Coco Chanel and the Nazis

Image: Valo’s Dice

Chanel was a consummate opportunist. The Nazis were in power, and Chanel gravitated to power. It was the story of her life.

Coco Chanel is a revered icon not just within fashion, but within culture at large. From the ‘little black dress’ to Chanel No. 5, the French magnate is one of the world’s most influential power legacies. Remembered for her sophistication, poise and immaculate panache, most women dream of replicating Chanel’s high-society glamour, but behind every icon is an untold story. In his exposé Sleeping With the Enemy, Hal Vaughan details Chanel’s hidden machinations as a Nazi collaborator. Like many European countries, France suffered a turbulent history under the occupation of Hitler’s murderous policies. Chanel, however, was notoriously scathing in her discrimination against Jews and often befriended people of similar sentiments. During a time when many were fleeing France in favour of safer borders, Chanel chose to remain in her home country and instead began a tryst with a charming 44-year-old German intelligence officer named Baron Hans Guenther von Dincklage — one of the great loves of the fashion pioneer’s life. Although she was not a spy, Chanel had the connections that attracted attention from Germany’s most lethal forces – from US ministers to British royalty, Chanel had no shortage of influential acquaintances.

The most documented of Chanel’s Nazi-commissioned tidings came in August 1941 when the empiress travelled to Madrid at the request of the Germans. She was Agent F-7124, her codename was Westminster – taken from her previous rendezvous with the Duke of Westminster – and her task was to relay messages from the Nazis to the upper crust of Madrid society. In return for her surreptitious efforts Chanel was allowed to reside at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, rescue her nephew from the clutches of the Nazi prisoner-of-war camps, and hold onto an empire that would revolutionise fashion.
 

Bob Dylan and Victoria’s Secret

Image: Art Wallpaper

Bob Dylan reinvigorated and helped spur the 1960s American counter-culture movement into a rolling stone that would be at the bedrock of modern American cultural history. With lyrics and broken melodies that spoke to the intellectual decay of American society as a result of the infectious spread of consumerism and commercialism, Dylan became a crooning ambassador for the struggle of black people powering the Civil Rights Movement, and the millions of protestors that rallied against the injustices of the Vietnam War. His dynasty as a social and political activist cemented his legacy into the red, white and blue threads of the American nation. But what happens when the antithesis of pop becomes the face of one of the most commercial entities in entertainment?

It would seem like an extraordinary impossibility to see Bob Dylan selling bras but that’s exactly what happened in 2004 when Victoria’s Secret, lingerie’s most prized brand, invited the country counter-culturalist to cameo in their ‘Angels in Venice’ ad campaign. The most baffling aspect of this bizarre request is Dylan’s ready acceptance to appear in the commercial. The 30 second clip is an exchange of smoky stares as Dylan walks around a lavish room while half-naked women attempt to silently seduce him. A sultry modernised take on Dylan’s ‘Love Sick’ can be heard in the background, providing the mood music to a surprising clash of cultures. While Dylan’s presence in the commercial could be explained by a desire for money or exposure — it’s hard work for old-timers to get noticed — it remains a mystery as to why Victoria’s Secret asked Dylan for an appearance in the first place. Marketing is a complex niche of the entertainment industry, but the idea of Bob Dylan endorsed lingerie doesn’t quite seem to ring the bell of profiting bliss.
 

Google and the National Security Agency

Image: Info Wars

If a partnership could ever result in world domination then Google and the USA’s National Security Agency would be unbeatable candidates. In 2010 the unthinkable happened: Google — one of the most advanced, innovative sites to hit the web — was attacked by hackers who breached Google’s security threshold, leaving the company vulnerable to more threats. In an effort to regain confidence and investigate how the hackers launched their affront Google turned to the NSA for help in a move that left many surprised and decidedly unnerved. The business of secrecy is unsettling, especially when secrecy holders like the NSA prize themselves on their ability to snoop where they don’t belong.

Added to this complexity is Google’s stance as a keeper of private information. From email accounts to searches and communication, Google knows what all its users have been up to and nobody wants the NSA looking into their online interactions. The collaboration was also unlikely due to the fact that the NSA is a branch of US government designed to protect national interests. Should businesses like Google be allowed to turn to state protectors in times of trouble? Civil rights lobbyists and privacy activists said no and rallied to prevent further talks between Google and the NSA. In response to the hubbub Google’s spokesman Jay Nancarrow wrote:

At the time [of the hack announcement], we said we are working with the relevant US authorities, but we don’t have any comment beyond that

In 2012 the partnership was reportedly still being maintained with the American federal appeals court upholding the National Security Agency’s decision to withhold from denying or confirming its ties with Google in public documents concerning encryption and cybersecurity.
 

