Seven 7 Star Hotels - The World’s Most Luxurious Hotels

1. Town House Galleri: First up is the seven star luxurious Town House Galleria in Milan, Italy. Located in the heart of the city, this fairly new hotel offers prestige living and a service menu that will gain you immediate entry into waiting lists that are as long as the green mile. Offering a personal butler, Bentley and only the best in food and drink, Town House Galleria will make all wishes come true while you stay in Milan. Whether you need tickets to Da Vinci’s Last Supper, get entry to the hottest restaurant in town or need a rare import, it can all be arranged for you and seemingly fast if some reports are to go by.

2. Burj Al Arab Hotel: Dubai’s seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel has long become a synonym for grandeur, class and style. Offering limousine service, private transfer for all guests via private golf cart, private butler service and just about anything else that is being associated with luxury, the Burj Al Arab Hotel is located in the premier Jumeirah Beach area of Dubai.

3. Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi:  The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi was named the worlds finest hotel in the middle east in 2007. Featuring some out of this world indulgence, staying in this hotel would be like stepping into thousand and one night. Huge plush pillows, plasma TV, private butler service, laptops in each room, wireless Internet, private check in and much more will delight visitors to this splendid seven star hotel. There are several more planned high prestige hotels in various stages of development. Whilst some are scheduled to be completed next month other are not likely to see the light of the day till 2010.

4. Morgan Plaza Beijing: The Morgan Plaza is a super-luxury 7 star hotel under construction in Beijing, China. Although it was set to be finished last month’s, there has been no official confirmation of it completion yet but it definitely going to be completed in time for the Beijing Olympics. When completed it is rumoured to be possibly more luxurious than the Burj Al Arab and has been considered to be the official landmark of China, still in competition with the Shanghai World Financial Center. The plaza will contain two pavilions, a temple, the world’s best Japanese restaurant and a 600 meter long corridor.

5. The Centaurus Hotel Islamabad: The $350 million, 7-Star Centaurus Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan will help to put this country on the map for international travellers once the project is completed around 2010.

6. Tameer Towers Abu Dhabi: Tameer Towers in Abu Dhabi is set to complete in 2011 and will incorporate a luxurious seven star hotel.

7. The Flower of the East, Iran: Resembling a Flower as its name suggest, the luxury Persian seven-star hotel, ‘The flower of the East’ is located on Kish Island in Iran and is due to be completed by 2010. Source: Article

Read More........→December 12, 2013

The Mill: Girls Dancing to Music by a River, 1870

"The Mill: Girls Dancing to Music by a River", Edward Burne-Jones, 1870-1882, The Victoria & Albert Museum

Inspired by the art of the Italian Renaissance which looked to Classical subjects, this painting by Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) is entitled “The Mill: Girls Dancing to Music by a River.” The subject, clearly, is actually a depiction of “The Three Graces.” They’re dancing to the music of Apollo. Burne-Jones used, as models friends, and relatives of the prominent art collection Constantine Alexander Ionides. The woman on the far left, one Mary Zambaco, was for awhile, a lover of Burne-Jones. She was also Mr. Ionides’ granddaughter. It didn’t end well. In fact, in another painting of the same year, “Phyllis and Demophoon,” Burne-Jones inscribed of Zambaco, the epigraph “Dic mihi quod feci? Nisi non sapienter amavi” (Tell me, what have I done? Except that I have not loved wisely). The composition was started in 1870. But, it appears it wasn’t delivered to Ionides immediately. Burne-Jones took twelve years to finish it. Some feel that the artist developed an attachment to the painting because of his relationship with Zambaco. It was presented to Ionides in 1882 after being displayed at the Royal Academy. The inventory of Ionides’ collection as of 1882 lists that he paid £905 for “The Mill.” Source: Stalking the Belle Époque

Read More........→August 14, 2013

Museum Edition: Maria, 1836

Maria Charles Landseer, England, 1836, The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Poor Maria, sitting under a poplar…with her elbow in her lap…and her head leaning on one side…dressed in white.”  --from “A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy” by Laurence Sterne. Charles Landseer (1799-1879, the elder brother of Sir Edwin Landseer) was inspired to create this painting upon reading Laurence Sterne’s novel “A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy,” 1768. The subject is lifted right from the book, specifically, a character called Maria who lost her true love. At her side is a loyal dog who keeps her company in her grief. Painted in 1836, the canvas shows that Charles Landseer was just as talented as his better-remembered young brother. However, in this composition, like many of his works, it has eben long believed, Charles looked to Edwin for assistance in painting the figure of the dog. Edwin was well-known for his portraits of dogs and animals in general. His handling of animal subjects made Edwin a favorite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who commissioned the artist to paint their beloved pets. The painting was exhibited at the British Institute under the title “Sterne’s Maria.” The character of the inconsolable Maria was quite popular in the later 18th century. Engravings of this piece were big sellers. Source: Stalking the Belle Époque

Read More........→May 11, 2013

Yekaterinburg hosts world festival of clowns

The 5th World Festival of Clowns opens in Russia’s city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals to welcome the most successful clowns from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium and Israel.

