Le Paris Paris de ZoeLydia

Albinos

2010-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Richard O'Farrell - Savitri

Albinos are special. They have a special kind of beauty. From their eyes could be wild, could be scared, sometimes complicated.

I was shocked when I first saw this little Indian girl portrait by this Aussie artist. The breath and her baby skin enfolds a complicated mind. It took my breath away and sank to the bottom.

Sondre Lerche - Minor Details

2010-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Duchamps owns Everything

2010-02-10T06:10:00.001-08:00

Art History Poster found in Design Milk.

Posted using ShareThis

Breathe in, Breathe out

2009-10-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

My trip to the countryside. Somewhere beautiful in Hong Kong that i have never been.

ZoeLydia

HK magazine #804: The Festival Issue

2009-10-17T21:12:00.002-07:00

ZoeLydia

::Oktoberfest of Art::

2009-10-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

A group show including artworks from Janesnation, Jeroen Brulez, Phil Hayes, Jimmy Lam, GAX Axel Gundlach... and ZoeLydia~

Two of my oil portraits are included in the show.

2-23 October
ufo art gallery
@Central. 39 Graham Street

Please drop by when you guys are around the area!

And plus... a solo of my paintings will take place next year in March at the same gallery:)

My two paintings with low-b Chris.

My two b/w photographs were at the bottom while MissK was installing the paintings.

Jeroen Brulez

MissK & ZoeLydia lor...

ZoeLydia

Vardges Sureniants

2009-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, I am obsessed with Eastern European Art. Above is a Vardges Sureniants' painting called "Salome" (1907). A very fashionable painting. He is an Armenian born in 1860. Some says he is influential to Sergei Parajanov (The filmmaker of Sayat Nova). After seeing their works, for sure you will give a chapeau to the Armenians, for their color sense, art sense, romanticism and sensibility...

This season, Chanel's haute couture Paris-Moscou is breathtaking & gorgeous. So beautiful. I am not a person who's into fancy jewelry, but this kind of accessories plus the clothing as a whole is totally a piece of art, a masterpiece.

ZoeLydia

PikPik & Me @HK Magazine #787

2009-06-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks Winnie & Jojo for the interview:)
For the full conversation, please check out HK Magazine Online!

ZoeLydia

My PikPik Totebags

2009-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

During the event of The Living Room Craft Market last month in Central, Kate & I presented the first collection of PikPik totebags. I have spent 3 full nights to finish painting all the bags for the event. All bags are oil painted on white nylon, waterproof. Size: 14"x14"(Small), 17.5"x14.5"(Large).

If you are interested in the bags, please email to zoelydia@gmail.com or lovepikpik@gmail.com for making an order.

For Hong Kong customers, we accept cash only, transaction can be done at Metro stations.
For Overseas customers, we accept payment by paypal, plus delivery charge, according to destinations.
We will send an email to every individual customer for confirmation.

ZoeLydia

Trapped in the world of Tetsuya Ishida

2009-05-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

When I first saw his paintings in the HK Art Fair yesterday, I was totally stunned!

The thoughts that he provokes in my mind is astounding. He gave us a surreal world of mechanic-mankind with creepiness and torture. He pushed the dark side of Japanese life to the limit. I don't know why there was a soundtrack of cello playing in my head at that moment. It was so heavy, I felt a bit suffocated while I was looking at his paintings.

I felt even sad when I saw the book title of his collection - " 石田徹也遺作集" at the End of breath. He died when he was 31 in 2005 after being hit by a train. Nobody can confirm if it is an accident or a suicide. It's a pity that he is such talented but die at such a young age.

Lydia

The Color of Pomegranates

2009-04-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

Truly sublime magic...

It's a highly acclaimed avant-garde film directed by the Soviet Armenian Sergei Parajanov in 1968. Steeped in religious iconography, it's a mix of dreams, surreal, myth, poet, ritual, spiritual contact, colors, beauty, love, death, violence... simple but strong, trop fort! The fact is, it's like a series of tableaux painted by God, not by a human being!

A film without dialogues. When you watch this movie, you might feel like you are in somewhere else. Somewhere inside your mind, somewhere not on earth. His original poetic film language brings us to an unforgettable rare world that you can't find in somewhere else. The actors are very performative, it's a movie which can touch your soul, not by narration, but by facial expression, by their eyes, and the mise-en-scene. It's a truly sensational masterpiece.

In the beginning of the film, the VO said "I am the man whose life and soul are torture." Though it's a movie about a poet Sayat Nova growing up, falling in love, entering a monastery and dying in an abstract way, This phrase is truly for Sergei Parajanov as well. He is such a talented director with his unique cinematic insight in his artist mind, I would say he's a genius, but was imprisoned 3 times to prison since 1973. In his life, he didn't make as many movies as Antonioni or Fenllini, but his movies are truly inspiring to anyone who are into arts.

DOP: Suren Shakhbazian
Art direction: Stepan Andranikian

Lydia

Two chairs, a wall and a couple

2009-03-05T09:19:00.001-08:00

In-I.

A dance performance of Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan. By luck, I was invited to see it during the Hong Kong Art Festival. I didn't put any expectation to it because I am not very into modern dance performance. Too abstract for me. However, it changed my point of view after that.

This is the best dance performance that I ever seen! It's heavy but true. It opened my eyes to see how expressive that a dance could be.

The set is minimal. A wall, two chairs and two people, that's it. The lighting is excellent. Stylish minimalism. There was no fancy projection onto the wall. Only simple monotone light with shadows. They can create a house with only a few lines of light onto the wall and the floor. This is so amazing. Everything on the stage is essential. The wall could be a bed, it could be window, it could be..... wall, it could be a barrier.... it could be anything. The stage is simple but amazing.

The performance started with a VO of Juliette Binoche, talking about how she meet Akam Khan since her teenage. They fell in love, from strangers to a passionate couple. A dance from a searching stage to intimacy, from intimacy to facts of lives, from different styles of living to hatred, from hatred to understanding... The dance is undoubtedly beautiful. Every minute is a visual pleasure. I especially love the love-making scene. The dance is so sensational and intimate, the forms are beautiful. It's hard to explain, it's magical to see how internal that a dance can express.

They are still dancing in my head.

Lydia

Walls of Woods.

2009-02-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, I was asked to make 3 aged wooden walls for Such films.

The production crew went to the props house for aged wooden doors in different colors, and some industrial houses for wooden boxes. From the first day trying to put the wooden blocks together in a small format, to the last day knowing how to use the wood cutting machines, it took me on and off a month to finish all the walls. Thanks to the help to Fai & Joseph for searching the nice and colorful woods, Siu Ming for advice, Maisy's choice, Sharon & Suki's help, and all the masters for cutting the woods and teaching me how to use the machines, finally it's done!!!

ZoeLydia

A Soul Reflection: Sebastian Faena

2009-01-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

:NUN HEAD:
Photography Sebastian Faena.
Fashion Editor Katie Frand.
Pop Magazine fall/winter 2008.

A soulful piece. A powerful contrast of lust/caution.
When I first look at the first picture of Guinevere Van Seenus, I was shocked! Shocked by her facial expression. It seems like she has been struggled psycologically to hell, and now her inner desire that has been hidden for a long long time has just came out!
Très très très fort!

Lydia

TodaysArt 2007 - Hotel Oscar Tango Echo Lima

2009-01-12T00:59:00.001-08:00

TodaysArt 2007 - Hotel Oscar Tango Echo Lima
Originally uploaded by Haags Uitburo

This is soooooo beautiful & magical!

Hotel Mercure served as the backdrop for the work of (typo)graphic designers from The Hague as well as students of KABK (Royal Academy of the Arts): Graphic Design. The images were based on the theme of the TodaysArt Festival: The Hague International. Flight Patterns, arrival and departure times or other associations were translated into images and text. Among others, works of Pierre Derks, Atelier Carvalho Bernau and Design Atelier Chromosoom (who made the above projection).

During the third edition of the TodaysArt Festival (September 21th and 22th 2007) the city centre of The Hague functioned as one big festival terrain, with performances both in the public domain and on several indoor stages. Interactive installations, projections and acts used the city centre as a stage and transformed The Hague into an inspiring stronghold of audiovisual experiences. The program consistsed of more than 200 artists from over 25 countries, representing nearly every art discipline imaginable and putting The Hague on the international map as the stage par excellence for contemporary creativity.

Source: Flickr.
Originally uploaded by Haags Uitburo.

The Collage Queen: Yelena Yemchuk

2008-12-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

Yelena Yemchuk x Bergdorf Goodman

2008-12-03T00:30:00.000-08:00

Lydia

The black & white Surrealist: Andrea Galvani

2008-12-02T23:37:00.000-08:00

la morte di un'immagine, 2005

N(-1)
http://www.andreagalvani.com/

zoelydia.com is born!

2008-11-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

To all my friends,

zoelydia.com is born! Please check it out for all my works.

Lydia

The dreamer: Tim Walker

2008-11-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Once you discover the world of Tim Walker, you will appreciate that you are living in this beautiful world. The human ability to see and imagine. You will appreciate your mind, you might even thank God for offering human beings a mind to imagine. To live to dream.

Lydia

LA SOIREE FASHION ET ART À PARIS

2008-11-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

LE SHOWROOM Luxe Mode JO EVENS PRIVATE ROOM vous invite à découvrir les Créations d'Art by PIK PIK.

Caractère de "Cartoons" touchant et humoristique dessiné par l'artiste Zoé Lydia et présenté par Kate Taï.

Et Toujours la Mode, La Mode, la Mode accompagnée des inoubliables cocktails et gourmandises maison !!! Ambiance select mais fun et trendy !

* LA SOIREE le vendredi 14 novembre de 19h00 à 23h00

* SUIVIES DE JOURNEES VENTES PRIVEES le samedi 15 et dimanche 16 novembre de 13h00 à 19h00

RESERVATION par mail chantaljaillot@hotmail.com

SHOWROOM "JO EVENS PRIVATE ROOM"
10 rue Jean Giraudoux (côté avenue Marceau)
Métro Georges V
tél 06 64 45 79 42

Lydia

Just the Two of Us

2008-11-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

Lydia

Stan Brakhage - Mothlight

2008-11-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

Stan Brakhage is always my favorite experimental filmmaker.

He is a genius. He has his very unique sentiment that can project into his films. Every films is sensational and touching. A few years ago, there was a screening of HIS ORIGINAL PAINTED FILMS in Hong Kong Film Festival. In fact, he only put oil paint onto the blank films. It's abstract. It last for 15 minutes, I guess. But that's enough for me to cry. I was so touched. Never sense so heavy from a piece of abstract art.

I saw colors

I saw textures

I saw fireworks

I saw magic.

It was so wonderful. And this, Mothlight. It is the most inspiring experimental film ever!

It rebirths the dead moths in this particular media EACH TIME HE ROLLS THE FILM. I can sense they are flying! It always reminds you how magical a film can be.

Lydia

My new painting series: Just the Two of Us

2008-10-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Lydia

PikPik Time

2008-10-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the support of Marie and her boyfriend to PikPik. The two huge PikPik paintings are going to Copenhagen very soon;)

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-10-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

Lydia

Join PikPik Zoo on 6-19 Sep in Copenhagen!

2008-09-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that my PikPik is going to exhibit in the land of happiness! Woohooohoooooooo

Here is a brief introduction of PikPik to those who don't know what it is.

*Exhibition Opening: 6 Sept @ 8pm, Zusammen!

Name: PikPik Zoo

Date of Birth: 21 June 2008

Birthplace: Denmark

Parents: 2 Danish & 3 Chinese girls

Languages: Chinese, Danish, English & French

Hobbies: Making Friends across the World & Sharing Love & Naughtiness with You!

PikPik is travelling around the world to collect bits and pieces of you and me. The journey started from Copenhagen, then to Paris, Amsterdam, New York, Hong Kong... He's unstoppable!

Come and make friends with PikPik on 6-19 September @ Zusammen!

H.C. Ørstedsvej 47

Frederiksberg, Denmark

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-09-02T17:58:00.001-07:00

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-09-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Model: Marie-Noelle Voisin

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

model: Stanley & Shawn

La vie des animaux selon les hommes

2008-08-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

Life as animals.

The birth of 2nd PikPik collection!

2008-08-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

See, on top, the new semi-hanging PikPik is floating in my atelier in Paris! Very soon it's gonna be hanging in Copenhagen for THE FIRST PIKPIK EXHIBITION!!!!

Woohoooohooooooo~~~

Lydia

Charlotte Forever!

2008-08-21T14:13:00.001-07:00

Charlotte Rampling is the most charming woman in the world, ever!

This afternoon, I watched her film "Sous le Sable" (Under the sand, 2000 production) in Alliance Francise. It's a nicely composed movie about a mid-aged woman losing her husband. Without the charm of Charlotte Rampling, i'm sure it won't be successful! It recalls me the time when I first saw Charlotte Rampling, that was in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. She is innocent, smart, charming and elegant. I love her eyes. She can tell stories through her eyes! Now, she is still elegant and charm. A lady of 52 years old, what can you expect? But for her, she is beautiful, as always.

Lydia

To Miss K, Mademoiselle K

2008-08-20T13:57:00.001-07:00

I am so flattered when I read your article about me in your blog.

You said to me "You are the bravest girl i've ever met, you inspire me to live life to the full. Stay fierce!" Actually you are the fiercest girl that I ever met in Hong Kong!

Apart from "Mister K", I found you "Mademoiselle K". The band is so YOU! Love it!

Mademoiselle K - Jalouse

Lydia

Ava Gardner - Le plus Bel Animal du Monde!

2008-08-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Ava Gardner - The most beautiful animal in the world.

Last night was the last show of Cinema en Plein Air in Paris. The movie that has been shown is called "La Comtesse aux pieds nus" by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Ava Gardner et Humphrey Bogart (1954). I have no idea about Ava Gardner before I came to the show.

There was a little short film called "L'interview" by Xavier Giannoli (1988) before the classic screened. It talks about a young French journalist is planning to do an interview by now aged movie-star Ava Gardner, who lives secluded in her London maison and refuses any interview by phone. So the journalist tried so hard to improve his frenchie English on the way to meet the living myth. Ironically, he soon actually has a non-sense interview with the legend through the intercom, outside her maison, while her dog keeps barking and the street is busy. Even sadly, Ava Gardner doesn't even remember her films, and doesn't even feel like answering to any questions that the journalist proposed. What a myth... This is hilarious! This is the best interview that I ever seen! You never see Ava Gardner shows up in the movie, but she is there!

After the short "interview", here comes Ava Gardner! She is such a star. Charmante, très charmante! Me and Xiaoli are infatuated by her beauty. She is classic, strong, intelligent and unique. She is our muse for the coming photoshoot of Stanley this week.

Lydia

Warhol's Children par Xiaoli Tan

2008-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Warhol: Everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.

1. L'amour

2. Rock*n'Roll

3. Pollyanna

4. Des Animaux

Dir by Xiaoli Tan

Starring: ZoeLydia & Shawn

Forgive my delay ... my heart was attacked ...but I'm on my way

2008-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Photography = Xiao Li Tan

Styling + Makeup = ZoeLydia

Model = ZoeLydia + Shawn

Lieu = Paris, France

Le Singe est sur la Branche

2008-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

A tribute to Egon Schiele.

The story just began...

(The Monkey is on the branch)

Can't believe Shawn is a real monkey!

It was so scary!

Not about the pics, it's about the forest!

We stayed up too late at home for make-up and styling, and playing... After the sudden revisit of the French Police to our maison, it was around 1am. We continued blah blah blah~~ until 4am, and then on va commencer!

