Invader's 'Rubik Mona Lisa' beats estimate at Paris auction

PARIS -- A French street artist's interpretation of the Mona Lisa made of 330 Rubik's Cubes sold for 480,200 euros ($520,680) on Sunday at a modern art auction in Paris, well above presale estimates of up to 150,000 euros, organizers Artcurial said.

The 2005 artwork by anonymous street artist Invader uses the plastic puzzles' squares to create a mosaic of the Mona Lisa and her famous smile in garish colours.

The sale coincided with the closure of a blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the nearby Louvre museum, the home of the real Mona Lisa. That show marked the 500th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance master.

Invader is known for his mosaic tile works featuring pixelated versions of the 1978 Space Invaders video game characters, which "invade" cities around the world.

The Rubik Mona Lisa was created in 2005 and is the first in Invader's "Rubikcubism" series, in which he recreates well-known Old Master works.

Invader, who defines himself as an UFA, an Unidentified Free Artist, wears a mask and insists on his face being pixilated for his rare appearances on camera.

He has a large following of fans who use a Smartphone app, "Flash Invaders," to snap pictures of his mosaics if they’re authentically his, rack up points and compete with other players.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Geneva slams 'invader' in Sunshine's marriage

MANILA, Philippines -- Geneva Cruz is "ready to attack" a woman she has tagged as an "invader" in the marriage of her cousin Sunshine with actor Cesar Montano.



The actress-singer took to microblogging site Twitter to directly address a certain Krista Miller, whose recent photos on the image-sharing site Instagram have caused a stir in Sunshine and Montano's 12-year marriage.

On Thursday night, Geneva said, "Mess w/ @shinemontano & you'll mess w/ our whole family too. We come in peace, pero konting respeto naman, babae ka rin. @iamkristamiller"

She added, "Get ready to attack a recent invader of a family member. :p #trespassing @Somimilicious"

Miller will portray Marita Zaragoza in a film directed by and starring Montano, "The Turning Cradle: The Untold Story of Alfredo Lim".

In a series of recent posts on Instagram, which have since been deleted, Miller shared photos of an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt for men, a pack of chocolates and an iPhone 5. The items, according to Sunshine in her comments on the photos, were gifts from her for Montano.

Sunshine, in another post on Instagram, expressed she is now "moving on with [her] children."

Addressing Miller, Geneva said in a series of "tweets," "I'll never understand it! And I refuse to do so. Hooking up with unavailable married men is death. There's no logic. No responsibility."

"Girl, maybe if you treated yourself with some much needed respect you could win yourself a husband too! You are so insensitive. What are you a non-living thing? Purchase your own husband & get off my cousin's. It's never too late to change," she said.

When asked for comment on the issue by ABS-CBN News, Montano's manager Shirley Pizarro said, "We just appeal to our friends from the press to give Cesar and Sunshine their understanding and prayers so they can resolve whatever differences they may have at this time."

Miller has yet to respond to ABS-CBN News' request for comment on the issue.

source: abs-cbnnews.com