Russia is represented by Sergei Prosvirin, a clown with a saxophone. Prosvirin is a successor of one of Russia`s most popular clowns, Yuri Nikulin. The festival has no jury and no competition, with the clowns simply gathering to send people joy. Source; Voice of Russia, Image: flickr.com

Read More........→February 20, 2013

The Dreams And Fairy Tales Of Meir Axelrod

M.Axelrod's Jewish Kolkhoz (collective farm) in Crimea, paper, ink, 1930s. © Vellum gallery

An exhibition entitled “It is all in those lines: what we dreamt of...” will open at the Artefact Gallery on Prechistenka at the end of January. Over 30 works of the famous artist of the XX century Meir Axelrod will be presented at the show. 
By:Armen Apresyan, The works of Meir Axelrod (1902-1970) have a strange and complicated destiny: his
works did not fit in with the context of Soviet art; they were too distinctive, too incomprehensible and too romantic. Well-known Russian masters were his teachers – Vladimir Favorsky and Sergey Gerasimov. Axelrod mastered the intricacies of the classic school, but he did not stop at that: he favored the masters of the Italian Renaissance, admired the French impressionists and post-impressionists. An experienced viewer will easily see the influence of Modigliani and van Gogh in his works. On the one hand, nobody banned or persecuted him, he was not left without work – he illustrated books, was a famous theater artist and authored the frescos for Sergey Eisenstein's “Ivan the Terrible” movie, which is considered a classic in the world cinema. At the same time, he had difficulty exhibiting his works. During his lifetime only two  personal exhibitions took place,   and those

M. Axelrod's Riga, paperboard, tempera, 1960s. / © Vellum gallery

were in the provincial city of Rostov-on-Don. The first retrospective exhibition in the capital opened only two years after the artist's death, in 1972. During his life he was compared to Marc Chagall. Mikhail Alpatov, a famous art critic, wrote about him, “Axelrod's art with time will be appreciated as works of one of the greatest artists of our times”. As the artist's daughter, Elena Axelrod, recalled, after his death “museums, as if they were awakened, rushed to buy his works and collectors began chasing them, both  domestic and foreign”.  It was then that the Tretyakov Gallery acquired some of his works, as well as the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and many provincial museums. Meir Axelrod's popularity is increasing

M.Axelrod illustration to Anton Chekhov’s Vanka, paper, ink, whitewash, 1930 / © Vellum gallery

by the year – his works are more and more frequently presented at Russian and West European art
auctions.Several large exhibitions have been organized over the past few years. The graphic works of the 1920-1930s form the basis of the exhibition to open on January 28. Those are illustrations to the works of such famous authors as Sholom-Aleykhem, Isaac Babel, Anton Chekhov and many others. There are also some sketches of Jewish places where the artist spent his childhood and younger years, and left a great impression on his destiny and art. Of great interest are his tempera “stories”  about those places that he visited during the second half of the XX century. First of all, it includes the Baltics, which the artist saw as the “Land of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales”, with pointed columns and gothic towers stretched into the azure sky. “Here it is, a landscape embodiment of a 

M. Axelrod from The Bewitched Tailor series, paper, ink, 1930s / © Vellum gallery

Moscow intellectual's dreams of Heaven on Earth”, says the curator of the exhibition and art critic Lyubov
Agafonova. “In the 1960s when the Baltics were the sole gulp of freedom for Soviet artistic intellectuals, the best representatives of that social stratum sought to get there and portray its images in literature, poems, on paper or on canvas, and present all that to us. For the totalitarian East it was almost a Western dream of freedom, of the sea and sails, all that is so lacking from the eternal Moscow autumn”. The title of the exhibition is a line from a poem written by Pavel Kogan, Meir Axelrod's younger contemporary, a wonderful Moscow poet who died in World War II. Both came to Moscow from the Western regions of the former Empire, both were typical representatives of Moscow's artistic youth of the middle of the century. They even lived close to each other – on Leningrad Avenue, one metro stop from each other. Source: Voice of Russia

