Stefano Mirtis

facebook wall
02/52
2012
timeline archive:
a personal collection
of curiosities
Stefano Mirtis
facebook wall
https://www.facebook.com/stefano.mirti.3
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Cortina d' Ampezzo
In the world of global (and total) crisis, Beniamino
Servino is working hard on one of the most
compelling questions. "What is design? What is
contemporary architecture?". He answers with
drawings and collages very tense and in some
extents fairly nervous (henceforth very correct),
increasing the tension day by day. Now (with Mario
Ferrara) he started a new series of works, posted
on a daily base on his fb page. The ones posted in
the last three, four days are mesmerizing. More
about these recents images at: http://www.
facebook.com/media/set/
Here the link to Beniamino Servino Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
id=1108716350
Winterish. Absolute
Winterish.
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
January 9, 2012
Another thing Marco Zanini told me was a very
simple truth: "Never fly first class". I asked why.
He replied smiling: "Because if you fly first, from
there on, every time you'll fly economy you will
hate it, remembering that fancy experience".
He had a good point and I thought it was right. But
then, once I was offered a long-haul flight in first,
I couldn't resist and I accepted. That has been a
big mistake. Because Marco was right.
Young man (young lass), never fly first class.
Otherwise you'll regret dearly.
Piazzale Valdo Fusi
Carlo Mollino
In these days I go quite often to Torino. One of the
things I like the most of these meetings with
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Sara and Paola is that they have their office near
Carlo Mollino's Camera di Commercio.
It's a special building. The more I look at, the
more I like. Built in the early 1970's it's very
timeless. Like fancy wine: improving with the time
passing by.
The thing I like the most about it, is this idea to
have the car parking on the so-called "noble floor"
(the floor above the ground level). In traditional
Turinese palazzos, that is the floor where rich and
noble people live.
Mollino decided to have the car parking there,
because he felt that in a city like Turin, cars are
the most noble thing.
Lovely + bravobravo!
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Bregenz, Austria
Is there life before death?
-Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled, 2008; nine figures in
white marble-
In these days Italian newspaper like very much to
report on entrepeneurs committing suicide. Either
way there are a lot of these suicices, or journalists
have invented a new theme to entertain their
readers. I would opt for the second.
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Stazione Centrale Milano
Forty Days and Forty Nights
You see the tower at the center of the picture? At
apx 50 meters high, there are three people.
Carmine Rotatore, Oliviero Cassini, Giuseppe
Gison: they went up there more than 40 days ago
to protest for Italian Railways mass layoff (800
people).
Tonight it was so cold that I froze my hand when I
took this picture. These three gentlemen have
been staying on a metal hut for an incredibly long
time. And they will stay longer if no one listens to
their reasons.
I don't know if they are right or wrong in their
requests. But they get all my respect and
sympathy because of the way they run their fight.
In a world where the norm is to protest in a
violent way, they chose a peaceful system and a
smart attitude.
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
They are at the far end of platform number 21. If
you go to visit them you will be welcomed by their
colleagues. They will offer you a glass of wine and
they will explain their reasons. If you pass by Milan
Centrale, please go there to greet them. It is not
about the political or union struggle, is about basic
human interaction.
More images at: http://www.facebook.
com/media/set/
To get to know more (in Italian): http:
//archiviostorico.corriere.it/...
/Lavoratori_sulla...
Italy
I was reading the newspaper the other day:
Phone boots, are they going
to be back?
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
because of the big crisis, Italian Telecom is
reconsidering their original decision of taking off
all the phone boots around the country.
It seems that the credit crunch is getting so bad
that even the most loved toys (cellphones) are
into dire straits. More and more, people need to
phone using the traditional system: a great
revenge for the old "cabina telefonica" (today is
cabina, tomorrow it will be gettone - i guess).
Of course, it would take some superior intelligence
to re-engineer the whole thing (adding eventually
an ethernet cable or wifi, cellphone plugs for
battery recharge, etc.etc.).
