Monthly Archives: June 2010

The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC

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With over 19 Smithsonian Institute museums, it’s easy to overlook one or two of them, but if you’re a fan of contemporary art, be sure to stop by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden . This museum acts as an advocate for contemporary art and culture, and allows visibility for the art and artists of today. Currently, three exhibits of influential artists are on display: “Black Box: Chris Chong Chan Fui,” “Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers,” and “ColorForms.”

Chris Chong Chan Fui’s exhibit currently runs until August 1st, 2010. He’s the first Malaysian artist to present work at the Hirshhorn. His work, “Block B” (2008), presents images from a motionless camera that watches various floors of an immense apartment complex in Malaysia. He focuses the viewer on different sights of Indian expatriates who live there, working on temporary contracts, with imaginary voice-overs, combining realistic details with a fictionalized version of their lives.

Yves Klein, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, lived from 1928 to 1962, dying at 34 from a heart attack. His work, “Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers” will be displayed until September 12th, 2010, and is the first major retrospective of his art in the last 30 years. The exhibit pulls together examples from his major series, work with such names as the Anthropometries, Cosmogonies, fire paintings, planetary reliefs, as well as blue monochromes (and selections from gold and pink monochromes). His work contains body and sponge reliefs and “air architecture.” Klein attempted to pull together various forms — painting, performance, sculpture, music, photography, film, theater, architecture, and theoretical writing — and identified himself as “the painter of space,” seeking out immaterial spirituality through the use of pure color. Among other works, you’ll find Klein’s “Untitled Anthropometry,” from 1960.

Six artists comprise the work available in the exhibit “ColorForms,” which will be on display until next year, January 2nd, 2011. Compositions by Wolfgang Laib, James Turrell, and Pal Sharits, all use blends of color and abstract forms. These pieces are presented along with two sculptures by Fred Sandback and Anish Kapoor and luminous paintings by Mark Rothko. The selections are taken from the National Gallery and the Hirshhorn’s own collection, dating from the post war period to the present. The exhibit is designed to examine the ways in which contemporary artists use abstract forms to explore the possibilities inherent in color.

For anyone staying in the area, either with friends or in one of the four star hotels Washington DC provides its travelers, the Hirshhorn Museum is a strong reminder of the continuing power and range of contemporary art.

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Annual Albuquerque Sci-fi Convention

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If you are a bit of a science fiction or fantasy geek and living in the Southwest, or able to travel, you might want to make plans to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Bubonicon 42 being held on August 27 through 29, 2010. This year’s theme will really please fans of Douglas Adams as the theme is Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Generally the obsessive nature of these fans is what labels them geeks and what one can expect to find at a given convention varies from convention to convention depending on what the local fan base wants to see the most of. While originally the conventions purely focused on literature now a fan can find conventions in a full range of types from anime and movies to comics and written word, even games have developed a large enough fan base have started conventions.

Though it was started in 1969 as a gathering of fans of literary science fiction its name was not always Bubonicon . In its early days authors Roy Tackett and Robert E. Vardeman were two of the key figures in establishing and promoting it. By the fifth year of it’s run, in 1973, over a hundred people were attending. Traditions began popping up and the name Bubonicon and the convention’s mascot, Perry Rhodent began forming as a reference to the frequency Albuquerque would experienced bubonic plague outbreaks.

Another convention tradition began in 1976, the Green Slime Awards, which were created to honor the worst in Science Fiction media from the year before. This was a turning point and showed the growth of the Bubonicon over the years from purely a literary gathering to one which now incorporates fiction and fantasy of all media. There have been many guest speakers over the years on topics ranging from books and fantasy theory and the scientists that would come out and explain anything from physics to microbiology . Recent convention attendance reaches upwards of 500 attendees and often hotel over flow is handled by booking rooms at hotels through sites like ” best hotels Albuquerque “.

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The Women of Wimbledon

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One of the hottest events of the summer is the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, beginning June 21st to July 4, 2010. What’s making the game hot are the women tennis players, like Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko, Venus Williams and Justine Henin-Hardenne. These women will be heating up the grass not only with their excellent skills, but with their classy styles. Check the Wimbledon schedule and make it a point to see why these women are so hot.

Ana Ivanovic, is considered Serbia’s sexiest athlete who will be serving up her best game at Wimbledon. As of May, 2010, Ana is ranked 41 in the world, but that hasn’t stopped her from scoring high with all the tennis fans of the world, the world loves Ana no matter what she serves up.

Maria Sharapova, was the ultimate Queen of the court in Wimbledon tennis in 2004. She became the first Russian woman to rank No. 1 and was one of the youngest women who ranked No. 1 in the world. At 6’2″, Maria takes command of the courts she graces and her blond hair is what made her the spokeswoman for Canon’s Powershot camera. Plus, she’s been featured in numerous modeling assignments, like Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. What could be hotter than that?

How about Maria Kirilenko, she was also featured in the Swimsuit addition of Sports Illustrated giving men all around the world dreams of being her boyfriend, too bad though, because her current boyfriend, Igor Andreev, must be the happiest man in the world. Makiri, as she’s affectionately called, is a young Russian and was selected to be the face of Adidas. She now ranks No. 30 in the world, but come this year during the Wimbledon Championships, that will most certainly change, as her abilities keep improving.

Venus Williams , is not only hot, she’s haute. Ranked No. 2, only one behind her sister Serena Williams, she’s a model of consistency on the court and off. Her exotic beauty only adds to her professionalism, making her one of the most interesting women in tennis and one of the most photographed.

Justine Henin-Hardenne demonstrates the way tennis should be played, especially with the ease and style with which she plays. Her cool demeanor belies her rank, No. 23 in the world. Even with all the controversy following her career, Justine’s captivating presence on the courts is one of grace and elegance, which has won all the fans of tennis.

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