Flavorpill Blog

Spider-Man to Play Spider-Man on Broadway

2008-10-08T20:10:42Z

If you say Spider-Man theatrical spectacular, I’ll say, “umm, okay.” The Lion King director Julie Taymor is hard at work on another improbable Broadway production, this time featuring the Marvel hero and his all-too-familiar arachnid mutation. Investors threw a reported $40 million at the project – unprecedented by theater standards and possibly even enough for one computer-animated Tobey MaGuire web-slinging sequence. Bono wrote the score, so everyone can stay calm on that front. And after three films and an endless stream of comic book appearances, perhaps Peter Parker just feels more comfortable under the bright lights.

Share This

As the World Turns, Sotheby’s Falters

2008-10-06T21:07:03Z

If you were hoping that the art market would transcend the greater economic woes of Wall Street, you likely awoke cold this weekend, as Sotheby’s Hong Kong failed to sell the pricier offerings in its biggest auction since US markets hit the skids. While modestly priced works such as Chintan Upadhyay’s Together for Life Whether We Like It or Not and Jitish Kallat’s Rickshawpolis-3 met or exceeded expectations, many of the higher profile lots languished on the block. Sotheby’s Asia deputy Chin Yeow Quek is reportedly “happy” with the results – perhaps “fundamentally sound” would be a better catch all for the proceedings.

The sales lag comes as no surprise as millionaires tighten ship, but this auction is a curious counterpoint to Damien Hirst’s recent coup at Sotheby’s London. Hirst managed unprecedented figures in the midst of the Lehman Bros. collapse, but now, nearly a month later, its unclear whether his performance was simply a denouement to an overblown storyline. Are collectors more willing to invest in recognizable artists, or is the bull market starting to turn as an economic winter looms?

Share This

The Great Schlep

2008-10-07T21:45:02Z

Many of you probably saw Sarah Silverman’s viral vid for the Great Schlep, had a chuckle, and went back to work. But folks, she’s serious. This Columbus Day weekend, October 10-13, she and TGS’ organizers are asking young Jews from around the country to visit their grandparents in Florida (a crucial swing state in the upcoming election), and spend some time educating bubby on Obama. Of course, not all of us are Jewish, or have pop-pops in Boca, but there’s still plenty to be done. To see how you can e-schlep and make a change for the better in 2008, visit TheGreatSchlep.com or join them on Facebook.

Share This

Metro Flavor in the Urban Jungle

2008-10-02T21:38:33Z

We know many of you are already budding photojournalists; now you’ve got another opportunity to break out the digi-cam and capture your world. Flavorpill partner Metro is currently holding a global photography competition, looking for readers to submit — and vote on — the very best amateur and professional shots, with the theme “Urban Jungle.” From October 6 through October 26, you can submit pics for a chance to win a trip to Paris and have your photo reprinted in Metros worldwide. Offline, watch for the paper to highlight different entries. And of course, keep checking each Thursday for Metro Flavor: Flavorpill’s own top NYC culture picks for the next seven days.

Share This

Take a minute and register to vote

2008-09-11T21:08:44Z

Here at Flavorpill, the concept of “culture” doesn’t stop at music, film, and art; it extends to the public sphere as well. As you may have heard, there’s an election coming up in November. If you’re contemplating voting for the first time or re-registering in a new state, now’s the time to take action before it’s too late. Here’s a state-by-state guide to voter registration that’ll help make your voice heard (and if you’re in a swing state, you’ll be heard extra loudly).

Share This

NYC Gallery Guide: Fall 2008

2008-09-03T17:03:08Z

More than 100 galleries hold openings this weekend. To help make sense of it all, we’ve pared down the list to reflect our favorites. Check back throughout the week for updates, as times are subject to change.

Chelsea

Thur Sep 4 (6-8pm)
Chris Duncan: The Faith Void Split
Jeff Bailey Gallery (511 W 25th St)

Thur Sep 4 (6-8pm)
Neil Campbell: faultline
Marianne Boesky (509 W 24th St)

Thur Sep 4 (6-8pm)
Alexey Kallima: Chechnya Women’s Team of Parachute Jumping
Lehmann Maupin (540 W 26th St)

Thur Sep 4 (6-8pm)
Mike Cloud: Agreement and Subjectivity
Max Protech (511 W 22nd St)

Thur Sep 4 (6-8pm)
Joseph Smolinski: After the Fall
Mixed Greens Gallery (531 W 26th St)

Fri Sep 5 (6-8pm)
Bendix Harms: Lebenslieben
Anton Kern Gallery (532 W 20th St)

Fri Sep 5 (6-8pm)
Alicia Ross: Sacred_Profane
Black & White: Chelsea (636 W 28 St)

Fri Sep 5 (6-8pm)
Jeronimo Elespe
John Connelly Presents (625 W 27th St)

Fri Sep 5 (6-8pm)
Recent Projects from Sculpture Space
EFA Project Space (323 W 39th St, 2nd Fl)

Sat Sep 6 (6-8pm)
Zoe Beloff: The Somnambulists
Bellwether (134 10th Ave)

Sat Sep 6 (6-8pm)
Isca Greenfield-Sanders: Against The Fall
Goff + Rosenthal (537B W 23rd St)

Sat Sep 6 (6-8pm)
Xu Zhen: Shanghai convenience store & more
James Cohan Gallery (533 W 26th St)