We went to the forest close to our place for photo-shooting. We stayed there for like half an hour, and then I vaguely heard dog barking FROM THE SIDE OF CEMETERY!!! Then I heard a man's voice. I didn't know what he said, but my face definitely turned white. I looked at Xiaoli and said "Let's go!". Xiaoli sensed that it's not a right time to shoot anymore (but seems like this boy was still hyper... ) We left the forest immediately.

Xiaoli got too tired and wanna go home! But Shawn was too hyper to stop, so I did some shots for him instead, for spending all his energy in the middle of the night.

Lydia

This time, Stanley & Shawn

2008-08-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Stanley is back to Paris!

For sure, she gotta join our art projects: Painting & Photography.

Last thursday night we dined till 3. Then in the afternoon, I painted Shawn and her till the time she returned Belgium. On va continuer à Lundi!

Btw, Shawn seems to linger on the sweetness of Stanley's neck?!

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-08-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-08-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

To my dear Kate & Shawn

2008-08-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

You two are such nice great gifts to me. Shawn's eyes give energy to each of the portraits which is amazing. Kate is always special to me. As Xiaoli said, vulnerability is an admirable quality for actors which we fierce artists love to capture! Again, thanks for being so free with yourself, so giving, and so open with us!

By the way, Shawn's portrait freaked me out one time, at the night when I just finished the painting in the afternoon. I was shocked at first, once I turned on the lamp coz the eyes are so real... So I let him to face the window for drying.

Historical Moment: Kate's last stewardess look in Paris

2008-08-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

Kate will end her seems-fabulous stewardess life and join our fabulous life in Paris!

One day afternoon, Kate was telling me who she worried about bringing all her clothing to Paris for long stay. Two hours later, she texted me by facebook: Hey you know what, I am flying to PARIS!!! She was in standby to Paris!!! How lucky she was! Since it was typhoon #8 in Hong Kong, all the flights were in a mess, and she got in the Paris flight all in a sudden! Oh my God! She can bring her whole wardrobe to our place!

Lydia

Warhol: Everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes....

2008-08-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

...on Facebook?! Play hard so that we can work hard.

Tribute to Egon Schiele whenever we are, especially before dining.

Disclaimer: Whoever you see in the pictures are Single & Available

2008-08-17T03:31:00.000-07:00

Lydia

Bois de Vincennes, beautiful memoir.

2008-08-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

Woohoooo Xiaoli is beautiful in many angles. We took the pictures of each others in the forest that is close to our place. That was in April/May. Nice weather for picnic. It was a nice afternoon while Pil was here after the Prefuse 73 concert, and Andrea operated a flight to Paris and stayed two days with us. Beautiful pictures, beautiful memoir.

Summer in Paris: Cinéma en plein air de la Villette

2008-08-17T01:28:00.000-07:00

15 July - 17 August 2008

Cinema in open air!

In August, it's the time for Parisian to leave the city for vacation! But for those people who wanna stay in Paris, the best thing to do here is to go to cinema in open air. Almost every night there will be a screening at the Villette Park. You just need to pay 2 euros then you can enjoy the big screen on the grass. Film get started once the sky turns dark and dogs bark. People go to the parc for picnic after work, and then reposer and chat till sunset and watch the movie. It's l'art de vivre in Paris during the summer!

Since it's such a nice place to reposer, I have been there quite a few time with my friends. We were flattened by the charm of Clint Eastwood in the western open air, we opened our eyes with Alejandro Amenabar, we met Sylvia Scarlett with Katharine Hephurn, we watched spanish movie with french subtitle, we saw stoned images on the wavering screen (we once thought that the director got high by magic mushroom, so as to make the film stoned in this way!) Or did Xiaoli put something into the muffins that we ate at that night?

Daniel Firman - WÜRSA (à 18 000km de la terre)

2008-08-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Daniel Firman - WÜRSA (à 18 000 km de la terre)

Lieu: Palais de Tokyo. Expo: 29 Mai-24 Août 2008

I was stunned when I first saw this elephant. It was so real. I was once wondering if this work used a real elephant, until the time I touch the object. It's hard. It's fake, but it's hyper-real! One thing very interesting is that, there is no strings to hang the elephant, the only support is the nose of the elephant. The act of anti-gravity is so interesting that you will never forget!

By the way, this was the first time that I went to Palais de Tokyo. Don't expect there are a lot of modern artwork shown in this museum, coz there are only 5-6 showrooms. There are no permanent collections but temporary expositions. It's nothing fancy but kinda raw as an art museum. Compare with other museums in Paris, it has some sort of rotten beauty. It's a very interesting place overall, and for fine art students like me, it just costs me 1 euros for entry!!!

Lydia

Shocking PINK Soup!

2008-08-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's made of red beet! It's a Polish soup. Below is the recipe given by Olivia:-

"Red Beet Soup"

-2 big red reddish (cooked apart - boiled or streamed)

-1/2 litre of natural yoghourt

-1/2 litre of boiling water wiht chicken essence

-Mix the yoghourt and chicken soup together when it's not too hot.

-Mix all together with a blender until it turns fluid.

-Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

-Add herbs: parsley (cut into small pieces)

-2 or 3 small raw onions (cut into small pieces)

-2 boiled eggs (cut into small slices)

-2-3 slices of ham

-salt and pepper.

DONE! It tastes soooooooo good!

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-08-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

ZoeLydia

I was on my way to save you ... but lust got in the way!

2008-07-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

She's on her way to save you...

but lust got in the way...

So hang on

She will come for you one day

but just not today

Concept: Xiao Li Tan & ZoeLydia

Photography: Xiao Li Tan

Art Direction & Makeup: ZoeLydia

Model: Kate & Shawn

Lieu: Paris, France

Ça fait mal.

2008-07-19T05:33:00.001-07:00

Concert in front of the Eiffel Tower

2008-07-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

14 Juillet Bastille Day.

Thanks to president Nicolas Sarkozy, we enjoyed the fierce open air concert in front of the Eiffel Tower and the fiercest fireworks on the national day! Tons of locals and tourists were there.

Big names like James Blunt, Christophe Maé and Raphaël preformed there!

These two girls were infatuated by Raphaël. He sang so cool...

and you know what, this is a Karaoke Concert!!!

I bet all the Chinese and Japanese like this concert a lot, coz like me I can still sing their songs even though I haven't heard of them before.

Yea Yea, nice performance till dark.

And then, le feu d'artifice!!!
Just turn your head to the back, you see the fireworks just behind the Eiffel Tower. Those were the most beautiful fireworks that I have ever seen!
Oh my god, somebody cried... coz it's so beautiful.

The fireworks were visually simple but nicely composed, with the glimmering Eiffel Tower in the front and classical opera music, it was just an excellent art piece. Sometimes, I felt like I was watching a Klimt painting, but once the sparkles faded, it changed into a Claude Monet tone. I tell you, it was so fierce...

Again, somebody cried coz it's too beautiful...

Lydia

Sur le Bastille weekend à Paris, j'ai trouvé des pompiers...

2008-07-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

13 juillet Sunday Night - Les Bals des Pompiers!

Before Bastille day, everybody goes dancing!
Just pay 6 euros, and you can go into the most popular firemen ball in Le Marais and get a free drink! Are the firemen in Paris hot??? je ne sais pas tout! Mais it's a fun place to go! And, what a surprise! I bumped into my dear Benoit!

Btw, every quarter in Paris has a Firemen ball, but the Marais one is always the most popular.

Pre-Bastille Party in the box

2008-07-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

12 juillet Saturday Night

Thanks to Sten, we went to the Hip Hop love soul party at Elysée Montmartre. It was so cool;) We went to the VIP upper deck, everyone got crazy!

Lydia

Cela nous aurait suffit - Raphaël

2008-07-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

I bet miss Minor will love it.

Lydia

Wax Tailor & AaRON at Armada

2008-07-10T05:28:00.001-07:00

Wax Tailor & AaRON at Armada!It's one of the 10-day open air free concert in Rouen. Within 30 mins, it was all packed regardless how bad was the weather.

