By Tomomi Sasaki

Nazra Zahri blogged - with gorgeous photos and a video - about her trip to Teshima, one of the seven islands that's celebrating Setouchi International Art Festival.

By Jillian C. York

Moroccan blogger Agharass is known for having an eclectic blog with posts (in French) on a variety of subjects from Palestine to pop culture, often peppered with the blogger's own photographs.

Recently, Agharass launched a photo blog, entitled Portfolio de Agharass! The enticing front page displays stunning photographs from around Morocco, organized like a calendar, while clicking on any given photo takes the audience to an individual entry, complete with explanations and accompanying quotes.

The entry for July 22, a photograph of a young salesman strolling on the beach, is accompanied by quotes by Joseph Conrad, Fernand Vandérem, and Christophe Dejours, including the following:

“C’est l’homme tout entier qui est conditionné au comportement productif par l’organisation du travail, et hors de l’usine il garde la même peau et la même tête. Dépersonnalisé au travail, il demeurera dépersonnalisé chez lui.
[Christophe Dejours]”

Humanity itself is conditioned to be a productive entity through the logic of organizational labor so outside of the chain of production, a man holds on to the same apparent “skin”, the same frame of mind. Devoid of personality at work,  devoid of personality he will also be in life [ Christophe Dejours]

On the author page of Agharass's blog, the following explanation appears:

Un simple amateur de la photographie, entre la prise couleur et monochrome c’est toute ma vision du monde qui prend forme. La photo m’a toujours permet de mémoriser un instant de la vie, une prise de vue qui reste pour la vie. Mon objectif ? C’est apprendre a mieux maximiser la beauté dans les clichés !

L’amour de la photographie est d’abord une vision splendide de la couleur, de la lumière et des reflets !! La photo parfait est celle qui garde au fond d’elle une certaine histoire que seul la capteur en connait les secrets.

As a simple aficionado of photography, it's my vision of the world that takes shape somewhere between monochromatic and color snapshots. Photography has always allowed me to immortalize  life's passing moment, a snapshot  that stays with me forever. My goal? To learn how to maximize the beauty I capture  in my snapshots. My passion for photography is first and foremost about capturing shots that combines splendidly color, light and reflections ! The perfect photo is one that encapsulate the depth of a story that only the photograph can truly know.

Glancing at the portfolio of photographs and Agharass's Flickr account, however, one gets the impression that the person behind the camera is not, in fact, an amateur. Here is a sampling:

The text in the photograph reads "no stopping", while the photographer's caption says "C'est interdit et pis c'est tout !" ("It's banned, and that's that!")

"Art populaire et universel…!" (Pop art and universal…!")

The Koutoubia Minaret in Marrakesh, Morocco, at dusk

Agharass's photos, available on Flickr, are all licensed under a Creative Commons 2.0 Generic License

By Hamid Tehrani

More than 70 Iranian university graduates and academics are calling [fa] for the release of Hamed Saber, an Iranian photo-blogger and computer scientist who was arrested for unknown reasons on 21 June 2010 in Tehran while walking in the street. A friend has informed us that it was the first time Hamed was arrested. The same source said several of Hamed's photos of the Iranian protest movement have been published in foreign magazines without his knowledge.

Hamed is also the developer of “Access Flickr“, a Firefox internet browser extension that bypasses filters on the photo-sharing website Flickr in Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China and other locations where it is banned. One of Hamed's friends posted a letter in a discussion forum on Flickr seeking support for Hamed:

As some of you might already know, it has been nearly a month since Hamed Saber our dear friend and artist and the founder of Iranian group on Flickr has been arrested for no apparent reason.

There has been no news of him except for two telephone calls from an anonymous place.

A group of his old friends, university class mates and professors from well-known universities around the world have issued a letter requesting Hamed’s release.

All of us know him for quite a long time, since our first days of membership in this group or maybe in trips we went together with him.
Many of us started photography in Flickr and specifically this group and even made life-long friends here. I myself feel indebted to him for finding many artist friends here and in this group.

Today he is imprisoned for no clear reason and this is an opportunity to show our friendship and appreciation.

I thought we could write a letter or statement and defend his position as an artist and an old friend and ask for his release.

I am not that good at writing, any comment or idea or any suggestions for a solidarity gesture by anyone of you can be of help, so drop a line in the comment my friends , we have to take action as soon as possible.

