INTERVIEW | Karoline Habt: Intern @ VIFF

The VIFF has borrowed Karoline Habt from her home in Leipzig, Germany to intern at this year’s festival. With the festival well under way, Karoline takes time from her busy schedule to sit down and chat VIFF with Skewed.

Two Indians Talking | Love Shines

Hi Karoline! So what attracted you to come from Germany to work for VIFF?
In Germany, I am studying cultural and media education. Included in my studies is an internship semester, which we can do anywhere in the world. All I knew was that I wanted to go to Vancouver, and that I wanted to work for a film festival. Et voila, VIFF was perfect for that!

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

FEATURE | Anderson Ambroise

An artist from Jacmel, Haiti, Anderson Ambroise shares with us how he spends his time teaching and empowering his people through art after the January 2010 earthquake. His reflections embody a progressive nature. Like many others from Haiti, Ambroise knows that some of the most valuable changes need to be made now.

Ambroise was working as an artist long before the earthquake. Thinking about how to show the world what he could do, he came to the conclusion that he could help by finding a way to teach people close to him, especially the children living in the nearby tent camp. For Ambroise and other Haitians, art is easily accessible. It is a big part of Haitian culture and a respected livelihood. A cultural form of expression, like anywhere else in the world, art has helped Haiti through its ups and downs.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

SUMMER 2010 IN VAN CITY | The Cheaper Show No. 9

Just in time for fall, our perfectly logical posting strategy has had us step back into our supa’stylin extremely home crafted time machine, to bring you Skewed’s visit at the surreal Cheaper Show No.9.

Cheaper took place this past June (25th to be exact) and tore Vancouver a new one. Two hundred artists exhibited over four hundred pieces of work, every single one sold for two hundred bucks a pop. Since the show is only six hours long, hungry hungry art collectors, young things and other human looking types lined up and down the streets of G-town central to ensure having a go at purchasing that piece they’ve been dreaming about. Beside our flickr coverage of the show and its preview day, which the organizers were so lovely to let us be a part of, here are some wise words from the brain and the brawn responsible for masterminding this giant effort, alongside their small army of volunteers. Their names: (the) Graeme Berglund and Steve Rio.  If you are uninspired after reading this, we can no longer help, nor prescribe electroshock therapy on polka-dotted post-its. Word up, word out.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

VANCOUVER FILM RACING | All Night, Everyday

What do you get when you have 14 UBC Film undergrads, one UBC Film grad student, one UBC Film alum and two actors participating in Vancouver’s 24-hour Film Racing Tour?

Well, you get a three minute and nine second short called All Night, Everyday. When first approached (through a Facebook group invite, yes, that’s how Hollywood’s casting their blockbusters now) to participate in this competition, I was a little hesitant.  I’ve heard stories about the race from working professionals in the industry who have done it in the past, and they all say it’s crazy and chaotic.  But when do I ever listen to what other people say?

After all was said and done, I was happy to do it and I learned a lot.  I ended up bonding with a great (and gigantic 16-person) crew.  Despite being tired and probably being sick of me after spending 24-hours in a confined space*, a few of the crew members answered some questions to give people a better idea of what goes on behind the scenes during this madness.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

INTERVIEW | Takashi Hara

ARTAK1 – ‘Sneakerart’ is Takashi Hara’s first solo exhibit. Currently living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Hara is working under the mentorship of Victor Cicansky. His first exhibit is a culmination of his passion for street life, influenced by graffiti and calligraphy. Check out the photos and interview below…

M: I know you love sneakers, so it only makes sense that you start creating sneaker art, but what finally pushed you to go into making ceramic sneakers?
Tak: At first, some people asked me why I buy shoes for display. They would say that it was wrong to buy shoes and not wear them.  Actually, I wear most of my shoes even if I display them. I felt this was ironic because I know many people who buy pottery just for display. There are many expensive pieces, but nobody wonders why they buy them. People see beauty from different things.

Also, I believe sneakers are very realistic objects for me and many people. I know there are tons of people who love shoes.  We check news about sneaker almost everyday and buy magazines about sneakers. We see personalities through shoes too. As artists used to make paintings about religion or landscape, this is an object I see very often in my daily life. Actually, I was reading art theory books at that time, and it encouraged me to make ceramic sneakers.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

INTERVIEW | PUMP TROLLEY COMEDY

PUMP TROLLEY: Ruth x Thirteen. An INTERROGATION.

For comedians, these guys sure lack a sense of humour and it doesn’t help that they’ve gotten their entire collective beyond botoxed, in an attempt to become ‘mature’ performers. Read along anyway. Pump Trolley is bound to get you in the mood, for something.

“Basically we use multidisciplinary ‘stuff’ to entertain.”

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

INTERVIEW | The Lab Magazine

They Can Turn Left: The Lab Magazine

Two guys just having a good time, having a good time. Guy #1 Tyler Close Justin. Guy #2 Power Mcdade Regimbal Jeremy. Stemmed out of their successful collaboration as The Studio Movement, the newest love child of this epic bromance, The Lab Magazine, has been going strong for a few months now, with another issue on the verge of being released. An Andy Warhol vibe fuels the fire, and diverse interview subjects, such as Chin Injeti and Frank W.Ockenfels, have already brought it to the attention of some legendary figures such as Christopher Plummer. They inspire us, they inspire the art scene and they might do it for you too, esp if you drink ‘the wine’. But first…

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

INTERVIEW | Curtis Santiago

Getting to know Curtis Santiago in almost 21 questions…

Three out of six. Our third interview is a view from a window in a room devoid of time and space, and revolves around a performer with the last name Santiago, first name Curtis, middle name Ass Kickin Susan (or ‘Jaques’, in order to appeal to the heterosexual French fan base which would better identify with this ‘name’). Painter, Singer, Writer, Lover… of many things, Curtis granted us an interview while visiting Vancouver for the Red Bull Thre3 Style Tour, a few months back.

We even tried stealing one (or more) of his wonderfully detailed ring boxes, inspired by artists such as Matisse, Dali, and Magritte, but hotel security decided on a different fate for these awesome creations. Nonetheless, here is what transpired between one jet lagged dude and a writer who forgets how to spell her own name on an irregular basis.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING