EUREKA 'Travel' Summer 2011/2012

EUREKA POLITICS & SOCIETY IN MODERN EUROPE ISSUE 3 | MAY 2012

2 | EUREKA

EDITORIAL

By Louise Dewast

Photos: Souvid Datta Congratulations, you made it to the end of the year! Indulge a little, and pay a visit to Europe’s hot cities. Here’s a short run-down on what’s happening this summer. See you all in September with fresh made memories to tell in EUREKA magazine.

Barcelona is all about music and big, hot, wild festivals. To name a few, indie festival Primavera sound takes place on May 30th- June 3rd, Sónar, the Festival Internacional de Música Avanzada y New Media Art, on June 14th - 16th, Benicassim International festival on July 12th-15th, or for late comers, book the Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM) on September 21st- 23rd. Barcelona summer life is also about the nightlife in the city centre, the Gaudi Park, and the late afternoons at the beach. Each neighbourhood holds its festa major, a huge street dinner for residents, followed by live music into the night. The traditional L’ou com Balla takes place on June 3rd (the feast of Corpus Christi), where city fountains are garlanded with flowers and fruit, and an empty eggshell, symbolising the body of Christ, dances atop a spout of water. Dies de Dansa on July 10th-14th showcases street dance performances. A cool day-trip is the trek to hill of Montjuïc, south-west of the centre, to Caseta del Migdia.

Indulge in Spanish lifestyle at the city’s favourite alfresco club La Terrrazza.

To avoid the crowds of English and Europeans, head to the more quiet coastal retreats on the Costa del Maresme if you can.

Prague is a fantastic summer destination. Apart from the traditional tourist sites, make sure you go to one of the numerous events organised by the city. The City Festival is taking place on June 29th - 30th. Book your tickets for the exciting music festival (1hour away from Prague) Rock for people on July 3rd - 6th. If you’re into classical music, attend the famous Prague Spring Music festival from May 12th - June 3rd. Personally, I would rather go to the

Czech Beer Festival taking place on May 17th - June 2nd. Speaking of culture, Dance Prague will showcase amazing acts, on June 4th - 29th. The real draw for spending summer in Prague is an exceptional agenda of music concerts: Sting, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will ALL be playing in the capital (on 25th June, July 2nd, July 11th, and August 27th respectively). For more traditional stuff, there’s always the Prague Folklore Days on July 26th - 29th.

EUREKA | 3

Stockholm, ‘the capital of Scandinavia’ as they call it, has plenty to offer this summer. Festivals include ‘a Taste of Stockholm’ a big outdoor food festival in the Kungsträdgården Square on June 1st - 6th.The Stockholm Music & Arts is the new kid on the bloc, showcasing great music acts. It will be held on the island of Skeppsholmen, in the very center of Stockholm on August 3rd - 5th. The yearly Oktoberfest is always a good call, on August 2nd - 11th. Follow the local traditions of the Midsummer’s Eve on June 22nd-24th and head out of the city for a day to the countryside or the archipelago where locals have parties with friends. A suggestion for a day trip is to visit Carl and Olga Milles’ artist’s home and gallery.The Skansen Open Air Museum hosts traditional celebrations with dancing, singing and fun games. Summerburst Festival is back this year and you should be excited! It’s an open-air house music festival at the Stockholm Stadium on June 15th-16th. For those who enjoy more tamed music, enjoy the Stockholm Early Music Festival in Stockholm’s Old Town on June 6th-10th.

Summer in Berlin is an unmatchable experience: the outdoors culture combined with numerous summer events offers the perfect recipe of fun and relaxing times. The highlight of the summer is the LGBT Christopher Street Day Parade on June 23rd. This fun and flamboyant parade has become one of the summer’s most enjoyable and inclusive street parties, attracting straights as well as gays. On a very different the note, the Classic Open Air on July 5th-7th offers a series of great classical music concerts. The beach bar season, which is unique in Germany, started at Easter. Apart from traditional venues like the Yaam, the Strandbar Mitte or the Oststrand, there are some new openings this year: at the main station the Metaxa Bay & Spreelöwen Bar has its premiere, in Rummelsburg the Sisyphos. And the legendary Bar 25 is to reopen. Not your thing? Head instead to the Internationales Berliner Bier festival on August 5th - 7th which showcases hundreds of beers. You’ll have a fun day at DeutschFranzösisches Volksfest a 4 week festival from late June to ealy July, offering

Photo: Miguel Noriega

4 | EUREKA

a tacky but popular mix of carnival rides, cowboys doing lasso tricks, candy floss, hot dogs and Yankee beer. For those wanting to try out yoga, attend the Yoga-Festival Berlin on June 15th - 17th. Tanz im, on August 10th - 11th showcases Germany’s finest dancers. And continuing with the arts, attend the Lange Nacht der Museen where around 100 of Berlin’s museums open into the early hours.

When in Paris, don’t miss the exquisite Saint-Germain-Des-Pres Jazz festival from May 20th until June 3rd. The crowd gathering ‘Fete de la musique’ will take place on June 21st - a street performance event with small and famous acts alike. Some say it is a taster for the summer festivals: ‘Solidays’ on June 22nd - 24th, ‘Rock en Seine’ August 24th-26th. Other than music, Paris offers a never ending list of cultural events: exhibitions worthwhile are ‘Modigliani’ at the Pinacotheque, and if you are into photography make sure you go to

Photo: Flockwood

‘Helmut Newton’ at Le Grand Palais. For fashionistas, exhibition ‘Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs’ at the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs will sweep you away. Two quirky events in Paris this summer are the one-man-show ‘How to become Parisian in one hour?” where you’ll learn everything about acting like a real Parisian in a shop, restaurant, taxi, night club, even in bed, and the other is the dance hall events every Sunday at La Coupole (Thes Dansant de la Coupole). Whether you enjoy foxtrot or salsa, I can bet your inner dancer will be satisfied.

