Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

Public art meets crowd-funding for social change #ANOTHERLIGHTUP in Cape Town, South Africa






 On De Waal Drive, driving out of the city bowl in Cape Town, South Africa, you have the view of the Cape peninsula's valley also known to many people as The Flats.  The Flats extends all the way to areas like Monwabisi, a sub-area of Khayelitsha, one of Cape Town's most populated districts.


 On that same drive, you can see the new Urban Visionary, a multi-storey mural and light installation created by the founders of Thingking and artist Faith47.  They collaborated on the new design and have enabled public street art to be a catalyst for change through crowdfunding for a social cause.  They aim to raise funds for public street lights to be installed in Monwabisi Park, Khayelitsha, through the organisation VPUU (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading).  For every light that is funded for in Monwabisi, the Urban Visionary mural is lit up in the evening- inspiring and engaging more people to become more active members in their society through #anotherlightup


 To read more about it here and to donate to #anotherlightup:



About the project | #ANOTHERLIGHTUP







#ANOTHERLIGHTUP from Design Indaba on Vimeo.

The mural on the same wall before Feb 2014 Urban Visionary #anotherlightup was put up

Friday, August 9, 2013

Eid Mubarak

 athena lamberis

 athena lamberis

 athena lamberis

  Eid Mubarak to people around the globe.  My interest in reading, sharing, writing and documenting moments in people's lives around food grows.  Here are some images  I captured and found that bring and smile to my face.


source: kreativita FB

market in Malaysia.  Financial Time Blog

Friday, July 12, 2013

Be Kind to the Earth and Buy #Vintage

That's what we thought.  Since we were little girls - - we raided our sister's closests, bought second hand clothes from Evanston's ESCAA sales, created our own style, and now continue to buy vintage clothing that ends up lasting forever (which means our closet space has grown!)

 But now and again, you bring friends and resources together and start a pop-up shop.   And this is what we did.  For the month of July . . . Cape Town's finest pizza meets the best of 60s and 70s vintage clothing.




Friday, June 21, 2013

Creativity with Food & Videos. Education for Change.


This is creativity  . . . in the kitchen.  What happens when a Music selector makes mashed visual alchemy with a visual artist?
This brilliance.  Enjoy this week's Rhymes and Rhythm Wrap up with two great videos:

Artist Driven | What's Cookin? from LRG on Vimeo.

And now with a strong message on exposing the ills of our modern food systems.  Showcasing the need to take responsibility for our food security, to choose wisely in the world of greed in the seed industry.  What happens when we only are given access to food products that don't nourish us on a cellular level but rather stuff a slow 'death down our throat'?  Dr. Vandana Shiva said it best, "It's more dangerous than bombs."  Let's eat foods that grew naturally from nutrient-rich soil.  Let's support permaculture, bio-dynamic farming practices, small-scale local organic farms--but most of all, turn your community into an edible landscape.  Peace to grass lawns, yes to green beans and wheat grass.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Turkey in Action

Full Page Ad for Turkish Democracy in Action | Indiegogo


What will placing an ad in the New York Times do?  This is just one of the ways messages can be spread and advertisements for what we can change rather than profit gain.  

This could also be done to overcome other issues that are even embedded in culture.  To reverse the use of Rhino horn.  To support non-GMO foods.  To take responsibility for eachother, in solidarity.

What is Happening in Turkey? 


People of Turkey have spoken: We will not be oppressed!

Millions are outraged by the violent reaction of their government to a peaceful protest aimed at saving Istanbul’s Gezi Park.

Outraged, yet not surprised.

Over the course of Prime Minister Erdoğan’s ten-year term, we have witnessed a steady erosion of our civil rights and freedoms. Arrests of numerous journalists, artists, and elected officials and restrictions on freedom of speech, minorities’ and women’s rights all demonstrate that the ruling party is not serious about democracy.

Time and again, the Prime Minister has mocked and trivialized his nation’s concerns while Turkey’s own media have remained shamefully silent.