Wax Tailor performed nicely as usual, but I think the Limoges show is better and people got high more easily. To my surprise, there were so many fans of AaRON! During encore session of AaRON, it was so beautiful that everyone took out there mobile to light up the sky and sing his melancholy song. It was sooooooo beautiful.

PikPik at Armada

2008-07-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

PikPik met the Mexican Navy during Armada in Rouen. It's a 10-day festival of ships from different parts of the world. Friendom is everywhere at the ship!

Lydia

How dare are you?

2008-07-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Miss K & Miss A,

I can't believe that you two picked F.I.R's LYDIA in the karaoke for the memorial of me in Hong Kong!

I am still alive fiercely, babe!

Lots of love,

Lydia

No, I am not thinking about you.

2008-07-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

No, I am not thinking about you.

Lydia

The genius BECK

2008-07-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

Beck "Girl"

directed by Mathew Cullen, Grady Hall

Beck "Cellphone's Dead"

directed by Michel Gondry

Lydia

Quand tu es en haut...

2008-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

When you gets high, everything is just wonderful!

The ground could be radiant cobalt blue...

You were unbelievably in blue!

lol

This graffiti could be the most incredible artwork ever!

This wall could be ultra-surreal...

You would stop in the middle and appreciate every inch of the ground for like 10 minutes (it could be over an hour if you were alone)...

to record every single details of the beautiful sand, grass, bricks, gaps...

You can see THE EARTH from a white ceiling,

Or see African naive drawings on a plain wall...

Lydia

P.S. I hate it because it makes me ugly!

Pikpik had fun in Parkpop, Den Haag!

2008-07-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Eric and Marjon were demonstrating Arco Yoga with PikPik in Parkpop for love & peace.

Fierce Baby!

I SEE KULA SHAKER OUT THERE...

Lydia

PikPik/ZoeLydia at the back...

2008-06-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love you all babe! This above picture with me and Pil was taken by Caroline. This is the best bicycle picture that I ever seen so far in my life!

I once said to Xiaoli... imagine I am lesbian, touching your waist and arms, resting against your back, hugging softly... then she gave me a face comme ça!

With Caroline, we were like crazy bohemians coz you can find all the colors on the bicycle!

Green is too green...

2008-06-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

It's nice to just stop by a garden and enjoy the sun-bath in Copenhagen.

Weather is nice, smell good, texture is as soft as a carpet, everything is wonderful especially when you have good companions.

A Night/Morning in Copenhagen

2008-06-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

The best fight ever between Signe and Nana!

Lydia

Love PikPik from Copenhagen!

2008-06-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Lydia

An Urban Fairy Tale Series: One day I'll come save you, but today I'm not ready

2008-06-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Concept + Photography: Xiaoli Tan

Makeup + Art Direction: ZoeLydia

Model: Caroline Albertine Minor

Lieu: Copenhagen

One Grand Afternoon Tea au Printemps

2008-06-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

It's interesting that each Chinese has three birthdays a year.

1. Dated in accordance to Western Calendar.

2. Dated in accordance to Chinese Lunar Calendar, normally a month later the western day.

3. Everyone's birthday on the 7th day of Chinese Lunar Calendar.

That day was Xiaoli's birthday.

We felt like we need a cake. So we went to the top floor of Printemps for a tea.

It was over over overly decorated on the ceiling! The smartest thing is the mirror table. Just a little touch to embrace the beauty that they already have! This is smart.

One bonus of this café is that they serve the shockingly rich hot chocolate from Angelina (even bigger and stronger than the original salon de thé Angelina in Concorde) and the famous Angelina signature cake Mont Blanc (Incredibly rich, smooth and creamy in full chestnut flavor).

Service-wise, of course it's better than the grumpy service in Angelina!

Lydia

Bonsoir étrangers!

2008-06-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Stranger.

Natalie Portman once said that in Closer.

Last mid-night, we were supposed to go to rue Boyer near Gambetta for a concert, but we were lost in the maze of apartments, just like the Kowloon Tong area in Hong Kong. We have been walking for half an hour and asking people about direction, but still we couldn't find the place. By the time we decided to take metro to Bastille, we passed by an apartment where there were many young people, flashing lights in trance on the ground floor! Two guys and a girl who were chatting on the terrace saluted to us. Me and Xiaoli were invited to this private party!

Hello Strangers.

There were around 30 20ish young boys and girls there in a 800 ft sq apartment. Joint smells. It's a vivid party with ultra-strong flashing lights and cocktails. If you are suffered from Epilepsy, you will die for sure! People from different parts of the world were here, mostly Italians and Frenchies, to celebrate the birthday of Alexander the Italy. Some were chatting, some were dancing, some were making out...

This is the nice Hungarian girl that we met in the party, who loves to take pictures like us!

That night, we met a frenchie. A graffiti professional called Wisk NT. That's very interesting because I really want to make a graffiti for my little PikPik. Maybe I would go with the team for graffiti in Paris?!

First stop: Denmark.

Second: Amsterdam.

Third: Paris!

Stay tuned.

We stayed there till 3am, but the party still goes on until the time I wake up?!

Lydia

J'attends avec impatience la sortie de Savage Grace!

2008-06-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Savage Grace is based on the true shocking story of a wealthy socialite called Barbara Baekeland who was murdered by her son Antony in 70s in London. Her murder took place at her London home, where Antony stabbed her with a kitchen knife. Antony was 25 at that time. She died almost instantly. When the police arrived they found Antony ordering Chinese food over the phone.

According to wiki, She had a bizarre relationship with her son, Antony, who was homosexual. The above scene is so powerful about Antony being homosexual. The same idea with the previous 17 fois Cécile Cassard clip, but it's less theatrical and plus natural.

The mother-son relationship was so close that there were no boundaries or lines of privacy. They shared everything and every experience, developing an intense co-dependence, one that resulted in incest.

Barbara had tried to 'cure' her son by hiring willing girls to take him to bed, when this failed she decided to seduce Antony. In an attempt to cure Antony of his homosexuality, Barbara coerced him into having sex with her. It's been said that this incestuous incident led to her murder.

Though Antony displayed signs of schizophrenia, his father called psychiatry "professionally amoral" and refused to pay for treatment. After the murder, Antony was institutionalized at Hospital until a bureaucratic mistake resulted in his release in July 1980. He then relocated to New York City, where he lived with his grandmother for a short time until he stabbed her also (she survived). Antony was sent to Rikers Island, where he suffocated himself to death with a plastic bag on 30 March 1981.

At first, I thought the movie is slightly based on the true story, but actually it's all true!

J'attends avec impatience la sortie de Savage Grace!

Lydia

Finally, Sex and the City!

2008-06-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

We have been starving for the original version of Sex and the City for 2 weeks!

We finally watch the movie before Xiaoli's flee last night. It is a hit in France. The salle was completely full, we could hardly find a seat! We sat separately. Xiaoli cried enormously, she claimed. So did Kate in Hong Kong, Cecilie from Denmark, and some other Sex and the City geeks. But for me, some moments are touching but I couldn't get into tears. Am I too cold?

Just enjoy the fashion in the movie is a pure visual pleasure. It feels like you meet your old friends when you are watching the movie. It's lovely and humorous. There are many lines that are superb funny like the Coloring by Crayons discussion and Charlotte's cruse on Mr. Big. Everyone did great in the film, except Jennifer Hudson as Carrie's personal assistant to heal Carrie's broken heart. This girl lacked humor, maybe because of the script? She toned down everything, so un-SATC. But overall, this movie is fierce.

After I watched a good movie, I will be in good mood for at least 24 hrs.

So far, our Cinematic Journal in Paris:

Thanks for Le Voyages du Ballon Rouge which ruined our cinematic experience in Paris completely. The boredom is over sufficient to keep us away from the cinema for first two months.

Then, great movie excellent Deux soeurs pour un roi with unbeatable performance of the talented Natalie Portman.

Michael Haneke's Funny Games. The two hour cinematic experience was a pure torture but I just love it! It's a psycho torture though you cannot see much blood or violence in front of your eyes. It's a masterpiece. There was one moment that Xiaoli really wanna quit in the middle of the film, by the way.