Lisbon is the new hot destination, so I have been told.

Spend some time enjoying the seaside city with its delicious market stalls and fardo bars open until the early hours. Summer events include the Festas de lisboa from May 31st to June 30th, celebrating the city’s Patron Saints, where a festive atmosphere embraces the whole city. A performing art biennale of dance, theatre and music takes place at the Alkantara Festival 2012 on 23rd May - 10th June. Lisbon hosts the biggest music festival, with top international music acts at Rock in Rio - on May 25th-June 3rd followed by a music and arts festival Optimus Alive 2012 on 13th-15th July. For those who enjoy sailing, catch a glimpse of the Volvo Ocean Race, the biggest around the world regatta on from May 31st to June 10th. For some late afternoon thrills, attend the horror film festival MotelX - 6th International Festival of Cinema on June 12th-16th.

Photo: Souvid Datta

Photo: Souvid Datta

Photo: Souvid Datta

EUREKA | 5

CONTENTS 3 |

EDITORIAL

7 |

A GUIDE THROUGH THE WILDNESS OF THE BALKANS Arman Soldin

9 |

FREIGHTER TRAVEL: TIME WELL SPENT Bobbie Mills

10 |

ASIA, NEW LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG EUROPEANS Yao Wu

12 |

BIRMINGHAM, OUR NATIONAL TREASURE Grace Vanstome-Hallam

15 |

REAL VIRTUALITIES - EXPERIENCING THE ARTWORK REMORPHED Asmaa Soliman

16 |

A ROAD TO NOWHERE: WHY I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE ‘EUROPEAN PROJECT’ Elliot Nichols

17 |

ART, SEX AND RUSSIAN POLITICS Lora Botev

18 |

THE STEP BY STEP GUIDE FOR YOUR YEAR ABROAD Ben Tufft, Brittney Titus and Niklas Kossow EDITORS Louise Dewast Bobbie Mills Leonard Hodges PHOTOGRAPHERS William de Villiers Grace Vanstone-Hallam (Cover) Souvid Datta Yana Sarna Flockwood Miguel Noriega DESIGNER Karina Jayawant

6 | EUREKA

A GUIDE THROUGH THE WILDNESS OF THE BALKANS

By Arman Soldin

Holidays! By the time you will be reading this article, you will hopefully have finished all of your exams. Freedom! No more cramming and studying (at least until the first resits in August. As the stressful library 24/7 + Red Bull regime has come to its end and the first plans for summer are being made, EUREKA becomes a travel guide for Europe.

My article will invite you to explore the beautiful region of the Balkans, a region rich in history and full of surprises. A region at the crossroads between East and West. Born in Sarajevo, and fine connoisseur of the region, I will try to provide you with as much information as I can on Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

As the region is becoming more and more attractive since the end of the Yugoslav wars, the best way to travel to the Balkans remains by plane. Indeed, many low-cost airlines offer very attractive fares to the main destinations of the Balkans. Wizzair or Easyjet fly from London to Dubrovnik, Split or Belgrade at unbeatable prices. Once there, the best and cheapest way of travelling is definitely by car. You can very easily rent a car at Hertz or Europcar. Yet the roads are far from perfect (the region has only a couple of highways), it is still more convenient as you can go wherever and whenever you want instead of having to take the bus (which is another option).

The easiest and cheapest solution for accommodation is youth hostels for Belgrade and Sarajevo whereas the easiest way to find a place on the Croatian coast is to rent a room or an apartment. Though it is best to book it in advance you can always find a last minute room upon arrival.

I would suggest that you start with Serbia, as it is furthest from London. Its capital city Belgrade, former capital city of Yugoslavia, provides you with everything you need. Crazy summer clubs on the Gypsy Island on the river, the National Museum of Serbia, Tito’s magnificent sepulchre, the Railway Museum, the Temple of Saint-Sava and even more sightseeing places await you. Nevertheless, if you are a music festival addict, and you want some high-level fun: Serbia hosts one of the world’s best festivals: Exit Festival. Indeed, not very far f rom Belgrade up North, next to the second largest city of Serbia, Novi Sad, lies an ancient medieval fortress called Petrovaradin Fortress which becomes a huge stage on the 12th to the 15th of July, This summer the line-up is, once again, simply amazing and will satisfy pretty much everybody. From Guns ‘n’ Roses, to Avicii, and Plan B without forgetting Maceo Plex and Azari & III, all the tastes will be met. It will cost you round £100 and you can purchase a camping ticket for £25 more. Once the festival is over, I recommend moving West to Bosnia to enjoy the cities of Sarajevo (its capital) and Mostar.

Photo: Souvid Datta

EUREKA | 7

The first is full of history, a city where all cultures, religions, habits and customs have been intertwined. It is one of the rare cities where you can find a mosque, a temple and a church within 100 metres of each other. Indeed, Sarajevo, as a multicultural city, is at the crossroads of Europe. As you enter the city, you can very easily distinguish between the recent modern part, the Yugoslav past, the AustroHungarian legacy (the first tramway in Europe has been set up in Sarajevo), and the Ottoman heart of the city. Its nightlife is also one of the best in the region with clubs such as The Club, considered as one of the best in the region and even further. The Sarajevo Film Festival (6th-14th July 2012) is considered as the fourth greatest festival in Europe (after Cannes, Berlin and Venice). During the festival, the choice of events is incredible as the population almost doubles. You should not miss the incredible Jazz Festival and all the after parties at various locations in the city where it is not unusual to see Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and other special guests of the Festival and lovers of the country.

