Manila + Melbourne / My Cities Meet (via SM)

(via Coolhunter/twitter friends)

Coolhunter 'found' the bowling alley at SM Mall of Asia in Manila. Yep, SM is 'officially' cool. For those who don't know, SM is the largest chain of malls in the Philippines. It used to be where everyone went to go shopping, back in the 80s and early 90s, before Ayala Malls realized there was money to be made by rebuilding the 'first world in the third world'. Well, it looks like SM's really onto that game now. This bowling alley is by Melbourne's Architects EAT, which is apparently also redoing the annex of SM North EDSA. Or have they done that already? I've got an image of the scheme below, but I'm not sure if that's already been constructed or is in the process of being constructed.


Normally, I'm really against major renovations, at least in Manila, where there's a bad habit of tearing down perfectly nice buildings to build monstrosities. Just look at what they did to the amazing Greenhills buildings. Now Vira Mall looks like any other crappy mall.

Actually, now that I think about it, I dunno how this new SM North makes me feel. It's kinda stepping on my childhood memories. I got lost in that annex when I was 4 or 5 'coz I was staring too long at some window display and the maid didn't notice that I stopped trailing her. I was probably checking out shoes. And my mom probably fired that maid, 'coz you know, in the third world, maids, not parents, are responsible for kids. I've got loads of other amazing memories set in that mall. When I was a bit older, I used to get a Frosty from the Wendy's across Yamaha every Sunday while waiting for my bro and sis to get back from their voice lessons. The woman who taught them also trained Banig (Check it, her eighties moves and outfit are awesome!). And in high school, my 'straight' friends and I actually went there looking for fabric so we could make a cape for this presentation we were doing. And no, we didn't think we were being 'faggy', just 'artistic'.

When I Grow Up, My House Will Be This Awesome

Opening Performance, Ars Electronica Center in Linz.

Light art? Sound art? Architecture? An incredible waste of money? Vegas? The new version of Flying House? A department store holiday display? Seriously though, I think it's hard to underestimate what a piece like this does in terms of crossing boundaries between art space and public space and even between art and art space. Plus, it's just really cool to watch.