Category: Art

HEIS by Anaïs Volpé

HEIS is a cross-media project by French artist and filmmaker Anaïs Volpé. This innovative project is composed of a series, a feature film and an art installation. To find out more about it, we spoke with Anaïs about her background, the different elements of HEIS and the places where the project will be screened and exhibited.

www.heis.fr

Could you please tell us about yourself and your background?

I’m a French filmmaker although, initially, I used to work in theatre as an actress. Theatre is kind of my first love. Also, I’m a freelance photographer and videographer for different magazines. I always like new collaborations through creation and I’m also involved in visual arts.

I left school when I was 17 because I really wanted to work in Arts. I learned many things by being an assistant director for almost two years. After that, I learned a lot from theatre, especially from stage directing and acting – it opened my mind and my imagination. A few years after that, I learnt how to edit videos with tutorials on YouTube and I started to shoot small shortfilms, around 1 and 3 minutes long, in order to practice. I later found a producer who helped me film my first real short movie named ‘BLAST’. The movie has been selected in a few festivals and received the Jury Prize in the International Film Festival Between China and France. Thanks to this prize I was invited by the French Embassy in China to visit the country and I received help from the French Cultural Institute of Beijing in order to work on my next project within an artistic residency in Beijing. That’s how two years ago I started working on my latest project, HEIS, while I was in China.

Could you describe HEIS briefly?

HEIS is a Greek word (εἷς) meaning one, to be one, not as individualism but as self-fulfilment. This project is about how one human being tries to reach the ‘number one’, the daily struggle of one’s mind, body and heart. HEIS is a cross-media project composed of a feature film (90’), a series (5×11’) and an art-exhibition. The project received help from the French Cultural Institute of Beijing and has been shot between France, China and USA, with so much heart and an independent spirit.

I can say that the whole project is about universal youth issues -especially in Europe- such as lack of jobs, rising of terrorism in the world… It is about the distress of the youth, of a whole generation that won’t be neither really poor or really rich. But it is also about family guilt: the real question about the duty to stay (close to our family) or the right to go (and to emancipate). In an other words, HEIS is a project for the youth made by the youth.

Please tell us a little more about each of the parts of this cross-media project.

The three parts of the project can be enjoyed separately or together. This possibility is the particularity of this cross-media project. It’s complementary but it can be understood
independently.

The feature film is an hybrid film mixing video in HD, old VHS, fiction and fictional documentary. I think it is a two speeds film, two languages dedicated to two generations: youth and parents.
It is a love and a anger story, an emancipation and a guilt story, a blood and a life story : a family tale. No matter the period, the country or the language, this theme remains complicated.

The series is very complementary to the feature film because, I’ve used around one quarter of the series in the feature film (in a different order) and if you want to see it completely, you have to watch the series. The series is made of 5 episodes of 11minutes each. The work in the series is more of a ‘voice over’ exercise. Each episode is about an universal struggle that every human being can experiment once in their own life. It’s about contrasts and choices.

The art exhibition is also complementary to the series and the feature film. It’s a mix between art and digital. You can discover in the exhibition the work of one of the main characters of the feature-film who is also working on art exhibition. The exhibition is composed of digital, sounds and visual artworks in connection with the feature film and the web series: subtitled photographs, QR codes, videos in old TVs and computers…

What events are you going to be involved at this year with HEIS?

The feature film is still in Sound post-production right now. I’m going to send it to some film festivals that I really like and support. And I’m currently looking for a distributor in order to release it in theatres in 2017.

The series has been already selected in film festivals in France and abroad (NYC, Reykjavik, Hong Kong, Chicago…) and I’m currently waiting for answers from others festivals. After that, I will collaborate with a film distributor in order to release the series (TV and web, I hope) by the end of 2016.

The art-exhibition has been already exhibited in three places in France. The current place is now extending the exhibition for one more month until the end of April, so you can still see it Paris at the moment. In May the exhibition will be shown in London and after that in Berlin.

I’m also working on releasing the project with all the three parts together in some places suitable for that. I hope that it will be possible. It’s a very long process to release your artistic project and I have to be as patient as the audience is! All the information about where the films are selected and screened are on the Facebook page and you can also check the ‘live exhibition’ of the project on our Instagram account, heis_crossmedia.

Are you currently working on any other projects or have plans to work on something new after HEIS?

Yes, whenever I have some free time I work on the script of my next feature film. I would like to develop it quite soon. To be honest, in fact, I have two ideas for films. And I’m currently developing and I’ll see which one will be easier to do with a producer. I don’t know yet if I’ll shoot it in France. One of this scripts, named ‘Märlha’, has just been selected by ‘La Maison des Scénarites’ at the ‘Festival de Cannes 2016’ and will be pitched during the Festival to producers.

Apart from that, I continue writing screenplays for theatre, just for pleasure. I’m constantly working on something related to visual arts – it helps me to keep inspired.

