FILM: OKINAWA
Okinawa International Movie Festival
The fifth Okinawa International Movie Festival closes this Saturday after a week of screenings of independent shorts and full-length features from around the world focusing on two themes – “laugh” and “peace”. For the last day of the festival, we suggest Jury by Kim Dong-ho (founder of the Busan International Film Festival). The film, Dong-ho's directorial debut, is a humorous 24-minute film taking the audience behind the scenes of a fictional Korean film festival and its judging team. Hopefully Okinawa sees the funny side.
Okinawa Convention Center 4-3-1 Mashiki, Ginowan City.oimf.jp/en
DESIGN: LONDON
Designing the Middle East: Part 1
Israeli designers Noam Dover, Michal Cederbaum and longtime-collaborator Yoav Reches have created a series of objects that explore the complexities and social issues that have divided Israel for generations. Curated by Marc Péridis and being shown for the first time in the UK, a mix of designs such as the steel-domed Saj table and the Scan and Scale bowls – modeled on pebbles and created using 3D printing techniques, are an intriguing interpretation of the challenges of a nation.
19 Greek Street, Soho. Open Monday to Saturday, 10.00-18.00. Until 17 May.19greekstreet.com
ART: PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts
The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts opened earlier this week featuring a great mix of theatre, music, fashion and photography. For this weekend, we recommend Everyone and I – a theatre play based on Frank O’Hara’s poem The Day Lady Died – inspired by the life and music of Billie Holiday. Directed by Kevin Glaccum, Everyone and I is a collaboration between Azuka Theatre group and The American Poetry Review.
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S Broad Street. Until 27 April.pifa.org
EXHIBITION: SHANGHAI
Sten Lex
Italian graffiti artists Sten & Lex are currently exhibiting their works in China for the first time. The duo have collaborated in the streets of Rome since 2001 and quickly rose to fame for their black-and-white portraits. As pioneers of a half-shade stencil technique, their works are a merging of photography and optical art that has become widely respected both out in the streets and at international museums. The special show at Shanghai’s Gallery Magda Danysz features their most celebrated, large-scale portraits.
Gallery Magda Danysz, 188 Linqing Road. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00-18.00. Until 30 April.magda-gallery.com/en/gallery-shanghai
MUSIC: GLOBAL
DJ Koze: Amygdala
Hamburg dance music producer DJ Koze’s roots are in hip-hop and that crowd-pleasing streak shows in Amygdala – a collection of accessible, mischievous and at times melancholic creations. A strong list of international collaborators such as Berlin’s Apparat, Detroit’s Matthew Dear and Canadian experimental dance-psychedelia maestro Caribou all appear but it’s Koze’s downbeat electro infused with textural washes of found sounds that bind all that talent together. He’ll have a long list of favours to return very soon.
Amygdala is available to buy now.pamparecords.com