Hamed's friends on the “Free Hamed Saber” blog wrote [fa]:

Saber, the winner of a Bronze medal in an international science competition, had the possibility to emigrate but he preferred to stay in Iran and work for its “independence and economic progress.”

The statement calls on Iranian leaders to give Saber a fair trial.

By Laura Vidal

The space dedicated to culture and identity is going through another crisis in the central part of Venezuela, with the closing of Fundación para la Cultura Urbana [es] (Foundation for Urban Culture). This foundation gathered collective works, visions and pieces that told the story of daily life in Caracas. The contests, publications, exhibitions and other activities meant the reconciliation and exaltation of beauty in a dynamic and chaotic city with very creative people.

However, the brokerage firm Econoinvest, a founding investor in the Foundation for Urban Culture, was raided by the government in May. This was enough excuse for the National Exchange Commission to shut down [es] the Foundation permanently.

Bloggers who follow cultural activities in Caracas have expressed a strong opposition to the close down, which they accuse of being illegal and unrelated to the intervention of the brokerage firm.

In the blog Círculo de Escritores de Venezuela [es] (Writers Circle of Venezuela), Magaly Salazar, says:

La creación de una Fundación para la Cultura Urbana tiene como objetivo contribuir a la humanización y armonía de la ciudad. Al frente de ella han estado distinguidas personalidades, entre ellas el escritor Rafael Arráiz Lucca. Esta Institución se ha constituido en un espacio de discusión, expresión del pensamiento contemporáneo, creadora de la Cátedra Permanente de Imágenes Urbanas, de Concursos literarios, de numerosas publicaciones.

The creation of a Foundation for Urban Culture has the objective of contributing to the humanization and harmony of the city. There have been distinguished personalities in its ranks, among them writer Rafael Arráiz Lucca. This institution has been built as a space for discussion [and] the expression of contemporary thinking, creating the permanent installation of Urban Images, literary contests, and numerous publications.

Gabriel Payares, in his blog Kariba [es] reflects on the closing of the brokerage firm and on the empty spaces that will be left behind with the closing of the Foundation:

Cuando anunciaron la intervención de Econoinvest Casa de Bolsa, C. A., no pegué el grito en el cielo, como muchos compañeros y amigos, sino que esperé a ver. (…) Tal vez el problema esté en nuestra desconfianza por las instituciones de todo tipo, y que con el chavismo ha alcanzado sus niveles más elevados en la historia (…) pero ahora se le allana e interviene directamente (…) y se detiene la marcha de una institución que desde el inicio de sus labores en 2001 se supo integrar al panorama cultural y literario del país, convirtiéndose rápidamente en una alternativa para canalizar muchísimas propuestas que no hallaban espacio.

When they announced the intervention of Brokerage House Econoinvest, I was not alarmed, like other friends and colleagues were, but instead I waited to see what happened (…) Maybe the problem is our mistrust for all types of institutions, and with “chavismo” that has reached its greatest level in history. (…) but now [the brokerage] is broken into and intervened directly (…) and now progress is stopped in an institution that since its opening in 2001 knew how to integrate the cultural and literary scene of the country, quickly turning into an alternative to channel many proposals that couldn’t find a space [to develop].

He goes on to say:

Ahora que cierra sus puertas y no sabemos si para siempre, la incertidumbre y el pesimismo a los que cada vez nos acostumbramos más nos hacen preguntarnos qué carajos se gana cerrando uno de los pocos, poquísimos espacios para la edición y la producción cultural de los que dispone nuestro país (…) Agotar nuestros pocos espacios de generación de objetos culturales al mismo tiempo que se planifica una Gran Explosión Cultural Bicentenaria es no solo una cruel ironía, sino una estupidez mayúscula, que apunta hacia una nauseabunda monopolización del rótulo “cultura” por parte del Estado.

Now that it is closing its doors, and we don’t know if it will be forever, the uncertainty and the pessimism that we are getting used to makes us wonder what is gained from closing down one of the few, very few spaces for editing and cultural production that our country possesses (…) To exhaust the few spaces that generate cultural objects at the same time that the Great Cultural Exposition for the Bicentennial is being planned, is not only a cruel irony, but stupidity with capital letter, that points to a nauseating monopolization of “culture” by the State.