April 12, 2016
3 Tips To Start A Successful Business In Today’s Market

If you are thinking about starting a business in today’s market, you need to ensure that you are ready for all the challenges that will be coming your way. What many people don’t realize is that starting a business is about more about the idea and planning than just throwing yourself in the deep end and seeing if you float. There is always going to be a risk when it comes to starting a business, which is why being prepared is an essential part of doing well. From creating something substantial to running a commercial credit report on any potential business partners to ensure that they are safe to work with, there is no such thing as being too prepared in the business world. As such, we have written this article to give you some advice on how you can start a successful business in today’s market.

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Come Up With A Great Idea

The very first thing that you need if you want to start a business is a great idea. There are so many companies today that offer the same kind of things, so you need to either find something different or come up with a reason as to why your idea is better than all the others. This is not an easy thing to do, and a lot of the time you will think that you have come up with something fresh and there is a little start-up around the corner doing the same thing. As such, ensure that you have done all the research that you can surrounding the industry that you want to enter, and find yourself a gap in the market.

Find The Funding

The next thing that you should be doing is finding funding for your business. Unless you have a spare ten thousand sitting in your bank, you are going to need help here. Trade shows are a great way to find people who are looking to invest in a new business, all you have to do is give them a reason to invest in yourself. Set yourself up a business stall and you will be amazed at the amount of interest that you can generate this way. You might also find that other businesses who are successful in your area are willing to give you advice on what you can do to help your business get started. You can find other examples of how to get funding for your business on a site such as https://www.themuse.com.

Alongside hunting for investors, consider how your business presents itself to those potential backers and clients. A reputable central address, professional call handling and secure mail forwarding can make a young company look far more established without the cost of renting office space. Many founders use services like YOUR VIRTUAL OFFICE LONDON to manage correspondence and book meeting rooms for pitches, which helps protect personal privacy while improving credibility. Those small operational choices often make a big difference when building investor confidence.

Hold An Amazing Launch Event

Once you have got the idea, the funding and you are ready to open your business, you need to ensure that you have an amazing launch event lined up. Invite your investors, potential clients, other businesses, everyone you can think of to this event to open your business. To make this event amazing, you need to think about food and entertainment. Hire a catering company to take care of all the dishes that you are going to serve and this way you aren’t going to have to worry about the food being bad quality.

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When it comes to entertainment, if you check out a site like AliveNetwork.com, you are going to find a range of entertainment options that you and your guests can enjoy. Go for something a little different from the traditional event entertainment because you want your event to really stand out from the crowd and be memorable.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and now understand some of the things that you need to do if you want to start a successful business in today’s market.

March 3, 2016
Future Positive x Radisson Red

Radisson Red is a hotel concept by Radisson for those interested in art, music and fashion. The first Radisson Red hotel is opening later this year in Brussels, followed by other locations across the world.

We recently collaborated with Radisson Red on their brand new blog, creating a series of features showcasing the work of creative designers, artists and makers based in some of our favourite cities. Find out more about them below and read each individual story on Radisson Red’s blog.

Act

Act is a brand of espadrilles and accessories founded in 2013 and established between Berlin and Mallorca. Silvia Conde photographed co-founder Isabel Rotger in Berlin for this feature.

Read more.

Images by Silvia Conde

Pino Gay

Pino Gay is the name of the project of Camila Pino Gay, a designer and illustrator based in Santiago de Chile. Our contributor Carlos Molina paid a visit to her flat in the Chilean capital.

Read more.

Images by Carlos Molina

Patrik Larsson

Patrik Larsson is a freelance interior architect and furniture designer living and working in Gothenburg. Swedish photographer Hilda Grahnat followed him around the streets of Gothenburg for this feature.

Read more.

Images by Hilda Grahnat

Karen Mabon

Karen Mabon is an accessories designer based in Edinburgh. We visited her studio in Edinburgh’s New Town and spent a morning photographing her.

Read more.

Airplantman

Josh Rosen calls himself Airplantman and designs incredible vertical gardens from his studio in Los Angeles. Our contributor Valerie Chiang visited him to photograph his creations.

Read more.

Images by Valerie Chiang

Pena Jewels

Miriam Álvarez and María Sanchez are the creative team behind Pena Jewels, a jewellery brand born in Lisbon and now based in Madrid. Silvia Conde photographer their studio.

Read more.

Images by Silvia Conde

Flora & Laura

Flora & Laura is the project of Helsinki-based art director and flower stylist Laura Väinölä. Laura Iisalo spent a day with her documenting a day in her life.

Read more.

Images by Laura Iisalo

Follow Radisson Red on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

February 1, 2016
Kristin Texeira

Kristin Texeira is an oil painter originally from Massachusetts. From her studio in Brooklyn, Kristin creates abstract colourful paintings to capture, document and preserve memories. We chat with Kristin to find out more about her earliest memories of painting, the influence of colour in her work and what happens on a normal day at her studio.

www.kristintexeira.com

Studio photographs by Julie Simon.

What are your earliest memories of painting?

I remember as a very young child a pair of feathery paintings above my mother’s couch. I would subconsciously study them – the way the colors and shapes interacted and overlapped, comparing and contrasting them. So, it all started with looking.

After that I can remember passing my hours filling coloring books – my strategy was to use as many colors from the crayon box as possible. I had little watercolor sets and my grandmother would let me paint on her walls and windowsills. I loved color from a young age. I would take the paint palettes from my classmates and mix their colors together to watch them all blend before washing them.

