This exhibition is the first UK showing of Taryn Simon’s latest project, An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, a culmination of four years extensive research and documenting of the unseen and inaccessible hidden below the surface of national identity.

I’ve been and it’s well good, it’s free to get in and you get to meet Kenny the white tiger who is on this planet as a result of selective inbreeding don’t you know!

The exhibition is at The Photographers’ Gallery and closes next Sunday, November 11th.

Unfortunately this isn’t a post about the legend that is Mark Morrison, it’s just good news, I’m back on PTN with 5 things from the last few weeks…

1. Poke have recently produced a campaign site for the WWF in an effort to help persuade the government to include emission-tastic aviation and shipping on the change climate bill, if you sign an online petition your name might just sail down the thames on a massive paper plane or boat. Iain has written about this in detail if you would like to find out more.

2. I found an old friend on the internet yesterday, she has a great photography portfolio.

3. I have been enjoying the uber user-friendly stats app extrodinaire aka. Google Analytics since hooking it up on my portfolio site last month, it’s well decent and so simple to add to your site, have a go.

4. Cookie introduced me to Raymond, a great french short film produced by the Mill that will remind you of the Ragdoll.
‘Raymond, a lazy swimming pool instructor, who would like to discover the ocean’s. A team of scientists with a brand new solution offers to help him’.

5. Some friends and I went to NYC at the end of September, it was incredible - here are the pictures which tell the story (well apart from the bits I wouldn’t want to show Grandma!).

Photo from Wanderer and Wonderer

Global Cities looks at the changing faces of ten dynamic international cities: Cairo, Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Exploring each city through five thematic lenses – speed, size, density, diversity and form – the exhibition draws on data originally assembled for the 10th International Architecture Exhibition at the 2006 Venice Biennale. This unique show presents existing films, videos and photographs by more than 20 artists and architects to offer subjective and intimate interpretations of urban conditions in all ten cities.

I went on Saturday - the combination of larger than life human geography and the arts was hugely absorbing. You can’t help but be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff, and a second trip could well be on the cards. It’s on until August 27th.

Three things I liked:

Yang zhenzhong’s video installation ‘Let’s Puff’

Kendell Geers photographic study of Johannesburg’s secure ‘Suburbia’ (navigate to suburbia via images)

Dryden Goodwin’s short film ‘Reveal’

Incredible, I need things like this today. Last night was Alex’s 30th.

The hauntingly mundane photography of Adrien Missika makes me feel a bit weird. In a good way.

A great collection of photography and Art from many brilliant contributors.

tinyvices.com

Just so you know…

BBC World’s launch has been promoted in North America with interactive billboards, where interaction is offered by a live SMS poll. Visually, the constuction reminds me of the HSBC Your point of view campaign.

On the other hand Brazil’s São Paulo has become a No Logo zone of sorts after Mayor Gilberto Kassab decided to strip the city of all it’s advertising. Creative Review editor Patrick Burgoyne’s article for BusinessWeek provides a commentary of how events unfolded which led to the clearout, the initial public reaction plus some thoughts to the future. Visual documentation of the ‘billboard cemetery’ can be seen in Brazilian photographer Tony de Marco’s flickr set here.

…is a playful project from German Photographer Jan Von Holleben that gently nudges us to reminisce about our impromptu journeys to the moon amongst other places!

via a Sailorette’s Diary.

Awarding winning photo’s from said event can be viewed here.