TYP 2.0: London Report

TYP Report: London

Soho is my base this time. Noisy streets are filled with the hip and groovy, the funky and kinky, the well to do and poor.

It's been a while since I've been there though. It was about time to meet friends and make a couple of arrangements. But I feel always exited and shocked when I get there. Shocked by the hugeness of this town compared to Amsterdam. Exited by all the things to see and to do.
The morning is the best part of the day, when the shops are opening and people

head off to work or take a quick breakfast in one of many bars. Meet your friends for a coffee and croissant in 'Bar Italia' or 'Patisserie Valerie' in Old Compton street and check the 'Time Out' for the programme for the day before you head off.

Until May 6th you still can see SPELLBOUND, the art and film exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. To celebrate the centenatry of cinema, the Hayward Gallery and the British Film Institute have invited ten artists and filmmakers to create new work exploring the affinity between art and film. With Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys), Damien Hirst (Hanging Around), Douglas Gordon (24 hour Psycho), Fiona Banner, Boyd Webb (Love Story), Peter Greenaway (installation), Eduardo Paolozzi, Steve McQueen and Paula Pego. I liked very much Terry Gilliams installation on '12 Monkeys' and Damien Hirst's first short movie 'Hanging Around'. Impressive was also Peter Greenaway's Installations with (real) actors, props, texts and audience.

From April 16th - May 13th You might want to go to TOTALLY WIRED an exhibition on science, technology and the human form at the Institute of Contemory Arts (ICA). Featuring Orlan, Franko B., Marcel.li Antunez Roca, Bruce Gilchrist & Jonny Bradley and Stelarc. Installations, performances and lectures.

Visit the ICA Cinema where David Lynch presents Nadja, a film by Micheal Almereyda and get thrilled by the estranged vampiric twins, the beautiful Nadja who drifts downtown Manhattan spinning sensuous webs around her victims and Edgar who struggles to escape his monstrous inheritance. With Peter Fonda, Elina Lowensohn and Martin Donovan. Soundtrack by Simon Fisher Turner, Portishead and My Bloody Valentine. Great!

Recently I bought the 'Don't Rush' watch by Mondaine from Switzerland, which (and all other models too) offered free entrance to the London Design Museum - so the inlaycard says.
Curious enough to see if that was true I headed off to see there the exhibition of fashion designer Paul Smith 'A true Brit'.
I showed the watch and I could go in... It worked!
The Paul Smith show was well designed and

laid-out. It showed his developments as fashion designer combined with his inspiration resources: collections of almost anything - prints, toys, chairs, radios, scarves. Several installations were built to give an all around impression of images and things. Peepholes will make you curious to find out what's hidden. And of course lots and lots of suits, dresses, shirts and accessories he designed during his career.

When you feel for a good old stroll through Hyde Park, walk down to the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. This is a relatively small but good exhibition space for small shows. This time a selection of the powerful work of the late Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Runs until April 21st.

And then of course the food! I always liked hiking around in London, eating a bite here and there, going to a local restaurant in any part of town. But besides the many traditional English Breakfast places, you'll find great restaurants to get an exellent meal. Have a breakfast in the earlier mentioned Patisserie Valerie (French) or Bar Italia. Go for Lunch at Wagamama's (Japanese, great and fast) or Pollo Restaurant (Italian), have dinner at Mondo (trendy bar with restaurant) or the enourmous Mezzo (exellent service) restaurant.

Like most times I try to combine pleasure with the useful. This time I arranged to visit graphic designer Malcolm - aah, of the 80's record sleeves ...!? - Garrett. Two years ago he left Assorted Images to start his new company AMX digital.

'I got fed up with designing for print, which wasn't challenging at all anymore. Already before I left Assorted Images I was playing around a bit with Hypercard and that completely blew my mind. I was sold. It's gotto be digital!' says Malcolm, a kind and articulate person to discuss developments in graphic design with. 'Together with Alasdair I started A(lasdair) M(alcolm) X two years ago, and now we work with about twenty people. Clients are Apple, Silicon Graphics, Planet Internet, EMI and some others. We invest in the future and new media.'

AMX Digital has set up its own server, as well as 'Rise'. Rise is a pop music server under construction and already gives residence to the official site of the rising Brit pop band 'PULP'. The editorial and design is done inhouse. In fact, the whole project is an experimental initiative by AMX Digital to explore the possibilities of future communication. One woman in charge to give directions to the company's activities in on-line media, one person to manage interaction between design and the c-programmer. A cd-rom project on British Chart hits since it started in the 50's gave the company the possibility to invest in a 16 channel sound studio.
'Lots of record companies are now about to discover the power of internet distribution channels. But many don't know how to handle the medium. They'll come to me.' assures Malcolm smiling. 'Because of my background as a record sleeve designer they recognize my qualities as someone they can trust in these new fields. So it all comes back to me in the end.'

Max Kisman, April 1996,

Adresses:
The Hayward Gallery, South Bank, Tube: Waterloo, Embankment, Bus: Waterloo Bridge.
The ICA, The Mall, SW1
The Design Museum, South Bank near Tower Bridge.
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2.
Patisserie Valerie, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Bar Italia, Frith Street, Soho.
Pollo Restaurant, Old Compton Street, Soho.
Wagamama, Lexington Street, Soho.
Mondo, Greek Street, Soho.
Mezzo, 100 Wardour Street (once the Marquee Club), Soho.
AMX Digital, http://www.amxdigital.com
RISE, http://www.rise.co.uk

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