Wired's "Idea Shop": Now Open For Business

Wired Mag--which has always thought of itself first and foremost as an "idea shop"--just announced the latest addition to their online hub of technology and creativity: Wired Opinion, "a new section offering...argument and provocation from some of the world’s most innovative thinkers and doers." They've been prepping over the past few months by inviting "Wire-minded" people like Philippe Starck, James Dyson, Catherina Fake and Neal Stephenson to offer commentary, debate and conversation. 

To offer you a quick example:

Starck wrote about "Creativity, Money and Sex," and the ideal environment to foster creativity. "For me," he said," it helps to live a sort of modern monk's life. I go early to bed and wake up a little earlier than others because the peak - the hormonal peak of creativity - is around seven o'clock in the morning." He adds that this can't be an intoxicated seven am wake up call, one addled by drugs or poisoned by "industrial food." So what's his breakfast of champions? "You have to go to the gym and have a lot of sex." We suppose that's what he meant by modern monk.

You might disagree with Starck (though we're willing to test his theory), and you might also disagree with Stephenson's Inspiration Theory and Hieroglyph Theory, but that's how great conversations start. Which you know is something we'll forever get behind.

So idea generators, get generating: Digest the theories and opinions of those at Wired and then share your own. Head here now.

-- Perrin Drumm

XEX Magazine Expands Its Platform With Help From 3rd Ward Talent

Fashion and culture lovers take note: XEX Magazine has a new issue on the way tomorrow, March 29. The bold, cutting-edge mag (which is pronounced "X") was co-founded by 3rd Ward member and fashion extraordinaire Sailey Williams back in 2009. "I had recently come from being an associate editor for another publication and felt it was time to start my own path," he says. "We wanted to create a platform where we could showcase some of the top and rising creatives in the fashion industry."

And they've created quite a platform indeed. Starting off as a webzine, XEX now produces three print issues a year—two that coincide with the fall and spring fashion seasons and New York's corresponding fashion weeks, as well as an annual men's issue, "XEX-Y," which will debut this June. Many top-notch talents have contributed to XEX, including 3rd Ward members like Dallas Logan (who we featured last year), Adolphous Amissah, Shae Fontaine and Darryl Calmese, just to name a few. "3rd Ward has been a great source when it comes to finding amazing creative talent," Williams says.

Hit the jump for more on XEX, including the scoop on what's in store for their new issue, how to submit your own material as well as images of some of the magazine's sweet covers and spreads.

"As with every issue we focus on the best in fashion, art, photography, and bizarre topics," Williams says. "But this issue we have added some great entertainment features. This issue is celebrity filled, featuring 'XEXclusive' editorials & interviews with Nickelodeon’s own Victoria Justice, Steven Yeun of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Boo Boo Stewart of The Twilight Saga, Dillon Casey of The CW’s Nikita, Ryan Serhant of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listings: New York, Williamsburg’s own Justiin Davis of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and several other actors of television and film. We also have some great designer features with LARUICCI and Sammy B, and an extravagant art story with Sasha Meret."

In addition to upcoming issues, XEX is also the official media sponsor for Brooklyn Fashion Weekend, which takes place at Industry City from March 29 to April 1 and will benefit the MTV Staying Alive Foundation. They also helped keep New Yorkers warm this winter through the New York Cares Coat Drive.

Interested in submitting to (or being featured in) XEX? Hit up submissions@xexmag.com.

-- John Ruscher

Call For Entries // Triple Canopy Seeks Proposals From Writers And Artists

Digital collage with hand-rendered elements from "Origin, Departure," by Alyssa Pheobus & Murad Khan Mumtaz, commissioned through Triple Canopy's 2010 call for proposals.

Interested in publishing your writing or art as something more than just another cookie-cutter web article or blog post? How about submitting a proposal to Triple Canopy, the innovative online journal that we highlighted back in the fall? They've issued their third annual call for proposals and will be accepting applications until February 13 at midnight.

Along with the chance to be featured in an exciting and cutting-edge cultural journal, accepted proposals will get 3-6 months of artistic, editorial and technical support, an honorarium of up to $300, the option of presenting the project in a reading, workshop or discussion, and the opportunity to be featured in Triple Canopy's annual print publication, Invalid Format.

Sounds great, you say? We agree--but you've got work to do. So figure out which of these six project areas your idea falls into and submit away:  

- Research Work: A place for research projects outside academia, such as this piece about former NYC mayor John Lindsay.

- Immaterial Literature: Creative writing such as Tan Lin's The Patio and the Index, Ish Klein's poem Like on the Subject of the Icebreak or Joshua Cohen's Thirty-Six Shades of Prussian Blue.

- Internet as Material: Artwork that uses the Internet as "raw or appropriated material, comparable to acrylic paint or magazine clippings," such as Ellie Ga's A Hole to See the Ocean Through.

- Thinking Through Images: Analysis of popular media and fine art "from nineteenth-century paintings to Internet memes to documentation of current events," such as Ed Park and Rachel Aviv's Only Connect.

- New Media Reporting: an outlet for in-depth multimedia journalism, such as Brian Rosa & Ben Phelps-Rohrs' Tours and Detours: Walking the Ninth Ward.

- New Programming: Exhibitions, panel discussions, performances, film screenings and other events "that examine the intersection of culture, politics, and technology," such as Group Theory's BARTLEBY. A Rereading.

-- John Ruscher

GO HERE NOW // Triple Canopy: Innovative Online Mag & Greenpoint Arts Space

Since it was founded in 2007, a primary goal of Triple Canopy has been "Slowing down the Internet." No, that doesn't mean this online mag is trying to take us back to the days of dial-up modems and painstakingly slow page loads--they're merely asking readers to approach their digital content with the same attentiveness and engagement as they would with print magazines like The New Yorker or Artforum. 

Triple Canopy has achieved that aim with a format that included scrollable virtual magazine pages and has since evolved into dynamic columns that navigate left-to-right by clicking the "-" and "+" symbols or, more conveniently, by using the directional arrows on your keyboard. It's an experience that's much more intuitive than (what we find to be) dizzying webzine layouts. The mag also opts for distinct, themed issues that are published in installments over a number of weeks, rather than short daily posts tailored for maximum page views.

Such a forward-thinking approach to design and user experience is coupled with excellent writing as well as visual and multimedia content, such as contributions from author James McCourt ("The Canticle of Skoozle"), Nation art critic Barry Schwabsky ("Tableaux Mourants: How we look at networked photography and collected copies"), artist and filmmaker Eve Sussman ("Whiteonwhite") and Brooklyn experimental band Zs ("Construction")--but a small sampling of their rich back catalog.

Triple Canopy's innovation has already attracted much acclaim, including a New York Times feature, a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and recognition as a finalist in the National Magazine Awards for "General Excellence Online."

The magazine has also regularly complemented its published work with events and programs throughout New York and in cities including Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris and Sarajevo. This September they finally moved into a permanent space at 155 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, where they'll be be hosting parties and other programming.

"Counterfactuals," Triple Canopy's 14th issue and their first literary issue, is being published right now. They also have a book, Invalid Format: An Anthology of Triple Canopy, on the way and are staging The Future Has Two Faces, a benefit on October 28 featuring green-screen performances by artists including Jacob Ciocci, Shana Moulton and Conrad Ventur.

Bottomline: This is our kind of operation. 

-- John Ruscher

CHECK THIS OUT // New Issue of Boneshaker Magazine Hot in Your Hands

Lovers of bicycles and beauty take note: the sixth issue of Boneshaker, the UK-based quarterly magazine celebrating cycling and the people who do it, is printed and ready for your ogling eyes. The current issue contains features on Sudanese bike-pimping, the Bicycle Film Festival, cycling as religion, along with characteristically quirky art. Check local stores for availability or order from boneshakermag.com. While you’re at it, cruise over to your local bike shop and tell them to stock it!

-- Cara Cannella