee can't be underdone.
Send letters to the editor to feedback@instantcoffee.org
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Saturday Edition Feature
1. A Failed Attempt by Holly Ward
i'm really sorry, bad news...
i didn't get the games article ready for you on time. i started writing about how sometimes love (or rather looking for it)just feels like filling in the blanks and how when someone looks at you and you get paranoid that youre just filling in their gap, you want to strangle them and somehow shout your IDENTITY in their shitty faces before they take off on you forever.
then it bummed me out to realise how disillusioned i am about the whole process and i realised i sounded like an ugly, unsatisfied fuck and i found it too hard to be articulate in that frame of mind.
i had wanted it to be funny. oh well. not all games are fun.
2. The History of Video Games
By Leonard Herman, Jer Horwitz, Steve Kent, and Skyler Miller
Introduction
In 1949, a young engineer named Ralph Baer was given an
assignment to build a television set. He wasn't supposed to build
just any television set, but one that would be the absolute best of all
televisions. This was not a problem for Baer, but he wanted to go
beyond his original assignment and incorporate some kind of game
into the set. He didn't know exactly what kind of game he had in
mind, but it didn't really matter because his managers nixed the
idea. It would take another 18 years for his idea to become a reality,
and by that time there would be other people to share in the glory,
like Willy Higinbotham, who designed an interactive tennis game
played on an oscilloscope, and Steve Russell, who programmed a
rudimentary space game on a DEC PDP-1 mainframe computer. And then there was also Nolan Bushnell, who played that space game and dreamed of a time when fairground midways would be filled with games powered by computers.
Today, with interest in classic games gaining steam once again, players of video games are
reminded of the rich history of the industry. Crave's Asteroids 64 is a modern version of a
game that came out in 1979. And the original Asteroids was merely an updated version of
Nolan Bushnell's Computer Space, which was really a jazzed-up copy of Steve Russell's
Spacewar. Space Invaders, Centipede, Frogger, and Pong are once again on store shelves,
and Pong is but a polished variant of the game Willie Higinbotham displayed on his
oscilloscope.
The history of video games is not just about people. It's also about companies and ironies.
Atari was an American company with a Japanese name, and the Japanese company Sega
was started by an American. Magnavox, the company that started it all, is owned by Phillips, a
company that is over a century old, and Nintendo, the company that made video games
popular again, is just as old. And who would have ever thought Sony, the company that
invented all types of electronics, from transistor radios to video recorders, would release a
video game console that would become its top-selling product of all time?
In today's world, where video games are often cited as a source for teenage violence, it's
interesting to see that the first home console also had a light rifle as an optional peripheral.
The world of video games continues to evolve. By reading about the past, perhaps you'll also
get a glimpse of the future.
The article continues with many more sections. Read on online.
Before the Games 1889-1970
The Games Begin 1971-1977
The Golden Age 1978-1981
The Great Crash 1981-1984
Video Games are Back 1985-1988
The Home Market Expands 1989-1992
The 32-bit Era Begins 1993-1997
The Modern Age 1998-1999
The New Era 2000-2001
Related Links
3. Vegas Art Vacation by someone wonderful
!!!!who cares about art when the first fantastic night i saw Wayne
Newton at the stardust, he kissed me!!! HE came onstage to "thus spoke
Zarathr..." (you know, space odyssey 2001) just like Elvis? a bit
pretentious really. disguised in a velcro space suit and helmet , which
he ripped off, and he ended on "McArthur Park" during which he made it
rain! the stage was rained on. this was fantastic. and he insulted the
audience continually by making sly "Indian" jokes, to the effect of "you
middle class american honkys just paid 50 bucks to see an Indian
perform and I'm laughing all the way to the bank." GO WAYNE. plus we
kissed Wayne. most people find this disgusting but i'm very pleased with
myself. i took 72 photos of wayne? i was overexcited and we
were the only people there under 65. you would have loved it.
Coincidentally (as an "art" aside), Dave Hickey also got a "genius award"
that night at UNLV. thought you'd appreciate that.
On the last night, i saw my fav Elvis (at the Riveria - famous and still
original smelly sleeze hotel where even young Liberace and young Elvis
performed together once) - Jim Laboeuff (i'm a big fan from way back). he
too kissed us, this night we got really really drunk , we were very
depressed to leave and we had just witnessed an h2O pukefest
interpretation of Celine "i only use my crap voice for evil" barff queen
Dion's "My Heart Goes On" at the Bellagio fountains so we were a bit
maudlin. and then we had to leave halfway through the concert for our
flight. D, my traveling companion, had bought a big electric fork for
turkey checking for a gift and it was sticking out of her backpack carryon
so she of course got pulled over by the 19 year old army guy and searched
and i headed directly to the bar to continue drowning my sorrows and tell
everyone in the bar that my Cdn. friend was held up over a fork. they
really think Cdns are stupid over there so this was a hit. according to D
(who was also pretty drunk), as soon as i got on the plane, i was like
"hey, when can i get a drink around here?" and the stewardess was like
"lady we have to take off first", then i passed out and woke up in Chicago
at 5 am where I slept on the concrete floor with a big freezing cold fan
overhead for the whole two hour break. and what a lady i am...