Please take us through a normal day at your studio and tell us a little about your work process.

I’m a big list-maker. My day usually starts with a coffee and a “to-do” list. There is a lot to balance between the act of making art and the business side of things. So, my lists usually include a few business oriented tasks: emails, updates, applications, and then there’s the good stuff – what I will make that day.

Most of my paintings begin in the form of writing. I try to free write everyday in search of inspiration. Writing helps me to preserve the present and unlock memories that I haven’t visited in a while. My paintings are these stories retold through the language of color.

Colour is clearly an essential aspect of your paintings. Please tell us in which ways it influences your work.

My life is categorized with color. Colors are evoked through interactions. I make playlists based on the colors of songs. I know certain friends will get along with each other based on their colors. I see colors in scents and sounds. It helps me define moments in time.

I paint to provide proof – for myself and others – of existing in these moments. Painting keeps me present and allows me to pay homage to the past. I gather colors daily as a reminder to remain awake and I paint the colors of the past to remedy nostalgia.

What other elements are an essential part of your work? Where do you draw inspiration from?

Travel plays an important role in my work. I’ve noticed a pattern where I never have a sense of my present home until I reach a new destination. Interacting with new environments allows the past to become a memory and therefore something I wish to preserve through painting. Being in new places and listening to the stories of strangers serves as great source material for my pieces. My desire to learn through travel and my artistic practice are intertwined.

What are you working on at the moment?

Though I look outwardly for inspiration, my work over the past few years has been mostly personal. I am continuing the search for beautiful interactions but, I am starting to gather other people’s memories as well.

I have had strangers come to me with memories that they want to preserve through paint. There have been families that have to sell their grandparent’s home and want a tangible map to remember. There have been couples that share a great adventure in a faraway place, walking me step-by-step through their memory, asking me to put it into paint. It’s amazing some of the stories people have shared and beautiful that they trust me with something so precious. I’m hoping to continue my own adventure and help many people along the way with remembering theirs.

November 16, 2015
The Poundshop

Founded in 2010 and currently run by George Wu and Sara Melin, The Poundshop is a pop up shopping project based on the idea of selling quality designer products at affordable prices.

The Poundshop’s mission is to make design accessible to a wider audience and all products are sold within the £1, £5 and £10 price bands. Working with a wide range of designers, most of whom are new to making products, The Poundshop is the perfect testing ground for them to experiment with new and interesting products. Over the years, The Poundshop have organised pop us shops at numerous spaces across the world, including Selfridges, Somerset House, Loft Tokyo and Science Museum in London.

We talked with its founders to find out more about the project and what makes a perfect submission to the Poundshop.

www.thepoundshop.org

Could you tell us a little bit about your background and what you do apart from running The Poundshop?

Sara: I am from Sweden originally , but have now been here for 14 years! Studied at St Martins and then RCA in London, where I met George and Sarah. We pretty much set up The Poundshop shortly after leaving RCA .

I do a lot of different things but most of it runs backs to The Poundshop. At the moment I am working as a consultant for a charity putting together a new product range for their online shop and also designing a pop up shop for them. I am also planning two workshop that will be take place in Brazil in October.

George: I am originally from Manchester and studied graphic design in Bath before moving to London for work. A few years later I took part in the BB New Music Shorts and decided to switch to film so went to the RCA where we met. Now besides creating Poundshops, I am a director at Nexus Productions creating videos and installations. Currently I’m working on a new short film in collaboration with photographer John Short which should be coming out at the end of September.

What inspired you to open The Poundshop?

Sara: The credit crunch I think and wanting to do something together.

George: I always had the dream of having my own shop one day. Pretending to be shop keeper and stocking shelves! I think it’s because my family has always run businesses, it must be in me!

What makes a perfect submission?

Sara: Cleaver solutions to a small problem, beautifully designed with the minimal usage of materials to keep costs down.

George: Something that you would definitely use yourself that’s has a real purpose which is a challenge at such a low price point.

How do you approach the interior design and visual merchandising of each of the spaces you use for The Poundshop?

Sara: Generally I collect lots of images of things that I like the look of as a start. Shop interiors, patterns, colours etc. George is definetely the better one at coming up with ideas and she has a more graphic design / installation background than me, so she tends to take the lead on the design and then we discuss it.

George: Yeah I think usually we have a big brainstorm. Because we don’t work together all the time it’s good to get to know what the other is into at that moment. Then the starting point can either be the venue: The Science Poundshop was inspired by equipment transit cases. Or by the function of the shop: The ICA shop needed to be set up in a very short space of time so we created it out of repurposed ladders. The most important consideration is that the materials are all low cost to compliment the idea of low cost design shop.

What are your ambitions for The Poundshop? How do you see it developing in the future?

Sara: At the moment we are discussing a few changes and new routes but we tend to not plan to far ahead… So we will just have to see where this year will take us!

George: I think our next challenge and always the biggest is the Christmas Poundshop, but the most exciting (and intimidating) is our forth coming appearance on Poundshop Wars on BBC 1!

All images, courtesy of The Poundshop

August 26, 2015