The Leonard Da Vinci Machines Exhibition - till 1 July

"The Artisans of Florence bring to you the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci, in Sydney for the first time on the Showring at the Entertainment Quarter. This remarkable internationally acclaimed exhibition displays over 60 models of Da Vinci's famous machines, inventions and designs based on ancient codices.

Leonardo da Vinci dedicated himself with passion to scientific studies in anatomy, biology, mathematics and physics. His manuscripts, exhibit ingenuous solutions to practical problems of his time and he was able to imagine future possibilities such a flying machines and automation..."

Proudly Sponsored by IWC Schaffhausen

Till Sunday, 1 July 2007

W: http://www.eqmoorepark.com.au/?page=event&id=1197

Does it really get recylced? - 16 June

Marrickville Council: Does it really get recylced? Come see for yourself

"Marrickville Council residents recycle more than 8,700 tonnes of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal each year. As part of World Environment Day, Marrickville residents are invited to a free tour of the VISY Recycling Facility to see what happens to their recycling after the trucks collect it. The tour includes transport and will take approximately 2 hours. Refreshments and a free gift will be provided as well as a trivia quiz with prizes. Meet at Marrickville Council Depot, 15-17 Unwins Bridge Road, St Peters, on Saturday 16 June at 10.30am & 1.30pm. Bookings are essential as places are limited. Call 9335 2131 to secure your seat on the bus. Limited to ages 14 and over.

Saturday 16 June, 10.30am and 1.30pm
Meeting Place: Marrickville Council Depot, 15-17 Unwins Bridge Road, St Peters

W: http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/livinginarea/culture/events.htm

MUJI Award 02

Theme for 2007: Re. Re-think. Re-design. Re-use. Re-fuse... Show us how you can discover and conceptualize Re in a familiar, everyday thing.

"MUJI is proud to announce the second in our series of MUJI Award Internaional Design Competitions. Our theme for 2007 is RE, which stands for the reinvention of everyday life that is MUJI's greatest resource. So we ask designers submitting proejcts to focus on reality, in which people are both part of the environment and whose lives create the environment. Each submission should embody a new angle on the everyday of a kind that provides the foundation for everything that MUJI does. We look forward to seeing this competition inspire the creation of future MUJI products."

Entry period: 15th May - 31st July 2007

Gold Prize winner (1 award) 20,000 US dollars
Silver Prize winner (1 award) 10,000 US dollars
Special Prize winners (6 awards) 2,000 US dollars

W: http://www.muji.net/award/

Tokyoflash - Cool Japanese watches

For new ways to represent the big hand and the little hand check out these watches.

"Limited Edition and exclusive to our store. You will not find watches like these anywhere else in the world except for specialist shops in Japan. We ship worldwide, direct from Japan to your door & we promise a fast and friendly service. If you're looking for a super cool watch, then you've just found the only place to buy one."

W: http://www.tokyoflash.com/en/

d factory Design Literacy discussion - 31 May

"Some would say the talk surrounding design is as important as the design itself. Elegantly produced books, design journals, a growing array of design related websites indicate there is a global community critiquing design and an equally appreciative audience tuned into design issues. Regular d factory host Nell Schofield joins Karen McCartney, publisher/editor of InsideOut and author of 50,60,70 Iconic Australian Houses: 3 decades of domestic architecture (to be published November 2007), Kate Bezar publisher/editor of Dumbo Feather, pass it on and Dr Paul McGillick, Editorial Director of Indesign Publishing to look at what it means to be a part of the design publishing world."

6pm – 6.30pm Drinks and music in the Café with DJ
6.30 – 7.15pm Design Literacy discussion
7.15 – 8.30pm Drinks and more music

Where: Powerhouse Museum, Courtyard Café – enter via Macarthur Street

W: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dfactory/

Atelier Bow-Wow: Tokyo Anatomy

Archinect features an interview with Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-wow.

"Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, along with his partner Momoyo Kaijima, is one half of the Tokyo-based Atelier Bow-wow. Founded in 1992, Atelier Bow-wow is one the most unique practices of its generation... Bow-Wow embraces a kind of accidental urban vernacular, using their research/work to chronicle the complex - and often unforgiving - logic of the city. Acting as urban detectives, Bow-wow has catalogued the agility of Tokyo's fabric to produce radical programmatic collisions (Made in Tokyo) and nuanced micro architectures (Pet Architecture).

