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StrangeSights: One original artwork and 999 copies; Jerusalem’s talking bin; and, Germany’s ‘Beard Olympics’…

Jerusalem talking trash can

DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…

A thousand Andy Warhol sketches have been sold for $US250 each – but only one of them was by the actual artist. The Brooklyn-based MSCHF collective sold the pictures – includng an original Andy Warhol sketch titled Fairies as well as 999 copies made by a machine with artificially aged paper to match the original – in a projected named ‘Museum of Forgeries’. The real artwork, which has an estimated value of $US20,000, was randomly mixed with the copies. “By forging Fairies en masse, we obliterate the trail of provenance for the artwork,” the collective said on its website. “Though physically undamaged, we destroy any future confidence in the veracity of the work. By burying a needle in a needlestack, we render the original as much a forgery as any of our replications.”

Jerusalem talking trash can

An Israeli man walks a dog near a trashcan installed next to a bus stop that applauds to those who use it, in Jerusalem, on Thursday, 14th October, 2021. Drop a piece of trash in, and a recording of a child’s voice says “Thank you very much!”. PICTURE: AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner.

If all you ask is for a simple thanks in return for not littering, this is the trash can for you. A bin installed next to a bus stop in Jerusalem earlier this month applauds those who use it. Drop a piece of trash in, and a recording of a child’s voice says “Thank you very much!” It’s part of an initiative by local residents to clean up the streets in the Pat neighbourhood of the city. Jerusalem is known for its world-famous religious sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. But it’s also a congested modern city of nearly one million residents, with the earthly blights of traffic, potholes and litter. The trash cans, which also have popped up in some European cities, are equipped with solar panels, sensors and a device that expresses appreciation in a variety of voices when anything is dropped in. “Our neighbourhood is dirty and and we want to make a difference,” said Talya Tomer, a local resident and street artist. “We want to have clean, clean streets that look nice and are nice to walk in.” In keeping with the Jewish Sabbath, a volunteer switches the device off every Friday at sundown. Similar bins that speak or make funny noises have been deployed in London, Berlin and other cities to discourage littering. The Jerusalem municipality is offering support for such initiatives in order to improve the appearance of the city.

 • Mustaches and beards of all sizes and shapes could be seen at the annual beard competition in the south Bavarian town of Eging am See on Saturday as the German town hosted the annual ‘Beard Olympics’. Around 100 proud beard wearers took part in the contest with categories including ‘Mustache Dali’,  ‘Whiskers Freestyle’, and ‘Full Beard Natural with Styled Upper Lip’. One of the winners, Ralf Schulz, has been wearing his beard for seven years. Christian Feicht, of the East Bavarian Beard and Moustache Club said the secret to a well-groomed beard started with the basics – hairspray and a hairdryer. “On the mustache you use mustache wax, some swear by wax, some swear by hair mousse, but the good old hairspray and the hairdryer are the basic things.”

AP, Reuters TV

 

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