Read More........→January 23, 2013

Valentine’s Day: history, traditions, facts & figures

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By Marina Kosareva: Hello and Happy each Valentine’s Day! If you are single I know you feel like switching me off right about now but don’t be in a rush. This is not going to be a lovey-dovey programme. I’m going to take a look at this romantic holiday and investigate how it all began and why we are all forced to feel guilty bad about it one way or another. If you are one of those people who can’t wait for this day to come you’re probably wondering what guilt has to do with it, let me explain. So if you are single, all this day does is point out the fact that you have no one special in your life, right? That’s the way it works. If you happen to like someone you might expect them to give you something as a sign that they are into you. So you spend your day wondering and in the end you might not get anything. That doesn't necessarily mean that guy or girl doesn’t like you. It could mean that they don’t like this holiday. And this brings me to the reason why even those who do have someone special in their life, sometimes feel guilty about Valentine’s Day as well. There are so many men and women out there who hate the fact that they have to show and prove their affection on one particular day of the year. They don’t like the fact that it’s becoming increasingly commercialized and that they’re being forced to buy all these little chocolates and teddy bears in the shape of heart. You know what I’m talking about. All the stores fill their shelves in red merchandise with “I love you” blasting in every corner. Don’t worry if you’re one of the romantic types, I’m not here to destroy your Valentine’s Day. I just want to give you both sides here. So imagine a girl who’s had no one on Valentine’s Day for a year or two or more, and the all of a sudden she happens to be with someone on this day. But the guy she’s with is not into the holiday. So again she gets nothing. That makes her feel bad and the guy feel bad as well. This actually happened to me before. For about three years I always managed to find myself single on this holiday. Then one year, I thought finally I’m not going to feel like an outcast on Valentine’s Day. Well, guess what? My boyfriend hated Valentine’s Day. So when he came home from work that evening like nothing ever happened, I was looking at him like, come on what are we doing, where are we going. You know expecting that he had planned a romantic evening somewhere. You know what I got? A tempurpedic pillow pillow that we had discussed about buying for a long time and he just happened to pass by a store and get it. It didn't even have anything to do with Valentine’s Day. Needless to say it was the most unromantic gift I had ever received on this day. Then when I told him about how it was Valentine’s Day and couples normally do this and that he told me how felt about it and then felt guilty that I was disappointed. So all of a sudden this day that’s supposed to be all about romance and happiness became very sad. And by the way, if it wasn’t Valentine’s Day we would’ve had a great evening. Isn’t that ironic? In any case I decided to forget what this day means and he decided to organize romantic events for this occasion because it meant something to me. So now he plans and buys me stuff and I don’t. I’m just kidding of course. Oh and another point I want to make here is about expectations. All the women I know have their hopes up for what they’re going to get or what they will do on this day. If by any chance they don’t get what they expected somewhere deep inside they are disappointed. No isn’t that just terrible? I don’t know about you but I think this day is just made for disaster. OK don’t turn off the radio, I’m done ranting about it. Now I will actually talk about how the whole Valentine’s Day thing started. I actually never researched it so I was very curious to find out myself. I want to know who’s responsible for this romance madness and how it became an international extravaganza with so many products and events dedicated to it. So let’s begin our exploration. Saint Valentine’s day is named after early Christian martyrs. We don’t know who exactly because there were many men named Valentine back in those days. The day was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. Back then, people honored two Valentines and those were the Valentine of Rome and the Valentine of Terni. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia there was another martyr named Valentine but not much is known about him. And of course then the day had nothing to do with love or romance. It was just a name day. In 1969 when the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints was revised, Saint Valentine’s Day was removed and transferred to local and national calendars. That was because the Church didn’t have enough information about the person it was named after. The only place that still celebrates this day in the traditional sense is Balzan which is in Malta. And that’s because they claim to have found relics of the saint. Traditionalist Catholics are also said to follow in their lead. Now, if we are talking about legends then there are two versions of the story. One says that Saint Valentine was being persecuted for being a Christian. Before his execution he performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. According to American Greetings there was a twist to that legend. They claim that before Valentine was executed, he wrote the first "valentine" card and that was to the girl he healed. He addressed her as his beloved and signed "from your Valentine". Another twist to this legend claims Valentine was a priest who disagreed with a law ordering young men to remain single and performed secret marriage ceremonies for them. If we look at time periods in terms of months, in the ancient Athenian calendar, mid-January to mid-February was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera and was known as gamelion. In Ancient Rome, February 13th through the 15th was considered a period of fertility known as Lupercalia.If we talk about facts here, the first association of St. Valentine’s Day with romance was made by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. He wrote a poem in honor of the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. It said, "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate." Unfortunately, in terms of romance and birds mating this didn’t make sense because experts say that the middle of February is an unlikely months for birds to be mating in England. In any case, in 1797 a British publisher created The Young Man’s Valentine Writer which had verses for those incapable of writing romantic poems to their loved ones. They became extremely popular and the rest of course is history. Hallmark claims that more than 140 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year and more than half of those are purchased in the six days leading up to the holiday. Now that’s Hallmark research but in general about a billion Valentine's Day cards are said to be exchanged in the US each year. It’s also one the biggest seasonal card-sending occasions of the year, next to Christmas. Women are said to purchase 85% of all the cards which is hardly surprising. I haven’t met many men who like to talk or write about their emotions at length. And if you do a get a card sometimes it’s empty which kind of defeats the purpose, but anyway. Apparently most of these cards are given to teachers, then children, following that we have mothers, then wives and finally romantic partners and pets. Yes even pets get to feel special on Valentine’s Day. I think that’s ridiculous. At least give them a special food or something. You know something they can appreciate. I must say I was surprised to hear that teachers and children get more cards than wives and significant others. Parents actually get 1 out of every 5 cards. Looking at this in a global perspective, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine's Day each year. Now who do you think buys most of the flowers, men or women? This is no srprise really. 73% are bought by men and the rest by women. Men also buy most of the candy. By the way Richard Cadbury was the one who invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box. And that was in the late 1800s. Oh and check this out. Apparently the Italian city of Verona, famous for being the homeland of Romeo and Juliet’s romance, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day. I can’t help but wonder who sends these letters. It can’t be small children because they wouldn’t be reading Shakespeare at such a young age. And as far as anyone else goes, why do that? I don’t get it. And that’s our round up of interesting facts about Valentine’s day. I don’t know about you but personally I’ve learned a lot of new things about this holiday. I almost feel like a Valentine’s Day expert now. It’s amazing how it all started so simply and exploded into this super crazy shopping extravaganza. I looked at some of the cards that were made in the mid 1980s and they are so simple, yet it’s clear that a lot of thought went into them. They are super detailed and have embellishments on them. Now our cards are all aimed at creating some sort of an effect. And that’s usually to shock you or make you laugh. I definitely think that there was more meaning in this day before. Here in Russia this holiday is of course celebrated like in most parts of the world. We have events organized at various clubs and bars. The shops are all decked out in ‘Be By Valentine’ type of stuff. As far as other countries go, there are many which celebrate this holiday on different dates and have slightly different names for it but the principle is always the same more or less. There is one place I want to talk about in particular though and that’s because I found something they do quite funny. So apparently in South Korea if you got nothing on the 14th of February or the 14th of March which is another extension of their version of this holiday then you go and eat. Yeap, if you got no presents then you should go to a Chinese restaurant, eat black noodles and mourn your single life. Mourn your single life? That’s a bit harsh don’t you think. Now that’s exactly what I was talking about earlier. All this day does is making people feel guilty all the time. Anyway let’s move on and take a look at countries where Valentine’s Day is being met with a lot of harsh criticism. First we have India. Even though the holiday is becoming extremely popular over there Hindu and Islamic traditionalists call Valentine’s day is becoming increasingly popular but there are people trying to put an end to it. Apparently a political party is calling for it to be banned. Over in Iran, this holiday is seen as anything but representative of Islamic culture. Conservatives have been criticizing it for years. Actually this year the Iranian printing works owners' union banned the printing and distribution of any goods promoting the holiday. That includes cards, teddy bears and everything else along those lines. But we’re not perfect either. In the Belgorod region here in Russia the local government has also banned the holiday. Shops cannot sell special merchandise, venues cannot host events dedicated to the holiday. Officials claim tit promotes temporary affections rather than true love, and therefore contradicts Russia's traditional culture and morals. Source: Voice of Russia, Image: Photobucket

