Domenica, 21 dicembre 2003

A VIRTUAL ART EXHIBIT: DE FELLRATH German artist and sculptor De fellrath (Detlef Fellrath)has had his canvas paintings displayed in a number of important institutes, most recently in the city gallery of his current hometown of Tettnang, near Lake Constance in southern Germany. De fellrath[base ']s striking 10 meter [OE]Blue Wave Circle Floating[base '] (Blauer Wellenkreis schwebend) was suspended over the courtyard of the Montfort Palace in Tettnang as part of the 2000 Lake Constance Festival. Since September 2003 his canvas paintings have been on display in the renowned Kornhaus Gallery in the university city of Weingarten. In 2003/2004 his work will also be on view in the Kunstverein Friedrichshafen. View De fellrath[base ']s canvas paintings in fullscreen panorama at the Kornhaus Gallery. The artist[base ']s iron sculptures and canvas paintings have one characteristic in common: They appear to float. [base "]The pictures are not composed according to a certain perspective or around a focal point, but rather several levels of reality are combined like a set of overlays,[per thou] De fellrath explains. [base "]A painting sequence is often repeated and changed slightly each time. The overall composition can be viewed as a whole, or certain elements may stand out to the viewer, as in everyday life when a person drives a new red car and suddenly becomes aware of all the red cars on the road. One sees things in a new context. Perceptions and meanings are very pluralistic and belong to the viewer.[per thou] De fellrath also creates synthetic canvases, which are similar in flexibility to the natural canvases with their water-based pigment paints. He uses these to portray pictures he composes on his computer, which, due to their complexity, cannot be composed manually. Traditional western paintings are forged with modern computer technology to form an exciting and new artistic realm. The resulting large-format computer canvases expand the collection into a dimension that may become the basis for paintings of the future. _green_Exhibitions: - Kunsthaus, Hamburg - Kunst palast, Düsseldorf - Kunstverein, Lingen - Kulturamt, Stadt Haan / Rhld - Kulturamt Kreis, Mettmann - Deutsches Klingenmuseum, Solingen - Von der Heydt Museum Wuppertal/Kunsthalle Barmen - Küstenmuseum, Wilhelmshafen - Städt Galerie im Torschloss Tettnang / Bs - Galerie im Kavalierhaus Langenargen /Bodensee - Kornhaus Galerie der Stadt Weingarten , 2003 - Kunstverein Friedrichshaven _green_Shoot Details: Camera: fuji s2 pro, iso : 100 exposure: 1''/ f 8 - 1/4''/f 8 light: artificial ambient lens: 28mm (nikon 17-35mm) file original: 3024x 2016 pixel Shots: 32 Tripod Head: Agnos Email: info@defellrath.com Web site: http://www.defellrath.com 1:34:56 AM    comment []

A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY: MAURA DONATI Gallery 2V opened in May 2002 in Lugano, Switzerland displaying works from 14 Argentinian artists. The gallery expanded from its initial focus on Argentine contemporary art to include Swiss as well as other foreign artists. The artists share an interior coherence bound to the cultural history of their homelands. View Maura Donati' s photos in fullscreen panorama at 2V Gallery. All things offer themselves to those who are able to perceive them, without hope of being anything other than the illusion of themselves. And, according to Jean Baudrillard, we can fight against the illusion only by means of a stronger illusion and not with truth or reality. The work of Maura Donati fits right into this context; she's interested in the individual, an individual who appears and disappears as image of other images. The Universal, the individual at work, in the street, alone, in a group or in love, becomes trace of the Particular. To be more hyperreal than the real, more virtual than virtual reality: the simulacrum of thought has to go faster. The photographer captures the objects while they are about to disappear creating the image of an image. "We don[not equal]t need a critical awareness in order to give the world the mirror of its double. Our modern world (we no longer think the object, it is the object which thinks us) swallowed its double and at the same time it has lost its shadow, and the irony of this incorporated double erupts at every instant from every fragment of our signs, of our objects, of our models". (Jean Beaudrillard) _green_Shoot Details: Camera: fuji s2 pro, iso : 1600 exposure: 125'/ f 11 light: natural ambient lens: 28mm (nikon 17- 35mm) file original: 3024x 2016 pixel Shots: 32 Tripod Head: Agnos Maura Donati studied Philosophy and Psychology in Milan, Philosophy and Germanistic in Heidelberg and Photography in Rockport (USA). She teaches at the Public High School of Lugano and she owns a philosophical consulting office. 1:33:30 AM    comment []

