This is a piece called Unreal Scene (2008) by Chinese artist Liu Jianhua.

Liu Jianhua created this cityscape of Shanghai out of poker chips and dice, which is part of a solo exhibition at Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, Italy.

Check out more unusual cityscapes at Neatorama

Via The Awesomer

Technorati Tags: arts, China, Liu Jianhua, poker chips city, Unreal Scene

Daito Manabe, a Japanese artist and programmer suffers for his art in his latest project: the catchily named “electric stimulus to face - test 3“.

Manabe’s face is made to twitch in time to one of his own digital compositions via a range of strategically placed electrodes.

Captivating, though a little itchy to watch…

Via Creative Review

Technorati Tags: arts, Daito Manabe, Japan, Japanese artist, Japanese programmer, electric stimulus to face - test 3, video

I completely missed the work of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei when it was exhibited at London’s Albion Gallery last November. Photographs of his pieces suggest that a real life experience would be better.

Never mind - Ai Weiwei’s work can be seen on his website at www.aiweiwei.com

Chinese artist and intellectual Ai Weiwei. One of the most outspoken artists in China and known throughout the world, Ai Weiwei works across a wide range of practices, encompassing installation, sculpture, photography, video and architecture.

For the past 15 years, he has consistently been one of the most innovative figures in China’s art world. Through not just his own artistic production, but also via his curatorial and editorial work, his own blog and under his design company, FAKE Design, he is one of the most influential artists currently working in China.

Definitely a guy to look up to.

Via Dezeen

Technorati Tags: Ai Weiwei, arts, China, FAKE Design

Hansel & Gretel (2007) by director Yim Phil-Sung is a South Korean eerie retelling of the fairy tale.

In this horror film, a young man crashes his car late one night in the middle of nowhere and is rescued by a girl who leads him to the ‘House of Happy Children‘.

Welcomed in for the night by a perfectly hospitable family, he soon finds that his place of refuge is something of a trap. Delicately rendered shocks and insidiously creepy images position this fairy-tale frightener in the same world as the films of Jean Cocteau, Mario Bava and Guillermo del Toro - even if you don’t normally like horror films, you may find this an enjoyable way to be frightened.

“This tense little terror outing is the bee’s knees, and should be at the top of your must-see list” Neo
“...a triumph for good, old-fashioned, studio-based film-making” Sight and Sound

If you’re in the UK, Hansel & Gretel is on at London’s ICA between 16th to 29th January, 2009.

Check more details on the ICA website

Technorati Tags: film, Hansel & Gretel, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Korean, London, Yim Phil-Sung, South Korea

You can see this a mile off but it doesn’t make it any less funny!

Via The Best Article Everyday

Technorati Tags: cute kid, entertainment, humour

Fans of Taiwanese singer (and movie star) Jay Chou might wanna get their hands on these guys. Toy2R recently released two different 2.5″ Qees, but they’re only available in Taiwan.

Via Vinyl Pulse

Technorati Tags: Jay Chou, Taiwan, Toy2R, toys

Here’s a cute Hatsune Miku cosplay girl

Via Danny Choo

Technorati Tags: cosplay, Hatsune Miku

This is one impressive sock monkey. For some reason, a buddha subject seems to fit this craft.

Talented husband Jeff makes his wife a new sock monkey every year.

More on the Sock Monkey Flickr set by Jek

Via Craftzine

Technorati Tags: sock monkey