Read More........→December 29, 2012

Martial Artist Credits His Achievements To The Philosophy Of Kendo

Sticks with it: Alex Bennett, demonstrating a classical kenjutsu at a shrine in Kyoto, says everything in his life has somehow been connected to kendo since encountering the martial art in his teens. "Courtesy of Alex Bennett"

By KRIS KOSAKA, Alex Bennett was 18 years old when he first read the wisdom: "From one thing, know 10,000" — in Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings." Now living this maxim, Bennett is a scholar, teacher, translator, writer, coach and active competitor in the martial arts. He holds two Ph.Ds in studies related to budo, has achieved seventh dan in kendo and fifth dan in naginata, and recently coached the New Zealand national kendo team to a top-eight finish at last year's world championships. That's only a few of Bennett's accomplishments in the martial arts world. Like any lifelong pursuit, Bennett's road has been paved with both challenge and tragedy, gifts and joy, and persistently hard work. From winning second at last year's Naginata World Championships to overcoming the tragedy of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which killed two of his kendo team members, Bennett says "everything in my life is somehow connected to kendo." Bennett first came to Japan in 1987 as a high school senior on a Rotary Exchange program to deepen his Japanese studies. An avid sportsman in New Zealand, Bennett hoped to play soccer in Japan, but "the soccer ground was just dirt as opposed to the lush fields of grass that I was used to in New Zealand. I hesitated; it seemed kind of unnatural." His host family encouraged him to try a martial art, and after observing judo and kendo, Bennett casually chose kendo: "Even though kendo was very loud and looked very violent, was smelly and the teacher scary, it looked a little like 'Star Wars,' and I thought I could play samurai for a year." Bennett admits the year was like a "military boot camp" and was relieved to leave the "pressure pot" of intensive mental and physical training. His year in Japan ended with a return to New Zealand and no plans to ever practice kendo again, although he had achieved shodan, a first-level rank. Not sure what he wanted to study, Bennett worked in construction to save money for college. "While I was working at a building site, I started getting a little jittery because I wanted to do kendo again, and every time there was a piece of wood lying around I would pick it up and start doing suburi, much to everyone's surprise." A quick stop at a martial arts shop in Christchurch told the 18-year-old Bennett there were no local kendo clubs, but the shop owner did have a list of interested participants who had earlier made inquiries. Bennett decided to contact a few and suggest training together. From that simple start, Bennett soon had over 30 people gathering for informal training sessions, many with other martial arts experience. "The students wanted to do kendo specifically because they felt something was missing in their other martial arts experiences, and they hoped kendo was a martial art that could teach them more about the spirit or culture of budo or even this rather nebulous idea of bushido. I had absolutely no idea how to reply to them, so that's when I first read everything I could find on the martial arts, [Inazo] Nitobe or Miyamoto. I felt a responsibility to the students, and I decided I should spend the rest of the year saving as much money as possible and then go to Japan to study kendo properly." At 19, Bennett returned to Japan and enrolled at the International Budo University in Chiba. After completing its one-year program, Bennett stayed an extra year working for the All Japan Naginata Federation. "The federation wanted to create an International Naginata Federation and needed someone who could speak both Japanese and English, who was prepared to work for only a little money as long as they had a place to live and a place to train. It was perfect for me. Kendo, iaido and naginata: I could study three martial arts at a high level." His club in New Zealand waited, and Bennett came home to enter a university and help train the Christchurch kendo club. "I was able to pass on all of the new knowledge I had acquired in my second stay in Japan, and the club grew into quite a significant entity over five years, with over 50 members at its peak." Kendo had given Bennett focus for his life, and after graduating from the University of Canterbury, he passed the Japanese exam for attending graduate school. By 1995, Bennett was studying at Kyoto University. He has lived in Japan ever since. "My academic career is completely entwined with martial arts," Bennett says. His masters thesis from Canterbury (completed at Kyoto University) discusses important budo texts in early modern Japanese literature; his first doctorate, written in Japanese from Kyoto University, covers budo and its place within Japanese history and culture. The second, recently completed in English from Canterbury, traces the changes in kendo from the Muromachi Period (from 14th to 16th century) to today. Four years ago, Bennett accepted an associate professorship at Kansai University in Osaka. He teaches three martial arts classes and trains with the university team every day. While immersed in his studies in Japan, Bennett noticed a dearth of English information on kendo, and he and a former member of his Christchurch club, Hamish Robison, started Kendo World Magazine in 2001. Bennett admits he and Robison knew nothing about creating a magazine, yet they now have over 7,000 regular readers in over 80 countries, and have watched the popularity of kendo grow worldwide in the 10 years since their first issue. "We've managed to survive and gradually thrive. It was really just pioneering our way through this completely different world. Of course the only way we could do it was because of our passion for kendo." The magazine also initiated Bennett into the world of publishing, and they now manage Bunkasha International, a publications company dedicated to martial arts and cultural texts in English. "The quality and number of works are gradually increasing. I never make any money off of them, of course, but it is so rewarding to create something valuable to martial arts, and now organizations like The All Japan Kendo Federation or Nippon Budokan trust us to complete works for them in English, so it is very gratifying." Physically, Bennett has never stopped learning from the martial arts. His most recent personal triumph in kendo was achieving the second-highest level, seventh dan. Last year, he competed at the World Naginata Championships and placed second in the men's competition. A competitor at the Kendo World championships for over 20 years, Bennett was asked to coach the New Zealand national team three years ago, but that triumph also brought tragedy. "I was back in Christchurch for a training camp on Feb. 22, 2011, when the Christchurch earthquake struck. Pretty much, the city was decimated — especially the central business district, where we were renting an old building with a high ceiling and a wooden floor. All of those old buildings were completely destroyed. "Two members of our Christchurch kendo club were killed — two Japanese nationals studying English in New Zealand. We had to overcome the grief and personal tragedy of losing two of our members, but also the practical problem of no longer having anywhere to practice. It was almost impossible to find a place for us to continue our club." Bennett returned to Japan in time for the calamity on March 11 and then back to New Zealand to check on the families of his club members. Driven by the dual tragedies, Bennett was determined to do something tangible to make a difference. He found property "the perfect size for a kendo dojo" in the unscathed western part of the city and finally secured a loan through Kansai University. Family and friends throughout the kendo world raised money to install the wooden floor necessary for martial arts practice. Bennett's team placed within the top eight of the 47 countries that competed last May at the World Kendo Championship in Novara, Italy. With Bennett's own translation of the seminal martial arts text "Hagakure" due out from Tuttle Publishing next year, and as a director for the Japanese Academy of Budo, busy organizing an international conference on the martial arts, his accomplishments really do seem endless. To Bennett, it all goes back to that one thing: "I am just trying to disseminate this wonderful culture to the world." Source: The Japan Times Online

