PANAMA: The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is an artificial, approximately 82-kilometer-long waterway that cuts through the isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean for shipping, saving the journey around Cape Horn or the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America. The canal, opened in 1914, is one of the most important waterways in the world. In 2011 and 2013 they counted about 14,300 ships driving through.

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USA: Marc Kennedy – Musician and Freak Out Collagist

I stumbled over this fantastic and in multiple fields active artist because of his funny and crazy collages. Seeing them over and over, these odd and stupid characters made me just laugh and these artworks became like a little comic strip series. Marc Kennedy did these visual objects by cutting, preparing and replacing photos while he had a little break from recording a row of his songs. He published as well a book and is producing cool t-shirts, but mainly he is a musician.

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ALBANIA: Durrës – Historic Epidamnos and Dyrrachium

After we had left Tirana our first stop was the big city Durrës at the Adriatic coast of Central Albania. Durrës is the most important port city in the country and therefore an economic centre. In terms of population, Durrës is the second largest city in the country after the capital Tirana, 30 km away, and the official seat of the Qark of the same name. Durrës and Tirana together form a metropolitan region. We could find a lot of nice street art here, but the historic buildings from antiquity and the Middle Ages, mixed with modern architecture, are also quite astonishing.

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USA: Charles Samuel Wait – Drag Painting Techniques

Art is interesting, can be a medicine which is working therapeutically on inner emotions and finally doing art possibly becomes a deep passion while expressing yourself. The painter, photographer and writer Charles Samuel Wait started painting around 2010 basically to cope with life struggles. After becoming a hobby the art is now part of his life and developing his bright way. Meanwhile the enthusiastic artist creates amazing works with drag art techniques, he is a nature photographer and published as well the book “A Venture Into”. Not to forget: His deep connection to coffee! Likewise in drinking as well in preparing, he even gave already life shows as a barista.

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NETHERLANDS: Streetart Museum Amsterdam – Gabriele Romagnoli from GRTalk preserves artworks in Virtual Reality

For the past seven years, in collaboration with renown artists worldwide the Street Art Museum Amsterdam – or just SAMA – has built a collection of over 300 pieces that lightens up the walls of one of the most degraded neighborhoods of the city. Many of them are still present in the collection, but around 70% have been removed, demolished or painted over. By the end of this year renovation of the area will start and, even though it is part of the evolution of the urban landscape, the second monumental piece will turn to rubbles. To preserve the artwork long after it will be gone, SAMA together with GRTalk embarked on a project that uses photogrammetry, virtual reality animation and 360° videos to create an experience that merges realities and tell the story of the mural “Fatherhood” from the artist STINKFISH and the already gone artwork “Safety”.

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