In the post La cultura y Econoinvest [es] (Culture and Econoinvest) Petrusco points out:

No conozco a los directivos de Econoinvest. Es más, no conozco a nadie de los que trabajan allí. De ninguno de ellos puedo decir si es buena o mala persona, si es honesto o no (…) Pero sí conozco a mis amigos músicos, artistas y productores, particularmente de la Movida Acústica Urbana, quienes se han visto apoyados en forma firme y desinteresada por Econoinvest y por la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana

I don’t know the managers of Econoinvest [es]. What’s more, I don’t know anyone that works there. I can’t say whether any of them are good or bad people, or if they are honest or not (…) But I do know my friends that are musicians, artists and producers, particularly from the Movida Acústica Urbana [es], who have been supported in a strong and selfless way by Econoinvest and by the Foundation for Urban Culture [es]

Fedosy Santaella, in his blog Caja Virtual [es], presents the reasons for the ideological rage which he thinks is the engine behind the closing of the Foundation, and reflects on what the government’s ideological base is looking for and avoiding. This is his final thought:

…una cosa sí es cierta, la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, seguirá existiendo. Fundó en el espacio valores intangibles que por más zarpazos que les den, permanecerán como evidencias de lo verdaderamente bueno,y revolucionario incluso.

…one thing is true, the Foundation for Urban Culture, will continue to exist. It established intangible values that no matter how many blows they get, will remain as evidences of what was truly good, and even revolutionary.

Kira Kariakin in her blog Anotiaciones al Borde [es] writes:

La cultura venezolana repudia lo que se le hace a esta Fundación pero en general creo que repudia todo abuso, todo vilipendio producto del investíguese, exprópiese, encarcélese o un simple no me gusta del presidente. Su dedo que apunta a capricho comandado por alguna epifanía momentánea causa desgracia y temor, porque ha significado la ruina de empresas y familias, pérdida del sustento de mucha gente. Las razones siempre caen en lo mismo: eran unos capitalistas o unos burgueses, o era un jueza/funcionario desobediente, una finca de un oligarca, un canal de un oligarca, una radio de un oligarca, una casa de bolsa especuladora de un oligarca.

Quizás desaparezca la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, pero quedará la leyenda (…) Bajo esa aura de mito posible surgirán otras iniciativas. Dependerá de nosotros.

Venezuelan culture repudiates what is being done to the Foundation but in general I think it repudiates all abuse, all vilification that is a product of investigation, expropriations, incarcerations or a simple “I don’t like it” from president [Chávez]. His finger that points to a commanded whim from a momentary epiphany causes misfortune and fear, because it has caused the ruin of businesses and families, the loss of livelihood for many people. The reasons are always the same: they were capitalists or from the bourgeoisie, or it was a disobedient judge/official, an oligarch’s farm, an oligarch’s channel, an oligarch’s radio, or an oligarch’s speculative brokerage house. (…)

The Foundation for Urban Culture might disappear [es], but the legend will remain (…) Under its myth other initiatives will emerge. That depends on us.

In social networks, the initiative to support the Foundation has been intense. Many Facebook [es] and Twitter [es] users show this support through the Foundation’s profiles and discussions. A blog called Solidaridad Ciudadana con la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana [es] (Citizen Solidarity with the Foundation for Urban Culture) was created to collect signatures against the closing of the Foundation. In the blog, numerous national artists and writers have participated with their signature and with letters showing their support. In its main text, the blog points out that the closing of the Foundation is illegal, because it is independent from Econoinvest; this is what it says:

Convocamos a reflexionar detenidamente sobre el significado y las implicaciones de esta acción contra la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, porque más que afectar a una institución, constituye un agravio a esa Venezuela pensante y democrática que ha hallado en la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana un espacio de encuentro, discusión crítica y expresión de las más diversas ideas.

We call for careful reflection on the meaning and implications of these actions against the Foundation for Urban Culture, because more than affecting an institution, it constitutes an affront to a thinking and democratic Venezuela that found in the Foundation for Urban Culture a gathering space for critical discussion and the expression of the most diverse ideas. Post translated by Silvia Viñas. Thumbnail image by Flirck user NeoGaboX used under a Creative Commons license.

By Hamid Tehrani

Kandovan is a 'strange' Iranian village in Eastern Azarbaijan province where houses are in the middle of rocks. Watch the photos.

By Nicholas Laughlin

Artzpub. posts photos from an “over-sexy” street fashion show in Trinidad — part of the 2010 Erotic Art Week programme in Port of Spain — which was interrupted by the arrival of the police.

By Vilhelm Konnander

A Yankee in Belgrade posts a sequel to a previous story on street art in Belgrade, where zebra crossings have been turned into works of art.