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Category: 1109DC (September)

Shweyga Mullah the 30 year old Ethiopian nanny to Hannibal Gaddafi (son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) and his wife Aline Skaf has told of how boiling water was poured over her head after she had refused to physically discipline their misbehaving daughter. Mullah was found in a room of the families abandoned luxury villa on the seaside of western Tripoli, her body covered in weeping scabs from not having received satisfactory medical attention. Aline Skaf allegedly lost her temper at Mullah three months earlier when the daughter would not crying, she forced Mullah into a bathroom where she bound her hands and feet, taped her mouth, then poured boiling water onto her head. Without medical attention over the three months the wounds are described as a grotesque patchwork of mottled weeping scars.

 

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Rachid Koraïchi the 64 year old Algerian artist has been named this year’s winner of the Jameel prize for his work ‘Les Maitres invisibles’ (The Invisible Masters). The series of banner works created in 2008 are a homage to the 14 great Islam mystics. Koraïchi was born into an ancient Sufi family, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and works with varying medias including installation, painting, printmaking, ceramics and textiles. Koraïchi’s banner series comprise large panels inscribed with calligraphy and symbols from various cultures. The chair of the jury stated at the presentation, “Rachid’s work stood out because his banners have a universal appeal. They work in the white space of a contemporary art gallery, but they also hold their own in historical settings – from Parisian palaces to simple Sufi shrines.”

 

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Richard Prince the 61 year old US painter and photographer, renown for appropriation of photographs and their ‘re-photographing’, continues to contest his right to use material alleged to be in violation of copyright laws. French photographer Patrick Cariou filed suit against Prince’s work ‘Canal Zone’ for copyright infringement and financial harm that had been caused, due to his own show being cancelled as a result of Prince’s exhibition of the material. A US District Court ruled Prince’s use of the material was not fair use, however Prince has won the right to appeal to the Federal Court to contest the decision. Prince is famous for his series the Cowboys, a group of rephotographs created from 1980 to 1992 from Marlboro cigarette advertisements, the Marlboro Man represents an idealized figure of American masculinity.

 

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Joe McGinniss the 68 year old US author of bestselling nonfiction and novels has released his latest politically sensitive book ‘The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin’ to much fanfare and outrage. McGinniss had rented the neighboring Alaskan house next to Pain for over 12 months. Palin responded with a 4.2m fence to block McGinniss’s view, as they bantered online for all to see. The books release has unveiled allegations that Palin, said to be a racist had a short relationship with a black college student, an affair with a business partner of her husbands, and had used drugs. McGinniss achieved overnight success at age 26, with his bestseller ‘The Selling of the President’. The book described the 1968 marketing of Richard Nixon during his presidential campaign. While initially turned down by the Hubert Humphrey campaign, Nixon’s agreed.

 

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Richard William Hamilton the 89 year old UK painter and collage artist had been preparing for a major museum retrospective at the time of his recent death. The retrospective was scheduled to travel to four cities in both the US and Europe over the coming two years. Hamilton was renowned as the father of ‘Pop Art’ with the beginnings going back to 1956 with his collage titled ‘Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?’, he is also credited with the first coining the phrase “pop art” itself. In a statement from his gallery representative stated that Hamilton was a “pioneering artist of unparalleled skill, invention and lasting authority. His influence on subsequent generations of artists continues to be immeasurable.” Hamilton was also often politically outspoken in his artistic practice.

 

Inspired by Helen Stoilas http://ow.ly/6xv04 image source artprofessor http://ow.ly/6xuZ4

King Robbo and Banksy the two UK street graffiti artists are deep into a feud being played out publically. King Robbo is regarded as the founding father of the London graffiti scene, while Banksy has attained international recognition for his edgy spray stencil pieces. The feud apparently commenced when Banksy painted onto a King Robbo’s 25-year-old mural under a Camden Street bridge with a stencil of a man hanging the wall with wallpaper. King Robbo who is said to be in retirement, or a supporter retaliated by manipulating the image to give the impression the workman was paying tribute to King Robbo. Several other Banksy works including well known pieces have now been manipulated in an escalation of the feud and signed off as ‘Team Robbo’. Insiders are also speculating the feud is publicity stunt.

 

Inspired by Kyle Chayka http://ow.ly/6tX5k image source Matt Brown http://ow.ly/6tX4H

Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy the 50 year old US comedian and actor has been announced as the next host of the Academy Awards, following the James Franco and Anne Hathaway comedic hosting of last year’s awards. Murphy will again join up with director Brett Ratner who is producing the awards show, after having starred in his latest movie ‘Tower Heist’. Ratner released a statement stating “Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever. With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances — especially onstage — I know he will bring an excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show”. Murphy is also a singer and musician having also performed in a music video featuring Michael Jackson titled ‘Whatzupwitu’.

