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[emma-vm-blog]

LITERATURE // HYPERTEXT // DO YOU WANT LOVE OR LUST?

Admittedly, as a student of literature in 2014, the first time I read about hypertext my only reaction was a sigh. Sure, I thought, someone wanted to spice up literature and make it "interactive". As a person who experiences the non-digitalness of literature as one of it's most attractive parts, I wasn't really interested in any hyperlinks in my texts.

Until Rhizome posted "Hypertext and Destiny: This Twine Could Be Your Life", where they discuss several examples of Hypertext and Life/Love stories. The first example, originally made in 1997, is Claude Closky's Do You Want Love or Lust. Intrigued by the set-up and (honestly mostly) the idea of 1997-internet I clicked, and was forced to reasses my idea of hypertext.

The questions can be read in many different ways and in this sense reflects the reader more than the writer. (spoiler) Any reader thinking their choices have an effect on the next questions or expecting an analysis of their clicks to roll out at the end is fooled. Clearly, your choice has no meaning. But does making these choices have any meaning or effect in real life? Does a choice between love or lust really change your life? Do you even make this choice consciously? And if it does effect your life and you do make a conscious choice, does the analysis of such a choice correspond with what will happen? Meaning: if the standard analysis for choosing lust over love means you will not find your soulmate - is this truly what happens when you make such a choice? Are people who choose love over lust statistically better at finding a life partner? Obviously, this "quiz” is not going to tell you what you should do. It is not going to analyse your choices, it is not going to tell you who you are. But in this trick you might find more truth and answers than you will in the Cosmopolitain’s and ELLE’s that created these questions in the first place (source: intro). I call that the Power of Poetry, but you may call it annoying if you wish.

Find Do You Want Love or Lust over here: http://archive.rhizome.org/artbase/1827/index.html

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC VIDEOS // DESTINY'S CHILD - CATER 2 U (2005)

When it comes to the Destiny's Child catalogue, picking a favourite song or video always seems kind of impossible. Even though they might have had bigger hits, greater party songs, more powerful songs and even more touching songs, Cater 2 U always has a special place in my heart. All three girls are amazing in this song. Lyrically but also visually in this video. Take a swimming pool, a hot car and an illuminated parasol, add Destiny's Child, and you have one of pop's realest videos.

What you wanna eat boo? Let me feed you ...

[emma-vm-blog]

LITERATURE // FEMALE WORLD LITERATURE

Travelling the world through the voices of women

  This summer I am taking on a personal project. Though physically I will stay in the Netherlands and France, mentally I hope to travel the world. I selected these books first of all on female writer-ship, but I also tried to choose those books that could teach me the most about different places and different times. All titles are clickable and will take you to their Goodreads pages.

  1. Africa – Nigeria (2006) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Half of a Yellow Sun

  2. Africa – Egypt (1983)

Nawel El Saadawi – Women at Point Zero

  3. America – Georgia (1982) Alice Walker – The Color Purple

  4. Asia – India (1997)

Arundhati Roy – The God of Small Things

  5. Asia – Japan (1002)

Sei Shonagon – The Pillow Book

  6. Europe – Finland (1972)

Tove Jansson – The Summer Book

  7. South-America – Chile (1982)

Isabel Allende – The House of the Spirits

[emma-vm-blog]

ART // SCULPTURE // A SUBLETY (KARA WALKER)

"The Marvelous Sugar Baby an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant."

Inside the former Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg, Kara Walker exhibits her sculpture made of sugar. The massive sphinx meets Hottentot Venus is symbolic on all kinds of levels. The sphinx, both human and animal, questioning humanity, and is symbolic of the great Egypt that has a history of slavery. In this sculpture the sphynx is made of sugar, and thus reminds us of another slave history: the sugar plantations of the Americas. However, the sugar is also white, sweet, maybe even innocent? Then again, its sphynx form is also an African woman, who is in popular culture highly praised for her great curves but was once conceived of as monstrous exactly because of these curves. Put together, however, in a rather peaceful structure, which is lighting up the factory, and is not trying to place blame or cause a violent discussion. The sculpture is not bluntly provoking, but highly touching. Walker said her work is about "trying to get a grasp on history", and this is exactly what she did. She reminds us of our past and shows all kinds of aspects of it, it is not only literally but also symbolically very multidimensional.

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC VIDEOS // TLC - HANDS UP (2002) Starting a new series with music video stills because the art of music videos is highly underrated. This banger features a pink+purple+blue futuristic building with men pole dancing, soaping, massaging, and doing all kinds of crazy dances. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UsIKjit7kk

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC // TINK 

 19 y/o Trinity Home is currently in the studio with Timberland, working on her first album. Let me tell you why you should not be surprised Timothy flew her out to Miami by giving you a small overview of her work. 

 2012 was the year Tink dropped her first mixtape, Alter Ego. Only 17 years old, Tink tells us she had been rapping in her high school hallways and posted videos on Facebook. All the songs are written by Tink herself and her first tape gives us some solid Chicago rap music. What drawed my attention mostly though was the video of the third song of this tape “Finger’s up”. Honestly, seeing a rapper (entertainer, singer, performer, anyone really) being so ultimately herself is refreshing. I sure know I was not that comfortable around myself when I was 17. This is a girl doing what she obviously just likes to do: writing rhymes. 

In 2013 she dropped three tapes: Blunts & Ballads, Winter’s Diary and Boss Up. My favourite; Blunts & Ballads features more of Tink singing, which gives the songs a mix from rap towards RnB. Again, we see a girl who does not have to say she is doing her thing because she really is just doing her thing. “Nigguh gon be a nigguh that’s alright with me - u aint the only one with somebody else” - DAMN, you got that man right there Tink. The lines and the rhythms just seem so natural to her, to her voice but also to her personality. In 2014 she showed even more of that personality in her honest account and fifth mixtape: Winter’s Diary 2. With more RnB influences on it Tink succeeds to touch the heart. I am sure there is no soul in the world that does not relate to “Treat me Like Somebody”. Her delivery of the quests of the heart are honest, pure, simple and thus exactly how they are in reality. 

I am not a fan of comparing new artists to old ones but I would like to remark that history tells us the girls who keep it real and close to the heart can make it big. I mean, Missy just told us she could not stand the rain and that she was supa dupa fly and we loved it and it was true. And since Timbaland showed us he has not lost his magic when it comes to producing, I can only imagine how amazing this project is going to turn out.

 Tink told us she does not think about signing to any labels yet because they come with “secrets and hidden agendas”, I salute you Tink, you are doing more than fine by yourself.

 All mixtapes are free downloads, you can find them by clicking the titles.
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_Tink

[emma-vm-blog]

PHOTOGRAPHY // INSTAGRAM // PHILLIPTANNAND Phillip T. Annand "Director of Near Death Experiences for the Intergalactic Madbury Club. Spiritual Advisor to the Flatbush Zombies." http://instagram.com/philliptannand More: http://www.madburyclub.com

[emma-vm-blog]

TRAVEL // THE HAGUE // JAPANESE GARDEN The Japanese garden are a part of the "landgoed Clingendael" and only open for a few weeks a year.  More: http://www.denhaag.nl/home/bewoners/natuur-en-milieu/groen/to/Japanse-tuin.htm?utm_source=alias&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=japansetuin

[emma-vm-blog]

PHOTOGRAPHY // NEON LUMINANCE "Sean Lenz and Kristoffer Abildgaard dropped high-powered Cyalume glow sticks in a variety of colors into various waterfalls in Northern California and then made exposures varying from 30 seconds to 7 minutes to capture the submerged trails of light as the sticks moved through the current. To accomplish some of the more complicated shots they strung several sticks together at once to create different patterns of illumination." More: http://www.fromthelenz.com/neon-luminance/