THE TAJ MAHAL ñ WORLD WONDER ON THE WEB [base "]The Taj truly is[sigma] a poem... It is not only a pure architectural type, but also a creation, which satisfies the imagination, because its characteristic is Beauty. Did you ever build a Castle in the Air? Here is one, brought down to earth, and fixed for the wonder of ages; yet so light it seems, so airy, and when seen from a distance, so like a fabric of mist and sunbeams, with its great dome soaring up, a silvery bubble, about to burst in the sun, that, even after you have touched it, and climbed to its summit, you almost doubt its reality.[per thou] Bayard Taylor, journalist and novelist, after his visit to the Taj Mahal in 1850. [base "]In December 1631, the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commenced the construction of one of the greatest monuments of all time, the Taj Mahal. It is a mausoleum built in the memory of his beloved and favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, fulfilling one of the promises that he made to her as she lay on her deathbed. The first was never to father another child, and the second was to erect a monument to match her beauty.[per thou] So begins one of the narratives on the truly one-of-a-kind interactive website, Explore The Taj-Mahal, developed by the Armchair Travel Company . The site is a feast for the senses: 360-degree panoramas capture the beauty and architecture of this world wonder; short narratives give the viewer perspective and context; movies and text add depth for those hungry for deeper knowledge -- learn about preservation efforts, Islamic decorative schemes, even Princess Diana[base ']s visit in 1992. The amount of information available on the site is extensive, yet not overwhelming, because it is so well organized and offered in a thoughtful manner. The deeper one digs, the more information one finds, offered in a choice of delivery. Upon entering the site, viewers are greeted with a colored map of the structure and grounds. Red dots represent interactive panoramas and rolling over one brings up the title of the pano. Clicking on the dot opens the pano within the same window and as one scrolls left or right, a blue circle with an arrow around the red dot simultaneously displays the viewer[base ']s perspective within the map. Hotspots within the panos allow the viewer to jump to another pano. Panoramas are available in QuickTime or Java. Each panorama has an option to listen to a narrative of the scene or read the short transcript. Each panorama is also accompanied by several movies that delve deeper into some aspect of the architecture or history. For instance, the Cenotaph pano has six accompanying movies, one of which describes the doubled skin architecture of the main dome, complete with drawings and close up photographs. Another movie, for the same pano, is about the calligraphy and inscriptions in the main cenotaph, while yet another discusses Lord Curzon[base ']s Brass Lamp, which hangs above the tombs in the mausoleum. [base "]The image of the Taj Mahal is perfectly reflected in the central water tank, which is also known as the 'celestial pool of abundance'. The Taj Mahal is split into three sections and the forecourt is the second in importance. The other two sections are; the main mausoleum area, or Taj proper; and the bustling Taj Ganj, which actually lies outside of the smaller gate. The imposing sandstone gateway is the main entrance into the mausoleum and the Qur'anic calligraphic inscriptions around the doorframe are inviting the visitor into the gardens of Paradise. Two royal tombs are situated here including that of Satti-a-Nisa-Khurram, a favorite lady-in-waiting of Mumtaz Mahal, in the southwest corner,[per thou] one of the movies informs me. The site is a must-visit for tourists and anyone interested in this historic structure; students, in particular, will enjoy the site and the ability to learn interactively. In fact, the website has won numerous awards and accolades from teachers[base '] groups and London newspapers and architecture magazines. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching calls it [base "]inspirational[per thou], and The Daily Mail, London calls it [base "]"THE most sophisticated virtual tour... You can almost hear your footsteps reverberate around the rooms." William Beckett, Armchair Travel's director of business and marketing claims that to see and hear everything on the Web site would take over two hours Although a couple of free panoramas are available, viewing of the complete site requires payment of a US $3.00 charge, which allows lifetime access to both the Taj Mahal and Kew Gardens site. (Schools are charged $10 for the entire school.) All major credit cards are accepted as well as BT[base ']s [OE]Click and Buy[base ']. I paid by credit card and the whole process, including receipt of my password, took about one minute. The Web site is now available in English, French, Japanese and Hindi, and will soon offer a [OE]Chat and Tour[base '] function where members can chat to others online while they tour the site. Related Articles: An Interview with Armchair Travel. Armchair Travel's Experience with Micropayments. 1:31:39 AM    comment []

ITALIAN RIVIERA - A VIRTUAL TOUR IN FULLSCREEN QTVR Liguria[base ']s long, narrow stretch of coastline, from Ventimiglia in the west to Portovenere in the east, lies on the Mediterranean and is sheltered by the Maritime Alps and Ligurian Apennines to the north. The region has very mild winters and brilliant, hot summers with only about 60 days of rain a year. Liguria is usually referred to as the Italian Riviera and is comprised of two regions: The Riviera di Ponente (Riviera of the Setting Sun), which stretches from the French border to Genoa, and the Riviera di Levante, which spans from Genoa east to Portovenere. The Ponente is home to the fancy seaside resort of Sanremo and evokes its commercialized French counterparts to the west, while the Levante is home to smaller villages and a rockier coastline with glittering jewels of its own, like Portofino and the famous walkers[base '] destination of Cinque Terre. View 20 Full Screens of the Italian Riviera Imperia is a small port and winter resort of 40,000. It[base ']s cathedral, built from 1780-1832, dominates the city. It has a wonderful little olive oil museum, [OE]Museo dell[base ']Olivo[base '], that is well worth a visit. San Remo has the lovely old quarter of Pigna, a medieval town amongst the ornate gardens and glittering casino of San Remo. (Residents of San Remo are forbidden in the casino, as they are in Monte Carlo.) Hike to the top of the hill in Pigna for a breathtaking view of the Levante and the Ponente. During Roman times, Albenga and Ventimiglia were the most important centers in western Liguria. Albenga was the birthplace of the Emperor Pertinax and was founded in the second century BC as Albium Ingaunum. There are still remnants of the ancient and medieval civilizations found here with baths, an aqueduct, a Roman burial ground and the remains of a 2nd century amphitheatre. Ceriale enjoys a year round mild climate due to its surrounding hills that buffer the cold currents from the north. It is a well-developed tourist destination with hotels, residences and camping sites. The area is one of the most noted fossil areas in Italy and also has numerous caves; the longest one (1170m) was discovered in 1950. Finale Ligure was inhabited in both prehistoric and Roman times and has had a colorful history passing in and out of Genoese control until the Republic of Genoa finally bought it in 1713 from the Spanish. In the middle of the Italian Riviera sits Genoa, Italy[base ']s largest commercial port, Ligurian capital and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. A chaotic mix of old and new, sophistication and squalor, Genoa (or Genova) is as multi-layered as the hills on which it lies. A port city, it was an important maritime center for the Roman Empire and later one of the largest and wealthiest cities of Renaissance Europe. The historic Genoa can be found within the medieval walls of the old town, in the lanes and alleys where palaces and churches stand next to tenements. The modern city stretches for miles along the coast and into the hills with theatres, museums, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers and Europe[base ']s largest aquarium, located near the port. Genoa has been chosen the cultural capital of Europe for 2004. Portofino is the glittering jewel of the Ligurian coast. Although there is not much to do here, it is a place to see and be seen (Bogart and Bacall and Taylor and Burton made it world-famous), and the view from the harbor of the port with its brightly painted houses will likely keep your camera busy. Nearby is the monastery of La Cervara and the church of S. Giorgio, which is said to contain relics of St. George brought back from the Holy Land. It was Pliny who