On New Years & Astronauts

A new year. A date, a time. A threshold that makes us emotional.. This emotion, for me, is always hard to define... a sort of neediness. (it's different than that of Christmas which has more to do with childhood, nostalgia, family). This one has more to do with doing the right thing at midnight. It's not anxiety though. It has something to do with doing the right thing....

Preparation.

Maybe astronauts feel this way before launch. They're on to something new... but the hard work involved is daunting. The checklist is great. Nothing can go wrong.

Then the time comes and there are explosions. Light. People look to the sky and cheer. The heart rises, rises and a happiness comes to our cheeks and eyes.... we made it. The spectacle fades in the sky. Our hopes carried away on smokey clouds that skim the earth sideways. Sky empty, we now know its up to us to make our hopes rise throughout the year.

Star Wars a capella

Earth without Eartha. R.I.P. Grrrrrrrr

Star of Wonder by the Roches

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. The video is not by the Roches but of some fan. Enjoy the voices. Merry Christmas!

Morning Glory

Today I understood why they call it Morning Glory. This morning waking up at my mom's place here in Brasilia the Morning Glory glow in the morning's first light. It seems like the light is coming from within the center of the flower.

When Sexy Hottie Is Having Brain

Review of Ricky Seabra's Empire, Love to Love You, Baby from the Mobile Lab for Theatre and Communication written in "Gonzo journalism style" in which critics react to a piece and don't reveal their identity.
(I wish a few of them had manifested their attraction to me in Ljubljana... I might have gotten laid...)

Review: When Sexy Hottie is Having Brain

Aw, aw, could you imagine what a cutie I saw yesterday in the theatre in Ljubljana!...On a stage, by the way, not in the audience. That was the moment when I remembered my wonderings about turning to boy-lover profession, still, I stayed to chicks (it’s just easier somehow). Righty then, the thing was that he had a solo performance called Empire. I love to love you, baby (well, you see, what I’m tryin’ to say, uh?). It was about The States and the old stuff with them: patriotic madness and military obsessions. But haba- haba, mummy llliked the guy, Ricky Seabra!!! What a body, what skin, although, no big wonder, coz he was from Brazil and he had just returned from the desert sands. Having had a pretty rough tour through different countries, something like European, can’t remember, but it isn’t so important. What a sense of humour, my looord! I pissed my pants for about five times, and, no doubt, I wasn’t the only one. And at the same time he managed to kick butt of some serious problems and did it in different ways, using loads of videos - some live captured on the stage, some, taken from the net, projected on screen; then suddenly turning into transvestite or just ugly babe. He called himself Rickyoncé, you know, from where he pulled the strings, don’t ya? With that he crowned himself as the Empress of The States. Gosh, in some moments I thought that he’s gone with the birds – toot, toot!,- you know, the artist in that modern theatre bullshit sometimes has their little surprises. No, no, everything was O.K., he’s just a hell of a good actor. Though he has a designers degree.

The most terrifying moment was when he showed a compilation from disaster and shitty sci-fi blockbusters like Independence Day (is Will Smith still alive, by the way?) and The Day After. To see, how such a ‘great’ nation blows up their skyscrapers, Black House (haaah) and things like that, you really start to wonder what the hell is happening in their fatty heads. You had some shit in sunny September morning, didn’t you get the point? Why don’t you stop playing with your country like a mad farmer with his chainsaw? Other wicked episode was when he demonstrated porn photo collection of USA army soldiers and their Little Soldiers as well. Well, apparently those are the thingies they do to get some extra earnings while they're in service.

Yeah, Rickyoncé really knew exactly what he wanted to say with his work, which, I suppose, require much power from him. Remarkable guy, that’s for sure. Interesting, what he will do next, unless some guys with sunglasses and little earphones won’t visit him in late hours of the night to ask some simple questions by cup of tea…

Stanley H. Orny

Nesses casos de reação a assalto sou a favor da Pena de Morte

Violência
Médica do Hospital Pérola Byington é baleada e morta em assalto no Rio Pequeno

Publicada em 13/12/2008 às 10h23m
Cleide Carvalho, O Globo, Jornal Hoje


Nadir Oyakawa, médica morta por ladrões

SÃO PAULO - A médica Nadir Oyakawa, de 53 anos, chefe do setor de Laser do Hospital Hospital Pérola Byington (Centro de Referência à Saúde da Mulher), foi baleada e morta na noite desta sexta-feira ao sair da casa de uma irmã na Rua Dr João Vieira Neves, no Rio Pequeno, na zona oeste de São Paulo. Por volta de 23h30m, Nadir estava dentro do carro, estacionado na porta da residência, quando três homens chegaram e anunciaram o assalto.

