Just caught wind of what looks to be a pretty interesting new peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Urban Cultural Studies which is set to launching its first issue in late-2013 (or 2014). The main remit of the journal seems to be articles giving balanced weight to, on the one hand, matters broadly related to urban … Continue Reading
London 2012’s layers of mediation
Though in hindsight it seems almost obvious, ‘London 2012’ has been made present to Londoners not so much in things like transport chaos (which, despite expectations, doesn’t seem that bad so far) but in the layers of mediation related to the event which have descended on London in the past few weeks. Rather suddenly, around … Continue Reading
Without irony, city ranking magazine Monocle tells us how media makes a city
London-based travel and lifestyle magazine Monocle has published its annual ranking of what it describes as the top 25 liveable cities around the world. Coming out on top this year is Zurich, and no doubt happy to edge into the 25th spot of this top-flight group is its French Swiss cousin Geneva. If we regionally … Continue Reading
This Space Available: screening and panel at the Open City Docs Fest
The UK premiere of This Space Available (Gwenaëlle Gobé / 2011 / USA / 90’) will be screening within the Open City Docs Fest on Sunday 24 June at 14:00 in the Darkroom (near UCL Torrington Place). Following the event, I will be chairing a panel involving the director Gwenaëlle Gobé alongside other panellists, including … Continue Reading
Forthcoming at the Tate Modern: Peter Sloterdijk in conversation with Nigel Thrift
On Saturday 16 June 2012, 14.00–16.30, the Tate Modern will host a conversation between German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk and British geographer Nigel Thrift. For a while I’ve harboured a curiosity – still largely uninformed – about Sloterdijk’s ‘sphereology’ which is encapsulated by his three-volume magnum opus Spheres (taking in bubbles, globes and foam). I think, … Continue Reading
Two positions on the UGRG
The RGS-IBG‘s Urban Geography Research Group (UGRG) is now in the process of filling two positions on its committee: the Secretary; and the Treasurer. It seems like a long time ago now, but I served five years on the UGRG (2003-08) – technically one year beyond the normal four year term – first as a … Continue Reading
Harman’s politics of particularities?
I am a fairly regular reader of Graham Harman’s blog Object-Oriented Philosophy. Partly, of course, because his philosophy interests me, especially its implications for thinking about media, even though I certainly couldn’t claim to be doing object-oriented media research (there’s a lot of that, e.g. soon-to-be-former Birkbeck student Paul Caplan, and several of the contributions … Continue Reading
Event next week: The Art Market and the Art Museum
Matthew Morgan, a PhD student who I co-supervise with Ben Cranfield, is organizing an interesting seminar next week on The Art Market and the Art Museum, to be hosted by Birkbeck’s Centre for Media, Culture and Creative Practice. The event, and Matthew’s research, touches in part on the relations museums have with cities as well … Continue Reading
Media and cities in the Global South: questioning the questions
I recently participated in an Urban@LSE sponsored event titled Visible Cities: International Media Portrayals of Cities in the Global South. This event – a full video recording of which is available above – brought together urban geographers, media theorists and practical journalists to discuss how media tend to portray cities in the Global South. I … Continue Reading
Being a multidisciplinary researcher – with help
Bradley Garrett, author of Place Hacking – a key blog for urban explorer geeks with an added tinge of bravery – has recently announced he’s started up a very interesting business venture: Academic Media Productions, basically an audio/visual media service that partners with academic researchers. Last year I seemed to get quite worked up about … Continue Reading