​The creative vision of Yasha Young has always been to provide a platform for artists from around the world to show their work. A former gallery owner in NY, Berlin and on London’s Hanbury Street, Yasha closed her spaces in 2013 to become director and curator of URBAN NATION. She is deeply involved in the international urban arts sphere, and her drive to push young international talent, and give them new opportunities, is synonymous with the ethos of URBAN NATION. The international network creates exposure for artists, forging cross-industry connections between artists, creatives and the public through regular projects and exhibitions. It also facilitates striking art on the urban fabric of Berlin – from building façades, house walls and shop windows, including works by the likes of Shepard Fairey, D*Face, Maya Hayuk and The London Police to name but a few. 

​It is different and yet the same. Basic rules apply, and basic logistical steps will never change if you work in a creative place dedicated to exhibitions and art, but now I am free of the commercial aspect. The trade portion of the art world which I do not enjoy for a great variety of reasons is no longer the core part of my work. The ability to impact far beyond the gallery walls is something that inspires me tremendously. I want to create opportunities for artists all over the world at the same time as establishing a solid platform and ‘home’ base with our upcoming museum, which will also be a place for education and research. That’s my goal!

​A message in the streets of a city will always have an impact. This can be elevating, quiet violent or controversial…always UN-predictable. Whatever the outcome art is a universal language that anyone can understand.

​Movements will always get picked up by commercial entities. Something underground will always become mainstream and so on… I think it is up to the individual artist and the curator or organiser to make an educated choice on what, where, and how they get involved. It’s important to see beyond an initial offer….what is the goal, what is the result, or even better what is my true motive - why am I doing this?

​Don’t get too stuck or sucked into the world of social media and self-promotion. Focus on your work. Focus on becoming the best at what it is that you like to do. The ones that stand out to me are the ones that truly have developed a unique style and put a lot of thought into concept and execution. You can feel it in the work. An artist should create for the sake of creating not for the sake of achieving more ‘likes’ than yesterday, for example. Enjoy the process of learning, approving and experimenting. Remember it does not all always have to happen fast and instant. It will happen if you have something to show, to say, to discuss…and have FUN!!

​It is important to me because of the aspect of the experience, and the free access to it for everybody. There is no ticket price to pay, no boundaries or hurdles to see a show or a piece of art. There is no expectation of education and master student and certificates. There is space for you if you are solid and dedicated. There is support worldwide from an ever growing community. Cultures don't clash, they collaborate.

​It is scheduled to open mid-2017 and is set to be a magnet for artists, art lovers, Berlin residents and tourists. As well as exhibitions, there will also be space for workshops and educational programmes for children and students. Watch out for the Opening show announcements - it will be fun, a true bloc party!

You might have guessed it: I’m not naturally a city person. I’m pretty sure the first time I visited London I couldn’t stand it, but I understood the attraction and I felt the magic. I felt it enough to spend nearly 4 years of my life so far living here. And it’s the same kind of magic I feel when I visit Paris, and even Barcelona, but in New York I felt nothing. Times Square, with its flashing lights, screamed ‘CAPITALISM’ at me – making its nickname as ‘The Centre of the Universe’ depressing. Somehow, we’re made to believe that everything is bigger and better in the U S of A, and bigger it may be, but better? I beg to differ. In London greenery is pretty much everywhere, interspersed throughout the city, it is relatively bicycle friendly, and feels like a city built for humans. It’s liveable. NYC's beautiful Central Park is, of course, gigantic, but doesn’t seem close enough to be enjoyed without a planned journey, and it's increasingly in the shadows, being loomed over by the city’s man-made giants.

Don’t get me wrong it was good to make the trip, and there were great parts, the Meatpacking District was lovely – from Chelsea Market to the independent cafes and restaurants along Hudson Street - and the Highline is a perfect example of New York really getting it right. Bryant Park and Greenacre Park are peaceful nature spots, Soho and Brooklyn are undeniably great places for a wander, and the street art found in both is impressive. (You can find my recommendations in my upcoming blog ‘Eat, Walk, See – A snippet of New York’.) 
​
You’ll probably look at my photos below and question my sanity - I’m lucky to have been able to go to NYC at all – but I’m sure I’m not the first or last person that the bright lights failed to woo. I had to smile in the cab on the way to JFK. ‘You are now leaving the city of dreams’ declared a billboard. That’s the thing with dreams though; rarely does reality live up to them.


Trust Icon is renowned for works which have some form of social commentary, and it was clear from commuter's reactions this morning that this piece got the cogs turning.

At first glance it's pretty straight-forward what the piece is saying : User Offline. But I was keen to see what people thought about it, so I asked around. Here are a few interpretations...

‘The online world is more real than the real offline world'

‘You don't fully exist in the eyes of the world is you're not online'

‘In real world terms it should be the other way around - if you're offline you're more present'

‘The woman is unavailable, the man is available'

‘The woman isn't 'switched on', the man is'

‘The woman has deleted her dating profile - the guy is still looking'

‘The connection isn't there between them - their body language is negative - they're both holding back, hands behind their backs, with lots of space between them'

...And on it goes! What is your take on the new piece?

Seb doesn’t shy away from eccentric ideas, and believes that change and innovation has been long due in the events business.  “I think people want more than just sitting a bar or a pub having a drink. We are bored because of info overload and repetition.” It is for this reason that Seb’s events keep on coming, “We are always looking to give our community unique experiences. People of London demand and deserve something a bit more special and that is what we aim to do through both our app and the events,” he says.
 
SLMpickings can reveal that the app, which until now has been known as Locappy, is soon to be called HOOT! Created as a hyper local marketing platform for small businesses, it is set to become the Uber for local tips and info:
 
“Instead of going through lists of places and suggestions, like you have to do in many discovery apps today, you just ask a local to get instant answers! It’s like a neighborhood chat between local heroes, the local community and your friends. 
 
Our local heroes and the local community are very hands on in helping out anyone who needs a tip about a neighbourhood, be it a restaurant for a date or where to find a good dry cleaners. The app also shows who else hangs out in your neighbourhood”​

Seb and the HOOT! team are on a mission to bring neighborhoods together by using innovative technology. They believe that people will soon be talking to each other within neighbourhoods and, dare we say it, even blocks of flats. 

“This type of communication is bound to happen through the medium of mobile as it removes any friction or awkwardness which may arise when starting a conversation with a local person. Communication with one's neighbours will also lead to a collective improvement of the society as people will become considerate to each other. Plus who wants to go through boring list of places and categories when there are people who know and are there to help you!”
 
Londoners can expect more unusual events in 2016. To be in the know join Locappy (soon to be HOOT!) or sign up to ABQ here.

​Author: Sarah Moor

That said, it is conceptual at its core; artist Marjetica Potrc, in conjunction with Ooze Architects (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg), created the piece with the intention of establishing a dialogue between the natural landscape and the man-made urban terrain. The bright red and white stripes of the pond’s circumference, showers and changing rooms contrasts with the grey concrete of the surrounding part-built towers. Entirely controlled by the plants which inhabit a section of the pond’s 40m length, Of Soil and Water is entirely chemical-free and continuously evolving as nature intends; its water plants, wildflowers and bushes changing with the seasons, like the city landscape taking shape around its perimeters. 

Supposedly inspired by Giles Clements idea of a ‘third landscape’ - whereby land has been left over by man for the natural landscape to evolve - the pond doesn’t quite realise his theory given that it is man-made, however Finsbury Park’s Parkland Walk demonstrates well what an organic ‘third landscape’ might look like. 

The experiential part of Of Soil and Water comes in the act of the physical swimming itself, along with the small (and squeamish) fact that human skin too contributes to the nutrients of the pond. There’s also the experience of exposing yourself in the middle of the city of London, in full sight of those watching from the viewing platform above, which adds spectacle and even voyeuristic qualities to the installation. 

