One Year

Memrants is 1 today!

A year ago I started this blog using Squarespace, (which is brilliant) as an effort to gather all the cool stuff that fascinate me as a designer/visual artist and I can say that it's been a great ride so far. I'm not even going to go over how great blogging is, and how much (more) inspiration an motivation it gave me to create more. I will say, however, that I enjoy how my blog stands as my live, digital scrap-book of stuff that inspire me, and I just hope that there will be more awesome stuff out there so I can keep this scrap-book going.

Nissan Journey to Zero

Nissan, in collaboration with IAAH, Dreamers Ink Aesthetics, Marcus Eriksson, and other creatives launched Journey to Zero: a webspace loaded with great visuals, awesome videos and great artwork, with an ultra green message.

Isn't everyone, like, proclaiming their greenness lately? But really, how many of these green companies are actually green?

The videos below are by IAAH (I am always hungry) with DIA (Dreamers Ink Aesthetics) and the the other one is named Drive On Chairs (couldn't find any credits, help?)

Vibram Five Fingers

I've been wanting a pair of these since 2005, when I had gotten my first pair of Nike Rifts off NikeID (back when we had the option to do so) and was fascinated by the "barefoot-shoe" experience. Last week I decided that it was time to give in and get a pair of these, especially since I started doing Pilates again, and I didn't feel very comfortable being barefoot around the gym.

So, I placed my order and they were here two days later (FedEx surprised me): right on time for my next Pilates session. I gave them a Pilates ride yesterday, and I have to say; Barefoot vs Vibram: 0-1. 

I also tried spending the rest of Saturday around the city in them, despite the reactions and gawking by some people. It feels kind of weird feeling barefoot, (only safer and with the best grip any shoe can offer) but not quite as exposed. 

I admit that they look kind of creepy, as if someone chopped a pair of feet and handed them to you (take a look at the all black version and you'll get what I'm talking about), and I do understand why some people would be put off by them, but I just love my five fingers.

Pixels Take Over

This cool video was created by One More Production studio in Paris.

Dream House

Now, I'm far from being in the process of building/buying a house, mainly because I have other unresolved issues to take care of before I finally decide to take the plunge and dive into the whole major debt nightmare. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have, at least, a vague idea of how I want it to be.

I bumped on this awesome house while surfing the internets the other day, and I was left stunned. Okay, I never thought of having a literal "roof garden" on top of my house and I would definitely keep the front of the house concealed behind trees, but the back yard glass screen, and the fair-faced concrete walls and their coexistence with the wooden surfaces are exactly how I'd like my space to be. Now, throw a swimming pool (with an adequate length for laps) and about 30 trees in the back yard, and you have my dream house.

The architect of the house above is Barcelona-based Enric Ruiz-Geli.

(via)

Midnight Juggernauts - Vital Signs

In anticipation of their new album, The Crystal Axis, on May 28th (my birthday) Midnight Juggernauts released the video to their first single Vital Signs. The video was directed by Krozm. (who did their Road To Recovery video as well)

They do have a thing for distorted imagery, I have to say. (And I am officially addicted to this song)

Lautlos

I bumped on this video on Vimeo today. Love it! Gorgeous in every way.

This video was created by FeedMe, and got honored in the category "Audiovisuelle Medien: Design" at the Art Directors Club Competition 2009.

Design Currency: Icograda Design Week in Vancouver

The theme of Design Currency 2010, which takes place in Vancouver, Canada 26-30 April, is 'Defining the Value of Design'.

To create this video the creative team designed and printed over 2200 custom bills and fed them through a money counter.

Vivian Maier

Chicago-based street photographer John Maloof had recently acquired a bulk of undeveloped and forgotten material from Chicago photographer Vivian Maier at an auction.

Vivian Maier, born in France on February 1st, 1926, moved to the states in her early teens and worked as a nanny. She photographed everything she came across on the streets of Chicago during the 1950s-1960s, but never really showed the photos to anyone and also left a great amount of undeveloped photographs (around 40,000) in boxes. Maier died on April 21st, 2009, a few days before John Maloof tried to find her. Thanks to Maloof's discovery, Vivian Maier's work became known to the rest of the world. 

Being able to document your surroundings in such a remarkably sincere manner requires great alertness and talent which I envy so much. Trying to depict the spontaneous makes me very nervous and I guess that's why I function better with staged photography. However, I would really like to explore that path of photography at some point. 

Also seeing the Chicago of the 50s and 60s the way I had seen it in the documentaries and history courses I took when I was there made love the images some more.

Amazing samples of Vivian Maier's work can be viewed on the website John Maloof set up.

I am very, very eager for a book release with this material.

(found via Heading East)

True Blood - Season Three Poster

This is the first of twelve promo posters for Season Three.

Now, we have to wait until June 13 for the new episodes. Bummer...