MT | Milindo Taid

Tim Mantoani: Photographing the Photograph and the Photographer

Nov 01

Bob Gruen: John Lennon, penthouse apartment, New York.

Over a period of 5 years, Brooks Institute alumnus, San Diego (USA) based Tim Mantoani photographed iconic photographs in the hands of their equally known (well, almost) photographers. Shot on the rare and huge Polaroid 20×24-inch format, covering about 150 photographers, this project is fairly unique, with a strong archival framework. The published book also contains a little hand written ‘story’ about the picture at the bottom of each photograph. If you have ever wondered “who took that picture?”, Mantoani has a massive Polaroid answer for you. Take a look.

Niall Ferguson: The Ascent of Money – A Financial History of the World

Oct 29

Niall Ferguson, is Professor of History at Harvard University, and in 2008, post meltdown, he published a critically acclaimed book titled “The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World”. This was happily adapted for television by Channel 4 and PBS in which Ferguson himself takes the audience through an engaging, and somewhat entertaining journey through time and space tracing the power that finance holds on all our lives. From ancient Mesopotamia to present day Memphis, Ferguson argues, that financial history is the essential back story to all histories. Credit and debt, the bond market, the stock market, insurance, mortgages and more come your way.

PhD position at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, 2012-2013

Oct 29

PhD stipend position in Children and Media, Press or Game Industry (Science and Technology Studies) with the Mercator Research Group “Spaces of Anthropological Knowledge: Production and Transfer”, at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.

Area of study: Cultural Psychology and Anthropological Knowledge.

Eligibility: An M.A. in media studies, social anthropology, cultural psychology, social sciences, science and technology studies or related disciplines is required. Experience and interest in qualitative methods, preferably ethnography, is necessary. Applicants must be good writers and possess empirical as well as theoretical curiosity. She or he must have the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively. Proficiency in German language is important.

Deadline: November 30, 2012.

Further information

Product Design – Electrolux Design Lab 2012: Finalists

Oct 18

Design Lab is Swedish appliances major Electroluxs’ annual student product design competition. In this tenth year of the contest, there were 1200 entries, from which these ten finalists were shortlisted to battle it out in Milano, Italy on 25.10.12. As I was going through the entries, the final thirty and now down to ten, it was quite clear that the shortlisting was done considering the Electrolux business idea of a ‘smart’ kitchen / home, with an ‘amazing range of capabilities’. I also paused to think whether there has been a collective dumbing down in this rather frenzied race for ‘smartness’. Student contests do have an exploitative edge, as major corporations seek out business-next ideas for the price of a cola can. The text accompanying each of the entries here is untouched and presented in their sugar coated, sales pitch manner. I found some of the project ideas redundant and almost laughable, and for large populations of the world, most of them are alien objects, sans meaningful form and credible function.

Faiza Ahmad Khan: Supermen of Malegaon. 2008

Oct 12

Probably one of the best tributes to ‘cinephilia’ emerging out of India this century. Set in the industrial power loom town of Malegaon in Maharashtra, India, Faiza Khan weaves an engaging narrative crafted around very special and spirited people, unified by their endearing zeal and love for cinema. An elaborate behind the scenes, as it were, fortunately does not descend into dull trivia. What remains is the love, spirit, passion, and the unforgettable loom worker turned superhero, the late Shaikh Shafique. And, if you generally want to know why film-making is no laughing matter, see this.

Allan Holdsworth and Gordon Beck: Diminished Responsibility. 1980

Oct 12

Allan Holdsworth and Gordon Beck - Diminished Responsibility

Watch this video on YouTube

1980 | Allan Holdsworth: Guitar | Gordon Beck: Piano

Bryan Lewis Saunders: Self Portraits under the Influence.

Oct 09

90mg Abilify (after 3 months usage 3x maximum dose)

Bryan Saunders, a fine arts graduate of the East Tennessee State University, USA, subjected himself to ‘artistic clinical trials’ of various substances which are known and not so known ‘mind benders’. In wanting to re-configure perceptions of the self, while articulating the self via media, Saunders resorted to the intake of the likes of Xanax, Ambien, Cephalexin, Loritab, Crystalmeth and such, over a period of time. The results are ‘psychotropic’, to say the least. Saunders suffered some cerebral damage after these experiments. Please, please do not try this at home, office, or anywhere else for that matter. What is of interest is the visual re-construction and re-presentation of the self in each case.

Western Philosophy (2002)

Oct 09

Populated with a mixed bag of experts, with competencies ranging from ancient philosophy and religious thought to more contemporary philosophical ideas and problems, ‘Western Philosophy’ chooses to trace the evolution of (western) philosophy from classical Greece, its development in Europe through the medieval period and the enlightenment into modern existentialist thought. This audio-visual asks ‘what is philosophy, why it is important’, and examines its intricate relationship with religion, spirituality, and the sciences. Has its moments and misses – probably not a bad way to spend three hours of your precious time. Or should I say, being and time. Split into three parts.

InterMedia Doctoral Research Fellowship, University of Oslo, Norway

Oct 08

Two research fellowships are available at InterMedia, University of Oslo, for work within the research group CHANGE. CHANGE is an interdisciplinary research group that aims to push the boundaries of design and the use of digital environments in learning and communication. This research group explore design, use of and learning with technology-based environments in schools, museums and workplace settings.

The proposed starting date for the fellowship is spring 2013 onwards.

Information is Beautiful Awards 2012: Entries

Oct 03

Dubbed as the world’s first open contest to celebrate excellence and beauty in data visualizations, infographics and information design, the Information is Beautiful contest has had a great response with quite a few ‘eye-popping’ entries. The judges for the contest were David McCandless (Data journalist & information designer), Brian Eno (Musician & visual artist), Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art), Simon Rogers (The Guardian datablog), Maria Popova (Cultural curator), Aziz Cami (Creative Director, Kantar), and the online infoviz community! Take a look at some of the entries (few of them went on to win).