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Archive for the ‘Barcelona’ Category

K08 Sequel: 'Galactic Eyes'

By Simon Sellars • Nov 18th, 2008 •

Category: Australia, Barcelona, CCTV, Lead Story, architecture, features, flying

A man shrugs off the clucking of his family and makes his way to International Departures. With the ticketing formalities over, he slumps at the bar and orders drinks. A flat, synthetic boarding call and he remembers his trip: ‘Last call for Silverwing 501. Please make your way to Gate 23.’



Kosmopolis 08: Landing Gear

By Simon Sellars • Nov 11th, 2008 •

Category: Barcelona, Futurists, Lou Reed, Salvador Dali, Toby Litt, academia, alternate worlds, architecture, celebrity culture, crime, features, inner space, media landscape, surrealism, theme parks, visual art

I’ve finally captured my impressions of Barcelona and Kosmopolis, with main ingredients: Lou Reed, Claire Walsh, Laurie Anderson, Kafka, Brecht, Dali, brilliant public space, Ballard, and the sheer unbridled thrill of one of the most amazing cities in Europe.



Kosmopolis 08: Switching stations

By Simon Sellars • Oct 25th, 2008 •

Category: Australia, Barcelona, Chris Marker, alternate worlds, architecture, body horror, deep time, features, flying, posthumanism, psychopathology

Here are some preliminary thoughts from the city of Barcelona, where I am appearing on a panel to talk about the work of J.G. Ballard as part of the Kosmopolis literary festival.



Kosmopolis 08

By Simon Sellars • Oct 19th, 2008 •

Category: Ballardosphere, Barcelona, Salvador Dali

I’m off to Barcelona to talk about Ballard with Vale and Bruce Sterling as part of the Kosmopolis literary festival. If you’re Catalonia-bound, come and say hi.



'Like Alice in Wonderland': Solveig Nordlund on J.G. Ballard

By Rick McGrath • Aug 24th, 2008 •

Category: Barcelona, Solveig Nordlund, YouTube, alternate worlds, biology, body horror, film, flying, interviews, medical procedure, short stories, urban decay

Rick McGrath interviews Solveig Nordlund about her feature film, Aparelho Voador a Baixa Altitude (2002). Based on JGB’s short story, ‘Low-Flying Aircraft’, it’s arguably the best Ballard adaptation of them all, although it has rarely been shown outside Portugal. Included with the interview are clips from the film as well as from Solveig’s previous Ballard adaptation, ‘Journey to Orion’ (based on ‘Thirteen to Centaurus’).



Negative acoustic space: Ballardian sound art

By Simon Sellars • Aug 2nd, 2008 •

Category: Barcelona, audio, features, music, urban decay, urban ruins

This short piece about Ballardian sound art appeared in the CCCB’s catalogue for their Ballard exhibition. Accompanying this post is a 12-track muxtape featuring selections from the music curated for the event.



Postcards from Barcelona

By Simon Sellars • Jul 29th, 2008 •

Category: Ballardosphere, Barcelona, photography, visual art

More autopsy photography from Rick McGrath.



Rick McGrath's Letter from Barcelona: The Exquisite Corpse, An Autopsy of the New Millennium

By Rick McGrath • Jul 29th, 2008 •

Category: Barcelona, David Cronenberg, Lead Story, Salvador Dali, Shanghai, alternate worlds, autobiography, deep time, dystopia, enviro-disaster, features, gated communities, inner space, medical procedure, surrealism, visual art

Transmission from Barcelona stop Having a wonderful time stop I believe in nothing stop Lost in surreal image machine and deep-blue-drenched corridors stretching to infinity stop Startling comma perverse visuals stop Rare books and writing stop Exhibition a raging success stop JGB would be proud stop Full letter to follow comma Love Rick end transmission



J.G. Ballard: In the Raw

By Ballardian • Jul 22nd, 2008 •

Category: Barcelona, celebrity culture, dystopia, features, film, hyperreality, utopia, visual art, war

Promotional film and catalogue prologue for the exhibition J.G. Ballard: Autopsy of the New Millennium, at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. Film features Marilyn Monroe’s ghost, Ballard’s mellifluous tones, snatched Aphex Twin, what looks like James Dean’s car and a severe case of the night terrors.