All That Glitters

Vegas might be as tacky as all get out - but it sure is a visual feast of neon and noise. It's can also be proper fun if you play you're cards right (see what I did there).

I had a week of all play and no work with visiting friends, and a quick 48 hours in Las Vegas, staying at The Cosmopolitan Hotel, which has the best foyer I've ever seen (photos below). It's little wonder it's designers Digital Kitchen won last years One Show's Gold Pencil and the Cannes Grand Prix Award for spatial design, with these giant columns of 'living narrative' digital art installations. Find out more about that here.

The Artist is Present.

I really REALLY wish I'd seen this exhibition by Marina Abramović last year. Abramović, a performance artist, sat at the Museum of Modern Art seven hours a day for three weeks. 'Visitors were encouraged to sit silently across from the artist for a duration of their choosing, becoming participants in the artwork'. Each participant was photographed and documented. Some sitting for hours at a time. These images can be viewed in their entirity here.

Usually I'm not too fussed with performance art, but the simplicity of this appeals. And I'm so intrigued by the photographs. There's a spin off tumblr site dedicated to these, aptly named Marina Abramović made me cry, and I kinda feel like joining in just looking at them, although damned if I know why.

UPDATE: To find out more about Marina Marina Abramović, visit her Artsy page which features over 100 of her works, exclusive articles and up to date exhibition listings.

Moma: The Artist is Present via one strange morning.
photographs by Marco Anelli

Art In The Streets

If you're in the Los Angeles area, you better get your arse to Art in The Streets. It's a wonderland of awesome. Almost an overload even - graffiti bouncing from every wall, with (nearly) every (mostly american and male) street artist you've ever given a poop about. Plus a comprehensive breakdown of the artforms history, including honorable mentions of graffiti's crossovers into rap, the skater culture, punk, gang affiliates etc etc etc.

Outside of the streets, and inside of museum walls, street art changes context and becomes a BIT MUCH really, all on top of one another like that. But it's 'bit muchness' is what makes this exhibit a special kind of feast, and definitely worth making the schlep downtown for. If your not in L.A , boo hoo for you, and enjoy these photos instead.