Digbeth is Good » Social media surgery, art, clothes and cake

Social media surgery, art, clothes and cake

Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, October 19th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: bvsc, cow vintage, data.tron, day into night, Fazeley Studios, Ikon Eastside, jordan mckenzie, karen strunks, manzils, nick booth, ryoji ikeda, social media surgery, Vivid

Last Thursday evening was an incredibly varied one for me. It started with the Social Media Surgery organised by Nick Booth in Fazeley Studios, where we gave social media advice and help to people from local voluntary and community groups. This was the Social Media Surgery’s first birthday and it’s come on in leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings as a one-off event in the BVSC building. Many happy returns.

I thought I’d also better check out the art launches of that evening – Ryokji Ikeda’s data.tron at Ikon Eastside (pictured above) and Jordan McKenzie’s live performance piece Day Into Night at VIVID.

Like the blurb said, Ryoji Ikeda’s video art is ‘truly engrossing’ – I found the rows after rows of data speeding by on the big screen kind of hypnotic and I kept glazing over, like my brain was tuning into its white noise. Or maybe I was just a bit tired. The exhibition is on until 8th Nov, shortly after which it will become part of the Ikon Eastside closing party on 12th Nov.

I popped into VIVID on my way back but found I couldn’t really get into it – Jordan McKenzie was in the corner of a cold, dark room repeatedly lighting matches off the wall. I think the best thing about it was the burnt-out match smell that hit me as soon as I walked into the room. You can re-watch VIVID’s recording of the piece.

After that I made my way to Manzil’s curry house for a spot of dinner, but found myself distracted by a late-night student sale at COW Vintage store. This is a great business booster of theirs – give the fresher students an after-dark party of beer, cakes and pumping music and rake in their student loans through the cash tills. It worked, too.

After purchasing a rather fetching yellow bangle, I made my way to Manzil’s on Digbeth High Street to celebrate photographer Karen Strunk’s birthday in style. The curry was up to its usual delicious standard and was nicely polished off with birthday cake and modeling balloons, courtesy of her magician friend Pat.