Just now we have seen the trailer of Savage Grace. Xiaoli and I were both stunned by the twisting unethical relationships, by the charm of Juilanne Moore, by the edgy frenchie look of Eddie Redmayne... everything! Really expecting.

Lydia

Can't wait to see Kula Shaker!

2008-06-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Kula Shaker is always under-rated. I donno why.

Look at their performance! It is just fantastic! I just love YouTube so much. 10 years ago you gotta spent a lot for the low quality bootleg tapes to 'experience' their gigs, but now you can see them all on YouTube. Below is a fierce version of their Mystical Machine Gun and Great Hosannah.

Too bad Xiaoli cannot attend their fierce concert in Den Haag...

Be fierce this summer in Paris!

2008-06-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Love & Peace... from Paris.

Thanks to our fierce models: Benoit, Caroline and Sveinn who charmantise our tees.

Design, photos, styling, art direction, handmade... all by Xiaoli & ZoeLydia.

Fierce Tees for sale!

We offer Limited Edition in black, grey and white tees with our special foilings in different sizes. 50 euros per tee. All made with Love & Passion! You must love it fiercely!

Please email me or Xiaoli for further information or orders.

zoelydia@gmail.com

xiaoli.tan@gmail.com

Coming Sunday: Divorce

2008-06-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Xiaoli and I are going to separate for a month!

Can't believe that, still.

Because of visa problem, Xiaoli needs to go home in the coming days. Everything just pumps up all in a sudden. Our fierce Denmark trip, our psychedelic Kula Shaker journey to Den Haag, the exciting art projects all need to change!

Can't believe that, still.

That's really a twist.

Can't believe that, still.

We were once so excited about meeting the fierce danish girls in Copenhagen to do art projects together, but now, it's really hard to imagine the scenes in Denmark without this fierce Xiaoli. I was thinking a pan shot of us having lunch at the boat; I was thinking of a group picture of all the fierce girls and PikPiks against the graffiti wall in Denmark; I was thinking of our fairy-tale photoshoot...

Can't believe that, still.

I hope you can come back as soon as possible coz I will be missing you so much!

Muah!

Lydia

Detox 001: Oil Pulling

2008-06-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Starting from tonight, Xiaoli and I will try the weirdest detox ever - Oil Pulling.

Procedure:

You just need to rinse your month with approximately one tablespoon of oil (sesame and sunflower oils are the most recommended) for 15-20 minutes on an empty stomach, i.e. first thing in the morning before breakfast, and before sleep, then spit it out.

The oil is put in the mouth, with chin tilted up, and slowly swished, sucked, chomped and pulled through the teeth.

The oil in the mouth will change to a thin white foam by the end! Spit it out and rinse your mouth and followed by 2-3 glasses of water.

Do it daily, 2 -3 times per day. We are going to do a trial for a week to see how it goes. It seems effortless to do so. We hope our skin will turn fresher...

Lydia

Hector Rodriguez - Kinematograph

2008-06-10T01:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks Hector for his prompt response to our previous conversation about the future of art. As he said, the photos unfortunately cannot really capture the look of the work, but at least you will get the idea of what it is.

Below is his brief introduction of Kinematograph.

"Kinema" denotes "motion", while "graph" means "writing". This title invites is to regard computational cinema as a manifestation of writing, in its most fundamental sense.

The work has two pieces (but it is one single work). There is a digital print, which is a frequency transition matrix. This is an analysis of a video clip, based on ideas from information theory. It is quite beautiful, I think, but it does not look great in the photo. The information is purposefully printed in very small numbers, so that visitors have to come very close to the work to see it clearly, and then move away from the print to see the overall pattern.

The second part is a software system that generates images in realtime nonstop (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). these images are generated by a stochastic matrix that is based on the frequency transition matrix displayed in the print. The images are generated live, whether there are people or not. the computer does its thing, and cares nothing at all about its audience.

The work is meant to look simple and basic (reductive), exploring some basic aspects of the medium without any concern for interactivity, without attempting to create a nice graphical user interface, or to communicate with anybody. The computer is its own justification.

For further information, you can go to HK Digitalogue.

http://www.digitalogue.org/hector-rodriguez

Unfortunately again, the website is badly designed, but at least it has an early version of Hector's artist statement. The latest one is still... unreleased.

Lydia

17 fois Cécile Cassard

2008-06-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

What is Art?

2008-06-05T12:40:00.002-07:00

Puffffff... such an old question but never have a fixed answer.

For me, art is to break the rules. Art = Creativity. Art could be without aesthetics but at least open a new ground for mankind to explore.

But Hector has his own Avant-garde theory. "I hate modern art. I hate galleries. I hate the art institutions. They are stubborn. The future is digital. Those huge institutions like Documenta reject so many digital arts last year. Why so many people don't understand that?" He had the conversation inside the metro, where everyone were looking at this lecturer...

Let me introduce this beloved Spanish professor in School of Creative Media a little bit. Hector is the programme leader of the stream "Critical Intermedia Laboratory", and this is where I came from also. It's normal that you don't have a clue of this name, coz naming can be a modern art. Yea hummm.... Anyway, to do media experiments, that's the idea. It's surreal to see Hector and his wife Linda in Paris! My two professors who opened my mind at the university! They came to Paris with 20 CIL newbs. This time, I gave an half day art tour along Rue Vieille du Temple in Marais to the students.

This Spanish Avant-grade teacher is always fierce. Fierce in mind.

He thinks 10 years ahead! He does things 10 years ahead!

Now he has his latest artwork that is currently shown at Hong Kong Art Museum. He did programming for his work. I was amused! A guy who studied film theory in PhD in New York, teaching films and modern art in Hong Kong over 10 years but has no background in Programming, now he can create digital art all by himself? He learnt programming just within these two years!

"I hate interactive arts. Digital arts shouldn't imply interactive." that's what he said.

His new digital artwork is almost impossible for the audience to understand. But that's the point. Why art needs to be communicative? As long as you can make this statement, then this is art. This is another new ground that is under-explored. It just like during the beginning of conceptual arts, readymade objects in the art museum were a great impact to the definition of arts. I would say this is a conceptual art more than a digital art, since the concept of anti-interactivity of digital art is much important than its appearance.

"So the future of arts is pretty dark in your vision." I said.

"Yes, you can say so. But that might not be negative. That's just the way it goes." Hector replied.

We went to Yvon Lambert where they are showing Bethan Huws' works.

When I get in a gallery, I will feel sad if the things are uninspiring. But for Hector, it turned to be anger: "This kind of concept was developed a long time ago, how can people repeat it again, and again? Where is creativity?"

To this avant-garde professor, none of the galleries in Paris would impress him. Coz normally the sale-ability of an artwork is the most important issue for an art gallery. How can an artwork that nobody can understand could fit in a gallery?

"Actually many galleries in Paris are boring." I said.

"True. They are too conservative!" Hector responded.

"Especially those paintings. Most of them are oldies. I can't stand those traditional landscape paintings and abstract paintings without an effort." I said.

"So why you do paintings then?" He asked.

"I love the process though. To create something that I can fully control is a real pleasure!"

One difference between photography and painting/drawing is about the way to observe. We should be wise to pick a good medium for capturing a memory in a situation. Sometimes, it's effortless to capture a nice scene by taking a photograph. But to draw, it could take a long time and it doesn't guarantee a nice drawing by the end. However, the result sometimes is not important, the main thing you gain the experience to observe the object bit by bit. The details of object are fully captured in your mind. That's romantic, if the object is your amoureux...

The best place for a visit in Marais is probably the Yvon Lambert bookstore.

This is where we found the best book of Anselm Kiefer, and other many good stuff.

Fresque Trilogy (part 3) Finale

2008-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Je vous présent Lucas, the son of my classmate Isabelle who is an art decorator.

II est très mignon! Meuh Meuh Meuh...