Read More........→December 09, 2012

Radiolarians

A more fanciful image inspired by radiolarians is Queen Radiolaria by Morgainelefee on deviantart.

Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (1904), plate 31: Cyrtoidea

Radiolarians (or radiolaria) occur as zooplankton throughout the oceans and their tiny skeletal remains can be used as diagnostic fossils to date submarine sediments. Biologist, naturalist, and scientific illustrator par excellence Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 – August 9, 1919), and his beautiful and well-known Artforms in Nature can be credited for the fact that people who are not say, marine microbiologists or geostratigraphers or their colleagues, know and are inspired by the extraordinary forms of radiolarians. I am, of course, a fan of Haeckel, and he inspired my own prints (see right) of these amoeboid protozoa and their intricate mineral skeletons. I am far from alone in being inspired by radiolarians. I've found examples of their forms making their way into art, architecture, jewellery and even textiles. But first, you can learn everything you might want to know about radiolarians, and

Haeckel's obsession with them, from this selection fromProteus a documentary about the life, work, and philosophy of Ernst Haeckel, by David LeBrun. It should be noted that Haeckel wasn't the only 19th century naturalist to be enthralled. SEED Magazinehas a photo gallery of the the collection of Howard Lynk, a hobbyist who researches the microcope slide-makers of the 1840s-1860s, with many radiolarians

Radiolarians

included, often arranged artistically, like mandalas. In this slide, Amos Topping has arranged the minuscule shells of radiolarians—a kind of protozoa—into a radial pattern reminiscent of a mandala. Looking through a microscope, a mounter would maneuver the diatoms or shells using a boar bristle or a cat’s whisker, trying to keep them all in place long enough for mounting." Artist Laura Gurton works with resin, and its unpredictable interactions with oil paint to produce her biomorphic images, including these, inspired by radiolarians. 

Radiolarians (Marine Protozoa), Zygospyris,2010. Oil, Alkyd, Acrylic, Mica, Cut Board 36" x 24"

Spyridobotrys Trinacria, 2010. Oil, Alkyd, Cut Board on Panel 18" x 24"

The wonderful and quixotic Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef ("a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world") includes radiolarians! Crochet radiolarian, made from mercerized cotton by Sarah Simons.

Quiltmaker and textile artist Jenny Bowker's portfolio of masterful quilts includes "Radiolarian Drift" (cotton homespun hand dyed in Procion dyes, raw silk as a background and wool batting).

The fascinating 3D forms of these creatures of course inspire sculptural and architectural works. Jessica Rosenkrantz of nervous system uses new technologies to reinterpret natural phenomena. The forms radiolarians are evident in a lot of the jewellery she has made (and their titles often indicate the species). 

"Bamboo Cuff - sterling silver, lost wax casting from 3d-printed wax, Cell Cycle collection by Nervous System. Inspired by the microscopic glass skeletons of radiolarians." Nigel Helyer created 'Radiolarians' a public artwork for the Lake MacQuarie City Gallery, installed in February 2011.

'Radiolarians' (2010) Finished construction: corten steel, marine grade stainless steel wire cable, stainless steel.

"The Radiolaria Project is a research and design project at the University of Kassel initiated by Christian Troche and Gregor Zimmermann. It aims to rethink architectural design and manufacturing techniques by exploring the filigree and beautiful skeletons of radiolarians, tiny marine organisms, with their striking hexagonal patterns. This concept is transfered to architectural scale and materialized it in a large scale interior installation by the intensive use of parametric modelling, scripting and CNC-fabrication techniques."

Images of the mesh and design from The Radiolaria Project. Be sure to check out the extensive website for the images and explanations of the evolution of the project (and the work of its participants).

Architect and designerTomasz Starczewski and his studio produced DIATOM by analysing the siliceous skeletons of radiolarians, and extracting, the "logic of their structure and its application to creations of a new form." He created 3D computer models of a group of radiolarians (Lamprocyclas margatensis), modified the models and then used this to create objects with a 3D printer.