The people protesting bravely throughout Turkey are ordinary citizens. We span several generations and represent a spectrum of ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, ideological, sexual, and gender identities. We stand united because of our concern for Turkey’s future. Our future.

We demand an end to police brutality.
We demand a free media.
We demand open democratic dialogue between citizens and those elected to public service, not the dictates of special interests.
We demand an investigation of the government’s recent abuse of power, which has led to the loss of innocent lives.

Join the conversation and stand with us in solidarity.

Crowdfunded Entirely by Concerned Individuals from Around the World


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

World Environment Day is Every Day!



Acknowledge and Respect our planet by choosing to eat foods produced by nature.

Learn how to make delicious nourishing food that sustains our soil, our Earth and in return develops a stronger and smarter planet. 

For more inspiration, watch films like Hungry For Change, Food Inc, Food Matters, and the GMO debate: The World according to Monsanto

Let's be a part of the change that teaches children about proper healthy simple nutrition that is not funded by processed white flour food product companies, corn fructose flavours and milk chocolate sugar fake energy bars.

The better we eat, the better we learn, the easier to protect and develop our planet into a healthy home for every living organism.

Happy World Environment Day!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

What purpose does WTO serve?

The World Trade Organization appointed Brazilian Roberto Azevedo as new the director.

The question remains to many around the world . . . what purpose does this organization serve?  Exactly who is benefitting?

 Polyp depicts:


Sense Masala | Polyp WTO Serving Suggestion Cartoon |
Many North and Eastern African countries are Non-Member and Observers.  Most WTO disagreements surround agricultural open markets and import disputes.  The modern global food system continues to cause cancer.   I don't want my main dish to be international agricultural trade disputes but rather a seasonal medley of locally produced and fair traded products, preferably even what can be foraged and grown in our community.  

From a country with vast ecological resources, will the new Brazilian director link labour and environment concerns into the World Trade's agenda?  

What would your plate look like?  How would you change your consuming/trading habits on your plate?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

David Chancellor's Hunter and Hunted: Images of Social Ecology and Wildlife Economy



David Chancellor: "I'm called a documentary photographer."

In the small lunchtime lecture room at Cape Town School of Photography, we travelled across the Kalahari, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya with Chancellor's 'Ghost Train.'  He described the 'Ghost Train' as a viewer's journey to an unknown place of understanding when viewing some of his images. In his medium format film image, Huntress with Buck, he pointed out that you may see the landscape first, then the girl, then the light, and then wonder about the girl in this landscape.  As a viewer, you may not know where the photo story is going until you start to engage with your own observations and relations.  The 'Ghost Train' experience left my husband, Chris, and I with a feeling of inspiration and engagement with questions of our own.

The Huntress with Buck image won the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

  I was inspired by his technique of 'slow journalism.'  By shooting on film, he finds himself engaging more with people than people being more interested in what he is capturing.
"I like the fact that people can't look at the back of the camera and see an image."
"I don't like digital, full stop."

  His time spent on the series, Hunter, took years to confront people's suspicions and battled with people's perceptions of why he was taking interest in documenting, "What actually happens in the Hunting Industry?"  As a documentary photographer, he looks at subjects that people aren't seemingly familiar with.  He develops trust within a culture, an industry, which in return allows him to develop hundreds of rolls of film.  By default, his photo series weave a story around human wildlife conflict and tourist trophy hunting.

  His sensory process of using film inspires other questions in his work.  While shooting Hunter and Hunted, he came in close contact with dead or dying animals.  In Safari Club and Diorama and Cases, he explored the 'life' of animals stuffed and put back in their natural form.

He explained that his personal work of Hunter, Hunted and Safari Club took 6 years, 4 of which were shooting.  Chancellor wanted to understand after the years of Sir Peter Scott's conservation of wild animals, "Where are we now?"

I recently saw his photo, Untitled Hunter #1, Trophy Room taken in Dallas, Texas at the Wildlife Photography of the Year Exhibition, hosted by NHU Africa and the Iziko Natural History Museum in Cape Town, South Africa.


