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APPRECIATE: The floral creations of Lisa King and the London Flower School.

In true spring fashion, we couldn’t look past these floral creations when flexing our appreciation muscles this month. Spread out within an abandoned church in South London, In Perfect Process is an exhibition designed to push the boundaries of floristry as an art form while exploring the human definition of beauty. A collaboration between Lisa King – a Bangkok-born, London-based print artist – and the London Flower school, the large-scale exhibition is a vision of exquisite prints, silk scarves and elaborate, dynamic flower arrangements. As avid floral enthusiasts, the images from the exhibition had us swooning excessively.

Kaleidoscopic yet fashion-forward, the scarves in the exhibition depict artfully placed petals, flowers and leaf stems, and are available for purchase on Lisa’s website. Similarly, the striking prints feature abstract, idiosyncratic floral arrangements that challenge common perceptions of flower design. Documented by LFS’s in-house photographer, Marcelo Deguchi, through a series of photographs and short films, the creative process was as much a part of the exhibition as the finished product. If you recognise Lisa’s name, it’s probably because of her coveted seasonal scarf collections, with a clientele consisting of Prada, Kylie Minogue and Harvey Nicholls.

Explore Lisa’s website here.

EDUCATE: Yourself on the darkest material on earth.

MIT have accidentally created the blackest black on earth while experimenting with ways to grow carbon nanotubes on electrically conducting materials. Don’t worry, we have no idea what that means either. The new material is 10 times darker than Vantablack (formerly the world’s darkest substance) and absorbs up to 99.995% of natural light. In an art piece called ‘Redemption of Vanity’ (pictured) MIT’s in-house artist coated a 2 million dollar, 16.78-carat diamond in the material, causing the resplendent gem to appear as a lifeless, floating black void. Very symbolic stuff.

Astrophysicists believe the new substance could be used as a kind of ‘star shade’, protecting space telescopes from unwanted glare and light pollution so they can see exactly what they want to see. Brian Wardle, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, says that the blackest black is still a moving target. “Someone will find a blacker material, and eventually we’ll understand all the underlying mechanisms, and will be able to properly engineer the ultimate black” he told MIT News Office.

Check out the MIT article here.

TRY: Immersing yourself in the musical genius of Hans Zimmer.

If you think you’re unfamiliar with the work of Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, you actually probably are. He composed the musical scores for Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Gladiator, The Lion King (OG and remake), Rain Man, The Simpson’s Movie and many, many more – basically any great movie with a memorable instrumental component. In October, the musical mastermind is coming to Australia for three massive arena shows. ‘Hans Zimmer Live’ will be an audio-visual experience featuring an acclaimed orchestra, an incredible light show and absolutely all of the feels.

Playing at Rod Laver for his Melbourne show, the German-born composer is known as the pioneer of integrating electronic music techniques with traditional orchestral arrangements. Just like his epic film scores, his live shows are known for being atmospheric and entrancing, and have sold out arenas all over the world. Having won four Grammies and an Oscar (among a slew of nominations), he is widely regarded as one of, if not the best composer on earth.

Secure your tickets here.

SIT: Down and enjoy a film at Melbourne International Film Festival.

Yipee, MIFF is back! The one month of the year we get to be turtleneck wearing film aficionados, throwing around (slightly pretentious) cinema jargon like ‘soliloquy’ and ‘mis-en-scéne’ and inhaling popcorn like its oxygen. One of the world’s oldest film festivals alongside Cannes and Berlin, the festival is an iconic part of Melbourne culture as well as the global cinema-scape. This year, the line-up is truly something else, featuring everything from a Jeff Goldlbum marathon (coined ‘Goldblum-a-Thon’) to comedy-horror hybrid.

Here are four of our top picks.

Funny: The Beach Bum
If you experienced the absurdity of Spring Breakers a few years back, you’ll know what your in for with The Beach Bum, another aesthetically-pleasing yet highly subversive beachside comedy by director Harmony Karine. Described by Rolling Stone as ‘vulgar-chic’, the film tells the tail of stoner poet Moondog (played by a long-haired, frequently unrobed Matthew McConaughey) and his unspeakably debauched way of life. Featuring a surprisingly all-star cast for an indie film – McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg, Zac Efron and Jonah Hill – it’s one of those ones you just have to go and see. Don’t over think it.

Thought-provoking: The Nightingale
Set in 1825 Tasmania (then Van Diemen’s Land), this homegrown drama is about an Irish convict, Clare, who exacts revenge on an abusive and hateful lieutenant with the help of a local Indigenous tracker. Powerful, unsettling and at times immensely challenging, the film presents a vital glimpse into the consequences of violence and the systems that perpetrate it. You’ll know director Jennifer Kent from the Badabook, the game changing Australian horror movie that achieved widespread critical acclaim.

Real life: Mr Jimmy
Akio Sakurai is much more than a Jimmy Page impersonator. Enamoured by Led Zeppelin from a young age, he has spent the last 35 years of his life replicating and recreating the legendary guitarist in every way – not just musically (although he has every last guitar solo down to a fine art), but his look, his sound, his stage presence, everything. Directed by Peter Michael Down, this fascinating documentary examines the crazy talented Sakurai’s pursuit of perfection. It is a must see.

Old-school: Vibes
Jeff Goldblum, Cindy Lauper, insane 80s outfits and kooky psychic powers – this pretty much sums up Vibes, a ‘so bad its good’ romantic comedy about two psychics who travel to Ecuador to search for an ancient alien pyramid that holds the world’s inter dimensional power. Cindy Lauper is hilarious in her debut to film and Jeff Goldblum is well…Jeff Goldblum – wacky yet charming. Both ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining, Vibes epitomises the campness the 80s is so famous for. Ignore the poor Rotten Tomatoes rating and go have a ball.

APPRECIATE: This mind-blowing photo series by Rueben Wu.

Master of all things otherworldly, Chicago-based genius/photographer Rueben Wu has made our brains tick and eyes widen with his captivating new photo series, Lux Noctis, which means ‘light the night’. You’d be forgiven for thinking these photos are stills from a science fiction movie – there’s a surreal and haunting ambiguity to them – though they are, in fact, real life landscapes on planet earth. Inspired by ideas of planetary exploration, 19th century sublime romantic paintings and science fiction, the series is some goose bump-inducing stuff.

Captured through long exposure photography, Wu uses a GPS-controlled drone to cast light over mountainous landscapes. This leaves a mysterious light trail reminiscent of something a UFO might create while also illuminating the land below. His intent is to renew audiences’ perceptions of the world – literally shining a new light on the earth we think we know. This isn’t Wu’s first rodeo, either, having captured volcanoes in East Java, deserts in North Chile and various other untouched landscapes.

Check out his website.

EDUCATE: Yourself on the viral FaceApp.

In the last month, our social media channels have been inundated with hilarious pictures of people’s suddenly very elderly faces. This is thanks to FaceApp, the viral new program that allows you to alter the appearance of a selfie via artificial intelligence and a selection of hyper-realistic filters. What we’ve discovered is that there is something side splittingly funny about seeing our friends’ and celebrity’s faces with a realistic ‘old-age’ filter applied to them – sagging skin, white hair, heavy wrinkles and all. It seems we’re not the only ones either; in the week of its release, the app skyrocketed to the top of the Apple Charts and has a 4.7/5 rating. So why is it that a novelty app like this one has found itself in the midst of controversy and widespread privacy concern?

If you read FaceApp’s End User License Agreement when you downloaded it (we didn’t, and you probably didn’t either), you would know that after receiving a picture your face, the app then has “perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, fully-paid,” license over your image. This means that the company behind it, Wireless Lab, can basically do whatever they want with your photo. When this element of the fine print when viral, what ensued was widespread panic over privacy and security – much of this centred around the fact that app is Russian-based and owned. However, multiple security researchers have since proven that FaceApp is currently doing exactly what it claims to be with your image (applying hilariously realistic filters to it), plus it is certainly not the first app to possess this kind of EULA (Facebook’s is starkly similar). They have also publically claimed they delete most photos after 48 hours and that no information is sent to Russia – it remains on Amazon servers in the USA. So, while we should definitely have our wits about us when it comes to online data and privacy, FaceApp is probably the very least of our worries. Wear that saggy skinned, heavily wrinkled filter with pride!

TRY: 5 autumnal objects we’re smitten with.

Stonewash Turmeric Bed Sheets – Jardan

Now don’t these warm the cockles of your heart? We imagine having these sheets on your bed would feel a bit like swimming in a warm, turmeric latte, only way better and less milky. Made from 100% cotton, Jardan’s ‘Stonewash’ range has a soft, worn feel so you never have live through that crispy sheets phase that so often comes with the purchase of new linen. With its warm, textured finish, the crafted bed sheets exude ‘autumn’ in every way.
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Large Resin Beetle Bowl – Dinosaur Designs
Dinosaur Designs has again knocked it out of the park again with this darling creation. Hypnotic swirls of orange, red and brown clay dance among each other like frenzied autumn leaves on a windy day. Made from strong, sturdy resin, each dish is one of a kind, totally unique of others in the collection.
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The Asperitus Table – Studio ac-s
Not only is this solid bronze number reminiscent of an autumn sunset with its radiant, dazzling surface, it actually kind of looks like an autumn leaf. By Sydney designer Ashley-Corbett Smith, Asperitus can be utilised as either a sculptural piece or a functional table, complete with two flat surfaces perfect for parking a glass of wine. Modern Times can hook you up with one of these.
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Muffin Floor Light in American Walnut – Brokis
Imbue your home with the autumnal ambience this unique floor light imparts. Comprised of a handcrafted wooden base, a hand blown tinted glass shade and a naked bulb, it serves to tinge any room with a subtle walnut hue. Designed by Brokis, the Czech light artisans, you can pick one up from our ultra cool neighbours at Luke Furniture.
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Nobsa Ochre Rug – Halycon Lake
Complete the collection with this earthy, hand-woven rug by Halycon Lake. Weaving two shades of rich ochre with two shades of cool grey, its design is wholly individual, delivering a layer of depth to any room. Splay yourself across it on a cool autumn evening, hot apple cider in hand.
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