joad

Home sweet (container) home

My first year as a postgraduate student in Holland was spent in a container. That’s right. A regular, 40ft, 30m2 shipping container. Fully equipped, sustainable and heated though! Row upon row, stacked upon each other, dozens of containers became what we’d call home for an entire year. 2008 to 2009 this is where we celebrated, we cried, we struggled, stayed awake at nights, shared beers and cigarettes on the balconies and the green uncomfortable chairs, loved and broke up, and studied and studied and studied and we confronted ourselves. That container was my home for a year, more than any four wall brick house could ever dream to be. 

Interestingly enough, I found a mention of “Amsterdam container homes” with a picture of our complex, right here.

For those who wonder what it looked like on the inside, this is the floorplan of the type of containers we stayed in:

The front part at the entrance is a floor-to-ceiling glass window and door, and the first room is the “living room” and the kitchen/small storage. There is a small bathroom right in the middle, and right behind this is the bedroom/study and a small balcony. The other end of the container is also a top-to-bottom glass window, so maximum light could reach the appartment from both sides.

Below is a design I had created for a bunch of t-shirts for all of us, that were never realised however due to our meagre student budget. Hopefully, one day soon I’ll be able to make and mail them to each one of my container neighbours!

This is how our Bergwikdreef neighbourhood looked like from my house:

After a night of furious mini-ping-pong at my place:

(Bergwijkdreef possee: I miss you guys. I really do.)

   Inside view of me studying

           A view of the interior on the first day of school!

And here is some more information regarding shipping container homes, an idea which becomes more and more appealing to me by the day, seeing as the prices in construction have been increasing exponentially over the last few years. Why not just buy a recycled and fully customisable container and install it on a plot of land, throw some solar panels and a water supply (or drill a well and install the respective filters - I’m sure there is the right technology out there although I cannot name it right now) and be entirely self sufficient?

- Here are some fine examples of shipping container homes at Busyboo

- My most favorite link, however, is the one at earthsci which shows how to build a wonderful multipurpose container home from scratch!

- Treehugger shows some nice examples of container designs, with my most favorite one being this one

The Celebrity Deathmatch

It isn’t a surprise that the Area51 Skate Park in Eindhoven is becoming better known across the world than the city’s most famous sons of PSV Eindhoven.

This massive indoor park is one of a kind. Kids from all across the Benelux come there to ride and it isn’t just because of the park. The staff doe a great job of creating an atmosphere that embraces experimentation, failure and a spirit of fun.

So when we were invited to do some workshops with the kids, the aim quickly became to give them a fun taste of the romance each of the workshop leaders has had with a skateboard and try to spark a creative switch.

Dave the Chimp intended to help them salvage waste and then work with it to create their own skateable art objects. Wayne Horse wanted to teach them to make piñatas stuffed with feathers, in a baseball with mailboxes sort of ride and smash way. Nomad planned to teach them to let go, working to build intricate sculptures that would take a week to make and get destroyed in a matter of seconds. East Eric used the occasion to make a new invention, and then passed this new weapon on to the kids, teaching them how to find what they need and make each piece before testing their work and learning to paint by board.

[Text and (some) images from Spatziba.com]

“The Grime Ripper” (Dave the Chimp)

East Eric & Harlan Levey

DIY Weapons: Paint By Board

Today we’re going to offer you something for Free. We’re not gonna give away the whole trick, but just enough that you get all the clues you need to make what you will of this joyful weapon.

When No New Enemies and Modart visited the Area51 skate park in Eindhoven in September 2010, East Eric taught the kids to make their own tools and attach paint rollers to their decks. His device includes a start/stop pedal and if you spend more than a fiver making it, you missed part of the point.

As the workshop went on, of course there were kids who just wanted a ride, but those who participated put in a good 6 hours or so to build all of their pieces. Behind the scenes, things are never so simple and at each step Eric had new problems to solve.

This is a beginning. Things will only get better. Or at least out grow their inventor.

Every city has a color. For all those who are grey – take some responsibility and fuck with the pigment as you see fit and remember two things:

A discourse is a line

Want More From East Eric – check his work and support his practice!

A video of the workshop follows in the end of this post (where I can be seen helping out as well for a couple of seconds somewhere).

(text and images from Spatziba.com)

May 2010

           Full moon, May 2010. Moved.

‘Mural Art vol.3’ book introduction

                          Iosifides, K., 2011, “Mural Art Vol 3: Murals on Huge Public Surfaces Around

                          the World from Graffiti to Trompe l’oeil”, Athens: Metaihmio Publications

Mural Art #3 is a sequel to the successful thematic publications Mural Art #1 & #2 all exploring different aspects of the worldwide mural art phenomenon. This book delves deeper into the subculture, presenting the work of numerous artists from every part of the world, who transform public spaces through their artistic interventions and offer powerful messages.

 
I was asked by the editor, Kyriakos Iosifides to write one of the sections for the three part introduction of the book.According to his words, my prior international experience both as an artist and my professional capacity as the product manager of one of the most successful graffiti spraypaint lines, paired with my current involvement with urban studies and the activist work I promote on urban issues in Athens would make me just the right person to round up and balance the positions of two eminent political figures regarding Mural Art in Greece and all over the world. I gladly accepted the invitation and produced a text that urged for claiming individual personal responsibility on the urban spaces around us, both as artists and city dwellers, distanciating myself from expressed political agendas. 

This is what my original text read like, although it underwent severe editing: 

Αρκετά. 

Ο δικός μου δημόσιος χώρος δεν χρειάζεται αυτόκλητους συνηγόρους κι ακαδημαϊκές προσεγγίσεις. Δεκαετίες τώρα κατοικώ μέσα σε αυτόν και κινούμαι, και καταδιώκομαι προς μια κατάσταση ολικής πνευματικής και υλικής πτώχευσης. Και στοιβάζομαι και ξεβράζομαι και βιάζομαι σε κοινή θέα. Ο δικός μου δημόσιος χώρος δε χρειάζεται καλλωπισμό και λεκτικές αναπλάσεις. Είναι δυσλεκτικός, διαταραγμένος κι αβάσταχτα άσχημος. Είναι αυτός που αφέθηκε να γίνει. Μαζί μ’αυτόν κι εγώ.Όσο για σένα, θέλω να μου πεις κάτι καινούριο. Ή έστω κάτι παλιό, αλλά με το δικό σου τρόπο. Να σε δώ να αναλαμβάνεις επιτέλους τις ευθύνες σου. Όχι τόσο απέναντι στους άλλους, όσο απέναντι στον εαυτό σου τον ίδιο. Θέλω κάποια στιγμή να υπάρξει συνέπεια στις πράξεις και τα αισθήματά σου. Θέλω να πάρω θάρρος από σένα και γώ. Δημιουργός ή θεατής, όποιος κι αν είσαι, πές μου: ποιός είσαι; Διακινδύνευσε να δείξεις την αλήθεια σου, έστω και μισή. Εκφράσου και μη φοβάσαι. Ποιός σου στέρησε την ελπίδα αυτής της λύτρωσης; Μην υποτιμάς τη νοημοσύνη μου και μην προδικάζεις τις προθέσεις μου.Μουδιασμένοι σε αυτή τη φαντασμαγορία, με κατακερματισμένες ταυτότητες και συνειδήσεις, βιώνουμε την υποκειμενική μας πραγματικότητα αποκομμένοι από το κοινωνικό σύνολο. Ας κάνουμε μια απόπειρα μαζι να διεκδικήσουμε πίσω την ανθρωπιά μας. Να αξιώσουμε την αυτενέργειά μας πάνω στο περιβάλλον και τον εαυτό μας. Κι αυτό δεν γίνεται σχεδόν ποτέ με οικονομικά ανταποδοτικό, αισθητικά ευχάριστο και ασφαλή τρόπο. Θα πρέπει να διακινδυνεύσουμε να επικοινωνήσουμε. Κι αυτή η επικοινωνία βρίσκεται πέρα και πάνω από τη λογική της αγοράς και κάθε είδος πολιτικού σχεδιασμού ή ελιτισμού.Αυτή η επικοινωνία δε φέρει την έγκριση εταιρικών «άλλων»: βιομηχανίες προϊόντων και θεάματος, καλλιτεχνικές κολλεκτίβες, χορηγίες, διαφημίσεις, κεντρικά σχεδιασμένες καλλιτεχνικές παρεμβάσεις και όλους τους ενδεικνυόμενους «ορθούς» τρόπους έκφρασης. Είναι βρώμικη και κοστίζει σε χρόνο και χρήμα και δε θα σε κάνει διάσημο. Θα σε αφήσει όμως με ένα χαμόγελο στο τέλος της μέρας και μια αστείρευτη αίσθηση εκπλήρωσης ενός βαθύτερου καθήκοντος.Γι αυτό θέλω μόνο να σου θυμίσω πως πόλη σου ανήκει. Τις νύχτες αν την περπατούσες θα την άκουγες να εκλιπαρεί να την αγγίξεις έστω και λίγο στα σκοτεινά. Να την αγαπήσεις βιαστικά, εδώ και τώρα, όρθιος.

Και μη ξεχνάς. Αυτά είναι απλά μια γνώμη, όχι αξιώματα. Μην ταυτίζεσαι με τίποτα. Έχεις υποχρέωση να ψάξεις την πραγματικότητα μόνος σου

ekplixi (surprise) 2

In February 2010 I was invited by Alexandra Kollaros of ArtAz to participate in the non-profit exhibition “Ekplixi (surprise) II” taking place in Technopolis, Gazi, in Athens. I was really happy to be asked to contribute, since the revenue from the sales of the identical small canvases that a wide array of artists were invited to produce, and which were all going to be sold for 50 euros each, were going to be offered to the homeless people of Athens. The name “Surprise” comes from the fact that no artist signs their work on the front side. Instead, they can sign on the back, or on the special cards that are offered for that reason. In this way, the identity of the artist is a surprise for the buyer, plus the sales take place in a “first come first serve” basis.

I started out with a simple design on a plain A4 sheet of paper, which I then sewed on a piece of distressed and manipulated fabric which I then attached on the preexisting canvas. I also added a few details such as beads and loose strands of thread, which is something I always wanted to experiment with

my canvas among the other exhibits on the opening night

graffoto.co.uk

A few months ago I came across a post on on graffoto.co.uk about graffiti in Greece, and my personal work among the rest. The entire post can be found here (part one) and here (part two).

It made me so happy to read the short description of my work, which was accompanied by some really good pictures too:

One artist whose stuff I have admired on flickr but never actually seen in real life is Joad. Her pieces proved to be a bit more elusive that I had hoped but the few I found were treasures.

Actually, I had come across a Joad last Autumn near the hotel I usually stay at, un-expectedly it was a plain but crisp block but look closely and the trademark whimsical lines are present. 

angelo’s tattoo

This is the tattoo I designed in 2008 for a dear friend. It is done on the inside of his upper arm and reads ‘Alex’ (the name of his brother, who died in a car accident).

august

Οι πόλεις μας ουρλιάζουν και βρυχώνται και ξερνάνε.

Πρέζα, αδέσποτα και καύλα, εδώ και τώρα στα όρθια και βρωμιά

κάτι σειρήνες που σαν αιώνες να ναι μακριά ακούγονται

λάμπες να τρέμουν έτοιμες να σβήσουν κι αποτσίγαρα

μες στο τασάκι ξενοδοχείου στην Ομόνοια, καμμένα λάστιχα,

τραβέλια, φορτηγά στις εθνικές οδούς και διανυκτερεύοντα, άστεγους

μες σε χαρτόκουτα στις σκάλες πάνω και μέσα στις στοές μισότρελλοι κοιμούνται. 

Κι εμείς τρεκλίζουμε αποκαμωμένοι

στα στενά μες τις σκιές κάτω απ τα φώτα και απάνω στα τραπέζια τους

τακούνια, διαδρόμοι στα επείγοντα, στις ταράτσες

τεντωμένα σύρματα και στα βράχια ακροβολιζόμαστε σπασμένοι.

Οι ουρανοί ξεβάφουν και ξεφτίζουν και θολώνουνε

μες τη σκουριά και την οξείδωση και την αιθαλομίχλη, καρποί κομμένοι

απ τις κεραίες της ύπαρξής μας.

Κι εγώ μες τα σεντόνια σου και μες τα μέλη σου να πλέω. Να δίνομαι

να παίρνω να σε ζητώ να παραδίνομαι ν’ αφήνομαι να χάνομαι να βρίσκω.

Βρίσκομ’ εδώ.

Πάντα εδώ παντού εδώ και πάντα εγώ για σένα πουθενά μες

την παλάμη σου γύρω απ τα δάχτυλά σου τυλιγμένη.

Δεν υπάρχει κανείς, τίποτα δεν υπάρχει μετά ούτε και πριν

και πάντα εσύ μα πάντα εσύ μόνο

εσύ ένα τώρα απέραντο, εκκωφαντικό τώρα αβυσαλλέο, αδίρρητο.

Σκαρφαλωμένοι στην κορυφή της πόλης

κρυμμένοι στην ελκωτική κοιλιά της απ τη ζωή με δόντια

και με νύχια μπηγμένα γαντζωμένοι μοναδικοί επιζώντες μην έχοντας

πουθενά πίσω να γυρίσουμε ούτε μπροστά να πάμε,

εσύ κι εγώ μ’ ένα τρόμο γραμμένο στα μάτια κι αίμα να τρέχει

απ τα δαγκωμένα χείλη κι ανάμεσα απ τα πόδια μου

αγκαλιά

κλυδωνιζόμαστε.

Κι αν δεν απόμεινε κανείς, κανείς την ιστορία μας που να ξέρει,

κανείς που τ’όνομα μας σωστά σ αυτή την πόλη να μπορει να προφέρει κανείς μπροστά

και κανείς πίσω μας και δίπλα μας και μέσα μας κανείς

έχουμε αυτό που νομίζαμε πως ξέραμε ότι θέλαμε να είμαστε

και αγκαλιά μ’αυτό μέρα τη μέρα στο κάθε μας ξημέρωμα δινόμαστε

απελπισμένα και πειθήνια κι αδιάφορα.

Μία ζωή δική και δανεική η ζωή μας.

eye to eye exhibition in new york

Curated by Logan Hicks

Eye to Eye

November 20 – December 20, 2008
Opening Reception: November 20, 2008, 7:00pm

ARTISTS:
C215 (France)
EPHAMERON (Belgium)
JOAD (Greece)

CURATED BY LOGAN HICKS:
LOGAN HICKS: Logan Hicks is a New York-based stencil artist. Originally a screen printer, Logan’s work gained notoriety due to his ability to capture the sometimes mundane cycle of city life in refined way with his hand sprayed stencils.

ARTISTS:

C215: Stemming from his thesis in art history and research in German and Anglo-Saxon Civilizations, Classic Painters haunt his imagination and art. Within the past two years C215 has published two conceptual, illustrated poetry books and participated in fifteen group shows. Recently he has increasingly used and mastered stencil applications in his own art. C215 is one of the most active French stencil artists in the streets and his World Tour keeps going though 2009…

EPHAMERON: Belgium artist, Ephameron, combines lyrical imagery and text. Through her art she recreates everyday feelings and thoughts, capturing precious moments in life. Recurring themes like hands, birds and female figures live in her pastel colored backgrounds and huge black tape drawings. She is currently a freelance artist working for national and international magazines. Her award-winning website www.ephameron.com has been an ongoing art project since 2000, her second book Found+Lost will be published in January 2009 by Bries in Antwerp.

Joad: Born and raised in Athens, Greece, she is currently studying in Amsterdam for her postgraduate degree in Urban Studies. Joad has developed her skills on various media from a young age and recently focused specifically on spray paint and street art. Her unique style concentrates on the female form and typically female aesthetics. Her female figures create intimate stories between themselves and the viewer, revealing their disarming vulnerability, as if they are whispering a secret: their present, their past, their scars, dreams, and hopes.

Divisadera

Morning Yearning & Divisadera

roll-up

Black and white roll-up at Palaio Faliro (Athens/Greece) in 2008

notebook covers

   Two notebook covers I drew for Metaihmio Publications in Athens/Greece, in 2008. They waynted something girly/emo, and that’s what I tried to give to them although it didn’t make much sense as a description. Too bad the colours never came out good when the scanned them and, subsequently, printed them…

bird of paradise

Interior decoration at Sophia’s living room in 2008.

no new enemies

               partly defaced and vandalised as I found her a couple of weeks ago (2011)