ART + CULT ISSUE A - Amazon AWS

ART + CULT ISSUE AWINTER 2018

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verbosevə:’bəʊsadj.using or expressed in more words than are needed.

white space

issue A : winter 2018 3

issue a : winter 2018

Being an anonymous publication, it’s fitting that our first issue (a) represent

anonymity. This theme is explored throughout several carefully curated stories in

over 100 pages of lives that were unknown to us until now. The_verbose aims to

capture the art and culture of individuals and of great range in effort to decrease

the distance between people and the pages. We search , we absorb, we ask, they

tell, we write, we all indulge. We have to capture the spirit and history in poeple,

document a few corners of the world’s chaos and creativity, even if it means

more words less pictures. The_verbose is a self-published intimate collection of

curated human experiences and serendipitous finds. It’s all fine print. w

ANGELA GLEASON creator

INK&MOVEMENTZIGORSASHAUNISEXANNAMODERNSOULANJABEYE-RBIGBORGPAULINEGERMAINFREELASTICABRUNOGARCASCAVOLINI

MELCHIORRIALESSANDRO&WOLFRAMORICCI

LIQUIDBLOXdigital

STEFANIAcurator

ELAINEcurator

KIMcurator

J&R FRYDENBERGprinting

MAURO DIMASOprinting

*all interview

s were com

pleted in 2017

okuda san miguel06street artsanctuariesfrom Spain

nikola tamindzic44fucking New Yorkfrom NYC

samuel lerox86a millenial joyride from Paris

sasha unisex18watercolor tattoos from Moscow

anna kövecses 56geometric paintingsfrom Cyprus

niklas ibach 102classical to electronic: a DJ from Berlin

giuseppe palmisano 26femme fetale:photographsfrom Bologna

solomon66under the sun in Wadi Rum

diesel living 114space life anddeserts from Milan

WORDON THESTREET

TURN IT UP

THE INTERNET OF THINGS

SIDESTREET SPELNDOR

guest contributor Taxis and Walnuts82

guest contributorstefania casiraghi110

guest contributorelaine gilruth98

guest contributor112

marc torralba34felines, urban-wear + DJ setsfrom Barcelona

maupal72stencil art + the pope from Rome

diesel living 114space life anddeserts from Milan

trev the viking122a sailor & painter in Malta

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street artist

O04SSA

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HAMBURG

2017MUNICH

okuda san miguel

From abandoned railways to a 16-story building in Kiev, Okuda San

Miguel has been landscaping the world with art since 1997, taking low

places to great heights. And as street art continues to dominate urban

decor, this Spanish-bred talent is no stranger to the daring. His modern-

meets-classic murals are the quintessential masterpieces that speak to

his character and to his audiences with an emphasis on equality, cultural

symbolism, and art in the most unexpected places.

His most recognized work, Kaos Temple in Llanera, Spain, is a project

that transformed the abandoned Santa Barbara church into a skate-

boarders’ sanctuary. Together with skate enthusiasts Church Brigade and

RedBull, Okuda undertook his “personal Sistine Chapel.”

STREET ARTSANCTUARIES

He is no amateur when it comes scaffolding and

questionable territory to house his vibrant colours and

signature geometric style. Experiential and energetic,

it is this artist’s technique and his passion for street in-

fluenced material confronting themes of freedom and

oppression that frame his talent and hard work.

Okuda, a name he created as a child inspired by a

Japanese comic, started out as a grafitti artist in the

mid 90s before taking on street art in early 2004. In an

interview last summer, we discovered a lot more about

his work, and his ways. As he realizes his dreams every-

day, he keeps his music close by. Catch him listening to

bossa nova one day and electronica the next. You can

find him watching The Fall, Avatar, The Imaginarium

of Dr. Parnassus, Castillo Ambulante, Rainbow Thief or

Holly Mountain by Jodorowsky in his down time. Want

to take him to lunch? Seafood, avocado, fresh red tuna

fish, green esparagus, juices with ginger and spinach -

will win his heart.

MOROCCO

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V_ With countless hours and wild heights, what do you think about when painting?

Okuda / I think about my iconography, my symbols, my patterns, and my own world when I am painting. I try to select which type of work is perfect for the new space. Now, I like to work off of photos of sculptures from clas-sical art history like Mesopotamian or Renaissance, that I see in museums or on the streets in my travels. I try to insert some of this in my paintings; Figures from the past that come together with my modern pop art scenes.

V_ How do you prepare for a project creatively and mechanically?

Okuda / I used to start projects without final sketches. For example, I arrived at the church without sketches and just went inside and started to feel what I needed to do in each place. The amazing architecture was like a script for me. The technique normally is spray-painting over a latex primer or acrylic paint background for big spaces. I also use markers, stencils and masking tape in my smaller studio works.

I remember the biggest building that I completed was in Kiev last year where the people and the media made me feel like part of the change in the country, and the freedom, because they had just come from a revolution, and are still at war in some places… The infinite grey cement build-ings and grey sky in Ukraine needs colour, hap-piness and freedom.

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FRANCE

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V_ Born and raised in Spain. What do you love most about your country?

Okuda / I travel a lot and keep my home in Spain because

I love the weather, the light and the colours in the streets,

the funny and happy people, street life, nightlife, parties,

beaches, food of course, and the very talented artists

that are my friends, like SAN, Pantone, Spok, Remed,

Nano4814, Aryz, Nuria More.

V_Do you believe art can be a source of moti-vation and influence for young people?

Okuda / About the new generation, I don’t think they are

going in a good way, because their values and motivations

are not good because of the shit that TV has shown them.

V_ Your work has been exhibited around the world. Any particular locations that were most significant to you?

Okuda / I was excited to do my biggest murals or instal-

lations in public spaces in places like India, Hong Kong,

Kiev, Moscow, or my fountain in Tennessee. But I need to

go to Australia, hopefully soon. But the most inspirational

countries to work are always in Africa, South America or

Asia. I am also happy that I am starting to do gallery shows

in USA and Asia.

V_ What is one of your most memorable expe-riences working several stories high?

Okuda / Maybe painting in the favelas in Brazil, Peru,

Mali, Cabo Verde or India because you can feel the

smiles of the children, and the incredible vibes from the

poor people. Very special moments that I can’t explain.

And I remember the biggest building that I completed in

Kiev last year, where the people and the media made me

feel like apart of the change in the country, and the free-

dom, because they had just come from a revolution, and

are still at war in some places. The infinite grey cement

buildings and grey sky in Ukraine needs colour, happiness

and freedom.

V_ Your work in Kiev: an experience that left you feeling apart of their freedom. How did the locals respond to your work in their city?

Okuda / The locals in the beginning didn’t trust in some-

thing different like my art, nor like painting this big space.

But in the end, I met very grateful people.

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V_ Do you recall any experiences where you had to start over or paint over your work, and how do you correct it?

Okuda / Spray paint lets you correct everything in a second. It is very fast and sometimes from mistakes come interesting new directions.

V_Do you recall the very first painting you completed as a street art?

Okuda / I don’t know exactly. I started to paint graf-fiti in 1997, but street art maybe around 2004.

Dream project? And what are some chal-lenges for a street artist? Also, the great-est reward?

Okuda / I am seeing my dreams realized every year. I don’t know now about challenges but I never stop dreaming. The best reward is your own happiness, I need to create to be happy, and feel alive and believe me, that art is the meaning of my life.

Okuda / Yes. I always try to combine the grey scale with the full colour palette in a harmonious way. The multi-colours symbolise the multicultural. I paint faces with geometric patterns to show that everyone is the same, putting all types of skin colours on the same level. And colour is a symbol of nature and life. The grey scale is the cement, the dust, the dead, and the material of classic sculptures.

V_ Your work is symbolic, often evocative of modernity, existentialism and sub-surrealism. What is the role of colour in your work?

okudart.es

@okudart

MADRID

THE GIOCONDA, PARIS

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moscow

tattoo artist

S02MTA

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“Sometimes I am asked, what is the meaning of this or that tattoo. At once, I carry back to that day when it was made. I remember what the weather was on this day; an interior of the studio; a face of the master and what they were speaking about; what I was thinking in that moment.”

Dating back to Neolithic times, a tattoo has long served the body as a sacred marking of one’s legend, status, passion, and cult follow-ings. Once exclusive to female practice in ancient Egypt, tattoos were regarded as spiritual or royal, while also revealing of a woman’s status: dancer, prostitute, royal concubine (Smithsonian Maga-zine). Later associated with lewd acts, biker gangs, outlaws, prison hobbies, and worn as sleeves or trapezius murals, this personal af-fair with our bodies has continued to evolve.

Today, in a world of hyper self-expression, intellectual property laws, free-thinking millennials, and a savvy new wave of graphic designers, ink masters are at it tenfold. And together the artist and the individual can create something truly theirs, attributing to the lure and luxury of modern design skin deep.

One particular artist has carved out her niche in the crowd: a young Russian female tattoo artist holding her own, Sasha Unisex. A St. Lviv National Academy of Arts graduate, Sasha is first an art-ist, then a business woman. And while she expands her signature watercolour tattoo designs into t-shirts, prints, and accessories, she remains entirely committed to her work of authorship and social ethos.

“It is necessary to work hard to arrive at something special. But it is worth it.”

With an Instagram littered with watercolour designs, prismatic and vibrant, Sasha’s artwork de-picts nature in bazaar forms. Flying penguins. Perfectly shadowed aortas. Fox pilots. Rose gardens. These watercolour designs are then carefully transferred onto the skin as tattoos.

No doubt, signors like Dr. Woo, Bang Bang, and their teams of tat connoisseurs have also tapped the art of watercolour tattoo design and product branding. But this artist exhibits a unique dimension of design and branding which she has been cultivating throughout Moscow’s subculture since 2011. Read on about the lady du jour, her style, her technique, and her.

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V_Stereotypes with tattoos. What are your thoughts?