  The photo taken in Texas, as a part of Safari Club series, was the only photo in the Wildlife Photography Exhibition that had only one living animal in the picture; the Untitled Hunter.  The photo surfaces debate around conservation, ecology, hunting and invites discussion around Social Ecology and Wildlife Economy.  As for the man known as the Untitled Hunter, he has asked David for a print.


   Chancellor continued his lunchtime lecture by sharing some of his current unfinished work in Kenya with Rhino poachers and also some 'snaps' of his family.
"As photographers, we should be able to do anything."
"You don't need people to pigeon hole you"


 I walked away from David's lecture engaged.
 Engaged with the need to question.
 Engaged with the want to understand.
 And engaged with urge to document.
 I'll continue to do so, on all mediums . . . and free from any pigeon holes.




Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Taxi Cab Lunch: 100 in 1 day Cape Town-A social movement for citizen-powered change

100in1day_introduction1 - YouTube:

 On May 25th, 2013-- Citizens across the world and Cape Town, South Africa will take part in a 100 or more urban interventions across their communities, streets, towns and neighbourhoods created and implemented by every one and any one interested. Inclusive Acts of Experience.

 Some interventions may be:
 - establishing a public bench with sound equipment for citizen expression, music and message sharing.    - urban gardening
 - city soup swaps
 - installing park equipment
 - planting trees
 - pasting art

 "Citizens, organisation, students, children, teachers, rebels, and politicians are invited to voice their dreams through actions, pop-up events, performances, social games, artistic interventions, and urban hacks. Together we will create a diverse and uncontrolled global movement."  Orange Innovation-KaosPilots

 I visited the KaosPilot's temporary hub for 100 in 1 day Cape Town on 36 Buitenkant Street, upstairs from the Truth Coffee HQ.

I submitted my intervention and invite all of you to become a part of participating in it.

It's called Taxi Cab Lunch: Travel. Experience. Taste. Share.

  Instead of asking a cab driver to take you where you want to go, you get in and engage: ask... Where do you like to  eat lunch?  

 This springs into a genuine exchange through a shared common bond we all share…food, a language that connects us across age, background, economic and verbal language barriers. The variety of our interactions may lead to meaningful and genuine exchange between different crosssections of our society, our city.  It may also highlight many issues and realities of our city and country beyond it's borders.  The taxi cab lunch is a way to bridge our borders and be an aid toward exchange and respect in a cultural diverse canvas … raising our awareness through the experience of food in the culturally plural African city we all share.  As we open our minds and palettes, we can share our experiences. Accessing a part of the city through the eyes and stomach of your fellow urban citizen: The learning starts there.  

 So hop in a cab, and travel, experience, taste and share.  

 Write, blog,  take pictures, GoPro, video, film, audio record and share it across your favourite medium.  

  Send me a link and share your thoughts.  Be inspired!  I was . . . http://www.taxigourmet.com/about-taxi-gourmet/

 Ready, set, . . .  May 25th, 2013: Taxi Cub Lunch.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Inspiration for 100 in 1 Day Cape Town: Let's Plant Some shit.



When the problem becomes the solution: FOOD.  Growing it and sharing the seeds for a healthy future.  Props to "Let's Plant some SHIT!"  Ron Finley's talk gave insight on what motivated him and his team to grow edible usable greens.  http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html
LA Green Grounds is an inspiration to create action, intervention, share ideas.  




On a Cape Town ground level: I wonder what we could come up with at 100 in 1 day: Cape Town facilitated by Kaospilots


On May 25th, 100 in 1 day: Cape Town will be a citizen driven festival of doing, that let's us realise our dreams we want to see and create in our city just like Ron Finley did.   

 I want to see food forests and fruit trees to be at bus stops.  When I walk my dog, I can also bring a bag and pick fruits in my neighbourhood along the way.  I do find fruit trees where I can . . . here are some of my recipes from The Culinary Linguist.

An interesting fact:

"Why did Jan Van Riebeeck plant roses in the Cape? Not for cut flowers, but for rose water"

 - Hetta van Deventer-Terblanche - South African storytelling on a plate (from her talk at EatOut Food Network DsTV Conference in Cape Town)

Now I don't feel so bad picking lemons occasionally from Company Garden's lemon tree in the rose bush section.  


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Down time on a film set finds you in peculiar places. photo courtesy of Zubin Mistry

While working in studio as the on-set costumer on a commercial shoot with director Mehdi Norowzian and DOP Zubin Mistry, I found myself cuddled in the coolest place during breaks--in between the air conditioning system.

  Needless to say, the eye on set captured it on his phone.

                                       photo courtesy of Zubin Mistry

Saturday, September 22, 2012

World Rhino Day 2012: Do you care if Rhinos disappear?

 

 Our Earth loses 2 rhinos a day due to acts of killing these endangered animals for money.

 Rhinos are poached predominantly for exotic animal-part trade or medicinal mythical cures-medical ideas that have been scientifically proven to not treat or cure what they are advertised for.

 The value of protecting rhinos needs to be taught in order to replace the value of trading their parts.  Poaching is not the only problem, but it is the most important one to stop as educational projects and programmes can reverse the idea that the demand for them is necessary.

   A man in South Africa, as seen in NHU Africa's Saving Rhino Phila has begun to farm as a way to influence a flood of rhinos horns into the marketplace, thus reducing their price and striving to maintain a healthy rhino population. But farming rhinos is not a solution as it doesn't eliminate the myths of these medical 'cures' and provides a 'safe' place for killing animals that will be may one day be called "previous wildlife, now cattle".  Although there are other human-caused risks to rhinos, it is imperative to stop poaching these animals and supporting positive wildlife conservation education.


  Human-centric ideas such as rhino horn uses for human consumption only decrease the longevity of our wildlife and will drive them into extinction.  We have a responsibility to our planet to work towards becoming wildlife conservation activists in our own capacity.

  Chris Mason from Natural History Unit Africa, produced and directed this Public Service Announcement, PSA, for World Rhino Day 2012: a Call for action to support Anti-poaching projects by WESSA, The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa. They filmed it on Kloof Street, Cape Town City Bowl, on a timelapse and reversed the Mak 1 One art piece into a disappearing artpiece.

  It asks a question:  Do you care if Rhino's disappear?  

    Let's hope this message and many other efforts allow us to care everyday to take responsibility to the stop of poaching.  

  Ideas to combat poaching through education projects are welcome to be shared here.




  Other artists share concern about the killing of Rhinos.  The Wooster Collective showcased words and pictures from another prolific Cape Town based graffiti aerosol artist, Faith47,  painting in Shanghai, click here to see and read.  She brought the spirit of African Rhinos into Asia.


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Athena and Chris Go to Madagascar.

  Husband and wife team weave visuals and syntax about Madagascar.   Read all about it here on Wavescape's breaking news story:  I Like to Move it : In depth about the Malagasy travels!

 and yes, it was our honeymoon.              Thank you TrueBlue Travel for organising a sweet trip!

Pirogues in in Fort Dauphin Tolagnaro-Libanona Bay

Beer at Talinjoo

Young Malagasy girl braving the warm yet winter Indian ocean

Learning French and Malagasy along the way in order to get a meal!

We thought this Lemur reminded us of Desmond Tutu-blessing us with his wisdom of the forests

What Madagascar produces: Vanilla

Young Malagasy boy fishing from a handline in Fort Dauphin Tolagnaro

Reef fish off the coast in Fort Dauphin, Tolagnaro

Ring-tailed Lemur in the Nahampoana Reserve


Monday, July 30, 2012

Video Love collage on our Beach Wedding Day: June 30th 2012



Our wonderful friend, Claire Homewood created this beautiful video montage of our wedding festival and ceremony on June 30th, 2012.  It is still so touching to relive those moments of supreme happiness and celebration with our family and friends.

