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Category archives: New York

  • AFP Picks! The Best Electronic Music Albums of 2017

  • 6 years ago
  • Art for Progress wants to say goodbye to 2017 with the best electronic music albums of the year. Below you find our year-end top ten AFP picks that we have selected especially for you. The list includes a video and the label info where the records have been published. 2017!  It was a great year for music in the world with many awesome, high quality albums created by the most talented artists from across the world. Enjoy the new year and may your 2018 be full of good music! Happy 2018! 1. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream. DFA and Columbia Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKeJFxwuBBE   2.  Björk - Utopia. One Little Indian Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqbv7cCM5AI   3.  Laurel Halo - Dust. Hyperdub.   4. Four Tet - New energy. Text Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWInZ4N6C2g&t=2357s   5.  Bonobo - Migration. Ninja Tune.   6.  James Holden - The animal spirits. Border Community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj35YNtP3IE   7. Powerdance - The Lost Art of getting Down. Powerdance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHrBXKtc0Sc   8.  Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest. Because Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwgL_PrQYQ   9. Errorsmith - Superlative Fatigue. Pan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fsCgZh6E8k   10.   Arca - Arca. XL Recordings. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZqsyBiYZFQ3bQ6wAHoeYkkt[...]

  • "Salvator Mundi," Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece becomes the most expensive painting ever sold

  • 6 years ago
  • On Wednesday 17th November, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Salvator Mundi, became the most expensive artwork ever sold, after being purchased for £450M during an historic event celebrated at Christie’s auction in New York. The two hour auction took place at Christie’s with a total of sold artwork in the amount of $692 million ($785.9 million with fees), on 58 lots. The sale unexpectedly turned into a historic show. Since the auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen announced lot nine: Leonardo Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi (circa 1500), it took 19 minutes to sell the artwork for $400 million ($450 million with fees). People clapped and laughed during the unbelievable show. The sale of Davinci’s painting resulted in the most expensive piece ever purchased at an auction and broke all the previous records in the history of art, including the $179.4 million for a Pablo Picasso painting at Les Femmes d'Alger in 2015. The crowd came to Christie’s expecting a show, and in the end they finally got history. Salvator Mundi represents a secular image of a a serene-looking Christ dressed in blue and holding an orb. It also shows an ambiguous gender aspect about his appearance that makes it very mysterious and special. The picture is one of fewer than 20 works by Leonardo still in existence. It's hilarious that the painting was sold by London's Sotheby's auction house in 1958 for less than 50£ when experts refused to believe Da Vinci painted it. For many years it was considered as t[...]

  • "Swedish Lo-life EP," A journey towards the Modern Life

  • 6 years ago
  • MLiR stands for Modern Life is Rubbish, an utterly accurate and ironic name. Founded by the two absolutely crazy Swedes from outer Space, Marco Gegenheimer and Einar Christofferson. In 2016 the two lads broke through with the musical and mega hyped debut EP ”Swedish Lo-Life” on Studio Barnhus, the re-known and eclectic record label run by Axel Boman, Kornél Kovács and Petter Nordkvist. An EP of 5 songs, featuring the big hit people with almost 300 000 plays on Spotify so far. Up next in 2017 for Marco and Einar is their 2nd installment for Studio Barnhus, an EP under the name ”Trans-World Junktion”. They also have EP:s coming early 2018 for UK label Banoffee Pies, Berlin based Lossless, a 3rd EP for Studio Barnhus and non 4/4 stuff for Magic Teapot Records. Apart from all this, the boys are also preparing a live show for next year where everyone will be able to see them shaking their asses and showing the world they’re here to stay to make you go bananas. Modern Life is Rubbish, and you know it! Marco, nice to meet you and welcome to Art for Progress. MLiR it is the new project you have created, but your career started a long time ago. Please, could you tell us when did you start to produce music? My interest to produce music started after having a 5.5 years break from DJ'ing in 2009. I then started working on an album for Ratio?music / Rush Hour (which got lost) and released several EP's on Ratio?music / Rush Hour, Moodmusic and Perplex Recordings. I had a band ca[...]

