modern

ARTS: 12-15-18 Pinkmas at the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco

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The happy crowd at the Museum of Ice Cream (2018)

The happy crowd at the Museum of Ice Cream (2018)

Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) debuted in 2016 not as a traditional museum describing the history of ice cream but as a place to “inspire the world through imagination and connection.” Touted as being Instagram-worthy, many social media sites depict photos of joyous faces playing, laughing, and posing in glamourous clothes amidst life-sized gummy bears, unicorns, and cherries. According to the official website, each exhibition is meant to appeal to the five senses and allow one to indulge and connect to one another. From the signature sprinkle pool to the mysterious mint jungle, there are team members who set the stage and try to encourage one to be creative and “let loose.”

The Entrance to the Museum of Ice Cream (2018)

The entrance to the Museum of Ice Cream at the old bank building near Union Square, San Francisco (2018)

During my visit with a few geeky friends, we went to the special Pinkmas event (November 23, 2018 to January 6, 2019). We were greeted by a forest of pink and white Christmas trees and urged to take part in a Pinkmas carol (basically, an altered version of the traditional Christmas song). Afterwards, we were invited to explore, try the Cherrylicious ice cream, and take photos of the exhibits and props that were set up. Continue reading →

ARTS: 12-16-16 teamLab exhibit: Living Digital Space & Future Parks at the PACE gallery

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After seeing our acquaintance’s bedazzled photos on Instagram, I went with Taki to explore a futuristic exhibit of art by teamLab, an art collective made up of artists, engineers, programmers, CG animators, mathematicians, and architects originally based in Tokyo, Japan. They now have offices in Singapore and Shanghai. The group focuses on creating their digital art to “expand art” beyond the 2-D form and to change the relationships among people, who view the artwork (see their Concept page for more information).

At the PACE art + technology gallery in Menlo Park, CA, they presented the “Living Digital Space & Future Parks” exhibit from February 6 to December 18, 2016. The exhibit consisted of twenty digital art installations, specifically the Crystal Universe, Black Waves in Infinity, Black Waves, Flowers and People; Ever Blossoming Life II, Flowers and People – A Whole Year per Hour, Crows are Chased and the Crows are Destined to be Chased as Well; Cold Life, Universe of Water Particles, and Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12.

What stood out to me while looking at the installations was how they appealed to your senses and presence. For example, in Flowers and People, the artwork is rendered in real time by a computer program. Depending on the proximity of a person to the installation, the flowers bud, grow, bloom, and wither away. This interaction with the artwork is quite appealing.

Flowers and People

Flowers and People

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ARTS: Literary Event: Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, OR)

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Ashland, Oregon (May 16-18)- the least expected place to contain so much literary love amidst a startling landscape and humble community. The proof lies in the shops that dotted the main street with souvenirs honoring the great playwright, Shakespeare, and used books starting from the 1900s at bargains of “3 for $1.00” or “$3.00 a book.” It was simply heartwarming to my literary soul to see so much appreciation for fine arts. The town itself is a pleasant mixture of the old and the new with a wide variety of restaurants from Greek to Thai. Undoubtedly, it is a place set to be explored and to be welcomed.

As for the plays, it is difficult to recall the emotions I have felt while watching them as such emotions are usually evoked at the performance itself. It is with these recollections that I piece together this review and synopsis of these beautiful stage plays.

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