If we were in some kind of Thomas More utopia
you could even imagine some photovoltaic panel
on the roof making the whole thing self-
sufficient...
Anyway, hail to the cabina!
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Architectural Association School of Architecture
I received the invitation for the new exhibition by
ecoLogicStudio. From 14 January to 11 February
2012, At AA, in London. Claudia Pasquero and
Marco Poletto researches are getting better and
better. Very nice to see the process of growth,
refinement and improvement. More at: http:
//www.facebook.com/media/set/
Here the link to their (interesting) website: www.
ecologicstudio.com/
HORTUS [Hydro Organisms
Responsive To Urban Stimuli]
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
East Village, New York City
Old Ideas
...but in an interview this month, when a
journalist mentioned writing on deadline, Cohen
said: "You've got a deadline. Well, I do too:
death". He smiled. "It tends to insert itself into our
considerations".
Here the link to "Going Home", featuring in his
latest album: "Old Ideas: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=1ChApspDrjg
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Remembering 2011/03/11
My friend Andreas Schneider went up on the top
spot of Kinkasan Sacred Island through dark forest
to have his very private memorial performance.
This is the closest spot of Japan to the 3/11
earthquake epicenter. Here the link to the images
of the place where the ceremony took place: http:
//www.facebook.com/media/set/
When people do their own private memorial
ceremonies (especially when they are done like
this), I think the world is getting on the right
track. Thanks to Andreas for sharing.
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Free Associations
Very nice collages from Janet Malcolm. Writes ms
Malcolm:
"Last winter, I came into possession of the papers
of an migr psychiatrist who practiced in New
York in the late 1940s and 1950s. The archive
included a collection of manila envelopes, around
six by ten inches, stuffed with folded sheets of
thin paper covered with single-spaced typing: the
notes the psychiatrist made after seeing patients
(many of them fellow migrs) in his office. As I
studied the sheets with their inky typewriting and
60-year-old paper clips holding them together and
leaving rust marks on the surface, my collagists
imagination began to stir...". More collages at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/
Read the whole story at: http://www.nybooks.
com/blogs/nyrblog/
Thanx to Gioia Guerzoni for the link.
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Breda, Netherlands
The phrase above comes from Bok Derek (a former
Harvard's dean). Apart from its concept (that I like
pretty much), I have to say that this symposium I
attended in Breda (about the future of design
education), it was very nice and interesting.
The whole gig was set up by Florian Pfeffer and
Friederike Lambers, a smart couple, busy doing all
kind of interesting things. The most
interesting/important project they have being
doing for several years is this: "input/output"
foundation.
This is how they describe "input/output" (from the
website):
:output is an international platform for colleges
and students in design and architecture.
"If you think education is
expensive, try ignorance."
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Breda, Netherlands
The meeting on education was hosted in this little
Moti museum. Beyond the talk and chitchat, we
had the chance to spend some time with its
energetic (and kind) director, ms. Mieke
Gerritzen.
The museum runs all kind of different activities,
exhibitions + much more. Something can be seen
Moti (or: Museum of the
Image)
We organize the largest competition for design
students worldwide, foster new talents and
initiate innovation projects by connecting
education, economy, politics and culture.
Here is the link, enjoy: http://www.inputoutput.
de/
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
MOTI
Popup Generation
So, apart from the chitchat related to the future
of education, we also took a tour of the various
exhibition running at MOTI. Between the others
there was this "Popup Generation", curated by
Lidewij Edelkoort.
It was an ok exhibition, not good, not bad. I guess
it costed a lot of money, hencefore let's say it was
good. Between the various pieces on display this
"Carpet Hippo" designed by Rodrigo Solorzano was
my favourite.
Here you can see some more images of the
exhibition: http://www.facebook.
com/media/set/
on the website, although the best is to go there in
person: http://www.motimuseum.nl/
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
And here is the link to the website of the
exhibition itself: http://www.motimuseum.nl/...
/the-pop-up-generation/855
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
I chose not to choose.