  • Wearable Art: How Parson's Open Style Lab Is Making Clothing For People Of All Abilities

  • 7 years ago
  • Many of us get dressed and undressed everyday without much thought. But for some people, changing in and out of clothing, or dealing with buckles, zippers and laces can be a frustrating task. According to Fashionista.com, in the U.S. alone, there are 59 million people living with disabilities, and 'their clothing options are greatly limited.' Thankfully, 'adaptive wear' has emerged as type of clothing made for people of all abilities that adheres to various function and style needs. Photo Credit: Lucy Jones Design And thanks to programs like Runway of Dreams Foundation and Parsons' Open Style Lab (OSL), there has been an increase in the availability of clothing geared for children and adults of all abilities. In addition, Target has rolled out a 'collection of sensory-friendly apparel for children,' including items with zip-off sleeves, side openings, or openings in the back for those who are sitting or lying down. At Parsons' Open Style Lab (OSL), designers, engineers, and occupational therapists work in unison to create accessible wearables. OSL was initiated at MIT in 2014, the program aims to challenge the fashion industry to consider the variety and uniqueness of all bodies, ages and abilities in the world. And designing for the underserved leads to better products for everyone —a core tenet of Open Style lab’s curriculum Watch video below to learn more about Runway of Dreams and adaptive wear https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=hEdCmCSPmJY [...]

  • Live Music Review: Twain @ Bowery Ballroom

  • 7 years ago
  • For music aficionados and the real heads that check out a lot of live shows, you know when you're in the presence of exceptional musicians, singer/songwriters. Where Mumford and Sons have in some respects brought a new wave of progressive folk music to the forefront of popularity, I can't say the results have led to many high quality bands.  When I received an invite to check out the band Twain, I was a bit reluctant about attending, but after listening to some of their stuff I was ready to go. On this night, they were playing the opening set, but it was obvious that the early crowd was gathered to see Twain, and by the end of the night it was clear they were worthy of the top billing for this show. With 8pm fast approaching, the level of excitement was building as eager fans edged closer to the stage, and with their new album Rare Feeling dropping on October 20th, this would be the first opportunity for many to experience the new stuff live.  As they got into their first song, the thing that initially caught my attention was the depth and warmth of their sound, and as their set progressed I heard glimpses of everything from Neil Young, The Doors and even The Grateful Dead. This is the kind of music that grows on you, and as you continue to listen to Mt. Davidson (lead singer/songwriter) and the band perform, you're soon captivated both musically and lyrically. Though many of the songs deal with serious subject matter, there's an undeniable sense of enthusiasm in[...]

  • Now More Than Ever: Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2017

  • 7 years ago
  • The 28th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival takes place this year from Friday, June 9, through Sunday, June 18. With 21 feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase the courage and resilience of activism in these challenging times, the event seems more relevant than ever. The festival is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center, and all screenings are followed by discussions with filmmakers, their subjects, Human Rights Watch researchers and special guests. Several films address the worsening refugee crisis and migration, including opening night presentation Nowhere to Hide, directed by Zaradasht Ahmed. Using a camera given to him by the filmmaker, Iraqi nurse Nori Sharif documents the catastrophic events surrounding his family as war and ISIS devastate their region. The need for change in U.S. law enforcement and the justice system is another festival theme, represented by films including Erik Ljung’s The Blood Is at the Doorstep, about a fatal shooting by Milwaukee police, and Peter Nicks’s The Force, about the long troubled Oakland Police Department. One of the films addressing the changing face of journalism and how we get our information, closing night’s Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, directed by Brian Knappenberger, explores the recent Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker case and others. The Resistance Saga, a daylong special event, includes a trilogy of films by Pamela Yates on the plight of the Mayan people of[...]

  • Wearable Art: What You Need To Know About Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons at The Met

  • 7 years ago
  • Bucket List confession: It's been a dream of mine for quite sometime to attend the Costume Institute's Met Gala. Colloquially and affectionately referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out,” the Costume Institute's Met Gala is PEAK celebration of iconic style. And as we all know by now, this year's Met Gala was a spectacular showcase of quasi-wearable, avant-garde fashion, honoring the Costume Institute's latest exhibition on Rei Kawakubo and her label Comme des Garçons. And unlike past Met Gala events this hullabaloo was loaded with an incredible mix of celebrities smoking in a bathroom and meme-inducing sculptural looks that are still keeping the internet in a frenzy. https://twitter.com/MarcSnetiker/status/859172626362585088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allure.com%2Fstory%2Fbest-met-gala-memes-2017 But if you still haven't visited the 2017 Costume Institute exhibition on Rei Kawakubo and her label Comme des Garçons you are missing out on a treat. Here are three things you need to know about this incredible showcase. Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art Of The In-Between at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Jemal #1 This showcase makes history  Aptly named Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between, the exhibition highlights the reclusive designer's wide array of left-of-center, hyper-modern, sculptural constructions — retracing almost 40 years of clothing. And this is first exhibition since 1983 Yves Saint Laurent sh[...]