The opening of the pond came in the same month that the architectural collective Assemble were shortlisted for the 2015 Turner Prize for their work on Liverpool’s Granby Street, marking a distinct move towards landscaping and architecture being publicly recognised as art. As Turner Prize judge Alistair Hudson said, ‘in an age where anything can be art why not have a housing estate?’. The same argument can be used for the Kings Cross Pond. All things considered, to me Of Soil and Water is a fine example of urban placemaking above anything else. That’s not to say that it isn’t artistic in its design and concept, but art in and of itself I’m not so sure...although I won't be too surprised if it's on the list of nominees for next years Turner Prize!

Summer was nowhere to be seen during my scheduled swimming slot and the pond is also unheated, so lets just say it was breathtakingly refreshing! The dip is a pretty surreal experience nonetheless and one which I’d recommend. I doubt I’ll find another spot to swim open air in the middle of a building site, amidst overhead cranes and in full view of a landmark as iconic as the BT Tower. It certainly is a swimming experience unlike another, so join the club and find out for yourself.

​Author: Sarah Moor

Of Soil and Water: Kings Cross Pond Club has capacity for max 40 people in any one time slot, admitting 130 swimmers per day  http://www.kingscrosspond.club/

Whilst I recall that back then Leeds Guide was the go-to place for gigs, art listings and restaurants, I don’t remember ever actually using it. In London I’m an avid Time Out reader and I often pondered on my bus journey to work why Leeds didn’t have something as widely read; the web version of Time Out Leeds never really seemed that successful. It turns out I was oblivious, and Leeds-List is why. This absolute gem has everything anyone would need to know about Leeds. Unsurprisingly the place apps discussed in my recent article ‘The Digital Escorts’ are currently London-centric, bar ‘GLP’, so Leeds-List was perfect.

Our evening plans were set - we were off to see John Legend at the First Direct Arena - but the rest was wide open. After much deliberation we lunched at The Botanist, a rustic gastro-pub towards the back of Trinity Church which champions all things earthy whilst remaining utterly chic. With the best drinks menu I’ve ever laid eyes on - ’The Anthology of Ales’ - it also has super friendly staff and an awesome collection of filament lightbulbs. Tapas was on the menu in the evening and La Rambla was the restaurant of choice. My clean plate post-churros was proof that it didn’t disappoint. Visiting the First Direct Arena was a first, and the semi-circular seating meant that everyone had a great view. Other highlights included the audience; only in Leeds would someone in the crowd brazenly shout ‘Go on Lad’ to Oscar-winning John Legend.

I couldn’t visit Leeds without taking a stroll down to Leeds Dock. An area I’d seldom visited as a student save for a trip or two to the Royal Armouries Museum, it is now one of my favourite places in Leeds, and it wasn’t surprising to find Google’s Digital Garage on the waterfront given Leeds’ reputation as a digital hub.

A quick art fix at Leeds Art Gallery was topped up by splinters of street art spotted en route, as well as Nicola Adams golden post box and a piano-playing horse…of course! A drink at Nation of Shopkeepers also provided the homage to uni days now a distant memory. 

Call Lane’s Graze coffee shop was a hit too, spotted on Independent Leeds, a site championing the city's best independent retailers. Its printed counterpart, Little Black Book of Leeds Independent’s, is searching for supporters to back a reprint after stock flew off the shelf, putting the power in the hands of local people to encourage individual talent. (Support the kickstarted campaign here ). The answer to my northern place app dilemma, I realised a little too late, was in the recently launched web-based app Leeds Radius. Designed by David Simmonds and linked to google maps, Radius allows you to explore the best of Leeds’ indeoendents by categories and proximity, allowing less established and recognised high street retailers to get the attention they deserve.

Associated with Independent Leeds and Leeds Radius is Leeds Welcome, which like Leeds-List showcases places to go and things to see. When I think back to my time as an intern at Otley Courthouse, Leeds Welcome and Leeds-List would have been a massive help in promoting upcoming events and helping to pull communities together, so their apparent success is a great sign.

Our final stop was Angelica, which sits on the sixth floor of Trinity Leeds, above The Botanist. Serving fantastic breakfasts and fresh mint tea, its balcony offered 360 degree panoramic views and fantastic sights of the church spire, ensuring I left with no doubt what I’d been missing out on those years ago, and with every resolve to come back soon.