The AFA Gallery in New York and Steampuffin present ‘Steampunkinetics Exhibition Art’, an art exhibition dedicated to Steampunk: AFA and Steampuffin are pleased to present “Steampunkinetics,” an exhibition of over forty kinetic sculptures by eighteen artists inspired by and entrenched in the Steampunk aesthetic. Some functional, some frivolous, and all fantastical, the works in this exhibition include lighting, furniture, time machines, submarines, airships, musical instruments, gizmos and gadgets […] An emerging art movement, a creative design solution, a community and a culture; Steampunk is part philosophy and part Victorian Industrial aesthetic. It is a re-imagining of two distinct time periods and the fanciful and functional inventions that are produced. What if the Victorian or Industrial age happened at the same time as our modern or information age – what would have been produced in inventions, innovations, art and gadgets? That is Steampunk. The exhibit is open until September 2nd and if you are in NYC, you have to see it! Chris Conte • 6″ W x 9″ H (includes glass dome) • 2 pounds

Have you ever dreamt to spend a night in a house typical of Jules Verne’s fantasy? Well good news then because I know the place you should go. It’s in France in Morbihan, South Brittany and as you can see on the photos below, everything is in place for you to enjoy your stay and have a great night… If you’re interested or just curious to know more about this place you can rent (as well as tree houses), follow this link (website in French only). When I will be back from my trip, I will have to go there!

Among the books I brought with me outer Space, there is Heartless: The Parasol Protectorate: Book 4 by British author Gail Carriger. Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband’s past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux’s latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant. Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf’s clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama’s second best closet? Alexia is witty, she has a strong character. Author Gail Carriger knows how to entertain with this paranormal Steampunk Britain series of sci-fi or vampire books. No wonder why it’s subtitled: ‘A novel of vampires, werewolves and teapots’. The first book of the series, Soulless, won the ALA’s Alex Award and a manga version was even released…

The Skyship Chronicles is a short Steampunk/Sci-fi action film from director Christian Schwier and producer Jeff Zampino. It will be produced in Fall 2012 by Tampa Bay video production company, and the film is backed from independent donations through crowd funding service Indiegogo. The Plot: Gustav, an evil scientist steals the inventions of a rival inventor. Victory turns to defeat as Gustav learns the inventions are useless without the power source, which the clever inventor has hidden. 30 years later, Adam, a young man from rural Kansas finds the power source while working at a post office. Upon opening the lead-lined box, two women appear from out of nowhere, and carry Adam off, just as Gustav’s skyship appears. After 30 years of hunting, Gustav is on the trail, and he will stop at nothing. The plot is interesting, the film’s scenes will be shot in St. Petersburg which counts many 1920s style buildings. So if you want to support the project, you only have a few hours left, click here! Below, the promo video for The Skyship Chronicles.

I am a big, a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the late 30s were my favorites for a long time until I watched Sherlock, with the incredible (who has a near unpronounceable name but I read somewhere he chose it on purpose) Benedict Cumberbatch and the impressive Martin Freeman (aka Bilbo Baggins) as Dr John Watson. So yes, I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes so I was very excited when I learnt there was Sherlock Holmes Week (30th July – 5th August 2012). They explain on the website: The first week is designed to co-incide with the Olympics in London so that the many fans that will be in the UK will have a chance to join in with London based events. It’s also in the summer as most of the time new series and movies happen in the autumn and the spring – and to be honest, we need a Sherlock fix to keep us going through a long summer. Great Sherlock Holmes Debates There have been two Great Sherlock Holmes Debates so far. November 2011 made history as the first time Holmes fans from 23 countries came together…

It all started with La Mécanique des rêves. The small French association is very creative and its members very talented. So while I was navigating their website, I saw the video they made for Euro-American duo Frenchy and the Punk. And I loved it! The bio on their website says: ‘They’re one of the top-reviewed live acts in the underground cabaret scene today and they have been fan favorites at every major steampunk and faerie convention and festival in the US’ and they defintely are. You can also read: ‘In 2011 Yahoo Music listed French-born singer and percussionist, Samantha Stephenson, as one of “25 Women To Watch” in music and guitarist Scott Helland is listed in the Encyclopedia of Punk with his legendary first band Deep Wound‘. Isn’t it enough already?! Check their video clip below of ‘Yes I’m French’. And while you’re on the Internet, also check the Diaporamas by La Mécanique des rêves; they’re in French but the pictures tell it all 😉  

It’s great to be on board the Sama Airship, but sometimes I want to break the silence. Hopefully I follow some inspired people on Twitter such as Doctor Q who mentioned ‘how amazing the Diablo Swing Orchestra are’. So I watched the video and their new album is indeed epic, I love it! And because a video is worth a million words, just watch the video of the 2012 single “Voodoo Mon Amour” from the news Diablo Swing Orchestra album “Pandora’s Piñata“, released on May 22nd on Candlelight Records (UK/EU) and The Laser’s Edge/Sensory Records (USA/Can).

A few days ago, Airship Ambassador tweeted about a shoot by Chemistry Photography. The post published on Rock n Roll Bride tells it all: “Time travel. Steampunk. Victoriana. Turn of the century industrialism. If you love any of these things then you’re going to die over this shoot, sent over from Ireland by the fabulous Chemistry Photography.” Photographer Kait told Kat Williams, aka the Rock n Roll Bride: “I had been OBSESSING about steampunking out my iMac, my iPhone, and just about every electronic device I own for a few months. So when Kathryn contacted me and said she was dying to do a creative shoot together… it was the first idea that popped into my head. I had been waiting for a good excuse to buy steampunk goggles and a discombulating ray gun. If I were to get married again, I would definitely have a Steampunk wedding. All the elegant goodness of a vintage, Victorian wedding without sacrificing sass and quirk.” This obsession is amazing! You can visit Chemistry Photography website, check the many photos of the shoot on Rock n Roll Bride and below, watch this exquisite video!

Prada got inspired by the Steampunk world with this new line. And I never thought Willem Dafoe would wear Steampunk clothes so well. Tor.com posted about it and was also pleasantly surprised: High end fashion line Prada has just unveiled photos and video of actors Willem “Green Goblin” Dafoe, Gary “Commissioner Sirius Black” Oldman, Garrett “Sam Flynn” Hedlund, and Jamie “TinTin Billy Elliot” Bell wearing their heavily steampunk-influenced fall/winter menswear line. And I totally agree with their last sentence: ‘Somehow, watching Willem Dafoe psych himself up for his evil glare is even scarier than his actual glare…‘. Howesome!

anXiogene is a multi-faceted French artist from the city of Caen. I have been following her work for some time now and she is very talented. Annliz Bonin, a.k.a anXiogene, works with mechanisms and makes beautiful Steampunk alarm clocks; she creates unique dolls and her creative world is diverse, varied and filled with unexpected, surprising and sometimes even sexy creatures… She also created with Futuravapeur, the fantastic ‘Historiettes de Monsieur Sandalette’ (uchronic short stories I will come back to it soon). I selected two pictures to illustrate anXiogene’s work. The first one is her latest alarm clock (left picture); the other one is from a serie of photographs taken in 2010 titled: ‘Belles lépreuses’ (‘Beautiful lepers’), with voluptuously gorgeous models ana and noémie. I invite you to visit her website. Even if you don’t speak French, the pictures talk for themselves…