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MUSIC // NEW // MIXTAPE // UNiiQUE3 "with Jersey Club getting recognition worldwide, I wanted to educate people on its history but in a fun creative way. I decided to make a mixtape remixing some of the Jersey, Baltimore and Philly club classics. I included some of the original songs from artists I used to listen to  when I was younger, like Rod Lee and DJ Tameil so everyone can see hear how much club music has evolved. The New Klassiks." UNiiQU3 has just released her first mixtape on Lit City Trax and it is wonderful. Find both the mixtape and an interview over at Dazed Digital: http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/19490/1/uniiqu3-made-the-best-jersey-club-mixtape-ever Mixtape: http://www.litcitytrax.com/ UNiiQU3: https://soundcloud.com/uniiquemusiic

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC // 2013 FAVOURITES // BLABLA

1. Kelela - Cut 4 Me

2. Beyoncé - Beyoncé

3. Kanye West - Yeezus

4. Inc. - No World

4. Tyler, the Creator - Wolf

5. Foals - Holy Fire

6. Ciara - Ciara

7. M.I.A. - Matangi

8. Childish Gambino - Because of the Internet

9. Miley Cyrus - Bangerz

10. Jay Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC // INTERVIEW // KITTY CASH

Last Week I interviewed one of my favourite DJs: Kitty Cash. Her first mixtape: Love the Free recently came out and features all exclusive unreleased songs by amazing artists such as Kelela, Kilo Kish and Vic Mensa. Check out the mixtape here: https://soundcloud.com/kittycash And the (Dutch) interview here: http://www.glamcult.com/#!/10700/Interview:_Kitty_Cash.html

Photos by Laura Andalou!

[emma-vm-blog]

BOOKS // TASCHEN // NEW // HIERONYMUS BOSCH You can now find the new Taschen magazine free for download on their website: http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/community/downloads/index.downloads.htm They announce many wonderful new publications in the magazine, such as the Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, accompanied by wonderful illustrations. There is however one new book that stood out to me especially and that is the one evolving around the art of Hieronymus Bosch.

Hieronymus Bosch was a fifteenth century Dutch painter, whose paintings look nothing like his contemporaries. His mysterious and highly imaginative style is unique for the time they were painted in. However, the themes that can be found in his paintings are typical for that age. This combination makes the paintings extra fascinating.

This baby will set you back a 100 pounds as soon as it is published, but with incredible fold-outs and the always high standard prints Taschen can be accounted for, it will definitely be worth it.

[emma-vm-blog]

TRAVEL // PARIS // LA MÉNAGERIE

Right next to le Jardin des Plantes in Paris, you can find the Paris Zoo: La Ménagerie. Being the oldest zoo ever made, they do not have any large animals like elephants. They do, however, have a wide variety of smaller animals and species you will not see in your local zoo. You can find more information on their website.

[emma-vm-blog]

FILM // INSPIRATION // SAY MY NAME

Last week, the wonderful ladies from Redmond Amsterdam organised a screening and conversation around Nirit Peled’s film: Say My Name. Peled shows us the stories of several women who are trying to find their way in the masculine world of hiphop music. Featuring ladies such as Erykah Badu, Rah Digga, MC Lyte, Sparky Dee and Estelle. Their stories are inspiring and real. The film is far from condescending or sad (okay, maybe a bit sad at times). Peled found a way to put in humour while addressing the serious issues women face when trying to make it as a “female-MC”. Also: big up for Redmond in general, they are hosting cool events and put out a great message.

You can find the trailer over here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SQIc2hNtIY

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STYLE // INSPIRATION // VENUS X While Hood By Air is taking the fashion industry by storm and Rihanna is -shamelessly- stealing the Ghetto Goth style it's time to finally devote a post to one of music's most amazing DJs: Venus X. The girl did too many cool things to sum up in this post but as the founder of the GHE20G0TH1K partys she deserves the credit for Ghetto Gothic. Check out this interview with her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVW1DQbyTdc#t=433 http://venusx.tumblr.com/

[emma-vm-blog]

MUSIC // UNDERRATED // AMBER LONDON

  Two weeks ago Amber London dropped her new mixtape: a 26 song long tape named Tru 2 tha Phonk. Tru 2 tha Phonk it is. Her 90s vibe is still going strong. The only female rapper of the Raider Klan / Rvdxr Klvn / Black Money World is one of its best members and one to keep in sight.

  Download Tru 2 tha Phonk: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/22739/amber-london-tru-2-tha-phonk.html