Imagens gravadas por uma câmera de segurança são a principal pista da polícia para identificar os criminosos que mataram a médica, mas há informações de que os ladrões estariam encapuzados. A câmera está instalada em um prédio em frente ao local do crime.

Segundo a polícia, eles teriam apontado a arma para sobrinhos da médica. Ela havia participado da festa de formatura de uma sobrinha e iria com a família a uma pizzaria, onde comemoraria o aniversário de outro sobrinho.
Imagens gravadas pelo prédio em frente ao local do crime
Trancada dentro do carro, Nadir passou a buzinar para chamar a atenção de vizinhos. Ela teria ainda gritado aos sobrinhos para correrem para dentro. Os bandidos chegaram a dar um soco no vidro do veículo, uma Zafira, e um deles atirou.

Nadir foi baleada com um tiro na altura do rim, sofreu hemorragia interna e morreu. Os bandidos fugiram a pé, sem levar nada, rumo à Favela do Sapé. Um dos criminosos estaria de camiseta branca. Os outros dois trajavam roupas vermelha e azul.

Ricky loves Empire – and Empire loves Ricky

by Andreja Kopac, November 22, 2008,
Exodos Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia

PREAMBLE BY Michel Foucault:
Sexuality is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we enjoy in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes, strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. Sex is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are homosexual. Before that we have to create a gay way of living. Become gay.

Ricky Seabra: Don't criticize USA soldiers, fuck them!
Ricky then … Let me think … Until now I have heard of three Rickys. First is Ricky Martin, pop singer from the USA. Viva la Vida Loca. Second is Ricky Lake. Woman, moderator of her own talk show. (Actually she is Riki with a K). Third is Ricky, the famous Slovenian stripteaser. Part of the Chippendales group. Some people think he is the one of the most goodlooking strippers in Slovenia. The name Ricky has, at first glance, some certain pop connotations. Pop is written in the name. Performer Ricky Seabra has a father, who was by the age of 18 speaking 6 languages fluently. His mother is Brazilian with a special interest in antiques. Ricky has a childish dream to be an astronaut. His place to be was always the sky. Planes and aircrafts. Skyscrapers and towers. All together, crossing one another. Ricky is a graduated student of communication design and has a Master degree in industrial design. Studying in USA. Living in Rio. Because of the weather. Very nice. Very American.

And because Ricky really likes the sky and universe, he uses similar symbols for interpretation, or more precisely, deconstruction of American mythology. From this bunch of symbols he choses the following ones, starting from the air: American air bases, spread all over the map of the world, the American flag, proudly waving in the air, White house, Twin towers, Bombs bursting in air and finally – the American national anthem, starting with a black star - Whitney Houston, ending by a white star - Mariah Carey. Amazing. We can't really criticize any one of the singers. Or the performance at all. And especially not Ricky. He made a good piece. Entertaining one. With nice images, interesting lights, with a sense of healthy wittiness, a refreshing self-referenciality and some interesting interventions.

What did he actually do to present, represent and make fun of his own Empire? He simply became an empire! He undressed and dressed himself into a half Whitney - half Mariah. He became Ricky Martin, Riki Lake and Ricky, the striptease guy at the same time. Yes, he was convincing. Until the end, when he visually introduced a next possible empire – CHINA. With some chinese boys, imitating a boy band song ... As long as you love me ... As long as America loves China – or as long China loves America? This is a question. Hamletian one. So, as long as they love each other there will be peace on planet Earth. Poppishly terrifying. So, what about the Chinese? They already knew (since middle ages) how to become an Empire: If you want to be Empire, create an empire way of living. Become an empire. Imitation is possible.

CLOSING BY Michel Foucault:
EMPIRE is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we are enjoying in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. EMPIRE is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are PART OF THE EMPIRE. Before that we have to create an EMPIRE way of living. Become EMPIRE.

