08/10/2008
Hooray, Hooray! It's Judgement Day!
06/10/2008
Navigating by Compass?
An example of a news portal, that could well, if steered with skill and foresight, become one of the networks I discussed briefly in a previous blog post: Nyhetskompassen.se. Another is iGoogle. I know, the whole "i"-prefix thing-of-the-past is becoming increasingly annoying, but the concept will definitely hit us hard in a short matter of time.
02/10/2008
Rosebud, Schmosebud... Go to Bed, Grandpa!
We have all studied and debated the future of news papers. it is now more or less a fact that the printed paper will disappear in a proximate future and give way to the web based version. But most of the time, the discussion is till based on the assumption that the format and content will remain generally the same, with editorial work, journalistic filtering and such.
I am not so sure about the validity of that assumption, though, when viewed against the current development of new (obviously mostly web based) media and information accessing and processing. I see a clear tendency towards people demanding increasingly more first-hand and immediate information. When we are searching for the latest speeches given by presidential candidates or facts and figures about practically anything, we tend to consult blogs, YouTube and Wikipedia before the daily news papers, simply because we can skip one major middleman. Furthermore, we also rid ourselves from a great deal of biased filtering that we no longer have a need for, now that we have the tools and skills we need to navigate efficiently and conduct the sorting ourselves.
My view of the future news feed provider, is more of a "News-Wikipedia" than timesonline.co.uk, in the sense that it is quicker, self-sanitating, often first-hand and not dependant on a limited editorial staff. Rather than the classic web based new papers of today, I imagine web portals/networks of news providers in the form of bloggers or on-location film-makers etc., with wide possibilities of worldwide commenting and debating. The whole problem of fast-paced editing and changing of the content of articles would probably not be very much of a hassle, since we are always online anyway (pretending to work). I mean, I check dn.se, di.se and other sites at least ten times a day only because I can. Like Wikipedia, the continuously, organically changing content works just fine! Who hasn't used the old Wiki successfully for panic-studying before exams?...
To me, it would feel natural for any open society in a globalization trend, to get rid of the narrow delimitations of today and start acting as true parts of a shared world. Plus, the whole pretentious white-boy lifestyle (you know: bicycling, urban densification, obscure Glasgow indie, locally grown, ethnic majority complex...) probably would adore and embrace the added authenticity, objectivity and legitimacy values of reading about the Midde East when it is written by people from all sides and with all kinds of agendas who are actually there. We just love to flatter our own intellects by forming our own opinions from "pure data". The real deal... yeah!
So, I look forward to the future news portal, where the traditional news paper sites are reduced to providers and suggesters of potientially interesting topics and fields of study, for further investigation elsewhere. When DJ:ing we want the cues and track, not the ready made mixes. You know: fuck that. That's just embarassing.
30/09/2008
Don't Take It Personal
Intermission
28/09/2008
Demystification of Sexuality
Well, it is slowly but surely getting colder here, up north. And what does one associate with Swedish winter, more than H&M ads and sexism debates? So, I began thinking about why the contents of this debate never change, and what's more; what causes it and where it is headed (if anywhere).
Today, we have a serious problem with the upheaval of sexual mystery. According to Swedish juvenile receptions and diagnostic centers, the vanishing of lust is a common problem among young people. If that is not a major tragedy, I do not know what is.
There are two sides of the problem: the idealists that argue that sex should be completely absent in all parts of society except perhaps in the bedroom, because it creates hierarchies between individuals, as well as between men and women. Personally, I see it as more of a mockery of human nature and the beauty of life and intellect to try to de-sexualise everything. Mystery is key!
The other side, is the overexposure of the naked body and sexuality in all parts of society. It is virtually impossible to go through an entire day without being exposed to magazines that give sex tips, ads for a bunch of stuff that enhance your attraction, etc. The Swedish (in many ways good) transparency mentality that has led to thorough compulsory sexual education at school, sex toys in pharmacies and a complete disarmament of sexual tension is as much part of the problem as the idealist view. Who would ever be curious of anything when everything has already been exposed and dissected?
What the equillibristic/idealistic and the capitalistic/explorative approaches have in common, is the division of body and soul. The over-intellectualisation of the very things that make us human is really something that could well have come straight from dystopic science-fiction. Even Ayn Rand, who is often blamed for being overly clinical, understood and obeyed sexual tension and mystery in the process of creation and joy of life.
So, I guess the question is: Are we heading towards a lust-free society, or will nature prevail over quasi-intellect? Let's stash up on popcorn and beers and enjoy this year's debate!
26/09/2008
Counting the Days of the Corporation?

