According to this article, Hirst has previously defended using assistants to complete his paintings. He employs up to 100 people in a “factory” that works as a production line for his spot paintings and completes the painstaking work on installations like his diamond-studded skulls. Speaking to Time Out in 2006, Hirst likened himself to an architect running a practice, rather than a traditional artist. “I sit in a chair and watch, while they do the work,” he said. At least he is honest, many others hide that practice and never mention their ‘assistants’.

But then, a few days later, another article was posted: ‘David Hockney denies criticising Damien Hirst’. The Royal Academy of Arts, which is staging a major Hockney exhibition, has issued a statement on his behalf. The artist “has not made any comments which imply criticism of another artist’s working practices“, it said. Marr wrote that Hockney was “critical of artists with no craft, who delegate the making“. I looks like Hockney ran away from his previous comment but he just said out loud what many are thinking of today’s art (market).

I know painters, sculptors employing assistants has been common practice for centuries. An artist who doesn’t create his art himself is called an ‘art director’. Some of them make millions of dollars from this ’art’ made by the numbers by their so called assistants. This kind of art attracts rich collectors and you can earn a lot of money establishing your own ‘niche’ in the art market. There is a huge difference between assistants only making copies of your work and assistants from whom you need the skills and knowledge.

I will speak as the artist I am: when I design wood furnitures for example, I need a carpenter to make them. When I create clothes, I don’t weave the fabrics myself (but I sew). Logical one would say. This is what the article by Marina Galperina posted on Flavorwire is about: ‘For Faith Moves Mountains (2002), performance artist Alÿs moved a mountain — that is, shoveled a giant sand dune in Peru a few inches over, with the help of 500 volunteers. Obviously, the feat could not have been performed by just one guy with a shovel.’

Then comes Murakami, an artist I appreciate a lot (I will post about his recent exhibition at the Galerie Perrotin in Paris) actively supervises, but does not paint the paintings, sculpt the sculptures, or stuff the plush toys. He sketches on paper, colors in Adobe Illustrator, and then his staff turns the finished work into exhibition pieces, silk-screening outlines and painting it up. Without technology — or assistants — Murakami has said, “I could have never produced this many works this efficiently, and the work wouldn’t be as intense.”

Of course you need assistants when it is about a (live) performance; of course you need assistants when you have to create hundreds of (similar?) pieces. But as an artist, and knowing so many who hardly manage to make ends meet, using assistants to create your work while you just check the end product, is not how I define creating Art and being an Artist. This is even more shocking when you realize some of these ‘artists’ earn a lot of money from their ‘art’ meanwhile most of artists can’t (or barely) make a living out of their work…

Life can be unfair and selective, especially when it concerns art and the artistic field, but it is still very disturbing. Hopefully, the Internet helps artists reach millions viewers and offers them the opportunity to connect with art collectors. But since I have an open mind, maybe what we call ‘art’ today is the new/old ‘art’. Maybe we are all ‘artists’ in some way. Then everything would be possible and acceptable. Pablo Picasso once said: ‘Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth’. If he’s right, making your own work or not doesn’t matter, after all.

Great news but Galbraith adds: “The Franco-Swiss border runs through the CERN campus and building 31 is literally just a few feet into France. However, there is no explicit border within CERN and the main entrance is in Switzerland, so the situation of which country it was invented in is actually quite a tricky one“.

Not such great news after all, but I like the way Galbraith concludes, very diplomatically: “So although, strictly speaking, France is the birthplace of the web it would be fair to say that it happened in building 31 at CERN but not in any particular country! How delightfully appropriate for an invention which breaks down physical borders“.

CERN being a joint European venture and an international organization, the importance to find which country is the birthplace of the web doesn’t really matter. The European Organization for Nuclear Research is doing an amazing job; the organization operates the Large Hadron Collider and we can read on their website that data taken in 2012 will allow them either to confirm a Higgs discovery or to rule out its existence conclusively.

Until then, you can join the hunt for the Higgs Boson I mentioned in this post!

