The mounting human sufferings are almost unimaginable as the tasks of recovering continue after the double natural disasters this month in Myanmar (aka Burma) and China. In support of the ongoing efforts in both regions, we here at EN AVANT and our sister sites, Freshnessmag.com, Sneakernews.com, and Nitrolicious.com, each contributed to the cause and will continue to do so in the coming months. However, the scope of the matter still require more. So, we ask that our friends, fellow colleagues and dear readers, to please take a moment and donate (if financially permitting) to the Myanmar Cyclone & China Earthquake Relief efforts.
If you run a blog, please also link your readers to the American Red Cross, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and other reputable aid agencies sites.
On May 2nd 2008, tens of thousands of lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of homes damaged when Cyclone Nargis unleashed high winds, heavy rain, and floodwater in southwestern Myanmar.
On Monday, May 12th, 2008, a major earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, jolted southwestern China’s Sichuan Province. Several lower-scale earthquakes and aftershocks followed in the same area. The quake destroyed many buildings in the area, as well as infrastructure like communication towers. According to the latest reports, more than 12,000 people have died and many more have been injured or are missing. Many schools were destroyed, including one that had at least 900 students in it. As authorities reach more remote areas, these numbers are expected to rise.
NOTE: Please be sure to donate to a reputable organizations or aid agencies.
Written: Poe H. (English) | K. J. Tzeng (Chinese)
Photos: Daniel Allen
Produced by: Dan Hwang
Straddled between multitude of ideals on cultural, political, and design, the host of this year Summer Olympics will present to the world a cityscape unlike any other in the world. The scope of this urban renewal is breathtaking, there isn’t one district untouched by teams of engineers, workers, and construction equipments. For visitors, the city is similar to a sculpture garden of sort, with exception of its scale.
Living in Beijing, English writer and photographer Daniel Allen has spent much of the last five years documenting China’s amazing architectural transformation, which looks set to continue and diversify for years to come. In his most recent work, Beijing in Focus, Allen concentrates on three of the Chinese capital’s most iconic structures: the National Center for Performing Arts (aka “the Eggshell”), the Beijing National Stadium (aka “the Bird’s Nest), and the National Aquatic Center (aka “the Water Cube”).
Written : Poe H. (English) | K. J. Tzeng (Chinese)
Produced by: Dan Hwang
Links: (Red), Sotheby’s (AUCTION) RED
“Art intimates and needs reaction, Art needs to be the transformative presence, a quality it shares with grace, which itself is on the lookout for the lost. All of the pictures and the sculptures here are grace unbound and a reaction from the greatest artists to AIDS - our generation’s holocaust…” so wrote by the front man of iconic rock band U2, Bono, in the foreword for Auction (RED).
This massive undertaking all started when art dealer Enrico Navarro suggested to Bono an art sale to benefit the (PROJECT) Red initiative, which Bono has tirelessly devoted himself since its inception. Not long after that, British artist Damien Hirst, best known for his works on the subject of death, got involved also. Hirst soon begun a letter writing campaign to his friends and to artists whose works he admired, in request for their contributions to Auction (RED). In total, 69 artists replied and donated some 83 lots of artworks - a compilation that can best some of the collection found in top contemporary art museums.
EN AVANT has been working hard behind the scenes for several months on its dedicated Features page and some small changes on the parent page. Now, we are back and will be bringing you the latest in art & design, fashion and architecture.
- EN AVANT Team