A weak economy was supposed to have curtailed sustainable building practices. The lack of green in developers’ wallets was expected to cause a scaling down in the greenness of their designs. Yet, while efficient building practices haven’t been immune to the recession-borne downturn of recent years in the overall construction industry, the American Institute of Architects was still able to find a variety of ambitious new structures to fill its annual list of the top ten green projects.
     For the 15th year, the AIA’s Committee on the Environment has surveyed the latest work submitted by some of the country’s finest architects and agreed upon the most outstanding new creations, taking into account factors such as land use, construction materials, and the integration of energy-reducing features. Here now (listed alphabetically by project) is an overview of 2011’s environmental honor roll.

Last year I spent six unstructured months winding through Latin America from Costa Rica down to the southern tip of Brazil. Amidst my wanderings, there were several constants I found lurking in the many cities, coastlines and thoroughfares I passed through. One of those constants was the all-encompassing presence of public art — vast, unheralded and makeshift swatches of it everywhere I looked. Stencils, murals, wheat pastings, stickers and crude throw-ups… Entire streets, buildings, staircases and dumpsters — from Valparaíso, Chile to Bogota, Colombia — were covered in some form of visual expression.
     Nuevo Mundo: Latin American Street Art by Maximilliano Ruiz has just been released in the United States and is the first book to offer a complete documentation of current street art trends endemic to Latin America. Featuring such heavyweights as Os Gêmeos, Bastardilla, Vitché, Titi Freak and Run Don’t Walk, the book is divided by country and displays the full spectrum of each region’s artistic multiplicity. Each page acts as a vignette or picture postcard from the artists, accompanied by a short, explanatory message that though intended to provide context, generally lets the image speak for itself. Turning the pages, it’s evident that Latin America remains an evocative breeding ground for public art. Thanks to a long history of socio-political adversity, economic instability, lengthy dictatorships and indigenous cultures, there’s something blatantly alive and hungry in each image.

Jimmy Lam placed second in the general category of our 3rd annual Global Travel Photo Contest. Jimmy was born and raised in Singapore. As China’s economy continued to flourish in the past decade, he became interested in the changes brought about by the rapid economic growth. He has since made hundreds of trips to over forty cities in China to document these accelerated economic developments.

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It’s a fitting name, Bing Ji Ling. Translating from Mandarin to “ice cream”, Quinn Luke’s stage-identity encapsulates everything about the treat: cool, sweet, the perfect finish to sunny days, and a romantic symbol of Americana. Led by opener, “Move On”, Bing Ji Ling’s third album stands out as one of the better Motown-soul revivals in an increasingly saturated field. Best known for his work in the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Luke brings together members of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Scissor Sisters, Antibalas, and, of course, PHB for Shadow to Shine. Glimmers of PHB’s funk aesthetics certainly show themselves here. But the overarching mood is more romantic than raucous, as soft acoustics and pacific horns accent the yacht-rock balladry and smooth blue-eyed soul on songs, such as “Sunshine Love” and “Hypnotized”. These days, Mother Nature’s bipolar ways may not be able to tell us, but with the breezy, breathtaking Shadow to Shine, Bing Ji Ling is ready to announce that summer is indeed here.

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In China, challenging the official view of history can be a dangerous business. Recently, director Lu Chuan found this out when his film, City of Life and Death, was released. “Traitor!” was a common headline in news articles about the movie; soon, almost every radio and television channel in the country was discussing it, and Lu found himself targeted by vicious hate mail and death threats.
     The movie that sparked this firestorm is not obviously provocative–it doesn’t imagine a sex life for Chairman Mao or take the side of students in the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising. Set in 1937, City of Life and Death traces the story of the infamous Nanking massacre, or Rape of Nanking, when Japanese troops stormed China’s former capital city and killed and raped at will. Knowing they were overwhelmed, the Chinese high command deserted the city, leaving civilians unprotected. By the time Japanese troops were reined in six weeks later, some 300,000 civilians had died.
     Shot beautifully in black and white, with powerful performances and an understated script, City of Life and Death takes an unblinking look at the terrible events of the massacre. Obliquely, it tells the story of John Rabe, a Nazi-affiliated German businessman who set up a “Safety Zone” in the city, saving thousands of lives. But mostly it’s about the ordinary people, on both sides, who got caught up in the tragedy. Small details–like Japanese soldiers cracking open bottles of soda pop they find on the street after storming the city–only serve to make the depictions of casual violence and rape more shocking.

Michal Venera won Grand Prize in the portrait category of our 3rd annual Global Travel Photo Contest. He was born in Prague (formerly communist Czechoslovakia). After defecting to New York City at the age of 19, he made his way across the United States, taking on a variety of odd jobs including fisherman, security guard, janitor and dishwasher. He later studied photography, assisted a number of photographers and eventually started his own photo business.

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How has Hannoh lasted so long? In 1994 German-born, Paris-based Hanno Wessel started his label Hannoh with only fifteen pieces made from bed sheets and linen canvases typically used for art work. Since then it has survived the fashion industry’s manic-depressive moments, the severest in the aftermath of two Iraq wars and the global economic crisis. Now the brand is expanding.
      This month Hannoh launched its fall-winter 2011-2012 collection — a light, earthy affair — in the tiny studio where it all began, within walking distance of the bustling cafes of the Marais district and the rows of cheap Chinese fashion outlets in the eleventh arrondissement. In September Hannoh will open a second store in the sixth arrondissement, Paris’ historical fashion center.
      The label’s longevity can be attributed to Wessel’s timeless pieces that allow women to develop their personal style slowly. He starts by envisioning the full lifetime of the garments to ensure their beauty as they age. The pieces must be easy to wear without being too stiff or “mumsy”. “I’m very concerned with mumsiness,” he says in a German accent, softened by 23 years in France and shaped with the Queen’s English.

Jennifer Gerardi won Grand Prize in the general category of our 3rd annual Global Travel Photo Contest. She is a New York-based freelance photographer who works throughout the East Coast. Recently returned from six months of living in Paris, Europe’s vibrance and diversity have provided her with a renewed artistic inspiration experienced through a mélange of sights, sounds, tastes and smells. Jennifer one day hopes to photograph all seven continents with her eclectic and colorful interpretations of the chance moments and landscapes that shape our everyday lives.

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Leave it to DJ/Rupture and Matt Shadetek and their Dutty Artz label to be behind the scenes of this expansive collection of global bass music by New Yorker Adam Patridge (aka Atropolis). Oftentimes these hybridizations seem too trendy and disingenuous; however, Patridge substantiates his style with vallenato rhythms as well as the ever-present cumbia influence. Naturally, Colombia was on his mind. Vallenato, more reclusive than its rhythmic cousin, is similarly from Colombia’s Caribbean coast — the most noticeable difference being the time signatures.
     As an ethno-musicologist, Patridge traveled to Colombia to document its folkloric music and record with its humble musicians, becoming one of the founding members of the Cumba Mela collective. Meanwhile, his background in music composition lends structure to his work as a DJ and producer.
     The result is a studied and tantalizing Afro-Latin exposé. Whether rollicking accordions, shakers, or electronic sounds, Patridge pulls out all the stops to cultivate these tunes with a heartfelt sense of kinship. With pure instrumentals and tracks featuring the vocals of Uruguayan songstress Noelia Fernandez, the amalgamation of influences transcends the tribal to a multi-layered music extravaganza. Patridge shows that an element of surprise, when rendered with skill, can be awe-inspiring and daring.

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