Once hungover from the parties of the Festival, you will probably seek something more laid back and thus I recommend moving to Croatia. Nevertheless, on the road to Croatia you will find the historic and beautiful city of Mostar. Its name comes from a mix of Most (bridge) and Star (old). The old bridge built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and destroyed in the recent war has been rebuilt and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you are lucky enough, some experienced swimmers dives from its 20 metre height in exchange for money. If you continue West, you will find yourself eventually in Croatia, more precisely on its beautiful coast Dalmatia. The Croatian coast stands today as one of the most attractive destinations in the World. Indeed, its medieval walled city of Dubrovnik is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage and is considered as the place to be in August. Its incredible restaurants and open-air nightclubs will satisfy everybody. Another thing not to be missed are the islands of Croatia. There are in fact over a thousand islands in Croatia only about 50 of which are inhabited. The most

Photos: Souvid Datta

8 | EUREKA

popular are Hvar, Brac and Korcula where many Hollywood stars spend their holidays. It is very easy to reach the islands thanks to an efficient ferry system. Another very important city to see is Split, up North. It is one of the oldest cities in the area and it is centred around the Ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian (UNESCO World Heritage Site) built over 1,700 years ago. This visit can probably be an end point to your very rich tour of the Balkans. Nevertheless, if you still have some energy left to party, you should not miss the crazy island of Pag. In the north from Split, Pag is today considered as one of the top destinations for party holidays. Considered as the new Ibiza nevertheless aimed to more committed music fans, it hosts several festivals on its sand beaches over the summer (HideOut, GetEXITed, Moon & Rock..).

This little tour of the Balkans comes to an end. Indeed, I hope I have managed to give you some tips and maybe motivated you to come and visit as I am really sure you will not be disappointed.

Photo: William de Villiers

FREIGHTER TRAVEL: TIME WELL SPENT

By Bobbie Mills Night was falling as our headlights turned towards the titanium refinery in Sorel, Québec. At the gate they transferred me to another car, driven by a man whose face was obscured by a pair of goggles and a hard-hat. He asked no questions as we drove through the refinery, where chimneys shot tall flames towards the sky. I was deposited on the dock. Two young men approached me, smiling as they took the suitcases from my acquiescent hands, heaving them on to their shoulders to lug them towards the waiting cargo ship. Minutes later I found myself alone in a cabin and staring at a still life painting nailed to the wall. As I put Black Keys’ Attack and Release on my iPod, I sat down and took a bite of the carrot cake I had brought in a Tupperware box. It was my nineteenth birthday.

The cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland had only been a rumour when I had left the downtown flat in Montreal two days before. I had lived there for the past three months, working for a cargo company. So, arriving at the airport to find my flight home to England cancelled, I had the choice between waiting for the planes to start flying again or hopping on one of their ships.

Incidentally, less than a month earlier I had found out about the existence of ‘freighter travel’, and had made it my life’s ambition to travel on a freight ship. Freighter travel is a relatively new mode of tourism, where one pays a fare to become part of the cargo being ferried around the world.

One of the more modest jaunts might be following the shipping route from Hamburg to Antwerp, Le Havre, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio Grande, Santos again, Sepetiba (near Rio de Janeiro), back to Rotterdam, Tilbury and finally back to Hamburg. That makes 42 days of travel for €900, which includes a cabin and living quarters and three meals a day.

The freighter spends between one and three days at each port of call, and during this time you are free to explore the cities.

One protest that people might well make is that they wouldn’t want to be stuck on a ship for up to two weeks at a time, that cabin fever is

clearly not as fun as they made it out to be in Muppet’s Treasure Island.

My journey across the Atlantic, around the top of Scotland and eventually to port at Immingham, Yorkshire took eleven days. Most of this time was spent outside, at the very top of the tower, wrapped up against the steady wind and just enjoying the ride. Travelling by ship should not be seen simply as a cheaper alternative to flying, the drawback of which is the greatly extended transit time. No. You board a flight and wait until you can get off at your destination. You board a ship and you’ve already arrived at your destination, one among many. There is a wonderful sense of freedom to knowing that you will soon arrive somewhere exciting, in my case - home, but in the meantime you have all the time in the world to do whatever you have never had the time for. Read a book, write a book, learn an instrument, take it easy. All the while, surrounded by the interminable beauty of the sky and the sea. In my experience, freighter travel is as much about the journey than about the destination.

Admittedly, I had a very different experience to what I imagine freighter travel is like. Not least because I got to go for free but also because the Filipino crew got wind that it was my birthday and threw me a karaoke party. They were all very good dancers. It also happened to be at the time of the British general election, so there was the added fun of trying to vote by fax from the ship’s bridge. I won’t say who I was trying to vote for, but I’m now glad that the Polish Captain didn’t know how to use the fax machine.

Still though, my time on board has convinced me that it’s a great way to travel. You can go around the world without expense, stress or jet-lag and, I might add, without adding to anyone’s carbon footprint. Sure, it’s a long time to be travelling but, given the job market we’re all headed for, it is fair to say that most of us will have the time on our hands. You may as well use the time to get an insight into one of the world’s most important and invisible industries: around 95% of everything around you has been brought to you on a cargo ship. Now they carry tourists too.

