Wednesday 15 July 2015

What"s Hiding In The Hollows Of These Trees Is Morbid, Yet Strangely Beautiful

In the remote South Sulawesi region of Indonesia lives a small group called the Toraja. This tiny community appears to have the most elaborate funeral ceremonies on the planet. From the intricate embalming process that preserves bodies for weeks (sometimes even years) to the tree burials of deceased newborns, it seems the Toraja don’t fear death, but instead revere it as a necessary and beautiful part of life.




When a member of the Toraja people dies, their bodies aren’t buried into the ground. They are instead put into elaborate cave tombs dug into the mountain. Before this can happen, there is the Rambu Soloq, a series of funeral ceremonies that lasts for several days.


When a member of the Toraja people dies, their bodies aren




The ceremonies don’t take place immediately after death. First, the body undergoes an intricate embalming process that keeps it preserved until the family raises sufficient funds for a funeral party.


The ceremonies don




The ceremony begins with a mass slaughtering of animals. Tens of buffalo and hundreds of pigs are killed, all while young boys catch blood into bamboo sticks as a game.


The ceremony begins with a mass slaughtering of animals. Tens of buffalo and hundreds of pigs are killed, all while young boys catch blood into bamboo sticks as a game.







The cave tombs are then dug into the mountainside. This process can take months to finally finish.


The cave tombs are then dug into the mountainside. This process can take months to finally finish.




If the rock is too dense, wooden platforms like these are suspended from the cliffs.


If the rock is too dense, wooden platforms like these are suspended from the cliffs.




Then a “Tau Tau,” a wooden effigy of the deceased, is placed on a cave wall along with those of their ancestors.


Then a Tau Tau, a wooden effigy of the deceased, is placed on a cave wall along with those of their ancestors.




The Toraja villages are brimmed with these dolls.


The Toraja villages are brimmed with these dolls.




Infants are not buried in caves, but are instead buried inside the hallows of trees.


Infants are not buried in caves, but are instead buried inside the hallows of trees.




As the tree heals over its hole, it is believed that the baby is absorbed into it, giving it strength.


As the tree heals over its hole, it is believed that the baby is absorbed into it, giving it strength.




(via Amusing Planet)


Every year or so, the mummified bodies of the deceased are brought out of the caves so that the Torajan people can celebrate “Ma’Nene,” an ancient celebration of the dead. The bodies are dressed up and paraded around the village for one last goodbye. Though this is incredibly morbid, it’s a unique and fascinating way to celebrate someone’s life in the community.




What"s Hiding In The Hollows Of These Trees Is Morbid, Yet Strangely Beautiful

He Went Swimming With Sharks...And Experience Most People"s Worst Nightmare

When divers sign up to swim with great white sharks, they don’t expect said sharks to actually break through their metal safety cage. However, that’s exactly the situation two divers found themselves in several years ago.


The brave pair thankfully managed to capture the terrifying moment on film. Check out the shocking footage below. You won’t believe how close they were to death.






(via Great White Shark)


The crew on the boat used a lure to attract great whites to the cage area. One of the creatures got a bit overzealous and grabbed the bait at full speed. This didn’t leave much time for the two-ton shark to turn around before ramming the cage.


Luckily, neither of the divers were hurt during the incident. It’s a good thing they listened to the safety briefing, otherwise they would have ended up as fish food.




He Went Swimming With Sharks...And Experience Most People"s Worst Nightmare

This Special House In The Middle Of A Forest Is So Cool, You"ll Be Speechless

We’re no strangers to invisible houses here at VN, but the soon-to-be Mirror House is one of the more impressive structures when it comes to the head-scratching factor. The house, deigned by Polish architecture firm Reform Architekt, is slated to be built in a wooded area outside Warsaw. It is still in its concept phases, but these images show what it will look like. That means that the photos you see here are mock-ups, created with digital imaging programs, but the actual house will look much the same. The structure will also rely on real-world materials to achieve the illusion.




The house, designed chiefly by Marcin Tomaszewski, seems to float above the ground. Really, it




From the front, the house appears to be slightly more sensible. Certain areas, like a panel between the white upper level and wood-paneled lower level, feature the mirrored finish. This look gives it a disjointed, floating appearance.










With the doors open, the interior of the house seems to appear in midair like a mysterious portal.




This is the actual shape of the house, with the lower level reaching further forward than the upper level.




(source Reform Architekt)


The house doesn’t exist yet, but Tomaszewski was kind enough to release his concept photos. If you’re interested in the design, you can see more projects over on the architecture firm’s website. We just hope that no one runs into this house by accident when it’s completed.




This Special House In The Middle Of A Forest Is So Cool, You"ll Be Speechless

Instead Of Burying You, This Company Will Do Something Infinitely More Strange

Italian designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel recently introduced a new burial technique with the potential to change the world. They call it the Capsula Mundi project, and it’s a shockingly simple concept.




Rather than burying dead bodies in wooden boxes in the ground, bodies are placed in a biodegradable sack like the ones below.


Rather than burying dead bodies in wooden boxes in the ground, bodies are placed in a biodegradable sack like the ones below.




The sack is then buried in the ground, with a tree planted above.


The sack is then buried in the ground, with a tree planted above.







The premise is that as the tree grows, it will use the nutrients produced by the human body as it decomposes. The designers wish for cemeteries to eventually look more like forests.


The premise is that as the tree grows, it will use the nutrients produced by the human body as it decomposes. The designers wish for cemeteries to eventually look more like forests.




Here’s a diagram of the whole process.


Here




At the moment, a law in Italy doesn’t allow for Citelli and Bretzel’s vision. According to Italian law, coffins can only be made from wood. However, the pair is gaining public support for their mission and working with officials to have the law changed.


At the moment, a law in Italy doesn




(via aplus)


The concept of becoming a tree when you die is admittedly pretty cool. It’s at least much cooler (I think) than rotting in the ground for eternity. I hope the two manage to make this work in Italy, and that the United States isn’t far behind.


You can learn more about the Capsula Mundi project here.




Instead Of Burying You, This Company Will Do Something Infinitely More Strange

When His Dad Was Too Drunk To Drive, This 7-Year-Old REALLY Stepped Up

Most ads on TV for beers tell you to drink responsibly and never drive when you are drunk. It’s a really dangerous thing to do that could injure not only yourself, but other people as well. So what do you do when you are too drunk to drive and you are with your 7-year-old son?


Well, this dad had the answer and boy, is it a doozy.




This father let his 7 year old son drive him home when he was too drunk to drive himself home.


This father let his 7 year old son drive him home when he was too drunk to drive himself home.




The child was driving a tractor with his father sprawled out in the back all the way home, which was over 12 miles away.


The child was driving a tractor with his father sprawled out in the back all the way home, which was over 12 miles away.




The wild ride took place in the Chinese city of Yizhou. Hopefully, this was the first (and only) time this has happened…


The wild ride took place in the Chinese city of Yizhou. Hopefully, this was the first (and only) time this has happened...




(via RocketNews)


Drinking and driving is bad…but this might be even worse.




When His Dad Was Too Drunk To Drive, This 7-Year-Old REALLY Stepped Up

Friday 12 June 2015

It"s Hard To Tear Your Eyes Away From This Vintage, Yet Futuristic, Art

There’s a lot more going on in the paintings of Modestas Malinauskas than initially meets the eye. His fantastical, richly-layered images show a world full of strange, massive vehicles that appear to be patched together from various materials, resulting in an object that’s both mysterious and whimsical.




Flight


iFlight/i




Magic Ship


iMagic Ship/i




Flying


iFlying/i




With their rusty-looking, bolted-together parts, these ships and aircraft could easily be a bit on the sinister side, but Malinauskas lightens the mood in each painting with bright, saturated colors and and a humorous shape to each vehicle. So instead of looming Franken-vehicles, they become quirky, endearing-looking ships ready to ferry us off to a magical land.







On the Coast


iOn the Coast/i




Back to Home


iBack to Home/i




Ship


iShip/i




Dirigible


iDirigible/i




Seemingly cobbled together from salvaged parts, these ships of sea and air hint at another world, a fantasy world where things are a little…different. Malinauskas doesn’t elaborate on who made and operates these fantasy ships, or where they might be going, leaving it up to the viewer to fill in the story. For his part, Malinauskas says that his paintings are inspired by “dreams and play,” and that his images come from places of happiness and positivity.







The Last One


iThe Last One/i




To a Date


iTo a Date/i




Ship II


iShip II/i




Ship


iShip/i




Besides these vessels, Malinauskas also paints images of still life, including some teapots that seem to inform the shape of his ships, and you can see those on his website and gallery site. While painting, Malinuskas can be found in his studio along with his wife, who is also an artist and known for her handmade dolls.




It"s Hard To Tear Your Eyes Away From This Vintage, Yet Futuristic, Art