I am totally excited to see Danny Hoch’s new work in progress at the Playwrights’ Center and you should be too. Click here for more info. If you need a sales pitch, here’s what a youtube viewer said after watching this clip from Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop, “I am Cuban and the White Jewish guy who was acting like a Cuban had me confused because I thought that he was Cuban!”

Shining down on the Walker like a dope ray of sunshine, Joe Sacco gave an artist talk Tuesday, November 13th.

Hailing from Malta, Sacco is a comics-journalist who goes to overseas countries and spends time living with, studying, and interviewing the people who live there. Unlike most journalists, Sacco has the opportunity to learn on his own time and spend a few months where he stays because Sacco don’t answer to no one. Upon returning to his home, he begins on what is typically a 2-3 year journey in drawing comics and describing what he’s seen.
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Do you live in a suburb?
Do you work or go to school in one?
What is your experience of the “burbs?”

Whether you love them or hate them we’re interested in your thoughts on the phenomenon of the American suburb. The Walker Art Center invites you to make a 5-minute video about strip malls, cul-de-sacs, office parks, and green lawns or whatever suburbia means to you. A select number of videos will be chosen to screen as part of the exhibition Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes on view at the Walker from February 15 to May 18, 2008.

To participate, upload your video to YouTube and add the tag “walkerworldsaway” or post it as a response to this video. We’ll feature *all* videos on the Walker’s YouTube page. To be considered for gallery screening, entries must be 5 minutes or less and be online by January 18, 2008.

If you have any questions, email witt.siasoco@walkerart.org

Throughout November my schoolmate Sam and I have work up at local coffee shop Cosmic’s (click here for a map)… SO GO CHECK IT OUT!

A couple weeks ago WACTAC had the opportunity to meet Dan Perjovschi, a Romanian artist and illustrator included in the Brave New Worlds exhibition. Check out the video (thanks for the edit Bre!).

If you are interested in hearing more about Dan’s work, check out the interviews from his massive MOMA installation (video 1 and video 2) …or shut off your computer, get out of the house, and see the installation with your own eyes at the Walker (it’s up through February 17)!

If you are a fan of the Flaming Lips, you have to check this out. They managed to organize a parade of over 1,000 people in celebration of Halloween!

When googling “teens walker” I found the competition site. I think they have better graphic design. Japanese pink and bubbly is so in. And they definitely have better looking members.

P.S. Does anyone else see the angry man in this wallpaper? I kind of like it. Victorian wallpaper with a twist.

Alicia Keys‘ CD As I Am came out last Tuesday. I’m actually proud of Alicia Keys with this CD because in her first CD, Songs in A Minor sounds a lot like old R&B/Soul tunes and she basically just mimicked the people that influenced her. With Diary of Alicia Keys and this CD I think Alicia has found more of her own sound. My favorite songs off of this CD are “Superwoman”, “Like You’ll Never See Me Again”, “Lesson Learned”, “The Thing About Love”, “Prelude to a Kiss” and “Teenage Love Affair.” If you haven’t already, check some of this stuff out. There’s still some good mainstream R&B music out there. This is the video to “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” (Common is in it!!). Enjoy.

-Nakami

One thing all teens (or alt-teens) love are comic books. Although that may be a completely facetious statement, one thing I do know about teens is our shared love of confusing elders with a barrage of unnecessary questions. Cue picture:

That uncomfortable-looking artist in the middle (the ruggedly-handsome one) goes by the name of Joe Sacco.

In all seriousness we had the great opportunity to meet Sacco a couple of days ago and talk to him about his artwork. If you are unfamiliar with Sacco’s work it can best be described as fantastic. Sacco blends two passions of his to create a very aesthetically pleasing convergence of cartooning and journalism. You heard right. “Cartonalism.” Or if you perfer “Jourtoons.”

Sacco, who went to school for journalism and later came to the conclusion that he did not like being told what news he would report depending on who bought the most ad space, turned to a lifelong passion for cartooning. After turning out some pretty funny and well-executed, not to mention visually-engaging comics, Sacco ventured new ground. Illustrations of journalism. Real world stories mapped out and drawn to create a new form of art. *see “Cartonalism”

Sacco has since published a critically acclaimed book about the conflict in Palestine, and continues to draw readers in with the raw and very personal tellings of those who are usually avoided by camera and print.