first described this stunning natural area and named it 'Portus Delphini'. This over time was corrupted to Portofino. From Portofino you can catch a ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure, one of the Riviera[base ']s main resorts. Nearby is Rapallo, a city of nearly 30,000 people it[base ']s one of the largest on the eastern Riviera. It lies sheltered from winds and currents in an inlet on the Golfo del Tigullio, and was inhabited in pre-Roman times. The castle overlooking the sea was built in 1550 by the Genoese. Today, Rapallo is an important tourist attraction because of the high quality of hotel accommodation and the important cultural events it hosts, such as a national literary prize for female writers and an international cartoon exhibition. It also boasts two ports that can hold up to 900 boats, a seaside promenade and many outdoor cafes, along with an 18-hold golf course situated next to the ruins of the Valle Christi, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1204. Chiavari was the hub of the eastern Riviera until 1727 and then, during the Napoleonic years, it was the capital of the Appennine region. In the late 19th century it became an international destination for the high society of the time and today, many Italians who had emigrated to South America now come back to their vacation villas. The village of Lavagna takes its name from the slate rock ([base "]lavagna[per thou]) formed in this area 70 million years ago, when the Alps were also formed. The town was founded around the 10th century and grew as it began exporting its slate. It also has the biggest tourist port in the Mediterranean and attracts boaters and other tourists to its beaches, gorges and mild climate. Levanto is separated from the Cinque Terre by the promontory of Mesco. It[base ']s a typical maritime village facing the sea and surrounded by green hills and scrub. Box-type tombs reveal the village[base ']s ancient origins dating back to the Iron Age and its rare natural bay made it an important port and trading center to the Romans. Today Levanto is a wel-known tourist destination popular in the summer for its beaches and rocky coast. Cinque Terre Cinque Terre exerts a magnetism all its own. The region of the Five Lands, as it[base ']s been referred to since the 15th century, consists of a pattern of cultivated terraces that rise steeply above the ultramarine waters of the Mediterranean. Home of Liguria's least crowded beaches, picturesque village squares, glorious views, and 18km of coastline along the Mediterranean between Levanto and Portovenere, the Cinque Terre is arguably the most famous area along the Italian Riviera, taking its name from five small villages [^] Corniglia, Manarola, Monterossa al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza [^] that cling to the wild Ligurian coastline. From east to west, each village has its charms: Monterosso, founded in 643, has the most famous beach, an ancient castle and a 16th century Capucchin monastery; Corniglia is built the furthest up the hillside and offers great views and a more secluded beach; Vernazza juts out over the water and houses a medieval tower; the fishing village of Manarola with its colorful houses perched on a black rock over the port; and the last village, the picturesque Riomaggiore with its pastel-colored houses tumbling down the cliff to the sea; and at the very tip of the Cinque Terre promontory lies Portovenere. By train, the total distance between these villages is only 9 kilometers, but by trail the villages are more distant. One can reach Riomaggiore from Manarola via the popular Via dell[base ']Amore (Love Route), which is a 30 minutes walk along the coast. A scenic walking path that winds along the jagged cliffs connects the villages. The best way to see them is to trek the many sentieri (paths). The most famous is the Via dell'Amore, which links Riomaggiore to Manarola, through vineyards and fragrant brush land. From Vernazza to Monterosso, Via delle Agavi follows the rocky outcrops peppered with wild cactus. The entire walk takes seven to ten hours and is often quite rigorous, although the paths are well marked Imbued with romantic drama, from the Gulf of La Spezia where Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned, this area has been a favorite location for some of the gothic novelists. Loved by Lord Byron and D.H. Lawrence, the dramatic geology of the area is said to have inspired Shelley's wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, to write Frankenstein. Monterosso was settled in 643 when those living