Yesterday, the interesting topic of creating culture in different dimensions surfaced. A threat to the large corporations and companies, it was said, is that they most often view culture as a field, in which they can play, rather than as a place to belong to.
Would it really be impossible for the corporation to become an integrated part in culture and the creation of it? I imagine various obstacles, such as structural inertia, too long-term financial targets, etc. Are the days of the corporation counted? It really does strike me as a rather unlikely scenario. Surely, the corporation must live on as a phenomenon, since the instinct to expand and evolve, in most industries, requires a certain scale and amount of capital. It is normally so, that start-up ventures (no matter how niched or independent) that grow, after a short while will start making more long-term decisions and invest in fewer, more costly projects, due to the increase in funding possibilities. A typical sign of a mature, inert company on the path towards acquiring typical corporate structures.
Until the global, non-monetary society emerges, the incentive of accumulating money as a means of power, will always remain. Thus, also re-enforcing and reproducing the organisational style of the corporation. However, I cannot see this as a remnant of a dark Gordon Gekko past. Corporations definitely shape culture, but in a slower pace than smaller and less restricted actors, such as the "creative class" from the terminology of cultural geography. So, when contrasted against words like community, non-commercial, sharing, creative collaboration and other components of contemporary trends, the corporation provides a secure, stable background to which society can withdraw to catch its breath and scrutinise its latest creations.
23/09/2008
Pity or Pretty?

17/09/2008
Sweden - From Present to Past



This weekend, I was out early at dawn, taking photographs of various parts of downtown Stockholm. I was struck by the immense lack of innovation of the various building sites. There, I saw the same mexi-brick foundations that made up the spine of the suburbia projects fifty years ago. Has there really been no development since then? I mean, we surely do not dress the same as back then, do we? The Swedish modernism in all its glory belongs to the past. Back then, architecture was integrated in the rest of the art world and followed the currents, making a great paradigmatic leap from from old dusty designs towards the sharp, light structures in beautiful shades of white that we know today as modernism.


When seeing the "bold new face of Stockholm", I begin to wonder; do these new buildings really fulfil the needs of the modern world, or are they stuck in an old 60's philosophy? The need for another revolution becomes obvious. So, one might wonder, are the Swedish architects not confident in their own ideas? I mean, confidence is one of the most important components of creativity. When thinking back at childhood memories, it is striking how three simple factors decided the choices of hobbies. The ones where we had the confidence, encouragement and consent to follow through are the ones that survived. Take a look at Apple's iPod. It was created by giving the designers a whole lot of cred and completely free hands. Then, the design was given to the engineers, who had to make the damn thing function. Not the other way around. If only city planning could do the same, just imagine the amount of joyeous energy that would come out of it! Buildings, like paintings, are best conceived when they are products of one pure vision, without too much intervention from government authorities.

Earlier this spring, Centerpartiet presented a beautiful conceptual idea of a "green", self-sustaining skyscraper in downtown Stockholm. Personally, I would say that is f***ing brilliant, compared to the cowardly projects being undertaken today. It really reflects the architectural trends in the rest of the world. Whilst the brave Duth continue their bold exploration of new materials and gorgeous innovative styles, we linger on in our self-content idea of having the perfect society. Look at the Dutch firm OMA's Seattle Public library, Frank Gehry's now old but still fantastic Guggenheim wonder in Bilbao or the Chinese efficient megacity projects. These new frontiers may appear capricious and random at first, but they are not. They are contemporary, and as such, should be promoted as testimonials of our time.
Now that we are at it, I might just as well show you some pictures from the new concert hall in Uppsala. Yes, I know, it has received almost only positive critique. But, some of the homage rightfully compared it in magnitude to Sergels Torg in Stockholm. And I could not agree more! It is fairly nice, but very old and not very thought through, both when it comes to materials and spaces.





13/09/2008
Commodification of Technology - the Future of the Past
09/09/2008
I won't let you down, Goldie...
Apparently, the trailers and some other market communication, for the upcoming movie “Wanted”, have to be withdrawn, since they glamorise the use of guns and violence. I started thinking that, maybe, the core of the comics romanticising, which has been really widespread for some time now, is not the violence, but something else. Of course, the easy, quick references to attractive 50's design, cool one-liners and lack of boundaries have something to do with it. But where does really it come from, this superhero trend?
Trends evolve when people experience strong (not necessarily violent) currents of needs. These needs do not have to be very tangible – trends actually benefit in strength the more implicit they are. The keyword is emotion. Just like everything else in nature, we sapient little apes function the best when we are in balance. To much chaos makes us wish for harmony; an overdose of isolation and we start longing for information and company. So, which collective emotion are we lacking today? Hope, trust and responsibility are emotions that have not been overly abundant lately. We see mass consumption as if there were no tomorrow, and constant wars and the stressing feeling of us humans growing out of our own nature. This must be counterbalanced with something!
The greater part of the “generation batch” of people that have grown up with, and enjoyed, the aesthetics and escapism of comics have become part of the labour force. They (and I) were young when the Soviet threat was very real, the movies were about titanic clashes between worlds and the music was about vast spaces. Now, they have sort of brought their childhood fears, dreams and impressions with them into adulthood. With that in the luggage, it is easy to draw parallels between world crises and Frank Miller’s dark dimensions. The hero symbolises our hope and deeply inherent belief in humanity’s ability to reap goodness out of an ocean of evil. The comic superhero, as well as the villain, is very convenient, because it is so easy to project what should be said and done on a fictive character, rather than getting ones own hands dirty.
The aesthetics of comics is also a satisfying channel, through which to let out the different personas that constitute ones individual. Most healthy people carry within them more or less distinct personalities that often collide: the artist and the accountant; the lazy and the ambitious, the lover and the supportive friend… many of them have to be quelled for us to function in society. To avoid harm from this form of self-denial, the arts offer a refuge and an outlet for the fire burning! Especially comics are very accessible, since every character is a unique person, where the extreme form of caricature makes the satisfaction much greater (though perhaps not as refined) than of other forms of literature that make claims of realism and reason. Reversely, it is not likely that Marv, Ironman or Modesty Blaise would make it in our stern world.
Maybe is it once again the propensity to take shortcuts that looms – the concept of confirming the constituents of ones person by relating to the works of others, rather than allowing ones own imagination flow freely. “Because it takes fucking long time”.
08/09/2008
Eco-Local