Corcoran School of Art Class of 87

Today I was googling around a bit for colleagues/friends from my Foundation year at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC. That was 1983-84 I believe. Anyone know the whereabouts of Roz Kuhn, Katherine Williams, Rosana Baptista from Bolivia?

Take off / Decolagem Santos Dumont

Here is a small vid of what is probably the most picturesque take-offs in the world. Just did it last week. Went to São Paulo for work.

Menos América, Mais Ternura!

Segunda, 24 de novembro 2008

Text: Ana Schnabl

Ljubljana – O Festival Internacional Contemporâneo de Artes Cênicas Exodos está acontecndo esse dias de novembro e entre outras coisas assistimos a performance de Ricky Seabra Império, Love to Love You, Baby, que o artista apresenta duas vezes na grade do festival.



Neste projeto, Império, Love to Love You, Baby, Ricky Seabra desconstroi fixações nacionais americanas.

Antes de ser desenhista gráfico para Miramax Films, Seabra se formou bacharel em comunicação visual e fez mestrado em desenho industrial. Nove anos atrás deixou o seu emprego e se mudou para Amsterdam para se tornar contador de histórias – performando no palco.

Contra o imperialismo

Seabra é portador de um passaporte brasileiro assim como um americano e é justamente esta dualidade que legitima o seu projeto apresentado na última sexta e sábado no Plesni Teater Ljubljana (mais precisamente, o “Imperial PTL Thetater” como ele o denominou) imbutindo este projeto com uma conivência muito apreciada. Seabra, uma espécie de palestrante/performer se desafia a descontruir fixações nacionais – se não nacionalistas – americanas que muito eficientemente conseguem penetrar na pele, ou melhor nas “almas do indivíduos”. Passa também pela fantasmagória do fenomeno da cultura pop pós 11 de setembro enquanto explica que os fundamentos históricos que levaram a tudo isso vêem de longa data. Ele fala como os pontos de interrogação no final de certas frases do hino nacional americano foram apagados para que não houvesse dúvida quanto ao senso americano de igualdade, liberdade e coragem. Discute a santidade da bandeira americana, o símbolico slogan da guerra do Iraque “Support Your Troops” (Apoie as suas tropas), a supremacia ética do exército americano e outras formas de comportamento imperial. Sua performance/palestra é cômico e satírico e se assemelha com a de um “stand-up comedian” com um conceito dramatúrgico excelente composto de animações ao vivo, hits, programas de TV, projeções de sites na internet e uma coreografia muito bem pensado e persuasivo.

Com a aparição de Rickyoncé, a nova Imperatriz que aposta num bootyliscious Estados Unidos da América – a ironia das tendências imperialistas americanas é trazida para o absurdo. Seabra, que em sua versão travestida, oscila entre o ponto de vista de uma estrela da MTV e a lógica de um Quaker, tem muitas idéias sexys e sugestões de como os Filhos de Sam podem realmente dominar o mundo. De qualquer forma, Imperio, Love to Love You, Baby, deixa o espectador com uma impressão ambígua. Fazer pouco dos ícones e símbolos americanos e recontextualizando estas imagens, é de fato uma crítica e certamente o artista se posiciona contra o imperialismo de sua terra natal que origina de um conciente coletivo demônico (ou como o autor diz: é sobre “deep shit”. O alvo da ofensiva de Seabra porém não está limitado ao nacionalismo americano mas também aponta para a instituição de preconceito e estereótipos que não americanos alimentam sobre a América e o seu povo. Em outras palavras, Seabra não está tentando fazer apologias da identidade americana nem está tentando ser moralista, mas ele se coloca exatamente no lugar onde a maioria das pessoas veem os EUA: os disseminadores da verdade sagrada. Seabra não tenta forçar esta verdade em você mas apenas lança uma luz nos seus mecanismos.

Proposition 8 - The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Exodos 14 – Bringing the Potential of Power of Suppressed Spirits of Weakness to Life

01. december 2008

http://www.sigledal.org/index.php?id=12&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=944&cHash=474268ca4a

Katja Čičigoj

If theatre is the privileged interpreter/carrier of political potentiality, then contemporary performing arts practices are the privileged place of demonstrating the effects this potential has; as long as the issue of responsibility of the viewer to be the interpreter is not transformed into the responsibility of the viewer to co-create the performance. Performing (of) the body exposes the body as something, which is always (in-)a-process, transient, weak and vulnerable. Exodos Festival of Performing Arts had always in one way or another included political potentiality into its program, but this year the program primarily focused on dealing with the weaknesses of the body as weaknesses of a different kind – with performing (of) speaking and moving bodies on stage, the festival exposed the discriminating nature of the cultural practice, which designates particular movements and speech (that are of a different kind) as a »handicap«.