Présentation de ce show :

Orchestre de phénomènes de foire, le Maxi Monster Music Show plante le décor d’un surprenant cabaret clandestin librement inspiré du cirque d’antan et du cinéma burlesque. Dans l’ambiance feutrée d’une roulotte grinçante, l’affolante Poupée Barbue, maîtresse de cérémonie au charme vénéneux, exhibe tour a tour ses curieux complices : la Femme Tronc, l’Homme Fort, l’étoile filée du Bolchoï, l’être aux deux visages, l’Ange Noir et le Fakir insomniaque. Singulière et attachante, cette famille de freaks vous embarquera dans un concert road-movie horriblement drôle et bouillonnant d’inventions. Un grand huit musical pour un fabuleux voyage onirique sur la différence, et le troublant mystère du genre. Délicieusement rétro et monstrueusement réjouissant, le tout mis en scène par Juliette, Le Maxi Monster Music Show réveille la bête qui sommeille en chacun de nous.

Cela se passe ce soir au Palace, à partir de 20:00.

From CNN today: ‘China and Syria gave each other understanding and support on issues concerning each other’s core and major interests,” the statement said. “China showed consistent understanding and firm support for Syria’s position on the Golan Heights while Syria remained committed to the one China position and rendered China staunch support on matters related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and human rights [...] The total value of Syrian contracts with the Russian defense industry likely exceeds $4 billion, according to Jeffrey Mankoff, an adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Russia and Eurasia Program [...] Russia also leases a naval facility at the Syrian port of Tartus, giving the Russian navy its only direct access to the Mediterranean…‘.

Things are clear, simple, easy to understand. Russia and China put economic and political interests before human rights. So you would ‘logically’ think they bury their heads in the sand, but no. Both countries are very well aware of the mass killings. From the same article published on CNN: ‘Speaking after the Saturday vote, ambassadors from both Russia and China said they do support an end to the violence but felt the resolution did not address the crisis properly‘. I would love to hear what resolution China and Russia ’feel’ (yes, we are talking about ‘feelings’ here) would be addressing the crisis properly. An official rebuke, maybe? Don’t push it too far, only if there are no consequences on their businesses, of course.

This is so cynical. Awfully cynical. Syrian opposition groups say more than 7,000 people have now been killed in the country since last March. But what are those lost lives worth in comparison to the total value of Syrian contracts with the Russian defense industry which is likely to exceed $4 billion, according to Jeffrey Mankoff, an adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Russia and Eurasia Program. Not much, I’m afraid.

So we are back to square one. The one I described almost two years ago in The power of carrot and stick: reductio ad absurdum? My post followed the article by John Prendergast published on the Enough Project website: The value of sticks and carrots for Sudan. I pointed out several incoherences (even though I agree with most of what Prendergast said): ‘Do the carrot and the stick are of any help when countries like China and Russia still collaborate with President Omar al-Bashir, indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur? When French and American companies like Total and Chevron fuel the Burmese Junta with their offshore gas fields money? When multinational corporations are importing conflict minerals and selling arms? When unregulated financial speculations (my post on this topic) put our economies at risk, create hunger, war or ecological disaster? Do our desire for sexy gadgets and trendy fashion clothes justify forcing some people to work in slave-labour conditions? There are so many examples to illustrate the awkwardness and the incoherence of the world we live in, and China, Russia, United States and France are not the only countries going astray’.

For Syria, China and Russia are the main ‘resolution opponents’ but for Burma, Sudan and several other countries, our very own nation may be among the ‘opponents’. So for example when France said of the vote (tweeted by @franceonu): “History will have no mercy for those who blocked the UNSC from bringing its support to the Arab League efforts“, we of course can’t disagree with this statement but at the same time, we have to wonder why, on the other side, we are so soft with other countries, which are also accountable for mass killings. Every situation is unique and requires its own approach but still, do I have to mention the death of 300,000 people in Darfur since 2003 and the ongoing situation in the states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile? In a statement by the Press Secretary on aerial bombardments in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, we can read: ‘We believe that this conflict can only be resolved by dialogue, not through violence, and we encourage all parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement’. Dialogue, really? No offense, but the U.S really sounds like Russia and China on this one. Call it double standards or two sets of rules, we end up with the same shameful situations.

The U.N. Security Council failed to approve a resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside. Like I said, we are back to square one. Meanwhile, hundreds of men, women and children will die today, tomorrow and the day after… Welcome to our crazy, unfair world based on economic and political values, and a countries ‘best interest first’ policy I am definitely not compatible with.