Sasha / Popular stereotype is that tattoos are made only in prisons or in the army. Surely it’s absolutely not true; and you also don’t have to be lazy to have a tattoo. One more popular delu-sion: the tattoo will blur if you gain weight. I’ve never faced such a problem. Another one: big tattoos ruin female beauty: quite subjective, but neverthe-less that’s a delusion; now there are a lot of different styles of tattoos. And women choose for themselves like gentle flowers, fantastic birds and even lace as a tattoo design which only emphasises the femininity of the owner.

V_What was one of your most unsual or challenging requests for a tattoo?

Sasha / The most unusual in-quiries do happen, and at times impossible to realise. Often cli-ents cannot adequately estimate the size. They want to put an entire plot with a huge number of details into 5cm of space, or on the contrary they might overestimate the area assumed for a tattoo. But no matter how difficult it is to come to an understanding with a customer, it is necessary to try to meet them halfway, to have flexibility so both parties should be ready to temporise, then an excellent job will be done and both will be satisfied.

V_What solutions/products do you have to use to ensure results with the separation of color and precision of design?

Sasha / The best way is to use bepanthen plus creme which you can find in all drug stores around the world. But I do not exclude the usage of special cream for healing a tattoo, which I’ve tried on myself. During the first three days of healing I use a special compress.

I teach my clients how to care for a tattoo step-by-step, and I also try to monitor the heal-ing process. This is because it’s such an important part of my work, as a tattoo artist.

If you are totally unfamiliar with this subject and know nothing about it, but never-theless you decided to get a tattoo, the most important thing is to trust in profession-al. Study a portfolio and dif-ferent feedback about his or her work as a tattoo artist and when you are absolutely sure that this tattoo artist is a pro-fessional, with no doubt trust his or her advice on tattoo

location and size, and especially on the choice of needles and paints.There is a lot of scientific information on the Internet on what happens with skin during tattooing process, I would add that it is not that scary, but you should be sure before a visit that you don’t have blood or skin diseases and that you aren’t pregnant. If you often faint, you have to warn the tattooer about it too.

V_Challenges starting your own business in Moscow?

Sasha / Moscow is a big city with a huge amount of pos-sibility; it’s engaging to start a business. And a business based on art is not an exception at all, that’s why it was quite easy for me and my team.

V_Is it true that some inks can be harmful to the blood stream? In this case, are the colors you use specifically tested to be used on humans for permanent art?

Sasha / The biggest danger for tattoo fans are infections. But you are exposed to the same danger in a manicure salon or with a visit to the dentist. There-fore, modern tattoo artists pay much attention to their safety as to the client’s safety. All sup-plies are one off. As for tattoo pigments, I use special tattoo paints, and I only imitate the watercolor effect, transferring the sketch made with watercol-ors onto skin.

SASHA UNISEX

“I always want to return to the cities where turning points in my life happened: to Lviv, to St. Petersburg, to Moscow, for nostalgia and meetings with old friends.”

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Sasha / My first tattoo is a black and white rose with a girl’s face, which I made when I was 23 years old. I have quite a lot tattoos with the image of flowers and animals, but I can’t choose my favourite or on the contrary my least favourite, as each of them are special and are apart of me.

I don’t remember my skin without tattoos anymore, as if I had them always. Sometimes I am asked, what’s the meaning of this or that tattoo, at once I carry back to that day when it was made, I remem-ber what the weather was this day, an interior of the studio, a face of the master and what we were speaking about, what I was thinking of in that mo-ment.

V_What is the greatest part of the city and the people where you live?

Sasha / At the moment I live in Rome and I’m in love with this city! I admire how surprisingly nature intertwines with architecture here. Walking in the downtown feels like you move in time. Locals decorate their balconies with flow-ers, it looks like botanical gardens. Besides they are very friendly and love animals.

The biggest danger to tattoo fans are infections. But you are exposed to the same danger, in a manicure salon or when you visit a dentist.

sashaunisex.com

@sashaunisex

giuseppe palmisano

bologna

photographer

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GIUSEPPEPALMISANO

“The delicacy and harmony of the body, are my favourite traits in women.”

In the case of female intimacy, the bare breasts and lace panties are secondary to the obscurely seductive, and at times sterile portraits from Giuseppe Palmisano.

Palmisano seems to find just the right harmony between cumbrous props and wistful figures under the theme of love and abandonment. His work may require a jour-ney through conceptual land, asking viewers to rethink the prop while tapping an emotional proximity to his subjects. No doubt, the young blood is as playful as he is morose in triggering an engaging perspective on the language of the body in its most unexpected positions, and places.

The Bologna-born creative, both writer and photographer, isn’t shy about the chal-lenges that come with being a young artist in Italy. Although at 28, he has already been spotted in over 20 magazines including Juxtapoz, Buzzfeed, Bored Panda, and racked up a nice IG audience. With his heart at home in Italy, and his eyes on New York, timing seems right to sneak a word in before he’s back on the go.

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V_ Hi. Lamps, plastic heads, mattresses, female nudity, road-sides and nature… Does your work have a common theme, and are your collections interconnected? GP / Hi, yes I think so. I’m trying to share my vision of female intimacy, but without telling a story, rather through an aes-thetic or an unusual scenario. I gave my life to art, at any time I see the world through the lens of art, not only when I take a picture or I produce something.

V_Women. Is there a pattern with the women you photo-graph? What is the magic in these portraits for you, and what do you find are the most cherished traits in women? GP / I work with all the women, but I prefer them without tattoos. I want to create a picture out of time, that’s the magic. The theme of ‘the abandoned’ is very present in my work, and also the theme of ‘the end of a love story.’ Delicacy and Harmony (of the bodies) are my favourite traits in women. And, a naked woman never seems hilari-ous, on the contrary, a man is too hard to put naked in a photo.

Every day for me is a discovery of what I can do, with video, performances, or other ways to ex-press myself. The city where I live, but only in the night, is a very peaceful place. Also the sea in the winter.

issue A : winter 2018 V

V_What are some technologies used in your photography work? Do you welcome emerging digital technology with regard to your craft? GP / I don’t have a digital camera. I bought an analogue one and I’m experimenting with that now, but I shoot with very different kinds of technologies as reflex, mirror-less, or as with this last period the iPhone ( I used the iPhone too much)..V_ A memory when you laughed so hard?

GP / I remember very well the day when I visited the big ship where my uncle worked. I laughed so hard at some stand up comedian’s show.

V_ Do you have any fears? GP / In this period I’m too much of a hypochondriac. Everything about sickness scares me a lot, so death (and the dead) is one of my real fears.

V_ Do you strive to have a social or cul-

tural impact with your photography?

GP / I believe in the social and cultural impact of art. I use photog-raphy to meet people and create a kind of public art with my shows. Also, on the web I try to interact daily with my followers.

V_ How much does the reaction of an

audience impact how you feel about

your own work and your future projects?

GP / My artistic background comes from theatre. I was an actor, and the reaction of an audience is so important to know where you are going, and to suggest the direction ahead. I learned to work with the audience, but not for the audience.

“...I prefer to know the girl that I have to photograph the same day of the shooting. If there are too many people while I shoot, it is quite uncomfortable for me.”

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V_ You have exhibited around Italy, while having some great international coverage. Where would you like to showcase abroad?

GP / I hope so much. It is not easy for a young and Italian artist to go abroad. I’m try-ing to go in the US. I dream of an exhibition in New York. People there are very interested in my work, and I feel something that calls me there. I hope.

V_ What do you love most about your coun-try, and what have been some challenges

GP / I have loved the traditions of my coun-try that have given me a lot of inspiration, but is not easy to work only with art here, like i’m doing now. People start to recognise your talent only when you have some interna-tional coverage. So I want to go showcase my work abroad and then maybe return here.

GIUSEPPEPALMISANO

“I learned to work with the audience, but not for the audience.”

giuseppepalmisano.com

@iosonopipo

marc torralba

barcelona

creative / marketing

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MARCTORRALBABarcelona. Felines, DJ Sets + Urbanwear

For anyone new to the concept store scene, welcome. Customers walk into a carefully curated storefront for a unique, even unusual shopping experience. A concept store could go like this: You enter, light strikes you right as you peruse the denim bar before finding yourself looking at shaving kits and the next thing you know a barista brings you a macchiato and you’re watching a live jazz band in the back of the store. You walk out having purchased the coffee mug (made in Sweden), the chair you sat in (Eames ottoman), a pair of socks (made in Japan) and maybe the drumsticks at checkout? The experience sold.

Now imagine a concept store in Barcelona where you can shop local urbanwear, dance, water some plants, and adopt a cat. Real thing. Designer DJ and cat enthusiast Coyu had a wild vision he fervently pursued. Plush with raw plywood, an urban jungle and an array of feline themed clothing, the niche concept store welcomed a stylish crowd at the Suara Store official launch in November 2016.

But while the mastermind Coyu was hitting the road and hustling his plan, right hand man Marc Torralba was building the brand. Marc was a particularly interesting find, as the head of communi-cations and new projects behind Suara Store, the seasoned visionary tapped his own creative and marketing juices to bring Suara Store alive in Barcelona’s niche district, Born. Meet Marc. Seven hours of sleep on average. No regrets. Fan of Moby remixes. Zero superstitions.

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V / How did you join forces with Suara, and what branding and marketing existed before you arrived?

Marc / I knew about the Suara project before I landed at Suara. I had been working for ten years in press agencies in Barcelona and Madrid when Coyu (The Big Cat) proposed me to change my comfortable position to discover Suara’s universe. The Suara philosophy was totally authentic before I arrived. We are not talking about brand positioning, we are talking about real values inside the team, but they didn’t put it in a document and include them in the brand DNA. I ex-tracted their philosophy, to give it a form and put it into com-munication tools. Suara is more than a fashion brand, I believe in this amazing project and I need to show their soul to the world.

V / How did you discover Gaas, the designer, and decide on his work for the launch of Suara?

