Francesco Vezzoli - Marlene Redux

Francesco Vezzoli (born in 1971, in Brescia, Italy) is an incredible artist. At the "Passage du Temps" exhibition in Lille 3000 - which I already mentionned here - I saw his movie "Marlene Redux" which is a fake biography of his work, like a parody of an American TV documentary. It's just amazing, the artist portrays himself as if he were dead, his friends and foes bringing their testimony while footage of archives and excerpts of his works are displayed, with an apropriate soundtrack. Between two dramatic and funny plot twists, the pop and artistic references are numerous!



The installation, on a multitude of screens, gives another depth to this fascinating work and also enables the capture of the gap between reality and fiction. This piece of work also allows us to have a glance at this artist's potential. I'll try to know more about him soon.



Unfortunatly, the video found on YouTube is a split footage of poor quality (the sound is particularly terrible).

Kylie robotics

Kylie - and her management - has always known what to do to seduce her audience. Latest novelty to promote her latest cd "X"? A collection of robotics that you can offer through Facebook. Of course, I love it.

Each doll represent a era of Kylie's career : a video, an album artwork or a show costume. It's mostly super cute... The trashiest being the one of the duet with Nick Cave - "Where The Wild Roses Grow", the cutest being "Moulin Rouge!"'s green fairy or the sequins and feather-clad "Showgirl Tour" opening costume...

Bonus: free mp3 download {Kylie Minogue - X MiX Sampler}

The Girls Next Door

I don't think I'll ever be able to explain my infatuation for "The Girls Next Door". This show from the E! channel, tells the story of the Playboy Mansion, the luxurious home of Hugh Hefner, the founder of the magazine of the same name. Like its title indicates, the show focuses mainly, on Hefner's 3 girlfriends: Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt et Kendra Wilkinson.



Why do I like it?
- the (very light) tone of the show: watching is like eating candy
- the editing and the cartoon-like sounds: brakes, skiping record, off the track music
- the ongoing humor: the girls always laugh hysterically and often, very stupidly too, but glamor and humor make a perfect blend
- Hefner's career: I can only respect the apparent integrity of the work of his lifetime
- the reflection on life's futilities: the girls are not as dumb as they look, they often have more second degree than you and I!



Another reason why I love that show is its opening theme! Here is a rendition by Madonna of "Come on a my house" from the mediocre 2002 movie "Swept Away" by Guy Ritchie.



And here is Rosemary Clooney's famous version of the same tune (yes, she was Dr. Nespresso's aunt).




Bonus: free mp3 download {Nasty Tales - Come On A My House (Big 60s Radio Edit)}

Daft Punk's Electroma

Midnight, cinéma du Panthéon, in Paris: only one screening a week for the movie of the electonic superstar duet Daft Punk.
I'm gathering some friends to go. The opinions are very mixed. Later, on allociné, I can read what other people thought too. As usual, I am disappointed to see that half of the comments give 4 stars out of 4 - very enthusiastic biased fans - or 0 - for viewers who refuse to admit that they just didn't get this movie and try to qualify it with the worst adjectives ever.



As far as I'm concerned, I would say this experimental Daft Punk movie might not be the best work of art, it however conveys very interesting topics.
Granted, a movie by Daft Punk is very likely to gather some clubbing MTV addicted crowds that are used to fast paced beats, flashes and sounds who are only expecting some action packed with music video clip...
This artistic project is, on the one hand, not touching his usual audience: "too long" "too slow" "nothing happens" "ridiculous" "give me my money back!"...
On the other hand, unfortunately, the film fails at some point and is too widely inspired by Gus Van Sant's "Gerry" or Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey"




Some scenes, however, deliver a very strong and beautiful image - see the videos posted here, Todd Rundgren's "International Feel" in the opening sequence and Jackson C. Frank's "I Want To Be Alone". If the viewer leaves his inhibitions and allows the movie to takes hold on this peculiar journey, the perfect blend of this suffocating Californian road-trip and perfectly hand-picked music can be subtly seducing. Leave your chronological, logical, esthetical and narratative landmarkes behind and embark on this movie, you might enjoy some little pieces of perfection hidden along your way.

Bonus: free mp3 download {Linda Perhac - If You Were My Man (Demo)}

Cindy Sherman + Tori Amos

I already knew a little of the peculiar work of Cindy Sherman. But when I visited the exhibition "Passage du Temps" of the Pinault Collection at the Tri Postal in Lille, I was all the more suprised by the photographs of this unique artist.


Born in New Jersey in 1954, Cindy Sherman first studied painting before shifting progressively to photography. Her work features whole series of self-portraits. She's one of the few successfully influential women photographers of her time.


I particulartly enjoy the "Bus Rider Series" (1976/2005)...


... as well as "Murder Mystery Series" (1976/2005). More recently, the "Clowns Series" (2004/2005) embodied perfectly this mixed feeling of humor and controversy that is constant in Sherman's work.


In 1989, to protest against the censorship threats that some fellow photographers had to undergo, Sherman presented the "Sex Series" with outrageous disembodied characters. Her work has often been said to be feminist. She points out major social questions - racism, relation to the body, plastic surgery) through her vision in which her body conveys a message and is not the subject in itself.


I can't help thinking of pop icon Tori Amos when I gaze into Sherman's photographies. Amos's artwork for "Strange Little Girls" in 2001 or "American Doll Posse" in 2007 showed us a series of characters embodying stereotyped women who reflect a fascinatingly complex America.

Tragedy in Northern France...

An article in French newspaper Libération told me everything about a new scandal about an online posted video about a drunk woman from the North of France.

Sorry for those who don't understand French, I'll post the video anyway, you can still see the embarassment caused by the player's behavior...



I think it's funny at first, then it gets really sad and even if it's a 14 year old extract, I can imagine why the family is suing

Orangina pinups

There's a new Orangina campaign. The posters in the metro caught my attention for different reasons. First, Orangina has always been known for its funny and witty advertising. Secondly, I feel this new campaign has drastically changed the positionning of the brand since the former campaign Sup d'Organgina (which was just ok). I think the new visuals are sexy and cool, the FFL agency did a pretty good job with the buzz created online.

Rue de la Banque

Is it possible to remain emotionnally intact after walking past a camp of legal citizens with papers protesting for the horrendous conditions they live in?


This operation might seem a little too much for some, but it is here to remind all the privileged people that we don't all get the same chances in life. There really is a huge and increasing gap that is personally tearing me apart.


Some celebrities take these people's side, and in my opinion they can only be admired. Some singers make a public announcement they're asking for another European citizenship to espace French taxes while others seek political asylum and devastated countries... Pick your side!