Starts with two photos at Ann's in Italy (wearing my "No Kangaroos in Austria T-shirt"), then the Changing of the Guard around Clarence House (I think), next President Obama drives past with his entourage as I cross the road to St James' Park, when there are views to the London Eye and Buckingham Palace. A guy swimming in the Hyde Park lake, The Natural History Museum (Dinosaurs to Human evolution to a Meteorite) and finally the Princess Diana Memorial Foundation in Hyde Park.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
CAMBRIDGE
Highlights include: contamplating the view of Kings College, visiting the local Sunday Market, exploring the Botanic Gardens (probably the second oldest botanic garden instituation behind Oxford), and seeing more of Leonardo Da Vinci in the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
LONDON
Walked through Regent's park into the centre of London. Explored the Bristish Museum's collection of the Ancient world: Egypt, Assyria and Greece. Also, visited Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Virgin on the Rocks' at the National Galleries off Trafalgar Square, before walking back up to Regent's Park via Piccadilly Circus. Then dropped by Hyde Park on the following day.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
NOTES FROM ‘BROWNBOOK’ NO.26
Brownbook is an urban guide to the Middle East.
“One of the Arab-world’s best-selling authors Alaa Ah Aswang ... ‘I became a dentist because you can not make a living in the Arab world from writing fiction and you must have another profession ... Even Nanguib Mahtouz – a Nobel Prize winner – had to work for the government until the age of retirement.”
“Hani Charaf, the Syrian designer behind Sharjah Biennial’s creative communication material ... ‘always try to find a balance between your convictions and the reality of the business world.”
“Ahmad Humeid ... [behind] Jordan’s Syntax design agency ... you need tension inside a company between money and art.”
“Yto Barrada [artist and co-founder of] the Cinematheque de Tanger ... ‘You need someone in charge of getting grants and sponsorships ... You need a specialist, but it’s a matter of paying them, and you need money to pay people ... It’s possible you can find the money, if you have the ideas and you’re ready to put together a team. I had an extraordinary amount of help from interns ... The idea of mass tourism is not where things are going. The more it’s local, the more interesting it is ... If you’re doing something else on the side it doesn’t work.’”
“One of the Arab-world’s best-selling authors Alaa Ah Aswang ... ‘I became a dentist because you can not make a living in the Arab world from writing fiction and you must have another profession ... Even Nanguib Mahtouz – a Nobel Prize winner – had to work for the government until the age of retirement.”
“Hani Charaf, the Syrian designer behind Sharjah Biennial’s creative communication material ... ‘always try to find a balance between your convictions and the reality of the business world.”
“Ahmad Humeid ... [behind] Jordan’s Syntax design agency ... you need tension inside a company between money and art.”
“Yto Barrada [artist and co-founder of] the Cinematheque de Tanger ... ‘You need someone in charge of getting grants and sponsorships ... You need a specialist, but it’s a matter of paying them, and you need money to pay people ... It’s possible you can find the money, if you have the ideas and you’re ready to put together a team. I had an extraordinary amount of help from interns ... The idea of mass tourism is not where things are going. The more it’s local, the more interesting it is ... If you’re doing something else on the side it doesn’t work.’”
Sunday, May 15, 2011
ZEGLIACCO
Spider's web,
Infant Abbot
Sprawlieesshadows,
After dawn,
Bumbling bees,
Blossoming trees,
Eagle's shadow,
Summer meadow,
Tractor hum,
Sissy come,
Aunty mows,
Up to Abbey Rose.