Marc / Gaas is a multidisci-plinary artist with a fascinating imagination. Suara is Gaas and Gaas is Suara, one of the most important mainstays of Suara. Coyu was the person who discovered Gaas. Coyu is an in-tuitive person and he knew that

Gaas would be our art director when he saw his work. It’s a plea-sure for me to work with Gaas, not only talking about designing and his art but also for the way he works and sees life.

V / What is the audience in mind with regard to the Suara brand? (animal lovers, music lovers, fashionistas, locals, late twenties, mom?)

Marc / Suara was created for young spirits, design lovers and music lovers but more importantly, we produce for conscious people looking for something different from fast fashion; People who know what they want to buy. We work with ethical production and sustain-able materials. We are headed towards a demanding audience that appreciates special designs and we are proud to say that these type of people are around the world, for this reason we are also shipping worldwide.

V / How do you see art and culture has changed in the past 5-10 years?

Marc / I like to see the world like a washing machine. It started slowly spinning a thousand years ago and with the passing

of time the rhythm it is faster and faster. Technology, like the internet is connecting the world and cultures. All artists have the possibility to show their art through the internet, but you will connect with people if your art stands out from the centre of this big data. Arts and cultures are mixing in quickly and trend-ing. It’s amazing and a little stressful too.

V / What are some of your favourite places in Barcelona, and what do you love the most about the city, the people and the culture?

Marc / I love to travel and discover other cultures, but Barcelona is one of my favourite cities. In front of the Suara Store you can find the “Mercat del Born”, an old market. Ten years ago with it’s reformation, they discovered Roman ruins under the market. It’s amazing to visit this old market and find, with little imagination, how Romans lived thousands of years ago. Modernism is part of the recent history of the city and I love the philosophy because the art together with the nature are a perfect match.

MARC TORRALBA

We are out to show the world that they can find humour and graphic fashion with sus-tainable materials.

Suara artist

@gaas_artwork

above The Cat House @ the Suara Foundation

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As a good Mediterranean

man, I’m in love with our gas-

tronomy and our wines; You

could find many gastronomy

jewels in the popular restau-

rants. My favourite paella is

cooked at the Maians restau-

rant in the Barceloneta.

V / Do you believe art has the power to influence society and has the power to create change? Do you hope to see the Suara Project impact social and creative circles?

Marc / Absolutely, of course! Art is an important figure in culture and could help change minds and open eyes to creative people. It’s not a wish, it’s a reality. In Suara Foun-dation we are working to help street cats and we are also creating educational work.

For example, we are preparing talks to schools about the importance of preserving nature with visits to the Suara Foundation. If we talk about Suara like a fashion brand, we expect that our way will work to inspire more fashion brands. Society still has the idea that sustainable fashion is boring, but we are out to show the world that they can find humour and graphic fashion with sustainable materi-als.

V / At Suara, if someone wants to adopt a cat, are they ready with vaccinations and already have names? What do they cost to adopt?

Marc / At the Suara Foundation all the cats are vaccinated and we give them names, but the new family could change their name if they prefer. For the Suara Foundation one healthy cat could be more than 300€ in terms of veterinary care but we never demand pay for adoption, we ac-cept donations to continue help-ing more cats. We study closely every cat character and family life style because we want to find the best relationship.

V / How do the cats arrive at the adoption center?

Marc / We are in contact with animal shelters from Barcelona. We try to help cats with prob-lems, with veterinary needs and with a friendly spirit. First, they receive veterinary care, for example sterilisation, or if they have suffered damages they will receive correct treatment. When they are ok, they arrive to the foundation.

They stay in a specialised quar-antine room and when they are ready and prepared, we then open the door and let our new cats to have a relationship with the other cats of the foundation It’s a lengthy process but it’s nec-essary for the cats’ welfare.

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All time favorite film? Amelie.

a Blan

V / More about you. What was your childhood like & are there artists in your family?

Marc / I was the only child in my family. I suppose that this fact helped me develop my imagi-nation, the passion to observe quietly all around me, and to savour friendships, is like one of the best gifts you’ll have. I love the aesthetic in all the (friends) expressions and the aesthetic bal-ance. I just remembered that I had a ying-yang pendant when I was eight years old. When I was a child I did not know the meaning of this important symbol!

Also, my mother loves painting and crafts, and I inherited this pas-sion too. I think that every person has an artist inside. It’s beautiful to express who we are.

V / One of your greatest experiences in life?

Marc / Sorry, but I got married last month and it has eclipsed all the past experiences. But I must con-fess that I love music festivals and enjoy the energy created around a concert, it’s so exciting to feel the atmosphere. I still remember the energy around Benjamin Clemen-tine at Vida Festival last year.

V / Greatest professional accom-plishment thus far?

Marc / When I began to work in Suara this year. In the past, I have been fortunate to work with many Spanish designers and important international brands but one of my most satisfactory project was working with The Woolmark Company in the Campaign for wool. This campaign was success-ful in Spain and has an important

mission on the education of wool as a natural fiber that respects the environment. I know that in the near future Suara Store will be a greatest professional accomplish-ment.

V / Some of your music faves, and music inspirations?

Marc / I’m so eclectic! I’m in love with the surrealism, specifically with Salvador Dalí as an artist and character. The art of Alphonse Mu-cha. The fighter spirit of Vivienne Westwood. The aesthetic of Horst P. Horst. In the musical universe I’m more eclectic… In the same day I can listen songs of Yann Tiersen, Charles Aznavour, Soft Cell, Freddy Mercury, The Divine Comedy, Moby, Amy Winehouse or Coyu.

Founder,

Foundation

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V / Speaking of music. How do you plan to create the club and dj scene at this location (particularly how do you recruit artists and what is the ambience you hope to create)?

Marc / Nowadays we have vinyls of the Suara Label. In the future, we will do talks around the music and we will have a DJ table for public meetings to enjoy live music.

V / Did you have any doubts or reservations about the Suara Store opening?

Marc / Suara Store is an ambitious and risky project but we are convinced that it is so different than any other project, for this reason we are going to put a lot of effort into communica-tion and quality products. We strongly believe that the Suara Project will be successful.

In Suara Store you could buy ethic and sustainable fashion with an important design, load up on music and art and you can adopt a cat, too! We are thinking to explore more art spheres, Suara Store will be an idea lab.

MARCTORRALBA

suara-store.com

@suara-store

We are sure that Suara Store will be a new meeting point for artists, cat lovers and music lovers in Barcelona.

facebook.com/gaasdesign

@gaas-artwork

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nikola tamindzic

new york

photographer

nikola tamindzic

It’s been over a year since my interview with the New York fashion photographer, and former Gawker editor. And since the launch of his titilating project, Fucking New York, Tamindzic has contin-ued his craft while also touting the release of his art book which includes the full visual experience on your coffee table.

While women pose in their most liberating physical positions, Nikola Tamindzic extracts the animal within orgasmic freedom and female sexuality on the streets of New York City.

FUCKING NEW YORK

Fucking New York is an art series of photographs and installations that capture the magnetism of human behavior beyond the city’s architectural constraints. Limitless and totally relevant.

Earlier last year the high profile art & fashion photographer gained a huge following with the showcase of Girls Girls Girls, an installation art show featuring the project Fucking New York. He recently announced the global tour of FNY and also released a book last month. This month we got to speak with the artist himself about how it all began.

The Serbian native and NYC veteran touches upon his conceptual, technical and personal moti-vation behind the evolving project. On a Wednes-day in November. 10pm in Rome. 4pm in New York. I called Nikola. As he prepared hot tea and I poured red wine the conversation unraveled in a stream of consciousness, fragments and tangents revolving around the building of Fucking New York.

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V_What is about New York? So many of us can’t put down in words what keeps the pulse of this city so alive, and yet photos seem to captures every time. Would you say it’s one of the most adventurous and rewarding cities to photograph? What other cities in the world do you find compelling to photograph?

Nikola / Fuck if I know. What I mean is, every shot I make of NYC, within Fucking New York or not, is an attempt to crack the mystery. But yes — there’s an energy that is unlike anywhere else, and that makes it incredibly compelling. Then there’s the deep, deep mythology involved as well — the way NYC presents itself.

The way we who live here completely buy into the mythology as well — that each day is a snapshot from a movie, that “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”, that all the discomforts of NYC life are worth it — sounds like a dysfunctional romantic relationship with someone you mythologize, doesn’t it?

Fucking New York seems like a more sensible idea in this city than it would in many others. Other cities? They’re different, and it takes time, and actually living there and not just visiting, to find out their angle, past the tour-ist landmarks. For example, my feeling is Fucking Paris would involve courtyards rather than streets, and people crawling the walls and ceilings of their apartments.

The women I shoot are truly collaborators — we talk a lot about their own sexuality, their desires, likes and dislikes, and try to incorporate as much of that into each shot

NIKOLA

Tamindzic

New York is the 20th century city - like Paris is the 19th century city — and I think it would be great to live & create work in a city that’s shap-ing up to be the 21st century city. Which one would that be? Shang-hai, maybe? I’m looking forward to finding out.

V_Breasts. An integral part of the concept and women entirely. Was there a particular look you were after? And although the material dodges profanity it reaches for promiscuity and somehow remains shall we say, tasteful? Had you set limits within your shots for this project?

Nikola / Lately I’ve been pushing in a more visceral direction, and no matter the amount of flesh or bodily fluids, the whole thing — to my eyes at least — stays tasteful. Marilyn Minter is a good example — no matter how close she pushes the camera to mouths, tongues and pubic hair, and then coats them in goo, it’s still firmly in the art camp. The profanity you men-tion is more in the intent, as far as I’m concerned — who the work is aimed at, and to what purpose. The women I shoot are truly col-laborators — we talk a lot about their own sexuality, their desires, likes and dislikes, and try to incor-porate as much of that into each shot — the action is never pushed on them, and there have been a few happy occasions where I had to play catch-up with what the model wanted to do.

I think you can tell all this just by looking at the photos, by the level of comfort and abandon on display. Other than the premise of reacting to the city sexually, and feeling free to do so, we’re not enacting my personal fantasies — what’s hap-pening in the frame comes from women being photographed, and their own sexuality, and that comes across — and that’s ultimately what makes it “tasteful” for me, or more precisely, ethically sound.

