COMPUTER SAYS... YES!

Dear valued colleagues. It's taken quite a few twists and turns to complete this issue, Computer Says...Yes! But for better or worse here we are. In this issue we have tried to tease out just what the digital revolution has meant for our lives, but somehow, we have all been too busy just getting on with the realities of life to have got into too much detail on this theme! Even ZAHA HADID pulled her feature on the controversial HEYDAR ALIYEV CULTURAL CENTRE in Azerbaijan at the last minute, (we have stunning photos and a wonderful interview with its project architect SAFFET BEKIROGLU) but on a positive note we have a complete scoop in the form of a series of presentations on CULTURE & THE CITY that were attended by DON ALBERT at Hong Kong's Business of Design Week Conference '09 last week, featuring no less than JEAN NOUVEL, UN STUDIO, ELISABETH DILLER and TOYO ITO amongst others, in what appeared to be a 'guns ablaze' set of pitches for new work on the West Kowloon Cultural District which is in the early stages of a design competition between Sir NORMAN FOSTER, REM KOOLHAAS and ROCCO DESIGN ARCHITECTS. Still on architecture, although some would argue otherwise, MARCOS NOVAK features in this issue with his TURBULENT TOPOLOGIES traveling exhibitions which show that he is, probably more than most, an architect supremely in touch with the computational and poetic capacities of new software and digitally controlled production techniques. In CHIP AND BANG : The use of digital tools in Rock, Brian McFarlane takes a look at the generally uncelebrated use of computer technology in the production of the 'hard rock' and 'metal' music genres. PY-TV regular KLIKTRAK (aka Richard Smith) takes a lighthearted look at the impact of computers on pop culture since the early 20th Century in HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN SAYING “YES, COMPUTER” ? In TO B.I.M. OR NOT TO B.I.M., GORDON JUBBER writes on the growing use of B.I.M in the architecture industry. Drawing from over a decade of experience in 3D, design and lecturing, he attempts to provide architects with an alternative perspective on the use of software in the Architectural design office. In FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT - Fulbright scholar and award-winning local architect and urban designer, Don Albert, discusses a number of recent ‘strategic’ projects in the city of Durban and calls to question the prevailing climate of planning in Durban which is opaque to put it mildly. In TWO MAGNIFICENT MEN AND THEIR NOISE MAKING MACHINES -Travis Lyle from PY-TV spoke to the rapidly-rising stars of the Durban electronica scene, SEAKE. Still on music we have two South African festivals reviewed, ROCKING THE DAISIES by CANDICE HARPER and ROCKING THE GARDENS by Brian McFarlane In ROCK HARD REBOUND CATHERINE DEANE's new SPRING/SUMMER 2010 collection comes into view as we interview Catherine from one of her favourite haunts in Hong Kong, the Bistro Manchu. Our next issue GREENAISSANCE will feature stories on SHANGHAI's WORLD EXPO 2010, which has the Urban Greening theme of "Better City, Better Life", amongst other stories dealing with environmental concerns and the outcomes of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. We know that climate change is of great concern to all of us, and hope that you will be able to share your story of just how you are doing your bit in Art, Architecture, Fashion, Design and Music. Critiques welcome too of course. ITS YOUR FUTURE, YOUR SHOW!