The Flintstones and Winston Cigarettes

Image: Art Skool Damage

Yeah Barney, Winton tastes good like a cigarette should!

Cigarettes have been at the centre of some of advertising’s most ruthless conflicts. Ironically the little cylinders are perhaps one of the most fascinating enigmas within the marketing world — cigarette advertising is banned, yet the nicotine parcels are still one of the most heavily demanded products on shelves. While we live in a world where it is impossible to see a cigarette ad on tv or in the papers, cigarettes were a staple in television commercial breaks in 1960s America, and Winston cigarettes was America’s best-selling brand. Cartoons were also prime time viewing during this period and sometimes certain cartoons did very surprising things.

As children many of us got a glimpse of the Stone Age through the animated, hilarious window of The Flintstones. While Fred and Barney were known for their charmingly ridiculous shenanigans, they were also famous as brand ambassadors for Winston cigarettes. Between viewings of their favourite shows, Americans would settle in to their couches with the sounds of Barney and Fred enjoying a smoke break while their wives did all the chores. Although the notion that a children’s cartoons could endorse cigarettes is uproariously controversial in our world, Winton cigarettes was one of The Flintstones most valuable financial backers and needed some witty ads in exchange for their generous funds. Winton remained partnered with The Flintstone clan until the mid 1960s when the cartoon changed tack and sought out a younger target market.
 
 

Marilyn Manson and Saint Laurent

Image: Vogue

Image: The Fader

Saint Laurent‘s Hedi Slimane has been a busy man. The French designer took over the post of creative director at the glossy fashion house in 2012 and his work has since yielded a wave of criticism and respect. Slimane’s first order of business was to tackle the branding behind (Yves) Saint Laurent – a prospect which eventually left YSL without the ‘Yves’. The decision was made shortly after Yves Saint Laurent’s death, and the move ignited a stormy reaction. Slimane’s primary objective is to ruffle Saint Laurent’s feathers by roughening up the style legacy’s trademark clean sleekness with an edgy sophistication. His endeavours have been turbulently controversial, yet smoothly successful, and his ability to surprise has been at the helm of the Saint Laurent’s current triumph.

With his bizarre over-the-top style and his dismissal of all things commercial, Marilyn Manson is the last person you’d expect to front Saint Laurent’s 2013 ad campaign, but the edgy rock star is now the face of YSL’s menswear collection. The absurd juxtaposition is uncannily shocking, but even more surprising is just how well Manson fits into YSL’s new aesthetic. The musician has been shunned for his vividly violent lyricism and his anti-‘Hollywood’ stance — a reflection that can be noted in his Holy Wood album — but his disposition ties in neatly with Saint Laurent’s re-envisioning as a dark, 90s-inspired haute couture connoisseur. The black and white campaign sharpens Manson’s Goth outlook, emphasising that Saint Laurent’s bold revival is a cemented departure from what fashion observers expect. Manson appeared in the ad spread alongside notorious American actress and singer Courtney Love.
 
 

Disney and the US Army

Image: Opeusa

Disney is known as the studio of childhood nostalgia with titles like Bambi, Snow White, Cinderella, Toy Story and The Lion King sitting on the shelves of animation history. The innocence and fantasy of the happily-ever-after Disney is a delightful escape from the wreckage and horror that sometimes films reality. But oftentimes the unlikeliest channels can power the most immovable structures.

World War II was a chaotic insurgence that globalised a new wake of fear, violence and death. The tremors were felt beyond the borders of Europe, and as the American public grew restless under this unshakeable demon, a campaign of propaganda was mobilised to rally hope, strength and nation-building. As people turned to their tv screens to drown out the wails of war, the US military approached Disney to spearhead a project that would steer the American people to pro-Americanism and anti-Germanism, and help develop a new generation of soldiers. While Disney cartoons generally contain humorous narratives of cute animals outsmarting their not-so-clever naughty nemeses, wartime cartoons transformed Daffy Duck into an American soldier, and Minnie Mouse into a spokesperson for the American wartime effort. One short features Daffy Duck having nightmare envisions of being a Nazi soldier in uniform only to wake up safe, sound, and happy to be American. During the war effort Disney was also commissioned by the US government and military to design training videos to instruct a younger generation of soldiers on how to survive in a killing environment. Needless to say, Disney breeding propaganda and soldiers is an unsettling discovery.
 
