ГООK¡ - Weekly Digest #7

Hello! This is the weekly edition of ГООK¡ by Ersel Örge — one piece resurfaced from the unlimited archive as a timeless uplift for heart, mind, and spirit. You can always catch up on previous issues right here. Enjoy weekly inspirational articles.

Fashion

African Fashion A Liberation History Through Art

The Brooklyn Museum is currently hosting the "Africa Fashion" exhibition, which aims to celebrate Africa's cultural resurgence from the mid-20th century onwards. This revival has seen the flourishing of fashion, visual arts, and music, challenging the historical neglect of Africa in Eurocentric textbooks. The exhibition, featuring over three hundred items encompassing textiles, jewellery, music, film, and photography, stands as North America's most extensive presentation of its kind. It runs until October 22, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the vibrant tapestry of African culture.

The exhibition begins by spotlighting pioneering figures in global African fashion, including Kofi Ansah, Shade Thomas-Fahm, and Naïma Bennis, who gained international recognition while establishing their brands in their home countries.

Continuing the journey, the exhibition showcases contemporary talents like Thebe Magugu, known for dressing Rihanna and collaborating with Dior. It also highlights emerging multidisciplinary artists like Gouled Ahmed and features exceptional photographers like Daniel Obasi and Omar Victor Diop.

Visitors can explore ensembles from renowned brands like Maison ARTC and Orange Culture, with over forty designers and artists representing twenty African countries, emphasizing the continent's immense diversity and cultural richness.

Art

Hyperrealistic Colored Pencil Drawings

David Morrison defies traditional notions of drawing by creating hyperrealistic illustrations with coloured pencils. His meticulous attention to detail makes his depictions of flora, such as flowers and leaves, appear three-dimensional as if they exist in reality rather than on a flat page. Morrison's technique involves isolating individual plant elements to highlight their unique features, revealing the intricacies of twigs and leaves often overlooked.

Through the skilful layering of coloured pencils, Morrison introduces a play of light and shadow that gives his subjects a lifelike depth. This approach breathes life into the delicate details of blossoms, leaves, and tree bark, making his ostensibly two-dimensional drawings appear as if they could come to life, bridging the gap between art and reality.

Design

Recycled Electronic Wates

Recover-E is a unique replica racing car created by Manchester's Lazerian studio, constructed entirely from discarded electronic items like iPhones, vapes, a fly swatter, and a vintage 1950s radio. Commissioned by Formula E team Envision Racing, this innovative project aims to spotlight the growing issue of electronic waste (e-waste). Recover-E features a modified drivetrain borrowed from a beach buggy to make it functional, allowing it to move at slow speeds.

What sets this car apart is its exterior, which incorporates a captivating blend of everyday objects. For instance, the driver's halo is crafted from Nintendo Wii controllers, a Sony VR headset, and even an electric fly swatter. Notably, a pricing gun serves as the brake light and a vintage 1950s radio functions as the radar antenna atop the vehicle.

This project is particularly significant given the alarming projection that the world will generate a staggering 75 million tonnes of e-waste annually by 2030, raising concerns about its impact on children's health, as the World Health Organization noted.

Impressively, all the materials for Recover-E were donated, and generously contributed by Manchester schoolchildren and the local tech trade-in company, Music Magpie, which deemed these items irreparable. Following the collection of e-waste, the skilled Lazerian team, led by Hopkins, meticulously sorted the materials based on their textures, colours, and properties, allowing for the thoughtful integration of each element into the vehicle's design.

Photography

A Good Day

A few years ago, BEAR's founders, Sam Leetham and Saasha Burns, experienced fatigue from extensive work-related travel. Seeking essential micronutrients at a Melbourne pharmacy, they were dissatisfied with the quality of available supplements, prompting them to spend the next two years meticulously crafting four essential daily vitamins. Their strict criteria mandated high-quality, vegan, GMO-free ingredients, and organic status for botanical extracts.

BEAR's inception was driven by a growing awareness of the importance of self-care in a productivity-driven culture. They advocate that the path to well-being isn't a single solution but a series of small choices that cumulatively enhance life. BEAR's products feature sleek designs, fitting seamlessly into bathroom cabinets and workspaces, and challenge the unfounded gendering of multivitamins. This approach has garnered attention for its balanced perspective in the wellness field. The campaign was photographed by Iringó Demeter

Textiles

Jack Wolfskin has introduced a ground-breaking textile called Texapore Ecosphere, which is made entirely from recycled materials. This innovation is transforming the sustainability landscape in the outdoor apparel industry.

Since 2017, a high-performance waterproof-breathable membrane has revolutionized the direction of performance textile manufacturing. Jack Wolfskin took a significant step towards environmental sustainability in the outdoor recreation industry by introducing Texapore Ecosphere. This innovative waterproof-breathable performance fabric is notable for being crafted entirely from recycled materials, including the membrane, outer, and liner textiles. It took two years of collaborative development with manufacturing partners to achieve the high-performance standards associated with the brand. Initially, this technology was incorporated into six products within Jack Wolfskin's hiking category and received recognition with awards in the outdoor industry for its eco-friendly approach and performance. This highlights the interdependence of the outdoor recreation industry and the environment's health. Jack Wolfskin is set to recycle the equivalent of 63 million 1-litre bottles by the upcoming winter season.

Featured BOOK

Art and Climate Change (World of Art) - Maja and Reuben Fowkes

"Art and Climate Change" is a collection of diverse artistic responses to the pressing ecological crisis. It goes beyond art for art's sake, advocating for active collective engagement with the planet. Contemporary artists use their work to highlight the structures endangering life on Earth. They delve into the intersection of decolonial reparation and ecological restoration, drawing from ecological theories, scientific advancements, and indigenous perspectives to address the climate crisis and reshape history through their art.

Featured PODCAST

Gen Z is maturing. Will they save the world?

As Generation Z enters a pivotal phase in their lives, taking on careers and influential roles in society, questions arise about their impact on the future of communities. What legacy will this generation create in the years ahead, and what are their predominant outlooks for the future—marked by anxiety or optimism?

You can listen to this episode from Lives of Tomorrow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Webinars

De-Fashioning Education – A critical thinking and making conference I 15-16 September 2023 I Berlin

"De-Fashioning Education" is a call to both action and reflection. It advocates for a collaborative and transformative approach to reimagining fashion education, embracing various learning cultures. To support essential de-growth, it emphasizes the need for entirely new educational models that foster a community of learners dedicated to co-creating diverse and sustainable futures and nurturing relationships with nature and each other.

You can REGISTER HERE.

See details on the conference website THE DIGITAL MULTILOGUE or you can download the final program here.