Infant Abbot
Sprawlieesshadows,
After dawn,
Bumbling bees,
Blossoming trees,
Eagle's shadow,
Summer meadow,
Tractor hum,
Sissy come,
Aunty mows,
Up to Abbey Rose.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
MARE (SEA)
Diving into water that is so cold that it takes your breath away, your blood vessels constrict as your body adjusts. You slowly swim through the subtle variations in water temperature, looking atop the neighbouring cliffs to see an ancient castle ruin, now only guarded by sea gulls. Pause every so often to take in the beauty of the scene, the clear blue sky, the frigid but perfectly calm waters and quiet ... Moving in sync with the current you return to a resting place, led by sea gulls diving through the sky. A feeling of hesitation arises as you near the water's edge, you instinctively pause and then see a huge, plastic bag-sized jellyfish glide by right in front of you as it gracefully skirts the cliff's edge. It moves with seemingly no effort, in complete harmony with the motion of the sea. After clambering over slippery rocks you wrap yourself in a soft towel, shaking uncontrollably as your body re-adjusts to the ambiente temperature. Minutes pass, the shaking continues ... Eventually the involuntary convulsions subside, your mind is clear, air passes through your lungs like wind passing through a spider's web, warm again, basking in the summer sun.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
ONE OR MANY
For many creatives there is an ongoing conflict of whether to focus on one specific interest OR move across a whole range of mediums. At one end of the spectrum you have people like Japan's National Living Treasures (wikipedia link), who have spent a lifetime perfecting their craft. Then, you have artists who express themselves through whatever medium is most accessible or useful at a given time. That might range from blogging to photography to buying everyday products like food or clothing to drawing to making a garden ... This process is seamless and no less coherent than focusing on one craft, because regardless of the medium it is still an expression of the same evolving personal philosophy. Perhaps it is also equally as enlightening as focusing on one specific thing. You often get that feeling when you speak to someone who has traveled the world and integrated the collective wisdom of many cultures and people into his/her own beliefs.
Picasso did not just paint, he created sculpture, sketches and all manner of creative expression. Even though some people only know him for his later work, what makes him and his work so wonderful is this diversity of media and the ways his exploration of art and life are intertwined. Is this multi-dimensional approach more reflective of humans, whom are rarely one-dimensional, or is it more reflective of a given society? And the case of focusing on one craft is a manifestation of a particular time and place?
As is often the case in our culturally-mixed, hybridized and eclectic society, the answer is not one or the other, it's multiplicity. Do we have a choice at all? Are we better to, as a friend describes "keep breathing, keep attention and let go"? In this way our attitudes and behaviour are allowed to reflect our ongoing dialogue with our surrounds and what manifests is always a reflection of what is required at the time? Even if this is not our conscious choice, is this what happens anyway and the conflict that arises is in our minds?
Picasso did not just paint, he created sculpture, sketches and all manner of creative expression. Even though some people only know him for his later work, what makes him and his work so wonderful is this diversity of media and the ways his exploration of art and life are intertwined. Is this multi-dimensional approach more reflective of humans, whom are rarely one-dimensional, or is it more reflective of a given society? And the case of focusing on one craft is a manifestation of a particular time and place?
As is often the case in our culturally-mixed, hybridized and eclectic society, the answer is not one or the other, it's multiplicity. Do we have a choice at all? Are we better to, as a friend describes "keep breathing, keep attention and let go"? In this way our attitudes and behaviour are allowed to reflect our ongoing dialogue with our surrounds and what manifests is always a reflection of what is required at the time? Even if this is not our conscious choice, is this what happens anyway and the conflict that arises is in our minds?
"I WANT IT NOW"
When you're young, you want to experience new things that you discover as soon as you find them. Like a child in a candy store, there's no sense of time or the maturity to evenly distribute these experiences over a life time. Travelling can be a classic environment where this "I want it all now"-syndrome leads to over-stimulation, and consequential burn out. Whether its information, food or clothing the trend is to acquire beyond one's physical, emotional and economic means.
With maturity, and several bouts of burn-out, one's sense of urgency wains and a more balanced attitude forms. One has to exercise particular restraint with modern media, there is simply too much information to absorb and most of it is rubbish. You have to choose where you get your news from and how you keep up with a rapidly evolving world. This should in theory make younger generations excellent information processors, and those who aren't able to adapt simply get left behind. For those adaptable creatures at the frontier they have to hang on for dear life. Hmm, the modern world ...
Side note: its the same when you meet a really interesting girl, or guy depending. In the back of your mind you think, "This person would be a great partner" but then you realise "Why do I need to do that? Why complicate things?"
With maturity, and several bouts of burn-out, one's sense of urgency wains and a more balanced attitude forms. One has to exercise particular restraint with modern media, there is simply too much information to absorb and most of it is rubbish. You have to choose where you get your news from and how you keep up with a rapidly evolving world. This should in theory make younger generations excellent information processors, and those who aren't able to adapt simply get left behind. For those adaptable creatures at the frontier they have to hang on for dear life. Hmm, the modern world ...