 

Kanye West and the Californian Senate

Image: First to Flyy

In 2009 a new law was passed that required Californians to be cleared by medical physicians 30 days prior to a cosmetic surgery procedure. The law was named the ‘Donda West Law’ in honour of Kanye West‘s late mother, Donda. The rapper’s mother suffered from a preexisting coronary artery disease, but underwent an elective plastic surgery without receiving proper medical clearance from her doctor. Despite this, her plastic surgeon went forward with operating and as a result Donda West died from post-surgery complications in 2007. Her tragic death left a mark on Knaye and his family to the extent where the eclectic hip-hop entertainer withdrew from public life after taking to the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards and interrupting Taylor Swift‘s acceptance speech.

Although Yeezy didn’t directly collaborate with the Californian Senate to encourage the new bill, his family united in an effort to ensure that Donda West’s fate would not be shared by women across California. The bill passed in the Senate in 2008 before being vetoed — along with 130 other bills that day — by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who cited the state’s ongoing budget crisis as his reason for passing on the regulation. ‘I am only signing bills that are the highest priority to California, he said at the time. ‘This bill does not meet that standard and I cannot sign it at this time’. Fortunately, in 2009 the Donda West Law was finally passed.
 
 

Hyndai and Hermès

Image: Fatlace

Image: Fatlace

What better way to swank up your style than getting Hermès to design your threads. While Hyndai has never been famed for its interior décor, the motor team has sought the help of Parisian luxury fashion brand Hermès to dress up their vehicles. The two industrial giants pulled together to create a limited edition of Hyndai’s Equus model. Hyndai tapped into their expertise to ensure the car’s engineering was up to scratch, while Hermès used their fashion knowledge to re-create the walls and furniture inside the Equus. Using their knowledge of fashion materials and styles, Hermès borrowed fabrics reserved for hand bags and jackets to dress some sophistication into the Hyndai vehicle. Premium leather and crocodile skin add a chocolatey rich texture to the car, and Hermès shows no shortage of craftsmanship in their design of the vehicle. Meshing the opulent design aesthetic of Hermès with Hyndai’s casual, laidback approach seems like a strange partnership considering how different the two brands are. The unusual collaboration is not the first time automotive companies have teamed up with fashion icons to invigorate their cars. In 2012 Gucci styled the Fiat 500 — another clash of worlds. Yet, Gucci’s partnership with the vehicle company can be explained by the fact that both brands carry Italian lineage. Hyndai and Hermès are, however, one of the most surprising entities to become a duo.
 
 

Images: Fatlace, First to Flyy, Vogue, Art Wallpapers,Art Skool Damage, Humor Chic, Opeusa, Valo’s Dice, The Fader, Info Wars

Image: readmyego.com

From Learned Evolution to The Meta Agency and #FEED, your work is strongly tied to social media and the physical space. Lots of people assume different identities online. How do you facilitate interconnectivity in the physical world from online interactions when people behave differently in the two dimensions?

I tend to look at things in terms of evolutionary metaphysics:

we all have varying degrees of self that manifest in different vehicles at different times within different environments

So first, it’s best to understand the possibilities and limitations of each and design within those parameters. It starts with intention of the ‘feeling’ – the emotional resonance is the core mission – and builds from there. Waving your hands and making things move is cool for a few seconds, but without the feeling it won’t leave a lasting impression be it physical or online. But over all else it has to be FUN!

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

Social media works through Internet access. Less than half of South African households have Internet access. How do you respond to the challenge of building communities and experiences in the physical word using online media when so many people have limited online access?

Wow, that is quite a question that I’m afraid has to start at the political level and how they define basic needs.

Can Internet be considered as fundamental as food, clothing, shelter, electricity?

This leaves more responsibility in the hands of those that do have access to fight that much harder and find creative ways to get access to those who don’t. Information is power… a dangerous fundamental need from a political power standpoint.
 

Technology is constantly changing, but Twitter and Facebook have been hegemonic of social media trends and behaviors for a while now. What do you think will be the next evolution or wave of social media?

Every evolving system will eventually face this challenge, and eventually the large hegemony will bifurcate into smaller more niche entities. The next evolution will find more action based tools that drive people offline into definitive action, then back to online to share their results so we can them optimise that data. We call this the ‘self perpetuating feedback loop’. The more we can create a ‘positive hall of mirrors’ the deeper the impact will be.

Soon we will look at social media channels as a vast toolbox for action: be it social, cultural, personal, political, entertainment, etc.

#FEED powered by Twitter: Day 1 – “Generating Synchronicity” from #FEED powered by Twitter on Vimeo.

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

#FEED was an experiment in ‘generating synchronicity’. In this context what’s the difference between synchronicity and interactivity or interconnectivty?

