The line-up is huge and although Snoop Dogg has pulled out there are plenty of other artists and DJ’s to keep you entertained. The list includes DJ Shadow, Example, Groove Armada, Fatboy Slim, Labrinth, The Vaccines, Chase & Status, The Whip and loads more.

As one of the largest and most highly regarded resorts in the world Mayrhofen is completely taken over for a week long party of hedonistic adventure and extreme sport. The resort also boasts some of Europe’s most lavish spas so you can relax and enjoy the amazing spring sunshine and snowy mountains of one of Europe’s most snow-sure, late season winter resorts. The nearby Tux glacier (Austria’s highest lifted point) is also only a short (free) bus ride away, and although open all-year round, it’s at its best in spring.

Snowbombing is an entertainment and accommodation package, where you can choose a variety of accommodation options to suit your preferences and budget; from 5 star luxury Spa hotels, to pocket friendly pensions.

You can add a variety of extras to build a package to suit you including a variety of lift passes, bespoke parties, including the infamous Arctic Disco and the bonkers Backcountry Party plus ski & snowboard lessons, equipment hire and airport transfers.

Prices start from £289 for accommodation and all the entertainment.

1 WEEK / 14 UNIQUE VENUES / 5 MOUNTAIN STAGES / 4 IGLOO RAVES / 5,000 STRONG STREET PARTY / 1 AWARD WINNING BOARD PARK / 18 SPAS AND POOLS / 639KM OF PISTE

Snowbombing 2012
April 9-14
Mayrhofen, Austria

Tell us a bit about your style?
I work predominantly through Collage, whether it be by hand or digitally mainly because I enjoy having the freedom to work with layout and composition without having to commit straight away. It also suits my perfectionist tendencies.

Where did you find the images for the Everything is Beautiful series?
All the images in the series are photos taken by my Grandad in his younger days. He passed them all over to me in a small suitcase and I fell in love with them straight away. Alot of them feature my family, including my Mum as a toddler.

What was the inspiration behind them?
I really love old Black & White photography, and I particularly loved how all the photos were square rather than rectangular. I worked digitally so not to damage the original photographs, and I wanted to inject a sense of life and atmosphere into them. I had the idea to overlay vibrant colours and textures to highlight particular elements of the photograph and the first piece I created (and my favourite) was with the pigeons, I feel it truly captures what this series is all about, how when you start to take notice, everything really is beautiful.

What would be your dream client and / or commission?
I’d love the opportunity to adapt my collage work to a really large scale, maybe a shop window or a big wall mural. I’m also considering putting all of the Everything is Beautiful series together as a book, but at the moment it’s still growing so that’ll have to wait a while.

We love a bit of analogue lomo fun and on the 23rd January the Pop Up will launch hosting workshops (see our sister publication AREA CULTURE GUIDE for Workshop competitions), for first-timers and old school lomographers, along with a host of exciting new product launches.

LAUNCH PARTY INVITATION

On Thursday 26th January from 6pm–9pm come and party to help us celebrate the launch of this fabulous pop up store! DJ, drinks, goody bags and more will be courtesy of Lomography so come along and say hi!

WIN

January’s competition is to win a very cool Lomokino camera; The 35mm Movie Camera that lets you shoot a movie of 144 frames on any 35mm film.

TO ENTER

For a chance to win one of these cameras please email competitionsuk [@] lomography.com with the word FUSED in the subject box. At the end of each month Lomography will randomly pick one entry from that month to win a camera.

However, never fear as everyone’s a winner! You can get 10 piggy points (£10) to spend in the lomography online shop when you sign up for your very own lomohome with this link.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS

Lomography – come and experience what it’s all about here:
NEW NEW NEW Lomography Pop Up Store Birmingham (Until end April) – 0800 123 400  ext. 56772

By entering this competition you agree to be added to the lomography mailing list. We will not share your data with anyone, or send you any old rubbish, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

What the Hell is Lomography?

The Lomographic Society International is a globally-active organization dedicated to experimental and creative snapshot photography. Boasting over a half-million members across the world, the concept of Lomography encompasses an interactive, vivid, blurred and crazy way of life. Through our constantly expanding selection of innovative cameras & photographic accessories, we promote analogue photography as a creative approach to communicate, absorb, and capture the world. Through the efforts and skill of our Lomographic Society members, we seek to document the incredible planet around us in a never-ending stream of snapshots – literally a global “Lomographic” portrait as seen through the eyes of countless individuals and cultures.

For further information, hi res images, participation as our guest in any of the Lomography workshops, attendance to the launch party and just about anything else you can think of asking…please get in touch and we will do our very best to help.

Check out the other LOMO stores in the UK:
Lomography Gallery Store Soho – 020 7434 1466
Lomography Gallery Store East London – 020 7426 0999
Lomography Gallery Store Manchester – 0161 228 2360

Thanks to Cooler King Hilts for the images.

Featuring a group of contemporary photographers including: Rob Carter, Harry Cory Wright, Rick Giles, Ken Griffiths, Paul Hill, Jane Hilton, Josef Hoflehner, Peter Newman, Sam Pelly, Wim Wenders and David Yarrow the exhibition features works from each artist’s unique and varied perspective of the landscapes and environments which inspire them.

From natural phenomenon to immense urban structures, the photographs featured convey a strong sense of location. Carefully considering their environments, these artists capture an experience of being in a place. Their personal and evocative relationship with the space around them is articulated, revealing atmospheres from wonderment or adventure to solitude and loneliness.

20th January – 17th March, 2012
Eleven, 11 Eccleston Street, London, Sw1w 9lx.

Image credits:

Jane Hilton: Mustang Interior, Nevada Desert, 2008, C-Type hand print, 23 x 28 in / 58.5 x 71 cm, Edition of 10

Wim Wenders: The Black Car, Havana, 1998, Lightjet print, 41 x 95 ½  x 2 in / 103.5 x 242.2 x 5 cm, Edition 6 plus 2 artist proofs

The range of Camisoles, slips and petticoats will add chic glamour to your mood even if you’re outerwear is screaming otherwise.

Starting from £35 the range is available the Tara Starlet website.

Tara Starlet is a vintage inspired fashion line with responsible ethics and a timeless charm. Created, and run by a mother and daughter team, Tara Starlet is a family business, born out of a shared passion for the glory days of the 1940s and ‘50s, and a mutual concern for the well being of our planet and it’s inhabitants.

Taking their inspiration from the original Pin-up paintings and silver screen starlets like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe the site is full of beautifully re-made and re-modelled styles that are finished with original trimmings, buttons and fabrics.

Please note – the bras are not included in the range.

Amongst the list the Olympic Torch (Product) makes an appearance along with Beck’s Green Box project (Digital), Sarah Burton’s Wedding Dress design for Kate Middleton (Fashion), Why Not Associates‘ Comedy Carpet (Pictured) and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner (Transport) – the scale of items are quite impressive.

All of the nominations will be on show at the Designs of the Year exhibition at the Design Museum from 8 February – 15 July 2012. From this comprehensive list of nominations, a prestigious jury will select the seven category winners and an overall winner for the Design of the Year 2012. The winners will be announced at an Awards Night held at the Design Museum on 24 April.

DESIGN MUSEUM, SHAD THAMES, LONDON SE1 2YD
OPENING: 10.00 -17.45 daily. Last admission: 17.15
Admissions: £10.00 Adults, £9.00 Concessions, £6.00 Students, under 12s Free.
020 7940 8790
designmuseum.org

Eating in Little India

It was getting late (around 10pm) when we headed down Serangoon Road. There was plenty of activity with the bright lights of Deepavali celebrations but it seemed that most cafes had closed up for the Saturday night.

Stumbling upon an outdoor square with people eating we headed for a much-needed refreshment of a beer in the sticky, humid night air. Befriending an elderly gent (who didn’t actually work there as we later found out) he lead us to a stall whose lager offer didn’t stretch below 8% (when Special Brew is the lowest alcohol content on offer in the fridge you know you should probably turn around). So of course we bought a bottle of Premium Strength Kingfisher – it looked and sounded the least harmful of the choice (Haywards 5000, Godfather, and the aforementioned Special Brew).

With bemused glances from our fellow drinkers our elderly friend informed us the area was for ‘local workers’ unbeknown to us we were sitting in the middle of a potential staff canteen.

After the delightfully tasting lager-syrup concoction we went on the search for food. At 10.30pm this appeared a tall-order for Little India. We had walked through a pungent smelling Hawker Centre (indoor food hall) and a few non-beer serving indian veggie restaurants.

After dodging the traffic and doing as the locals seem to – close your eyes, run across a busy road and hope you don’t get knocked over – we found Jungle Tandoor.  This weirdly themed north indian restaurant is full of odd animal paraphernalia. While we’re not sure where squirrels and rabbits sit happily with Lions, White Tigers and Polar Bears – with a few red indians thrown in along Bhuddist Monk – thank goodness the food was more authentic than the decor.

The BBQ Tandoori Chicken was just on the right side of hot and full of flavour. The mains included Fish Biriani and Chicken Methi Malay which were nice twists on our usual balti houses back home.

Shopping on Haji Lane

Hang out with Singapore’s cool kids on Haji Lane where independent boutiques line the entire stretch of this skinny road in the Arab Quarter.

From beautifully made bikes in grass green, sky blue and orange with brown leather trims and, most importantly, shiny white tyres at Tokyo Bike to reasonably priced bags, accessories and uber-cute clothes from the lovely Blog Shop there is a multitude of great things to choose from.

There’s vintage-inspired handmade items and designer wear but be warned – these items are made for the smaller Asian frame.