His favorite character is the girl in the middle. Ouh... such a sweet kiss, if I were her, I would be so pleased! But actually I felt so sweet already coz he's really in love with the saint girl that I created.

The idea of this work is... kinda random. Inspired by the recent expo of Aya Takano in Paris, I would like to create a sense of floatiness, as if you are listening to Fiona Apple's Across the Universe. By the way, this is the best cover version! I want the girls float on the air, sit in the air, fly in the air. I started from the left by the fishy girl. I particularly would like to play with a flat pattern on her stockings coz just nude is not fierce enough in this context. Plus, wall painting is a medium that it's hard to create a sense of 3D like oil painting. So you gotta play with pattern to make it interesting.

Then Lucas' favorite girl in the middle is a saint baby, inspired by the pré-Renaissance painting where almost every characters are with a saint hat. That's fierce. Finally, it's the modern angel on the right who is picking a herb, instead of an arrow. It's random. Don't ask me why further.

C'est fini. The whole wall painting class is finished. I feel a bit empty now.

Lydia

Limoges: a city where anything can happen

2008-06-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Limoges, a town of simplicity, but everything can happen.

Whoever heard of us planning to go to Limoges, they would give a face like "Quoi?" coz we were going to somewhere in the middle of nowhere but porcelain. hummm....... Yea, I know, I know. I wouldn't have any expectation to this town but Wax Tailor, that's it! But could we expect some unexpected encounters?

DAY 1. We came to this town on friday afternoon. We finished visiting the centre ville within 2 hours after a nap. It's a civilized town but I couldn't find any characters that impressed me. I would rather appreciate the creepiness of the old forbidden buildings in Portugal coz it's unique. Xiaoli and I were scared so badly coz we had no idea what we could do in the next few days. We gotta leave the town to somewhere which 'might be' interesting after the Wax Tailor concert.

DAY 2. Saturday. I should start to get excited but I hardly could, coz I was so bored. Xiaoli had the same syndrome but being over-excited about the concert that we were going to see tonight because of the boredom. Probably only the people and the food could stimulate us. We went to the food market and we found a young restaurant filled with locals. Great, this is gonna be a nice place! Which is true. I gotta have some excitement. I want Lapin! Yes, rabbit. I ate rabbit. Will that make you throw up? Do you think I am disgusting? It tastes like in-between duck and chicken. It's soft and tendered. Xiaoli couldn't stand me. She can never eat a rabbit.

By the way, that reminds me my period of high school when I was taking a dissection class of a white mouse. The same size of the little rabbit that I took. I couldn't move my fingers close to the mice. They were placed in the sink. Since they were killed by Chloroform, they were stretchy dead. By the end, I needed to ask my classmate to help me put it on my wooden board. Like crucifixion, I needed to pin on its hands and feet. It felt like taking the crunchy chocolate bar TIME OUT. I always remember that moment. The first move to cut the skin is the hardest thing. But you have no choice. It's either you do, or you fail the class. My god, the heart still beats while I was dissecting the animal. The smell was awful.

Oops... did i get sidetracked? Desolée.

Back to Limoges. We went to a cafe for scriptwriting. It's a wonderful afternoon that we both indulged in our wander minds. Before heading to the concert, we randomly went to the art museum called FRAC (Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain). We were stunned by the Yves Chaudouët exhibition. The starfish-theme installation is smartly beautiful.

Then... the fabulous Wax Tailor.... the fabulous actors encounter.

DAY 3. It's the fabulous people who made us wanna stay one more night in Limoges. Plus, it's hard to get up and check out next morning if we sleep at 5am, to be honest. We went to somewhere out-there by bus, coz not many trains operate in the sunday afternoon. At night, we met up with Yannis and Julien by the cinema for a drink. Xiaoli had some photoshoot of the two actors in the rain. By the end, Yannis proposed what if we can make a portfolio for them. That's a really brilliant idea! We love to!

In chinese, when we say a couple are no more in love, we would say this couple have different dreams on the same bed 同床異夢. At that night, we said bonne nuit to each other but then I couldn't sleep over half an hour. " I can't sleep!" I said. Hahahahahaa.... we giggled coz we were having the same drifting mind of our new project! This is 同床同夢 ! We were better than many couples. We discussed so many ideas afterthat. Like the cinematic untitled film sequences of Cindy Sherman, the mis-en-scenes from Wong Kai Wai's movies, an arty unfaithful scene... how they look? Justin Timberlake, James Dean...

DAY 4. Nice lunch at another Jamie Oliver style restaurant, and continue our scriptwriting. Actually I seldom took pictures with food but this time I really need it coz the way that the young chef present the appetizer is so arty. He really has a heart in his food and his restaurant. Here, an old man came to us and asked where were we from. This time, I said Chinese, coz he seems nice. But then he kept saying to us in Japanese. So I used my limited Japanese for this non-sense greeting. When we went to the counter for l'addition, the young chef said "I'm sorry. This gentleman is going to invite you for this meal." We - were - shocked. NO... I kept saying no to that gentleman but he kept convincing us to accept his invitation. He didn't request any contact from us. He just really overjoyed to see two 'Japanese' in the town. Again, it's still incroyable!

Lydia

The Beauty of Lumière

2008-06-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Randomly, we went to one art musée in Limoges called FRAC. Now they are having a solo expo of a french artist called Yves Chaudouët. His art installation is smartly beautiful. We walked though the dark. On the floor are flicking starfish which made of glass, Up on the ceiling are stream of fishes, with jellyfishes floating in the air. It's an idealization of the underworld from his vision. In this ideal space, I let my camera floating around. Here are some of the shots. It's stunning that in the real space of installation, it was an imitation of the sea-world; but in the photos, the space become an imitation if stardust up on the sky.

Lydia

Wax Tailor concert in Limoges 30.5.2008

2008-06-03T03:43:00.003-07:00

Wax Tailor concert in Limoges 30.5.2008
Video sent by zoelydia

Wax Tailor rocks Limoges!

2008-06-02T17:13:00.002-07:00

Ticket of Wax Tailor concert in Limoges: 18 euros/person

Train ticket to Limoges: 34euros return/person

Hotel in Limoges: 66 euros per night

Dance with Xiaoli: Quite expensive, but still affordable.

Experience of this supreme concert: Priceless

Kisses from Wax Tailor: Priceless x Priceless!!!

A kinda silly reason why we picked Wax's concert in Limoges is the venue. The name of the concert hall is called "John Lennon Cultural Centre". I was like... oh what a nice dedication! So it is. I were there at around 8h30 at night. We were probably the only people who take a cab to get there. Everyone went there by their own car. So hippie. When we see the concert hall, we were even more hippie coz you see the exterior of the concert hall is full of graffiti, up on a hill.

Love and Peace.

The show started at around 9h30. We were the only two Asians here. A young DJ started the show by cinematic hip-hop for almost an hour, and then here came Wax Tailor! He came with his Parisian smart chic. I was surprised that he is so frenchie, coz it doesn't show in his music. Once he played, everyone got natural high. Oh my god, every minute was fierce at the concert!

Music was great, even better than expected. Beats, either it's broken or smooth, it was indulging. Mélangement of everything. Hip-hop, trip-hop, oldies, classic and cinematic elements. Plus, the visual projection was brilliant. J'adore! This is probably the best concert so far that Xiaoli and I ever experienced. To be honest, it's even better than Prefuse 73! He got a lot guests, a lot of collaborations: The cute Charlotte Savary and the fabulous American female rapper Voice. Voice, the rapper of 'Future Jazz' at our last boat clubbing!

At the concert, we encountered a group of actors and actresses who are studying theatre here. It was unexpectedly engaging!

Sex & the City night

2008-06-02T16:23:00.001-07:00

Sex and the City is showing at the cinema all over France now, but we couldn't find one in English original version! By the end, we came out an idea of being "Sex and the City" to hang out a night before we head to Limoges.

It's a night of rejection. It's so un-sex-and-the-city!

We planned to go to Buddha bar, but we were rejected because...