Synchronicity is the subjective/internal ‘meaning’ based side of interconnectivity, while external/objective side of the same coin is interconnectivity. Blurring this line of duality is at the heart of everything we do.

Between the subjective and objective is where the meaningful, resonant magic is made

The majority of South Africans access online content through cellphones. Do you think mobile phones can have the same level of community-based connectivity as computers?

Even more connectivity… they are better for action based platforms that drive the self perpetuating feedback loops. They are more active tools, rather than passive resources.

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

Social media interactivity seems to be primarily geared to younger audiences and users. Are you interested in using social media in relation to older generations?

Absolutely! I think it is more about stage of conscious evolution than age. I know some pretty interconnected older folks who are incredibly self aware. Thus, the focus needs to be how to raise awareness levels. Doing so will by default get more people into interconnected social media platforms. This is focusing on creating tools that advance internal, subjective mechanisms. Focusing on the causal influences rather than on the bandaid solutions that perpetuate the problems.
 

You say interactive social media art at #FEED was about capturing social media and putting it into the physical form of art before it became lost. Do you think there other ways to use the user generated content of social media before it floats away in a cloud?

Of course there are. The field of predictive data analytics is incredibly fascinating, if a bit Big Brother.

Using social media to predict and foster positive change is going to become more and more prevalent for applications in medical/healthcare, cultural and social action, politics, entertainment, etc

We like to say we’re ‘making Big Data FUN’. But of course there are infinite ways to use Big Data.

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

A lot of the #FEED installations were based on visual integrations. Online media in general is focused on images over the texts. Do you think people are too lazy to read or are images just that much more exciting?

Visual images are the carrot, but at the other end of the stick the content still has to be meaningful in order for quality change to occur

The visual content is a Trojan horse, but you have to get past the wall before the warriors can jump out and make change.

Laziness is likely a factor, but I think it has more to do with how our brain processes patterns of information more than any other factor.
 

#FEED was incredibly successful at SXSW. Do you hope to evolve it beyond festivals and maybe move it beyond American borders?

YES! Now that we’ve done two years of successful events, it’s time to scale the model to other events around the world. #FEED can’t exist in a vaccuum; it has to ‘feed’ off other enviroments to work. We’re planning on Art Basel, Fashion Week(s), Cannes, and similar events. Ultimately, we can be doing #FEED somewhere on Earth all year round.

It’s a meta-linear platform that can exist as a permanent installation (think: #FEEDnyc – a museum that just feeds manifests social happening around NYC) or in conjunction with another event. It can be a single installation, or a three-floor megaplex. It’s designed to scale and modulate as needed.

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

You say that simplicity and consistency are crucial in using and building a brand via social media successfully. You need to ‘carry the same voice across all media but understand the different nuances of each’. How do you make this voice appeal to a variety of different people with different interests?

One of my favorite quotes of all time is Heidegger’s ‘Language is the house of Being’. So it all comes down to creating systems of language that are designed for simultaneity, rather than myopic targeting.

Again we find the Trojan horse scenario.

Certain words have loaded meanings for certain stages of consciousness, and if you choose these loaded words you’ll in effect scare off a certain market

Sometimes that is a good thing, but most if not all of our projects, from Brooklyn Bowl to #FEED, are grounded upon inclusivity and integration, so creating language systems that reflect simultaneity and inclusiveness at their core is the first step to success. Or, so I ‘say’.

Image: ©Jenny Sathngam, facebook.com

Images: facebook.com, Jenny Sathngam, readmyego.com

Questions and introduction: Ra’eesa Pather

Water and Sound Experiment #2

Have you ever seen water flowing backwards? Using a rubber hose, a speaker, some water, tone generating software, and a 24 frame-per-second capable camera you can make it happen. These simple tools create a scientific optical illusion that’ll have water curling into spirals with the turn of a tap. The false impression is produced by adjusting the volume of water and producing a 24 Hz sine wave. The camera helps a little too.
 

Do Ho Suh’s ‘Karma’ installation at NOMA
 

Image: juxtapoz.com/

Extraordinary Korean installation artist, Do Ho Suh, has managed to create a giant H.R. Giger look-alike alien tail out of 98 men standing on top of each other. The stainless steel art piece , named ‘Karma’, was recently installed in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. At 23 feet tall this piece is a must to see.
 