 

Inspired by Susan King http://ow.ly/6tXt2 image source David Shankbone http://ow.ly/6tXs8

Darya Alexandrovna Zhukova the 30 year old Russian born US magazine editor has released the inaugural issue of the Garage magazine to much fanfare, with the inclusion on its cover of a Damien Hirst design of a butterfly tattoo created around a 23 year old model’s vagina. Zhukova who founded the IRIS Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting contemporary culture, was previously the Editor-in-Chief of Pop fashion magazine before resigning to create her own. In an interview with ArtInfo, Zhukova defined the concept for the Garage magazine as “Our aim is not to be controversial; instead … about providing a unique viewing experience. Admittedly, it is a magazine, but it really functions as an object, a space for ambitious projects to flourish, which is why the first issue has three different covers”.

Inspired by Andrew Goldstein http://ow.ly/6tXWn image source sherdog.net http://ow.ly/6tXVU

Gerhard Richter the 79 year old German visual artist renowned for his abstract and photorealistic painted works is to be honored with an exhibition at the Tate Modern in the UK. Richter a painter of immense skill has also embraced photograph, a rarity of sorts with painters of his notoriety, undermining the concept an artist needs or has an obligation to a single medium. Richter having escaped to the west before the Berlin wall was constructed, has gained popularity throughout his career with a significant boost in 2005 from a retrospective exhibition that defined him as one of the great artists of the century, and the greatest living painter of the time. Richter has been the recipient of many and often distinguished arts awards, which has particular emphasis given the post modernist cry that painting was dead.

 

Inspired by Jonathon Jones http://ow.ly/6tYqf image source Hps-poll http://ow.ly/6tYpi

Anton Viktorovich Yelchin the 22 year old Russian born US film and television actor given the title by TheDailyBeast of Geeky Teen Heartthrob, has declared his mistrust of people generally. In an interview he states “There’s only a handful of people I trust completely, and I know who they are. Other than that, I pretty much don’t trust people. It’s just how I am. The film industry itself—the ‘industry’ and business side of it—just sucks and is really demoralizing, so it’s added to my general paranoia.” Yelchin has a stunning roll call in his short but stellar career, including his latest effort in the remake of ‘Fright Night’. Yelchin moved to the US with his parents in the year of his birth, obtaining refugee status from political oppression.

 

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Lydia Besong the Cameroon playwright has received support from several actors and writers in a campaign to stop the planned deportation of both her and her husband Bernard Bately from the UK by the Border Agency. The UK writer’s group ‘English Pen’ has come out in support of Besong who has written three plays since her arrival to the UK in 2006, one of which is titled ‘How I became an asylum seeker’. Besong is claiming asylum following her rape while imprisoned in her home country before travelling to the UK. Amnesty International have confirmed that President Paul Biya’s regime persecutes the SCNC, a pressure group which campaigns for southern Cameroon’s independence. Besong was a member of the SCNC in Cameroon, and had been targeted for persecution, believing their lives are in danger upon returning.

 

Inspired by Alexandra Topping http://ow.ly/6tZno image source facebook http://ow.ly/6tZp9

Vann Nath the 65 year old Cambodian painter, artist, human rights activist and recipient of the prestigious Lillian Hellman/Hammett Award for his outspoken advocacy for justice to victims of the crimes of the Khmer Rouge has died. Nath had survived along with six others from the Toul Sleng prison where over a period of three years over 15,000 people were executed. The prison was a former school used to torture the prisoners before being taken out to the ‘Killing Fields’ where the prisoners were killed with a savage blow to the back of the neck. Nath had managed to survive due to his portraiture skills in painting the Khmer Rouge leaders including the infamous Pol Pot. Nath a former Buddhist monk was awarded the Lillian Hellman/Hammett Award for recognition of his courage in the face of political persecution.

 

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Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton Wykeham-Fiennes the 48 year old UK actor renowned as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series, winner of the Tony Award and twice nominated for Academy Awards is to star in the Shakespearean play ‘The Tempest’ in London’s West End. Fiennes has an impressive history of Shakespeare roles, including a recent film directorial debut in a modern interpretation of ‘Coriolanus’ that explores the emotions of power and authority of a ruthless military leader banished from his city, a role he had already played on stage years earlier. In a recent BBC interview Fiennes stated “There is an expressiveness, an extraordinary elasticity of expression in Shakespeare which is thrilling to me and I hope other people find it thrilling. That’s why I’m doing this. I think the language still connects.”

