Truck drivers in India, who typically spend 10 months of the year on the road, are inclined to have the exteriors of their vehicles painted in myriad colours, slogans and religious symbols. The purpose is twofold; firstly, this particular modern folk-art form enables the truck drivers to engage with a unique form of self-expression.  Secondly, the art causes the trucks to function as vibrant beacons for clientele, thereby attracting business. 

What does it signify?

Indeed, truck drivers play a crucial role in the functioning of the Indian economy, as they are able to deliver products to remote parts of the country that are otherwise inaccessible by train. Shantung Suma, the graphic designer and filmmaker who created the 2013 documentary Horn Please, commented: “A better looking truck attracts more business […] Imagine the truck is like a moving billboard. It travels from one side of the country to the other, carrying the message of the truck driver and owner.”

Horn Please examines the roots of Indian truck art and its subsequent aesthetic evolution. The documentary also focuses on how the art form has impacted the artistic world at large, including the lives of its own creators and the truck drivers who have embraced it. It also questions whether the art form will continue to exist in the future, as India’s economy is certainly not exempt from capitalist influences.

The title of the documentary itself is literally taken straight from the rear-ends of the trucks; a message that serves to remind the drivers of vehicles behind the truck to blow their horns before overtaking – a long-held Indian tradition.

India spans almost 4 million square km., and so these vehicles double as homes for their drivers, replete with bunk beds and family photos. Suman continued:

“Since [the drivers are]missing their kids and wives, they like to decorate their trucks with ornaments to remind them of home. They might adorn the cabin with bangles – things that remind them of their wives.”

Of course, only the psychedelic exteriors of the trucks are visible to the outside world. They bear images of gods and goddesses, Bollywood stars, rhyming couplets, motifs, and political logos that the driver personally connects with.

Photographer Dan Eckstein, who wrote Horn Please: The Decorated Trucks of India, and travelled over 10,000kms. of the country in order to complete his research, commented: “Depending on which region they’re from, you’ll see Hindi, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian iconography. There’s also a lot of decoration that has to do with luck on the road and warning away bad omens. There’s a little demon face they put on the front of the truck, or they might tie shoes to the bottom which is meant to keep away the evil eye.”

Uncertain future

Unfortunately, it has been reported that the hand-painted designs are being slowly replaced by stickers. Suman attributes this to the generational shift towards capitalism, saying: “”Some of these truck artists who have been carrying forward this profession for generations, now don’t want their kids to do it because they realize the hardship. They say: ‘I want my kids to go to college and work in an air-conditioned office, rather than be here in the sun painting trucks all day.'”

The devolution of this fantastical art form would, of course, pose unfortunate social consequences, as an entire aesthetic would be wiped out and a way of life altered forever. However, its palpability arguably renders it a very informative indicator of the global market evolution.

CNN

The post Indian Truck Art: Dying Aesthetic Form and a Sign of the Times appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

But perhaps we should look at the climate of those places. Incredibly hot, sometimes humid, all with sun that beats relentlessly. Not made for the European garden; cold, damp, mossy and frostbitten, the screen-block is made for sunnier climes, being cheap and easy while offering a combination of a view, shade and ventilation. Jump on the plane from Miami to Dehli or Colombo, and the screen block and similar materials are making a comeback, but not as some ironic play on 1950s modernism, but as the continuation of the indigenous Jali.

Jali (Hindi for net) is the gorgeously decorative style of screen used in Indian architecture and jewellery. Its intricacy and ostentation varies, from finely carved marble inlaid with jewels to more simple terracotta creations. It is a style which is under threat as the artisans which carve the jali blocks are dying out, leaving a style which was more suited to the days before air-conditioning firmly in the past.

The style can be preserved in a pared down form with modern techniques. Screen block can be mass produced in industrial settings, but also in more simpler and more primitive ways. Bricks in India are often made very simply by moulding clay and then leaving it to bake in the scorching sun. Screen blocks could also be made in the same way. As they can be made on site using any design in a mould, the possibilities for patterns are infinite. Because they can be built up like any other block wall, beautiful, breezy creations can be easily built by individuals and local authorities using local labour, requiring little specialist knowledge and skills.