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NIKOLA

Tamindzic

the_verbose50

NIKOLA

Tamindzic

We all move to New York to pursue our dreams, to play in the highest leagues, to be the best in what we do, to be the king or queen of New York. To me, that’s such a human quest — doomed to failure, often hilarious, but also filled with dignity.

at religious ecstacy or an orgasm.

(There’s not much difference anyway.) Mouth open, exhal-

ing, like something is about to be born. There is this goofy

line from Sex and the City, “when you live in New York you’re

in relationship with New York.” It’s very true. That’s where

Fucking New York started — if the city is your most important,

most intense relationship when you live here, what would sex

with it look like? It’s a relationship filled with an incredible

energy. Good or bad.

V_What would screwing New York City actually look like? When you look back at your work, are you able to answer that question?

Nikola: The answer is in impossibility, in delusion involved.

We all move to New York to pursue our dreams, to play in the

highest leagues, to be the best in what we do, to be the king

or queen of New York. To me, that’s such a human quest —

doomed to failure, often hilarious, but also filled with dignity.

In the collection there are environments where the subjects

appears completely exposed, literally lying out on the street

or near a phone booth, and then there are images of the

subject in crevices, tucked away, or indoors or in a place that

could be their home. Was this a conscious treatment? Nikola:

Fucking New York is a purposefully rambling series, if you

will. It was always conceived as a book (so, let’s say, a 100

images), rather than a tight gallery presentation of 20 photos.

So I always aimed for a broad edit — mostly skewed towards

public spaces, outdoors, and even indoor shots don’t register

as homes to me, they feel like common spaces, like hotel

hallways.

V_How did this project begin, creatively and motivationally? And I want to learn about the technical aspect that went into the look and feel of this collection.

Nikola / There was a reaction against the kind

of work involved in fashion photography. I wanted

less big production — me, model, one assistant.

I wanted to focus on play, not technique, and I want-

ed to create a situation in which happy accidents

occur, as opposed to super streamlined photo-

shoots with a large crews. Fashion productions are

wonderful, but oftentimes the shoot really happens

in pre-production. I knew this project needed to be

shot in the streets, with a certain uncanny look. That

cliche of New York nudes, ie. plopping glamourous

naked women on rooftops with the New York skyline

in the background… that whole thing, that couldn’t

happen.

No easy signifiers of New York, no fire escapes, no

brick walls, no rooftops, no skylines. You almost

never see the sky in Fucking New York. With

Manhattan in particular, there is a claustrophobia,

a feeling of being walled in. This brings about the

disparity between the size of the city, and limitations

of our own bodies. How does a person fuck a city?

How do you wrap your arms — or indeed legs —

around a concept?

Before Fucking New York officially started, I noticed

a certain commonality to the photos I kept making

– photos depicting weird moments where sex and

religion overlap — you’re not sure if you’re looking

the_verbose52

“I chose women who could fall into this story — who could make you feel like you’re witness-ing a very private mo-ment that just happens to be unfolding in pub-lic, with no spectators, and even if there were other people passing by, they wouldn’t care.

V_About the role of women. The look you were after, can you elaborate?

Nikola / Women in the series feel alone, have no connection with camera, not posing for observer’s pleasure. The camera shoots from the position of a random persom who just hap-pened to be walking by, or looking out their office’s window.

So I chose women who could fall into this story — who could make you feel like you’re witness-ing a very private moment that just happens to be unfolding in public, with no spectators, and even if there were other people passing by, they wouldn’t care. Working closely with them, trying to tie in their personal fantasies and preferences was absolutely key — both to help them bring out something real from themselves, and for me to remaine surprised. If you know too much about what’s happening you tend to repeat yourself.

NIKOLA

Tamindzic

V _ Men in ths shoot...

Nikola / I aimed to have as many different people in the shoot — a cross-section of New Yorkers. Most of the time, shooting fashion means shooting slim twenty-something white girls, and so bringing in diversity was really important to me. Originally, this included men, as well. You can just pic-ture it — men, literally fucking the city, like in ancient fertility rituals. No matter how I tried, men wouldn’t be a part of it (usually with the same quote, “no one wants to see that shit.”)

Initially I was quite disappoint-ed, but then I came across this documentary called “Married to the Eiffel Tower”, about a com-munity of people who fall in love with objects, fetishize and marry them. As it turns out, all mem-bers of this community were women — so maybe there’s something about fluidity of female sexuality that just lends itself well to Fucking New York, and male sexuality simply doesn’t work the way I figured it would. (pause. a shift in energy.)

NIKOLA

the_verbose54

V_ At what age did you embark upon pho-tography? What are some goals you have for yourself and your work at this point in your career?

Nikola / Photography appealed to me from an early age — my dad had a Nikon he took lots of family photos with — and I think there may have been a brief attempt to shoot film in mid ‘90s. But nothing happened until after I moved, and came across a Sony digital camera in an office I worked at — I remem-ber it being a huge contraption that took 3 1/2 inch floppy disks. FLOPPY DISKS! So ancient. But that’s where the door opened — with digital — and there was so much joy to it, same joy millions of people have experienced with their cell phones over the past 10 years.

NIKOLATAMINDZIC

NIKOLA

Tamindzic

“I grew up in Belgrade, lived through the happy ‘70s and ‘80s in Yugoslavia, and the thoroughly awful ‘90s in Serbia. After the NATO bombing of Belgrade in ’99, I decided that all of that was all quite interesting etc. but it may be time to just get the fuck out.”

nikolatamindzic.com

@nikolatamindzic

the_verbose56

A16CA anna

cyprus

artist

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It’s not everyday we hear about great artists in Cyprus, let alone Cyprus. But the Mediterranean treasure, rich in Neolithic history and exotic coastlines, is home to Anna Kövecses, a Hungar-ian artist and mother whose work and life captures the modern beauty of the ancient island.

We discovered Anna’s work in an Insta-gram post about a Warby Parker store opening in North Carolina. And then we discovered Anna. Laced in stories, Anna is ethereal, full of soul, and adventurous, as she opens up about motherhood and being a professional artist in a place so geographically remote.

Sometimes I day-dream about quitting everything and starting a whole new life ...

Kövecses

the_verbose58

V_ What are some of the most beautiful places in the world? And where would you like to explore?Anna / Right now the most beauti-ful place for me is our home, a small village on the Southern shore of Cyprus surrounded by gentle hills, hundred-year-old olive plantations and a white cliff trimmed stretch of deep blue sea. I won’t lie to you, it’s not always been the most beautiful place in my mind. We’ve spent days in much more picturesque spots of the world, but finally this village became the place where we found harmony and peace and I think the place that you can are calling home is always the most beautiful.

Although, we have recently been playing with the idea of taking a year off from work and school, buy-ing an old but strong sailing boat and crossing the Atlantic to explore South America.

Sometimes I day-dream about quitting everything and starting a whole new life ...

59issue A : winter 2018

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V_ Anna, will you share with us about your art + design back-ground and your career journey to today.

Anna / I don’t really have a proper

design background. I never went to

any art school, just kind of figured

things out myself after becoming a

mama at the age of 20. I had no job

and no profession so I got myself

a couple of books and albums on

art and design and made up some

imaginary projects for myself so that

I could practice. At the beginning

I was more focused on graphic de-

sign and logo making, then I slowly

shifted towards illustration and

started experimenting with imagi-

nary posters and book covers. Then

these early experiments became

a bit popular on social media and

suddenly I became a proper illustra-

tor with proper big clients.

V_Your colors and shapes are distinct, and your style recog-nizable. How does an artist like yourself arrive at a particular style, and how do you see your work has evolved over the years?

Anna / I think these early, self

initiated, non-stressed and playful

projects were the ones that let

me find my voice as an artist and

develop my “style”. However I

don’t really believe in the “Find your

signature style and stick to it” type

of approach. I constantly feel that

I need to do something new that

wasn’t there before. I need the thrill

of surprise and the feeling of flow

and excitement that comes with ex-

perimenting and finding new forms

and colors and layers inside myself.

Commissioned projects hardly ever

provide this opportunity but that’s

fine. You have to set a line between

yourself as an artist and your other

self as an illustrator.

V_What is one goal you strive to achieve with every piece of work you complete (i.e. harmony, a balance of color, a sale, a per-sonal story within each piece)?

Anna / I like working on stuff that

makes me happy. I know it doesn’t

sound like the biggest revelation of

all times but I can’t really find bet-

ter suiting words. I love observing

everyday objects or happenings

around me and translate them into

something two dimensional in a sim-

ple and effortless visual language.

And It makes me very happy and

grateful that other people find plea-

sure in looking at the outcomes.

V_How much of your daily life is consumed with your art? And do you move throughout your life with an artistic lens?

Anna / My work and my personal

life are pretty much blurred into

each other, with some cleaner and

more organized morning hours

when my kids are at school. But still

my everyday life is what fuels my

work and provides inspiration for

new ideas.

I am deeply inspired by my sur-

roundings at the moment: beautiful

landscapes, Mediterranean villages,

vibrant fruits, mamahood, pregnan-

cy, cooking healthy dishes… these

are all saturating my world and I’d

love to pour them into paint jars and

fill canvases with them. Ok, this is

maybe too much, but you know, I’m

pregnant and the hormones speak

from me.

V_How do you define a piece of art as a “masterpiece” – and what is one of your favorite masterpieces?

Anna / I don’t know, I think a

masterpiece can be anything really.

It’s very personal and subjective and

even one person’s opinion changes

constantly over time. A masterpiece

can be something accidental or not

manmade even. But it is something

so perfect and full of beauty that

changing any little detail of it would

destroy its charm immediately.

Right now my favorite masterpieces

are some beautifully minimal bronze

age clay figures I recently saw at the

anthropological museum in Nicosia,

an Italian movie from the 90’s called

Mediterraneo, a drawing of a huge

yellow camel my daughter did for

me and the sourdough bread I bake

twice every week which is so forgiv-

ing that turns out to be the perfect

artesian loaf even if I break all rules

in the recipe because of being

miserably oblivious. And of course

anything Matisse did.