During the vegas middle we met a hot bartender named Woody! who gave us
fantastic REAL cocktails in fabulous glasses and hung out with us at the
tiki bar of choice, "Venus" at the Venetian (ask for Woody!), and we saw
dancing girls and an unbelievable mamba sort of band that was
unbelievable, we stayed in a beautiful cheap dump shaped like a sea shell
on the strip (La Concha), we drank at my fav real rat pack-esque bar (the
Algiers), we saw sharks and we saw the great cats of Siegfried and Roy, we
saw dolphins fucking furiously, we walked up and down the strip (no
wheels), we saw some spectacular unenthusiastic cover band entertainment
(i love cover bands so much)( think lionel richie - "all. night.
long. allniiiight. allniiiiight... "), we went to the Liberace museum
(currently under renovations so half is closed but still worth the trip--
the world's biggest rhinestone!). i ignored the new Guggenheim as it was
12 bucks US and it had a motorcycle show (ad billboard - b/w photo of larry
fishborne - fine looking man yes - sitting on a Harley, lovely but i was
saving up for dinner.) the Steve Winn collection was no longer in the
Bellagio as the creep sold the Bellagio and bought the Desert Sands (make
up your mind?) which now featured a massive LED that flashed: "Now
Appearing! Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne" etc etc etc. The sign didn't
seem to be drawing in the crowds. Good, Steve Winn is the motherfucker
that ruined vegas. don't go on principal. plus those goddamn paintings are
so overrated. can we just move on already? jesus christ. Air Supply were
playing at Caesar's palace and Charro was at the Mirage. she looks great!
(in her press photo). extremely tempting but we had blown the bank on
Wayne.
The only bad spot in our perfect (even with the exchange rate) Vegas art
vacation was that my absolute all time fav lounge entertainer, the one,
the only - Cook E. Jarr, the renovator of vulgar with a voice of pure
honey and a bewitching Iggy Pop's dad meets Don Rickles thing going on,
was on fucking vacation. This after i had phoned Harrahs twice to check
his schedule before booking a flight so that we could be sure to see him.
So, as we stood outside on the strip at midnight freezing under electric
heaters and wooden parrots waiting for The Jarr to fire up his karoke
machine, and then got a Temptations cover band instead, we had to accept
that sometimes life is very cruel.
the only other blemish on the perfect trip (more like a bleeding ulcer)-
we learned from a very bitter bartender at Caesar's that they were
currently ripping up the colossal grounds of the Grande Hotel (with the
outdoor loud speakers that greet you in - Caesar - with a fake british
accent- so beautiful...) because they were building an outdoor coliseum
for... you guessed it - Celine "i only use my crap voice for evil" barff
queen Dion to perform exclusively for the next three years. Canada's
revenge on the smug US of A or Morman conspiracy to drive the last fun out
of Vegas? the barff queen will be playing outdoors right across the street
from the Great Cook E.'s outdoor (and hirsute) extravaganza. the true war
of good versus evil. bring your m-16.
Cook E. Jarr - Las Vegas' #1 Lounge Entertainer:
http://www.las-vegas-shows-reviews.com/cook-e-jarr-las-vegas.htm
http://www.waynenewton.cc/
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~celestecarm/JimasElvis.htm
http://www.liberace.org/museum.html
http://www.siegfriedandroy-sarmoti.com
http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/sharkreef.html
http://lasvegas.com/
Cheap airfares - Vegas return for under $400 cdn - fuck air canada:
http://dps1.travelocity.com/lowfarescobrand.ctl?
More like letter from vegas. art is what you make it. links added posthumously--late December, 2001
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International Coffees
1. 'UDC+everyone', Galeria Garash, colonio Roma, Mexico City - Feb. 8th 2002.
Garry Kennedy used to say if you didn't take pictures it didn't happen.
So in this regard, Instant Coffee is interested in taking pictures whether anything happens or not to make
sure something is always happening. And when something does happen we are surprised that pictures
turn out at all.
While Instant Coffee was in Mexico City we threw an event called UDC+everyone, at this new gallery
called Galeria Garash in colonio Roma of Mexico City on Feb. 8th 2002.
Though Garash is not slated to open its doors till April of this year they were generous enough to provide
us with their unfinished gallery for our somewhat ambitious project (ambitious precisely because
communicating in our short Spanish makes everything more difficult) and hooked us up with some
promotional help.
Please find attached article/review of our event in Mexican Daily Newspaper "Reforma" and its
subsequent translation via one of many search engines available over internet and try to pore through its
meanings and others alike.