Screen block Jali is not only beautiful but it can also be used very cleverly to create self-cooling buildings. The DPS Kindergarten School by Khosla Associates is a clear example of this. Using the courtyard commonly seen in Hindu architecture, a stack ventilation effect is created where air in the courtyard is heated by the sun, which then rises pulling air through the (in this case, terracotta) screen-blocks. The jali also provides shade rather than promoting solar gain like glazing does. In such climates, windows can create an unbearable greenhouse effect.

But there is a more important value to using the screen-block Jali style in India, and why it must be preserved. The polished glass and air-conditioned blocks and shopping malls glittering in the new skylines of Mumbai and Chennai of today come at a price – a literal price. Not only are there environmental and sustainability issues, buildings of this type cost vast amounts of cash to run and maintain. The air conditioned building therefore has one condition placed upon it, that it must make money. Jali allows the elements to keep a building cool while keeping it free, preserving the integrity of local civil, democratic and public spaces.

The humble screen-block can solve many problems in a subcontinent which is building at a record pace. As always, architects must start with the fundamentals – the very materials they use will set the agenda.

The post The Humble Indian Screen-Block: What Is Jali and Why Is It Still a Leader of Design? appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

There is no such as thing as a bad publicity. For the last few days the internet has experienced a storm of mixed emotions, opinions and discussions after images appeared of an unusual creature.

Headlines filled up the virtual world, such as “Breaking news: Real life fallen Angel has fallen from the sky in London”, providing the exact time of falling (“1.50 pm this afternoon”), while referencing so-called findings from NASA that a more habitable planet than Earth had been discovered.

This truly disturbing fallen angel is in fact a “hyper-realistic sculpture” created by two Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu.

Winners of Best Young Artist in the CCAA (The Contemporary Chinese Art Award) in 2001, they are famous for using real cadavers and human fat tissues.  As Martina Koeppel-Yang, independent scholar and curator says:

Even though playing on the speculative and the spectacular, they focus on the investigation of the paradox rather than merely exploiting the spectacular. The tension between the bodies, organic tissues or animals and their artistic manifestations corresponds to the transposition of subjects from the plane of immanence onto the plane of transcendence.

Made of silica gel, fiberglass, stainless steel and woven mesh, the“Angel” installation was created in 2008 and presented in many exhibitions worldwide including London’s own Saatchi Gallery.

According to Martina and her opinion in the official Sun Yuan and Peng Yu website: “The supernatural being, now nothing more than an impotent creature, can neither carry out any supreme will nor be of any help to those believing in its existence. The angel is true but ineffective; dreams and hopes are sincere yet vain.”

The question is, if this artwork was created 7 years ago, why have we found out and are talking about it only now? Is it our ignorance of foreign culture or just a (bit late) well-considered PR strategy? If it is, someone did a good job. There is no doubt we are naturally tempted to shocking and thought-provoking creations, despite how many disagrees and dislikes are involved. It seems like only art in this context can attract society’s attention. Let’s see what comes next…

If you like this article you may be interested in “Uldua Bakhtiozina: The Photographer Challenging Stereotypes With Magic”.

The post The Viral “Fallen Angel” Is A Hoax and Created in 2008. Why Have We Only Noticed Now? appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

Mahdi Ehsaei, what led you to the Afro-Iranian community?

There are two main reasons that led to my awareness of Iranians of African descent. One of these occasions was through Nowruz (Iranian New Year), where people are entertained by a red-robed herald named Haji Firuz, who symbolises the new year. Haji Firuz amuses the crowd and brings a smile to people’s faces, spreading good wishes and vibes for the coming year. These wishes are addressed to his master, whom he encourages to remain hopeful and happy. The main characteristic of this famous Iranian figure is his blackened face. It is thought that the happiness expressed by Haji Firuz is symbolic of the termination of slavery in Iran, which took place in 1928.

