After The Fire’s Der Kommissar

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Taking inspiration from Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, and Salvador Dali, Rose Skinner creates vibrant installation art from candy, plastic, and toys. Of her work, she says: ‘my intricate compositions of eclectic materials play tantalizing games on your senses; you are bombarded with colors and textures sounds and smells, metaphors and iconography that are used often in ironic ways’. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut is an award-winning designer with varied projects. This one, entitled The Lilypad, is nothing short of amazing. It’s an eco-city, floating on water, with the ability to accommodate upwards of 50,000 people. If built as designed, this structure (which uses most, if not all, available environmental technologies) would sustainably produce more power than it would consume.

WE'RE WEARING

Finding an original accessory these days is a bit of a rarity. I mean, when every second person you see is wearing one of those damn Palestinian scarfs, you know the industry is crying out for a fresh take. Enter Sydney-based jewellery label August + Pemberton. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Richard Colman is one hell of an awesome human being. I go back and forth on whether or not I enjoyed him more in his drinking days or post drinking days. I guess there are pros and cons to both scenarios. He is a very talented man and a close friend. We have exchanged ideas over the years and pushed each other in the true spirit of oneupsmanship. He’s proven to be a great source of inspiration.

WE'RE READING

In the lead-up to one of the most anticipated and controversial Olympic Games in Beijing, Boston.com cobbled together a bunch of surreal photos from the wires that depicts the hyper-sanitized, white-washed, and quasi-futuristic city Beijing has become. Read more

Heavy metal and hip-hop are perhaps the most popular forms of rebellion for kids the world over. In Malaysia, metal — particularly black metal — has taken such a strong hold that the Fatwa Council there banned it, fearing that the music would compel listeners to rebel against religion. Contrary to the council’s intentions, black metal is as popular as ever in Malaysia, and is a recognizable cultural touchstone there, as indicated by the above clip from the 2005 film Filem Rock.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

I haven’t bought a CD in a while but I was strolling down Wellington’s Cuba Street looking for a bit of inspiration the other day when Liam Finn’s music tapped me politely on the shoulder and dragged me into the music store. Liam is New Zealand music royalty, of Neil Finn descent, although — with his wild hair and beard — he’s looking a bit more like a young Jesus these days. The record is made with the help of an analogue loop machine, and you’ll find the kind of stunning instrumental crescendos that I haven’t heard since The Beatles Hey Jude. He engages emotionally and spontaneously, with both skill and showmanship.