Crocheted Masks by threadstories Question How We Portray Ourselves Online

An Interpretation of the Body’s Circulatory System in Hand Cut Paper by Andy Singleton

Anatomic by paper artist Andy Singleton (previously) is an intricate journey through the body’s interior systems. For the work, the artist used three different hues of paper—bright red, burgundy, and powder blue—to distinguish the elaborate structural networks that are formed from its arteries and veins, kidneys, lungs, and heart. Although each individual piece of paper is two-dimensional, the suspended work is composed of scored and shaped segments that suggest volume and more lifelike appearance. Anatomic was displayed in 2015 as part of a three-person popup show, Nude Not Naked, with Richard Sweeney (previously) and Richard Wheater at Hawkeye Crates in Brooklyn, New York. You can see more of Singleton’s finished and in-progress work on Instagram.

Why I Still Stay in Hostels When I Travel

Posted: 1/31/2019 | January 31st, 2019

People are always shocked when they find out I that I still stay in hostels.

“Aren’t you too old for that?”

“Why would you still want to do that?”

“Don’t you actually make money? Are you still too broke for an Airbnb?”

“How do you even sleep?”

And what’s even more shocking to people is that while I often stay in a hostel private room, I also still stay in dorms!

(If anyone has followed on Twitter while I’ve been in Colombia, you’ll know my dorm room pains!)

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I still stay in hostels?

Three reasons.

The first: I’m cheap. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I started out — and stayed — a budget traveler because I just don’t like to spend money.

Especially on rooms I’ll just be in for a few hours.

I look at prices for hotels and private rooms and think, “Well, a dorm is only $10, so why not?!”

True, I often regret that decision, since I also don’t sleep well, but money is money — and hostels are cheap!

The second is that they provide me with on-the-ground information about what budget travelers and backpackers are doing. (First came the backpackers, then everyone else, I like to say.) Backpackers and hostel staff know where to find things to do on a budget. They have lots of hacks and are a good source of information and resources I might not know about. I can learn about new apps, get hot tips, and discover places or events to check out.

They know the best markets, cheap places to eat, and off-beat destinations.

Hostels are where I get the information I can use to unlock the mystery of how to see a destination on a budget.

Hostels are my source of travel trends.

In fact, I think hostels, their staff, and the backpacker crowd are an underutilized resource – regardless of your age or travel style. You don’t get travelers swapping tips at a hotel bar the way you do a hostel bar. So, if you’re looking for information — a hot new attraction, a cool local tour, new restaurants, a great dive bar, tips on getting around cheaper — go to a hostel bar. Most hostels have bars open to the public until a certain hour. Meet some backpackers. Make some friends. Learn something new!

Additionally, even if you aren’t staying at a hostel, you can go in and ask the staff questions. They field more inquiries about “unique, weird, and local” things to do than your Airbnb host or a hotel concierge.

And, finally, and most important, reason: I like the social vibe.

I think hotels are boring, and I don’t want to stay in an Airbnb by myself. Hostels are full of friendly travelers. I can swap tips, have a few conversations, get some travel buddies, and generally socialize! (Yes, you can do that with locals too, but you know what I mean.)

Hostels are just fun. I miss them when I’m not staying at them.

There’s usually a bar, events going on, activities, people hanging out, a pool table – there are lots of ways to connect with other travelers in a hostel.

The common areas are meant for people to interact. Even if I’m not looking for a rager, it’s still nice to head down, grab a beer, and chat with people for a bit.

How could I ever leave that? It’s way better than watching Netflix!

While I may not be the most “budget” traveler these days as I don’t often cook when I travel (if I’m not in an expensive country like Switzerland), I destroy my $50-per-day budget on nice food when I travel, and I would rather take the quickest — not the cheapest — transportation, I still am cheap as hell (see reason number #1 above), and I like writing about budget travel.

I don’t ever see myself not staying in hostels for at least part of my travels.

They are home.