 Umtamvuna River Lodge, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Monday, July 18, 2011

Messages on the wall: Public Street Art


Meeting Os Gemeos en Atenas in 2005 was a highlight-sharing my writing style with them, checking their sketches and the motivation behind the wall they were commissioned to paint lit my street art passion into a higher gear.  The wall they painted is the whole bus station that lines the...in Gazi.  It’s images of people riding bicycles in nature, using alternative methods of transportation than diesel-guzzling motors.  Like a photo, contrast is important.  
I wonder now if there is a bike lane on that road? :)
Now back in South Africa: 
 Fear is a prison.  Fear is in the woman dressed in pink.  She says, “Excuse me, do you have permission to paint on this wall?”
“Yes, we do” 
“No, you don’t!”
“Yes, we do.”
“I’m going to call the police and . . . . Blah blah blah.”  Fear is a prison, dear sister in pink. And thank you for wearing pink but your threats we do not fear. I may rather ask for what is threatening you?  Has anyone but yourself ever solved what it threatening you?  I assure you, police are just people like you and me, and so what is there to fear? Police, more art, silence, thought, there is nothing to fear.  Don’t make up threats unless do you believe you are not free? Oh so that is why you chose the prison and threaten others to join you? No thank, we do our best to stand free, come join us, you’ll like it.
“We’ve tried to uplift this area . . .” she later explained to a listening ear.
And so what is upliftment? 
To threaten your community members is not uplifting.
Use your anger to change something in yourself.
As we express ourselves freely, we uplift ourselves freely. And if we live in this community, that we can be brave and fearless in, we are uplifted because we are not threatened or threaten ourselves because we live in fear. Just like you dress in pink, you are expressing materially on your body canvas-go head! I’ll lend you my pink sweater next time I see you in the neighborhood. 
And if we live in this world, that free expressive vibration roots into each step-changing our geographical minds. And with each step, another one is taken and shared by another free individual that crosses our path, unthreatened.  And there, two souls, moving freely, uplifted by their own choices, their inspirations and individual motivations, transform, positively, the world we live in. Upliftment! 
So thank you for painting the wall red. The contrast is beautiful-uplifting-and for the next individual to say yes to the canvas, to spread their free public uplifting expression.
 And slowly, we will all move out of the prison.



Friday, April 15, 2011

Spaces

Creating spaces that make you smile, motivate you to create, inspire, bring comfort and balance.

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Cape Argus Cycle Tour in Cape Town



 In just under 3 hours, womyn and men of the Cape Argus Cycle Tour completed the ride from Cape Town's city centre and back again on the most beautiful peninsula of the world.  I woke up on Sunday morning to cheers and clapping for the dedication of cyclists making their way around Boyes Drive in Muizenberg.  Just steps from our home was a refueling spot of blue energy drink and I managed to capture some young faces touring their own city's landscape on their self-powered bicycles.  It was a gorgeous Sunday of hope and positivity to watch thousands of people travel through the city.


In just under 3 hours, womyn and men of the Cape Argus Cycle Tour completed the ride from Cape Town's city centre and back again on the most beautiful peninsula of the world.  I woke up on Sunday morning to cheers and clapping for the dedication of cyclists making their way around Boyes Drive in Muizenberg.  Just steps from our home was a refueling spot of blue energy drink and I managed to capture some young faces touring their own city's landscape on their self-powered bicycles.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Imported from Detroit

"This is what we do"

  Make cars?

Detroit is more than just a Motor City.  
 Imagine Metro-Detroit urban sprawl contracted back towards the center?
How would it grow?
Would we build it up with auto tire building material?
Would it become Tire city? Earthship City?  A prized example of environmental design?
Will the Motor City continue to progress by using old practices or innovating new ones?



This picture was taken July 2010: Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Detroit City has more features to build upon than Eminem, Fox Theatre and Chrysler Commercials.  There is room to define "This is what we do" and there are images from Detriot that will be shared to provoke positive questions and a redefinition of Detroit.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Graffiti Art on the Street talks back-Durban, South Africa


  We build walls, we break walls.

  We climb walls, we bomb walls.

 We stare at walls, we wonder . . . if walls could talk.

  We paint walls, so they talk back.

  -Athena
Athena-Lamberis-Photography



   This picture was taken in 2005, in Durban, South Africa.

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