There was also the jet pack from Spy Kids and the one used in an Agent Cody Banks movie which used two big propeller-like engines. But it seems jet packs are not the next thing anymore; according to an article by Anna Dietrich, chief operating officer of Terrafugia Inc., published on CNN: ‘Personal aviation, where pilots operate small private aircraft, offers an alternative with the potential to get you where you need to be quickly, safely and on your own schedule, but it, too, comes with limitations. We founded Terrafugia in 2006 to develop a solution to many of the barriers to the more widespread use of personal aviation: Our work led to the development of a new kind of aircraft, which we call the “Transition.”‘

I have read about this a long time ago but apparently, things are moving on well. The article says: ‘Unlike any other airplane on the market today, the Transition can fold its wings on command, shift power from the propeller to the rear wheels and drive as a fully street-legal vehicle on any road in the United States. Designed to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, it is the first light airplane to incorporate automotive-style safety features such as dash-mounted airbags, a passenger safety cage and energy-absorbing crumple zones. For added safety in flight, there is a full vehicle parachute for use in case of emergency.’

Note that two European projects of personal air transport system (PATS) based on Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) are currently in development: PPlane and MyCopter.

I love the idea but you will have to land at an airport. My preference still goes to jet packs. Plus, there is an important thing to take into consideration: São Paolo had so much congestion, it has become the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world, which means the air traffic is now as congested in the sky as it is in the streets… Not counting a number of helicopter accidents. What will happen if everyone has its own PATS?

I always thought a jet pack was a very cool personal air transport, but it could also be useful and save lives when it comes to escape a high-rise building fire. But no ‘personal’ jet packs yet, and no antigravity flying cars either like the ones seen in Blade Runner or the Fifth Element… On Wikipedia I have found a great quote about the complaints of the non-existence of flying cars:

The December 30, 1989 Calvin and Hobbes comic strip depicted an early instance of the “Where are the flying cars?” idea:

“ Hobbes: “A new decade is coming up.”
Calvin: “Yeah, big deal! Hmph. Where are the flying cars? Where are the moon colonies? Where are the personal robots and the zero-gravity boots, huh? You call this a new decade?! You call this the future?? HA! Where are the rocket packs? Where are the disintegration rays? Where are the floating cities?”

Indeed, where are they all?!?

A few months ago I saw the exhibition dedicated to French artist, photographer and writer, Claude Cahun and I will write about this amazing artist later. More recently, I’ve seen the beautiful photographs of Rashid Mahdi and the captivating ones of French photograph Claude Iverné.

My Sama-friends at the Sama Gazette already posted about this exhibition: ‘A few days ago, we went to see a collective exhibition in Paris: “Photographies soudanaises” (Sudanese photographs). The gallery Clémentine de la Féronnière brought together, thanks to the Elnour collective founded by Claude Iverné in 2003, photographs by Rashid Mahdi but also by Richard Lokiden Wani, Gadalla Gubara, Madani Gahory, Osman Hamid Khalifa and Ahmed Omar Addow amongst others.’

I was curious to see all those photographs with my own eyes. I already knew the work of Rashid Mahdi and it always catches the attention, as the Sama Gazette writes: ‘It is impressive to see the meticulous work he did on every photo he took, he touched up negatives and fiddled with prints to wipe away wrinkles, spots and sometimes shadows. The colors are amazing and the result is perfect: each portrait emphasize every part of the face… It’s amazing!‘

I was also impressed by the work of the other photographers, and if I came to see Mahdi’s work, I also wanted to see Claude Iverné’s; this (collective) show was brought together by the Elnour collective founded by Iverné. I have read about his trips in Sudan, across the land of the many tribes. His photographs depict desolation and traditions, you can feel through them Claude Iverné perfectly knows the country (he also speaks the language fluently) and its tormented history.

Follow this link to read more about this fantastic photographer.

Below a picture I took of two Rashid Mahdi’s photographs.

Deux ans plus tard, force est de constater que beaucoup (presque tout) reste à faire. Même si les dons ont afflué et les pays nombreux à réagir, les promesses financières n’ont pas toutes été tenues, loin de là. Et sur le terrain, une certaine exaspération règne concernant le rôle des ONG dans le pays, comme l’indique l’un des membres du Groupe Haïtien pour l’innovation et le développement (GHID) : ‘Les médecins haïtiens sont beaucoup moins bien payés que les étrangers, et travaillent plus. Est-ce que vous trouvez ça normal ?‘. Un autre ajoute : ‘Sans l’aide humanitaire, les Haïtiens se seraient depuis longtemps motivés pour interpeller les politiques, s’indigner contre la vie chère, les prix qui flambent, et l’exploitation qui frôle le retour à l’esclavage’. Une déclaration qui interpelle les concernés sans pour autant les ‘condamner’, évidemment.