Kövecses

“Getting love and appreciation from others is a basic need of every human being. We are viewing ourselves as reflections in other people’s eyes...”

the_verbose62

She was pretty good at everything from painting romantic oil landscapes to knitting fancy sweaters and decorating her house in a communist plywood-meets-turk-ish delight oriental style.

V_What is one of your greatest childhood memories? And did you grow up with artistic influences?

Anna / I had a stormy childhood with lots of moving, di-

vorced parents, frequent changing of schools, etc. Anyway,

there was a period that is extremely kind to my heart. For a

while we lived in a tiny village by the mountains where peo-

ple still lived a life that was strongly dependent on nature.

There was only one road running through the village and

days could pass without seeing a car driving by. A handful

of houses were scattered over rolling green hills and we

got fresh eggs and milk every morning from our neighbors.

Forests were abundant with berries and mushrooms and

we spent our entire summer wandering around flower filled

meadows. This period has strongly influenced the person I

became and my love for nature and slow paced life.

Kövecses

The only person with an artistic

vein in my family was my grandma.

Anything she did held her creative

touch. She was pretty good at ev-

erything from painting romantic oil

landscapes to knitting fancy sweat-

ers and decorating her house in a

communist plywood-meets-turkish

delight oriental style. She would

also sing us opera excerpts while

baking her famous strudels. Actually

she was the first one to encourage

me to step on the road to an artistic

career. Although she probably pic-

tured me becoming a ceramic artist

like her great idol Margit Kovacs.

V_What is a personal challenge that you have overcome in your life? And has it impacted your approach to your artwork?

Anna / Sometimes balancing work

and life as an artist can be pretty

challenging. On one hand it’s a

fabulous thing to show your kids

new perspectives of the world, to

treat each dinner, each hand sewn

cuddly toy or sand castle as a piece

of art. But on the other hand, having

to put down the paintbrush in the

middle of the greatest creative flow

to transform back into a mama and

read the same picture book for the

thousandth time can be sometimes

a bit frustrating too. I like to look at

these moments as lessons that teach

me patience and tolerance and also

as opportunities to step back and

let my ideas and work mature in my

head until I can get back to them

and finish what was left abandoned.

V_If you were not an illustra-tor, what do imagine your life would be like otherwise?

Anna / I’m sure I would have somehow ended up with a creative job. I’m sometimes day-dreaming about quitting everything and starting a whole new life as a baker or a seam-stress or a travel book author.

the_verbose64

NORTH CAROLINA

“I wanted to explore two people sharing a still moment of reading their summer books silently beside each other. They are physically close, their bodies interlaced and face each other, but part of their minds are submerged in two different worlds, which I think reflects a calm and relaxed trust and harmony between the two of them and us. Nothing is really happening in the illustration and still you can feel emotions in the air.”

Kövecses

the_verbose64

NORTH CAROLINA

V_ Your project with Warby Parker in North Carolina, talk about how it bagan and what you enjoyed.

Anna / I have worked with Warby Parker before and they have always been one of those rare but pre-cious clients who gave me their trust and creative freedom. Our first collaboration was a design for one of their limited edition square cleaning cloths and our second collaboration (the mural for their North Carolina store) has been a sequel of this original cloth illustra-tion.

I wanted to explore two people sharing a still moment of read-ing their summer books silently besides each other. They are physi-cally so close, their bodies inter-lace and face each other but part of their minds are submerged in two different worlds. Which I think reflects a calm and relaxed trust and harmony between the two of them and us, the viewers who are allowed to get a glimpse of this intimate moment. Nothing is really happening in the illustration and

still you can feel emotions in the air. Which I think is really exciting when combined with a busy shop location.

V_ How much does the reac-tion of an audience impact your work?

Anna / Of course it has an im-pact. Getting love and apprecia-tion from others is a basic need of every human being. We are viewing ourselves as reflections in other people’s eyes. I would lie if I said that the opinions of others, numbers of my followers or positive comments under my instagram posts didn’t count to me at all. But the fact that this counts doesn’t mean that this is the only thing that counts.

I’m not doing my work to gather “likes” but because I find pleasure in the very act of doing it. Getting positive feedback from the world encourages me to carry on and motivates me as a fuel. Making others happy through your work feels great.

annakovecses.tumblr.com

@annakovecses

V_ Where do you see yourself and your work in the future?

Anna / I feel more and more that balancing an illustration career, a demanding family life and my own artistic projects is growing to be a bigger task than what I can handle. I will definitely have to shift weights between them, which is fine and I’m happy about it. It’s the kind of change that life brings along and you cannot really do much about it but go with the flow.

I’m dreaming about using my maternity leave from commercial work as an excuse to explore myself more as an artist and reflect on this very special period of my life through painting, drawing and (maybe) children’s book making. This is a very utopist dream, I know and there’s a high chance it will be washed away by sleepless nights and roaring chaos but it’s a nice plan anyway.

the_verbose66

soloman

wadi rum

bedouin

S19WRB

On an evening in April we arrived at the base camp of Wadi Rum where we parked our car, dropped off heavy luggage in a local home, and jumped into a jeep for a 20-minute ride into the desert. Just like that, we soon found ourselves among a small group of interna-tional travellers preparing for a homemade Bedouin dinner. While some sat with tea by the fire, and others wandered the sands, the host was cooking chicken and rice.

Later that night at various points in the dark we all noted the silence, the chill, and stargazed under a blanket of infinite solar treasures. We also convinced our host to take us into the base camp to watch an important European soccer match. Neighbors joined, floor seating for all, the kindest of friends, cigarettes abound, Arabic commentators over the big screen.

The next day, while touring the desert highlights (dunes, Lawrence legends, historic sites, rock struc-tures and family businesses) our host stopped along the way for tea, conversation, and shade. It was in between these jeep rides and sand slides together with a brief back and forth on WhatsApp months later, that I began to catpure the lives of these magical tribes under the sun in Wadi Rum, particularly that of one of our hosts, Solomon. While the story is still unfolding, we thougtht to share the early work-ings with the_verbose.

S19WRBph

the_verbose68

I feel free and the desert is like my kingdom and even with all the challenges I am proud to be a Bedouin. Solomon / Wadi Rum Sky

People have lived in Rum for thousands of years, struggling to

survive in its harsh environment. They have been hunters, pasto-

ralists, farmers and traders, as Rum is close to national borders.

Even the famous Nabateans once occupied Rum, leaving behind

several structures, including a temple.

Local people gained notoriety more recently when they joined

the arab revolt forces under the leadership of king Faisal and

fought along with Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt

(1917/18) to fight the occupying Turkish and German armies.

Lawrence himself makes many references to Wadi Rum in his

book ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The exploits of Lawrence

have become part of local folklore.

Virtually all the people living in and around Wadi Rum today are

of Bedouin origin and, until recently, led nomadic lives, relying on

their goat herds. They are resourceful, hospitable people who are

largely responsible for developing Wadi Rum as a tourist destina-

wadirumsky.com

@wadirumsky

tion.Recognizing the unique natural and cultural history of

Wadi Rum and the vital importance of tourism to the local

economy, the government of Jordan declared Wadi Rum a

protected area in 1998.

With support from the World Bank they commissioned the

Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a national

NGO, to prepare a conservation plan and build a team

of local people to manage the area. This team is now

under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and is

pioneering ways to restore and safeguard Rum’s sensitive

desert habitats from ever-increasing human pressure. Wadi

Rum is a protected area covering 720 square kilometers of

dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan. Huge

mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided,

from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 meters

and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into

the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings

etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bed-

ouin tribes still live among the mountains of Rum and their

large goat-hair tents are a special feature of the landscape.

Text in part by wadirum.jo

Solomon /Solomon runs a camp called Wadi Rum Sky. He was born

in the Wadi Rum desert in a Bedouin tent and became a

Bedouin because he grew up in the desert between the

Bedouin families.

“The greatest memories when

I was a child, are when we were

having the food with our nap-

pers and the old people were

telling us stories...We have no

ritual because we are muslim

and I follow muslim styles. The

beduoins sustain the skin of

animals; they clean it first, and

they use especially to keep

them safe from the sun.“

the_verbose70

the_verbose // word on the street

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well

by Meik Wiking icon by Mani Amini

“Danes are the happiest people in Europe according to the European Social Survey...”

WORD ON THESTREET

the_verbose72

maupal

street artist

M08RSA

the_verbose74

When something is on public domain, it is news. I strongly believe, there is a huge difference between art and decoration, vandalism and one’s propaganda (sometimes even just ‘art gallery’ is propaganda). It is our duty to translate what we are looking at and collect it in the right box. To do so, we should use our own knowledge and conscience.

Beyond the churches, the cacio e pepe and the Colosseum, there’s some fresh paint on the walls of Rome. From the heart of Vatican City to the corners of Testaccio, Pigneto and Ostiense, a current of social and political street art is penetrating the city as a modern backdrop to the ruins. Mauro Pallotta is one particular leading Italian force in the scene whose latest work, Tump and the Atomic Bomb #YesIcan, went up timely last Fall.

The Roman native has been a front row observer and participant in the changes (and lack thereof) throughout the romance and distress of the eternal city. He is known for Super Pope, posted around the corner from St. Peter’s Basilica, and for his original acrylic spray and wool steel technique among his approaches to mixed mediums. Little did he know that his 2014 Super Pope would have paved the way for global expo-

sure. The mural, which depicts a heroic pop art version of Pope Francis, was an overnight success. The Vatican Communications tweeted the artwork and within hours upon his return to the site, hundreds of journalists awaited him.

I first discovered Signor Pal-lotta, aka MauPal, on my morning routine through Borgo Pio when I walked by his stencil, Revolution, mice chasing a cat at the base of a wall. Curious about him and his artwork, I reached out to the artist to learn more about the man behind the murals.