EUREKA | 9

ASIA, NEW LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG EUROPEANS

By Yao Wu

Last summer in Rotterdam, I was about to move into a shared apartment with two Italian young architects, one of them from the lovely island of Sardinia and doing a master in traditional Italian dishes, while the other was from Rome, and interestingly, totally addicted to Japanese yakitori chicken. I was very much expecting to have heated discussions every evening after dinner, while sitting on the couch, about which country’s food was more classic; Italian, Chinese, Japanese, or maybe even Dutch?

Life is always full of surprises. Soon, I found out I was frequently surrounded by their friends and classmates from Mediterranean, all asking me about my life in Shanghai, and often in great enthusiasm, telling me how much they were looking forward to having opportunity to work or study in Shanghai, or other Asian mega-cities.

Is this a dream, a potential career track, or a forecast of future trends of technology and labour movement? Only time can tell. At the start of this new year, the only thing I can do for those young, talented and high-spirited Europeans is share my humble knowledge gathered during the years I studied and worked in Europe and China. I will attempt to give a brief guide, and try to point out some directions for people who want to follow such a path.

So, in the coming years, which industry clusters in Asia might be interesting for European students and young professionals?

Asians are known to put heavy emphasis on education. It is a big topic, and for now I will just focus on language programs. Teaching

10 | EUREKA

English language is already a common practice for high school, university and vocational training in almost all Asian countries. Other languages, such as German, Italian, Russian and especially Spanish and French which are used in more than one continent, will be of increasing demand. To its core, it is not about learning languages for communication or better scores at school, but reflects the deep desire of Chinese, and other Asians, to re-connect with the rest of the World and to play a role on the international stage. For Europeans with multilinguistic capabilities, it is not that difficult to find temporary language teaching positions at Chinese universities, colleges or more likely private language institutes. In this circumstance, in return, it is a perfect chance for Europeans to learn Chinese and other Asian languages, and get a better understanding of their culture and customs.

Creative industry might be the next growth generating engine.

Shanghai, the mega-city traditionally regarded as the financial centre of China, is showing signs of renewing its industries. In 2010, it was nominated by UNESCO as City of Design. Actually, five out of the ten appointed Cities of Design are located in the eastern hub of Asia, namely China, Japan and Korea. Japan is well established in this field.

But the coastal cities of China and Korea, which are economically already at a good stage, are trying hard to move to upstream industries.

If film industry is taken into consideration as well, adding to its amazingly diverse culture, India should also rank high on this list.

For people who are specialized in delta technology and water management, Asia is the place to be; and within Asia, China is the Holy

Photos: William de Villiers

Grail, since all major rivers in Asia flow out from this country. Along the Chinese Yangtze River, and its delta region, where China’s major economic and cultural centre lays, after suffering from a major flooding in 2011, water management and treatment has definitely been put on top of the local government’s agenda. For those who would like to focus on the South, water management is also of high demand, as the Mekong River flows along this part of the continent and nourishes millions of its inhabitants. In this region, a handful of multi-national companies specialized in this technology are located in Vietnam.

Green energy and sustainable development technologies from Europe are certainly highly desirable in China nowadays. Yes, it is about technology aid and transfer from the West to the East, but my guess is that there will be increasing demand on the cooperation between the two worlds to share their experiences and resources, and develop together technology and knowledge for the future.

For example, Europe, especially the Dutch, are well known for urban planning. European cities and towns are generally developed with health concerns in mind, where the wealth is pretty evenly distributed.

While in Asia, where all the countries with top ranking populations locate, governments are eagerly seeking ways to ease the polarized urban-rural contrast. But what Asians are good at, particularly the Chinese, is the management and mobilization of a large number of city inhabitants. Therefore, a student who studied urban planning, or young graduates in this profession, can learn a lot from each other.

Where to start? Check which Asian universities are the partners of your own universities, or contact the international students departments of other Asian universities, to see if they can find vacancies within existing exchange programs for you. Look for people who already have such experiences. You have to take the initiative and reach out to people on the other side of the planet. Check jobs or internships openings at multi-national companies branches in Asia. After the first few steps, you will soon find out, 10 hours flight is no longer much of a distance.

During the TEDx Brussels conference November 2011, Sir Paddy Ashdown, a former member of British parliament and a diplomat gave a speech about “Why the world will never be the same and what we should do about it”, explaining how he viewed the ongoing shift of world power. There, he put forward his freshly invented P.Ashdown-3rd law: “in the modern age, where everything is connected to everything, the most important thing about what you can do, is what you can do with others; the most important bit about your structure, be it government or business, is your docking point, your inter-connectedness. [sic]” Then he continued his thought, “if this is the case, then that means we are locked in the way never quite so before; in this way, we share a destiny with each other... zero sum game does not work anymore. [sic]” If he is right, then how successfully young Westerners can interconnect with the emerging worlds, such as India, China, Brazil, and how well the two worlds can understand that we are all going to share a common destiny, will have a great impact on how turbulent this swift shift of power will be.

EUREKA | 11

BIRMINGHAM, OUR NATIONAL TREASURE

By Grace Vanstome-Hallam

All eyes this August will be firmly fixed on London, which will be playing host to ‘the greatest show on earth’ and bringing with it a surge of interest and visitors from all over the world. For many this is the opportune moment to visit one of the world’s best cities, while others cannot wait to flee the hustle and bustle and chaos that the games will bring.

Of course, London 2012 is a chance for Britain to show the world what it can do, to showcase our national talent and flaunt our capital city. And yet I fear that visitors, like many Brits themselves, will focus solely on London and so miss the other treasures that lie around Great Britain as they daren’t venture out of the great metropolis.

Let me give you a suggestion: go to Birmingham! I’ll be your guide.