These observations have figured heavily in their own work, as documented in recent publications Post-Bubble City and Graphic Anatomy. Armed with the understanding of architecture's maneuverability in Tokyo, Bow-wow posits a practice engaged in what they call "lively space." This is a kind of space that is willingly infected with the accidents of site and program rather than trying to control or sterilize them.

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto recently completed teaching a studio at Harvard GSD and runs a lab at Tokyo Institute of Technology.

I caught up with Tsukamoto in Toronto at the TD Centre and later in Tokyo at Bow-Wow HQ to talk pets, public space, stairs, zoning, metabolists, and manga kissa. - Mason White

Part two of this conversation is available in Mark Magazine #8."

W: http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=56468_0_23_0_C

Bear on the street

Saw this very cute blue bear resting on top of a bin on the street. What was his name? Why did he get placed outside? Did the giver and receiver of this bear break up and he was too painful a memory?

He spent two chilly nights out on the street. Late this afternoon, someone claimed him. Hope he went to a nice warm home.

May Lane street art

Mays website: http://mays.org.au/

Jim Woodring exhibition at Kinokuniya - 24 May to 12 June

Catch Jim Woodring - creator of the comic books Frank and Jim at Kinokuniya, the Sydney Opera House, and at the Sydney Writer's Festival.

Jim Woodring's website: http://www.jimwoodring.com/

Jim Woodring's blog: http://jimwoodring.blogspot.com/

Marc Newson designs Qantas' new first-class lounge

Article in the SMH titled: 'Qantas unveils new first-class lounge' about the new Qantas first-class lounge at Sydney International Airport designed by Marc Newson. The budget is $20 million. It opens for business on May 23.

SMH article: http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/highflyers-heaven/2007/05/10/1178390462937.html

Photo gallery: http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2007/05/18/1178995382127.html

Angelo Candalepas talk - 17 May

"Angelo Candalepas graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney in 1992. He runs a practice of around 20 people in Sydney and is Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the University of New South Wales

Since commencing Candalepas Associates in 1999, the practice has been involved in the design and construction of institutional, university, schools, commercial, aged care, residential and interior design projects as well as large-scale projects of master-planning and town-making. Refreshments will be served in the lobby from 6.15 pm, and a copy of the the Australian book "Austral Eden" will be given to one lucky person in the audience."

Free to attend. Book at the link below.

When: Thursday 17 May 07, 6.15 pm for 7 pm
Where: Home Ideas Centre, 61 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria 2015, in the auditorium upstairs from the bookshop.

W: http://www.buildingbookshop.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7205

Breaking Down the Visual Effects of Frank Miller's 300 - 6 June

"Join Popcorn Taxi for a look behind the creation of the stunning visual effects on Frank Miller's "300", and how Animal Logic brought the film's stylized world to life.

Animal Logic's Senior Compositor Lindsay Adams will break down the process of how the Sydney based team created millions of Persians battling 300 of Sparta's finest soldiers in fully CG environments.

The talk will feature a look inside the film with a detailed breakdown of the process behind some of the heaviest digital compositing work done on the show, including the Crazy Horse sequence where a 3 head camera system was used to capture multiple lens lengths of the same action that were seamlessly composited together to achieve one massively long piece of killer action.

Lindsay will follow the visual effects process from start to finish, demystifying the tools and techniques that are used to create the amazing images you see on the big screen. The presentation will include a selection of clips and previously unseen material.

Lindsay Adams specialises in visual effects and digital compositing for feature films and has worked on films such as House of Flying Daggers, Stealth, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, Happy Feet and 300.

POPCORN TAXI
This Program Is Rated: MA
When: Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 - 7:30pm
Where: Greater Union Bondi Junction
Address: Level 6, 500 Oxford Street, Westfield Bondi Junction
Entry: $16/$14

W: http://www.popcorntaxi.com.au/Events.asp?Event_ID=518

Ashley Goldberg interview on Etsy

I enjoy reading Ashley Goldberg's blog over at Kittygenius.com. She sells prints of her illustrations through Etsy. Etsy did an interview with her in their featured seller section.