The audience was treated as a much more open community [compared to Raimund Hoghe, BH] in Ricky Seabra's multimedia performance Empire, Love to Love You, Baby with the embodiment of a bosomy blond – the Empress of the USA. Here we were again confronted with an obvious contradiction between the character and the body on stage but performing a different role: instead of building a cult historical personality manifested in a weak body, in Empire we had a fictional character in a young body, mockingly representing the body of America and exposing its hidden weakness. The audience was much more engaged not only due to excellent dramaturgy, but also because the artist was constantly addressing the audience directly, learned some Slovenian words and made references to simultaneous locations of the performance. Most important however was a general anti-American attitude of the audience, which on the other hand – being widely popular and fashionable around the globe - exposes a deep paradox of globalization, namely rejection of American culture (and not only the culture itself) had become global – a double paradox, embodied by Seabra's critique of American pop culture performed as a pop-performance, which in this way tackles the issue in a critical manner and performs a kind of auto-critique that is lacking in American culture.

translation: Barbara Hribar

Less America, More Tenderness! (Review of Empire)

http://www.dnevnik.si/novice/kultura/1042224511

Monday, 24th of November 2008
Text: Ana Schnabl

Ljubljana –International Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts Exodos is taking place in these November days, and among others we saw a performance by Ricky Seabra Empire, Love to Love You, Baby, which he performed twice in the frame of the festival.

In his project Empire, Love to Love You, Baby, Ricky Seabra deconstructed American national fixations.
Formerly a graphic designer at Miramax, Seabra is a graduate of visual communications and Master of Arts in industrial design, who nine years ago quit his job and moved to Amsterdam to become a storyteller – mostly performing on stage.

Against Imperialism
Seabra owns a Brazilian as well as an American passport and this duality is exactly what legitimates his project, presented last Friday and Saturday at Plesni Teater Ljubljana (more precisely, at the “Imperial PTL Theatre”, as he called it) and grants this project with much appreciated connivance. Seabra as a kind of lecturer/performer takes on the task of deconstructing American national – if not nationalistic – fixations that are exceptionally successful and persistent in getting under the skin or rather into the »souls of individuals« and the phantasmagoria of pop culture phenomena following 9/11, while explaining at the same time that the historical foundations for all of this were laid long time ago. He talks about how the question marks at the end of particular lines of the American anthem were erased so that there would be no doubt of the American sense of equality, freedom and courage; he talks about the sacredness of the American flag, about the symbolic slogan "Support your troops" and ethical primacy of American army and other forms of Imperial attitude. His performance / presentation is comic and satiric and reminds one of a stand-up comedy with an excellent dramaturgical concept and make-up of live animations, music hits, TV shows, projections of websites and a very persuasive and thought-out choreography.

With the appearance of Rickyoncé - the new Empress who bets on bootylicious United States of America - the irony of American imperialistic tendencies is brought to absurdity: Seabra, who in his transvestite edition oscillates between the point of view of an MTV star and the logic of an average Quaker, has plenty of sexy ideas and suggestions about how the Sons of Sam could really rule the world. In any case, Empire, Love to Love You, Baby leaves the viewer with an ambiguous impression. Mocking the icons and American symbols and re-contextualizing this imagery surely comes out as a critique and the artist stands up against the imperialism of his home country, displayed on the level of a nation and originating from the demonic collective unconscious (or, as the author says, it's about »deep shit«). The target of Seabra's offensive however, is not limited just to American nationalism but also points to the institution of prejudice and stereotypes non-Americans foster about America and its people. In other words, he is not trying to be apologetic on behalf of American identity or be overtly moralizing, instead he puts himself exactly on the spot from which most people see USA: the disseminators of the holy truth. Seabra, however, doesn't try to force this truth on you instead he only displays its mechanisms.

translation: Barbara Hribar