Sat Sep 6 (7-9pm)
Camille Rose Garcia: Ambien Somnambulants
Jonathan LeVine Gallery (529 W 20th St, 9th fl)

Williamsburg

Fri Sep 5 (5-7pm)
Shaun El. C & Clifford Owens: Some things we do together..
Momenta Art (72 Berry St)

Fri Sep 5 (6-9pm)
Mortal Coil: international group video exhibition
Parker’s Box (193 Grand St)

Fri Sep 5 (7-9pm)
John J. O’Connor: Flannel Tongue
Pierogi (177 N 9th St)

Fri Sep 5 (7-9pm)
ArThurr Cohen: Now what?
Jack the Pelican (487 Driggs Ave)

Fri Sep 5 (7-10pm)
Mel Kadel & Suzanne Sattler: Swirl of Swarm
Cinders (103 Havemeyer St)

Lower East Side
**A number of LES Galleries are open on Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm). Here are a few not to miss. Any additional opening times also included below.**

Thur Sep 4 (7-9pm) & Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm)
Jeph Gurecka: Shiny Bright Souvenir
31GRAND (143 Ludlow St)

Fri Sep 5 (5-7pm) & Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm)
Active Forms
Eleven Rivington (11 Rivington St)

Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm)
Rashawn Griffin
Smith-Stewart (53 Stanton St)

Sun Sep 7 (6-8pm)
Monsters, curated by Robert Longo
Rental (120 E Broadway, 6th Fl)

Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm)
Kevin Bewersdorf: Monuments to the INFOspirit
V&A (98 Mott St, 2nd Fl)

Sun Sep 7 (6-8pm)
Vidya Gastaldon: Do You Wear The Love Glasses?
Salon 94 Freemans (1 Freeman Alley)

Long Island City

Sun Sep 7 (4-6pm)
Martin Boyce & Ugo Rondinone: We Burn, We Shiver
SculptureCenter (44-19 Purves St)

Sun Sep 7 (6-9pm)
Swoon: Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea
Deitch Studios (4-40 44th Dr)

Share This

Tooting Our Own Horn: Flavorpill’s Halley Bondy

2008-08-26T21:31:55Z

We think all of our contributors are pretty damn special — I mean, the strength of our listings, from the writing to the picks themselves, can really be attributed to our rad writers. But once in a while, we’ve got to call out a particularly stellar dude or ‘ette. Halley Bondy, your time has come. Halley covers a lot of performing arts events for Flavorpill NYC, but, turns out that when she’s not diligently scouring the off-Broadway scene for ace plays, she’s creating her own. Halley was just named Best Playwright of the NYC Fringe Fest, and we couldn’t be prouder. (Seriously. Remember how your mom cried and totally embarrassed you at high-school graduation? It’s like that.) Her play, The Redheaded Man, follows a schizophrenic architect, his drug-addled shrink, and his scheming girlfriend and drunken best friend. Sounds hotter than Gossip Girl! The play is being presented as part of the Fringe Encore Series, so New Yorkers still have a chance to catch FFBF (that’s For Flavorpill By Flavorpill) entertainment. And congrats, Halley!

Share This

Scott Heiferman: Salon Review

2008-08-12T14:29:47Z

A couple weeks back, Flavorpill HQ-ers and friends got a brutal wake-up call from Meetup.com founder Scott Heiferman. “Get the f*ck away from screens!” He yelled. Wha? This was semi-shocking news, coming from and directed at “new media” mavens. But over the course of his Flavorpill Salon talk at Housing Works, Heiferman explained the power of both the nefarious “invasion of the screens” (when you only involve your iPhone, think of all the human interaction you’re missing, and the relationships you fail to build) as well as a self-organizing, DIO — that’d be “do it ourselves” — spirit. Ultimately, for Heiferman it seems that while online organizing is a useful platform — after all, Meetup is an Internet company — “virtual groups are virtually worthless,” and face-to-face interactions are still the best form of communication and organization. And that’s a philosophy that jives pretty well with Flavorpill’s ethos of getting readers off the couch and into the culture of their city.

Share This

Sascha Lewis Makes Ideas Happen

2008-07-24T20:11:40Z

Flavorpill co-founder Sascha Lewis was recently asked to curate a page on the Behance.net, a social networking site for creative professionals. Sascha chose his favorite galleries from among the thousands posted by artists and designers on the site, reflecting the same artistic ethos behind the selection of our own cover art, featured weekly on all of our city publications. There’s a stunning photo essay, which follows the photographer’s daughter over years of maturation; digitally enhanced “LaChapellesque” shots of Coney Island; sci-fi illustrations; and a particularly whimsical world tour. Check out all of his picks, and learn more about Behance. We can all be creators.

Share This

Global Photojournalists Win Activate Contest

2008-07-16T19:00:25Z

Perhaps befitting of a publication that focuses its lens on the entire world, the winners of Activate’s photojournalism contest hail from around the globe. Bernardo Tawatao’s grand-prize winning submission captures Sumilao farmers finally setting foot on their ancestral land — Tawatao’s own homeland of the Philippines — and we received hundreds of other submissions, from Ireland to Indonesia. Congrats to our winners, and three cheers to all those who entered, sharing a distinct viewpoint and an engaging story with the web and the world.

Share This