You should make them your home too.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewher eother than a hotel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Photo credit: 1

The post Why I Still Stay in Hostels When I Travel appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

GPS Map Composed of 68,000 Pinpoints Tracks the Territorial Nature of Minnesota Wolves

The Voyageurs Wolf Project is a collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park which tracks and studies wolves throughout the warmer months. In 2018, the project studied six northern Minnesota packs, creating a map that showcases the intensely territorial way the animals behave, and how tightly they stick to their packs. The brightly colored line drawings were composed from 68,000 GPS locations of the six packs, with negligible crossover between the data-driven formations.

Not only does the information help researchers track where wolves have been, but also which prey the wolves have killed. “This detailed GPS-data is incredibly valuable for understanding pack boundaries and also for our predation research,” explains a post from the Voyageurs Wolf Project. “We visited every spot these wolves spent more than 20 minutes to determine if the wolves made a kill. This required an estimated 5,000 miles of hiking this past summer from our field crew!!”

After the original map circulated widely, the team decided to bring the information to life, which you can observe in the GIF below. The moving image includes data from April 15, 2018 to the end of October of the same year, with GPS locations taken every 20 minutes. You can follow more data collected by the Minnesota-based team on Facebook. (via Twisted Sifter)

New Embroideries of People Slumbering on Handmade Pillows by Maryam Ashkanian

Iranian artist Maryam Ashkanian (previously) embroiders portraits of peaceful sleepers deeply resting as a part of her ongoing Sleep series. Each individual she creates begins with a gestural line drawing that is then embroidered onto a handmade pillow. Little hints of the sleeper’s personality are presented by the way the pillow is designed—from a flowered watch on one’s wrist, to a ruffle that encircles that pillow’s outer edge. You can see more of Ashkanian’s textile work on her website and Instagram.

Twenty Instruments Reconstructed to Play Through the Keys of a Vintage Piano

We’ve all tinkered around on a keyboard that, when a button is pushed or settings tweaked, gives us a chance to play the sound of a flute or drum. When the Ukrainian band Brunettes Shoot Blondes purchased a vintage, albeit broken, grand piano they decided to recreate this concept in analog form. The group secured twenty instruments to the inside of the piano and its sides so they could effectively play each as they pressed certain keys. The creation was developed as a way to perform their new song “Houston” live, rather than having an entire band as back-up like they might in the recording studio. Keys connect to drums, tambourines, cymbals, and castanets while additional mechanical devices play stringed instruments like the cello and two violins. You can view more of the band’s performances on Instagram and Youtube. (via Laughing Squid)

A Pulsating Neon Skeleton by Tavares Strachan Honors Scientist Rosalind Franklin

What Will Be Remembered in the Face of All That is Forgotten is a sculptural neon work by the New York City-based artist Tavares Strachan made between 2014-2015. The five-foot-tall piece includes pulsating neon that mimics the racing of blood through veins, stainless steel to hold the skeleton in place, and a total of seven transformers. The flashing circulatory system is a glowing reminder of English scientist Rosalind Franklin’s contributions to the field of science, mainly the discovery of DNA’s molecular structures. The work was originally included in the solo exhibition Seeing is Forgetting the Thing that You Saw at Anthony Meier Fine Arts in San Francisco, which examined individuals whose names have been omitted from common accounts of history despite their great accomplishments.

Strachan, in partnership with LACMA Art + Technology Lab and SpaceX, also recently launched a sculpture honoring Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., the first African-American to train as an astronaut with NASA. Although Lawrence never made it into space, a 24-karat gold urn with his bust titled “Enoch” will orbit the Earth for seven years in a sun-synchronous orbit. You can see more of Strachan’s sculptural work, and keep up-to-date on the location of Enoch, on Instagram.

 

Evolution of the Alphabet: Nearly 3,800 Years of Letters Explored Through a Color-Coded Flowchart

Matt Baker of Useful Charts creates helpful visual guides that condense hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years of history into streamlined flowcharts. His poster Evolution of the Alphabet looks at nearly 3,800 years of the alphabet’s evolution, tracing it from Egyptian hieroglyphs (c. 1750 BCE) through Phoenician, early Greek and Latin, and finally to the present forms we use today. The limited edition print shows that some letters have appeared relatively the same for millennia, while others, like U, V, and W, developed much closer to our own time period from a single character.

The design was created in association with his Writing Systems of the World chart which takes a look at 51 different writing systems from around the world. Baker has each of these prints for sale on his website and Etsy. You can listen to his explain these systems, and their evolution in greater detail in his video “History of the Alphabet” below and view more timelines of historical developments on his website, Youtube, and Instagram. (via My Modern Met)

Birds and Faces Emerge From Dizzying Multi-Layered Gowns by Iris Van Herpen

Photos: Filippo Fior

Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen (previously) blends cutting-edge technology and classic motifs in her thought-provoking garments. Van Herpen’s most recent collection, Shift Souls, was showcased at Paris Fashion Week, and featured dresses that play with structure and color to blur the boundaries between fashion, technology, and art.

In a statement on the brand’s website about the collection, Van Herpen explains, “the imagination and the fluidity within identity change in Japanese mythology gave me the inspiration to explore the deeper meaning of identity and how immaterial and mutable it can become within the current coalescence of our digital bodies.”

Many of the pieces in Shift Souls were created using laser cut fabric pieces to form abstracted birds and human faces, emphasizing the designer’s interest in the mutability of the human figure. Van Herpen also collaborated with artist Kim Keever to design fabric patterns based on his liquid color cloud photographs, as shown in the blue dresses below. You can see more of the designer’s collections on Instagram, and watch a video of Shift Souls on the runway here. (via designboom)

A Decade of Daniel Arsham’s Material Explorations Opens at Amsterdam’s MOCO Museum

Daniel Arsham, “Hidden Figure” (2011), all images by Sasha Bogojev

Connecting Time is an exhibition that spans a decade of work by Daniel Arsham (previously), and was organized in collaboration with Galerie Ron Mandos and Perrotin for MOCO Museum in Amsterdam. In addition to the debut of Calcified Room and a specially designed iteration of Amethyst Ball Cavern, is one of the iconic pieces Hidden Figure (2011) from the Elastic Walls series. The piece is constructed from fiberglass, paint, and joint compound, and is a classic example of the artist’s ongoing play with the perception of physical space in addition to his experimentation with material properties.

Arsham continually challenges the notion of what 3-dimensional art should be by creating the illusion of familiar materials or architectural elements performing in unusual ways. Pieces like Corner Knot (2008) and Falling Clock (2012) are prime examples of this way of working, and are positioned opposite of each other in the artist’s 10-year showcase.

“Corner Knot” (2008) and “Falling Clock” (2012)

Arsham’s entire series of sculptural pieces from his fictional archaeology series dominates the basement of the museum. This body of work was directly inspired by the artist’s visit to Easter Island several years ago, and the uncertainty about the real history of the island’s monumental sculptures. Inspired by the idea of creating future artifacts, Arsham developed a whole range of different procedures and techniques to create eroded and decayed versions of po culture items. Using geological substances such as volcanic ash, rose quartz, obsidian, and glacial rock, he continuously adds new items to this opus, each time constructing the latest artifact with different material.

Although he has previously taken objects from areas that he is personally attached to, such as sports, music, or pop culture, the show in Amsterdam includes a new series of works created from flat, printed works such as books, magazines, and food packaging. You can follow Arsham’s latest work, projects, and releases on Instagram, and visit Connecting Time until September 30th, 2019 at MOCO Museum in Amsterdam. Another solo exhibition, Static Mythologies, is also on view in Amsterdam at Galerie Ron Mandos through March 16, 2019.

“Basketball Rack” (detail)

“Basketball Rack”

“Miami Heat Jacket”

“Miami Heat Jacket” (detail)

“Arm Spanning Corner”

“Calcified Room” (2019)

“Amethyst Ball Cavern”

“Amethyst Ball Cavern” (detail)

Light Installations by Javier Riera Project Concentric Circles and Geometric Cubes onto Mountains and Trees

Spanish artist Javier Riera designs and photographs light projections that fit perfectly onto specifically shaped trees and their branches. The geometric forms are inspired by the particular landscape, and are used to reveal what Riera perceives to be latent dimensions or energies embedded in the natural environment.  “His hopes the photographs deepen the connection between nature and the audience, allowing the viewer to find a greater appreciation for the multitude of layers that compose the nature world.

“[I am interested in] those moments in which the outside (the landscape) begins to be perceived as something very intimate, while our internal world begins to be perceived with some distance,” says Riera to Colossal. “It is almost as if it becomes external to us, and for that reason it is clarified.”

Although the visual aspect of a location is important to Riera’s design, a large part of his process is researching the landscape’s history, including the people that inhabit or visit it. This information allows him to develop an original pattern or structure for the projection, while also remembering the place more holistically as the work develops. Riera will have work in the upcoming Umbria Light Festival in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain from February 21-23, 2019. You can see more of his projected light works on his website.

This Blog Will Suck Less (Or How I Got My Motivation Back)

ofPosted: 1/28/2019 | January 28th, 2019

Let me say what most of you are (probably) thinking: this blog kind of sucked in 2018. It actually might have started sucking a bit toward the end of 2017. Maybe even 2016.

What do I mean by that?

Well, while we continue to produce “how-to” content that I am very proud of and think is better and more detailed than what else you’ll find on the web (’cause we’re the best!), those kinds of articles — while I like writing them because, to me, budget travel is like solving a puzzle (and they are great for Google) — just doesn’t make a blog….well, a blog.

They lack personality.

They are helpful, sure, but you read blogs because of the people behind them, not just the useful information they give.

And think this website has become a lot less personal and a bit stale over the last couple of years.

I just haven’t been motivated to write anything “personal.” Once in a while, sure, but like in the old days? Ehhh. Not really.

I don’t travel as much as I used to and think my days are pretty mundane. I mean who cares about what I eat for breakfast, what I do on the weekends, or really anything non-travel related?

Moreover, I felt like my thoughts and feelings about travel were already out there and that there was nothing else really left to say.

So what was left to write about?

Another “best hostel in X” post, that’s what!

I don’t feel I really wrote anything “groundbreaking: last year. A lot of what we posted in 2018 was just old posts updated with new content.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned moving to Paris (temporarily but maybe forever? Who knows! I got to try it out first). NYC is an unproductive place for me and I want to spend more time writing this year. I need a new space for that. I need a place where I feel my creative juices flowing.

I don’t know if that is Paris but I know it’s not NYC.

But, as I mentioned in that post, this year, I want to change this website too.

Or, should I say, change it back to what it used to be.

I want to write more stories.

After a two year break and a case of unmotivation, I’m finally feeling motivated again.

This year you’re going to see not only the “how-to” posts we’re good at here but also more of me — more about my life as a traveler, more posts about the emotional ups and downs of travel, and more posts about people.

I’ve got a dozen articles drafted on my desktop: thoughts on globalization and travel, plastic and travel, life in hostels, what I hate about travel right now, being connected “to home” on the road (I’ve noticed a lot of hostels have Netflix now), getting “stuck” in places, why I never want to hear about digital nomads again, and a bunch more stuff!

I’ve been writing up a storm this month.

And I’m also going to start sharing more photos and stories on my Instagram (especially as I’ll probably have a lot to say when trying to settle into Paris)!

One other thing that is happening this year: I’m opening the website up to more guest posters starting in March. I want to bring in different voices and more stories on the website. People who are just starting out or have expertise in a certain area.

It’s a new idea. I don’t know how it will work. I want to create some guidelines first (so don’t email just yet! If you do, we won’t reply!) as I want to make sure we do this right!

So, yes, new year, new me!

But also a “new” blog!

I’m excited to make this website personal again.

Who knew I had so much still left to say after all?

I guess all that was missing was a bit of motivation!