If you fancy a spot to eat there are plenty of cute and inexpensive cafes and sheesha bars to choose from. It is pretty cheap to eat in the area (SGD $5.50/£2.75 for a bowl of noodles with prawns and pork). You’ll get basic but tasty and nourishing food to keep you going for the rest of your shopping trip.

Where to go for Culture

Armenian Street is the heart of the ‘Culture Quarter‘ and has several good spaces to check out. PEEK! sells cult photography items from Lomography and Superheadz and is an analogue phorographer lovers dream. It nt only looks great and is full of lovely items but there is also a gallery space to give you inspiration on what to do with your newly purchased kit.

Meanwhile local artists take up residency in The Substation where a gallery space showcases work in Singapore’s first independent contemporary arts centre. You can see a mix of critically acclaimed artists with new up-and-coming talent depending on the day you visit.

Set over 4-floors Art Plural inhabits an impressive art deco building and presents solo and group exhibitions along with public art projects, conferences and installations. You’ll need to press the buzzer to get in but don’t be intimidated; the staff are friendly and helpful and willing to walk you around the space and tell you about the work if you wish.

Where to Stay

Set within the tranquil surroundings of Fort Canning Park (which hosts the occasional concert – on the night we arrived it was ‘retro night’ with Human League) Hotel Fort Canning opened in November 2010 after an extensive two and a half year refurbishment (costing SGD$70m) from its former use as a club house.

The hotel was originally built in 1926 and used for the British Far East Command Centre as a military base for personnel. With a vantage point on the hill of Singapore’s River (since hidden by buildings and skyscrapers)  the park and area is steeped in history. So much so that the hotel has remnants from an archaeological find with pieces on display integrated in to the lobby floor under glass. The displays showcase pottery pieces from the 14th century and contrasting them with the finds of the 19th century and early British occupation.

The sympathetic refurb has discovered many of the period pieces of the building and the design has taken the surroundings of the park and planted them firmly in the rooms. With the use of wood, soft furnishings in golds and greens there are no photo’s or art on the walls rather mirrors, lighting and feature fabric headrests to the ceiling.

The ‘open’ concept of a large free-standing deep bath tub in the middle of some of the rooms might strike you as odd – especially if you’re sharing the room with a friend rather than partner – but it makes for a fun experience. Other rooms have a separate bathing area but with the ability to open the blinds and look out from the tub.

The inspiration for the concept comes once again from outdoors and the park which in the 14th Century was home to the royal bath house. These touches recently lead to the hotel winning Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Architectural Heritage Award for the careful preserving and integrating of the heritage icon.

In contrast one of the hotel’s dining areas is set within a recently added Glass House building. The space also includes a hi-tec gym and a spa. Joining the old with the new are two outdoor pools; one for lengths and one for splashing with the addition of very nice poolside furniture and day beds.

The boutique hotel has 86 rooms all with original conservation doors with glass panels that look out on to the lush park or cityscape. Just a 10 minute walk to the popular Clarke Quay area for drinks and food and a five minute hop to shopping onOrchard Road the hotel is in a perfect place to visit Singapore.

Nice touches:
-Free Wireless to keep on contact at home and tweet pictures of the bath tub
-Cocktails from 6-8pm – what is not to like about that?
-The Zepplin Mini to charge your iPhone
- Period Patio doors that open out on to lush green palm trees

The details: Hotel For Canning, hfcsingapore.com, +65 6559 6770
11 Canning Walk, Singapore 178881

OASIA HOTEL

One of Singapore’s newest hotels (officially opened in October 2011) OASIA is a glass tower with contemporary styled rooms and an impressively high-ceilinged foyer with beautiful raw wood features. Offering an awesome vista of Singapore’s landscape the hotel teeters happily between business and pleasure clients and offers an impressive list of facilities.

The hotel sits in the Novena District and just outside the hustle and bustle of the city (but only 2 short MRT stops away Orchard Road shopping area) and has the feel of a much more intimate hotel than its 428 rooms might suggest.

One of the jewels in Oasia’s crown has to be the 22nd Floor ‘Living Room’. Open to Oasia Club guests you’ll get to swim in one of Singapore’s highest hotel views with stunning views of the skyline or relax in the Jacuzzi. There are sun loungers if you need some R&R from the city and complimentary cocktails and canapes are served up by the friendly and helpful staff from 6pm to 8pm.

The unfussy rooms are inspired by ‘natural elements’ and give full use of natural light to compliment the wood flooring and furnishings.

Nice touches:
-The use of natural materials throughout the hotel
-The gorgeous Living Room pool
-Using the complimentary WiFi while sipping cocktails
-The fab views – especially in a thunderstorm

The details: Oasia Hotel Singapore, 8 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307470, Tel: +65 6664 0333
http://www.oasiahotel.com

It starts Saturday 7th with a launch event between 2-4pm and the show will run for 6 weeks.

Go check it out!