Friday 26 February 2010

VIVA microfinance

I am so encouraged by the stories of how microfinance is benefitting people, especially women. Here is a bbc article about the Women`s World Bank.

other groups include KIVA
and on that note a space in India encouraging women exiting prostitution, abuse relationships or trafficking situations Love Calcutta Art. 

While I adore art in the formal sense I cannot deny that I am very interested in PRAXIS. How can the ARTs be a postive catalyst for society? Of course musicians artists creators must manifest their own ideas. We are all different and I do nto mean to sound elitest but some can do nothing else, but there is an innate creativity which is so often lost. A creativity bourne from a desire to be, to know, to express, and yes to live.

I want to post more about both kinds of work.

Hawaii



I realise that this blog needs a bit of focus but I want to post about hawaii. This is the second time I visited there and what struck me again was the contrast with the hotels in Waikiki and the many homeless people on the street. I got chatting to a few, one guy was so dirty and seemed almost frightened to talk. A Colombian guy on the street (slightly paranoid with liquer in brown paper bag) told me there is big problem with drugs too.

It is also culturally a kind of half land between America and Japan with many tours and information points in Japanese. The North shore coastline provided a beautiful backdrop for a refreshing time of sunset watching and sleep. Perhaps all places which promise paradise (Thailand, The Caribean etc) promise a dream when perhaps the reality for local people is somewhat different.

Tokyo Sound Art Festival

various locations played host to the festival. Due to my recent haitus to hawaii I only caught two things, Mamrou`s best performance so far at Hongo Wondersite

listening to ice in a dark room
hanging ice in a light room
ice dripping and dropping
gentle sounds
at the end
he made coffee
and served it with a smile

photos to follow

And Meri Nikula performing in Ikebukuro.

I also had the good fortune to meet sound artist Peter Kutin whose performance I missed but you can find his work here.