Now the nitty gritty:
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I had the opportunity to see Bela Tarr’s Prefab People at the Walker last month. The film is a retrospective on Hungarian culture during the 1970’s and 1980’s, Bela Tarr wanted to capture the melancholy state of relationships . He accomplished this through intense closes up throughout the film, the use of the close ups of his characters (husband and wife) helped portray an intense uncomfortable intimacy and highlight the couples disconnect. Almost always examining his characters and never really informing the viewers exactly of the characters surroundings. Ultimately we are constantly forced to examine the whirlwind, unbalanced relationship between the two characters, and act as observers.

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The Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) announces a call for Twin Cities teens to submit altered books for a juried exhibition January-March 2008 in the MCBA studios. The exhibition will be part of a citywide series of workshops, exhibitions and programs capped by the annual convention of the Public Library Association in Minneapolis, March 25-29, 2008. Media releases, electronic and printed materials will direct visitors to all exhibition venues. Submission Deadline: December 14, 2007.

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…there is the Mexican Institute of Sound (yeah the name is in English). It comes at you straight out of the land of people with funny hats and moustaches. Actually, in “Chilango-landia” there really arent that many people with moustaches. Blame it on the PRD‘istas man. Anyways, I’m getting off track here. M.I.S. is a “Cumbia/Electronica” set composed solely of Camilo Lara and his sampler/mixer. In recent years Mexican electronica has gained a lot of momentum with the surfacing of groups like Kinky, and the NorTec Collective (who will be performing at the Walker on the Saturday, December 8).

M.I.S. is simply riding that wave and being very succesful at it. Check them out on their MySpace page or simply listen to the video below.

Or if you’re FIFA 08 obsessed like me you can listen to them there!

November 1st is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead depending on which side of the fence you’re on. Traditionally a day to celebrate the lives of our departed relatives, loved ones, friends, etc…

Here are a few ways to help you make the best of your day:

Build an alter to your loved one. Place candles, say prayers, make sugar skulls, add some of their favorite food and beverages. Share stories from the past, hopes for the future. Remember what kind of an impact our loved ones have in our lives and what kind of legacy we would like to leave.

Then head to the Walker Art Center for the first installment of CINEMATECA, kicking off tonight and going through the 16th, showcasing film and video from Latin American film makers and directors.

Tonight’s offering:

La Ofrenda: The Day of the Dead

7:30 PM. And it’s FREE! Get here early.

Hey hey hey, I make stuff! Want proof? Okay!

I made a new song.

I am performing with the Perpich dance program at 7:30 PM on Dec. 13, 14, and 15. (I’m doing spoken word, while they dance, COOL!)

I am performing at the Garage with YO! on Dec. 8th

And I’m performing Dec. 4th at the Beat, it’s a lit reading (FREE, 7:00 PM) with Perpich.

Also…

WACTACers will remember Tino Sehgal as the man who imitated a zombie in the office. People who don’t remember, or know, Tino can get a very good briefing by clicking here.

There are two very good parts of this New York Times article. First, the title “You Can’t Hold It, but You Can Own It”, explaining the dichotomy that is Sehgal’s work. Second, the quote near the end by Yasmil Raymond, the curator of Sehgal’s Walker show, about her experience with stripping security guards.

The guards were, of course, part of Sehgal’s work. He sees himself as a creator of experiences. Simply put, his art is making someone do something weird and people reacting to it.

But, according to Sehgal its much more complicated, and intellectual and conceptual, etc. than just that. Last year WACTACers got to meet him and hear about his work.

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I went with a group of people to see The Violin last night, directed by Francisco Vargas.

The Violin:

“In the 1970s, a seemingly harmless violin player named Don Plutarco (Don Ángel Tavira, winner of the Un Certain Regard best actor award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival) supports the peasant movement's armed revolt along with his son and grandson. After their village is attacked by the military in the harrowing first minutes of the film, Plutarco wins over the army captain with his music, which gets him closer to information and supplies that can help the guerrillas counterattack.”