1. This jacket is too jean-made.

2. This short is too short.

3. Somebody wear a jean...

Anyway, we were rejected. We had never been rejected like this. Okay, then we went to another bar a few miles away but in the same quartier. I couldn't believe they did the same thing to us! Xiaoli wore the sexiest dress that she ever had but being rejected. Caro got her shocking red jacket. Pil got her makeup that she seldom wear. I got my sexiest short but being rejected. What happened?

Then we headed to another famous bar called KONG. At the subway station, we met Sten! Things are so random and surreal. Sten joined us. At the entrance of KONG, we started to be panic again coz the guard seemed hesitated to let us in. Thanks to this clubbing professional, we can get in by the end. But I still don't know what went wrong at that night for the rejections......

When we got in the bar, the question of being rejected became ever vaguer, because we were the fiercest. Xiaoli and Caro dressed so sexy! omg! KONG is a super hip bar, but the people are businessmen, mostly. Don't care about the guys, just appreciate the decoration is super good enough! And, the view of Pont Neuf from the top floor is so stunning, I gotta tell you.

Info Practique: KONG

1 rue du Pont Neuf

Drink:~13euro/cocktail

Open hour: till 2am

Good times with Danish

2008-06-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Never thought of these two danish girls could be so attached to our lives in Paris. Pil and Caro are going to leave Paris tomorrow for a week of boat trip in South France and then back to Denmark. We drew together, we made fabrics, we sang we danced, we appreciated arts together on the museum night, we smoked, we had fun... We are going to miss these two fierce girls badly in Paris, but we are going to see them again in Denmark for our art projects!

Night of Museums @ Centre Pompidou

Shisha night at Bastille.

Lydia

Moonstarr & Voice at Batofar

2008-05-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

One Shot Night

Broken beat/future jazz/hip hop

22h-04h// 6 euros

DJ Moonstarr(Montreal)/ Voice (New Orleans)

Because of the 'future jazz' description, i couldn't wait to see this show at the boat!

This is a tiny boat. The dance hall is not big but just good enough for an indie band show.

Luckily we were just in time to see Moonstarr + Voice performance at around 1am. Their style of music is fabulous, kinda jazzy with flute and sax plus hip hop. The vocal Voice sang great, kinda like Lauren Hill but softer. J'adore la musique!

We encountered the photographer Sten that we saw in the Prefuse 73's live 3 weeks ago. This time, we got into conversation. He's working on his website about clubbing in Paris. It's very informative. http://www.soulthetown.com

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot au Xippas

2008-05-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's such an amazing art installation. Minimal and smart.

On 2nd floor of the Xippas gallery, it's a refreshing space with grass on both sides. You can hear some random guitar sound once you get into the space. There are speaker, guitar, bass and mic! Almost all the equipments need for making a band show are there. When we get into the space more, we can hear the scattered sound of birds. You must be shocked when you see the birds are all on the strings of the guitar! Oh My God... This artist Céleste Boursier-Mongenot is brilliant! This is a self-contained art piece! You just turn on the music appliances then the birds can regenerate a new music piece each time!

Exhibition: Céleste Boursier-Mougenot from here to ear recycle Zombiedrones.

Info Practique: Xippas Gallery

108 Rue Vieille de Temple

April 5 - May 17 2008

Lydia

Je speak franglais.

2008-05-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

C'est un groupe qui speak française et anglais ensemble dans un sentence. C'est très interesting et funny~ et comme moi et Xiaoli, nous speak comme ça tous les jours. Je trouve le groupe dans le Facebook. Je vous recommand tout le monde parler franglais!

Lydia

Aya Takano au Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin

2008-05-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

There are two japanese illustrators that j'adore: Nara Yoshitomo and Aya Takano. Both of them carry a style of Kawaii (mignon en français) with sentimental and imaginative elements.

This spring, we are so lucky to see Aya's solo expo in Paris. Garlerie Emmanuel Perrotin is a big name in the art business. Over there, you can see over 30 pieces of her works. Some are emormously huge and amazing, some are paintings on a canvas in a chic shape (comme d'etoiles), some are illustrations on paper. It's a really nice expo. I felt like I was floating in the space/ underwater when I looked at her paintings. It's almost the best expo so far that I have seen in le Marais.

I discussed about Aya Takano with Xiaoli last night. Xiaoli was wondering if she is a lesbian, coz all her paintings are with female nudes, and some are even having homo sex. Well, it's hard to know if she is a lesbian. Like me, I love to draw female nudes but it doesn't mean that I don't have an appetite to man. For sure, from her early works you can see she was highly influenced by Gustav Klimt who only drew female nudes. It could be a reason why she only draw female bodies.

Info Practique: Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin (76 rue de Turenne)

Entrée libre - du 6 Mai - 14 Juin 2008

du mardi au samedi 11h à 19h.

Creation is fun

2008-05-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is a video clip that was taken during the course of creating the grassy fabric which is shown at the exhibit.

Lydia

Our first exhibit in Paris!!!

2008-05-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks for those of you who have been to our exhibit opening tonight, and those of you who intended to come. Everything that we have done for the show is worth it. It's a time that all my friends can get together and have fun to share good time with them. The show was very successful! Xiaoli sold two of the four photos. They are migrating to Denmark in June. There's also a possible buyer for a second print. For me, I sold one painting prior to the show, and has two possible sales from the opening.

I almost get cried when my french classmate Sylvia told me that "You don't know how good that you had reached. You should go to New York straight away coz you paint so well, man!" It's nothing more than your works are appreciated. I really love to go to New York, man! New York is a place where every people appreciate arts and speaks English. I think I can really live as an artist there, but not the case in Hong Kong!

Let me introduce one by one, for those of you who can't come to Paris to see my works:

The first corner: Oil Paintings

You know what, I did the middle oil painting last night. So it's still wet actually. Some said that they like the red and yellow on the nudes. Some said they like the bluish dark hair coz it's kinda chinese. For me, I would prefer the left one coz it's fierce. By using minimum paints, the whole form came out and it works! Especially I like the way that I paint the fingers. Though all the parts are not attached, but as a whole it's ensemble and that's the most interesting thing. The most popular one is the right one: my self-portrait. Btw, I got 3 appearances in total at this exhibit, you will see later. Yes, the portrait. We did that one time when the nude model

disappeared all in a sudden. Most of the people said this is the painting of the show, and many of my friends like Sylvia and Masa would be interested in buying my portrait and hang it in house. I was wondering if we would put some others' portrait in his house, instead of a portrait of yourself. Thanks for your appreciation, but unfortunately it's not for sale. But I can do a portrait for you in that style! What do you think? 150 euro for one, that's really good deal.

Continue, you will pass by my oil painting of a bluish nude with a red leg, and then the series of fingers. I like the series a lot, and my friends love it also. 50 euros for the finger series this time.

And then you will see a corner of textiles. That's what me and Xiaoli are interested to learn at Parsons. We are the girls who do things last minute. We just finished our wool fabrics on the mannequins 2 hours before the opening started! Xiaoli worked on her white fabrics which looks very presentable on the mannequin! I wonder if she will wear this for her wedding... and you know I stayed up till 5am last night for working on this grassy fabric, but it's totally worth it coz the texture is so interesting by the end of the experiment! Somebody asked me how much for the grassy fabric. I would say 200 euros. It's expensive, I know. But the way that we worked on it is time consuming and the material itself is expensive as well. That's why we understand why haut couture is so expensive. By the way, I am going to do some touch up with yellow yarn after the show, it's gonna be even fierce! At the back are a mix of felting fabrics and printed silk of Xiaoli and I.

And then, we see the photography. Yes, my sexy pics that are taken by Xiaoli. I like them very much. Some said it kinda like the style of Akari which I don't like much. I think we reference Terry Richardson from the very beginning, but it came out to be Akari by the end. And we got two "How to Speak Danish" photo stills which are totally gorgeous where Caroline and Pil were in. We are so fierce that the two sexy pics were sold on the first night to two Danish buyers! Our dearest Danish!!! I love the people in this country. Danish is fierce!