W: http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php?featured_user_id=4187

To read the latest Featured seller interview, go to: http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php. You can also read archive interviews by clicking on the interviews on the right hand side.

Website: http://www.kittygenius.com/

Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair - 27 June till 1 July

"The Craft & Quilt Fairs are Australia's premier craft event. The Fair tours 10 locations across Australia and New Zealand making it a must see event for any craft enthusiast. The Fairs are a dynamic combination of inspirational displays, education, and access to buy the latest products, tools, kits and accessories for every craft imaginable."

Where: Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Drive, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont NSW
When: June 27 - July 1, 2007, Wednesday - Sunday 9am - 5pm Daily
Craft Classes commence Monday 25th June.

W: http://www.craftfair.com.au/sydney07.php

May Lane street art

Mays website: http://mays.org.au/

iinovate podcasts blog

"iinnovate is about innovation and entrepreneurship. We're looking to bring you exclusive interviews with some of the world’s foremost innovators, and to have them share their unique experience, advice and outlook. We seek to feature leading entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and designers."

The blog was created by Matt and Julio, students at Stanford's Business and Design schools.

Podcast interviewees have included:
Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google
Craig Newmark is the founder of Craigslist
Dr. Ed Catmull, co-founder and President of Pixar
Alex Tai, Vice President of Virgin Galactic
Philip Rosedale, Founder of Linden Labs and Second Life and others...

W: http://iinnovate.blogspot.com/

Young Blood Designers Market on TODAY - till 5pm

Went to the Young Blood Designers Market last night. It started at 6pm. The products were really cool. The design quality was really great. Definitely worth a visit.

Stallholders include:

Akina - Bear Massacres range of t-shirts and pins. There's also the Teddy Bears Picnic Range featuring Akina's interpretation of classic Fairytales.
W: http://www.akina.com.au

Imok - Art / Fashion / Illustration. Cool characters on tshirts and pins.
W: http://www.imok.com.au and http://www.myspace.com/imokdesigns

Bilingual - Unique unisex rings. Sterling silver.
W: http://www.bilingual.com.au

EllA Fashion - unique clothing designed by Pamela McGraw.
W: http://www.ella-fashion.com

People Like Us Style - iPod skins. Sticker art that also protects your iPod.
W: http://www.peoplelikeusstyle.com/

Smug Designs - Objects, jewellery by Rik Juod and Marcelo Zavala-Baeza
W: http://www.smugdesigns.com.au

Hamb - illustration artwork by Simon Obarzanek on clothing.
W: http://www.hamb.com.au

In-Sync Design - contemporary jewellery designed by Iris Saar Issacs and Jane Barwick
W: http://www.insyncdesign.com.au

bholu - home, lifestyle products designed by Jodie Fried and created by the Gujarati women in India
W: http://www.bholu.com

Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo
Friday 20th April, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday 21st April, 8:00am – 5:00pm

W: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/youngblood/

Festival of German Films 07 - 19-29 April

See a range of German films presented by the Goethe-Institut Australia at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington and The Palace Cinemas on Norton St, Leichhardt.

W: http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/ff07/enindex.htm

d factory podcast archives

The Powerhouse Museum run free monthly d factory talks. If you missed a talk, you can now go to their podcast archives to download and listen to it.

W: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dfactory/podcasts.asp

High Tea with Mrs Woo talk - 15 April

The fashion designer sisters from the High Tea with Mrs Woo label will be speaking at the The Powerhouse Museum as part of the museum's 'Insight on Sunday' program.

"Our Sunday illustrated lecture series features a great variety of topics and passionate speakers. Join us afterwards for an informal debate in ‘Speaker’s corner’ at the Level 4 cafe. Free with Museum admission."

Talk: "Life is like a cup of tea, it's all in how you make it"
"High Tea with Mrs Woo, fashion design team Life is hectic, challenging and wonderful for the 20-something year old, three sister Chinese-Australian fashion design team from Newcastle. Join them for an afternoon of conversation and tea as they cook up a juicy Sunday feast of fabric and frock-making, travel and inspiration, short circuits and burnt pockets, fashion chaos, sustainability and design."

Target Theatre, Level 3, Sunday 2.00–3.00pm
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo

W: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/whatson/sunday_talks.asp

High Tea with Mrs Woo's website: http://www.highteawithmrswoo.com.au/