Take yourself to Euston station and just an hour and a half away awaits Britain’s second city. Birmingham is frequently ribbed as a dull, grey town in the middle of England with nothing really to attract attention, and it is certainly far from being seen as a national treasure.

But how many of these stereotypes are true? And how many people are blind to Birmingham’s beauty?? Birmingham is full of treasures if only you’ll offer the time to discover them.

Like most cities, Birmingham has grown from a small village and is now one of Britain’s biggest, most diverse conurbations. Birmingham was at the heart of the industrial revolution, during which time it was the centre of innovation, most notably being the birthplace of James Watt and Matthew Boulton’s industrial steam engine in 1776. As the city grew, the extensive canal network was constructed, a development that was revolutionary at its time, and led to the accolade of Birmingham as the city with more canals than Venice.

It is not just industrial history that Birmingham boasts, but its cultural heritage is also impressive. J.R.R. Tolkein took his hometown as the inspiration for his world-renowned trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

Mosely Bog, Sarehole Mill and Perrott’s Folly are among the locations that are now transformed into the fantasy feature-films. The poet, W.H. Auden also calls Birmingham his home, growing up in the leafy suburb

12 | EUREKA

Photos: Grace Vanstone-Hallam

of Harborne, now just a short bus ride from the city centre. Culture is also found on the other side of town, in Handsworth, where Benjamin Zephaniah the contemporary poet of the Rastafari Movement was born in 1958.

Today Birmingham’s cultural history is celebrated in its annual ‘Artsfest’ in September, when the city centre is transformed into a vibrant cultural haven for all, with displays ranging from the Birmingham Royal Ballet to clandestine folk music down at the local pub. In the winter months, the city centre is again transformed to host the largest Christmas market outside of Germany, the ‘Frankfurt Christmas Market’.

However, if you find yourself in Birmingham outside of these seasons, the city still has much to offer, with a roaring retail centre, especially in the modern mall ‘the Bullring’, once the sight of Birmingham’s markets. If retail therapy isn’t your cup of tea, take yourself around Birmingham’s Museum and Art Gallery which houses many collections including the biggest collection of pre-Raphaelite art as well as the ‘Staffordshire Hoard’, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, discovered in a field in Staffordshire in 2008. For lunch or dinner, wind your way along the canals to Gas Street Basin where a huge range of restaurants and cafes occupy the former industrial site, now a thriving business district: a true representation of Birmingham’s aspirational spirit and continual transformation.

The city centre is a goldmine for architecture enthusiasts, with the intermingling of old and new. The mock-Grecian Town Hall (and the scene of a riot prompted by David Lloyd George in 1901) lies adjacent to the classically Victorian -Grade II listed- Council House in Victoria Square. Turn around the corner and Birmingham Central Library, hated by many and loved by few, characterises the 1960s brutalism art movement. Quite the juxtaposition. Not far from here, ‘the Bullring’ shopping centre displays an iconic building, a curved bubble covered with 15,000 burnished aluminium disks. Winner of eight awards, the building is a daring example of early noughties architecture. Soon to

join the ranks is the new library of Birmingham, a high-tech edifice in Centenary Square, set to open in September 2013.

Birmingham’s history can be discovered through its diverse architecture but a visit to the Jewellery Quarter to the North of the city centre provides the opportunity to learn more about the jewellery trade that helped make Birmingham the roaring city it is today. Before window-shopping and wandering around the boutiques, a visit to the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Vyse Street for just £3 for students offers the opportunity to delve into the history jewellery making in Birmingham. For the history enthusiasts Soho House, Hockley presents an opportunity to visit the Georgian house of Matthew Boulton and the regular meeting place of the Lunar Society, some of Britain’s brightest thinkers. Visiting the house which is set to re-open in June after redevelopment, also costs just £3 for students.

If you’re willing to venture outside of the centre, Birmingham’s very own chocolate factory, Cadbury World is a must for children and chocolate lovers alike. While you’re there, take time to admire the quaint Bourneville village, constructed by the Cadbury family for their factory workers. Nearby is the world-famous and newly renovated Edgbaston Cricket Ground which lies adjacent to the Midlands Arts Centre where you can catch a film or a show within the grounds of Cannon Hill Park, the perfect place for a quiet stroll.

Even if I haven’t convinced you to love Birmingham like a Brummie, I hope this short article has at least made you want to pay a visit to Britain’s second city one day, and discover its wonders for yourself. The Olympics may be the greatest show on earth, taking place in one of the greatest cities on earth, but as the Olympic athlete Mark Lewis Francis proclaimed, “To me Birmingham is the greatest place in the world”. So this summer, don’t just get swept up in the London 2012 fever, but take the opportunity to discover the UK, and if you’re looking for a title to your Facebook album of holiday snaps, ‘Birmingham 2012’ certainly has a ring to it.

EUREKA | 13

BIRMINGHAM, SEA VIEW 14 | EUREKA

REAL VIRTUALITIES - EXPERIENCING THE ARTWORK SONO-REMORPHED

By Asmaa Soliman Having arrived at the ZKM museum in Karlsruhe, Germany, every student had the opportunity to explore the technical artworks for themselves. One piece affected me in a way I could never have expected. It was the work of Bernd Lintermann and Torsten Belschwer named Sono reMorphed, presented in 2007.

Before entering the room of the artwork there was a basket with 3D glasses. I was alone next to a chair front of a very big screen depicting an object that seemed to be in a stand-by mode and was making a rather quiet and pleasant noise. At the bottom of the screen there was a user interface offering the viewer illustrations of different objects in minimized form.