in the hills were chased to the coast by barbaric invasions. The name likely comes from the red-haired ruling family of the time. Little has changed in the old part of Monterosso with its tower-houses and narrow alleys, very similar to the other villages of the Cinque Terre. There still exists a castle with three round towers overlooking the sea and a medieval tower that is the bell-tower of the Church of San Giovanni. The beach is the longest in the area and alternates sandy areas with isolated reefs. Corniglia does not directly face the sea but lies on top of a promontory 100 meters high surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces, while the fourth side descends sharply to the sea. To reach Corniglia one must climb the [base "]Lardarina[per thou], a long flight of steps comprised of thirty-three sets of 377 steps, or take a road from the station to the village. The other villages of the Cinque Terre are divided on either side of Corniglia and can be viewed from the terrace. From the fine-tasting local specialties, the famed vines and extra virgin olive oil to the flowery scents of the wind-swept promontories, cool pine forests, warm sunny outcrops and the sparkling blue Mediterranean; you are sure to find your own slice of heaven on the Italian Riviera. _green_Other articles on the Italian Riviera: Cinque Terre Genova (Genoa) Portovenere A train journey through Liguria's wine country. _green_Other articles: The Best of the French Riviera 1:29:14 AM    comment []

AROUNDER WEBSITE LAUNCHES WITH LUGANO, SWITZERLAND New travel and tourism site launches with sixty 360-degree panoramas of Lugano, Switzerland, complete with city and area information, maps directories and fullscreen [OE]In-mages[base ']. VRWAY Communication is proud to announce the launch of AROUNDER, a concept that combines 360-degree panoramas with television promotion on the EuroNews channel. The first feature is the beautiful lakeside city of Lugano, Switzerland, featuring panoramas of this lovely city nestled against a lake and surrounded by mountains. Visit Arounder Lugano and view the fullscreen panoramas. The essence of AROUNDER is the panorama, or [OE]In-mage[base ']. AROUNDER plans to produce 39 features per year distributed on the Internet, and broadcast on TV by the EuroNews broadcast channel. Customers can also have their In-mages printed in magazine format and DVDs AROUNDER, published on the Internet and broadcast on television, epitomizes the old axiom that [base "]a picture speaks a thousand words[per thou]. Take the city of Lugano: What better way to promote this picturesque jewel in the Italian canton of Ticino than through 60 panoramas, many in fullscreen and linked with internal hotspots for seamless navigation? Potential visitors to this lovely area can read about the attractions while browsing the panoramas through directories and maps. [base "]We are incredibly excited about AROUNDER and the feedback we[base ']ve received,[per thou] says Marco Trezzini, VRWAY founder and Head of R&D. [base "]We[base ']ve signed several contracts already, with more in the pipeline. It[base ']s the perfect vehicle for tourism, bringing the beauty and special features of a city or region to a wide audience in a very evocative and attention-getting fashion. I[base ']m thrilled that our hometown of Lugano, Switzerland will be the focus of the first AROUNDER issue as I[base ']m well-acquainted with its renowned charms.[per thou] AROUNDER will publish each of its 39 issues on the Internet via the AROUNDER.com website with interactive and immersive In-mages and maps, along with relevant stories and descriptions that provide all information pertinent to the region or city of subject. It also connects viewers, via an html link, to further related sites where the viewer may book travel arrangements, find more product information or explore related subjects. The main content is based upon the In-mages, shot by AROUNDER[base ']s in-house professional photographer, Giuseppe Pennisi. EuroNews, the leading pan-European news channel, reaches 3.9 million cable and satellite viewers every day, and an additional 1.4 million through terrestrial windows. It reaches 124 million households in 77 countries. EuroNews can be viewed in the most prestigious European hotels, at airports, railway stations, on PDS's, onboard leading airlines and around the world on it's companion website, EuroNews.net. Arounder has secured primetime commercial spots that will broadcast each issue in a distinctive and visually arresting way -- with panorama In-mages. 1:27:09 AM    comment []