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Posts Tagged ‘Castle’

Sending Summer Off With a Bang: 55-Foot-Tall Sand Castle Snags World Record

05 Sep

[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]


It’s virtually impossible to get a sense of just how large this world-record-smashing sand castle really is until you see a shot that includes crowds of tiny humans gathered around its base. The German city of Duisburg may be landlocked, but that hasn’t stopped it from hosting an enormous sandcastle building effort two summers in a row. Last summer, their attempt at snagging the title was foiled when the castle faced a minor collapse during the building process. This year, they unseated a record set by a 50-foot-tall sand castle in Puri, India in February with their 55-foot-tall creation.

since last friday it is official. this is the tallest #sandcastle in the world. 16.68 metres. #landschaftspark #guinnessworldrecord #duisburg #ruhrpott #ruhrgebiet #ruhrgebietsliebe #sandburg #lpn #landschaftsparkduisburg

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Worldrecord sandcastle 16,68m ?? #sundaywalk #landschaftsparkduisburg #sunnyday

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It took 3,860 tons of very fine quartz sand, a team of designers from 10 countries and three weeks of building time to complete. The sculptors incorporated imagery from their own nations and histories, resulting in an interesting mishmash of global influences. Look closely and you’ll spot the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Acropolis, a Buddha, Elvis’ grave and the Colosseum. A Guinness World Record jury judged the enormous sculpture on Friday, making the win official.

#Sandburg#LandschaftsparkDuisburg #Weltrekord16,68m#Duisburg

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?#sandburg #duisburg #schauinsland #sandburgduisburg #sand #sandcastle #sandcastles #record #worldrecord #guinessbook #picoftheday #potd #cloudy #cloudyday #clouds #landschaftsparkduisburg

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Want to check it out in person? The city of Duisburg will keep the sandcastle standing through September 29th, assuming something doesn’t cause it to collapse before then. You can see lots more photos of the sand castle by searching Instagram for the tag #landschaftsparkduisburg.

Images via: manutografie, obootsman, michaela_schu, shopaholic2911

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[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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Crazy Cat Castle for Sale: 20 Acres of Terror in the Arizona Desert

16 Jun

[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

Are you one of the 3 billion people worldwide estimated to be infected with toxoplasmosis, the brain-controlling parasite passed onto humans by our feline overlords? This protozoa invades the host’s brain and makes it do things that are counterproductive to survival – and apparently good taste. How else would you explain this Arizona real estate listing for a dream home only a crazed cat mom could love? “If you love cats this is the home for you!” reads the Caldwell Banker description. “If not bring your sandblaster!”

The first important thing to note is that the former owners actually only had two cats. This isn’t an out-of-control animal hoarding situation. It’s just an extremely bonkers decorating scheme carried out by people who are really, really into cats. You might think – “So, what, they’ve got some built-in cat walkways and cat castles?”

Oh, they’ve got those things, all right. Including a three-story Medieval cat castle made of stone. Upstairs, in what was apparently the cat overlords’ bedroom, every single surface is plastered with stuffed cats, photos of cats, oversized posters of cats, cat toys, cat houses, stockings full of cat treats. But that’s not all.

Continue going through the photos and you’ll see that the theme carries throughout the rest of the house. The kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedrooms are all similarly decorated (on top of log cabin wall surfaces painted a garish mix of colors.) There’s even a cat-shaped chandelier.

The 2,500-square-foot home is listed for $ 240,000, and it comes with 20 acres of land in the town of Concho, about 200 miles northeast of Phoenix. The town itself has a population of just 38. So really, what we’re looking at is the perfect place for mind-controlled cat slaves to establish their very own cat-worshipping compound. Or, you know, just a really great sanctuary for cats that need a safe and loving home.