- instant coffee
Unen en 'discoteca' 52 obras multimedia / Uniting in Discoteca 52 multimedia works
http://www.reforma.com/cultura/articulo/167887/default.htm
El proyecto canadiense se exhibió una sola noche y ofreció la antítesis de una exposición. A one night Canadian project which offers an anthisesis of an exhibition.
Por OMAR GARCÍA / Reforma By Omar Garcia / Reforma..
Ciudad de México (11 febrero 2002).- Concebido como la antítesis de una exposición de arte "normal", el proyecto
artístico Instant Coffee Projects conjuntó las propuestas multimedia y de performances de 52 creadores de todo el
mundo en Urban Disco Cart (UCD), instalación que convirtió la noche del viernes a la Galería Garash en una discoteca
temporal. Mexico City (11 February 2002) Conceived as an anthitheseis of a "normal" art exhibition, Instant Coffee Projects
combined the proposed multimedia and performances of 52 worldwide creators in the Urban Disco Cart (UCD), and
installation that turned Friday night at the Garash Gallery into a tempoary discoteca.
UCD utilizó música electrónica, luces, proyectores, imágenes y dos carritos de feria, colocados sobre unas pequeñas
plataformas, para concretar un espacio "etéreo", que por una sola noche sirvió como punto de convivencia y
exhibición para la comunidad artística del país, explicaron sus creadores, los canadienses Jenifer Papararo y Jinhan
Ko. The UCD used electronic music, lights, slide projectors, and two vending carts, placed on small platforms, to make a
space "etero", that for a single night served as a point of coexistence and exhibition for the communtity of artist of the
counrty, explained their creators, the Canadians Jenifer Papararo and Jinhan Ko.
La "fiesta" comenzó pasadas las 20:00 horas, cuando jóvenes creadores como Arcá
La "fiesta" comenzó pasadas las 20:00 horas, cuando jóvenes creadores como Arcángel Constantini y Jennifer Teets
deambulaban por la galería situada en la cochera del edificio porfiriano que ocupa el número 49 de Álvaro
Obregón, mientras la cerveza y los cigarros en abundancia 'circulaban' vertiginosamente. The fiesta began at 8pm, when young artists Arcangel Constantini and Jennifer Teest rambled by the gallery -
situated in the garage of the Porfiriano Building that occupies number 49 Alvaro Obregon - while the beer and
cigarettes circulated vertiginously.
"Todo consiste en adaptar un lugar para que los artistas puedan reflexionar y presentar cualquier tipo de propuesta,
razón por la que nosotros no juzgamos si
el trabajo que se exhibe es bueno o malo, sólo tomamos en cuenta la disposición de los creadores para participar.
Además de que la instalación refleja lo que está sucediendo en el arte a nivel internacional", explicó Papararo. "Everything consists of adapting a place so that the artists can reflect and present/display any type of proposal,
which is reason for which we did not judge the exhibited work to be be good or bad, we only took into account the
disposition of the artists to participate. In addition, the installation reflects what is happening in art at the
international level", explains Paparraro.
En este sentido, Ko dijo que a partir de Instant Coffee Projects que apoya la creación a través de estímulos de toda
índole no pretenden hacer una crítica, sólo abrir un espacio de reunión. In this sense, Ko said that form the part of Instant Coffee Projects - which supports the creation of work....
- without pretending to criticize, only to open a meeting place. [Note: the translation Engine I used (http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr) does the above line as "In this sense, Ko said
that from Instant Coffee Projects que supports the creation through stimuli of all Hindu to him, they do not try to
make a critic, to only open a meeting space". ---Hindu??????? ]
El proyecto llegó al país hace un mes, cuando fue presentado a la Galería Garash, después de haberse montado en
distintas ciudades de Canadá y Holanda. The project arrived in the country a month ago, when it was presented at the Garash Galleria, after having shown in
different cities in Canada and Holland.
Los canadienses comentaron que Instant Coffee Projects es el resultado de la continua participación de diversos
artistas de todo el mundo, quienes en cada presentación aportan nuevos materiales con un sentido
preponderantemente visual.
The Canadians comments that Instant Coffee Porjects in the result of the continued participation of diverse artists
around the world, who in each case present new works with a preponderantly visual sense.
En México, el espectáculo contó con la colaboración de Galia Eibenrschutz, Edith Pons, Holly Ward, Guillermo Marín,
Massimo Guerra, Laura Villalobos, Corrie Lemieux, Renato Ornelas, Ximena Labra, Cecilia Berkovic, Yibran Assuad,
Edwarda Gurrola, DuoPandaMix, Minerva Cuevas, Manon Amen, entre otros.
In Mexico, the spectacle counted on the collaboration of Galia Eibenrschutz, Edith Pons, Holly Ward, Guillermo
Marín, Massimo Guerra, Laura Villalobos, Corrie Lemieux, Renato Ornelas, Ximena Labra, Cecilia Berkovic, Yibran
Assuad, Edwarda Gurrola, DuoPandaMix, Minerva Cuevas, Manon Amen among others.
"Los artistas se unieron al proyecto por iniciativa o por invitación", precisó Papararo. "Aunque a todos les
preguntamos si tenían videos que se pudieran conjuntar con música. Posteriormente, trabajaron sus propuestas
específicas para la instalación".
"The artists were united for the project through initiative and invitation," says Papararo. "Although we all asked them
if the had videos that could be combined with music. Later, works were proposed specifically for the installation."
Los canadienses se conocieron hace tres años en Toronto, en donde se gestó la idea de realizar el proyecto que, al
llegar a tierras mexicanas enfrentó un nuevo proceso de concepción artística que le permitiera continuar como una
propuesta cosmopolita, expresaron.
The Canadians have been known in Toronto for three years, where the idea for the project was realized when they
arrived on Mexican soil and faced a new process of artistic conception that allowed for a comsmopolitan artistic
expression.
A pesar de que Ko definió al espectáculo como "frívolo" y "espontáneo", Papararo precisó que fue pensado como un
espacio para que los artistas reflexionen en conjunto acerca de su desarrollo plástico.
Although Ko defines the spectacle as "frivolous" and "spontaneous", Papararo clarifies that it allows for a pace
through which artists can reflect on their practices together.
"UCD es como un proceso de aprendizaje. Es una lección de hermandad entre los artistas y una forma distinta de
crear una cultura pública, pues, aunque parezca un juego, está hecho con profesionalismo", mencionó Ko.
"UCD is like a learning process. It is a lesson of brotherhood between artist of a different forms to create a public
culture, and although it seems a game, it is done with proffesionalism," Ko mentions.
Agregó que traer Instant Coffee Projects a México no es fortuito, puesto que, aunado al hecho de que ambos han
tenido un contacto constante con el país desde hace un año, la comunidad plástica es muy joven y está interesada en
mostrar en todas partes su trabajo.
It added that to bring Instant Coffee Projects to Mexico he is not fortuitious, since, combined with the fact that both
have been in constant contact with the counrty for a year, the arts community is very young and is interested in show
its work everywhere.
3. Let's make the day of Thank You @RT on March 9th! (39 is read with thank you in Japan.)
My name is Yoshiaki Kaihatsu, an artist from Japan. I have been promoting a new memorial day, called
Thank You @AT in Japan since March 9th last year . I am promoting this new memorial day because
Japanese art market is very weak and the number of the art audience is decreasing very rapidly. In a
situation like this, it would be so wonderful if the world could share a day through Art. Please let me
explain easily though it explains on the page.
*To make the day of art, I wish that the foot of the fine arts world spreads out by such a day's being here.
*Before the participation.
A art gallery, a museum and an individual which will participate in this project can have it join in each one's
possible range.
I think that special value can be made on this project depending on ideas by each participant such as giving
a discount on works, preparing special wrapping kits and serving a cup of tea.
And, I think that anyone can participate in this memorial day.
Because anybody can stand on the side of either the Thank You @AT organize and, at the same time, join
the project as a purchaser and an individual audience.
Thank You @AT is the day when we want people to go out to enjoy and purchase a work of art for
themselves once a year.
This is thought good if it is holding intention persistently and even what kind of form becomes help of the
artistic circulation though it is not to think for the fine arts lover in the actual meaning that to will take root
even if person's tastes and the present increase.
This year, there was the following participation including the information publication.
Participants in order
museums
* The watari museum of contemporary art http://www.watarium.co.jp/
* Taro Okamoto Museum of art Kawasaki http://www.city.kawasaki.jp/mus/TARO/index.htm
* yamanashi prefectural museum of art(examine) http://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/index_f.html
* The hakone open-air museum(examine) http://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/index_f.html
galleries
* sho art http://www.sho-art.net/
* Contemporary art Factory http://www.ask.ne.jp/~factory/
* galerie ou http://www.bsf.ne.jp/ou/
* FADs art space http://www.fads-artspace.com/
* Studio BIGART http://www.bigart.gr.jp/index.htm
* gallery nakatumi/its art business office http://www.add-on.co.jp/
* SOL g-sol@cg7.so-net.ne.jp
* art cocoon http://www.artcocoon.com
* FUKUGAN GALLERY http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~fukugan/
* gallery ef http://www.tctv.ne.jp/get2-ef/
* gallery iteza(Sagittarius)
* art and river bank
* LUIDE http://www.luide.shibuya.tokyo.jp/
* GALLERY ARTLABO http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~artlabo/
* Dragged out studio draggedoutstudio@hkg.odn.net.jp
* boice planning http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~masao-yonehara/boice_planning/index.html
artist residencies
* ARCUS http://www.arcus-project.com/
web
* e-gallery auction http://e-galleryauction.com/
private
* Eiichirou Fukase z--@diana.dti.net.jp
* Takashi Murakami
* IKUO YAMAMOTO http://www2a.biglobe.ne.jp/~yamaiku/
* Thegroup 1965 http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~arima/40nen_e/index2_e.html
* Kaihatsu Yoshiaki http://www.fads-artspace.com/kaihatsu
Schedule: March 9, every year (It considers including one week before and after, too.)