V / Upon the completion of Super Pope, did you anticipate the reac-tion and notoriety that this work has gained? And did the suc-cess of Super Pope impact your approach to your work, or your following works knowing there was a much larger audience?

MP / I absolutely didn’t expect having such success with this im-age. The Super Pope was a spon-taneous street art event. Before sticking it to the wall, I even had some reservations about doing it: I was depicting the Pope, illegally, not far away from the Vatican city. It could be potentially dangerous for me as a person and for my career as an artist. After the mural, I haven’t changed the way I create street art, nor my media expec-tations. However, it is true that from 2014, my art pieces gained worldwide visibility. I am glad about it, because it means that the message of my work is universally readable.

the_verbose76

V_ Tell me about your back-ground, so we may better understand some of your work.What was growing up in Rome like, and do you remember certain events as a child?

MP / Growing up in the core centre of Rome has been a key element to my education and childhood. When you grow up surrounded by art pieces and historical ruins, you develop an aaesthetical inclination natu-rally. When I was 8, I realised that Art could be for me the language to use if I wanted to express myself, and so I started drawing my relatives’ portraits. However, I come from a very “common” family, and I don’t have any artists in my genea-logic tree.

V_ When did you decide to pursue your education at the Academy of Fine Arts? As a child, my parents sup-ported me drawing and playing with colours. Yet, when they realized that I wanted to pursue a career as an artist, they tried to stop me. They didn’t mean to be mean with me, but to pre-vent me from being economi-cally frustrated.

V_ As an artist, have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with ways to express your work and your messages? Having a strong political and social em-phasis throughout your work, do you find it imperative to consider your audience?

MP / My aim is to express complex political and social affairs in a simple way. My

wish is to make simple art that it is able to explain complex plots. In other words, I try to let people “read” the news via my artwork. To do so, my brush stroke is light, fun, ironic, and I use Pop symbols and oxymo-rons. These are my means to let the audience think about what is surrounding us, and let them be involved with it. I hope and believe, that using Pop art, simple colours and brief concepts, I can make it easy to understand the message for an audience with no interest in politics.

V_What are some of your favor-ite places to visit in Rome?

MP / They are too many to list here. I tell you just a couple of my favourites: the Pantheon, Santa Sabila al Oranges Garden and Sant Clemente in Laterano. This very basilica allows you per-ceiving the historical stratifica-tion I mentioned before.

V _ As a native, having spent time around the world and be-ing so committed to your city, and your country, what do you think has changed the most in the last five years about Italian culture? And how do you think art can retain the beauty of Ro-man culture and the authentic-ity of Italy?

MP / I believe that Italy is culturally too much linked to its ancient time. That said, every change is slower here than in the other Eastern countries. In a way, my job aims to push a quicker “progress” to the society. With “progress”, I mean awareness, modernization to an equal social structure of society and of public services.

V _ What is it about street art that makes news today? Do you think there is a line of dif-ferentiation between street as propaganda, as vandalism, art, education, communication? What are your thoughts in gen-eral about street art around the world as it continue to expand with a cult following?

MP / Globalization flattenedd social classes. I have internet on my mobile and so does the migrant beside me. That is a simple example, but it makes me feel like I am not that distant from him/her. We share some-thing we use in a day-to-day routine and this makes us feel closer to one other. Turning art into something urban made it available to everybody and owned by everyone. Thanks to some artists such as Banksy, who face political and social themes, street art has been accepted as something that concerns us all.

MAUPAL

“Globalization flattenedd social classes. I have internet on my mobile and so does the migrant beside me. That is a simple example, but it makes me feel like I am not that distant from him or her.”

the_verbose78 the_verbose78

the_verbose80

LONDON

“When something is on public domain, it is news. I strongly believe there is a huge difference between art and decoration, vandalism and one’s propaganda (sometimes even just ‘art gallery’ is propaganda). It is our duty to translate what we are looking at and collect it in the right box. To do so, we should use our own knowledge and conscience.”

the_verbose // / word on the street

LONDON

2014 V_ Who are some of your favourite street artists?

MP / My favourite stencil artist is Banksy, and a muralist Borondo. They are very different to each other and to me.

V_ How do you choose where to post your street art? You have pieces all around Rome, talk about selecting the final location.

MP / I believe the right moment is more important than the right place. Let’s think about my Santa Claus de-picted as a soldier in a battledress. But, it is true that I do care about finding the perfect location. Before fixing anything on wall, I look around to find the right match, and I don’t do any art if I don’t find the right home for my piece. The message comes first, than the place.

V_ Pasolini, and Hitchcock, and the Queen of England are among many icons you have portrayed. Can these figures live on through artwork? What other great international fig-ures have you thought about depict-ing in street art?

MP / The intellectual Pasolini himself is so surprising and fresh that his thoughts do still shock nowadays. He is so concrete and contemporary. I be-lieve Pasolini can be compared only with himself, but he can be depicted and promoted by everyone. Art is a way to do it. Referring to my next art pieces, I can guarantee I will touch some other internationally recognized icons, but I can’t tell you who!

mauropallotta.com

@ maupal.artist

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chad hasegawahawaii street art / painter@chadhasegawa

CURATED

TAXIS &

WALNUTS

the_verbose // / word on the street

shok-1londonaerosol x-ray street art@shok-1

koralieparisillustrator / street artist@realkoralie

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Himalayan Salt LampImproves air, sleep, allergies, energy and season affective disordericon by Anuar Zhumaev

the_verbose // / the internet of things

THE INTERNET OF THINGS

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S10PCT

S10PCT samuel

creative technologist

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Most emotionally intelligent consumers are very aware of their environment when making a purchase decision, online and in-person. Be-cause of increased sensories? Probably. More acute Pavlov-ian response to marketing? Maybe. With regard to all contributing factors, this heightened awareness gives brands a congenial opportu-nity to connect with people on a new emotional level: full on experiential.

It is precisely a creative technologist who can claim responsibility for these very experiences between humans and products. And when creativity enters, technology adapts if the right talent is in place.

Born in a room of young techies tasked to provide some entertainment for a work party, the project then called ‘Interactive Runner’ went from a warehouse in 2015 (enter Kinect software and gaming engine Unity3D) to music festival popup store (enter Fête de la musique) to Cannes Lion installation (en-ter RFID bracelet) to its most recent dream project real-ized: a video game in Webgl (Web Graphics Library associ-ated with 2D-3D rendering). With a screen tap console the user, a flying geometric furball, orbits at galactic speed through a neon milky way which reacts to the beat of your movements creating a personalized soundtrack. Follow? Dodge the moon rocks and rack up those glow rings to collect points: It’s called the Pursuit of Sound

SAMUEL

We worked with Kinect for the body detection and Unity3D, a game engine. We displayed the game on a Clear Channel screen. The type of game was not revolutionary because it was simply a runner, but with the body control, the experience was more interesting and more original for users.

Samuel Leroux is the millennial magic behind this joy-ride at Paris-based Biborg, a creative agency dedicat-ed to experiential design. It’s here where imagination comes to life and an A-team of developers patrol the pixels and the psyche, paving the tech turf for innova-tive human experiences. So we interviewed Samuel, to take our own joyride through the mind of a creative technologist. V_ Start from the beginning: what was the pur-pose and the plan? Where did you imagine users engaging with the game? (office, bar, backseat of a car, in line, in bed, the bathroom?)

SAMUEL / The project Pursuit of Sound began in February 2015. It was

not called ‘Pursuit of Sound’, it was just called ‘Interactive

Runner’. It had been designed for a party with our clients. We

wanted to propose a physical and interactive experience to

enjoy the party a little bit more and to show what we were

doing in the lab at Biborg. We decided to make a game, a

runner, where you control the player with your hips and the

goal being to avoid obstacles and catch items in order to

increase your score.

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the game through a video projection directly on the window of this popup store. There were more than 500 games played. It was also interesting for us to see how the people interacted directly with the installation and to have feedback in real time. It was new for us to work on a physical installation.

Following the “Fête de la Musique”, we redesigned the game at Cannes Lions.

In addition to the redesign, we changed the music and worked with Stereoplane, a French composer in Paris and we added the possibility to save your score with your name thanks to the RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) bracelet from the festival.

We commercialized the game for the first time for OnePlus, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer. It was deployed for a stand in the Geek’s Live event and O2 Tour in the UK. We redesigned the game once more in order to fit with the One Plus design.

After the success of Interactive Runner, we decided to deploy the game in a popup store for the “Fête de la Musique” in Paris.

The idea was just to make something interac-tive with people in the street. We adapted the game for this event by adding a music layer and renamed the project ‘Pursuit of Sound’. With this update, users could control the sound and create their own track with differ-ent samples and combinations. When you catch an item, you always increase your score and at the same time you enrich the music. The aim is also to go as far as you can and have the best score.

The music was composed by ÖLF. We worked together directly to create different combi-nations. We connected Unity with Ableton (professional DJ software) in MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) and the game worked like a MIDI controller for Ableton. For this event, we covered a popup store with stickers of the game and we displayed

At the same time, during the Cannes Lions and One plus events, we started exploring a new technology that we had been interested in for a long time : WebGL. Following some tests and experimentation we thought it was a good opportunity to fully realize the game in order to allow players to play anywhere and to share this project all over the world. This was the beginning of Pursuit of Sound in Webgl.

V_How does your team mea-sure the impact, or effectiveness of a project like this? How are users encour-aged to share their music?Samuel / To measure the impact, we use Google analytics to anal-yse visits and to see what works and doesn’t work; we can see who speaks about the game and we read user feedback on social networks. To receive feedback, we have requested votes on different award websites : FWA, Awwwards and css DesignAward. It’s an op-portunity to receive feedback from users and especially from profes-sionals.

V_ As the creative technologist, was the outcome aligned with your vision? Samuel /

Yes, the outcome was aligned with the initial vision. The aim was to have a game that works and looks like the original version. It was mainly a technical challenge to have a good performance with the same effects. The main creative and conceptual aspects were developed on the previous project - it was only an adaptation with some updates. We just had to find a good solution to control the game with a keyboard, mobile Google Cardboard.