  • Wearable Art: Everything You Need To Know About Kanye West Yeezy Season 5

  • 7 years ago
  • Returning to New York Fashion Week this season is none other than Kayne West, debuting his fifth season of Yeezy for Adidas. The collection featured oversized sweatshirts, slouchy outerwear, and utilitarian trousers -- all restricted to neutral tones. See some of the looks for yourself. https://twitter.com/theyeezymafia/status/831979870066466826 West's presentation of looks also included the kickoff of the much-Instagrammed Calabasas line, Refinery 29 reports. Photo Credit: AKM-GSI The 15-minute showcase took place at Pier 59 Studios -- an old-line NYFW locale -- and attracted celebrities including his wife Kim Kardashian, sister-in-law Kylie Jenner, LaLa Anthony, Teyana Taylor, Hailey Baldwin and more. https://twitter.com/lala/status/831987657177702401 Cameos from models included Luka Sabbat and Amina Blue, and the show marked the launch of Halima Aden -- the Somali-American stunner who is IMG Models' first hijab-wearing model. https://twitter.com/Edward_Enninful/status/831968901168820226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The rapper/designer with Teyana Taylor Photo Credit: Walik  Check out more looks from the showcase below.

  • Wearable Art: N. Hoolywood In Hot Water After NYFW 'Homeless' Collection Scandal

  • 7 years ago
  • File this fashion endeavor under : WTF. This week, as part of New York Fashion Week, Japanese label N. Hoolywood presented to the world a Fall 2017 collection inspired by homeless people. Yes. Homeless people. Whether or not N. Hoolywood was channeling Derelicte à la Zoolander, it's safe to say this fashion label's fetishized "ode to street people" was done in poor taste. Photo: Imaxtree Ill-assorted chairs and benches wrapped around a circular runway. The models bundled up in overcoats and jackets and holding what looks like trash bags, lumbered down the pathway in somber time. To round out their looks, some models had their legs wrapped in plastic bag like material. As Daisuke Obana delineates in show notes: "As our designer traveled the cities of America, he witnessed the various ways in which people there lived on the streets and the knowledge they have acquired while doing so. His observations of these so-called homeless or street people revealed that them [sic] to be full of clever ideas for covering the necessities of life. Space blankets or moving blankets can be fashioned into coats for cold days, and plastic bags can double as waterproof boots when it rains. This season features designs that embrace their unique style of combining traditionally contrasting elements, such as unconventional layering or senses of color, along with experimental sizing." Photo: Erik Maza on Instagram In reality, there are over 600,000 homeless people in the United Sta[...]

  • America and AFP Brace for the Next Chapter in our History…

  • 7 years ago
  • With an unprecedented climate of change and concern dawning in the United States, Art for Progress arts education programs are more essential than ever. AFP is embracing the ever-growing need for alternative and supplemental art, music, theater, and fashion programs for young people representing the voice of true expression in our city. Once again this has been an exciting semester for existing Art for Progress arts education programs in New York City’s public schools, and there are some new programs in the works for the second half of the school year. Our flagship music program at Humanities Preparatory Academy, which includes school day sessions as well as after school, is flourishing and has produced and cultivated a bunch of wonderful talent this semester. Everyone at the school is looking forward to the talent show on February 16th, which will include solo vocal and instrumental performances, and a variety of ensemble pieces and even a dance number.  AFP’s after school program at the James Baldwin School is also going strong and was well represented in the recent school-wide talent show on Friday, January 20. Students from both schools have been working hard after school every day, choosing songs and rehearsing. Especially impressive is the spirit of mutual encouragement among the students as the shows approach. As for AFP’s Young Adult Music Enrichment Program, tracking is nearly completed on Bronx rock band Statik Vision’s full-length album, and we are preparing [...]

  • AFP Music Interview: Slothrust

  • 8 years ago
  • We recently caught up with Brooklyn based band Slothrust, who are releasing their long awaited third album, Everyone Else on Dangerbird Records October 28th. 1)   Are you native New Yorker's or transplants? Will and I are from Boston and Kyle is from New Jersey. 2)   How would you describe your sound? Blues / jazz influenced rock music with a lot of dynamics and time signature changes ;) 3)   How has the crowd responded to the new music from Everyone Else? Crowds we have performed to have responded really positively to the new music. We are very excited to tour and share it with more people. 4)   Was there a particular story you wanted to tell or message you wanted to send with Everyone Else? There is not one story in particular that I am trying to tell with this record. Thematically, it deals a lot with water and dreams. I like thinking about different states of consciousness and things infinitely larger than the self. 5)   What do you enjoy most about touring and performing live? I like seeing new cities and the exchange of energy that happens between performers and difference audiences. 6)   Tell me about your creative process. Do you work remotely or do you go off to the woods to write together as a group? It's a combination of a lot of things. Generally songs come to me in pieces and we go about executing them in a variety of ways. In the past there hasn't been a particular formula for us. 7)   Where do you find your inspiration[...]