Sy's Prints (& Stuff): May 2014

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

The World is With Us

The World is With Us is a ground-breaking research and exhibition project bringing together Palestinian, Arab, and international film and poster art from the era of the Palestinian revolution.

...fascinating exhibition...

DIY Cultures 2014

dropped by DIY Cultures... de jevu... last year feels like a lifetime ago....

....to be- less present, more absent...

(this <time> around) /whatever that means: DIY Cultures 2013

2nd Edition of DIY Cultures - A day-long festival of zines, artist books, comics, artists-run spaces, talks, films, animation, poetry, video art, exhibitions, workshops - the spirit of independence, autonomy & alternatives.

Programmes of events including talks on mental health, prison creative and solidarity networks, fashion industry.

Workshops and exhibitions all day.

(UPSTAIRS 4th Floor & MAIN SPACE DOWNSTAIRS)

Produced & curated by Sofia Niazi of Walrus Zines/ OOMK

& Hamja Ahsan of Shy Radicals / DIY Curator / Other Asias

& Helena Wee of Other Asias / POST Artists

Saturday, 24 May 2014

never forget

#22 things I want to do...

...before moving to Lahore...

Re-establish my relationship with God
Save 20 grand
Go inter-railing around Europe alone
Undertake a course in project management
Complete London guidebook/ anthology
Improve on my Urdu and Punjabi
Visit my brother in America
Visit my brother in Australia
Develop all the skills I can in order to set up a centre for street kids
Start researching and building networks with charitable organisations in Lahore (community/ environmental and youth orgs)
Take dad on trip to Cordoba
Memorize Juz Amma and take up tajweed classes again
Archive photos and set up a photography website
Start up the rambling society again
Make a start on that book
Work really hard at my job
Complete at least 5 long distance walks
Learn how to become self-sufficient
Learn how not to spend so much time on the streets
Make a high quality documentary film (so I can make a load in Lahore)
Publish a 3rd volume of original poems.
Learn basic Arabic

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Burgess Storm

A Shade of Pink

Welsh Harp Reservoir

I went to stay with a mate in Northolt for the weekend, while I was there I got a chance to check out some really beautiful places in West and North West London...

I think Welsh Harp Reservoir was my favourite- water, woods, seclusion... butterflies, wild flowers &

...ten thousand places to hide...

Bostall Gardens: a home away from home

I really enjoyed making this short 'film' on the nepalese gardeners...

...I just hope my sister was wrong in saying that I've become the native informant :-/
click here to see more of my work related photography and 'videography'

Haringey Time Bankers

...what I like most about my job? I get to meet some pretty awesome people...

Northola

...trippy... the real teletubby land (with great fake mountains and lakes)

Celebrating South Kilburn

patterns in the void

lately life has been a blur, (more than usual, if that's possible) - the amount of people I've seen, the number of places I've been, the stories I've heard and conversations I've shared in the last few weeks has been... out of this world. I've been working a lot and travelling all over, from mornings to midnights I've been on the road, caught in storms, soaked by the rain, struck by lightning, deafened by thunder, burned by the sun and blown by the wind- yet.... I'm still standing. In fact I'm standing strong, stronger than I have in a long time. Lately I've been feeling a lot more focused. It's hard to explain... I've always felt most rooted, when I'm most diffused... when I'm doing, when I'm on the road, focusing on different projects, working hard- that's when things are good. Things are good and I'm okay when life moves at a pace that I can't keep up with... lately my brain has been going hay wire with all these ideas, these great big fantastical ideas and sometimes I think...I'm getting closer... to getting closer... to getting there... and that's good. That feeling is so good, of knowing that you possess the capabilities of making your dreams come true and I have so many dreams and lately I've been thinking about them- I have dreams of writing best sellers and travelling the world, and making a real difference and becoming the person that I really want to be...

It's funny, I always seem to do things backwards in life. My bucket lists for example, I tick off things that I've done before even thinking of them- exhibiting photography, getting published, travelling... slowly it seems to all be unravelling, this dream of a life, this life of dreams- miracles, magic, beauty and wonderment--- for there exists so much wonderment!

And I've also decided to really focus (amongst other things) on this guidebook and strangely enough, since re-committing to this project I've almost un-intentionally ended up discovering and re-discovering a whole load of incredible new places in London. In the last two weeks I've been to and wandered through- Clissold Park, West Reservoir, Horsenden Hill, Northola, Bishopsgate Institute, St Augustines, Bishops Park, Harrow on the Hill, Lesnes Abbey and Woods, Burgess Park, Camden, Primrose Hill, Wembly Park, Welsh Harp reservoir, Abney Park Cemetary and the Tibetan peace garden. There is just so much more to London, than I think I could ever grasp and that is beautiful! Everytime I feel like I've seen just everything London has to offer, I'll stumble into or across the most awe inspiring places ever. I hope, I just hope, I can really absorb all these places, the encounters of the people I cross paths with in these places... see I don't want to cross things off on a long list, that's not the point of it- this project, no, it's about just witnessing and existing and learning... it's about life... I guess....it's about living...