Opening and closing time : It is up to each participant.
Information for participating the 39ART: internet home page of the Contemporary art Factory ( Special Thanks)
Sponsor: N/A
Promoter: Yoshiaki Kaihatsu (artist)
Poster design: by Naoko Saita
If you have any question on this project, please contact either the Contemporary art Factory or me. Participation is based on the individual responsibility. You must understand that the authorities are not supposed to have anything to do with [ to be privy to]
these dealings [matters].
With best regards,
Kaihatsu Yoshiaki
INTERNATIONAL STUDIO&CURATORIAL PROGRAM(ISCP)
EFA Studio Center
323 West 39th St,#610
New York,NY 10018
my phone 1-212-695-5991
Transfer welcome!
*Please see the following site if you are interested in this movement. (no English)
http://www.ask.ne.jp/~factory/news/39art/2002/39art.htm
*PLEASE Download a poster if you participate.
http://www.ask.ne.jp/~factory/news/39art/2002/39mark_2002.htm
This memorial day shares a poster, and everyone holds an event by the consent person of each place in the
world. There is no restriction. It is the joint ownership of the general idea.
and if you participate in my project. Please fill in the blanks and let me know
1 Your name(museum ,gallery, or individual)
2 WEB/URL
3 e-mail address
4 address
5 TEL
6 Explain the contents of a service which can be provided with an entertainment of "Thank you art" easily.
(Establish the contents of the service respectively and freely.) .
send to kaihatsu@pp.iij4u.or.jp
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Tasters Choice
Israeli Coffee Chicken
1 lg. broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
3/4 c. coffee
1/3 c. ketchup
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. lemon juice
2 T wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
2 T brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix liquids and sugar, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes to reduce. Pour over chicken in shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 1 hour. Baste.
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Ten Ten
1. Game Review - Form, Color and No Content: Lola and Mario's pretty game
by Jenifer Papararo
We weren't the only people working at Renato's place. Jin and i were there
making a video compilation for an upcoming event and Renato, Mario and Lola
where working on video loops for some rich chicks way older husband's
sixtieth birthday. Tardy artists were popping by to drop off their videos
for the compilation. Mario was also working on his video for us and Lola was
cutting cards.
After watching Lola out of the corner of my eye cut cards with bright shapes
for about ten minutes, I finally asked what she was up to. She said, she
was making a game. The game is pretty basic but not easy. You start with a
deck of cards, each of the cards has four characteristics: shape, colour
texture and quantity and there are three of each characteristic (circle,
square, triangle; red, yellow, blue, solid, outlined, dotted; one two or
three of the same shape, colour, texture). You shuffle the deck and lay out
twelve cards. The players (from one to however many can sit around the
table, although people can also stand over other people's shoulders) are
looking for sets. You have to find a set of three cards that share three of
the same characteristics. For example, they all have to be solid, red and
circles or they all have to be dotted, blue and the quantity of the shape
(whatever the shape) has to be three. Or( a nice twist) a set can be made
out of three cards that are all different. They have to differ in three of
the four characteristics; for example, they are all twos, but are different
in colour, shape and texture. If they share more than one characteristic
then they aren't different enough to make a set.
Object of the game: to collect as many sets as you can.
After Lola explained the rules, we started to play a game. I called set
about three times before i really had one. Mario joined in and then Renato
(Jin doesn't play games). One really nice thing about the game is that if
you really don't care about winning you can float in and out it. For
example, while your video is downloading, rendering, transferring... you can
get out of your chair, wander over to the game and look for a few sets.
Lola and Mario also made another version of the game where they upped the
quantity to four shapes, textures, colours and numbers. For this game you
needed to lay out about twenty eight cards (or something, I can't remember)
and then begin your search for sets. Surprisingly, this was much harder. I
thought that with the increase in the quantity of sets would be popping up
all over the place, but I was wrong. I kept forgetting what i was looking
for. After i found three, I'd loose track. Honestly, the difficulty of the
latter version could also relate to the fact that we just smoked a big fatty
before playing it.
If you want a version of this game let Instant Coffee know, maybe we can get
Lola and Mario to send you one (at a price of course). The aesthetics of
the game vary in form, colour and texture. They had some pretty
combinations picked out. you can order one to match your iMac.
We're not sure, but we think this game inspired the theme of this issue. But the Olympics may have had something to do with it as well.