At this exhibition, Xiaoli and I were a hit for sure. Over a half of the guests are from our side. My french classmates are so sweet! Thanks Masa, Linn, Emma and Andrea for coming and stay up till 9pm. Thanks Sylvia for your appreciation and your wonderful cake, I love it~ Thanks my sweetie Swedish twins Katja and Sara. Thanks Cecile, Sanna and Sebastian for coming. And my dearest Danish twins Pil and Caroline. You are always our VIP. And Cecilie, thanks for coming and dining with us with the strange guy after-that...

Oh by the way, we went for a business dinner with our clients from Denmark in Paris, who just bought our photos. Santé!

Lydia

Our exhibition in Paris tonight!

2008-05-22T02:57:00.000-07:00

Just finished my last nude painting class in Parsons. My last painting is going to be put into the exhibit though it's still wet.

What are we going to wear? Which pieces that we are going to show? Which frenchie will be interested in the show? Who we should invite? We should do some more fabrics for the show... but time is running out...

Actually we have bought some raw fabrics to do some more textile artworks, but theory and practice are always at odds with each other. By the end, we started to work on the fabrics 2 days ago, and now my piece is still drying above the room heater for tonight's show...

We are so lucky to our exhibition tonight 22Mai coz this is the day of transport strike. We heard that all the metro and buses will be off, we can only go there on foot or take a bike. But last night we checked on the internet, it seems to have RER line B ceased to work tomorrow. I don't know... Anyway, whatever it happens, we will be there for the exhibition.

Lydia

Richard Serra au Grand Palais

2008-05-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to go to see Richard Serra's Promenade in Grand Palais this afternoon. Coz Richard Serra's signature sculptures are so huge. It's totally about the experience in walking though his sculpture, not about the sculpture itself. So that will be exciting to experience his work, instead of knowing his idea from the books.

Monumenta 2008 Richard Serra PROMENADE au Grand Palais

Info Practique: du 7 mai au 15 juin 2008.

Fine art student like me: 2 euros (reduit)

Photography student like Xiaoli: 4 euros (normal price)

Audio guide: gratuit

I was thinking I could see a few works from this artist. But unfortunately, we can see his one and only work special for Grand Palais. Yea, it's not free to see these 5 steel blocks!

We were...... stunned by what we seen! Coz only 5 blocks? exhibited in Grand Palais! The video being shown is about how the workers transport the huge steel blocks into the salle, like a A380. But still, what is interesting here? I still don't get it.

The past works by Richard Serra are interesting because of the form, the texture and of course the size. His curvy maze is very distinguishable and I wish this time could be a weird spacial experience. However, this time the stoodup 5 blocks are so conservative and boring. Though he said about how people, natural lights in Grand Palais and the 5 blocks interact, it still can't convince myself this is inspiring.

How to make our 6 euros worth it is to take as many photos as we can.

Lydia

Fresque Trilogy (part 2)

2008-05-20T16:58:00.001-07:00

Louise Bourgeois au Centre Pompidou

2008-05-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last saturday, it was the night of museums. It was a huge event of every city in Europe because most of the museums open at night until 1 am, FREE ENTRY! Versailles and Louvre opened until 1 am in the morning! Can you imagine? I was thinking I could danse with Mona Lisa at night at Lourve... I was thinking there might be a party at Centre Pompidou at that night... However, to my disappointment I was wrong. They really just prolonged the opening hours, that's it...

The queue outside Centre Pompidou was not that long. We waited for half an hour only. Our dearest Pil and Caroline came and join us for this might-have-party night.

Now they are having an exhibition of Louise Bourgeois. You know, I always thought that it should be a man... coz your see her work - the grand spider in Japan is so masculine! But I was stupidly wrong! She... is so feminine. To be honest, I don't like most of her sculptures coz it's not aesthetics to me, but her hands painting series is so strong to me!

Hands, it could be one hand on the canvas, it could be two. Two hands could belong to the same person, or belong to two persons. Three hands could belong to three people, or just from two persons. We care, we share. "J'ai besoin de ton main." at the end. That is so sweet. She is such a thoughtful and sentimental lady to dedicate this work to her companion.

Lydia

il p.l.e.u.t. par Xiaoli

2008-05-20T03:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the story of all these pics.

Paris was totally dry for the last 3 weeks. It has been always in Xiaoli's mind that she should have a photoshoot of me in the rain, a bloody rain. And, as a good friend of her, I felt like...ar.....yea...ar...okay...yea........

Well, one night it rained suddenly. By the time I was so tired after my french course in the afternoon and the oil painting class at night, she said " This is the moment!" And I said...oh yea...ar....yea...ar...okay...................

Then within an hour, I had my make-up and clothes on from my closet. By the way, if you are coming to Europe, check out the spanish fashion chain store called Bershka, they got super cool clothing in H&M price. We took photos along the nice staircases of our flat in Charenton. We took turns to switch on the temporary light on the staircases, almost every 3 minutes.

The theme tonight was despair, that's my interpretation from Xiaoli's super long title. Can you repeat again?

Then we went out for our real photoshoot. I walked with my barefoot while Xiaoli was taking an umbrella...That's was almost 2am at night, luckily not much people noticed these two idiots. When you face the camera, you will automatically pose. Weird pose, stupid pose, sexy pose... When I faced the camera, I forgot about how cold I was though I was all wet! Gosh, Xiaoli did a good job tonight. The shots are super cool!

Lydia

My best nude, so far...

2008-05-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas (12F, 61 x 50 cm)

Time spent: 1.5 hr only! Break the record!

Yeaaa.... tonight I even had time to do other freestyle paintings! Again, experiment on colors. Posture is nice. I particularly like the blue-black hair and the dark-blue eyes, coz they brought out the character of chic. My teacher Jason even said that this is the best mix of black and blue that he ever seen! Oh la la... Fierce!

By the way, chatted with Jason tonight about the art business in Paris and New York. Actually he prefers New York coz everybody is an artist in New York, and everywhere is job opportunities for artists. Galleries are enormous in NYC! But in Paris, even though there are less galleries, people can apply funding from the government, thus it's not bad at all. Unfortunately in Hong Kong, most of the people don't appreciate arts which is really depressing! In contrast, people in Paris appreciate arts a lot! Art is their lives! So I can't even imagine how great the art scene is in NYC. Oh I wish I could go to NYC for a fine art master course and being an artist after the conversation. Possible?

Attention! Kula Shaker is coming!!!

2008-05-12T13:30:00.001-07:00

Would Kate and Andrea please listen: Kula Shaker is going to have performance in Den Haag!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!

Kula shaker will be performing in Den Haag, Netherlands!!!!! This music festival Parkpop 2008 will take place on Sunday 29 June. The festival will start at 13.00 and go on till 21.30!!!!!! Becoz of Kula Shaker, Xiaoli and I will go there with our passion and l'amour. Love and peace!

Do you think you can swap in AMS to attend this fierce concert?! Sheryl Crow will be there also, by the way.

Lydia

Le singe est sur la branche

2008-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

I guess I am addicted to Eddie Izzard now.

He is such a genius! Look at the clip from his talk show DRESS TO KILL which talks about learning French, it was hilariously funny!

What he talked is very true. In our French lesson, we learnt vocabularies from a child-book for 5-7 year-old children:

La souris est en dessous de la table (the mouse is under the table)

Le chat est sur la chaise (the cat is on the chair)

Le singe est sur la branche (the monkey is on the branch)

These are the first three French phrases that Eddie learnt at school which are bloodly hard to fit into conversation. True! True! True! I did the same thing now and I am always wondering what the point of knowing the name of a special animal that I even don't know how to call it in my mother tongue Cantonese?! He said the only way he could fit them into conversation was to go to France with a cat, a mouse, a monkey, a table and a chair, hang around heavily wooded areas until someone came along.

That's really classic! If you don't know any French, check out the translation below.

http://www.auntiemomo.com/cakeordeath/translation2.html

La souris est en dessous de la table!

Lydia