Side note: its the same when you meet a really interesting girl, or guy depending. In the back of your mind you think, "This person would be a great partner" but then you realise "Why do I need to do that? Why complicate things?"
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
BACK/FORWARD TO THE ESSENTIAL
There seems to be a trend within the design, products, fashion and food worlds back to simplicity, elegance and quality ... to the essential. In tough financial times people want to be certain that they're getting value for money and that a purchase will improve their quality of life not add unnecessary complication. Then is a feeling of returning to tradition but because it is often using modern technology it is undeniably moving forward.
It's as if we have peaked with the range and quantity of things we can consume, now we are peeling away the excess and moving closer to what is essential. Of course, this may represent the frontier but it may represent less than 1% of consumption/buyers ... the rest are still gorging themselves with excess.
It's as if we have peaked with the range and quantity of things we can consume, now we are peeling away the excess and moving closer to what is essential. Of course, this may represent the frontier but it may represent less than 1% of consumption/buyers ... the rest are still gorging themselves with excess.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A DUTCH EASTER
A Dutch Easter
Having stayed at Linda’s family home Saturday night I had a relaxed morning when eventually led to a late breakfast with the family, Linda, her partner Mark and their four children (ages ranging 8-15). (Linda being an ex-student of Jim’s from 20-odd years ago) The table was full of food and chocolate ... So, first thing to do was to crack some boiled eggs Linda had prepared. The game involved saying “Click, Click, Click” and then clashing eggs with an opponent to see whose egg came off worse for wear, then the eggs became the contents for an egg-roll. Next, a roll with butter and chocolate sprinkles, a Dutch speciality. “Hundreds and thousands” and sprinkles are common place here, I also saw them while staying at Duco and Danielle’s. Next was a traditional Jewish Easter food, called Matzes, which has been adopted by the Dutch. They are essentially a large cracker which you cover with butter and sugar – very sweet and probably good thing to have once a year. The story of the Matzes goes that when the Jewish fled slavery in ancient Egypt they left with bread which hadn’t been given time to rise. Cups of tea and coffee, chocolate eggs for the kids, some little chocolates bunnies for everyone and a cake of butter in the form of a chicken were other elements of the banquet. It was a wonderful educational experience. Kids along the street outside were running up and down carrying out their egg hunts ... this led to a water fight later on, involving some of the local kids taking refuge in Linda’s cosy courtyard. All in all, a great Easter morning had by all.
Thanks Linda and family.
Having stayed at Linda’s family home Saturday night I had a relaxed morning when eventually led to a late breakfast with the family, Linda, her partner Mark and their four children (ages ranging 8-15). (Linda being an ex-student of Jim’s from 20-odd years ago) The table was full of food and chocolate ... So, first thing to do was to crack some boiled eggs Linda had prepared. The game involved saying “Click, Click, Click” and then clashing eggs with an opponent to see whose egg came off worse for wear, then the eggs became the contents for an egg-roll. Next, a roll with butter and chocolate sprinkles, a Dutch speciality. “Hundreds and thousands” and sprinkles are common place here, I also saw them while staying at Duco and Danielle’s. Next was a traditional Jewish Easter food, called Matzes, which has been adopted by the Dutch. They are essentially a large cracker which you cover with butter and sugar – very sweet and probably good thing to have once a year. The story of the Matzes goes that when the Jewish fled slavery in ancient Egypt they left with bread which hadn’t been given time to rise. Cups of tea and coffee, chocolate eggs for the kids, some little chocolates bunnies for everyone and a cake of butter in the form of a chicken were other elements of the banquet. It was a wonderful educational experience. Kids along the street outside were running up and down carrying out their egg hunts ... this led to a water fight later on, involving some of the local kids taking refuge in Linda’s cosy courtyard. All in all, a great Easter morning had by all.
Thanks Linda and family.