Rating: eight out of ten
2. Lecture Review - Takashi Murakami, Harbourfront Centre's Brigatine Room, 14 February 2002 7pm
by Timothy Comeau
Intro
I've tried to be a regular at the Power Plant lectures for the past while, though this doesn't mean I've
managed to see them all. What I've noticed is that of the ones I have attended, there is almost always a
video component.
Either the artist shows excerpts (Atom Egoyan; Arnout Mik) or - the one that really sticks out in my
mind - the actual lecture itself (Phillip Monk interviewing Douglas Gordon in the Fall of 2000), is presented
on a screen.
Takashi Murakami's presentation, on Valentine's Day, also featured video. While the audience gathered,
scenes from a documentary on him and his work (japanese version) played in a loop, which was effective
in giving the crowd something to do while they waited.
When the lecture did begin, he sat at a table to the left of the stage with his interpreter, who he didn't really
rely on. Having seen lectures by foreigners before, I expected what we usually see when foreign leaders
visit foreign lands - speak in sentences, or small paragraphs, and then pause to allow the translation. In this
case, Murakami simply read from a prepared document, in a halting broken way, but I nonetheless
appreciated the effort. His prepared essay went into the history of anime, the uniquely Japanese method of
animation, which is an obvious influence on his work, and concluded with the presentation of two videos.
Something notable about anime
Since his work involves sculpted mushrooms, he pointed out something that I have never noticed before; in
almost every anime film, no matter what the story line, a mushroom cloud is depicted. His sculpted
mushrooms appear howvever to be of the more magical variety.
The videos
One was a short documentary showing the process at his Hiropon Factory, and the preparations for his
show at the Museum of Contempoary Art Tokyo last spring. (Both the show and the video were entitled
"summon monsters? open the door? heal? or die?"). The other video was part of a larger work that will be
debuting in Paris this summer.
I think it would be overly presumptuous to say that because he didn't speak English so well he decided to
just show videos, however, I thought it worked out beautifully. Usually in the middle of lectures my mind
wanders, and I barely remember anything, but being a TV baby I hardly ever forget videos. I felt I learned
more and was able to appreciate his practice more because of the presentation of these two works.
With regard to the second video, which was a critique of American culture.
Murakami introduced it by saying that the theme he is working with for the upcoming Paris show is a
question: is it the case that America provides the line drawings and asks other cultures to fill in the colours?
The video featured scenes from American films, opening with the scene from "Patton" (1970) where he
denounces losers, and then moving on to the famous line in "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "I love the smell of
napalm in the morning". These scenes highlighting the American glorification of violence than move into
the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor from last summer's movie of the same name. The film concluded
with scenes of Japanese girls singing a song on some TV show, overlaid with news footage scenes of the
World Trade Centers being hit (from every angle available) and collapsing. An audience member asked
what song it was the girls were singing. His interpreter explained that it was from a Japanese festival
called girl day. The tradition is that dolls are collected on this day, being given to the girls by boys, and are
displayed in a hierarchy, the top dolls comparable to the figurines of a wedding cake - boy and girl
together. The song expressed the girl's wish to be on the top shelf with the boy. Murakami explained that
he feels that since their defeat in WW II, there has been a tendency to avoid confrontation, and to focus on
the good things in life when confronted with a crisis. Thus the song juxtaposed with WTC was evocative
of this.
Art Star
On a more general note, in some interviews and reviews of Murakami, a similarity with Andy Warhol is
mentioned. His use of pop culture (for him, otaku rather than soup cans) and in the fact that he calls his
studio practice a factory (and runs it as a small business manufacturing marketable goods). The aspect that
connects this to celebrity was evident at the end, when a small crowd gathered around the table to get
autographs. And not only did he indulge the whims of these young admirers (they all looked like art
students) with a signature, he also indulged them with drawings, that will probably end up on e-bay
someday.
Rating: nine out of ten
Related Links
http://www.parco-city.co.jp/dob/
http://www.jca-online.com/murakami.html
http://www.hiropon-factory.com/plofilenew/murakami/index-e.html
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/takashi.html
http://www.carnegieinternational.org/html/art/murakami.htm
(more through google search - http://www.google.com)
3. Review - Canada vs. USA Gold Medal Game, Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Sun 24 Feb 2002
by Timothy Comeau
As much as I hate hockey I was jumping around at the end of this game, and even did a little dance of joy.
I never thought I'd jump off a couch in excitement over a goal, but my arms pulled me up and up after the
Sakic goal in the 3rd period that made it 5-2. I was also charmed by the idea that a loonie had been
embedded in center ice the whole time, which somehow brought us the incredible luck of winning the gold
with both the women's and men's teams.
Rating: eight out of ten (ten of ten if I'd been drunk in a bar downtown and then wandered around with a flag in the streets saying wuhu).