06/09/2008
Generation of Cheaters
The nature of humans is such that we always try to explore and exploit the shortcuts in life. They are at the same time both the makings of sloth, as well as great leaps in development. As always, when at a party playing music, there are a whole lot of bastards making various requests. Mostly, of the type that I would never consider playing, since they would not fit smoothly into the set. But what really fascinates me is that, quite often, those people are not even remotely familiar with the kind of music they request. There was one especially odd geezer in a 90's jeans shirt, who kept asking for the most obscure rock/pop artists, but when I inquired about what specific tracks he was interested in hearing, he could not say. It immediately came quite clear that he was not really trying to convince me to play certain songs - he was rather looking to make a statement about himself before his friends, and me being the DJ and, thus, the expert and definer of musical matters at the scene.
This is all in line with the whole iPod playlist era. It is becoming more and more common for people to let their extensive phonebooks, playlists, Facebook friends and other "guilty by association" factors define them, rather than what they actually are and do. By mentioning a certain type of music, people can benefit from the image of that certain lifestyle without actually having to invest anything to become part of it. It does make sense, when considering the ever increasing possibilities of interaction and speed in everyday life. Now, that there are so many things possible, we feel guilty of not making full use of our thousands of options, so we use the shortcuts instead to sort of give the impression of being very initiated and expert individuals. We construct our resumés, such that they appear to be packed with degrees in different majors, work experience from all industries all around the world, and skills that would flatter even Einstein. We furnish our homes so that items exhibiting our skills and diverse range of interests are fully exposed. We read key literature and we go to key galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants to be able to claim familiarity with the entire categories. We also namedrop celebrities, sub-culture leaders, fashion labels and music as if they were cosmetics of our persona. Very seldom do others question the actual content of these claims.
I am not suggesting that the whole shortcut concept is wrong. It is, though, part of our nature. What I strive to highlight, is the conflict between the limited amount of work and investments in our own persons that humans are capable of, and the increasing spare time and range of options. One person can only do so much before he or she must rest from the whole lot. As symptoms of this, I expect to see quite a lot more fancy gadgets and "life simplifyers" on the market in the very near future. It started with the published Winamp playlist, continued with the very portable and displayable iPod and, most recently, the Pacemaker. All joining the ranks for the crusade to make dinstinct lifestyle statements in a convenient manner.
Somewhere deep down, I guess we all want to be true nerds, who know everything about something. Power to the nerd!
Check out the Pacemaker!
03/09/2008
Chasing the Rush
During the past few days, I have encountered quite a few symptoms of the Chasing of the Rush. The rush of sticking one's head out from the masses every once in a while. The rush of redefining one's own personal brand by expressing something that is out of the ordinary. And in every case, this rush is counterbalanced by the fear of having stuck the head out so far that there is a danger of becoming alone! I spent my Saturday night with friends at F12 - the night club was having a huge season closing party, where a friend of mine who ran the show got the less brilliant idea of painting live animals and having them around as art alongside pissed fashionistas and general routine party animals. Basically, a lot of things going on. Great fun at the moment for some perhaps. An idea, which did not come down so good in the minds of the readers of public press the next morning. A bit too much this time.
The point is, however, that whatever occurred on that scene and who specifically did what, it was implicitly agreed upon together! That is my layman macro trend of the day: The era of the lone hero who boldly stands up and represents his or her movement is being challenged by the re-invention of an old compromise. The collective has indeed re-ermerged as a valid substitute for the individual. The new generation finds its inspiration among the community-like artist movements, such as the French impressionists or the colorist/fauvist painters. Like them, it is now becoming more and more common to stick the heads out together, for both safety and greater impact.
Besides provocing scandals such as this every now and then, more positivt effects of the collective Chasing of the Rush are the many new music production collectives, increasingly dense art gallery clusters, micro fashion designer retailers, and many other factors that bring our environment to life. With the community wingmen watching your back, the lust and courage to break new ground becomes greater. Combined with today's virtually unlimited focus on expressing the individual creativity and uniqueness through the collective mind, the positive synergies of working and living closely together in clusters cannot be over-estimated. I am sure that more and more new ventures will be joint in the form of networks, partnerships, interest groups, industry clusters, joint marketing and such.
the massive art gallery cluster at
Hudiksvallsgatan, Stockholm. Check
it out and be awed by the strength of
togetherness!
More in-depth on the topic of clusters, collective minds and the need for expression is bound to appear soon.