The second reason was based on personal experience. Many years ago, I was on summer vacation with my family and friends in Iran. We went to Shiraz to watch a football match, and it is here that I first saw an Afro-Iranian man. He also happened to be a fan of the rival team, Aliminium Hormozgan FC, and lead the crowd in rhythmic chants. Ever the documentarian, I decided to capture this moment on video.

After this, I not only became aware of the term ‘African-Iranians’, but also the experiences of the members of this community. It was these two experiences that led me take a closer took – and it surprised me immensely. I became immersed in a rich and fascinating portrait of Iranian culture. This is what I want to pass on with my photography.

What was it about Afro-Iranians that inspired you to document their everyday lives?

I have always been aware of Iran’s diverse population. As a naturally inquisitive person, there were many points in my life where I sought to know more about dark-skinned Iranians. I never thought that the history of Afro-Iranian people would stretch back hundreds of years. I was not the only one. Many Iranians I spoke to didn’t even know that black Iranians have lived in our country for centuries. It was very difficult for me to find any books or information about this community.

As I continued my research, I realised that this was an injustice. The history behind these people is so profound that it demands a global platform, and it must be seen. Unfortunately, in both Iran and the wider world, this community is still relatively unknown. This made me determined to use my knowledge to open up the world’s eyes to this fascinating community. I decided to embark on this project, a book to show fascinating portraits of an Iran that the world has not been privy to. I wanted to do something unlike anything that has been done before, and ‘Afro-Iranian’ is just that. In my book, a photo series documents the vast, centuries-old history of the Afro-Iranian people, which although has been long overlooked, had a profound impact on the culture of Southern Iran.

How did the community receive you? Did you face any creative difficulties?

At the beginning, I was very cautious with how I approached people. Taking photos of Iranian subjects is vastly different to taking them in the West. Initially, I didn’t take any pictures. I simply took the time to get to know the people and the places, letting my emotions guide me as I immersed myself into their world. After about a week, I made friends with some locals from Bandar Abbas, and through them I learned how to approach the people. This diverse city inspired me greatly, and showed my a side to Iran which I had never before seen, despite my extensive travels throughout the country.

Of course, I experienced a few creative difficulties. Some of the subjects I wished to photograph, particularly women, did not allow me to portray them. Others were surprised that I wanted to photograph subjects at the beach, and why I found that interesting. But these are universal. If you go to a beach in Europe and ask for permission to portray someone, you would get the same reaction. Some don’t like to be photographed, some do, and some simply don’t care. It is the same in Iran.

Why was my project a success? Simply, the subjects trusted me. I explained the aims of my project and my intentions, that I wanted to capture and present the diverse people from southern Iran in my portraits. They were surprised to meet a German who wanted to portray them with such motivation and enthusiasm! My strong friendship with locals afforded me the honour of attending the exorcism ceremony Zar, a key part of Afro-Iranian rituals.

How has the project been received so far?

The feedback has been overwhelming and I had no idea that the project could become viral in such a short period of time. So many people in the last few weeks have asked how they can buy the Afro-Iranian book, and I have been receiving inquiries and demands from renowned media and institutions around the globe. ‘Afro-Iran’ has created so many opportunities for me. Alongside the book, I’ve also been asked to exhibit my photographic series in several countries.

What’s next for your photography?

Right now I’m working on my book, which will be published in Germany by the highly-regarded publisher ‘Kehler Verlag’ in September. They are highly-regarded in fine art photography, and will help to promote the book around the world. I am very excited about the book, especially with the enormous demand and positive feedback that I have received. My next photography project will also be Iran related. For the next weeks my book and the upcoming exhibitions will certainly keep me occupied.

Mahdi Ehsaei is a photographer and graduate of the Faculty of Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt, Germany. Born in Germany to Iranian parents, Mahdi’s German upbringing was infused with the strong influence of Persian culture and tradition, fuelling his ever-growing interest in Iran. His book, ‘Afro-Iran’ will be released in September, and is available to purchase here.

