sleep @ work

two nightshifts in a row, starting in the middle of the night, left us all exhausted. What was the worst: because the other company that was building the stands we were supposed to put our furniture in was sooooooo slow, we spend most of last night waiting for them. After playing polo on office chairs, most of us retreated for a little nap


Jason under a ottoman cover on the ottoman

Osh on a bag of plastic chair covers


Chris on a pile of blankets

btw, the last couple of days we were working here:

good people drive old cars

there is another reason why I like Fitzroy so much: dotted throughout the neighbourhood are old cars. they are from various eras, but add their charm and magic decorating the streets putting a smile on my face whenever I see them.


Fitzroy Town Hall



besides, my stroll took me to a very nice cafe, the black cat, where for the first time here I got a proper latte macchiato, in a glass (though without cooky)...the book is a compilation of young australian writers I bought at its launch last week. very interesting and inspiring!

cool aid

The Cool Aid was awesome! The Harpoons warmed the newly renovated Newtown's Workers Club with some raggedy 60s soul pop till in the end Children Collide rocked the place to a boiling point with old school guitar smashing garage rock. Plus, the drummer is a real eye candy.

waterhole

The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) had escaped my art-radar so far because it is hides in the less frequented area of Southbank (and they obviously have a smaller marketing budget). But, admission is free, and I had nothing better to do then enjoy the warm weather and stroll down there. The current installation, Waterhole, by the swiss artists Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzinger is amazing. They created a tunnel made of branches and a silvery foil that whispers in the wind of the visitors movements. This tunnel leads to a high tree-like installation. Hidden behind this is a sort of observation room you have to go through to find three other rooms which are also part of the exhibition. In the first room there are 3 white beds inviting the visitor to lay down and gaze at the mobilés and the shadows they cast at the white walls. The second room is lined with fotographs of a woman lifting people. The third and smallest room was connected to the ocservation room via a tv screen and comprised a desk and some laboratory equipment, a machine to desalinize tears. All in all a very inspiring work.
The ACCA offers soundfiles for download here (for free), but be advised that Steiner and Lenzinger are from the German speaking part of Switzerland and have a really bad accent in their English which maks it hard to listen to the whole interview. (it physically hurts sometimes, sometimes also because of what they say).

the bushfire spirit

the devastating bushfires that ravaged Victoria cost more than 200 lifes and destroyed innumerable homes is commemorated today with the National Day of Mourning. As devastating as this catatrophe is, it sparked a wave of support from all over Australia and boosts a sense of unity, of compassion.

bed - museum - concert and a handroll in between

I have to admit, working strange and changing hours has rendered me a bit confused about weekdays. Last wednesday was all our newbys first long nightshift, working from 6pm till 6.30am. it was ok, although at a certain time we all looked like zombies. at work there are number of new casual workers like me, some from the UK, Ireland, two other Germans, and, well, me. Though - or maybe because it's mainly guys it is quite fun working there, although we are not allowed to work independently. But anyway, waiting till being told exactly what to do is ok as long as we get payed by the hour ;-).
Thursday morning however, when I got back home in the morning, I went to bed and slept for a few hours, but could not really sleep. So I got up arounf midday and went on a walk through the city. near china town I had breakfast:


then, I passed by here and then had a closer look at the NGV's fashion exhibition and the contemporary art section. and again, german references all over the place...







at night I went to a pretty cool concert at GERTRUDES Brown Couch, a place down the road. pretty cool depri-country, swing rockabilly, and folk rock, 3 bands for 5bugs.

sleeping underneath his eyes

last week or so I was in the city, looking for a 2009 diary/agenda for a bargain. my eyes fell upon a calender and guess who looked back at me? HIM. Now he hangs on the wall over my bed and guards my sleep... heavenly

The Linden Gallery, St. Kilda

Italia, destati!

Wer meinen Pessimismus Italien gegenüber kennt, dem sei das Magazin der Süddeutschen empfohlen. Passender Titel: Der Stinkstiefel.
Zu finden hier
ein Auszug:
"Manchen Politiker verfolgt ein einziger dummer Spruch sein Leben lang. Bei Silvio Berlusconi aber tut man sich schon schwer, nur die jeweils letzten Entgleisungen im Kopf zu behalten. Über das Flüchtlingslager auf der Insel Lampedusa und die unwürdigen Lebensbedingungen dort sagte er kürzlich, es sei »kein Konzentrationslager«, die Insassen könnten »jederzeit auf ein Bier gehen«. Zum Thema Vergewaltigungen meinte er, sie zu verhindern sei in Italien im Prinzip unmöglich, »weil unsere Frauen so schön sind«. Und nach den amerikanischen Präsidentschaftswahlen nannte er Barack Obama »sonnengebräunt«. "

the Ian Potter Centre:NGV Australia

Yesterday I went here and saw this among others: