A Studio Visit With Sculptor and Site-Specific Installation Artist Galia Linn

Galia Linn’s sculptures are translators and communicators of nature’s mysterious and often untranslatable language. As a site-specific installation, they stand as symbolic guardians in the face of nature’s intrinsic fragility, especially in the face of human disregard. Each sculpture is a totem, inspired by relics of the Neolithic era, that communicate deeply complex philosophies about our relationship with nature on a primal and subconscious level. Based in Los Angeles, Galia Linn grew up in Israel,  on the very axis of ancient and modern civilizations. Water, oxygen, fire and earthen clay are manipulated in random orders and machinations to develop her works, which seem almost like timeless artifacts. Autre was lucky enough to pay a visit to Linn's studio to experience her works. Like an excavation site, Galia Linn's work can be touched, peered inside and meditated with – with the intention that the viewer will walk away with a transformative understanding that we are not separate from nature, but a part of nature. photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper

22 Days In Colombia's Colonial Cities, Tropical Beaches and Surreal Desert Landscapes

Last week, Autre presented Holy Patte’s incredible 22-day journey through Costa Rica. This week, Amaury and Chloé of Holy Patte take us to the cities, tropical beaches and surreal desert landscapes of Colombia. After debating on a method to cross the Darién Gap, which is a dense jungle that separates Panama and Colombia and is still nearly impossible to cross, they decide on the luxury of a quick plane flight. In an hour, they were in Medellin – a city once deemed the most dangerous in the world thanks to the drug lord Pablo Escobar, but is now considered one of the safest. In the tradition of Holy Patte’s mission to search for people working with their hands, they made their way to Raquira, a town known for its ceramics, where they met Maria, who has been working on her clay handicrafts all her life. After that, three days were spent among the colonial architecture of Cartagena. Then it was off to Coralina Island – the Colombian Caribbean – where they floated along crystal turquoise waters discovering the painter Fernando Botero’s seaside home. Soon after leaving the island, these lucky adventurers made their way to Bogotá and then ten hours to the mountain village of Villa de Leyva – and from their they hopped to Tota Lake and the remote village of Aquitania. Lastly, it was off to the beautifully surreal landscape of the Tatacoa Desert where they found shelter in the strange thatched huts of the Penon de Constantino hotel and hiked through the sunbaked, cactus lined hills. Next week, Autre Voyage will present Amaury and Chloé's journey through Peru, so stay tuned by following Autre on Instagram. 

Read Our Exclusive Interview With Alex Kazemi on the Creation of Mudditchgirl91 and the Social Experiment Gone Awry →

A few weeks ago, a mysterious series of short vignettes began arriving on Snapchat under the handle mudditchgirl91. Soon, the vignettes were edited together for a short film called Snapchat: Mudditchgirl91. In the film, mudditchgirl91 pines for a mudditchboy with a string of strange and shocking anecdotes, like wondering if mass murderer Elliot Rodger’s cum tastes like avocado oil. People freaked out. Who was mudditchgirl91? In another week, Marilyn Manson had tweeted a link to the video and the mudditchgirl91 phenomenon went viral. A day or two after that, one more film was released – it was mudditchgirl91’s suicide note. Just like that, she was dead. The real story, though, is that mudditchgirl91 was a character in an elaborate plot filmed in real time on the popular social media video sharing site, Snapchat, and directed by Vancouver based artist, novelist, and boy genius Alex Kazemi. Read our interview with the social provocateur on the true story of mudditchgirl91 - and see an exclusive behind the scenes video of Kazemi directing the actress, Bella McFadden. 

A Pantone Dream In Rib-Knit: Read Our Interview With Designer Giuliana Raggiani →

The turtleneck has had a bizarre reputation. Like a pop star with a long career, it had a murky past (worn by sailors and thieves looks for a warm outfit for prowling in the night), caused a sensation when it first hit the scene, began slowly fading into the background, then started acting strangely in front of the press (think of the beatnik and his beret or Steve Jobs’ monograph wardrobe of Issey Miyake-designed turtlenecks), but now the turtleneck is making a comeback in a big way. This is why designer Giuliana Raggiani is right on the money. Her label Giu Giu’s fall collection is highlighted with classic wide-ribbed turtlenecks that can be layered or worn a la carte, depending on how brisk the weather. Raggiani’s love of turtlenecks dates back to the fashion staple’s glory days – her grandmother, Palmira Giglia, was responsible for the “Nonna Turtleneck,” which sold at her luxury womenswear boutique on Boston’s Newbury Street. We got a chance to catch up with Giuliana Raggiani to discuss her new collection, its inspirations, and her love for turtlenecks. Read the full interview here. 

"HA HA! BUSINESS!" Group Show Tries to Make Sense of the Hyper Connected Digitial World With Humor @ Luis De Jesus Los Angeles

"The art world is now a global business, of course, as is just about everything else. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Skype have become our new living room, our church, our megaphone—and, some would argue, our toilet, too. And, it seems everyone wants to sit on the throne and be heard. Life is now "all news, all the time" and humor is the unifying force that allows us to look in the mirror, if for no other reason than to get a quick reality check and, hopefully, a little truth. HA HA! BUSINESS! continues my quixotic interest in making sense of it all. Yes, this is definitely a funny business! Ha ha." Text by Luis De Jesus on his group show on view now featuring the likes of Valerie Blass, Lex Brown, Josh Remes, and more. HA HA! BUSINESS! will be be on view until August 15, 2015 at Luis De Jesus gallery in Los Angeles. Photographs by Sara Clarken 

Read Our Conversation With Woolmark Prizewinning Designer Siki Im on Freedom in Fashion, Punk and the Meaning of Elevated Streetwear →

Growing up in Germany, New York-based designer Siki Im was passionate about skateboarding, punk rock, hip-hop, art, graffiti, and unwittingly, fashion. Luckily for his rabid fans that pick up every single one of his pieces released under his Siki Im or Den Im brands, Im has never abandoned those passions. In fact, his influences live and breathe within the materials found in every single one of his collections. Autre's fashion editor-at-large, Adam Lehrer, sat down to speak with Im for a fascinating chat. Click here to read the full conversation. 

Follow The Incredible Journey of Amaury and Chloé On Their Magical Journey Through South America

The story of Parisian couple Amaury and Chloé is a real life choose-your-own adventure story. At the end of 2014 they graduated from university. At that moment, the realization that they had to get a real job began to sink in, deeper and deeper, like quicksand. That’s when they decided to drop everything and travel to South America, to discover “…The beautiful, the weird and the funny in this world.” Both extremely appreciative of handicrafts and anyone that who works with his or her hands, Amaury Laparra and Chloé Chausson decided to not only travel, but also to seek out those craftspeople in the deep jungles and mountain climes – “to discover their ‘savoir-faire’ and philosophy of life.” To document the trip, they created a blog – called Holy Patte, which is a combination of “patte de l’artiste” (a French expression that translates to ‘the artist’s hand’) and “holy moly.” Holly Patte a hybridization of cultural colloquialisms that would perfectly sum up their entire four-month trip – yes, four months! Fortunately, Autre discovered their blog and decided to collaborate with Holy Patte to reach a broader audience for their incredible and rare photographic journey that started in Costa Rica and ended in Chile. It should be noted that Amaury is the firestarter, driver and photographer and Chloé is in charge of getting lost, translation and writing. Their documentation is an astounding record of some of the rarest and strangest landscapes in the world. Click here to see the first leg of their trip in Costa Rica. 

22 Days In Costa Rica

Take a magical, strange and exotic journey to Costa Rica, Holy Patte's first stop in their four month long journey through South America, where they spent a total of 22 days. 22 days of lush tropical landscapes, volcanoes, thorny trees, camping on the beach, smiling cows and more. Near their outpost in Huacas, which is not far from Tamarindo, they witness the nightly controlled burns that light up the night sky. People set their gardens on fire as a method of cleansing: "The rainy season here is so strong that every tree once destroyed by the fire grows back." 48 hours was also spent deep in the Northern National Parks with "white-throated monkeys, huge dramatic trees, burning sun, some shade and very little drinkable water." Another two days was spent amongst the volcanoes in Arenal where they crashed in a tent and awoke to a number of curious cows on a farm that produces fresh milk (click here to see Holy Patte's in depth tour of the fresh milk farm deep in the Costa Rican mountains). Holy Patte's second handicraft discovery was made at the studio and home of ceramicist and artist Pefi (click here to see an in-depth tour of her home and studio). Their last stop was the Osa Peninsula where they hiked and camped among the snakes, spiders and dolphins and the extreme biodiversity that exists in the area's thick jungles. Click here to see more from their journey the Osa Peninsula and learn more about their tour guide Tico who is currently photographing the last of the area's rare jaguars. Follow Holy Patte on Instagram (@HolyPatte) to stay up to date with their adventures and incredible handicrafts discoveries. Every week, Autre will be presenting highlights from their incredible journey. 

"Take It Easy" Is Georgian Artist Tamuna Sirbiladze's First Solo Show In The United States @ Half Gallery In New York

"Take It Easy" is Georgian artist Tamuna Sirbiladze's first solo show in the United States. A new set of unstretched banners teetering between the figurative and the gestural include oil stick pigeons, elongated noses and Matisse vases. These vibrant works hang over jungle-green walls mirroring the murals of Balthus at the Villa Medici in Rome. Earlier this year, Tamuna presented larger oil stick paintings from this same series in a group show at Secession in Vienna, curated by Ugo Rondinone. Tamuna is based in Vienna and was married to the late Austrian artist Franz West. Take It Easy will be on view until September 3, 2015 at Half Gallery in New York. photographs by Adam Lehrer

A Trip to the Seaside Fishing Village of Essaouira in Morocco

Essaouira was known in the time of 11th-century geographer al-Bakri and, as he reported, was called Sidi Megdoul. In the 16th-century, a corruption of this name became known to the Portuguese as Mogador or Mogadore. The Berber and Arabic names mean the wall, a reference to the fortress walls that originally enclosed the city. photographs by Mathias Thomsen

"Hot in Here" All Girls Summer Group Show At Sunday Gallery In Los Angeles

Adi Rajkovic curates a week long exhibition called Hot In Here, a group show featuring 40 female artists, such as Molly Matalon, Arvida Bystrom, Logan White and more, at Sunday Gallery in Los Angeles. Hot In Here will be on view until August 6th, 2015 at Sunday Gallery, 4308 Burns Avenue. photographs by Natalie Yang

Read Luke Goebel's Comprehensive, Madcap and Free Associative 8,000 Word Essay on the History of Marfa, Texas →

Fiction writer and nonfiction essayist Luke B. Goebel – author of Fourteen Stories, None of Them Are Yours – gives a history lesson like no other in this 8,000-word essay (separated into four parts) on the artist colony haven known as Marfa, Texas. From the Nazi prisoner of war camps of the 1940s to the great minimalist Donald Judd planting his roots here, Goebel brilliantly weaves his own historical narrative with art history’s narrative – he also combines his fears, his hopes, his aspirations and his yearnings for this art Shangri-La in the Texas badlands that is still hinged on the neon Americana of yesteryear’s no vacancy sign. It is a romantic, madcap, delirious tale that takes you on a romping ride through the hellish landscape of Goebel’s free associative wax poetics that at times gets caught up with the rolling tumble weeds and amber colored dust of the desert, but never leaves you lost and begging for water. Click here to read the full essay. 

Austere: A One Night Only Exhibition Held At A Former Accounting Office In Los Angeles

Austere, a one night exhibition curated by Shyan Rahimi and Cedric Aurelle, took place in a former accounting agency located on the 20th floor of the only office tower along Santa Monica’s Ocean Ave, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the city of Los Angeles. Alongside aerial views and unique sunsets, the vacant office provided the starting point to an exhibition that addressed a contemporary world whose reality proceeds from the economic speculation of global players and political decisions of supra-powers. With the background of a fictional reinterpretation of this reality by the media, the exhibition convoked images, texts and stories that present a critical approach to contemporary narratives of a post-capitalist world stuck between global fears and dream-industry.  Artists included were William Cordova, Zoe Crosher, Lauren Elder, Sam Kenswil, Bradley Michael Kronz and more. photographs by Sara Clarken

A Preview of “It’s Only Rock and Roll” Opening This Week @ Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco

Scott Nichols Gallery will be presenting a delicious display of rock n' roll photography from the likes of Ebet Robert. Michael Zagaris, Jim Marshall, Baron Wolman, Linda McCartney, Bob Gruen, Brad Temkin, William Coupon, and more. A highlight from this exhibition is Bob Seidemann's controversial, banned photo artwork for Blind Faith's 1969 self-titled EP. Opening reception for It's Only Rock and Roll will be held on August 6th and the exhibition will run until September 16, at Scott Nichols Gallery. 49 Geary St # 415, San Francisco, CA

Mark Flood Gives An Obscene and Depraved Lesson On How To Become An Artist @ The SFAQ [Project] Space

It’s clear that Houston based artist Mark Flood has a love/hate relationship with the art world – with the scales often leaning toward the latter. It feeds him, clothes him and allows him to make his work, but what he hates is the politics, the obsequiousness of collectors, the hyperbole of the press, the endless “bad” art, and the rusty, death defying latter good artists put themselves through to get to the top. These are allow things Flood is exploring in Some Frequently Assked Questions – a show that is on view now at the exciting SFAQ [Project] Space in the gritty Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. A perfect place to stage Flood’s vitriol, but nonetheless it’s a brilliant, must-see show that may be one of the best of the year. Some pieces of note are two triptychs smattered with memes that read as a how-to-guide for making it to the top of the art food chain – the images are gruesome, pornographic, horrifying tidbits plucked from the netherweb – stand back and it spells out LOL and KEK, which is a World of Warcraft translation of the former. Some Frequently Assked Questions will be on view until August 15, 2015 at the SFAQ [Project] Space, O'Farrell, 441 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA. Text and photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper

Douglas Gordon and Tobias Rehberger "After the After" @ MACE In Ibiza

Museu d'Art Contemporani d’Eivissa (MACE) present a collaborative exhibition of works by Scottish artist Douglas Gordon and German sculpture Tobias Rehberger - this is not the first time they have shown together. At the centre of After the After is a work comprising two parts based on the same section of film of two men engaging in sexual intercourse. Rehberger has constructed a large ‘tile painting’ depicting the upper half of the men, their faces and torsos, displayed on the terrace wall on the exterior of the museum. In the interior space of the museum, Gordon and Rehberger present directly collaborative sculptures and film works, many of which suggest feelings of abandonment and neglect. The exhibition title, After the After, considers Ibiza’s status as an iconic place of hedonism, parties and decadence while examining the ‘after-point’ that occurs when this ultimately comes to an end, a time of emptiness and paranoia when one should not be left alone. After the After will be on view until October 4th, 2015 at MACE. 

Read Our Interview With Interdisciplinary Artist Eric Parren on Genetically Manipulating E. Coli For the Sake of Art and How Rave Culture Inspired His Practice →

Eric Parren on the swell of a new wave of artists that are borrowing from the forces of science to create major artistic statements. Parren, an interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, combines facets of art, science, technology and investigates the human connection with deeply complex notions about the technologies that shape our future – often without our knowing – such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and space exploration. The works are often deeply sensory experiences dealing with modes of perception and the physics of light and sound. For instance, Parren has genetically manipulated the e. coli bacteria, which are naturally occurring in the intestine, to light up red, green and cyan – he then filmed them with a time-lapse laser-scanning confocal microscope. With the visuals of dancing bacteria, like microscopic ballerinas, he played an algorithmically composed composition based on the biosynthetic pathways of the e. coli’s genome. Click here to read the full interview.