Russian photographer Valery Katsuba began exploring the aesthetics of acrobatics and gymnastics in a series entitled Phiscultura. Inspired by photographs taken in the gymnasiums of St. Petersburg in 1901 that he discovered in the state archives, he recreated the style of the era to demonstrate the similarities between now and then.

“I naively imagined that fitness centers and gymnasiums were a phenomena of our own time,” Katsuba said. “It was the same back then. People thought you should have a good body. I wanted to know about them… so beautiful and inspired about the future. I was trying to understand the things that do not change with time.”

His latest exhibition continues this theme, but his focus has moved from the gymnasium to the circus. Russia has a famous tradition of acrobatics, though it received a bad image due to the general shadow of negativity cast against all institutions of the former Soviet state. Katsuba’s new photographs are a reminder of the artistry and beauty within those programs of strict physical practice.

The new series, Air Flight. Body Shock, focuses on the art of tissu or silks, in which the acrobat climbs two strands of hanging fabric and twists into complicated knots, poses and falls. In most circus performances, tissu is presented as either too feminine and pretty, or too raw and athletic. Katsuba manages to find a balance between these elements in his presentation of the sport/art.

Particularly stunning is the 1977 video he unearthed from the Russian television archives showing a choreographed performance on the corde lisse.

A public exhibition of Air Flight. Body Shock is open now until December 24 at New York’s Sputnik Gallery, which focuses on contemporary Russian photography.

The Lightning Vest is one cool (and practical too) bike accessory that I’ve recently come across. It’s a hand-netted, highly visible safety vest made from a custom developed 3M reflective material. I want one!

No, it’s not Halloween, yet. But Martin Schoeller explores equality in muscle materialism and shot some incarnated athletes, not complete without lipstick.

Fashion and film are an odd match somehow – what works so well with photography, as in clothes + imagery = seduction, seems to have a hard time to really touch ground with motion film, for some reason. But there is always hope when talented minds such as the guys at Fantastic Man set their mind on something, resulting in a really beautiful series of short movies presenting the latest autumn highlights in ultra slow motion day by day this week, on the performing bodies of professional ice skaters, no less. Nice ice.

Bratwurst + Beer + Boxing at Berlin’s finest beer garden = pretty good deal… at least if you’re not already pigged-out and hungover from Saturday’s amateur soccer + Grill Royal Wurst mayhem, I guess.

Summers without a football cup always feel a little empty, so in the meantime, there are two great little animations by Richard Swarbrick reliving two memorable games of the past season. Great animation, great music, apparently also by the animator himself. (via It’s Nice That)

A very, very old video clip indeed; yet I had to check it out again after seeing this recent b-sides clip (check 05:30 and, of course, 07:43 mins), also starting out with that MADNESS.

This isn’t exactly new, but hey, I just fell in love. See, I like the culture around it, but I never quite understood the appeal of skating as such (unlike someone we know). Until now. And great music, too.

Paul Allen

During a divination, Paul is presented with two boxes containing food, each marked with the flag of a national football team in an upcoming match. He chose the box with the flag of the winning team in four of Germany’s six Euro 2008 matches, and in all seven of their matches in the 2010 World Cup — with Germany’s third place playoff win over Uruguay on 10 July, his success rate rose to 85 percent, with 11 out of 13 matches correctly predicted. He has predicted a win for Spain against the Netherlands in the World Cup final on 11 July by eating the mussel in the box with the Spanish flag on it.

Whilst not haven been right in each and every prediction Paul achieves this heavenly level those stock-brokers would sell their left arm for without hesitation.

For the championship finals he ‘voted’ for Spain. If he is right or wrong, historic it will become anyway as neither the Dutch nor the Spanish won a star this far.