 

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Nisreen Mansour al Forgani the 19 year old recruit in one of Libyan Leader Moammar Gaddafi’s all-female militias, has admitted to executing eleven rebel fighters one at a time at point blank range after being ordered to do so. “I killed the first one, then they would bring another one up to the room,” Forgani told the UK Daily Mail newspaper. “He would see the body on the floor and look shocked. Then I would shoot him too. I did it from about a metre away.” Forgani claims she undertook the executions under duress and managed to escape after leaping from a two storey building. She also claims to have been raped by several military officers while under Gaddafi’s command, and is now under rebel guard at a Tripoli military hospital.

 

Inspired by Alex Alvarez http://ow.ly/6lxvI image source Ziarul de Vrancea http://ow.ly/6lxHx

Steven Andrew Soderbergh the 48 year old Academy Award winning US film director has now denied that he is retiring from the film industry to pursue a career as a painting artist. Earlier in March of this year Soderbergh had confirmed he would be retiring from filmmaking to explore painting once he had completed the two films he was currently working on, stating “when you reach the point where you’re saying, ‘If I have to get into a van to do another scout, I’m just going to shoot myself,’ it’s time to let somebody who’s still excited about getting in the van, get the van.” Initially stating that “I’m interested in exploring another art form”, Soderbergh is now stating, “It’s less dramatic that it sounds – it’s just a sabbatical”.

 

Inspired by Andrew Goldstein http://ow.ly/6lx7p image source Nicolas Genin http://ow.ly/6lxho

UK teacher with the stage name (September 19th) UK teacher with the stage name (September 15th)

Benedict Garrett the 31 year old UK teacher with the stage name of Johnny Anglais has been given a reprimand for performing as a stripper and porn star while working at an East London High School as the head of personal, social, and health education. Suspended from teaching after students found his website, Garrett has been reprimanded and will be allowed to resume teaching provided he stopped conducting his alternate business. Garrett maintains that he has not breached any regulations, and should be permitted to return to work as a teacher without restrictions on his stripper and porn star activities. Found guilty of professional misconduct at a hearing by the General Teaching Council, deeming that his activities was not acceptable conduct for a teacher and banned him from teaching for two years.

 

Inspired by Rachel Cooke http://ow.ly/6lwD5 image source Weinterrupt http://ow.ly/6lwOZ

Howard Schultz the 58 year old US businessman, billionaire and CEO of Starbucks global reach of 17000 stores has come out in protest at the political wrangling that he claims is wreaking havoc on the US economy. Schultz claims the rancor between the US political parties has caused a “crisis of confidence”, needing urgent rectification. In a series of newspaper open letter advertisements, Schultz calls for a forum to demand an end to the bipartisan nature that has crept into the nation’s political behavior, stating “We must send the message to today’s elected officials … that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now”. Schultz along with the support of over 100 corporations have pledged to no longer contribute to either political party until the wrangling stopped.

 

Inspired by Sarah Skidmore http://ow.ly/6lw2k image source Sillygwailo http://ow.ly/6lwcl

David Hockney the 74 year old UK painter and considered one of the most influential UK artists of the twentieth century has been profiled in an article by Jonathon Jones, describing him as an ‘enfant terrible’ who “does what he wants, and paints what he wants, and says what he wants, and the results are impressive”. Hockney considered an important contributor to the 1960’s Pop art movement, is argued by Jones to continue influencing modern popular culture in three unique ways. “As a painter, he has an exhibition of new, super-sized Yorkshire landscapes opening … As a fan of new technology when it serves his creative purposes [a noted exponent of iPad art]. And as a provocative thinker, he has a book of interviews about his ideas on art …”

 

Inspired by Jonathon Jones http://ow.ly/6lvwh image source Poul Webb http://ow.ly/6lvUi

Giampaolo Tarantini an Italian businessman along with his wife Angela Devenuto, have been arrested by the Italian police on charges of extorting money from the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Tarantini admitted having paid for prostitutes to attend Berlusconi’s infamous parties in order to curry favour with Berlusconi, intending to profit from unrelated business arrangements. Although Tarantin insists that Berlusconi did not pay nor was aware the women were prostitutes, he had received $722,000 and regular monthly payments from Berlusconi. Berlusconi renowned for his generosity, claims the payments were to help out Tarantini and his family who were in serious financial difficulty. “I didn’t do anything illegal, I limited myself to helping a desperate man without asking for anything in exchange. That’s how I’m made and nothing will change that.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera http://ow.ly/6luLK image source Blitzquotidiano http://ow.ly/6luW1

Timothy Ray Brown a 45 year old former HIV-AIDS sufferer known as the ‘Berlin Patient’, continues to astound medical researchers after four years from having undertaken an innovative medical procedure in Berlin Germany, he has no trace of the virus that infected his body for 15 years from when first diagnosed and ultimately led to Leukemia. Brown was given an experimental bone marrow transplant with cells containing unusual variants of cell surface receptors known as CCR5. People born naturally with this receptor are resistant to infection and some strains of the HIV-AIDS. Brown stopped taking antiretroviral medications after the transplant, now after four years there are still no traces of the virus confirming his cure. “I quit taking my HIV medication the day that I got the transplant”.

 

Inspired by Tina Rosenberg http://ow.ly/5aTYM image source ibtimes http://ow.ly/5aTOW

Eric Emerson Schmidt the 56 year old US engineer and Chairman of Google delivered the annual Edinburgh MacTaggart lecture, where he provided a cutting critique on the education system in the UK. Schmidt cited a two camp system with “a drift to the humanities… To use what I’m told is the local vernacular, you’re either a luvvy or a boffin”. Schmidt stated that while the UK had a record of innovation, it was failing industrially to make the transition from concept to production, “The UK is the home of so many media-related inventions. You invented photography. You invented TV, yet today, none of the world’s leading exponents in these fields are from the UK. Thank you for your innovation, thank you for your brilliant ideas. You’re not taking advantage of them on a global scale.”

 

Inspired by James Robinson http://ow.ly/6fit0 image source Guillaume Paumier http://ow.ly/6fiAk

Ali Farzat the 60 year old Syrian political cartoonist and head of the Arab Cartoonists’ Association has been pulled from his vehicle and beaten by masked Syrian security forces gunmen, leaving him on the side of a road with both hands broken. While targeting his hands, Farzat was cautioned this is “just a warning”. Farzat had been publishing anti-regime cartoons targeting government figures, including an image of a running sweaty President Bashar al-Assad clutching a briefcase, heading towards the Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, supposedly to catch a ride with the anxiously seated dictator in a getaway car. Syrian opposition members are outraged with the brutality of the attack on Farzat, a reminder of another victim Ibrahim al-Qashoush, found dead with his vocal chords removed after he composed a popular anti-regime song.

 

Inspired by Helen Stoilas http://ow.ly/6fig0 image source keprtv http://ow.ly/6fif6

Tracey Karima Emin the 48 year old UK artist of the YBA grouping (Young British Artists), Venice Biennale representative and Turner Prize nominee, has installed a neon artwork at Number 10 Downing Street after being invited to create a work by PM David Cameron. The neon artwork installed outside the Terracotta Room, on the first floor of the prime minister’s official residence, is a sign that reads “More Passion” has been donated by Emin to the UK government’s art collection. Emin a supporter of the current Conservative Party under David Cameron, came to fame at the Charles Saatchi’s Sensation exhibition with her 1997 piece ‘Everyone I have ever slept with 1963-1995’. The Terracotta Room is generally used for hospitality purposes, is visible when climbing the Number 10’s main staircase.

 

Inspired by Jill Lawless http://ow.ly/6fhLn image source Piers Allardyce http://ow.ly/6fhUb

David Hare the 64 year old UK playwright and director has been honored with the PEN/Pinter prize. The award established two years ago by the PEN writer’s organization in honor of the late Harold Pinter a Nobel prize recipient, is awarded annually to a UK writer of outstanding literary merit who casts an “unflinching, unswerving” gaze upon the world, and shows a “fierce intellectual determination … to define the real truth of our lives and our societies”. In keeping with the prize’s intent, Pinter’s widow in making the announcement stated, “In the course of his long, distinguished career, David Hare has never failed to speak out fearlessly on the subject of politics in the broadest sense; this courage, combined with his rich creative talent, makes him a worthy winner of the PEN/Pinter prize”.