The Violin is the best film I have seen all year, for three reasons:

1. It is apart of a new and exciting film movement. Personally I am very excited for the Nuevo Cine Mexicano movement that is going on in Mexico and other Latin Countries, I am excited that it is beginning to receive some of the attention that it deserves. The film The Violin is a strong example of the anthem of emerging filmmakers from Mexico, the anthem is reflecting on misguided policy structure, economic crisis, rejection of institutions and rights for the people (not only in Mexico). In a time were consumerism and weakened policy structure is common among many countries the artist response to the abuse of power and the corruptions that come along with is a direct response to oppression all over the world.
2. The filmmaking and use of close ups is stunning. Francisco Vargas ability to capture human emotion through high contrast close ups is stunning. The main character Plutarco is the hero of The Violin, throughout the film we are stunned by his wisdom and courage, often we see him reflecting on life, playing music with his grandson and passing on crucial information to the revolutionaries, we see him in high contrast at night in front of a fire the glow of the embers on his face are stunning.
3. The director has positive things to say to youth filmmakers. Francisco Vargas was at the screening of the film, after the film was shown I was able to ask him if he has any words of wisdom for young filmmakers, he described the process of creating The Violin, he discussed how many people did not want him to make the film, people believed that the issues that are discussed, the political edge of it was unimportant,and that no one would care . He searched for 6 months to find the character Plutarco numerous times people told him that the character they wanted did not exist. It took them five years to make this film, and they only had 4 weeks to shot it on a very modest budget. The film has since become a blockbuster and the lead actor Plutarco, who had never acted before, won the Best Actor Award from the Cannes Film Festival. Overall he said that if you have passion no matter what people say to follow your dreams!!!

If you ever have the opportunity to see The Violin or future Francisco Vargas films make a point of doing so you will not be disappointed.

I am Youtube-ing a trailer of the film, there are not English Subtitles, however this can serve as an example of the filmmaking and to get you excited for the Nuevo Cine Mexicano.

Enjoy..

Witold Giersz was born in 1927 and is one of Poland’s most outstanding representatives of animated film. He graduated from the Lodz Film School and works as an artist, director and producer of animated films. Over his lifetime, he has been awarded almost 50 prizes and distinctions and has produced over 35 films.

Then your answer is Kinky. I mean Kinky music….err the band Kinky. I first heard these guys while playing SSX 3 back in the good old days. Back when video games cost $49.99 instead of $59.99 and people still had ambitions for this person and this person. But all things aside, at this point you should be asking yourself: “What is Kinky?”, “Why do I care?”, “Why does he always have to force his opinions on us?” Well ignoring the latter two questions I will answer the first one. Kinky, or “Kinky” in Spanish, is a Mexican group straight-outta Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. They have ditched their guitars, mandolins and “cumbia”-like instruments for more electronic gear like samplers and synths. Armed with these tools Kinky is one of the few groups that has achieved a succesful fusion between ethnic “nortenas” and scenester club beats.All in all very “crunk.”Now here’s a Kinky video.

YOU’RE WELCOME!

CHECK IT OUT:

Saul Williams is out with a new online only LP - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust. It is quite magnificent, produced by Trent Reznor of NIN.

Jay-Z, as I’m sure you all know, is out with American Gangster to connect with the new film of the same title. I just bought the album the other day, I highly recommend it. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I’ve heard great things, I went opening night only to be turned away- sold the kcuf out.

Cay-Riss the rapper is out with a new song, I Can’t Get No Loving, and i think it is the best thing ever.

Tomorrow, (Friday the 9th), there is a jazz performance at The Beat Coffeehouse in Uptown. My friend Cory Grindberg is playing bass, he is tremendously talented, check it out.

December 8th there is a YO! rap show at The Garage in Burnsville. I am performing, along with Young Son and a few more acts, later will be details…

Pokemon has not gotten old yet. Mario Kart has not gotten old yet. If you want to play with me, shoot me an email, I’ll be sure to send you my friend code.

I’m getting just about ready to go on stage and do this Lit. Reading jump-off here at Perpich, I hope most of you are as caffinated as I am.

Yes, indeed I do.

So you’re feeling kinda lame. You just realized that your supposed A to Z music selection is really just Ashanti to XZibit. What happened to originality? Well 50 Cent killed it. Yeah that’s right, I said it what are you going to do about it? Well look no further, well actually look south. Whether its Cumbias, Punketon, Regaton, or you just have no idea what the hell I just said, Mexican Hip/Hop and Rap is alive and well. Better known acts such as Molotov have pierced the American market, while other (and very lame) chicano groups like Daddy Yankee have also left their print in the mainstream music scene. One group though, Control Machete, remains in relative obscurity here in the US of A even as it has gained rabid notoreity in “Mejico” and everything south of it.

Known for their driving beats, and accessible lyrics that deal with anything from Mexican politics to life in northern Mexico, Control Machete is basically accessible to anyone who doesn’t know who Spiro Agnew or Miguel de La Madrid was.