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SAMUEL

“Children are already able to use a phone to play games when they are only 3 years of age. It’s a primitive usage but they are able to interact. Their relationships with technology and the internet will be very interesting over the next 20 years.”

V_ What technologies were utilized to implement the design, audio, and mo-tion graphics? Samuel /

We used web technologies to realize this project with different javascript libraries : ThreeJS for WebGL, BodyMoving and TweenMax for animation, HowlerJS for audio, etc.

There were five of us working on this project, Mathilde Jacon for the concepts, she has designed the look of the game and interfaces; Jeremy Devoos worked on the shaders and animations for the player and par-ticles; Nicolas Mathis created the 3D models; Karine Miloudi worked on the copywriting and I worked on the technical part of the game : the engine, interfaces, animations, 3D integration and sound.

V_ How many people were involved in the making of this?Samuel / We have different people who punctually help us on different parts of the project. When the project is ex-perimental, we always try to involve different people in the agency.

V_What is something that blows your mind everyday? Does any-thing scare you?Samuel /

Time. I want more time to test to proto-type and to learn different technologies. Not very scare but surprised by the speed to use technologies for the next generation, children are already able to use a phone to play games when they are only 3 years, it’s a primitive us-age but they are able to interact.

Their relationships with technologies and internet will be very interesting in the next 20 years. For my generation I was born at the be-ginning of internet, I follow its building but for this generation they had directly a developed internet a world where all is connect.

V_ What are your daily news sources?Samuel / I use Twitter, Facebook and VK very often. I also developed a platform with a chrome ex-tension to share links inside the agency, clas-sified by tags and categories. It allows us to have a collaborative monitoring of the news.

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V_ For those new to the terms UX /UI - will you provide us with your best description and what makes great UX/UI?

Samuel / In my opinion, UI is what you see between you and the machine. It’s visually what your interface looks like. UX, is the comfort. You are able to find what you want, the organization is efficient, the interactions with the machine are simple and the service given by the machine is clear and easy to understand. According to me, UX has to be logical and simple to use and to understand for your target.

You have to be able to know why you choose to click, why you choose to swipe, why you place this button here, why you choose this wording… And if you are not able to use what is better you can prototype to test the best solution directly on users Before you begin your UX strategy, the most important thing is to iden-tify and to know your audience in order to give them the best possible answers.

V_ How much of your daily life is consumed with your profession? Are you constantly thinking and creating outside of work?

Samuel / A lot of my time is consumed with my work - I am constantly thinking and creating outside of work. I’m really pas-sionate about my job and I have to always be aware of what is new, how the things work anhow to mix technology in order to imagine new interactions and new concepts. At home, I try to work on personal projects I have in my mind but it’s not always easy to have the time.

V_ Have advancements in UX and interactive design made life more interesting?

Samuel / The advancements in UX and interactive design have made life more interesting and obviously more comfortable. It

allows us to have the best inter-faces, to reduce the friction and the understanding between the humans and technology.

The more efficient the UX and the UI, the easier it is to under-stand the service and users are more satisfied by the service. UX

and UI are the first feelings with your product before the service is rendered.

V_And do you believe experi-ential design has the power to impact decision making?

Samuel / Yes, experiential design has the power to impact decision making. An experience and a design are a vector of emotion. When you are able to share an emotion with a user you directly impact his decision. At Biborg we are experiencing continuously, it’s in our DNA.

V_How much of user experi-ence is non-verbal?

Samuel / Most of our clients are in entertainment so their audi-ence needs to interact, to play, to be surprised in order to live a real experience. The non-verbal user experiences are the interactions, the user transposes a thought / a decision directly through an interaction. An interaction can be a click, a swipe, a body move-ment, a displacement, a facial movement…And now you can also interact with your thoughts wearing a neuronal headset. The electrical signal is generated by your thoughts are directly anal-ysed to create defined interac-tions on an interface.

SAMUEL

And now you can also interact with your thoughts wearing a neuronal headset. The electrical signal is generated by your thoughts are directly analysed to create defined interactions on an interface.

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Samuel /

We used web technologies to realize this project with different javascript libraries : ThreeJS for WebGL, BodyMoving and TweenMax for animation, HowlerJS for audio, etc. There were five of us working on this project, Mathilde Jacon for the concepts, she has designed the look of the game and interfaces;

Jeremy Devoos worked on the shaders and anima-tions for the player and particles; Nicolas Mathis created the 3D models; Karine Miloudi worked on the copywriting and I worked on the technical part of the game : the engine, interfaces, animations, 3D integra-tion and sound.

We have different people who punctually help us on different parts of the project. When the project is ex-perimental, we always try to involve different people in the agency.

Samuel /

(You can find me) in Nantes, Paris or London; at the cinema, playing rugby, drinking beers with friends… I have been graduated for 1 year and I am at Biborg for over 3 years. (Previously) I did internships at startups and agencies. I also realized websites during my stud-ies at HETIC, especially through datavisualization with Eurosport for the FIFA world cup in 2014.

V_ When you are not working, where can we find you? Also, what were you doing leading up to Biborg?

V_ When planning a project, do you ap-proach the project as a user yourself? Do your own emotional pref-erences influence the overall experience?

Samuel /

The experience of this project was different than a classic project because we had no client brief. So, it was completely free and without any restrictions. We decided what we wanted to do. Usually, I work on pro-totype, conception, I test new technologies so it was a prototype ++ nearby a production.

It was a project with a new technology so it was sometimes difficult because we had to learn a lot and we didn’t know when we started a feature if it was possible or not. When you discover a new technol-ogy along the project, you depend of what you are able to realize. When I developed a feature maybe the next week I have to redevelop this feature with my last discovers. In this case, during the development, the project has changed a lot. For example, at the beginning, I used 3D models for mountains, finally I realized it was better to generate directly with code and algorithm for terrain generation my own model. It was more flexible, I could random the mountains and animate them. This example shows that, with differ-ents technical methods, you can improve the design and the experience. It’s really important to test and learn in order to improve your project, especially when it’s an experimental project.

Yes I learnt new things on this project, it was my first WebGL project so I learnt this technology, I also learnt in conception, UX, UI, Shaders, Game design, sound design, etc.

V_ How was your experience on this project different from previous UX projects you’ve worked on? Did you learn new things along the way?

biborg.com

@samyetscooby

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@NOWNESS

new york

lvmh group

nowness.com

CURATED

ELAINE

GILRUTH

@HLZBLZ

los angeles

lawn alabanza-barcena

hlzblz.com

@HOBOPEEBA

moscow

kristina makeeva

ipai.ru

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Miroslava DumaCEO, FounderFuture Tech Labftlab.comicon by Lluisa Iborra

“A disruptive movement of innovators bridging together fashion and science to create a sustainable future.”

the_verbose // turn it up

TURN IT UP

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niklas

berlin

N09BDJ

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When I was a kid I wanted to become the boss of Mercedes Benz.

The Blues and Beauty of a Young Berlin DJ.Black Tea and Porridge for breakfast, and some Kid Cudi in the buds. This is the story of one of Berlin’s novel music talents.

Earlier this year, 22-year old Stuttgart born Niklas Ibach produced what is now on nearly every radio station throughout Europe, The Blues feat. Dan Reeder. But it isn’t only the old soul vocals and introspective vibes that make the multi-instrumentalist interesting. The Berlin-based DJ represents a wide range of backgrounds and fuses his childhood, inspira-tions, and everyday life into an avant-garde approach to electronic music.

Somewhere between his love for Pulp Fiction, Blow, the Godfather and The White Book by Rafael Horizon, Niklas finds narrative. And between his childhood piano days and the ambient of jazz and opera, he finds soul. And over the years frequenting Rocker 33 and chasing giants like Alle Farben and Wankelmut, he has found his vibe. The culture enthusiast and vinyl junkie made a grand debut last fall with “Hungry” which went far from unnoticed.

After an in depth exchange with the artist on his life, views, and habits, we learns that not only does he have few regrets, “Negative experiences are just as important as the good ones...” but he’s also the king of collaboration on and off music.

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V_ Before your music career and Berlin, did you have other career aspirations?

Niklas / When I was a kid I wanted to become the boss of Mercedes Benz. I always liked that idea and thought this could be cool, but I was very young back then. Besides that childish dream, I never had a real career aspiration. Music and sports have always been a part of me and at some point I knew it was going to be music and I am very happy with that.

When I was a kid I wanted to become the boss of Mercedes Benz.

saeed kakavand

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V_ What was the magic moment when you began to recognize your work as successful?

Niklas / That‘s a tough question.

Of course, from the beginning on

I had goals in my mind. I thought

after achieving them I would be

happy and successful. But these

goals kept getting bigger. It’s so

easy to lose an objective point of

I tend to measure my success on

the achievement of my next goal.

Success became clear to me when

I realized that a lot of my friends go

to university or work. They follow

a regular daily routine. That feels

strange sometimes because I know

that I haven’t chosen the safest

V_Where were you when you first heard your song Hungry on the radio, and how did you re-act? Niklas / In my car on the way

home. I was in a very good mood,

turned up the volume and smoked

a cigarette.

V_What was your experience like working with different artists such as Anna Leyne and Möwe or Dotan? Niklas / So far I have

only had positive experiences in

working with other artists. To com-

plement each other and of course

to benefit from one another is a big

plus. For me it doesn’t matter so

much who stands in front of me, it’s

more of a good vibe between us,

which counts. If it fits, it fits.

V_What are some of your bad habits? Niklas / I get nervous and

tired if something doesn’t work the

way I want it to. Especially when I’m

making music. Sometimes I am a

really impatient person. Everything

has to be done quickly. But I think

I’m improving myself to be more

laid back in those situations. At the

moment I like to party, if it’s a bad

habit or not - I don’t know yet.

V_Before hitting the club, do you have a routine or a ritual to warm up? Niklas / The last 5

minutes before I hit the DJ desk I al-

ways want to be on my own. In that

moment I try to assess the mood of

the audience and think of the first

two songs I’m going to play.