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[ By SA Rogers in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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Univers-Sel: Salt Labyrinths Swirl Inside 13th Century French Castle

26 May

salt labyrinth 1

Gazing down at foamy-looking swirls of white on black from a niche in an ancient castle, you almost feel as if you’re an astronaut watching a hurricane form above the ocean on the distant Earth. These cellular arrangements form tentacular appendages of varying opacity, meeting in the center to create a vortex effect. They are, in fact, made of salt, with each grain symbolizing a memory or a moment in time. Artist Motoi Yamamoto installed ‘Floating Garden’ and ‘Labyrinth’  within the castle tower at Aigues-Mortes in Southern France for an exhibition called ‘Univers’ Sel,’ on display through the end of November.

salt labyrinth 2

The hurricane-like swirl of ‘Floating Garden’ is a motif commonly used to represent life, death, resurrection and rebirth in East Asia. To create it, Yamamoto started in the center of the black-floored space, shaking a container of salt in a calculated rhythm to produce just the right pattern, working for 45 hours over 5 days.

salt labyrinth 3

salt labyrinth 4

Within the ramparts, a labyrinth unfolds. Would you be able to wind your way from the outer edges of the pattern to the piles of salt that lie at the end? You’ll never find out, because to attempt it would mean destroying the work, with its intricately placed salt lines sensitive to the slightest movement. Like the sand mandalas of Tibetan monks, these salt sculptures are meant to exist temporarily, as vulnerable and ephemeral as human bodies moving through the hazardous world.

salt labyrinth 6

salt labyrinth 7

salt labyrinth 8

Both pieces are a continuation of series of the same names. The artist began working with salt as a medium after the loss of his sister to brain cancer at 24 years old, in rumination on time, transcendence and the notion of death. The salt structures act as an interstitial medium between our time and space within our physical world and whatever mysteries lie beyond.

salt labyrinth 5

“Drawing a labyrinth with salt is like following a trace of my memory,” says Yamamoto. “Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by. However, what I seek is the way in which I can touch a precious moment in my memories that cannot be attained through pictures or writings. I always silently follow the trace, that is controlled as well as uncontrolled from the start point after I have completed it.”


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Fortified Farms: In the Svanti Mountains Every Home is a Castle

06 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

georgia castle homes

Facing threats from all sides, the Svans of Georgia became highland gatekeepers of their mountain passes, each distributed dwelling turned into a individually defensible structure.

georgia defensible mountain homes

georgia sveti farm estate

Spread out across mountainous terrain difficult to encompass with conventional fortifications, many of these ruggedized farmhouses date back over 1,000 years. Some more expansive estates are surrounded by walls with a central tower, while in other more modest homes towers simply jut up from the core structures.

georgia mountains landscape

georgia world heritage site

The history of the Sveti region, with its distinct culture and language, was shaped by strife. “Life was never easy in high Caucasus. Nomads from northern steppes eager to get their hands on the riches of Mesopotamia, and Empires battling for supremacy — Assyrians, Macedonians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols — all clashed with fearless locals. The list of invading armies is nearly endless.”

georgia fortified farm towers

As a result of these pressing threats, houses were built to withstand invading (or passing) forces, protecting people, farm animals and other valuables. Rather than retreating behind walls or to a central keep, war-weary residents would simply bar their autonomous semi-castles. Today, many of the distinctive towers that mark the area are still incorporated into the everyday lives of inhabitants. The hundreds of towers that still remain to this day are now protected as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photos via Wikimedia and by Susan,  deguonis, jan-one and Martijn.Munneke.

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Magic Carpets: Kaleidoscopic Medieval Castle Transformation

04 Nov

[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

church kaleidoscope 6

Step through the door of an ancient castle in Southern Italy and find yourself transported to an otherworldly, psychedelic scene as the floor flutters and shifts in mesmerizing patterns of color and light. Artist Miguel Chevalier transformed Castel Del Monte, an Italian castle built in 1240, for an interactive digital installation of altered medieval tapestries for a project called ‘Magic Carpets.’

church kaleidoscope 1

magic carpet 8

magic carpet 7

Not only does the light projected onto the floor of the church move with the music in biomorphically-inspired patterns, it reacts to the movements of the visitors as they pass through the space. “This world of colors and shapes in movement takes us, as in a giant kaleidoscope, on an imaginary, poetic voyage,” says Chevalier.

church kaleidoscope 2

church kaleidoscope 3

church kaleidoscope 4

The shapes shift from geometric pixelated patterns taken from traditional Italian mosaic work to lava-like swirls as unsettling music plays in the otherwise darkened space. Seen from the windows in the upper floors of the church, the display is even more dramatic, but the best way to experience the installation is without a doubt to immerse yourself at ground level, enjoying the feeling of the floor seeming to move underneath you.

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Contemporary House Inserted into Crumbling Castle Ruins

25 Jul

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Modern Castle Renovation Home 1

A ruined 12th-century castle serves as a stunning historic shell for a contemporary residence in a renovation by Witherford Watson Mann architects. The medieval Astley Castle has been in ruins since the 1970s, when a fire destroyed the hotel that occupied it at the time. Now, it’s preserved as an integral part of a two-story holiday house, the crumbling areas of its sandstone walls filled in with clay brickwork.

Modern Castle Renovation Home 2

The architects blended the new elements of the structure with the old, yet made sure that there is a clear distinction between the two. It’s harmonious, but allows the historic castle to be seen as it was before it was altered. The modern home is nestled within the walls, with the historic bricks still visible throughout the interior.

Modern Castle Renovation Home 3

Extensions added to the castle in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries were topped with a roof and massive skylight, but left open to the elements through the arched windows and doorways to create a sunny courtyard. Laminated wooden beams separate the structure into individual living spaces and bedrooms.

Modern Castle Renovation Home 4

Modern Castle Renovation Home 5

The home features four bedrooms on the ground floor, and a second-floor living room with large windows looking out onto the English countryside. Witherford Watson Mann won a competition held by architectural charity The Landmark Trust to design the home, and their renovation is one of six projects nominated for the prestigious 2013 Stirling Prize.

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gayest castle crashers glitch

29 Jan

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John Clement Art Prize Sculpture at Castle 8-12-09 1

26 Oct

A few nice visual art images I found:

John Clement Art Prize Sculpture at Castle 8-12-09 1
visual art
Image by stevendepolo
This is a traffic purple welded metal sculpture in front of the Castle on Cherry Street installed for the 2009 Art Prize competition.
www.artprize.org/artist/id/1568

John Clement has been creating sculpture for fourteen years. While he worked towards a MFA at the School of Visual Arts, he did not complete it preferring instead to apprentice to Mark Di Suevero which lead to his love of steel. From 1994 to the present, John’s curvilinear steel sculptures have appeared in exhibitions in California, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Kanas, Connecticut , Canada, China and Japan. He has permanently installed sculptures in Vancouver, Staten Island, San Francisco, Houston, Macon Georgia, Des Moines, Delray Beach and Palm Springs. Additionally, John has participated in the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale in Canada, The Klenova Sculpture Symposium in Prague,The Czech Republic, the Ubu Sculpture Biennale in Japan, and the Zhengzhou International Sculpture Exhibition in China. Solo exhibitions of his works have been hosted by Buschlen Mowatt Fine Art, Tricia Collins Contemporary Art and Gallery Sonja Roesch.
Artist statement: My sculptures are three- dimensional realizations of imaginary forms. I rely heavily on the artistic process, allowing the work to evolve and mature, eventually become self- referential. Although many of my works are site -specific their form does not directly rely on the surrounding architecture or landscape. The clearly defined positive and negative space of the work, combined with its scale, creates a new framework in which the surroundings can be experienced through the sculpture.

Curvilinear forms of coiled and welded steel, tangential and intersecting, best characterize my work. I choose to work with steel and approach the material first as an artist and second as a craftsman. The success of my work does not rely upon gimmicks or trickery in the materials, but on the implied movement and strength of form of each individual piece. The bright, primary colors used to paint the work serves to bring the form of the work to the forefront, enhancing the sense of the work leaping fro

John Clement Art Prize Sculpture at Castle 8-12-09 3
visual art
Image by stevendepolo
This is a traffic purple welded metal sculpture in front of the Castle on Cherry Street installed for the 2009 Art Prize competition.

www.artprize.org/artist/id/1568

John Clement has been creating sculpture for fourteen years. While he worked towards a MFA at the School of Visual Arts, he did not complete it preferring instead to apprentice to Mark Di Suevero which lead to his love of steel. From 1994 to the present, John’s curvilinear steel sculptures have appeared in exhibitions in California, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Kanas, Connecticut , Canada, China and Japan. He has permanently installed sculptures in Vancouver, Staten Island, San Francisco, Houston, Macon Georgia, Des Moines, Delray Beach and Palm Springs. Additionally, John has participated in the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale in Canada, The Klenova Sculpture Symposium in Prague,The Czech Republic, the Ubu Sculpture Biennale in Japan, and the Zhengzhou International Sculpture Exhibition in China. Solo exhibitions of his works have been hosted by Buschlen Mowatt Fine Art, Tricia Collins Contemporary Art and Gallery Sonja Roesch.
Artist statement: My sculptures are three- dimensional realizations of imaginary forms. I rely heavily on the artistic process, allowing the work to evolve and mature, eventually become self- referential. Although many of my works are site -specific their form does not directly rely on the surrounding architecture or landscape. The clearly defined positive and negative space of the work, combined with its scale, creates a new framework in which the surroundings can be experienced through the sculpture.

Curvilinear forms of coiled and welded steel, tangential and intersecting, best characterize my work. I choose to work with steel and approach the material first as an artist and second as a craftsman. The success of my work does not rely upon gimmicks or trickery in the materials, but on the implied movement and strength of form of each individual piece. The bright, primary colors used to paint the work serves to bring the form of the work to the forefront, enhancing the sense of the work leaping fro

 
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John Clement Art Prize Sculpture at Castle 8-12-09 4

22 Jul

Check out these visual art images:

John Clement Art Prize Sculpture at Castle 8-12-09 4
visual art
Image by stevendepolo
This is a traffic purple welded metal sculpture in front of the Castle on Cherry Street installed for the 2009 Art Prize competition.

www.artprize.org/artist/id/1568

John Clement has been creating sculpture for fourteen years. While he worked towards a MFA at the School of Visual Arts, he did not complete it preferring instead to apprentice to Mark Di Suevero which lead to his love of steel. From 1994 to the present, John’s curvilinear steel sculptures have appeared in exhibitions in California, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Kanas, Connecticut , Canada, China and Japan. He has permanently installed sculptures in Vancouver, Staten Island, San Francisco, Houston, Macon Georgia, Des Moines, Delray Beach and Palm Springs. Additionally, John has participated in the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale in Canada, The Klenova Sculpture Symposium in Prague,The Czech Republic, the Ubu Sculpture Biennale in Japan, and the Zhengzhou International Sculpture Exhibition in China. Solo exhibitions of his works have been hosted by Buschlen Mowatt Fine Art, Tricia Collins Contemporary Art and Gallery Sonja Roesch.
Artist statement: My sculptures are three- dimensional realizations of imaginary forms. I rely heavily on the artistic process, allowing the work to evolve and mature, eventually become self- referential. Although many of my works are site -specific their form does not directly rely on the surrounding architecture or landscape. The clearly defined positive and negative space of the work, combined with its scale, creates a new framework in which the surroundings can be experienced through the sculpture.

Curvilinear forms of coiled and welded steel, tangential and intersecting, best characterize my work. I choose to work with steel and approach the material first as an artist and second as a craftsman. The success of my work does not rely upon gimmicks or trickery in the materials, but on the implied movement and strength of form of each individual piece. The bright, primary colors used to paint the work serves to bring the form of the work to the forefront, enhancing the sense of the work leaping fro


visual art
Image by Leila Jouyandeh

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo – IV
visual art
Image by Elder Tanaka
Abril de 2010

 
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Factual Game Facts About Facts – Occupy Bowser’s Castle Enlightened the Minions

10 Jun

www.youtube.com Click here to watch Life Would Be Irritating if it Were Like a Bethesda Game Occupy Bowser’s Castle Enlightened the Minions. Bowser’s minions demand changes to how they operate. DIRECTOR’S CHANNEL: www.youtube.com DIRECTOR’S FACEBOOK www.facebook.com COMPOSER’S CHANNEL: www.youtube.com Machinima Happy Hour is home to the best animation and shorts Machinima has to offer. Check back every weekend for updates on all your favorite shows like Sanity Not Included, Two Best Friends Play, Freeman’s Mind, Sonic For Hire and more! www.youtube.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This video will show you: How to make Machinima How to play Mario How to animate – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Like Machinima on Facebook! facebook.com Prove your gaming skills on the Respawn Army app therespawnarmy.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO www.youtube.com FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE TRAILERS, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE MMO & RPG GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Get ready to go a little bit country with THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2. The classic tale of friendship and loyalty, Tod and Copper still go together like an itch and a scratch, but when Copper gets a shot at the big time with a nutty group of hound dog howlers, their purebred friendship is put to the test. Experience an irresistible adventure of THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2.