Friday, April 22, 2011
JAPANESE DINNER
Photos of a Japanese-inspired meal I prepared, with the assistance of Danielle, to thank her and Duco for having me at their house in Rotterdam.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
BACK TO NATURE MOVEMENT
Tonight I went to a lecture by dance theorist Susan Foster called 'Choreographies of Hire' in Utrecht, Netherlands. I take an interest in contemporary dance because it reminds me of our humanity.
Susan presented research based on patterns she has seen emerging since 1987, the year I was born. It was a time when choreographers didn't have as much time with dancers and couldn't train them in a particular way of movement. It has meant dancers have become adaptive and generic, hence the hired body.
Issues of locality/identity VS universality/homogeneity emerged. She discussed the trend towards frontal orientation and importance placed on the silhouette of a dancer, no doubt the influence of having to communicate through 2D media, ie: TVs and computer screens, and exposure to a mass audience. ie: So you think you can dance. In this "industrial" context performance is based on a dancer's ability to communicate the essence of a particular genre whilst overlaying one's own interpretation. Its not something deep that reflects a way of thinking or being, its a mask they adopt.
This reminds me very much of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's critic of architecture being reduced to a facade, a surface. He calls for a return to materiality, craft and substance.
In a similar way Catherin Bull, the head lecturer of landscape architecture at Melbourne University, denigrates the landscape architecture professions preoccupation with the Picturesque and calls for eidetic landscapes that engage the body, heart and mind.
This pattern is a rejection of the hyperactive and superficial state of capitalist consumerism. I have seen it manifest in friends from Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, Ireland ... these people are suffering from a nature deficiency and find themselves craving something "real", something beyond the surface of their laptop or smartphone screen.
The recent film "Somewhere" with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning (link) is a classic example of a guy who is grossly dissatisfied with the hollowness of his high-profile life, eventually finding meaning in family and nature.
In Japan there's a movement of young people shifting to the country to live the simple life, starting organic farms and escaping the chaos of Tokyo City. This has manifested in a "back to nature" aesthetic in products and clothes, as well as a return to hand-made craft.
Susan Foster cited indigenous Alutiiq performer Tanya Lukin Linklater (link) as an example of this counter culture, describing the way Tanya "weaves herself into her surrounds", becoming one with everything around her. Themes of ceremony, ritual, storytelling run through her work as she recognises and celebrates her connection with the earth. She also cites the Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan. (link)
Of course Bangarra dance company from Australia have become world-renowned for telling ancient indigenous stories through contemporary dance. The same can be said for Australia's many indigenous painters, including my favourite Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
Another more popular example is the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Avatar' and the portrayal of the Navi people as being connected with all forms of life in a network called Eywa.
NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen, who is redefining Nordic cuisine by using unexplored and under-utilised traditional produce, has just been voted the World's number one restaurant again. The idea is that the whole ecosystem where the ingredients originate can be visible on your plate.
This momentum shift is occurring in all aspects of our daily life, more and more people have had enough of the superficiality of consumerism and are actively seeking meaning in life by reconnecting with nature and family. BUT because this is a whole new paradigm, attitude and belief system, it is going to take time to evolve and infiltrate our current culture. Even still the signs are positive.
Susan presented research based on patterns she has seen emerging since 1987, the year I was born. It was a time when choreographers didn't have as much time with dancers and couldn't train them in a particular way of movement. It has meant dancers have become adaptive and generic, hence the hired body.
Issues of locality/identity VS universality/homogeneity emerged. She discussed the trend towards frontal orientation and importance placed on the silhouette of a dancer, no doubt the influence of having to communicate through 2D media, ie: TVs and computer screens, and exposure to a mass audience. ie: So you think you can dance. In this "industrial" context performance is based on a dancer's ability to communicate the essence of a particular genre whilst overlaying one's own interpretation. Its not something deep that reflects a way of thinking or being, its a mask they adopt.
This reminds me very much of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's critic of architecture being reduced to a facade, a surface. He calls for a return to materiality, craft and substance.
In a similar way Catherin Bull, the head lecturer of landscape architecture at Melbourne University, denigrates the landscape architecture professions preoccupation with the Picturesque and calls for eidetic landscapes that engage the body, heart and mind.