With Elio Caccavale, we had to organize a
presentation. We started with the trailer of
"Trainspotting". Do you remember?
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career.
Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television,
Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc
players, and electrical tin can openers. Choose
good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance.
Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments.
Choose a starter home. Choose your friends.
Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose
a three piece suite on hire
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY
and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday
morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching
mind-numbing spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing
fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting
away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a
miserable home, nothing more than an
embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you
have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your
future. Choose life . . . But why would I want to
do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life: I
chose something else. And the reasons? There are
no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got
heroin?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55KY40
1950's
132.5
Another very nice thing on show at this "Pop-up
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
The Glasgow School of Art
Prof Caccavale Color Wheel
In Breda for the Design Education Saloon. Lots of
smart people and my dearest friend prof.
Caccavale. In this image the first exercise for his
design students at Glasgow School of Arts. Each
student has to bring a bag with 20 objects of a
Generation" exhibition was the full set of Issey
Miyake's 132.5 collection.
Basically, it's a series of dress designed a dynamic
origami. Not easy to explain, much simpler to look
at the images: http://www.facebook.
com/media/set/
If this wasn't enough, you can also watch the
video: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=4gdxhNnytSs
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Baarn, Netherlands
-Escher's Depth, 1955-
This was the conclusion after a long evening
drinking beer and smoking some puffs with Elio
We live in a world where
common sense is very
uncommon.
given color. Then, a three-dimensional color wheel
is composed. Lovely! More about Elio Caccavale
at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/
Here the fantastic interview I did to him for Klat
magazine (unfortunately, in Italian only): http:
//www.klatmagazine.com/.../elio-caccavale-by...
/
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Caccavale. Not bad. Three days in the Netherlands
but the output was quite ok.
Some more pics from the Dutch master at: http:
//www.facebook.com/media/set/...
Old Jewish Cemetery Prague
Like Moving a Cemetery
"Yet undergraduate education changes remarkably
little over time. My predecessor as Harvard
president, Derek Bok, famously compared the
difficulty of reforming a curriculum with the
difficulty of moving a cemetery".
~ Larry Summers, former president of Harvard
University and former secretary of the Treasury
http://www.nytimes.com/.../the-21st-century...
More images of the Jewish Cemetery in Prague at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/...
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Park Valkenberg
It was Sunday morning and me and Elio Caccavale
had to find a place where to have breakfast.
We went around and we ended up in a park.
There, it was a curious glass pavillion claiming to
be a tea house. There we went. Breakfast was
perfect, the waitress was nice and the overall
atmosphere was perfect.
Only later I understood that all of this was so nice
just because we were into a piece of art. Yes
indeed. A piece of art in the shape of a glass
pavillion in the middle of a park in Breda.
The author is John Kormeling, a pretty cool chap.
Here the link to our breakfast images: http:
//www.facebook.com/media/set/
And here is the link to mr Kormeling website.
A Special Tea House in a
Dutch Park
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Some of the things he does are truly fascinating
and they totally trigger my imagination... http:
//www.johnkormeling.nl/
Park Valkenberg
The first night I arrived in Breda, I walked to the
restaurant where there was the group dinner. In
the darkness, crossing a park, I noticed a curious
lighthouse in the middle of something that was
clearly not a sea. Then following morning I went
back to check and it was a lighthouse. Not only
that. A lighthouse with a fancy pedigree: Aldo
Rossi, 1988. Here some more: http://www.
architectureguide.nl/.../cit_id/51/prj_id/2293
In Breda there are a lot of fancy architectures.
A Lighthouse in the Middle of
a City Park. ???
Stefanos facebook timeline 02/52 2012
Two houses by Rietveld, there is a funny kidney-
shaped building by Erik van Egeraat, Claus En
Kaan, a couple of big stuff by Hertzberger, Wiel
Arets... But finally everything is so lame, so Dutch.
At least Rossi's lighthouse is not arrogant. She is
aware to be silly and she is very proud of it. Proud
to be a silly lighthouse in the middle of a park.
!