Some more prints are available from Deviantart. These are from the photos I took of Installation de Feu last September. If you’re in the UK, there are also prints available at my Photobox gallery.
Clare and I went out for a bike ride in a couple of the local parks this afternoon. There is no Streets Ahead festival this year, but some folks were still doing a bit of art in Platt Fields. What drew my attention was this “chicken” oven (click images for larger pictures)-
At first I thought it might be a buddha statue but when I got up close and round the back I could tell it was an oven. However, there was something about the arrangement of the wings and the door that suggested something else.
Take a closer look.
There’s no point in beating about the bush, it’s actually a goatse cooker. (If you don’t know what goatse is don’t go trying to find out, or at least read the Wikipedia page on it so you know what you’re letting yourself in for.)
I would happily eat anything cooked in it, but there’d be that little thought in the back of my head, “This pizza came out of goatse!”
Following on from my pronouncement that Spinneyhead would be an Anti World Cup zone I’ve started compiling more interesting things to do and see whilst some blokes kick a ball around in Germany.
I get e-mails from the Council about events in the city, or you can go to their live events page. It seems as good a place as any to start.
Streets Ahead are planning a Summer of Enchanted Evenings. June 17th-18th sees the FEAST mass pipcnic in Platt Fields Park.
A midsummer mass picnic event for families and friends, with entertainment and activities, that will reflect the many heritages and rituals surrounding food and celebration. It will take place around the lakeside all Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Before the start of events in Germany, but also looking interesting, next weekenmd there’ll be a show in Castlefield by Theater Titanick – “INSECT”. I saw their show a few years ago and loved it.
‘Insect’ is based around an East German morality tale and describes living creatures’ ever-present urge to fly. In this case, the creatures are wingless ants, who, in the gradual evolution of all life, produce their first offspring with wings. The show plays out the jealousy and rage of the parents, juxtaposed with their pride of and need to protect their young. In true Theater Titanick style, the show is performed on an epic scale. The ants are enormous mechanical creations; there is fire, water, things arrive by crane and take off along a runway. The struggle for flight will never seem the same again!
Manchester Bike Week is 17th-25th June. I’ll be covering it on 2 Wheels Good.
The Exodus Festival is in Hulme Park on the 24th.
There are other, less hyped, sporting events going on.
Films coming out soon-
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – July 6th
Election – June 9th
Ultraviolet – Jun 23rd (Okay, this one looks a bit crap, but it didn’t stop me going to see Catwoman).
Fearless – June 23rd
This is just a starter. More suggestions as they occur to me. If you’re in another city please add stuff for your area in the comments.
Anyone fancy a Spinneyhead social on July 9th? We could have a barbecue (it might have stopped raining by then) and bring our own drinks so we don’t have to go into pubs with big screens.
Technorati tag: Events, Manchester, Anti World Cup, World Cup
Spinneyworld Garden of Delights photos on Flickr
All Flickr photos with the Garden of Delights tag
Spinneyhead gallery for June, with Garden of Delights pictures
According to the organisers– “The Garden of Delights is a ‘weekend-long pleasure garden for the 21st century!’ that takes place every summer at the start of June. It attracts thousands of families, students and young singles to Platt Fields Park in South Manchester for a highly enjoyable mix of visual installations, entertainment and natural surroundings. The overall atmosphere generated is one of inclusiveness, multi-culturalism, healthy eating/drinking, fresh air and non-stop delights. Our slogan for the event is “all ages, all cultures, all weekend”.”
I went to last year’s, and you can see the pictures in the June 2004 gallery, along with a load of shots from the Cow Parade. If all goes to plan there will be a Garden of Delights every year until 2010, which will mark the centenary of Platt Fields Park. I’m seriously thinking about putting something together for next year’s show.
There is more on Garden of Delights over at Spinneyworld.
I’m still recruiting for Spinneyworld. If you’d like to post short reports and pictures of events unique to your area, then please get in touch. I want to cover special events around the globe eventually.
Technorati tag: Spinneyworld
It might have been the weather, but this year’s event seemed to be lacking some of the wonder of last year’s. Only a little, though.
This is the sort of thing I want to cover in Spinneyworld, there’ll be more photos in the Spinneyworld Flickr group and possibly a longer post about Garden of Delights tomorrow.
Technorati tag: Sculpture, Garden of Delights
It’s finally happened. The Police are getting younger, getting younger every day.
I went and wandered around the Garden of Delights show in Platt fields this afternoon. If you’re in Manchester I strongly recommend you go and have a look- it’s on tomorrow as well. The photos I’ve put in the gallery show maybe a quarter of what’s there.
Anyway, as I was on my way out I noticed a bunch of people in uniforms. One Police man, one St. John’s Ambulance guy and two girls, who looked 14 and 16. “oh, they’re with the St. John’s” I thought. Then I got a closer look and, no, they’re wearing Police uniforms. Maybe it was take your daughter to work day. Or I really am getting old.
This looks like something to check out tomorrow afternoon.