GO HERE NOW // Unconsumption, Your Daily Dose Of Creative Reuse And Mindful Consumption

A few years ago author and journalist Rob Walker coined the term "unconsumption," first writing about it in his Times Magazine column:

Getting new stuff can feel really good. Most everybody knows that. Most everybody also knows — particularly in the aftermath of the consumption-frenzy holiday season — that utility can fade, pleasure can be fleeting and the whole thought-that-counts thing is especially ephemeral. Apart from the usual solution to this problem (more new stuff!), it's worth pondering whether getting rid of stuff can ever feel as good as getting it.

Half a decade later, that idea has blossomed into much more. The Unconsumption Tumblr blog is daily proof that, when you can find a new purpose or home for something, "getting rid" of it can indeed feel wonderful. And so can exploring the countless ways that people around the world reuse and repurpose things.

Walker and a handful of other contributors populate the Unconsumption Tumblr with inspiring examples of creative repurposing, recycling, upcycling, mindful consumption and more. They can be pretty much anything, from a world map made from recycled computer parts to Brooklyn's own Dekalb Market to a plan to recycle decommissioned satellites to resources like Hipcycle.com and ManualsOnline.com. A couple of our favs are the iMacquarium, an iMac repurposed as an aquarium and a chair made out of 10,000 plastic drinking straws.

In addition to its Tumblr, Unconsumption has a wiki, which provides helpful info and tips on the best way to get rid of things you don't want. Walker and company also recently started The Uncollection, which features recycled creations that incorporate Unconsumption's logo, from patches and earrings to dinner plates and stationery.

-- John Ruscher

ESSENTIAL EVENT // THIS SUNDAY: Christopher Rini And BBOX Radio Team Up For Beastie, Biggie, And Beyond

 

Back during our Wind-Up mixer in June, artist and 3rd Ward member Christopher Rini met the folks at BBOX Radio. They both enjoyed each other's work, and four months later they're collaborating on Biggie, Beasties, and Beyond, an exhibition at BBOX Radio. It opens this Sunday, October 30 at 5pm with a lively mix of music and art.

Hit the jump to learn more about Rini's work and the exhibition.

For the show's inspiration, Rini turned toward to two landmark Brooklyn albums, the Beastie Boys' Licensed To Ill and Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die. "I picked two iconic albums that have aged in complex ways," he says. "The Beastie's debut LP featured fold out album art, which I used to love as a kid, so I took the opportunity to address the entire image, with all of its 21st century implications. It's a joke from the past that now has a sense of foreboding."

"The Biggie piece is similar, though with a more somber, final tone," he adds. "The stark composition no longer announces the arrival of arguably the best MC we've ever heard. His predictions, boasts and stories are all we have left. The text that once announced his name and boasted of his fearlessness, now simply mark his entry and exit from the world."

Rini renders these images using "wood stained glass," a style he's been exploring and honing since 2009. "It involves mostly industrial items, where the wood is engraved & burned, and then stained & dyed, usually with a polyurethane finish," he explains.

Taking up a musical theme is natural, as Rini's long been an active musician, playing with Brooklyn's The=Equation for over a decade. During Sunday's opening he'll play drums with a new group, Resonance & Behavior, who'll be making their live debut. "The instrumentation is all electronic, drums, piano and cello, and our repertoire includes Chopin, Philip Glass, Portishead and a few original compositions by our cellist, Elizabeth Glushko," he says.

Check out Biggie, Beasties, and Beyond this Sunday at BBOX Radio, which is located at the Dekalb Market. It starts at 5pm and the music kicks off at 6pm. Rini's artwork will stay up through November 9.

-- John Ruscher 

BBOX RADIO // This Weekend: "Everything Good Times Always Party and Fundraiser"

DJ Ambush, shown here, will be spinning Sunday.

Last week we introduced you to BBOX Radio, the station operated out of a container in Dekalb Market. They have a Kickstarter page going and need $15,000 by October 19 to continue operating, so they're giving a big push in the form of--what else?--a party. 

If you're around this Sunday, October 16, from 3 to 7 p.m., head down to the market. From the sound of things, the party will be stacked: bands, DJs, firedancers, beer, and Cuzins Duzin's doughnuts. In between sets by bands Radio Armada, Steamboat Disasters, Elevator Rose, Princess Chelsea, Peter Swimm, and Intelligent Dancers, will be BBOX DJs on the 1's & 2's.

As if music, booze, doughnuts, and a good cause weren't enough, BBOX donors will also get "thank you" gifts such as original art, mixtapes, and even airtime. So go hang out and help keep your favorite freeform radio station alive.

--Layla Schlack

SHOPBOX UPDATE // 3rd Ward's Dekalb Market Shop Gets a Lift

In the abstract, it's quite cool that a crane can just pick something up as large as a shipping container and move it 200 feet, no sweat. Though if that shipping container houses a shop that you've spent months meticulously curating and arranging, it can be a little terrifying to see it all go down. "I didn't want to watch--but I did," says 3rd Ward's director of retail, Jeffrey Opdyke. "It's like one of those reality TV shows where the characters are drinking too much and falling all over the streets of Italy."

Fortunately, all went well, and SHOPBOX is now right at the entrance to Dekalb Market, as opposed to back by the bathrooms. Opdyke says that once the market saw how beautiful the shop was, they wanted it front and center.

Take a second and watch our video of the death-defying move here:

See? Nothing to it.

A much-relieved Opdyke believes the new locale could serve as a boost for the producers of the goods inside. "I'm excited about these new beautifully hand-turned wooden mallets by Ben Light," Opdyke says. "I'm also really excited about Topo Backpacks. I had to get one for myself, and let me tell you, it may be the best backpack I've ever bought." Opdyke is excited to currently be selling all American-made goods, saying that it's a way for 3rd Warders to see that there is a market for what they're doing.

"The 3rd Ward retail program is just beginning," Opdyke says. "The SHOPBOX was the first iteration of retail for 3rd Ward.  In addition to changing out the products at the SHOPBOX in the upcoming months, we have begun to start selling products at 3rd Ward's flagship location on Morgan Ave."

Dekalb Market is also having a bit of a growth spurt; it's actually doubling in size, with 30 new vendors opening up shop on October 15. One of them will be Jacques Torres, so you'll have chocolate to fuel your shopping adventure, which is key. We're also pretty excited for The {New New} Etsy, a rotating outlet for Etsy vendors. As scary as change may be--especially when it involves a crane--we're thrilled to see things are continuing to grow at Dekalb Market and SHOPBOX.

--Layla Schlack

ESSENTIAL EVENT // This Sunday: The Brooklyn Night Bazaar Lights Up The Dekalb Market

On Sunday, October 9, the Dekalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn will host the Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Inspired by the night markets that are popular across Asia, the event has everything you'll need to enjoy your the Columbus Day weekend. "These are fun gathering places for locals and travelers to eat, drink shop and check out performances all in an animated setting," says the bazaar's organizer, Aaron Broudo. "The Brooklyn Night Bazaar will provide a uniquely Brooklyn version of this great tradition."

In addition to Dekalb Market's regular merchants, the bazaar will include dozens of other vendors, from Eagle Street Rooftop Farm and Luke's Lobster to Bags for the People and The Temporary Tattoo Project. And, of course, don't forget to check out 3rd Ward's SHOPBOX! There will also be a beer and wine garden serving up local brews from Brooklyn Brewery, Long Island's Blue Point Brewing Company, Cooperstown's Brewery Ommegang and Brooklyn Winery.

Portland's YACHT and Brooklyn's own Monogold and Trouble Andrew will kick out the jams, and there will be light and sculpture installation by Brooklyn artist and designer Jason Krugman. You'll even be able to enjoy a friendly game of Pétanque!

The bazaar will be open from 5pm until midnight this Sunday and it's free, except for the live music—grab tickets for that here.

Check out a few videos of Jason Krugman's amazing light sculptures after the jump.

CUC Custom Interactive LED Wall from Jason Krugman on Vimeo.

Breathing LED Sculpture from Jason Krugman on Vimeo.

Firefly Panel Installation from Jason Krugman on Vimeo.

-- John Ruscher

GOOD CAUSE // DeKalb Market Contest Winner BBox Radio Takes to Kickstarter

 

It all started with five friends and a dream of winning a contest. BBox Radio cofounder Katrina Cass says that when she and her friends heard about DeKalb Market's Not Just a Container contest, they wanted to do something that would really reflect the community. Their idea: A radio station simultaneously serves as a performance space where all content would be locally generated and influenced. Turns out it was a good choice--they won.

Courtesy of BBox Radio

Cass says since then, the station has received an incredible amount of support. They had a broadcast student visiting from California who called ahead to volunteer in addition to a slew of local volunteers. The founding members each put in 15-30 hours a week with the station, "but we all still have our day jobs," Cass says.

Their programming is, well, very Brooklyn: underground hip-hop, modern African music, documentaries, and talk from the farmers, chefs, and artists who populate DeKalb Market. They welcome input on what people want to hear. But more than all that right now, they welcome funds. Running a radio station, it turns out, requires a lot of equipment. Online streaming takes more funds.They need $15,000 by October 19 to stay on air, so if you think it's a possibility that you can maybe even help a little, head on over to Kickstarter now.

--Layla Schlack

THIS SUNDAY // Hone Your Urban Farming Skills with 3rd Ward's Dekalb Market Workshops

The Dekalb Market is underway in Downtown Brooklyn, and in addition to our most excellent Shopbox, on Sunday, Sept. 11th, 5-8pm, 3rd Ward is bringing some of its Epicuriosity classes to accompany this farm-fresh party. Here are some highlights of what to expect:

Chickens in the City with Megan Paska: It is perfectly legal to raise your own hens in the city. You will learn how to warm your neighbors to the idea, choose a coop plan, select and order chicks, what to feed your birds, handle hens and much more. Megan Paska raises four egg-laying hens and maintains ten apiaries in Brooklyn, selling her Brooklyn Honey at local markets. She has been seen in Huffington Post, ABC's Nightline, National Geographic and New York magazine. Check out a video on Megan's backyard chicken coop after the jump.

Followed by:

Seed Saving with Zach Pickens: Saving seed from your own garden is a great way to save money and preserve rare plant varieties. We'll teach you the basics of saving seed from your own vegetable and herb plants, giving you a head-start on next year's growing season. Zach Pickens is the farm manager at Riverpark. He also composts, builds bikes from found parts, and makes a mean spicy garlic dill pickle.

We'll also be joined by the Brooklyn Grange, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, CUNY City Tech, and more. Hope to see you there!

And now for that video:

 

IT'S HERE // The 3rd Ward SHOPBOX at the Dekalb Market Reinvents Retail

Photos by Liz Clayman

What's green, part-department store window, part-automat and part-robot? We won't leave you scratching your head too long, because we're dying to show you the 3rd Ward SHOPBOX, which we gave the New York Times a sneak peak of last week.

The SHOPBOX, located at the Dekalb Market (where we've also been farming and hosting free workshops), is a retail store from the future. Anyone can browse the stunning window displays, which showcase American-made products like Topo backpacks, a Mopha tool roll and a Makerbot 3D printer. See something you fancy? Send a quick text message or buy online at www.3rdward.com/shopbox and it's headed for your doorstep.

As with the rest of Dekalb Market's vendors, all of the magic takes place within a converted shipping container. We've spruced it up quite a bit though, with spinning, multi-level pedestals and a colored light program, all orchestrated using experiential design software.

Yes, the SHOPBOX is as cool as it sounds (just look at the pictures below), and yes, you need to pay it a visit ASAP. It's right by the market's main entrance, so you can't miss it. Window shopping is, of course, welcome.

More photos of the SHOPBOX after the jump.