Et puisque l’on parle des Haïtiens (même s’il est toujours dangereux de généraliser), un autre article lu sur SlateAfrique aborde le problème des 3% de la population qui contrôleraient 80% de l’économie, selon une enquête du Monde. Une phrase qui résumerait à elle seule l’endémique ‘problème Haïtien’ ? Peu probable même si pour en avoir parlé avec des Haïtiens vivant en France (et qui font donc partie des 80% des Haïtiens ayant fait des études secondaires et quitté le pays, selon une étude de l’OCDE), l’élite Haïtienne serait finalement contre-productive et empêcherait le développement équitable et harmonieux du pays.

Les ONG et leur manque de coordination ou de vision à long terme, un gouvernement totalement dépassé par les événements, l’argent qui n’est jamais arrivé, détourné ou mal employé, les relations parfois compliquées entre les Haïtiens eux-mêmes et un système éducatif à l’arrêt. Sans oublier une histoire politique douloureuse qui pèse lourd sur un pays qui a tout de même été la première république noire du monde. Autant de raisons (et de causes) qui peuvent être évoquées dans le ‘sous-développement’ de Haïti. Mais c’est sans compter sur l’exceptionnelle vitalité de sa jeune population (une situation à double tranchant, il est vrai) et les très nombreux artistes dont le rayonnement va bien au-delà de l’île (et qui ne vont pas forcément créer une croissance à deux chiffres, certes) qui n’en restent pas moins des atouts majeurs pour le pays.

J’espère qu’il me sera possible de voir Haïti se relever et prendre le contrôle de son destin unique. J’ai toujours été fascinée par Toussaint Louverture et tous les courageux, bravant la mort et la rencontrant souvent, qui l’on suivi et soutenu dans son combat pour la liberté et l’indépendance. Il n’y a pas de fatalité mais des circonstances aggravates qui avec la bonne volonté de tous (Haïtiens et intérêts pays étrangers) de vouloir construire ensemble et non de profiter au détriment d’autres, ne peuvent être insurmontables. De belles paroles, je sais, mais une fois de plus, c’est bien de la première république noire du monde dont on parle. Une fierté sans équivalent que l’on ne peut dissocier de son peuple, riche de métissages dont il faut aujourd’hui tirer le meilleur et l’unité de ces ‘apparentes différences’.

C’est d’ailleurs ce qu’on peut lire sur le drapeau Haïtien : ‘L’union fait la force’. Une utopique évidence, d’aucuns diront. Mais une évidence tout de même que je reprends sans complexe (mais non sans une pointe de naïveté assumée) dans le titre de ce modeste blog.

Jacquier was with other journalists reporting on the situation in the city, a centre of opposition to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The question is: what happened in Homs? Who did kill the journalist and injured several others? French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned the attack and demanded the authorities carry out an immediate investigation. Reporters Without Borders also demanded an inquiry.

Gilles Jacquier was a great reporter and I watched his work as a correspondent for the program Envoyé Spécial on France 2. The deadly attack in Homs came hours after Anwar Malek, an Algerian member of the Arab League team of observers in Syria told Al Jazeera that he was quitting because “the mission was a farce and the observers have been fooled (…) the regime orchestrated it, and fabricated most of what we saw.”

The U.N. estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed in the uprising. France has led Western efforts to try to force Assad to end the crackdown, maybe it’s time to take action now. Before it’s too late, if not already.

A complete change of subject. Tech resolutions. I read some interesting articles on that topic, the first one on Mashable. The author says: ‘This year is going to be different. I resolve to change my ways — at least my tech ways — and make the world a better place for me and everyone who knows me. This is my goal. These are my 2012 New Year’s resolutions.’

On CNN, Five tech behaviors to drop in 2012. ‘… It’s not too late to throw a few more on the pile. And since half of us spend an hour or more online every day, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, it’s worth considering a few Web resolutions to go along with those vows to drop some pounds or put down the smokes.’

I don’t make resolutions because of New Year. Beside my ‘optimistic pessimism’ expressed at the beginning of this post, on a more personal side, I will take into consideration some suggestions: ‘Get out more’, ‘Tweet more’ and ‘Please add some color to the World of Sama!‘. I think I can do that. But you know, resolutions are easy to make… I will tell you more on December 2012!

Full image on da-eYe’s website!