The post This Blog Will Suck Less (Or How I Got My Motivation Back) appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Crocheted Seafood and Knitted Loaves Top the Menu of Kate Jenkins’s Food-Focused Exhibitions

Brighton, England-based textile artist Kate Jenkins has been recreating veggies, seafood, and other favorite foods in wool for the last 12 years. Jenkins got her start in knitwear design, but has begun to focus on knitting feasts rather than fashions. In 2015 Jenkins made her largest installation to date, crocheting dozens of sardines, mussels, clams, shrimp, prawns, lobsters, crabs and other delights from the sea for a full-size fish counter titled “Kate’s Place the Stitchmongers” in Alexander Palace in London. For inspiration Jenkins knits or crochets from life, always purchasing the food she plans on recreating for accurate scale and texture.

Jenkins is currently working on her follow-up exhibition to “Kate’s Place” titled “Kate’s Bakes” which will switch from seafood to wheat in a life-size bakery that will be exhibited at the Handmade Festival in Barcelona this May. She hopes to tour the piece around the world, stopping in London, Paris, and New York, and incorporate localized treats for each destination. If you like Jenkins’s immersive knitting and crocheting experiences you might also like Lucy Sparrow’s felted corner stores and bodegas which have popped up in both London and New York. You can see more of Jenkins’s crocheted treats on her website and Instagram. (via Atlas Obscura)

Aerial Images of the Earth Animated into Fast-Paced Sequences by Kevin McGloughlin

In EPOCH, the new short film by Irish director and animator Kevin McGloughlin, aerial images of the Earth are pieced together to compare the structural similarities of various suburbs, highways, and fields. When flashed one after the next, buildings and roads form circles and squares, while dozens of cul-de-sacs appear to elongate and morph as they flash on screen. The film bear many similarities in form and editing to his twin brother and collaborator Páraic McGloughlin’s short film from last April Arena, which also utilized Google Earth-sourced images to created fast-paced animated sequences. You can view more of Kevin McGloughlin’s shorts on his Instagram and Vimeo. (via Colossal Submissions)

Willow Branches Shaped into Flowing Abstract Installations by Laura Ellen Bacon

“Murmuration” (2015), Flanders Red willow, installed at the Holburne Museum in Bath, UK. Photograph by Nick Smith Photography. All images courtesy of Laura Ellen Bacon.

British sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon twists, ties, and knots pieces of willow and other raw materials to create large-scale abstract sculptures which she installs both inside and outside of architectural structures. The pieces often involve several stages of sketching, and weeks of weaving using her hands and few other tools. Bacon’s twisting reddish-brown forms hug and scale buildings, walls, and other existing space and landscapes in interesting and intimate ways.

“My work often ‘grows’ from a host structure as I’m very interested in the tension between built, planned structures, and the ‘unplanned’ organic form that may grow upon it,” the artist tells Colossal. “I’m also very interested in the human scale of handmade structures and have created several woven spaces in recent years that people can enter inside—creating and entering the work can be a very sensory experience.”

Bacon finds interest and inspiration in nature and natural phenomena, like the swirling patterns or murmurations formed by some flocking birds. The visual poetry, scale, and juxtaposition of each piece to its setting can be seen from a distance, but it takes a closer approach to appreciate the seemingly chaotic web of expertly intermingled natural materials.

In addition to developing two very large pieces that will use several tons of stone and willow, the artist says that she will be exhibiting a new work with jaggedart at this year’s Collect: International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design. The fair opens at London’s Saatchi Gallery on February 28 and runs through March 3, 2019. You can view more of her sculptures by visiting her website, Instagram, and Twitter.

Murmuration, photograph by Nick Smith Photography

Murmuration, photograph by Nick Smith Photography

“Exposed,” Flanders Red willow, installed at Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House. Photographer: Laura Ellen Bacon

Exposed, photograph by Tony West

Laura Ellen Bacon installing her work “Exposed” at Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House, photograph by Tony West

“Course” (2015), Dicky Meadows willow, installed at Hall Place in London, UK, photograph by Steve Hickey

Course, photograph by Steve Hickey

“Split Forms” (2012), Dicky Meadows willow, installed at New Art Centre in Roche Court, Wiltshire UK, photograph by Laura Ellen Bacon

Split Forms, photograph by Laura Ellen Bacon