RUNNING OF THE UNICORNS

A rumble permeates from below the surface of the ship signaling the start of the engines. The day is clear. A zephyr lifts any leftover concerns tied to the day-to-day we are leaving behind high into the stratosphere. More fuel for the Sun! After a few moments, an industrial complex of buildings and silos resembling a space station comes into focus to our right. My associates indicate that it must be this or that…I know it as the moon base of cosmic energy and love that serves as the point of no return. It is an ethereal landmark, halfway between the mainland and the Design Hotel in Troia. Somewhere between surrealism and sanity. It’s an idea factory in the middle of nowhere. A beacon. A monument.

In an instant, the feeling that one has never left the “island” takes over. Questions mount deep in the subconscious. Was I not just here? Has that much time passed? Did I ever leave? We talk quietly while acknowledging the physical change occurring in our collective consciousness. Mythical creatures returning home to run free and spread another wave of creative energy outward and all around. A few short rumbles and the gurgling of engines running in reverse signal our arrival. Coming home is always easy.

  For the third year running, a quiet procession of artists, freaks, creative minds, thought provokers and wild ones crossed the waterway from the mainland just south of Lisbon onto the grounds of the Design Hotel in Troia. They embarked on the spiritual journey that is the Trojan Horse was a Unicorn. This year’s event eclipsed all others in size and scope while blowing the doors off what LIVE streaming has come to mean. Featuring over 90 hours of educational content and the birth of THUtv, the Trojan Horse was a Unicorn has officially grown up and out! It’s still the THU you know and love. Rest assured, the LIVE attendee audience is capped. There are no more seats in the Design Hotel’s theatre but you can overcome the physical barriers of space and time with THUtv. The THUtv experience is a new way to interact with the community. THUtv represents the future. It’s the embodiment of a family expanding to near critical mass. The Tribe remains wild and strong.

The running theme of “transformation” didn’t take long to filter into the collective psyche of the “Tribe”. Ambassador Scott Ross opened the ceremonies by asking, “Are you ready to be transformed?” Members both new and old responded with wide eyes and open ears. The schedule of events, talks and LIVE ZBrush art battles ensured that this year was an all out run to the deepest recesses of both the physical and mental capabilities of both speakers and attendees hearts and minds. It’s fair to say that after featuring the likes of Norman Seeff, Ian McCaig, Craig Mullins, Daisuke Tsutsumi and Kim Jung Gi to name a few, the Trojan Horse was a Unicorn has cemented itself into the hearts and minds of both those who attended physically and those who had the action slip into their lives by way of the THUtv stream. For those who sat through the talks and witnessed the magic of being “Normanized”, there is only the road ahead.  With the action rising in the morning sun and culminating in the celebrated ZBrush “Art Battles” at midnight through to 3 a.m., attendees and viewers were bombarded with an onslaught of creative content that now, lives on forever. The ZBrush “Art Battles” were a madman’s delight. Teams faced off in the upper quarters of the Design Hotel’s Casino. The action overlooked the casino floor and the sins born of liquor and temptation fueled the fire. Large panes of glass separated the ZBrush faithful from the ring and ding of slot machines and spinning roulette wheels. A masked “Wild Man” presided as the minister of midnight madness. This after all…was happening LIVE!

For the second year in a row, French director Loic Zimmermann arrived armed to the teeth with his latest projects. This year saw Zimmermann showcase a full-length documentary film chronicling Oakland based painter and fellow “Tribe” member, Jeremy Mann. Zimmermann’s “A Solitary Mann” kept audiences magnetized while driving deep into the unseen side of one of America’s finest young masters. In doing so, Zimmermann moved closer to the realm of fusing documentary film making with cinematic story telling. As an added bonus, Zimmermann premiered “Granular”. Best described as a “wild tear in time” that left audiences riveted and disturbed, “Granular” represents the collective efforts of Zimmermann and co-conspirator in all things cosmic and creative, Louie Tucci. Prodigious is not a word used lightly, but Zimmermann’s output continues to be nothing less!

Questions abound about the Trojan Horse was a Unicorn 2016 and the continuation of this cultural movement. Andre Luis will have his rest. The Tribe will conspire and the beaches of Troia will ring out again with the sounds of thunder brought forth by the stampede of unicorns returning to the beaches they call home. There is no other way. It’s fair to say that the Trojan Horse was a Unicorn has officially moved beyond the idea of “one man, one horse, one horn”. The birth canal of cool is fully lubricated and ready to see a new generation of horses reborn in 2016…Will you take the ride?