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June 28, 2008
Urbanomic Vacation
Please note, there will be no-one in the Urbanomic Office from 28 June-14 July Inclusive. All orders received during this period will be fulfilled 15 July.
June 23, 2008
Collapse V
The Copernican Imperative
Copernicanism tore asunder the fit between the world and man's organs: the congruence between reality and visibility.
- Hans Blumenberg, The Genesis of the Copernican World
In his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Galileo proclaimed, through his mouthpiece Salviati, that he could "never sufficiently admire the outstanding acumen" of those early advocates of Copernicanism who, "through sheer force of intellect" - that is, without even the benefit of a telescope to confirm the theory observationally - "had done such violence to their own senses as to prefer what reason told them over that which sensible experience plainly showed them to the contrary".
Since Galileo published his work in 1632, recognition of the deeply counterintuitive nature of scientific findings has become virtually commonplace, and the 'explanatory gap' between the 'manifest' and 'scientific' images of reality has long been a central concern for philosophers and philosophically-minded scientists alike. In this volume of Collapse, our aim is to bring together samples of the most intellectually challenging contemporary work devoted to exploring the philosophical implications of 'Copernicanism' in this sense from a variety of overlapping and complementary standpoints. In line with the vision of Collapse as an exploratory space for interdisciplinary philosophy or experimental metaphysics, we plan to include in the volume contributions from researchers in fields as divergent as the history and philosophy of science, theoretical physics and cosmology, biology, mathematics, cognitive neuroscience, and astrobiology, which in one way or another address the issue of the 'deanthropomorphisation' of reality initiated by the Copernican Revolution, as well as contributions from artists and writers whose work addresses these philosophical concerns. The resulting volume will comprise a thought-provoking compilation of papers and interviews which we hope will exemplify that characteristic blend of speculative audacity and scientifically informed insight which has always been the hallmark of 'Copernicanism'.
Collapse V is scheduled for publication November 2008. Further details will be announced on this site.
Chatterbox
High resolution image of Keith Tilford's Chatterbox (Cover of Collapse IV, for those who requested it.
Falmouth - The Wrongest Day
Many thanks to everyone who came to the Falmouth show (despite the rain) and helped to make this inaugural event for the Urbanomic Studio such a success. Special thanks to Plymouth's mysterious noisemonger Oddstep Deployment Unit for providing the sonic horrors.
Thanks to Madla for the photos and to Divus crew ('The Professionals') for their hard work.
June 22, 2008
Mieville Skulltopus Print
Signed China Miéville Skulltopus art prints, from China's illustration to his article 'M.R.James and the Quantum Vampire' in Collapse 4 are available, at only £20 + postage - An edition of only 35 prints printed by Divus in Prague, on high-quality cartridge paper. Please mail us for more details.
June 15, 2008
Concept Horror Falmouth
UMELEC - Magazine of the Art Dead
and
COLLAPSE - Journal of Philosophical Research and Development
invite you to celebrate the publication of Umelec 1/2008 and Collapse Volume IV
* CONCEPT HORROR *
showing original works from COLLAPSE IV by
JAKE AND DINOS CHAPMAN, KEITH TILFORD, KRISTEN ALVANSON, CHINA MIEVILLE, TODOSCH, TIM MACKENZIE, and more...
on SATURDAY 21st JUNE, from 6pm
at Urbanomic, Falmouth.
On sale will be original work by Keith Tilford (including the cover image of Collapse IV) and Todosch, and signed China Mieville Skulltopus prints!
Urbanomic
The Old Lemonade Factory
Windsor Mews Studios
Falmouth
TR11 3EX
07977 449416
office@urbanomic.com
best wishes,
Urbanomic
http://www.divus.cz/umelec/
http://www.urbanomic.com/
More Sin Collapse Non Art
Mr Sketchum again, inspired by the Chapmans' "I Can See" series in Collapse IV - sketched 'live' at Concept Horror last week.
June 10, 2008
Sketchum Patricide
A different view of Saturday night: Patricide by top caricaturist Mr Sketchum...
June 09, 2008
New MA Course
The University of the West of England (UWE), based in Bristol, UK, are introducing a new MA in European Philosophy next academic year. Lecturers for the course include Iain Hamilton Grant (Author of 'Being and Slime' in Collapse IV and as featured in 'Speculative Realism' in Collapse III) and John Sellars (Author of 'The Truth about Chronos and Aion' in Collapse III).
A second 'Speculative Realism' conference is planned for next year at UWE, and the course is sure to be a good choice for those interested in pursuing innovative paths in contemporary philosophy, as well as providing a grounding in the history of modern European thought.
For more details about the course, email iain.grant@uwe.ac.uk.
Stockists
Collapse IV is now available, or soon will be, in the following bookstores:
UK:
- Bookartbookshop on Pitfield Street (Old Street tube, nr. Hoxton Sq.), London
- Tate Modern, London;
- ICA, London;
Europe:
- Vrin, place de la Sorbonne, Paris;
- Buchhandlung Walther König, Ehrenstrasse, Köln;
Canada:
- Pages Books & Magazines, 256 Queen Street West, Toronto.
US:
- New Museum of Contemporary Art bookstore, 235 Bowery, New York.
Australia:
- Gleebooks, Sydney.
June 08, 2008
More Weirdness
Reza Negarestani on the Weird.
Concept-Horror Post-Mortem
Thanks to everyone who attended the opening night of Concept Horror at Divus on Saturday. The show will now continue until Thursday 19th June - call Ivan at Divus on 0207 7398993 to check hours. The show re-opens in Falmouth on 21st June - details here soon.
As requested by various people, here is the catalogue (featuring discounted web prices). Needless to say, all purchases will help support Collapse.
Copies of the fabulous signed China Miéville Skulltopus art print (below) are available, at only £20 + postage - An edition of only 35 prints. Please mail us for more details.
Also several gigantic prints of Kristen Alvanson's mutants (below), which would be a fine addition to anyone's bedroom wall or (since they are printed on fine quality adhesive-backed photo paper) ceiling...
Original drawings by Todosch, as featured alongside Iain Hamilton Grant's article 'Being and Slime' (below)
...and work by Rafani and Keith Tilford, including Tilford's original cover art, even more awesome in its full dimensions.
Special thanks to Ivan and Martin of Divus, and to Patricide.
June 05, 2008
Umelec 1/2008
The new Umelec 1/2008...
- Interviews filmmaker Jim Hollands about Here.
- Brutally dissects the art world and instructs you on survival within it, with some chapters from Pablo Helguera's invaluable and hilarious 'MANUAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART'
- Asks why the Taliban's statue-wrecking mattered so much
- Peruses Sofia-based artist Luchezar Boyadjiev's expenses claims
- Continues to recount the modern history of Czech Art
- Surveys Moscow architecture, or what's left of it
- Interviews cult American weird guy Joe Coleman on his dark psychedelic visions
- Revisits a strong influence on Coleman, the schizophrenic art of Adolfo Wolfli.
... and much more ...
Discover Umelec here, or at their London home DIVUS UNIT 30 on Saturday.