4. Review - Spaces Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio. 4 January 2002
by John Drummet of Otiose
group show called public process.
lots of peolple, 98% white in a city that is 52% african american, so no
surprise there, gallery going is a white middle class leisure activity.
everyone dressed up smart, posh frocks and suits, no ties, for the older
lot, casual wear for the younger gen'.
free drinks for artists, had to wear a special badge, so you can be
identified by the crowd as an artist.
as openings go, it was ok, the usual thing. lots of chit chat, drinking and
nibbles. not a party, unless you don't get out much.
then a meal afterwards for the artists and gallery staff. vietnames food,
which is really strange, not the food, but the past 3 openings i've attended
have all ended with a vietnames dinner. is there something in this, a
gesture towards multiculturalism, or is otiose just cynical.
talk_to_otiose@hotmail.com
Rating: four out of ten (by instant coffee, not by john simply because)
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Sanka
1. 10 games with two sticks and a tape roll
by Kelly Coats and Renato Ornelas with help from Lola Sosa and Mario Marques
1. two players hold sticks and try to toss the tape roll from one stick to the other.
2. using both hands, two players hold a stick behind their heads. one player has the tape roll on their stick
and tries to pass it to the other player.
3. draw two parallel one foot lines out of tape about ten feet apart . divide the space using eight six inch
tape lines. place roll of tape outside of the first line. players stand at opposite ends of the parallel lines.
one player walks over their stick and kicks the tape roll, trying to move it to just before the next line. the
roll must not move past the line. if it does the player must start again and it is the other players turn. you
can kick as many times as you like. every time you get to a line you must walk over your stick. when you
get to the last line of tape you must kiss the other player.
4. use tape to attach stick to bottom of foot. one player starts with the tape roll on the end of their stick
and tries to kick it on to the other players stick.
5. cricket or hockey.
6. players hold stick in front of them and attempt to hold the tape roll betwween the tips of the sticks for as
long as possible.
7. game for one player: player puts tape roll on end of stick. tosses roll and tries to catch it on other stick
underneath leg.
2. The Google name game
Put a name of interest in google search engine (http://www.google.ca/). A passive stalking method. Or just curiosity.
Instant coffee examples (first link listed):
a. timothy comeau
Timothy Comeau at the Khyber Centre for the Arts
b. jinhan ko
Mercer Union: Jinhan Ko
c. kate monro (will i ever be rid of it?)
xxx Cyberporn Gallery xxx
d. jenifer papararo
Banff Curatorial Summit
3. Janis Demkiw's week in review
sat (feb 23): woke late-ish @ mon cowboy's - called brother wes who was coming down from mississauga for some
sibling something. still smell like a tequila lounge deadly snake -- six days since I quit smoking & gorgeous springish
promise of a day. plans to meet @ i deal coffee. automobile & one-way street market nightmare prompts us to ditch
brothers car in ken hayes’ backyard + saunter in the sun down to Shanghai Cowgirl for lunch in the zone. turkey
sandwich/chicken fried steak w/gravy
5pm show of Todd Solenz’ new Storytelling @ the cumberland left me feeling jilted. not like Welcome to the
Dollhouse did (which was more about cutting in mid-beat)…this was a sneak job - making a film about narrative
tropes (two stories titled "fiction" & "non-fiction") let him mimic flatassed storytelling forms in the name of ‘critique’ -
slippery stuff @ best - left me wanting
greg’s ice cream parlour for roasted marshmallow w/ hot fudge + farewell to brother. then to paully’s in the market -
soon joined by emilyh & we're good to go. we byke in trio to Canadia D’ell Arte for the honey sweet sounds of the
Reveries (Eric Chenaux, Ryan Driver, Doug Tielli). imagine music like someone underwater telling you about what it
was like to be in love in the twenties - severely gorgeous.
@ intermission dd macdonald showed me some suite green folders he thought I’d like + gave me a cd of something
he’s been working on.
late later leftish party on Springhurst for videos in the basement snuggled under blankets like grade nine. except arty.
home avec mon cowboy
sun: premature verticality for 12pm mtng @ mercer union. post mtng lakeview lunch lunch w/
ceramic matador figurine sitting in front of my apt door when I return home. o mysterioso…
canada wins olympic hockey gold & the city freakks - transit escape to pub on danforth to visit cowboy's friends from
the good old days of the wilde wilde west. there's no escaping it and the pubfolk inevitably belt out drunked rounds
of ocanada upon ocanada
undercovers @ home we watch the last 3/4 of Primal Fear starring Richard Gere & Edward Norton.
bye bye mon cowboy
mon: a.m. return to my desktop calendar @ the b.a.n.k. to realize we missed the World Provider show I’d been so geared up
for sunday nite. sigh
600+ rhizome_raw posts in my Inbox make me question everything
i decide today that for variety I’ll start to say "My Pleasure…" rather than "You’re very welcome…" when people
thank me on the phone @ work
respond to instantcoffee post from temporarilylocated looking for proposals for conceptual sculpture/installation
projects. post is vague so instead of sending cv & pix i ask for specs on the space, costs/fees etc.
