Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 1062

Birthdays Today, May 25: Mike Myers, Chloe Lukasiak, Brec Bassinger, Rasheeda

He’s an actor, commedian, singer… he was Austin Powers and he is Mike Myers. From Yareah, we wish him and his family all the best in this special day. Congrats and happy birthday, Mike Myers!

Famous Birthdays Today, May 25: Mike Myers at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Shrek Forever After. Source: Wikipedia. Author: David Shankbone

Canada is a country of ingredients without a cuisine; we’re a country with musicians without an indigenous instrument; Toronto’s a city that doesn’t even have a dish named after it.

Mike Myers

I think that Scottish people, like Canadians, are often misunderstood and what I like about my Scottish friends and relatives is how quickly it can go from love to anger. It’s a great dynamic.

Mike Myers

More famous birthdays today, May 25: Chloe Lukasiak, dancer who appeared on Lifetime’s Dance Moms; Brec Bassinger, actress; and Rasheeda, rapper born in Georgia in 1982.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Famous Birthdays Today, May 25 Video: Mike Myers’ Mom Is Not Impressed by His Face on a Stamp

Elton John has chosen Sotheby’s France to sell a contemporary art work from his collection

Elton John has chosen Sotheby’s France to sell a contemporary art work from his collection. On 7 June, a painting by two enfants terribles, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, will be offered at auction.

The catalogue features other artistic collaborations, between Zao Wou-Ki and Germaine Richier, where East meets West and primitive sculpture meets sensitive painting, and between Yves Klein and Gunther Uecker: two great artists who contributed to a dramatic change in contemporary creation. The sale will start off with a dazzling painting by Kazuo Shiraga. This first session, containing some forty lots, will be followed by a day sale on 8 June.

One of the most eagerly-awaited pieces in the catalogue is a monumental painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warholfrom Sir Elton John’s collection. In 2003, Sotheby’s London sold the contents of his apartment, to the great enthusiasm of numerous fans. Over the years, the British singer and his husband David Furnish have built up a large collection of contemporary art by iconic artists of the last five decades, including Willem de Kooning, Louise Bourgeois, Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst and Keith Haring, together with 7,000 photographs. Next November, an exhibition entitled A Radical Eye: the Sir Elton John Collection,will reveal 150 photographs from this outstanding collection at the Tate Modern. The British Pop singer met the inventor of Pop Art on numerous occasions, so it is hardly surprising that he bought several of his works.

Untitled, 1984-1985 (estimate: €700,000-1,000,000), is one of the finest examples. It is the outcome of the joint work between two 20th century geniuses. In 1980, in a café, Jean-Michel Basquiat was bold enough to approach Andy Warhol, whom he idolised, and who was then at the peak of his glory. Their collaboration began four years later. Basquiat, overwhelmed by his own celebrity, then saw Warhol as a protective alter-ego, while the creator of the Factory was captivated by the creative energy of his protégé. In the painting here, a Memento Mori, a recurring motif in Warhol’s work, is juxtaposed with a bright red organ symbolising an endlessly renewed vital energy. The disenchantment of one enters into symbiosis with the obsessions of the other, paving the way to a fascinating dialogue.

Evening sale on Tuesday 7 June at 7 p.m.

Day sale on Wednesday 8 June at 2.30 p.m.

Chips Mackinolty celebrates the natural and cultural wealth of Sicilian horticulture

Artist and writer Chips Mackinolty celebrates the natural and cultural wealth of Sicilian horticulture through a new series of digital prints.

Chips Mackinolty celebrates the natural and cultural wealth of Sicilian horticulture

Based in Vucciria, near the oldest market in the historic centre of Palermo in Sicily, Mackinolty set about depicting the new seasons fruit and vegetables as they appeared in produce stalls in the market square.

“As we face the potential disintegration of massive carbon intensive food distribution networks and the ravages of climate change, it is likely that all of us will have to think about locally grown foods and the ways they get to the kitchen or restaurant table.” Chips Mackinolty, 2016.

The images represent centuries of agricultural practice and cuisine which are fundamental to the cultural identity of Sicily and beyond.

