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This week marks the 9th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. Untapped caught up with Cristina Castro, founder of Make Out Not War and member of CODEPINK NYC to discuss some of their plans for public space takeover this weekend. The name Make Out Not War says it all--its members have been seen in periodic public displays of affection in Union Square and Times Square.
Untapped caught up with Jack Cesareo, alias Cupcake Man, at his studio in Harlem today. Jack started biking with an oversized cupcake in tow last month and it goes without saying that people are curious. Contrary to our capitalist-laden assumptions, he's not selling cupcakes--it's purely an art project. He photographs the cupcake juxtaposed against famous New York City landmarks and has plans to take it global.
Far from the western seashores of France, on a street near the Montparnasse train station looms a lighthouse atop a craggy rock!
This Saturday is New York City’s first Bring to Light Nuit Blanche Art Festival, a block party of artists, performers and musicians amidst Greenpoint’s urban industrial backdrop of metal workshops and textile factories. In an urban takeover, artists will “create works that inhabit street corners, galleries, shops, rooftops, vacant lots and buildings.”
Each September, the city begins its age-old ritual of turning transplants into New Yorkers. Atlanta-native Rembert Browne just started an urban planning program at Columbia. Today he went in search of the Broken Angel House from Dave Chappelle and Michel Gondry's 2006 documentary, Block Party. More sculpture than building, the house was a creative feat built over decades, beginning in 1979 when the owners purchased the old Brooklyn Trolley factory.
There's something bold about a store that only sells one item: $45 cups. But maybe it's appropriate that such a store occupies the first floor of Jane Jacobs' home on 555 Hudson Street where she wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities. I attended the recent "Snapshots in Storefronts" event by the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation (GVSHP) as a volunteer, which allowed me to traverse up and down the stairs of the old home and check out the basement.
Untapped correspondent and photographer, Augustin Pasquet, took a ride on some vintage Parisian subways last week. Once a year Les Journées du Patrimoine runs a series of events featuring the retro subway cars.
Before the world knew about the abandoned City Hall subway station, I photographed it on a tour with the Transit Museum. This is a station unlike any other in New York, filled with stained glass, Roman brick, tiled vaults, arches and brass chandeliers.
475 Kent Avenue is an artist compound, filled with photographers, artists and filmmakers. This past weekend, David Alan Harvey opened up his home again to showcase the work of his students and special guest, photographer Bruce Davidson. These loft apartments have epic views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, but the charm really comes from the gritty graffitied interior and the creativity buzzing within.
Unless you've been before, it's hard to describe what a Danger Party is like. It's a part throwback to '80s New York, where there were simply less rules, but mixed with the self-awareness of the new millennium. Last night, theDanger hosted a four floor warehouse party with hot tub, circus swings, art and film installations and ten simultaneous live acts. As usual, it was a glorious mess and nudity was encouraged.