byking 6ish en route to rivoli for kim adams lecture intercepted by e.s. dear friend since high school who i never see
waiting for a streetcar. I walk her to the next stop which continues continues into an evening of hooky - food out then
tea etc @ my bauhaus where we talk about the baby she is going to have.
later i gear into production mode and make some things for a bit. cowboy calls @ 2am cause he knows i freestyle
when i'm half-asleep + special bonus offer i'm losing my voice so it's Kathleen Turner style for a limited time only.
tues: co-worker charmaine is concerned that since i started making coffee @ work I now drink ½ pot myself each day
email reply from temporarilylocated saying not to worry if my cv is not great but they need to see it -- still no specs on
the space. queen w rental whatever
email from derek asking if I got the petite treat he’d left outside my door on sunday (cf. sunday - ceramic matador).
joyous joy he is moving into my building in may (!)
evening dear puppeteer jamie s's 31st birthday party + screening of an episode of his new television show Canadian
Geographic for Kids where they visit tres exotique Kensington Market to find out about the world
eating party hors d’oeuvres @ an alarming rate because I've had no dinner. craig & I walk down to New York Subway
for burritos where some crazy talk radio seduces us & we realize we’re both Leos. back to party etc.
Tracy from Sluttarded had brought ESG - A South Bronx Story to the party (which I’d never heard) + we played it
over & over all nite. They’ve so sampled so re-sampled in the past 20 yrs tht tracy says their last album(song?) was
called Album Credits Don't Pay the Rent. so BUY it succkas!
(anyone hot for Our Lady Peaches - this is fukken IT)
chandra shows us her incredible yamaha. ya you heard me.
byke home to the fantasy futon
wed: early day -- work @ 8am. thank you for calling cibc this is janis how may i help you? one moment please it's my
pleasure.
evening Mercer BOD meeting -- talk talk walk walk
Cor comes over for tea apres & I finally get to show him the roll of ancient wood-paneling wallpaper i want to put up
in the kitchen & the Gowan storyboard for the Criminal Mind video cowboy gave me for xmas. am i really so bad? i
am.
cor leaves for the nite shift. I consider reconsider new furniture arrangement in my apt. drafting table i never draft on
moved to kitchenette zone. severe clothing situation demands action - considering mounting bar for clothes in the
remains of an ancient walk-in that was supposed to be a studioarea but never worked. my current puny triangular
closet is a joke in this town
mon cowboy comes to visit.[goodnight ic]...
thurs: work work work. i love EZ Rock
email from instantcoffee asking if i can write a weekinreview on the fly for Saturday Edition. i warn that i've skipped
out on anything culturally mapworthy this wk -- something in me's going weirdly domesticon. they say fantastic i say
you're on
goodwill buy the pound w/emilyh reaps new blk fancylady dress that smacks of peroxide + sensible skirts w/ adorable
pleats for the b.a.n.k. + trashy italian shoes w/clear acrylic everything + thomas dolby she blinded me with science on
casette. em finds leather belts that blow my mind and a wool skirt that fixes it.
dominion stop for ingreds for a fine 6-dollar-currie. cowboy comes for currie which he says is delicious & sets his
mouth on fire. he asks why my brita water tastes like cheese i tell him to ask my fridge. what am i an adult?
fri: budgeted time for muesli this a.m. - which makes for a different kind of day
i laugh all the way to the b.a.n.k.
workday spent composing elaborate exhausting + long overdue email to close friend instead of finishing ic review.
ahem
i jet to concourse lcbo before it closes @ 6pm for stella artois anticipating friday cocktails @ artmet. back to the office:
last workday before a week's holidays -- i'm suddenly a contender in the email olympics...working serious doubletime
to tie up loose ends. natalie dv tells me artmet cocktails are off -- they're having a lecture, so i strap the 6-pack to my
back & byke to canadia d'ell arte for a testrun of nobu adilman's Nobu Karaoke. new beats for c'mon wit your c'mon
not working inspires audience to improvise backup groove. the sweetest kinda fun
@ the canadia bar i buy beer despite my 6-pack in tow. em & i find a dish of tiny treasures & costume jewellery bits
that you can trade for things from your pockets. satisfying negotiations leave me with some sparkly something.
byke to the cowboy ranch for tech support -- guy's having hotmale troubles sending out promo emails for the JUST
LIKE THE MOVIES show (w/ the uncut, little clever, mind/body/soul) @ tequila lounge this Wed March 6th (yes
truly shameless i know it)
aspirations of getting to the Hidden Cameras cmw show slowly slowly evaporate into
sat: au revoir, ic...
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Instant Coffee Saturday Edition is our (sort of) monthly email/online zine. Saturday Edition compliments to Instant Coffee's email list service, which has been promoting local, national and international events to a targeted audience since 2000.
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