The Wealth of the Land is an antidote to the sterile mass economy of the supermarket; it pays homage to the men and women who make a living from the soil, a reminder of things past and pointer to a good-natured and sustainable future.  Above all they are images of luscious beauty and charm, reminding us of real natural wealth, the good food that emanates from the land.

Until 18 June 2016 (on now in Sydney).

TOURING VENUES AND DATES – Italy & Australian.

Liber-Alab 1-15 aprile 2016, via Grande Lattarini, 14 – Palermo, Sicilia.

Nomad Art Gallery 5-28 May 2016, 1/3 Vickers Street, Parap (Darwin), Northern Territory.

The Cross Art Projects 14 May-26 June 2016, 8 Llankelly Place, Kings Cross, NSW.

Rathdowne Galleries & The Joshua McClelland Print Room 22 June-22 July 2016, 310 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, Victoria.

Ventrica celebrates with ‘Contact Centre of the Year’ award

Ventrica wins Award

Southend, UK, 24th May 2016 – One of Essex’s fastest growing businesses, outsourced contact centre Ventricabased in Southend is delighted to announce that it has won the ‘Contact Centre of the Year’ (larger category) as part of the London & South East Contact Centre Awards 2016 presented at a glittering awards ceremony held at the Heathrow Radisson Blu Hotel on Friday 20th May.

Managing Director and founder of Ventrica, Dino Forte commented, “We are absolutely delighted and honoured to win this fantastic accolade. I would like to thank both our wonderful customers for giving us the chance to work with them and also our own incredible team of customer service professionals who have gone above and beyond in their passion and hard work to provide exceptional customer experiences.

Service is increasingly being seen as a huge differentiator for UK and global brands whether operating on the high street or on-line. At Ventrica we believe we are at the forefront of delivering exceptional omni-channel and multi-lingual customer experiences for some of the World’s most recognised brands whether on the phone, email or via social platforms.”

Ventrica is now one of the largest employers in Southend and one of the fastest growing businesses in Essex having experienced phenomenal growth over the last 12 months. By the end of this year it plans to extend its contact centre to 330 seats, with plans to double this to 600+ seats in 2017.

Ventrica’s contact centre was judged as having demonstrated outstanding achievement against some, or all, of these criteria:

• Consistently met or exceeded customer experience targets (i.e. Voice of Customer, customer satisfaction, Net Promoter Score etc.)

• Consistently met or exceeded performance targets (i.e. sales, service level, first time fix etc.)

• Worked alongside other back office teams to improve overall customer understanding and service performance

• Supported specific customer contact, community or industry-based programmes

• Championed the role of the contact centre within the broader organisation; and created an awareness of organisational strategies/goals within the contact centre

• Demonstrated enthusiasm, energy, inspiration and professionalism

• Helped team members grow skills, improve performance and achieve career goals

• Challenged processes and methods of working to improve contact centre performance and value

• Created a positive working environment that is pleasant to work in, supportive and high achieving

• Creatively used technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness

This is the third industry award that Ventrica has won in the space of 12 months, after receiving a Silver Award for ‘Best Outsourcing Partnership’ at the European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards and The Direct Commerce 2015 ‘Partnership of the Year Award for 3PL (Third Party logistics)’

For more information visit – www.ventrica.co.uk

Festival of Media Global Awards winners announced in Rome

Judges

Rome, Tuesday 24 May 2016 – Hosted at the Rome Cavalieri, the winners for the Festival of Media Global Awards were revealed in Rome, Thursday 19 May 2016

Big winners of the night included UM Romania who took home the Agency of the Year Award after having won Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies across 7 categories as well as the highly coveted Campaign of the Year trophy for their campaign ‘Sunday Grannies’.

Agency Network of the Year was awarded to OMD after collecting a total of 11 trophies across 6 offices representing 8 different brands.

Outside the big media agencies, Atomic 212, an independent full service media agency, based in Australia won a Silver in the Best Launch category while the creative agency DPZ&T won Bronze in the newly introduced category D’Atlas Brand Purpose Award sponsored by Discovery Communications.

The final jury was split across two judging rooms, chaired by Allan Soares, Harley Procter Brand Director at Procter and Gamble and Nick Graham, Global Digital Marketing Director, Huawei Technologies respectively. Soares on his experience judging the work says: “Chairing the jury of such high-calibre professionals and reviewing such high quality work was energizing and a true privilege. The quality of work submitted proved that the industry is in good shape and well poised to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. It was also a great personal learning experience.”

Graham commented: “The range of work submitted this year was truly impressive, with highlights in categories like ‘The Best Insight Award’, ‘Best Campaign for Commerce’, and perhaps surprisingly, ‘Best Not-for-Profit’. The jury team did an amazing job in getting through over 100 submissions and, most importantly, in getting to the key media issues and opportunities we’re facing today.”

The Festival of Media Global Awards is the only awards dedicated to the evolution of media, celebrating the best in media thinking and communications around the globe. Judged by a senior panel of agency heads and global and regional brand marketers, the awards is a prestigious event rewarding the very best work, helping the winning agencies and media owners win new business and increased influence in the marketplace.

All winning campaigns can be seen on www.creamglobal.com

About C Squared

C Squared is one of the fastest-growing specialist publishing, events and technology companies in Europe. Its mission is to help the media and marketing industry become more connected and better informed so that it is fully equipped to respond to the challenges and opportunities brought about by digital technology and globalization. C Squared launched the Festival of Media in Venice in 2007 and the brand now has four major events across the world, attended by 4,000 senior delegates and receiving over 3,000 Awards entries. In 2009, C Squared acquired the leading brand M&M Global along with the M&M Global Awards. The company also owns Creamglobal which has now become the world’s largest database of media innovation and its bespoke technology serves many of the leading global agency groups and multinational advertisers.

More information is available at: www.csquared.cc

Birthdays Today, May 24: Bob Dylan, G-Eazy, Mark Ballas, Patti LaBelle

He’s more than a great singer, he’s, simply, a legend… Bob Dylan! He was born in Duluth in 1941 and, from Yareah, we wish him and his family all the best in this special day. Congrats and happy birthday, Bob Dylan!

Famous Birthdays Today, May 24: Bob Dylan plays a guitar and sings into a microphone. Source: flickr. Author: Alberto Cabello

What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.

Bob Dylan

Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.

Bob Dylan

More famous birthdays today, May 24: G-Eazy, rapper born in Oakland in 1989; Mark Ballas, reality star; and the pop singer Patti LaBelle.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Famous Birthdays Today, Mazy 24 Video: Bob Dylan – Hurricane Lyrics

New York exhibitions. Korean artist Chung Sang-Hwa at Dominique Lévy Gallery

Dominique Lévy Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of Korean artist Chung Sang-Hwa (b. 1932). Presented jointly with Greene Naftali Gallery, New York, this first solo exhibition of Chung’s work in the United States will span the artist’s career, with a survey of Chung’s work on view at Dominique Lévy and recent paintings displayed at Greene Naftali.

Korean artist Chung Sang-Hwa at Dominique Lévy Gallery

Dominique Lévy’s portion of the presentation includes fifteen large-scale canvases spanning from 1969 to 2014. On view are two early paintings, Untitled 69-3 (1969) andUntitled 73-5 (1973), which exemplify the first stage of Chung’s development, in which the artist tore segments of paint from the canvas substructure in freeform patterns. Beginning in the early 1970s, Chung’s work increasingly addressed repetition, ritual, and process, typified in the 1973 masterpiece Untitled 73-12-11, a canvas of over seven feet tall comprised of faint vertical lines of opalescent white and gray. Works from the following decade grow increasingly complex and incorporate systematic and rigorous grid patterns in darker and more vivid colors. Dominique Lévy will also present two paintings from 2013 and 2014, establishing a bridge with the recent work, from 2007 to 2015, on view at Greene Naftali.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the galleries will publish a catalogue featuring a newly commissioned essay on Chung’s work by art historian Tim Griffin; an original poem by Yuko Otomo written in response to the temporal encounter with Chung’s painting; and a comprehensive chronology situating Chung’s life and work within the context of postwar globalization.

The exhibitions at Dominique Lévy and Greene Naftali are presented in collaboration with the artist and with Hyundai Gallery, Seoul.

The group of artists Chung is associated with, Tansaekhwa (meaning literally “monochrome painting”), coalesced in Korea in the mid-1960s. Dating from Korea’s emergence as an autonomous global and cultural power in the wake of the nation’s emancipation from Japanese rule in 1945 and the devastation of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, Tansaekhwa is indicative of the new position of historical and international primacy that the country assumed at this time. During this time of independence, Korean artists entered into cultural exchange with various prominent art movements, including Abstract Expressionism in the United States, art informel in France, and Gutai in Japan. Following an initial period of influence from these movements, characterized by Korean informel, Tansaekhwa developed as a distinctly modern phenomenon, a blending of tradition and innovation exemplary of Korea’s new presence on the world stage. Although it has ties to Minimalism, Tansaekhwa is distinct from the Western tradition of abstraction because of its engagement with such Eastern philosophies as Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, and Buddhism. Tansaekhwa was not a formally organized group, and did not have an artistic manifesto or clearly delineated objectives, instead functioning as a loose association of artists including Chung Sang-Hwa, Park Seo-Bo, Lee Ufan, Yun Hyong-Keun, Ha Chong- Hyun, Chung Chang-Sup, and Kim Tschang-Yeul, among others.

One of the most prominent Tansaekhwa painters, Chung is recognized for his innovative painting method, which the critic Kwang Suh Oh has described as “taking off/removing” and “re-painting.” In this highly meditative and meticulous process, the artist first coats the canvas with a mixture of glue, water, and kaolin clay, and then scores gridlines on its reverse. After the mixture has dried, he ritualistically and intuitively folds the canvas, and then strips the hardened material from the surface in narrow bands. Afterwards, he fills in the segments of bare canvas with acrylic paint. Chung repeats this process in succession to create multilayered, complex surfaces. In this way, the work embodies a temporal stratification, a multiplicity of processes that formally corporealize the experience of time and of an action in time that marks its passage. Art historian Lóránd Hegyi has theorized that Chung’s work initiates a “metaphorical archeology” within the viewer, entailing an internal excavation of the artist’s process that leads to self-realization. The monochrome surfaces that result from the continual application, removal, and reapplication of paint on the canvas can be read as multi- textural and complex landscapes, their hues ranging from light tones—which evoke sand and stone—to deep, bright, and even electric shades of blue, calling to mind the reflection and refraction of light over water.

Chung developed his signature process while living in Kobe, Japan in the early 1970s, and simultaneously pursued a different style of painting, which is closely related to assemblage and features brightly colored geometric shapes over untouched canvas. The latter exemplifies his engagement with the Japanese Gutai movement, bolstered by a close friendship with Jirō Yoshihara, the group’s leader. In a representation of Chung’s early period, Dominique Lévy will present paintings from both bodies of work.

Living in Paris, Kobe, and Seoul for extended lengths of time throughout the last three decades of the twentieth century, Chung enacted a genuinely cosmopolitan practice. In a manner unparalleled in modern East Asian art, his work calls into question the idea of painting as pure surface and introduces an internal, phenomenological aspect at the center of the viewing experience.

Over 100 artists and galleries at the Toe River Arts Studio Tour

For 23 years, the TRAC Studio Tours have encouraged involvement of local artists who open their studios and of those from outside the area who show in participating studios. Each tour features over 100 artists and galleries. This year’s event is just getting bigger and better—many studios and many artists. And five of those artists are first time tour participants; two returning after several years.

Art by Victoria Hicks (clay)

Rona Kritzer will be showing her clay work at the High Country Ceramics (#80). A transplant from the Miami area, where she was an art teacher in the schools, Rona now makes her home in Yancey County where she is continually awed by the beauty of these mountains and the welcoming handshakes of other artists. Vena Grebenshikov (#94) is returning after a hiatus of several years. He is a classically trained painter, originally from Russia and maintains a gallery in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Using his knowledge of the history of art and techniques of the masters, Vena innovated his own technique imbuing his works with their distinct style and texture.

In and around Bakersville, discover the work of Andy Palmer (#96). Andy was the ceramics program coordinator at Cornell University. He moved to the area as gallery manager at the Crimson Laurel Gallery and now operates his own studio just north of downtown Bakersville on NC261. For Victoria Hicks, showing in John Britt’s studio (#11) is something of a homecoming: John taught her to throw nearly 20 years ago, long before either of them called Western North Carolina home.  Ron Slagle (#97) returns to his studio off NC226 just past Loafer’s Glory for this year’s tour. He includes his drawings, paintings, and his wood-fired sculptural work in the gallery and visitors should find it an interesting stop on the tour.

Art by Colin O’Reilly (glass)

Tara Underwood opens her doors in Celo this year (#98). Most recently from Asheville, Tara is a studio potter who has been working in clay since the age of six and after study and determination, hasn’t outgrown the desire to play in the mud. And one new glass artist—Colin O’Reilly will be showing with Kenny Pieper (#46) in Celo. A new TRAC gift shop artist, Colin moved from his studies in New Mexico to Penland and creates his blown and cast glass elements in creative narrative sculptures.

Whether you are looking for something to look through, serve on or serve to, or just to set on the porch for viewing on those warm summer evenings, you’ll find these new artists worth the extra curve in the road. The TRAC Studio Tours, always the first weekend in June and December, hits in 2016 this June 3-5. The tour runs from Friday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Hours have been expanded on Friday to give visitors more time to meander and visit studios. The first night of the tour ends with a reception at the Spruce Pine TRAC Gallery at 269 Oak Avenue, from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The tour is free—all you need is the Tour Guide (available at all participating venues, including both TRAC Galleries); then follow the red arrowed tour signs.

An exhibition of participant work is currently on display at the Spruce Pine Gallery through the last day of the tour, June 5. Participating artists and galleries have representative work displayed geographically. Make plans for the weekend. You can purchase that can’t-wait-item or just view the work of artists who call this region home. Gallery hours are 10:30am to 5pm, Monday through Saturday. For more information, please call 828-682-7215 or 828-765-0520 and visit the website, www.toeriverarts.org where you can download the guide, maps, and get information about our sponsors. The bi-annual Studio Tour—truly a journey of the arts.

VoiceSage Brings Highly Experienced Senior Sales Leader On Board To Conquer Global Markets

Steven Robertson

– Sales director Steven Robertson brings 20 plus years of deep industry experience to sales role to drive VoiceSage’s growth plan in Europe, US and beyond –

Dublin & Birmingham, May 23, 2016 – Customer communications technology market leader VoiceSageconfirmed today the appointment of a dynamic new sales director who’s mission is to take its sales operation to the next level.

Under the leadership of new hire Steven Robertson, the twin-headquartered Irish and British software leader plans to expand both existing geographies but also put blue water between it and its rivals in international markets, in particular to drive VoiceSage growth in international markets.

Robertson brings 25+ years of strategic sales and management experience to the position, including building complete sales ecosystems across Europe and even further afield.

His CV includes 15 years in senior directorial roles in the contact centre, telephony and professional services space at firms offering contact centre solutions, testing & monitoring, service & performance assurance, managed services, cloud-based services and professional services – the perfect background for his new challenge.

In terms of specific brands, Robertson’s enjoyed success at leaders such as BT, Cable & Wireless, PSS Help, Empirix Inc. and Protocall One.

Next stage of success

Discussing his new role, for Robertson, ”The potential for VoiceSage technology is huge, especially in the United States, the powerhouse of the contact centre industry. I look forward to securing new customer wins for our unique and exciting product set.

“The Automated SMS Conversations (Agentless Text Messaging), as well as VoiceSage Touch mobile payments messaging in particular, are transforming the options for service businesses both in the UK, by lowering costs and improving the customer experience, but most especially in Europe and America.

“I’m thrilled to have joined such a forward-thinking company that offers such great solutions and great people, and look forward to bringing my international sales skill set to bear and spearheading growth in new regions and getting us to our next stage of success.”

A strong position

Commenting on the appointment, James J Kett, Chief Executive Officer of the company, adds, “Steven’s immense experience in developing and driving new business globally, especially in the US, combined with our strong customer communications stack will, without question, put us in a very strong position for the year ahead.”

About VoiceSage

Founded in 2003 and with twin headquarters in Dublin and Birmingham, VoiceSage’s founders have deep heritage and experience in delivering transformational customer communications solutions that streamline and add value to high-volume outbound contact activities.

Household brands including Argos, Dun & Bradstreet, Thames Water, AXA Insurance and Freemans Grattan Holdings rely on VoiceSage to reduce inbound call volumes, increase appointments and deliveries, reduce debt and enable real time customer conversations.

VoiceSage’s cloud-based messaging product and services deliver more than 2 million messages a day and are used by businesses serving more than 75% of the UK population. More than 44 million individual phones in the UK have received a VoiceSage message at some time.

Please visit www.voicesage.com and follow us on Twitter @VoiceSage

Douglas Carswell MP Argues for Brexit in EU Debate Video

Douglas Carswell MP

Arguing for Brexit in a lively and high-profile debate organised by the UK200Group, Douglas Carswell MP has branded the EU ‘obsolete’.

Douglas Carswell, the Member of Parliament for Clacton, was the first elected member of the UK Independence Party, in a by-election triggered by his high-profile defection from the Conservative Party in 2014. He said, “If there was a single word I would use to explain why I think we should leave the EU, it is ‘obsolete’. The EU is obsolete.

“When we joined what was to become the EU, it was sold to us as an economic proposition. Yes, they said, we might lose a bit of self-government, but it would make us more prosperous. Look across the channel today: who now seriously believes that?”

The EU Referendum on 23 June is just over a month away and many small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners are still unclear on how leaving or staying in the EU will affect their businesses and themselves.

For this reason, the UK200Group, the UK’s leading membership association of quality-assured independent chartered accountancy and law firms, has uploaded a film of its high-profile Campaign for Clarity debate at Coventry University London Campus to YouTube in order to clarify the arguments of both Remain and Leave camps.

Collectively, the UK200Group’s members support over 150,000 SMEs, many of whom are asking their accountants and lawyers how a ‘Remain’ or ‘Leave’ vote will affect their businesses. These questions were posed to the panel at the debate.

The fiery debate was chaired by futurologist and author Dr James Bellini, who spent 25 years in the broadcasting industry presenting programmes such as The Money Programme, Newsnight and Panorama, and as a studio presenter with Financial Times Television and Sky News.

Douglas Carswell was joined by David Davis MP on the Leave side, and they faced Yvette Cooper MP and Lucy Thomas of Britain Stronger in Europe.

James Abbott, President of the UK200Group, said, “It is the insight and the strength of our members’ relationship with their clients that led to this Campaign for Clarity, a campaign that raises awareness of the views, opinions and needs of SME businesses to enable them to make an informed decision on 23 June.

“This is the political decision of a generation, so we want to ensure that even if people missed the debate they can catch up on it on our YouTube channel.

“We’ve also passed 30 key questions affecting SMEs to both sides of the referendum, and we’re looking forward to working with both Remain and Leave campaigns to publish their responses.”

The UK200Group, which was established in 1986, represents a group of trusted, quality-assured business advisers – accountants and lawyers – who have over 150,000 SME clients in total. As such, the UK200Group acts as the voice for 1,500 charities, over 10% of all registered academies, more than 3,700 farms, 800 healthcare businesses and over 500 property and construction professionals.

Useful links:

Debate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrSZ8-iNYuQ

The UK200Group: http://www.uk200group.co.uk/

UK200Group on Twitter: https://twitter.com/uk200group

Coventry University London Campus: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/

Dr James Bellini: http://www.jamesbellini.com/

David Davis MP: http://www.daviddavismp.com/

Yvette Cooper MP: http://www.yvettecooper.com/

Douglas Carswell MP: http://www.douglascarswell.com/about-douglas/

Britain Stronger in Europe: http://www.strongerin.co.uk/