V_ What are some of your fa-vourite places in Berlin? Niklas / I can’t really tell what are

my favourite places in Berlin. Berlin

is such a creative and constantly

evolving city with so much to dis-

cover. In general, for me it depends

a lot on the people, who are creat-

ing/visiting those places.

V_What do you love the most about the city, people, the cul-ture? Niklas / In general I love all

different parts of Berlin: Especially

in Kreuzberg, you’ll always find a

beautiful spot close to the water-

front of Landwehrkanal. Most of all,

I appreciate Berlin for its diversity of

people and cultures.

You can be yourself and won’t be

judged for physical characteristics,

fashion, sexual orientation or profes-

sion. You are one of thousands and

you can do whatever you want.

That’s something I really enjoy and

appreciate a lot. Especially subcul-

tures are highly developed in Berlin.

They are often separated, but in

Berlin they are deeply connected

to the society and the everyday life.

This is one of the reasons it never

gets boring.

V_When you’re mixing and producing music, what goes through your mind? Do you have visuals that motivate your rhythm? Niklas / No. I always

play and play and play. If a chord

or a melody sounds good, the rest

happens automatically. The art is

to hear a melody and the ability to

imagine a picture behind the music,

quasi to be able to imagine ‘the

dress’.

V_What is one of the greatest challenges in your life at the mo-ment? Or any challenges with having a music career?Niklas / Life itself is the greatest

struggle.

NIKLAS

The last 5 minutes before I hit the DJ desk I always want to be on my own. In that moment I try to assess the mood of the audience and think of the first two songs I’m going to play.

photo from Melt Festival / cred IG: @niklasibach

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You can be yourself and

won’t be judged for

physical characteristics,

fashion, sexual

orientation or profession.

You are one of thousands

and you can do whatever

you want. That’s

something I really enjoy

and appreciate a lot.

V_Dream collab? Niklas / That would be Giorgio Moroder.

V_A sneak peak into a day in you life? Niklas / I am more of a night person. When I get up, usually

around noon, I start my day with a black tea, responding to

e-mails and working on the To do’s I get from my management.

In the afternoon I like to do sports or taking a walk. Whilst and in

between I hear a lot of music. Sometimes I spend the whole day

searching for new music, my vinyl record collection is growing

everyday and of course I work on improving my mixing tech-

niques as vinyl DJ.

In general, I think it is essential for a musician, to know as much

as possible about music. Since I was little, I am used to listening

to Jazz, Classic and the latest music likewise. At night, I start

producing music. Remixes, running orders, singles ect.

V_The DJ look. Where do you like to shop for clothes or do you spend time on your image before a performance? Niklas / To be honest I do not have a favourite store or brand.

It’s not so much of importance to me.

V_Do you live by yourself? Niklas / No, I moved to Berlin with a good

friend. We have a shared flat in Neukölln.

From March on I’ll have a brand new music

studio in Kreuzberg. Really looking forward

to it.

V_Do you believe your music has the power to inspire and and influence listeners? Niklas / Of course! Or at least, I hope so

;) Music has an influence that you can’t draw

yourself away from. Something happens,

subconsciously or consciously. If good or bad

is another question ;)

V_What is one of your best memories growing up? Niklas / Imagination. Everything was

possible, the whole world was a playground.

V_What are some of the technologies you use to mix your sound? Niklas / I use Ableton as a music program

but I still have analog hardware. Among

others I use a Korg Vocoder Synth, a Roland

303 and a MC 303 for the drums.

V_How do you know when a track is complete, and what are your goals when you are making a new song? Niklas / I

never know. I often I think it’s done and after-

wards I think the opposite. It’s very important

to let go at some point and say: ‘’Okay, that’s

it!’’. Sometimes doubts or possible improve-

ments would cause negative energy or a

damage to the original sound.

V_What is next for you in your music career? Niklas / To make lasting steps with my

niklasibach.com

@niklasibach

photo cred : saeed kakavand

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louis berryliverpoolindie rock / alt rocklouisberryofficial.com

CURATED

STEFANIA

CASIRAGHI

klara lewisswedenelectroklaralewis.com

bonzaidublinelectronic bonzaibonzaibonzai.com

the_verbose // sidestreet splendor

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SAKS POTTSBarbara Potts & Cathrine Saks sakspotts.comIcon by Scott Witthoft

“Unavoidable of the year”

SIDESTREET SPLENDOR

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DIESEL LIVING

Space Life Meets Desert Modernism

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Bronze Astronauts. Aged Jute. Egyptian Cobras. 3-D Studded Wood Tiles + Cosmic Dinnerware.

Meet space life and Desert Modernism. And we’re talking about interior design. Earlier this year, the Italian denim heavy-weight Diesel took a dip into home decor with their friends at Fuorisalone, an eso-teric tangent from Milan’s Furniture Design Fair (Salone del Mobile).

We tracked down the Diesel Living pop-up store off a sidestreet near Piazza Duomo. Through a wearied 1930s-era archway and to the back across the gravel, a narrow wooden door greeted the curious. Sunlit and sparkling, you could hear a pin drop. There were few visitors, but every object and arrangement was bursting at the seams with a rock chic invi-tation to stay and indulge. Sultry, extravagant, hedonistic and 5-star functionality, the Diesel Palazzo was the quintessential hybrid between affluent design and the unforgiving DNA of Diesel’s main man, Renzo Rosso.

But the jean sequence doesn’t stop at this industrial love nest. Italian forces Deisel and Scavolini together with Australia’s Euroluce continued the design affair with their Pretty Vacancy hotel. Also, displayed during Milan’s Design Week, the California-desert inspired hotel shows off its functional maximalism with a lineup of materials and colors evocative of a 1960s roadtrip. Again, we’re talking about interior design.It’s no surprise that we aren’t over it yet. Get in.

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DIESEL LIVING

“This year, we are

interpreting our first

hotel concept. Step up to

the reception and check

in to a cozier world of

hospitality, where

domestic comfort wel-

comes you with the

glamour of a fabulous

roadside hideaway amid

the heat of the desert,

and utilitarian details

blend with hedonistic

abandon.”

it.diesel.com/it/living

@dieselliving

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trevor

sailor / marine biologist

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It was’t until after I met Trevor, that I re-alised how difficult it was to meet Trevor. Unless you are strolling along Malta’s Ta’Xbiex on a summer weekday, or reeling up sails off the Filfa, meeting “the Viking” as his mates call him, could be a long shot.

I consider myself among the fortunate to have discovered this artist and marine researcher having now learned of his great beauty and experiences over months of careful exchanges.

For over 30 years Trevor has been working as an engineer and researcher in the Maltese Ar-chipelago. Malta, home to some of the world’s most intricate and complex history, topography and marine life - it holds the second highest number of UNESCO sites - can only fully be realised through the eyes of the natives and locals.

Up by 7am and bedside with a red by 9pm, Trevor’s passion for sea and the vastness of life comes out over our brief exhanges in person, via email, and written letters. An avid painter, a Mozart aficionado and a light eater, Trev the Viking sets a great example of how to live large by small and with “the wonder of it all, to stay in this beautiful place.”

Trevor left school at age 15 and has had a varied and somewhat unconventional career. At 20, he was studying ship building and marine technology. Predominantly self-taught through-out his life, he was initially trained in stain glass window production, having renovated a number of windows in churches throughout his career. He spent three years in electro technology with installations of 240-440 volt systems.

“I came to Malta as a

chief engineer and mine

sweeper to overhaul

the engines and

engineering systems.”

V_How is your work different today from when you first began?

T_The tech has changed but it is still a lot of hard work, and I

think the more I realise that I know nothing of what really is.

V_What are some marine technologies that you work with?

T_ Some of the technology is still very traditional and basic but

it works. Now with some of the new camera and sound record-

ing systems which are just amazing and improving all the time,

much of the things that help with some aspects of our interest

are solar powered with a high-tech link for data analysis.

V_How dramatic does marine life and your

research change with the seasons and the

time of day?

T_What I have learned is that because there

is such change within the environment, gener-

ally, I think that to get reasonably reliable

data, if possible, any study should be done

over as long a time as possible.

V_ What is your favorite marine animal?

T_Most definitely the cuttlefish. It’s just a total

miracle. Very often they will interact with you

until they get really angry with the situation

and just disappear, leaving you knowing that

you have just spent a few moments with one

of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean.

Just magic. Apart from the Dolphins and the

Whales there are millions of them (cuttlefish).

V_Has your work in Malta ever overlapped

with the influx of migrant arrivals? Have you

encountered stories or the journeys of those

arriving from Northern Africa or further East?

T_I have seen with sadness the results of this

situation.

V_You are a painter. How and where did you

begin to paint, and what are some of the

inspirations in your paintings?

T_When I was away on the fishing boat, I

used to paint water colour pictures and send

them to my daughter Denise, basically based

on what was around us wherever we were.

I generally only paint seascape pictures so I

think it mostly comes from within and what I

have seen and experienced.

V_What is one of your greatest memories at

T_Being on the sea, fishing at night and

seeing the sea totally on fire with the most

beautiful iridescent greens; and when you

go into a head sea and the wave explodes in

the most beautiful show of nature’s very own

light.

Trevor

“I have not long ago came back from Thailand where

I was asked to go and teach the beautiful people of Thailand to sail a lovely

teak replica of a 100-foot traditional fishing

schooner for the king of Thailand’s birthday

parade. For me it was a life changing experience and I

am awaiting my return.

the_verbose126

Trevor

“I have learned well that the oceans arejust so beautiful but command the greatest respect; you lose this respect at your peril - even the storms and the gales have their beauty, some terrifying to be in, but wow, the immense power and wonder of it all is just amazing.”

- Trevor “The Viking”

theverbose.com2017. Born in California and cultivated between Rome and Dubai, the_verbose is a magazine project in the

making: interviewing people along the way about their art and culture. We ask, you tell. Interested in pitching your story? Need a place to let your inner journalist out? The door is open: hello@theverbose.com

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