DIATOM by Tomasz Starczewski

Taking the 3D printed radiolarian to an extreme scale, Andrea Morgante of Shiro Studio in collaboration with D-Shape produced the Radiolaria pavilion. The 3 m by 3 m by 3 m structure, printed on the world's largest 3D printer is in fact a mere scale model a final 8-metre tall pavilion being built in Pontedera, Italy (more info at 

de zeen magazine and images via Shiro Studio). Shiro Studio compares the construction of this model, with its deposition of mineral and siliceous material, in a series of very thin layers to the formation of radiolarian mineral and siliceous skeletons. tagged Ernst Haeckel here.RSource: Magpie & Whiskeyjack

Read More........→November 04, 2012

Call this art? Zidane's infamous World Cup final headbutt captured in bronze statue

Immortalised in Bronze: A statue depicting Zinedine Zidane's headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final has been unveiled outside the Pompidou museum in Paris

Zinedine Zidane's infamous World Cup final headbutt on Marco Materazzi has been immortalised by a five-metre high bronze statue in the heart of Paris. The shocking incident, in the 110th minute of the 2006 World Cup final with Italy, ended the legendary Frenchman's international career and the red mist moment
Moment of impact: The statue, by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed, captured the red mist moment from the 2006 World Cup final between Italy and France in Berlin

has been captured byAlgerian-born artist Adel Abdessemed. The statue has been unveiled outside the famous Pompidou art museum and shows the grimace on the Italian defender's face as Zidane plants his shaven head into his chest. Zidane had been planning to step down from the national team after the tournament but he bowed out early - and literally - after Materazzi allegedly made a derogatory remark about his sister. It meant Zidane, one of the most gifted midfielders of his generation who shone for Juventus and Real Madrid and helped France to World Cup glory in 1998, missed the penalty shoot-out in

which Italy won. This is the end: The incident marked the conclusion of Zidane's illustrious international career.Source: Travelfwd+, open images in new tab or window to find its source of sharing

Read More........→September 27, 2012

Spasskaya Tower festival in Moscow

More than 20 military bands from 12 countries, including China, Singapore, Italy, France, Greece, Britain are taking part in the Spasskaya Tower festival that opened on Moscow’s central Red Square on Saturday. Russia is represented by 12 orchestras. The list of honorary guests includes the famous French crooner Mireille Mathieu, who sang the Russian and French national anthems at the start of the festival, which will run until August 8. TASS, RIA, Photo: RIA Novosti, Source: Voice Of Russia

Read More........→September 17, 2012

Golden Ring festival opens

The International folk festival Golden Ring is opening in Russia. It will bring together artists from Brazil, Italy, Sri Lanka, China and other countries from around the globe.

Russia will be represented by artists from Vladimir, well known not only in their native region. The ensembles will present various styles and genres of popular artistic culture including instrumental, music and singing, dancing, and folk theater. The organizers say that the main purpose of the festival is to promote indigenous cultures. TASS, Source: Voice of Russia

Read More........→September 15, 2012

Unleash the many powers of lychee berry

Lychee berry is an incredible antioxidant super fruit that has been praised for its health-promoting attributes that include polyphenols, which deliver excellent health benefits. Translated from Chinese as “gift for a joyful life,” lychee is a symbol of romance and love. It is sweet and delicious, and contains vitamins and minerals that promote a healthful diet. It has been enjoyed by natives of Southeast Asia for centuries. Lychee is said to relieve coughs when you ingest it in moderate amounts. It also has a beneficial effect on gastralgia, tumors and enlargement of the glands. According to Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, lychee is a powerful cancer-fighting fruit that is often added as a flavor to drinks. Studies conclude that lychee fruit prevents cancer cell growth. It contains flavonoids in its pulp, which are effective against breast cancer, in particular. Another health benefit of lychee is that it’s a good source of vitamin C, which helps the body fight heart disease and cancer. Athletes in East Asia use this fruit for its amazing fitness-enhancing properties and it is now increasing in popularity in the U.S. by health professionals such as Dr. Oz for its disease-prevention attributes. When it comes to nutritional value, lychee berries are low in calories and fat. According to an ancient Chinese belief, excessive consumption of raw lychees may cause fever and nosebleed. So try adding something new and exciting to your diet and eat lychee berries in moderation, rather than the same old fruits.additional research! Source: Fresh Plaza

Read More........→September 11, 2012

Horse chase festival reinstated in Fukushima after decontamination

FUKUSHIMA — The Soma wild horse chase festival, a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years, resumed Saturday close to its usual size after being scaled down last year in the wake of the natural and nuclear disasters. Back in the saddle: Riders take part in the Soma Nomaoi wild horse festival Saturday in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. KYODO The three-day Soma Nomaoi event in Fukushima Prefecture re-creates the act of warriors honing their battleground skills by chasing unleashed wild horses cast as the enemy. Last year, areas used in the event were turned into no-go zones due to the nuclear crisis, reducing the horse count to 82. Thanks to decontamination work and a redrawing of the hot zones, about 400 horses are expected this year, bringing the herd size back up to roughly 80 percent. Inaugural ceremonies were held at three shrines, including Soma Nakamura Shrine in the city of Soma. Local Mayor Hidekiyo Tachiya, who also serves as 'chief general' at the festival, commanded his troops to "march majestically." Minamisoma Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai, who heads the organizing committee for the event, said, "We would like to pray for the repose of the souls of those who perished and express our gratitude for having been able to stage this festival as a symbol of reconstruction." Kids get Italian vacation Kyodo CAGLIARI, Italy — Twelve children from Fukushima Prefecture have arrived in Cagliari, Italy, for a summer vacation at the invitation of a nonprofit group based in Milan. The children, six boys and six girls aged between 7 and 12, landed on the island of Sardinia Friday and will stay through Aug. 25. They will take part in vegetable farming, horse riding and exchanges with local children. "I want to take care of animals and swim in the sea," a 9-year-old boy from Shirakawa said upon arriving at the airport. A 10-year-old girl from Date said, "I'm looking forward to cooking vegetables." The Orto dei Sogni NPO, which was established last October by Japanese and Italians living in Milan to support children affected by the March 2011 quake and tsunami, collected contributions in the city to fund the visit. Source: The Japan Times Online

