ktravula – a travelogue!

Browsing the archives for the News category.

Call for Projects in the Visual Arts

Dear friends,

We would like to let you know of the Urban Transcripts 2011 call for projects in the visual arts, theory and research, architecture and urban design. Registrations of interest to participate with project work in the Urban Transcripts 2011 exhibition and conference close on 30.09.2011.

We would be much grateful if you could forward this information to anyone you think it might be of interest.

Best Regards,

the Urban Transcripts 2011 organising team,

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“Urban Transcripts 2011, Rome, the accidental city” is an Urban Transcripts initiative in partnership with:  Provincia di Roma  /  Facoltà di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi Roma Tre  /  Dipartimento di Studi Urbani dell’Università degli Studi Roma Tre  /  ESC Atelier

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ENGLISH

call for projects in the visual arts, theory and research, architecture and urban design.

deadline for registrations of interest: 30.09.2011

deadline for project submissions (preview material): 07.10.2011

deadline for the submission of finalised projects: 05.12.2011

Urban Transcripts 2011, Rome, the accidental city

We invite you to explore the accident(al) in the city of Rome: the accident(al) which happens over time and transforms the ‘essence’ of the city that would otherwise remain unchanged, the accident(al) which adds surprise and complexity to our reality and challenges our understanding of the city, the accident(al) which generates the energy to recreate and reshape the city.

Interested participants are invited to register by 30.09.2011 and submit their project’s preview material by 07.10.2011. The Project Review Committee will select projects based on the preview material submitted. Selected participants have until the beginning of December to finalise their projects.

registration form:

http://www.urbantranscripts.org/documents/UT2011_02_registration_form.pdf

for more information:

http://www.urbantranscripts.org

info@urbantranscripts.org

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ITALIANO

Avviso per la presentazione di paper e progetti  inerenti l’architettura,  il progetto urbano e  visual art.

scadenza per la manifestazione di interesse: 30 settembre 2011

scadenza per la presentazione dei progetti (anteprima dei materiali): 7 ottobre 2011

scadenza per la consegna dei materiali definitivi: 5 dicembre 2011

Urban Transcripts 2011, Rome, the accidental city

Vi invitiamo all’esplorazione dell’accidentale che Roma nasconde: l’accidentale che ha luogo in ogni tempo e che trasforma l’”essenza” della città, senza la quale essa rimarrebbe sempre uguale a sé stessa; l’accidentale che regala imprevedibilità e complessità alla nostra realtà, sfidando la nostra capacità di comprensione dell’urbano; l’accidentale da cui sprigiona l’energia per ri-creare e ri-configurare la città.

Gli interessati sono invitati a registrarsi entro il 30 settembre e ad inoltrare una anteprima del proprio progetto entro il 7 ottobre 2011. Un Comitato di Valutazione selezionerà i progetti sulla base dei materiali provvisori inviati. I partecipanti selezionati avranno tempo sino agli inizi di dicembre per ultimare i propri progetti.

registration form:

http://www.urbantranscripts.org/documents/UT2011_02_registration_form.pdf

per informazione:

http://www.urbantranscripts.org

info@urbantranscripts.org

Call for Projects in the Visual Arts was published on September 22nd, 2011, with the tags , , , , under the Art, News category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

On Dangerous Revolutionaries

There is a curious pattern of dangerous behaviour  now coming out of the Libyan revolt against the government of Moamar Gaddafi. In this frightening CNN report, rebel soldiers looking to exact revenge on the dying regime have found a perfect victim demographic: black sub-saharan African (in this case Nigerians) who are in the country en route to Spain or Italy for a better life.

There is enough to debate about the presence of Nigerian citizens residing legally or illegally in a war-torn country (and the Nigerian government has a duty to protect them as well, to the best of its ability), but a so-called revolution aimed at liberating a country from tyranny should not turn itself into one – at least not so soon – at the expense of foreigners. The fact that they are targeted for their skin colours – as the report states – makes it even more alarming, and worrisome.

In post-Apatheid South Africa a few years ago, a similar thing happened where foreigners (also mostly Nigerians) became a target of xenophobic behaviour by citizens looking for scapegoats in a poor economy. It didn’t matter that just years before then, most of those other African countries had provided asylum for the freedom fighters running away from the oppressive Apatheid government. A similarly disgusting thing happened right after the Egyptian revolution succeeded, when Gael Ghonim – the acclaimed IT mastermind of the whole movement tweeted this. (At least he didn’t have a gun to someone’s head.)

A pattern has emerged here that should be roundly condemned.

On Dangerous Revolutionaries was published on September 1st, 2011, with the tags , , , , , , under the News, Observations, Opinion, Soliloquy category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Coming Changes to KTravula.com

I have exciting news. In coming weeks, I will begin to effect a series of changes that will transform this blog from a personal platform of just one man’s thoughts on things to a more open collaborative blog of ideas from all over the world.

I have thought about this for a while now and have come to the realization that the personal nature of the travel experiences here has gradually run its course. For one, I do not travel as much as I used to nor do I hope to soon. There are very many responsibilities of different natures competing for attention. I also have a very demanding schedule of tasks at hand including personal work, a thesis, and other research projects for which I need to give my all. More than that, I am also convinced that there are very many new voices out there that could find good use for this means of expression.

The changes will be gradual and will lead eventually to a richer and fuller content for you dedicated readers. As at today on Alexa, KTravula.com was rated #113,258 in the United States and #393,557 in global ranking. We’re slowly catching up with Google, Facebook and Youtube who occupy positions #1, #2, and #3 respectively ;).  In less than two years, we also got a record 12 nominations for the Blog Awards. I couldn’t have done this without you. Now is the time to expand, and enrich the experience. We have got a few offers for non-intrusive ad links on the blog. If it works as planned then, I’ll be able to pay all contributors a little stipend. I will not stop writing, of course, but there will me a few new voices and I will retain my position as the editor-in-chief/publisher. So, watch this space.

PS: Interested travel writers/freelance writers who are interested in becoming regular or irregular contributors should send me a line at freelance@ktravula.com with ideas. I’m also looking for a voluntary website designer.

Coming Changes to KTravula.com was published on July 25th, 2011, with the tags , , , , under the News, Opinion, Soliloquy category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

For Nigerian Election 2011

… which begins today (depending on where you are) on Saturday, April 2, 2011. We made this video last year, half goofing around, and half using what we have to contribute to a social discourse. It now has almost fifteen hundred views. Today, for the benefit of all those on the fence about what to do on election day – and we hope that they have internet too – here are friends and colleagues saying it’s cool to vote.

Personally – at least from what I see – this election is one of the most defining in Nigeria’s history because of the amount of social consciousness it has generated, and the number of young people involved/interested in it. It could be – it actually is – our own revolution.

 

Feel free to share the video as widely as you can, until the end of the presidential election in the middle of the month.

For Nigerian Election 2011 was published on April 1st, 2011, with the tags , , , , , , under the News category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Seeking Writers

Hey dear blog readers, I am seeking short fiction from Nigeria (or around the world) written originally in Yoruba for a short project. Do you know anyone (contemporary or otherwise), upcoming or established, who write/wrote short stories in Yoruba? Do they still write? Are their works accessible online? Where can I find it? Where can I find them?

If the only person(s) you know write only novels and not short fiction, please send me their contact as well, as long as they write in Yoruba. Thank you.

Seeking Writers was published on March 31st, 2011, with the tags , , under the News category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.