Portable Clip-On Mobile Phone Camera Lens (wide angle, marco, and fisheye lens)
 

Image: jexstarshop.blogspot.com/

This portable clip-on detachable camera lens is compatible with mobile phones and digital cameras. The mobile fish eye lens allows users to see an image with a range of 180 degrees from the right to the left on their mobile phones. The macro lens can capture microscopic details on the pictures it snaps. A wide angle lens is also available to take pictures of large ranges, such as crowds of people, buildings, and landscapes. The Portable Clip-On Mobile Phone Camera Lens makes it possible for ordinary people to enjoy a fish-eye world of images.
 

shop.brando.com/

Spanish Smart Home
 

Image: expatica.com/

There has always been a murmur about smart homes, and now they’re becoming a reality. A Spanish company has designed a prototype apartment that uses gaming technology to create interactive living spaces. Check the latest online news on your living room wall or tap your finger to redecorate your bedroom with a projected scenery video of your choice.
 

CV Dazzle
 

Image: adamhrv.tumblr.com/

CV Dazzle™ is a form of expressive interference that takes the shape of makeup and hair styling (or other modifications) created by Adam Harvey. The name is derived from CV, a common abbreviation for computer vision, and Dazzle, a type of camouflage used during WWI. Dazzle camouflage was originally used to break apart the gestalt image of warships, making it hard to discern their directionality, size, and orientation. Likewise, the goal of CV Dazzle is to break apart the gestalt of a face or object, and make it undetectable to computer vision algorithms, in particular face detection. In this way CV Dazzle aims to tackle face detection software and counter surveillance technology.
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Google+ and adidas Talking Shoe
 

jonnymetbird.com/

Talking computers have been around for a while, but Google’s Art, Copy, and Code in conjunction with interactive design studio YesYesNo and artist Zach Lieberman have taken this concept a step further – literally. The adidas smart sneaker talks to its wearer. If you’re sitting down it’ll complain of boredom and if you score a goal it’ll verbally high five you. The smart sneaker has a personality of its own, employing a snarky attitude when its unhappy, and a joyful tone when it’s walking around.The shoe was showcased at this year’s SXSW and with development progressing, your clothing might just become your new companion.
 

Touch Sound: The Seaboard
 

news.bbcimg.co.uk

London-based company Roli has designed the Seaboard – an instrument that takes making music to a whole new sensory experience. The Seaboard mimics the concept of a piano, but while a piano key functions as an on/off switch, the Seaboard allows the composer to have precise control over the pitch, volume, and timbre of each note. The Seaboard is a new musical instrument that essentially blurs the line between digital and acoustic sound production.
 

Images via news.bbcimg.co.uk, jonnymetbird.com, adamhrv.tumblr.com, expatica.com, shop.brando.com, juxtapoz.com, jexstarshop.blogspot.com/2012/07/
 

Words: Ra’eesa Pather

This prompted artist Jon Rafman to scan through thousands of images, globally available to the public, of people going about their daily lives and come up with a kind of anthropological study of people in their most natural state.

Google declares that the purpose of this visual exploration ‘enables you to view and navigate 360 degree street level imagery of various cities around the world, providing greater understanding of a specific location or area.’ Let’s be dramatic, because it’s more fun, and plant the (probably infertile) seed of Truman Show similarity; a panoptic invasion of human solace.

Street View, launched in 2007, is the somewhat nosey addition complimenting its powerful digital navigator, Google Maps. It involved the dispersion of electric cars; transformer-like creatures each boasting nine cameras enabling panoramic photographs, a GPS and equipped with laser range scanners. Although there is no need to go into the endless debates on surveillance, conspiracy and all the other invasions of the Google monopoly, there is still the invisible fine print to take into account.  It is available in real-time to anyone who has access to the internet, shots directly of faces and registrations are automatically meant to be blurred out, although there are always those cases of machine malfunction and identities are exposed.

Jon Rafman’s project is called ‘Nine Eyes of Google Street View’ and in all its simplicity, presents an unaffected study of the modern world; one that highlights the binaries, cultural nuances and the ironies in human life. The omnipresent relationship of an abandoned and uncaring universe where we try and find a sense of belonging and purpose becomes evident in the stills. A moment that has authentically lived within all of us has been captured and a of a new kind of street photography has emerged, each stamped with the unmistakable ‘zoom’ icon in the top left corner.

We get to see the less savoury aspects of life, the ‘de-glamourised’ reality of society from prostitution, car accidents, crime and drug-taking and its balance with some of the most serene moments in life.  The tumultuous scale of pain is balanced with the beauty of catching nature in motion, passionate lovers, timeless architecture and raw outbursts of emotion.

So, where a photographer calculates for days to take the perfect shot, Google can achieve in minutes with an automated catalogue consisting of photojournalism, wildlife photography and idyllic landscapes from locations all around the world, removing human agency. Just one more thing in the world that Google can now do better than you… how niggling.

Words: Megan King