A monumental event in human history such as the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall has been seized upon left right and centre by Big Business this year. One major alcohol corporation has decided to cash in on the blood letting and horror that went into bringing Democracy to the Eastern Bloc and add Über money to their coffers by tapping into the Über cool market of 18-35 year olds with this Über now concept.

It seems the formula is this, find an iconic event in history (something like Tiananmen square for example which hasn’t been used yet but you can expect to see edgy comps requesting participants to create a red t-shirt depicting Über cool tanks and dead people for their latest range of products and you can win big!) Then – with lots of gritty graphics and Über modern styling – promote it as though your Brand somehow has something Über significant to contribute to the epic sweep of the human narrative. Guaranteed to promote your company to the ranks of Über cool via the process of association.

Get your Über on via this link

Article written by David Goldberg via Design Federation

Melbourne International Arts Festival is Australia’s premier celebration of international performing and visual arts and Melbourne’s flagship cultural event.

Since first being staged in 1986 as the third Spoleto Festival (with Spoleto, Italy, and Charleston, USA), Melbourne Festival quickly forged a unique identity and remains the only festival in Australia to be born from international heritage.

Held over 17 days each October, Melbourne Festival is the pre-eminent destination festival in the nation, exclusively debuting and premiering some of the finest national and international artists and companies.

Each Festival brings an unparalleled feast of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events from renowned and upcoming Australian and International companies and artists to Melbourne.

Through excellence, diversity and accessibility, Melbourne Festival presents the best possible artistic experience to as many people as possible. It proudly offers a wide variety of venues and ticket prices, plus many free events.

The Artistic Director for the 2009 and 2010 Festivals is Brett Sheehy.

The 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival will take place from the 9th to 24th October.

Surround yourself with flirts galore! Nautical naughties, femmes fatale, sultry sirens and coy coquettes. For two weeks they’ll decorate the walls at 696 in coloured pencil and vibrant ink. So come along, flirt outrageously and take your favourite home. Kate Lightfoot may even drop by…

Opening night: Thursday 17th September, 6-9pm.
Show runs from 17th to 30th September @ 696 Gallery

696 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
www.696.com.au

The Japan Foundation Gallery will be transformed into a temporary dwelling place for a contemporary version of the obakemono, spirit-possessed creatures, evoked from their hidden worlds with an imperative warning for us all.They are a new breed that surround and haunt our routines, intangible and ever-present.

Gemma Cuneo in her first solo exhibition cleverly adopts the prevalent quirks and issues that blight society by personifying them as modern obakemonos. Her creations serve as stark reminders of the imperfect world we live in, and physically demonstrate before us the ramifications of daily human activity on the environment and ourselves.

Meet Gemma in person on Saturday 22nd August from 11am to 4pm at the Japan Foundation Gallery.

What: Urban Ghosts Exhibition
When: 12th to 28th August 2009
Where: Shop 23, Level 1, Chifley Plaza | 2 Chifley Square, Sydney 2000
Contact:

The City of Sydney is encouraging local artists and illustrators to explore what contemporary Australia means to them in this year’s ‘Multicultural Art Competition – capturing Australia’s Identity’ now open for entries.

The competition, now in its second year, is a City initiative showcasing artworks that acknowledge and promote Sydney’s diverse cultural background. This competition asks local emerging and established artists to draw inspiration from our cultural diversity by exploring their own ideas and experiences of what it means to be Australian.

The finalists will be announced at the exhibition launch at Customs House on 17th October 2009, with more than $4000 in cash prizes up for grabs, including $2000 for first prize. The artworks will be exhibited at Customs House Library from 17th to 30th October 2009 and at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, a unique arts centre in the heart of Sydney, from 4th 22nd November 2009.

The judges will be looking for artworks that explore the diversity of Australian identity in an original way, are stylistically strong and adaptable to various formats.

Entries close at 5pm on Monday 24th August 2009.

For more details about the competition, including artwork specifications, judging criteria and submission forms, please visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants or call .

The Young Designers Market at South Bank features over 80 stalls with some of Brisbane’s best up and coming designers and artists selling a range of fashion and accessories, jewellery, homewares, object design, furniture and arts. The popular market has just become a monthly event and is on the first Sunday of each month.

Sunday 7th June 2009: 10am-4pm
South Bank Visitor Centre
Little Stanley Street, South Bank

In a first for the Australian design and creative community, today marks the launch of a website showcasing the work of designers who are focused on creating positive social and environmental change. The new website will keep audiences informed of all the latest news and events relating to artists and designers working for positive change in Australia.

The Bindarri website includes the largest online directory of Australian designers, as well as essential resources to assist others seeking to create positive outcomes. The website showcases individuals and organisations which are leading in their creative fields in a number of special features which will be released bi-monthly

The Bindarri team expects the project to grow rapidly once launched as it allows anyone the opportunity to add their own news and websites on the site. Bindarri is seeking to promote includes both social and environmental, and may range from people working and encouraging personal and local community projects to global politics.

All work produced for the Bindarri website is licensed under creative commons, allowing anyone to download images and templates and use them on their own projects. By making the resources freely available, Bindarri is promoting sharing and collaboration within the creative industries, a concept they believe will accelerate the development of creative solutions to the worlds’ issues, including climate change and wealth inequity.

In the lead up to his solo exhibition of mixed media artworks at Oh Really Gallery on the 23rd to 29th April 2009, Australian graffiti artist Phibs, will paint a wall in Leichhardt.

Oh Really Gallery have partnered up with Look Print, a large scale printing business in Leichhardt, who became instant patrons by erecting a 6m by 3m billboard on the side of their building for Oh Really Gallery artists to utilise.

The ongoing partnership has been dubbed ‘Project Ugly’ by Oh Really Gallery Director, Dan O’Toole. “An old lady walked past the wall which had a new artwork going up and she said ‘that’s ugly’. The name stuck.”

‘When Phibs showed interest in exhibiting in Sydney, we were eager to have him do the Project Ugly Wall.’ Says Dan O’Toole. Phibs is a graphic designer originally from Sydney, who now works full time as an artist in Melbourne. His recognisable graffiti style has a tribal feel with an intricate exploration of bold characters and patterning. Phibs is a traditional graffiti artist who has been commissioned by corporations to do large signs and murals.

Previous Phibs works can be viewed at http://www.phibs.com

Phibs just got back from a trip to India. He was there to paint the biggest wall he has ever painted for something called ‘techfest’.

The New Eyes Open Exhibition features works by thirty talented Australian artists. The exhibition runs from the 1st April to 9th April 2009.

New Eyes Open
aMBUSH Gallery
4A James Street, Waterloo, Sydney.

The second Hip Pop show continues with the best of young, fresh and exciting Australian talent. Supporting Father Chris Riley’s Youth off The Streets, the exhibition showcases 4 ‘hip’ and 4 ‘pop’ artists from 2008. A donation will be made from the sale of each artwork to Father Chris Riley’s charity.

The Hip: James Hancock, Kate Scardifield, Thor Engelstad and Adele ‘Buni’ Macer
The Pop: Kieran Antill, Dennis Ropar, Jane Fontane and Ben Rak

United Galleries Sydney
28th November to 28th January 2009

179-181 Palmer Street,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
p: