In a conference given in 1966, Michel Foucault conceptualized the human body as the point zéro du monde, literally the starting point of the world. Quintessentially, from its lines or through its depth, a body lays out the universe and determines, even politically, one’s connection to his environment.

Although physical, as any frontier it is an agent of inclusion or banishment. Ultimately, a ravaged body sentences its owner to a form of social exile.

My friend Antoine Catala told me about a museum in Paris that somehow classified some of these exiles. It collects casts of skin diseases.

Located within the walls of the Hospital Saint-Louis, the Musée des maladies de peaux owns 4807 pieces predominantly manufactured by Jules Baretta between 1884 and 1913.

Michel Foucault, Le corps utopique, Radio feature: France Culture, 1966
French, no subtitles (sorry).

more about him here.

Pretty cool hand cut paper works by Jen Stark.

They step off the stool, swagger to the dance floor and do the I-only-want-to-do-you-in-the-face dance so they’re not so scared of you.

The article is by David Bennewith. HAVE A LOOK HERE!

It ends this way:

I would propose not simply more design criticism, but instead the notion of design criticism being more specific, focussed and engaged, building on the work of a few still surviving publishers of serials focussed on graphic design (and its more immediate borders) and that are independent, attentive, invaluable, curious, spirited and constructive: The University of Reading’s Typography Papers (Hyphen Press), Rhode Island School of Design’s Visible Language and also The National Grid, Baseline Magazine, etc.

Look for Dexter Sinister’s new magazine titled Bulletins of The Serving Library!

I want yr sx (TBA version) by thebrownacid

The dissection of a young, beautiful woman directed by J. Ch. G. Lucae (1814-1885) in order to determine the ideal female proportions. Chalk drawing by J. H. Hasselhorst, 1864.

Machine Project is a non-profit community space in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles investigating art, technology, natural history, science, music, literature, and food (more keywords here). In their Echo Park storefront, they produce events, workshops, and site-specific installations using hands-on engagement to make rarefied knowledge accessible.

Outside of the storefront, they operate as a loose confederacy of artists producing shows at locations ranging from the Santa Monica beach to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They’re currently developing a year long project exploring how visitors experience the Hammer Museum.

Notably, they are organizing in February their very first online writing workshop intitled “Online Writing Workshop in Experimental Science Fiction”, with instructor Mark von Schlegell.

As told on their website, “the class will explore experimental science fiction through readings, discussions and writing workshops. Drawing on readings from the Book of Elijah through to Samuel Delany and beyond, the course will explore how science fiction as a genre works and how to push it to its limits. Students will also write and submit original sci-fi writing in an online workshop and receive feedback from their peers and from Mark.”

Isn’t that super cool? Check the other classes and workhops HERE !!