The post Meet Mahdi Ehsaei: Introducing Afro-Iranians appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

The Shubbak Festival aims to be the door to art from the Arab worlds.

It features emergent voices in addition to more established artists from various countries. In its 2015 brochure, it asks, “What would [London’s] culture look like without the contributions of writers, artists and musicians who sought refuge here over the centuries?”

With such a range of events spread over the 16 days, there will surely be something for everyone, from talks about the rise of Arabic fiction in English to electronic music concerts to sculptural art shows.

This past Monday, we made our way to the Hayward Gallery, where one of the Shubbak Festival’s art shows is taking place. Echoes & Reverberations is a group exhibition that explores “sound as a medium of culture and history.” It showcases six contemporary artists who have all incorporated aspects of the aural in their respective pieces.

The exhibition stands as a testament to the power of sound. Many of the pieces have one or two sets of headphones, so the gallery space feels small and intimate – on a Monday afternoon, there are only a couple of viewers in the space. The effect is that the everyone interacts with the art pieces in a very personal way; upon putting on the headphones, listeners are plunged into another world. And, because the tracks play on an infinite loop, each listener enters at a different place in the recording – he or she must keep listening to fully experience the work. It is this aspect of the exhibit that is both novel and immersive, and forces the viewer/listener to confront whatever the artist is really trying to convey.

Most of the aural components are also paired with visual elements, like video recordings, text, drawings, or objects. The marriage of these disparate art forms creates undeniably dynamic presentations. In “Wisdom Tower” by Cairo-based artist Magdi Mostafa, for example, 84 speakers are connected to a standing panel. The sound reverberating from the speakers is the azan, the Muslim call to prayer, and a Friday sermon. Both were recorded in Cairo. Opposite the panel of speakers, text of both the Arabic and translated English flashes with the sound. The sermon, interestingly, explores gender and reproductive issues.

Magdi Mostafa’s “Wisdom Tower”

In another work, Joe Namy, a Beirut-based artist and composter, pairs his own text-based and musical composition with objects and photographs. The headphones spew out unfamiliar sounds, melodic musical recordings, and poetic lines from the artist. The objects on the floor and in the accompanying photographs are musical instruments, but take on abstract beauty when laid out in such symmetrical ways.

A listening station in Joe Namy’s “space, breath, time”

Objects and photographs in Joe Namy’s “space, breath, time”

A personal favorite is Samah Hijawi’s “Paradise Series.” The Jordan and Belgium-based artist created collages out of magazines and digital images, and paired these with narrative audio recordings centered on Palestine. The effect is a constructed world of both fantasy and fact; the piece feels nostalgic for a time and place that may or may not still exist.

Samah Hijawi’s “Paradise Series” collages

A close-up on one of Hijawi’s collages

All of the works incorporate this combination of sound and visual art to represent places and ideas central to the Arab world. From a curatorial standpoint, the show does what the Shubbak Festival as a whole aims to do: it sheds light on the Arab experience, immerses the participant through a variety of mediums, and exhibits novel, beautiful, and interesting art works.

Find a list of the other events here – they’re spread all over London (and most are free!), so be sure to check them out before the festival is over.

Image: Nuqta: Art of the Pen, by Soraya Syed at Shubbak 2015

The post Review: Shubbak Festival 2015 “Echoes and Reverberations” appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

“I am deeply inspired with the Pre-Raphaelites , poetry of XIX Century, with paganism and Russ Land fairy tales,” says the Russian photographer.

Uldus’ work has been exhibited in London, Moscow and Milan, also featured in Photo Vogue Italy.

If you like this article you may be interested in “East Beats West: How The Emerging Economies Could Save The World”.