Read More........→August 09, 2012

Painting of the Day: Young Man Playing the Violin, c. 1750

Young Man with Violin, From the "Scaramouche Parlour" at 

Belvedere House, Andien De Clermont, c. 1750

The Victoria & Albert Museum

If you were a wealthy land owner in Britain in the Eighteenth Century (rather as it is now—anywhere), you wanted the people around you to know just how rich and prosperous you were. Your house, your carriage, your horses, your clothes, your jewels—these were all status symbols. But, the real indicator of wealth was your ability to decorate your house. The more you could spend on your interiors, the better you looked. And, the real icing on the decorating cake was the paintings you displayed in your home. Portraits—sure, they were great. But, the best thing of all was to commission a painting of your family in your home. And, even better—a mural, right there on the wall, forever. Of course, even mural painting was subject to levels or pretension. If you could get a foreign painter—you were the top dog! Painters from France, Italy and the Netherlands were brought into the stately homes of England to adorn the walls with scenes from mythology, allegorical motifs, fantastic designs and bucolic views—most of which would incorporate the visages of the homeowner and his family. Here we see one such mural which was carefully removed from its original location. Thankfully, the murals were painted on canvas which had been applied to the walls, conveniently allowing them to be removed two centuries later. This is one of a series of 16 panels which were commissioned by Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, in 1742 to decorate the “Scaramouche Parlour” in his house, Belvedere, in Kent. Each of the panels depicted scenes from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte and showcase the knock-about comedy’s most famous characters: Capitano, Arlecchino, Pulcinella (who, as we know, inspired the English Punch), Pedrolino (later Pierrot) and Colombine. The mural group is the work of Andien de Clermont (active 1716-1783), a French artist who arrived in Britain in 1716. Clermont was, certainly, the most avant-garde and highly-inventive decorative artist working in Britain during the Rococo period. This mural sets the scene for the antics of Pulcinella and his friends. An unnamed young man is depicted playing the violin. He stands in profile in the foreground of a landscape with a grand building showing in the background. To his right are two dancing figures. The whole is en-framed by foliage border. Source: Stalking the Belle Époque

Read More........→August 06, 2012

Fashion Olympics: Big designers behind games kits

Who said sportswear can't be chic? The athletes' parade during Friday's opening ceremony might as well have been a catwalk show, with some of fashion's biggest names: Armani, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney designing the team uniforms. Many in the fashion industry are already calling this the most stylist Olympics ever. The Italians must be some of the best-dressed athletes, scoring points with an understated monochrome kit in navy and white by Giorgio Armani, as well as waterproof blue designs for their sailing team by Prada. Stella McCartney has worked with Adidas to design the sporting gear and "Village wear'' (read loungewear) for Britain's home team, though the outfits weren't on show Friday as athletes covered up in white and gold tracksuits. McCartney's gear takes inspiration from the iconic Union flag, but she said she deconstructed it to make it ``more delicate and feminine.'' Look out for them on the track and at the pool: Red is sparingly used to highlight a palette that mostly features white and shades of blue turquoise, navy, cobalt. Meanwhile, the American team may have gotten a barrage of bad press for its made in China Ralph Lauren uniforms, but the preppy designs were still some of the most stylish in the arena: clean-cut navy blazers, crisp white trousers, skirts, and shoes, accessorized with navy berets and blue, red and white striped scarves. The Jamaican team is in the spotlight because of sprinter Usain Bolt, so it's fitting that it also got a boost in the fashion stakes this year. Their kit, which feature the national colors as well as lightning-like prints, were designed by Cedella Marley, daughter of legendary singer Bob Marley, for Puma. The styles were modeled by a flamboyantly dancing Bolt at a London catwalk recently. "Cedella Marley brings island color to team Jamaica a sea of tropical yellow, green and black,'' said Avril Graham, Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor, on Friday. Other designers behind the Olympics this year include luxury label Hermes, which has designed riding jackets for the French equestrian team, and Salvatore Ferragamo, which designed the official uniform for the tiny European republic of San Marino. Some designers didn't get involved in the official Olympics gear, but used the games as an opportunity to cash in and promote their brands anyway. Karl Lagerfeld, for example, launched an Olympic-themed womenswear collection called Team Karl at London department store Selfridge's though he reportedly said he wouldn't tune in to watch the games. Meanwhile, high-street chain store H&M said it was launching two pop-up stores dedicated to selling sportswear in London. Friday's athletes parade also showcased some surprising and less popular designs. The German team was notable for not using their national colors at all instead, the kit was all hot pink for the women's jackets, and cornflower blue for the men; both were paired with white trousers. The Czechs, meanwhile, wore bright blue wellington rain boots paired with white shorts. Spectators also made their own judgments about the much-maligned uniforms for the Spaniards and Russians, both made by Russian sportswear company Bosco. Some Spanish athletes have posted tweets grumbling about their garish red and gold outfits, and there are even Spanish Facebook groups set up to campaign against the gear. Official kit aside, there were strong fashion showings in the spectator stand, too. Michelle Obama chose a white dress by J. Mendel, while the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton, dazzled with a pastel blue satin and belted coat dress reportedly by wunderkind Christopher Kane. British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha, demonstrated her fashion credentials with a bold red and black outfit by London-based designer Roksanda Illincic. Source: Indian Express

