Illustration: Andrew Kolb's Space Oddity Book

Canadian illustrator Andrew Kolb has created a really neat children's book based on the story of Major Tom from David Bowie's classic hit "Space Oddity". Its full version in a PDF format was available for download on Andrew's website until recently, when the song’s copyright raised legal complaints based on copyright infringement. Let's hope the legalities will smooth out eventually and we'll soon be able to see Andrew's book also in printed form - our personal copy has already been pre-ordered :-).



In the meantime enjoy the online version with Bowie's original:

Anish Kapoor's illy Cups

Have you missed Anish Kapoor's much-spoken Ascension project during this year's Venice Biennale? Don't despair, as soon you might be able to experience your own mini-Ascension moment for mere $90. That's is the price of Kapoor's illy design collection, containing 2 espresso cups inspired by the above-mentioned art piece (which, btw was co-sponsored by illy...).



And how to assemble it together in order to create the desired effect? Simply place the saucer (with the hole in its middle) atop the cup. You should have what illy calls "an interactive, sensory experience meant to delight and surprise and touch on themes such as doubt, ambivalence, error, mystery, and the desire to understand." Whatever...

Banksy vs. King Robbo

Talk of the town: Banksy vs King Robbo (HT The Curious Brain). And if you feel like some more Banksy #firstworldproblem commotion, read this article in The Guardian.

Photography: Anton Kusters

Belgian photographer Anton Kusters has spent two years with one of Japan's notorious Yakuza gangs, known for their brutality, tattoos and strict code of honor. Taken into their confidence after months of tough negotiations, he was allowed to document their world and daily routine. This has resulted in a fascinating reportage, published in various magazine as well as in a book form, titled Odo Yakuza Tokyo (the entire edition of 500 copies has sold out in less than 2 months).

HT: @nigauw

Showtime: Evan Gruzis @ The Hole

The Hole is an exciting young gallery run by Kathy Grayson (former director at Deitch Projects where she was responsible for relations with emerging artists) at the Lower East Side in New York. Next Saturday you can drop there to see the opening of "Exotic Beta", a solo show of American artist Evan Gruzis.



According to the press release, Exotic Beta fuses a sense of the exotic with the language of market research to explore the way meaning is made and the relativity of “taste”. It also refers to an alternative form of asset class in investment markets: like an art collector who starts buying baseball cards.

The centerpiece of the show will be a tryptic called Stratatos (pictured above), form contemporary Vanitas playing with themes of beauty and teenage culture, as well as a metronome showing us that time is inevitably ticking away.



Exotic Beta opens on September 10 from 7-10 pm and will be on view through October 22.

In parallel, another show of Evan Gruzis called "Shadow Work" will run at Nicole Klagsbrun Project.