couchprojects
books, videos and research by Angie Waller
Thanks to everyone who came out. I look forward to another round…
documentation here
TONIGHT!
Thursday, August 4, 7pm Dumbo Arts Center – 111 Front Street, 212, Brooklyn.
What are the things people want to extend? How did grandparents have sex? How did they kill witches? How did gps work? How did they keep chickens? What artist sings a certain song? How to compose an angry email? What is the opposite of deja vu? And how do I compliment breasts without making it awkward?
These are all potential answers to win you scores at “Search Engine Friendly Family Feud Game Night,” tonight, 7 p.m, hosted byAngie Waller!
Join us as two teams duke it out and discover the hidden underbelly of the Internet! In an update to the traditional Family Feud format, two teams of contestants will compete to guess which questions are most commonly asked through Google. Rev your search engines – winners will be awarded a selection of fabulous prizes!
Weiner, et al. – A Medley of Politicians’ Apologies – NYTimes.com
This article is a lot like my book “I’m Sorry,” but instead of parsing together apologies of plagiarists the subject is philandering politicians.
Below > “I’m Sorry
“(Inside) Magia Blanca” is a project that consists of posters depicting anagram collages of the book cover “Magia Blanca” that I purchased on the street in Mexico City. The posters were presented at Galerias Plaza de las Estrellas, a shopping mall with an area devoted to spiritual advisers called “Pasaje Esotérico.” I set up my display and spent the day in the Pasaje’s heavily incensed air.
Waiting in the Pasaje Esotérico, Feb. 14, 2011. Photo by Mayte Tojim
(click images below to enlarge with translation)
14 February 2011
It was Valentine’s Day and sunny outside. I was a little sad anticipating a day indoors at the mall. A car filled with helium balloons passed us just before the highway exit.
The Pasaje Esotérico (Esoteric Passage) opened at 11AM. When I arrived at 11:20AM, most of the booths were still closed. I set up my minimal collages on top of purple mylar paper in a weak attempt to blend with the environment. For most of the morning, the area remained desolate with green curtains covering the merchandise.
A tall man with wavy, long black hair was striding by when he paused at my anagram posters. He asked a woman nearby what the posters were about; his brow was furrowed. I interjected ”jugo de las palabras” (juice of words). I intended “juego de palabras” (word games). He seemed puzzled and serious. He looked at me intently, long seconds passed. He introduced himself as Brally Sol before disappearing to his booth in a partition underneath fiberglass dolphins.
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On my recent trip to Mexico City, I picked up a small edition of works by Pedro Friedeberg (creator of the famous hand chair.) The images presented below display an uncanny resemblance to Webkinz World. Is there a Friedeberg fan making the mood boards at Ganz? Or is my nephew channeling Mr. Friedeberg? Most likely these images represent the iconography of conspicuous consumption through architecture.
left: Salon Fumador (Smoking Room), Pedro Friedeberg 2000; right: Fancy Living Room, Webkinz design by Ethan Waller 2005
left: Laboratorio inquisitorial (Lab of Inquiry), Pedro Friedeberg 2000; right: Rare & Special Room, Webkinz World, Ethan Waller 2005
left: Salon del Consejo Hebdomadario (Hall of the Weekly Council), Pedro Friedeberg, 2000; right:Talking Room, Webkinz design by Ethan Waller 2005
left: Salon de los embajadores impuntuales (Room of the Tardy Ambassadors), Pedro Friedeberg 2000; right: Roxy's Room, Webkinz design by Ethan Waller 2005
Ukraine protesters make farce out of "drugged oranges and american valenki" photo from Flickr user blandm
As we wait to hear the breaking news in the Libya protests, this post finds comfort fixating on the inconsequential details. In a recent statement, Colonel Qadaffi blamed hallucinogenic drugs planted in coffee by Osama bin Laden are behind the uprising.
A few years ago when studying the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, I ran across a similar accusation was made by Yanukovych’s wife to explain the demonstrations. She described “pinned oranges” – oranges injected with hallucinogenic drugs by the Americans – as the reason for the protests.
Obviously, these are not the only instances of hallucinogenic drugs being blamed for anti-governement protests. But they are of particular interest since they try to pretend that the population was drugged against their will. As if once the population recovers from their “trip,” everything can go back to normal. Instead of blaming “hippies” they blame the drug dealer.