Read More........→August 02, 2012

Archaeologists uncover Mona Lisa model's remains

IT'S the face that launched a thousand imitations. Now, archaeologists are convinced they've found the body of the real Mona Lisa. Buried in a crypt beneath a convent in Florence, Italy, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the skeleton belonging to the model who posed for Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece in 1504. The wife of a rich silk merchant, Lisa Gheradini, is generally accepted by historians to be the woman with the mysterious smile. Lisa Gheradini, whose married name was Giocondo, became a nun after her husband's death. She was buried in the grounds of the Convent of Saint Ursula where she died in 1542, aged 63. Archaeologists had to dig through thick concrete laid as part of an effort to turn the convent into barracks for soldiers. But they quickly unearthed a female-sized human skull, along with fragments ofIt  vertebrae and ribs.was right where ancient maps and documents had led them to believe Lisa's body had been placed: a crypt reached via a gate and staircase. The dig was suspended after the archaeologists ran out of funds, but work began again last month. They have since unearthed a large part of a human skeleton. However, archeologist Silvano Vinceti, who is in charge of the dig, said it was not certain if the bones belonged to the same individual. DNA will be extracted from the bones and compared with the remains of Lisa's children, who were buried nearby. Once her identity is verified, archeologists will use reconstruction techniques on the skull to see how it compares to the face on da Vinci's idyllic painting. Professor Vincenti claimed last year that hidden initials could be found in the eyes of the Mona Lisa when examined under a high-powered microscope. Source: Sam Daily Times

Read More........→July 19, 2012

Rare Roman Empire Artifacts Found In Japanese Tomb

Glass jewelry thought to have been made in the Roman Empire has been found in a very unlikely place -- an ancient Japanese tomb. Researchers from Japan's Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties announced Friday that three glass beads recovered from a Fifth Century burial site near Kyoto bear signs of Roman craftsmanship. This suggests that Roman influence reached as far as East Asia. "They are one of the oldest multilayered glass products found in Japan, and very rare accessories that were believed to be made in the Roman Empire and sent to Japan," researcher Tomomi Tamura told AFP. The gilt artifacts, which are 5 millimeters in diameter, contained traces of the chemical natron, which Roman craftsmen used to melt glass. A natural salt, natron was also used by the Ancient Egyptians in the preparation of mummies. Researchers are now interested in finding out how the beads traveled more than 6,000 miles from present-day Italy to Japan.This is not the first evidence of contact between Eastern and Western civilizations in the ancient world. In 1954, an archeological dig at Helgo, Sweden unearthed a Sixth Century Buddha statue from northern India. In 2010, 2,000-year-old bones from a Roman cemetery in Italy were found to contain East Asian DNA. During the reign of emperor Trajan in the early Second Century, the Roman Empire's territory spanned the Mediterranean and stretched from England to Iraq. By the time the artifacts were interred at the Utsukushi burial mound, Rome was in decline, losing much of its territory before ending in 476. Japan in the Fifth Century is noted for its Kofun burial sites. While it is commonly considered to be part of Japan's Yamato period, Yamato rule at this time was challenged by competing provincial powers. Source: Sam Daily Times

Read More........→July 08, 2012

Towering above the competition: 2012 list of best tall buildings in the world is revealed

Winner: The Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada, a fast-growing suburb of Toronto, were named the best tall buildings in the Americas

By TAMMY HUGHES: Dramatic skyscrapers in Canada, Qatar, Australia and Italy have been named the best tall buildings in the world for 2012 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The four regional winners include the Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada (Americas), 1 Bligh Street, Sydney (Asia and Australia), Palazzo Lombardia, Milan (Europe), and Doha Tower/BurjQatar, Doha (Middle East and Africa). The Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi won the CTBUH’s first Innovation award for the project’s

The Absolute Towers are set to be completed in August 2012, and will reach a height of 179.5 meters (589 ft.) and 158 meters (518 ft.)

remarkable computer-controlled sun-screen. While Palazzo Lombardia is the first tall building in Italy to earn CTBUH recognition and 1 Bligh is the first building in Australia to be honoured. A record number of towers taller than 200 meters were completed in 2011 - 88 compared to 32 in 2005. Another 96 are due to be completed this year. An overall winner for the 'Best Tall Building Worldwide' will be named at the CTBUH 11th Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Illinois Institute of Technology, October 18.
Striking: 1 Bligh Street was named the best tall building in Asia and Australasia. This 28-story elliptical tower stands out from the boxy structures nearby, in the heart of Sydney¿s central business district

Impressive: The centerpiece of 1 Bligh Street is the glass- and aluminum-lined atrium, Australia¿s tallest naturally ventilated sky lit atrium
The CTBUH Best Tall Building Awards are an independent review of new projects, judged by a panel of industry executives. Projects are recognised for making an extraordinary contribution to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and for achieving sustainability at the broadest level. This year the CTBUH Board of Trustees also awarded the Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award to Helmut Jahn, the architect known for his simple and elegant designs
Skyline: Palazzo Lombardia, in Milan, was named the best tall building in Europe. This 40-story government building is the first CTBUH award winner from Italy

Distinct: The Doha Tower in Qatar was named the best tall building in the Middle East and Africa

Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi was named the most innovative tall building in the world

The Council received 78 entries from around the world for the Best Tall Building awards. The majority of the entries were from Asia, followed by the Middle East. The number of entries from the Americas continued to decline, reflecting the impact of the recentglobal recession. Winners and finalists are featured in the annual CTBUH Awards Book, which is published in conjunction with a major global publisher and distributed internationally each year. Source: Travelfwd, Open Images In New Tab To Find Its Source Sharing

Read More........→June 29, 2012