The post Uldus Bakhtiozina: The Photographer Challenging Stereotypes With Magic appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

3D printing has exploded in recent years, and it has a wide range of applications. From printing children’s toys, to creating car parts, and even the possibility to generate human organs and body parts. In Dubai, there are plans to build the world’s first building made entirely of 3D printed parts and technology. The building will form part of the Museum of the Future, a technology museum dedicated to showcasing the latest in upcoming innovation.

The 3D printer itself will be a show of engineering ingenuity.

In order to produce the new building, and all of its furniture and internal components, the printer itself must be extremely large. The UAE National Innovation Committee stated that the printer is to be over 6 metres tall, and it will produce robust materials that are glass-fibre reinforced.

The offices will have 2000 square feet of space, and are set to be completed this month. This building technique is essentially a modern upgrade of an old classic. Prefabricated construction takes components of a building that have already been created, and they are all then put together onsite. In creating the new wing of the Museum of the Future, this style has been pulled into the 21st century. All of the parts of the offices will be built by the same 3D printer, made from modern materials. The project is a collaboration with the Chinese company Winsun. With 50-70% shaved off the project time, we could soon see 3D printing enjoying widespread usage in construction.

If you like this article you may be interested in “Dubai Is Full of Abandoned Luxury Sports Cars”.

The post Dubai Will Be Home To First 3D Printed Building appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

Masterpiece London is, as always, a display of proportionate English pomp and glamour, akin to diamonds under itchy tweed. Last year, over 35,000 visitors from across the world spent over £100 million over the duration of the fair. The most opulent and outrageously designed booths were of course, either French or Italian, who offered dysfunctional pieces, stretching from baroque to Belle Epoque. Masterpiece remains a leader in art fairs, not least for it’s unique ability to deal in the most luxurious of pieces in a pleasant and tasteful manner.

Offering museum-quality works, this year’s highlights include a portrait of attorney Olga Berde Mahl by Andy Warhol on Long-Sharp Gallery‘s stand, one of the finest collections of clocks at Carter Marsh & Co’s stand, Geoffrey Diner Gallery presented two iconic Tiffany Studios lamps and a marble head of Aphrodite was showcased by the Ariadne Galleries.

Masterpiece London is on until the 1st of July 2015 and runs annually.

Featured Image: Guests at Brunswick Fine Art by Andy Barnham

If you like this article you may be interested in “Indian Truck Art: Dying Aesthetic Form and a Signe of the Times”.

The post Review: Masterpiece London 2015 appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

Opening on June 29th, a new film plots the trials and tribulations of one of the world’s most iconic luxury brands. The House of Fabergé has stirred intrigue, passion, and secret romance for over 100 years, from royal patronage of the Russian Tsars to its recent re-establishment as an international contemporary jewellery company.

The feature offers an extraordinary view and access to infamous private collections, personal recollections from Fabergé family members, and insights from distinguished Fabergé family members, and insights from distinguished Fabergé specialists. Directed by Patrick Mark, a powerhouse in fine art filming dazzling art objects creates a feast for the eyes.

Particularly exciting is the unveiling of two Fabergé eggs to the public, featured in exquisite detail, both now in private collection, and both of which may never again be seen in the open.

The first, a gift from Tsar Alexander III to his wife Maria at Easter in 1887, was lot for over 100 years, and only recently rediscovered by an American scrap metal dealer. Bought for a few thousand dollars, the gold egg was intended to be melted down and sold at a few hundred in profit. Chance had it that the treasure was returned to context, and sold on for over $30 million dollars.

The second, The Fabergé Pearl Egg, the first new egg to be produced by Fabergé in 99 years, pays homage to the centenary of the first Fabergé eggs ever delivered. Inspired by the formation of a pearl within an oyster, the object of art embodies: 139 fine pearls, 3,305 diamonds, carved rock crystal, and mother-of-pearl set on white and yellow gold.

From the crown of its fame and fortune, when Fabergé was the jeweller to the Romanov royal family, to the leaner years when the name only appeared on cosmetics and household goods, through to its recent rebirth led by Fabergé descendants – few brands can have enjoyed, or endured, such a rollercoaster ride.

