fistful of links

Image by Andrew Moore, via the Cosmo-Inspiro Cloud.

Shuffle over and let me drive for a moment: some news.

The internet is a crazy place: a site called "God hates fags" offers the following wisdom: "There are multiple levels of Gay Music. Some bands are what we like to call Gateway Bands. They lure children in with Pop Grooves and Salacious Melodies leaving them wanting more. They’ll move on to more dangerous bands and the next thing you know you’ve got a homosexual for a child." Totally makes sense. Gateway Singer Ricky Martin comes out. Not gay: science; Cern finally gets their shit on; the opposite of gay: the giant sperm race.


Golden Gate, via BLDGBLOG.

Moving on: Liam Young, (Tomorrow's Thoughts Today) just got back from the future (aka South by Southwest). Turns out they treat bloggers a bit differently over there (like, check that shit!); Also tech: a rare article in praise of the iPad; how to recycle a jumbo-jet; mood-pencils; town battered by raining fish; Isn't it wonderful to think that at some point in time this actually happened? Yeah. I guess. Honda concept; use spades, not ships; the banksy/robbo war continues... Leo DiCaprio (he'll always be Jack to me) does the VO on Imax's new 3D Hubble film. How to name your futuristic theory...

In architecture, SANAA has won the Pritzker... (notwithstanding mediocre projects like the Serpentine or New Museum); Sell outs, if you ask me, I can't tell the difference between Art & Art Snacks. Related: "NY, just as I pixeled it". Also, 26 Gigapixel Paris. Lego House; Solar Furnace.

Finally, several awesome films:

1.Flying pants, via WTF Japan, Seriously:



2.The best ending to Judge Judy ever (via csessums)...



3.And last, but not least: an Academy Award-winning trailer [catchphrase!]:



Peace and Love Millennium Peeps.

sannaa @ the serpentine

Saturday: SANNAA's new pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery. The architects statement: ‘The pavilion is floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. The reflective canopy undulates across the site, expanding the park and sky. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. It works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing views to extend uninterrupted across the park and encouraging access from all sides. It is a sheltered extension of the park where people can read, relax and enjoy lovely summer days.’ Praise: A really well designed pavilion, reminiscent of the principles Kuma expounds. Criticism: The faults lay not in the design, but the execution of the pavilion, and as a visitor I was very aware of the limitations that the project had imposed upon the architects' dream- the realities of construction (I am using the press release as reference to their intent). The groundplane was almost without undulation, and set in a brutal concrete, which exaggerated, not blurred, the pavilion's boundaries (as oposed to a grass floor, which would bring the surroundings into the space). The forest had been downsized to several indoor plants in terracotta pots, which gave the pavilion a kind of kitch feel. Finally, (though no fault of the architects) the connection with the park was broken by the ubiquitous wrought iron fence, which the English feel so passionately about (they are very much a people of mine and thine). Final thoughts: nonetheless, a beautiful element almost bobbing in its landscape, miles lighter than Rem's balloon. Also, this wallpaper* video is worth a look- I like SANNAA's response, but the other goons leave me cold.