The walls left, right and behind me were all black and the room was dark. I sat down and looked at the display where I found three buttons; with which one could navigate and select the different objects that appeared on the user interface. I chose one of the mysterious objects which consisted of round and longish forms. It then appeared on the screen in larger form and the user interface at the bottom disappeared. This object, like the first one, was on stand-by mode. On the right side of the display there were eight buttons which you could move up and down like a volume control.

I started to move these buttons up and down, expecting to be able to control the sound. However, I realized that it was not only the sound that changed but the whole movement of this object.

I realised that every button had a different function concerning the object’s movement and structure. Several buttons changed the object’s form in a particular way. Other buttons moved the object nearer and further from one’s gaze, made it bigger and smaller, rotated it and changed its position from left to right.

The moment when I took off my glasses I was no longer immersed in the virtual world and I was able to reflect critically on my experience and the artwork. I realized that without the 3D glasses the feeling of immersion and being embraced by the object does not work as well as with the glasses even though the sound was still loud. While wearing the 3D glasses, the object is able to come near to you and to make you part of it. It appears as a real object that has moved beyond the screen. The screen as such vanishes and it is as if you are in the object’ss ‘real world’. I also understood that there was a close relation between the 3Dl visuality and the sound that operate together to create an intense feeling of ‘being there’.

Bearing this in mind I want to stress that the artwork’s aura is very subjective. It is one’s interaction with the artwork that creates the object’s structure and movement. Every visitor creates their own aura of the artwork dependent on his interactions with the object. As mentioned earlier, the artwork initially appears on stand-by, with only small and slow movements. It is the visitor who gives the object full movement and who can decide how it will develop. Without any interaction it would be static. It is the ‘here and now’ of being there and interacting with the artwork in a particular way that creates the aura. Go experience it yourself !

Moving these buttons randomly, the object suddenly came nearer and nearer to me. The sound that was dependent on the object’s movements became louder and louder. I was afraid of it because I had the feeling that it had embraced me with its full weight. I could not escape. It was surrounding me, as if it was about to step out of the screen. I did not know which particular button enabled the object to come so close to me and I started to move some of the buttons up and down again but it was still suffocating me. Due to the feeling of being so intensely disturbed by the object I took my glasses off. Suddenly, the object appeared in the screen again and the feeling of being caught by it vanished.

The virtual world of the object and the real world of me sitting there had merged into each other. I was part of the virtuality and the virtuality was part of me. I was so immersed in this virtual world that I could not distance my feelings and myself any further from it. I could not try to ignore the object or to say to myself that it was just virtual and not real. It was as if the object wanted to invade my body with its monstrous parts and take me with it.

All I could do at that particular moment was to step out of this imaginary world and remove the glasses.

It is exactly this awareness of the interface between me and the medium that amazed me. It is the paradox of immediacy and hypermediacy; of natural interface and visible interface that I want to stress in this experience. There was a moment where I forgot about the 3D glasses as an interface and where there was no distance anymore between me and the object. Then again, eventually I became aware of the 3D glasses as an interface and of their immersive effects and so took them off.

EUREKA | 15

A ROAD TO NOWHERE: WHY I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE ‘EUROPEAN PROJECT’ By: Elliot Nichols In the last edition of Eureka Andrew Noakes published an excellent piece on why he believed in the European project. I have spent much of the last four years working for a Member of European Parliament (European Conservatives and Reformists group) and as a result have spent time in many EU member states. Based on this experience I wanted to convey my own – countervailing – viewpoint. I passionately believe that the EU is part of the problem: it is undemocratic, uncompetitive and increasingly displaying an authoritarian edge.

The EU suffers from a series of crises: Economic, geo-political, identity based. Everywhere you turn the project is failing, crushed by the weight of its own contradictions and by an inability to accept uncomfortable reform. In order to adapt and face up to the challenges of the 21st century the EU must come to accept that the ideology of ceaseless integration belongs to the past. The alternative is very bleak.

‘Europe’ may exist but there are precious few who would call themselves first a European. Even among those who do see themselves as European there is little agreement as to what it means.

Indeed the only shred of consistency lies in a wholly anachronistic view that without the EU there would be war in Europe once more; a theme which no longer resonates far beyond Brussels. An Italian desires different things from life to a Pole and a Swede has a very different business culture to a Spaniard. If there is one thing that the current economic crisis has revealed more than any other it is that peoples of Europe are separate and distinct. For instance a German does not typically feel solidarity with a Greek as even the most cursory glance at the German press will reveal.

Much has been made of the EU acting as a form of soft power ‘multiplier’ for its members. The idea being that the EU is of greater worth on the world stage than the sum of its parts could ever be. Recent events have served to undermine this proposition.

Intervention in Libya split the EU down the middle. Moreover there is no effective EU position on any of the most pressing issues of our time. On international trade, on Israel and Palestine, on Iran: member states follow first their own policy and only then look to Brussels.

Although some claim otherwise, if you wish to call Europe there remains no answer.

But what of Europe’s achievements? What of the single market and free movement? It is time to face up to the serious limitations of both. The single market is, in its current form, an outdated construct.

It was designed for a time when goods where largely physical things,

and when manufacturing was the dominant driver of growth. Today it is services which account for nearly 70% of pan EU employment and in most member states an even higher proportion of the total economy. Yet only around 10% of EU trade is in services and that number is set to shrink if current trends continue. Meaningful reform faces trenchant opposition from protectionists and is unlikely for the foreseeable future. Free movement is similarly outmoded. In an internet age, to do business with Australia is just as easy as with Austria. Indeed, on the Commission’s own figures less than 1% of EU nationals live or work in a member state other than that of their birth.

The future is global and local, not regional. Adherence to the logic that established the Union is now doing tremendous harm to Europe’s economy. One size cannot ever fit all. The rigidity of European law is such that it is often obsolete long before it is implemented. To succeed in today’s global village countries need the flexibility to adapt rapidly; something currently denied to them. Europe’s strength is its diversity.

Indeed they are so diverse that all the countries in the world starting with the letter ‘M’ are more convergent than the euro zone. From German manufacturing to British financial services, member states have many strengths, yet all too often attempts to ‘harmonise’ result in a loss of competitiveness.

More than anything my disbelief in the project comes from long exposure to how it functions in practice and the real world consequences this has. The EU rests on one principle more than any other: that assent today is assent forever. In essence what a right wing government signs up to a left wing one cannot overturn. This may not have been seen as a problem when the EU was primarily concerned with international trade rules or technical regulation but it is fast becoming one today. EU legislation covers between 45–75% (depending on your source) of new laws; what point is there of an election where only a fraction of policy is even debateable? One deeply concerning side effect of this is that the natural safety value for protest is sealed shut. This drives people to the political extremes (Golden Dawn in Greece or the extreme parties in France) in a quest to find a government able to respond to their desires.

Today Europe stands at a crossroads. The Euro has been brought to a low by the same flaws which EU leaders were warned 10 years ago. Now it serves as a regressive tool; crippling growth and locking people into poverty. Europe has a choice: become more responsive or continue its current decline. Far from being a beacon of democracy and accountability the EU now has a reputation for ignoring referendums, toppling elected governments (replacing them with handpicked Eurocrats) and electing officials (EP President) in a manner which would be more appropriate in Putin’s Russia. Four years ago many scorned such a prospect, indeed the current President of the Parliament commented that such people reminded him of Adolf Hitler, yet here we are.

The old responses of ‘more Europe’ and ‘an ever closer union’ are no longer working. If Europe is to have a prosperous future, the federalist dream must be allowed to pass into memory. European nations must co-operate not converge. Flexibility, not harmonisation must become the new mantra. More than anything democratic accountability – something only possible with the existence of a widespread sense of belonging – must be restored.

Photo: Souvid Dutta

16 | EUREKA

Photo: Yana Sarna

ART, SEX AND RUSSIAN POLITICS

By Lora Botev At a time when the global political situation is more precarious than ever before, popular protests have seen a dramatic upswing. Voina is a street collective which engages in artistic political protest and is currently leading a ferocious war against the Russian state by attempting to humiliate authorities and inspire dissent amongst people.

are militating. They have managed to interweave politics and Art in a groundbreaking way. “The artist who denies political awareness is just a designer”, claims co-founder Natalya Sokol who hopes the group’s deeds will engender a wake-up call for the Russian people. Voina wants to shape democracy itself, by helping Russians to define their own problems.

Is it possible to change the world without taking power? If such a thing were ever possible, then it would be through Art. Art is a seemingly familiar concept, yet it is so difficult to define. Its ever-progressing boundaries make it almost impossible to distinguish between what is Art and what is not. Yet, Voina have allowed it to exceed a purely aesthetical motivation.

The founder of the group, Oleg Vorotnikov, maintains that the sociopolitical conditions in Russia do not allow a peaceful revolution. Hence, a violent revolution becomes inevitable. Voina’s political motivation is thus easily acceptable. Their strategy, however, is more sceptically received for it is one that is based on scandal, conveying outrage and disgust to its viewers. Their constant need for disruption has urged them, amongst other actions, to rush into a McDonalds Restaurant throwing living homeless cats and chanting “Death to fast-food!” and “No to global fascism!”.

Since 2005, the Russian underground group Voina (“War” in Russian) has been sowing chaos by performing violent street action as a sign of protest against the state authorities. What is even more fascinating than the nature of their acts, is the fact of calling what they do “Art”. It is true that most of last century’s artistic movements have appeared somewhat apocalyptic at the time of their genesis, but they have also tended to transform into merely avant-garde testimonies. What is the chance for Voina’s legacy to follow the same trend?

An individual disguised as a Russian Orthodox priest and wearing the hat of a police officer leaves a grocery store without paying for a full cart of goods. This is only a small taster of what is to come, which in this case exposes favouritism for certain classes of Russian society. A 65-meter long phallus adorns the drawbridge in front of the headquarters of the Russian Secret Services in St Petersburg. No, this is not a scene of an apocalyptic burlesque but another provocative appearance of the collective. In the same spirit, a public orgy took place in the Muscovite museum of Natural History as a metaphor for the 2008 fraudulent election of Medvedev (a name that strongly resembles the Russian word for “bear”) as President of the Federation.

There are legitimate reasons behind Voina’s indignation and a glimpse at their main target makes their anger all the more understandable. The USSR might have collapsed more than twenty years ago, but the actual regime shows no more tolerance towards the diversity of opinion. The murder of journalist Politkovskaya certainly exemplifies in a most glaring manner the lack of freedom of speech in Russia.

It is against this lack of integrity and democracy that the members of Voina, who have managed to attract more than 3000 sympathisers,

Dmitri Vilensky, co-author of one of the leading art Russian reviews What is to be done, is one of the main critics regarding Voina’s tactics.

According to him, the group’s main concern lies with breaking taboos and crossing the boundaries of the permitted. And, if this is the case, how much of what they do can still be considered as art?

If politics give a moral objective to Art, its excessive politicization seems to threaten Art’s integrity. Art seems to be merely an excuse to Voina in order to allow them to perform something that frighteningly resembles anarchist struggle Art is thus boldly denatured; technique is replaced by violence and beauty by scandal.

The members of Voina deserve merit for not being afraid of expressing an opinion in the spotlight of a still autocratic system. Still, as far as their Art is concerned, it seems that creative innovation is dangerously confused with radicalism. With Voina, not only changing the world becomes a suspicious project but also ‘Art’ is inevitably threatened. They have reached the epitome of symbolic violence acceptable in Art. Yet, the truth is that the Voina phenomenon only unmasks a general feeling of frustration and violence that we can witness all over Europe. Art, as many times before, evolves in the light of the current economic and political context. Art, as many times before, reveals the flaws of our society by concretising them into a visual form. Having said so, the burning question is; How far will it go?

After all, if Voina’s current artworks consist in overturning and burning empty police cars, what should we expect their next demonstration to be?

EUREKA | 17

THE STEP BY STEP GUIDE FOR YOUR YEAR ABROAD

By Ben Tufft, Brittney Titus and Niklas Kossow

The year abroad: universally agreed to be the best year of your life, right? Well follow these ten steps and it will be. Otherwise you could end up alone in your room wondering why you are only eating bowls of pasta, have read every English classic the local bookshop offers (plus all of the Guardian website) and watched the entire box set of The Sopranos for a third time.

1) Preparation and arrival. So after your three informative year abroad meetings you should know the basics of avoiding stranger-danger and the inevitable homesickness and should be ready to go. After arriving in your new home city, you will need to find some accommodation. This isn’t as easy it sounds. After progressing through a number of encounters with the weird and the wonderful potential housemates, you should eventually find a new place. Make sure to arrive a bit early in the summer as September will be the most competitive and stressful time to find a flat. We all love our fellow students, just not when they snap away that lovely flat you had your eye on.

2) Bureaucracy. A move to another country always involves a certain amount of organisational skill. This includes dealing with foreign bureaucracy, which can be a surprising experience for anyone being used to the effectiveness of UK civil servants. While every good Brit is used to standing in queues, be prepared to find rather ‘flexible’ opening times, which will prohibit you to get that vital stamp that you need on a form. However, there is one positive thing in all this: once you have mastered the art of filling out a 10 page Russian form, getting a first will seem like a piece of cake.

3) University. Don’t expect them to know or care that you’re coming; you may have to engage in some heated arguments with the receptionist in your new language before your Erasmus placement

18 | EUREKA

is confirmed. Choosing modules should be creative: do not be concerned with what you need to know, rather what you enjoy and where your friends will be- don’t be afraid of the odd module in festa studies or kayaking. Do go to lectures; they are the best way to improve your language skills and make new friends. Don’t be put off by the inescapable chaos, it will be worth it!

4) Social life. Apart from lectures, the best way to meet new people is to go to one of the many Erasmus parties in the city you find yourself in. Music at such events can often be categorised under the “eurotrash” label, which is why they often revolve around consuming large amounts of alcohol and embarrassing yourself in front of locals- do not be deterred! Locals will soon be intrigued by your Erasmus crowd and will be your new and more useful of friends.

If this is not your scene, there are other promising ways to make new acquaintances: whatever city you are in it is likely they will have wine tastings, gallery open nights and often film viewings for free or at heavily reduced prices for students. These are great ways to meet those who share your similar interests.

5) Culture shocks. Inevitably you will be surprised by the new culture that you must immerse yourself in. Because let’s face it- Britain is just different from the continent. One vital piece of advice will get over these cultural differences: close your eyes and think of England.

Photos: Souvid Datta

6) Language. Within the first few months, you may feel like an infant again, generally upset at your inability to communicate the most basic of needs. After a bout of illness you may find yourself in the maternity ward of a hospital after a slight case of lost in translation.

Be patient! With time your skills will improve (especially if you follow steps 2 and 3) and you’ll be speaking fluently in a jiffy. This can greatly be improved through making attempts to avoid English speaking at most times; do not take the easy option of having coffee all day with your fellow nationals instead of making local friends and attending (some) lectures. Watching films and listening to songs in your new language is a more anti-social way to achieve the same aim and feel oh so cultured at the same time.

7) Travel. Whilst the Erasmus year is intended to be primarily an academic exercise, it is also a good opportunity to travel around your new home country, bond with new friends and explore your new culture. This can also be passed off as a culturally enriching and mind broadening experience to future employers. Most European countries have excellent and cheap transport and rail links, so make use of these; this is one of the few times you have almost complete freedom to travel and it will be a highlight of the year that you look back on with most appreciation.

8) Money. You will notice that in many regards living abroad can turn out to be much cheaper than life in London. Levels of rent

are generally lower, but ask some locals how not to fall into tourist traps. In some situations foreign lands can, however, turn out to be outrageously expensive. A tin of beans for example can suddenly seem like a luxury item in Italy and if you find yourself in Sweden after a night on the lash you will hate the look of your wallet.

9) Food. Even though supermarkets do usually exist across Europe, you might find that they work to different standards than back in London. If you are used to your daily Tesco ready meal, packed sandwiches or other foods that make the student life so easy, you might have to think again. Better ask mum for the best recipes before leaving. Also try and be flexible- whereas there might be 23 different kinds of olive oil, you might struggle to find any soy sauce.

And yes, in some countries different seasons actually mean different availability of fresh food.

10) Religion. Whether or not you are religious, you may find your new country to be difficult to adjust to. Waking up to church bells at 6 am when you have an Erasmus hangover, being kicked out of a church for showing your shoulders, or stuck without food on a Sunday may take some getting used to. However seeing Easter festivities in Spain or going to a Christmas banquet on the streets in Italy may be huge part of your Erasmus memories.

EUREKA | 19