Pre-1917 works inspire levels of devotion to a market of global collectors, and for many, the Romanovs are a symbol of a simpler and nobler time and place. The House of Fabergé is part of that world, but it has endured a different journey, a life of its own, far beyond Imperial Russia. Now, with millions of dollars of jewellery, the House of Fabergé is irresistible to a privileged few.

More details at www.fabergefilm.com

If you like this article you may be interested in “Bolshoi in Brazil: Russian Ballet Celebrates 15 Years”.

The post Review – Fabergé: A Life of Its Own appeared first on BRIC Plus News.

What was once considered to be indelible and an enduring part of human history, is now in danger of disappearing for good. The rampaging tactics of ISIS have left no ancient artefacts untouched. We have already lost many great treasures of history.

Nineveh is ancient capital on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and as civilisations grew, it merged with Mosul. Both have long been under ISIS control. In this area, ancient mosques have been blown up, ancient artefacts have been taken from museums and destroyed, or sold on the black market, and ancient city walls damaged irrevocably. ISIS have also destroyed the 3000-year old city of Nimrud, and the ancient city of Hatra. The ongoing civil war in Syria is also causing irreversible damage. Some incredible sites survive, but may soon be at risk of destruction.

The Ancient Sites of Iraq and Syria Are At Risk

Palmyra, Syria

An ancient city lies to the north of Damascus. Palmyra (also known as Tadmur) was once one of the most important cities in the ancient world. It was a melting pot of cultures, where Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Persians settled and left their mark. Palmyra was founded over 4000 years ago, and soon became a bubbling hub of trade from across the East. Spices from India, silk from China, various goods from Persia, all passed through the city, as Roman gold flowed through. This desert city became an oasis of wealth, and its magnificent buildings are testament to this. Palmyra is filled with priceless ancient masterpieces, from the ancient Semitic Temple of Bel, to Roman sites such as Diocletian’s Camp. It recently fell under the control of ISIS. With the group rumoured to have placed land-mines under the city, and the destruction of shrines nearby, it may not be here much longer.

Samarra, Iraq

Samarra was the beating heart of the Abbasid Caliphate, an Islamic empire that ruled over much of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa for over 500 years. The city is a treasure trove of Islamic architecture, with the 1200 year old spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra as the crown jewel. Samarra was also home to some of the largest palaces ever seen in the Islamic world. But all of this is at risk. Having survived invasion by the Mongols, Samarra now faces its greatest threat. Earlier this year, the residents of the northern Iraq city of Samarra managed to repel an ISIS attempt to gain control of the city. However, attacks continue to be launched. Suicide bombings and a renewed military attack may spell the end of a city that has stood the test of time.

Bosra, Syria

Bosra has a deep religious history. Once the capital of Roman Arabia, Bosra (also known as Busra al-Sham) became known for its spirituality. It was once a key step on the pilgrimage to Mecca. The city is full of large ancient mosques, as well as many early Christian ruins. A large Roman amphitheatre forms the centrepiece of the ancient heart of the city. Bosra was captured by Syrian rebels. While unlike ISIS, they are not concerned with destruction, the ancient ruins are still at risk. Shelling by the Assad regime has resulted in architectural devastation before. The Great Mosque of Aleppo was built over 1300 years ago, and its minaret was reduced to rubble by Assad’s government. The same attacks could occur in Bosra, and an important piece of ancient history could be lost forever. The city is already being used as a battleground, and mosaics and walls have been damaged.

Wars waging in Iraq and Syria threaten the historic legacy of the region. The destruction of these sites and artefacts are not just an attack on the Middle East, they are an attack on the entirety of human civilisation. Having stood the test of time for thousands of years, survived invasion after invasion, these magnificent structures could be lost to humanity in just a few short years. This too is a tragedy.

If you like this article you may be interested in “Corruption Is Iraq’s Latest Battle”.

The post Iraq and Syria: The Breathtaking Ancient Sites Now At Risk appeared first on BRIC Plus News.