 

Inspired by Ephraim Hardcastle http://ow.ly/6fhdN image source QUADS http://ow.ly/6fhec

Timothy “Tim” Cook the 50 year old Apple Inc executive has been named the new CEO of Apple after Steve Jobs announced his resignation from the role due to health concerns. Cook a former VP of Compaq joined Apple 13 years earlier, made his mark by fixing Apple’s manufacturing inefficiencies, wrote to all employees reassuring them “…to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that–it is in our DNA”. Cook is an outdoor fitness enthusiast, starting his day with 4.30am emails and a 5am gym session, holding Sunday evening conference calls to prepare staff for the week coming.

 

Inspired by Sarah Lai Stirland http://ow.ly/6fgCe image source Valery Marchive http://ow.ly/6fgHr

Adrian Lamo the 30 year old US hacker who initially received media attention for hacking into high profile media and software networks, and subsequently for his 2010 turning in of Bradley Manning to authorities over the leaking of US diplomatic communiqués and the so called ‘Collateral Murder’ video to WikiLeaks, has addressed a conference HOPE2010 to defend his decisions. Lamo having been labeled by fellow hackers as a scumbag, traitor and a snitch, claims he reported Manning to authorities as he believed the cables were dangerous to the lives of those named within. However the logs of the discussion between Lamo and Manning suggest deceit, with Lamo recorded stating “I’m a journalist and a minister. You can pick either, and treat this as a confession or an interview (never to be published)”.

 

Inspired by Quinn Norton http://ow.ly/6fgsJ image source http://ow.ly/6fgtZ

Samer Allawi the chief of Al Jazeera Arabic’s Kabul bureau has been charged by the Israeli authorities as being a member of Hamas and having contact with its military leadership, following his arrest attempting to cross the occupied West Bank border with Jordan at the conclusion of three week holiday in his home town Sabastia. Allawi holds a Palestinian identity card was interrogated by Israeli intelligence forces about his work and management of the Al Jazeera’s Kabul bureau. Interrogated also about his personal financial status, and his relationships with work colleagues, friends, family and even his college/school days. Allawi regularly spends his summer vacation with family and friends in his occupied West Bank hometown. The Al-Jazeera Network along with human rights and press freedom groups, are demanding the Israeli authorities release Allawi immediately.

 

Inspired by Aljazeera http://ow.ly/69e4y image source Aljazeera http://ow.ly/69dOK

Matthew Ronay the 34 year old US sculptural artist has achieved acclaim with his most recent installation work ‘Between the Worlds (2010)’ described as a ‘forest’ of sculptural elements of vast proportions occupying over 600 square metres of floor space. In an interview with ArtInfo, Ronay states “The goal for me is intuition and imagination. In my personal life, I try to think with a foot in both worlds … Henri Rousseau, who I love, was also interested in this forest as well, and how it contains both beauty and danger. This new installation I made is like that, it’s a forest. The piece’s function is, really, a kind of sanctum … You go into it, get challenged, and come out on the other side the better for it, hopefully”.

 

Inspired by Ross Simonini http://ow.ly/69dpF image source Artforum http://ow.ly/69dIc

Daniel Domscheit-Berg the 32 year old German technology activist known as Daniel Schmitt, the German spokesperson for the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks, has destroyed over 3000 unpublished private communications to WikiLeaks. 12 months ago WikiLeaks suspended the former employee and have attempted through a mediator to negotiate the return of the whistleblower communiqués. Domscheit-Berg allegedly attempted repeatedly to blackmail WikiLeaks to prevent legal action relating to his theft of and refusal to return the stolen communications. A statement released from WikiLeaks states “Domscheit-Berg has illegitimately taken this data along with Wikileaks’ secure online submissions system, funds and internal documentation. He has sabotaged years of work … We have had to recreate this work under difficult circumstances … at a significant cost to Wikileaks, which is under an unlawful Washington instigated financial blockade”.

 

Inspired by WL Central http://ow.ly/69dc3 image source Andreas Gaufer http://ow.ly/69d6Q

Christian Ernest Marclay the 56 year old Swiss-American visual artist and composer, whose work explores correlations between sound and film, has issued a rebuke to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts following the announcement of a fundraising scheme to charge VIP visitors US$200 per person to attend a showing of his piece ‘The Clock’. A 24-hour compilation of time-related scenes of clocks from movies, ‘The Clock’ earned Marclay recognition as the best artist winning the Golden Lion at the 2011 Venice Biennale. In a statement to Artinfodotcom Marlay stated “It has always been my express wish that there should be no additional charge to view my work ‘The Clock,’ over and above any general admission price … It is my intention that my work be made equally accessible to all”.

 

Inspired by Julia Halperin http://ht.ly/67MmX image source Ian Pierce http://ow.ly/69cLA

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