This pattern is a rejection of the hyperactive and superficial state of capitalist consumerism. I have seen it manifest in friends from Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, Ireland ... these people are suffering from a nature deficiency and find themselves craving something "real", something beyond the surface of their laptop or smartphone screen.
The recent film "Somewhere" with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning (link) is a classic example of a guy who is grossly dissatisfied with the hollowness of his high-profile life, eventually finding meaning in family and nature.
In Japan there's a movement of young people shifting to the country to live the simple life, starting organic farms and escaping the chaos of Tokyo City. This has manifested in a "back to nature" aesthetic in products and clothes, as well as a return to hand-made craft.
Susan Foster cited indigenous Alutiiq performer Tanya Lukin Linklater (link) as an example of this counter culture, describing the way Tanya "weaves herself into her surrounds", becoming one with everything around her. Themes of ceremony, ritual, storytelling run through her work as she recognises and celebrates her connection with the earth. She also cites the Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan. (link)
Of course Bangarra dance company from Australia have become world-renowned for telling ancient indigenous stories through contemporary dance. The same can be said for Australia's many indigenous painters, including my favourite Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
Another more popular example is the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Avatar' and the portrayal of the Navi people as being connected with all forms of life in a network called Eywa.
NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen, who is redefining Nordic cuisine by using unexplored and under-utilised traditional produce, has just been voted the World's number one restaurant again. The idea is that the whole ecosystem where the ingredients originate can be visible on your plate.
This momentum shift is occurring in all aspects of our daily life, more and more people have had enough of the superficiality of consumerism and are actively seeking meaning in life by reconnecting with nature and family. BUT because this is a whole new paradigm, attitude and belief system, it is going to take time to evolve and infiltrate our current culture. Even still the signs are positive.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
PICNIC UNDER THE CHESTNUT TREE
Today I made the trip from Amsterdam to Utrecht, it take about 25 minutes by train. No troubles with public transport today. When I arrived there was a market in the town square so I took the chance to buy some local apples and a thick slice of local Gouda cheese. There was only one ingredient lacking, really nice bread.
So, I asked the cheese man for directions to the best bread shop in Utrecht ... 15 minutes later I had a beautiful loaf of olive bread to go with my cheese. Spotting a seat under the shade of a magnificent chestnut tree I decided to share its cover with another guy enjoying its splendor. The bread was fantastic, so was the cheese but before long I became quite full. I looked over to the guy sitting nearby. He was a young guy, maybe late 20s, long black hair, dark clothes with a small backpack in hand and what looked to be a rolled up tarp or tent. He was unassuming, introverted and probably homeless. Realising the guy probably didn't have any form of nourishment on hand, other than a bottle of water and a packet of cigarettes ... I called out "Excuse me ...[no response], excuse me." He looked over. "Would you like some cheese and bread? I am already full." Without hesitation he politely responded with a confident "yes", I handed it over and said "it's best eaten fresh", perhaps partly my justification for not holding onto it until tomorrow, but what else did I have to say to this helpless stranger. He responded by looking down at his basic clothes, his small back pack and tent ... as if to say, this is it, this is all I have, I don't care.
He sat back down, holding the bread and cheese in his hand, then looked back over and gave the most gracious smile I have ever seen ... truly moved and truly happy. He looked like he had won the lottery. I picked up my backpack, only a little big bigger than his and simply said "No worries mate" before continuing on my way.
So, I asked the cheese man for directions to the best bread shop in Utrecht ... 15 minutes later I had a beautiful loaf of olive bread to go with my cheese. Spotting a seat under the shade of a magnificent chestnut tree I decided to share its cover with another guy enjoying its splendor. The bread was fantastic, so was the cheese but before long I became quite full. I looked over to the guy sitting nearby. He was a young guy, maybe late 20s, long black hair, dark clothes with a small backpack in hand and what looked to be a rolled up tarp or tent. He was unassuming, introverted and probably homeless. Realising the guy probably didn't have any form of nourishment on hand, other than a bottle of water and a packet of cigarettes ... I called out "Excuse me ...[no response], excuse me." He looked over. "Would you like some cheese and bread? I am already full." Without hesitation he politely responded with a confident "yes", I handed it over and said "it's best eaten fresh", perhaps partly my justification for not holding onto it until tomorrow, but what else did I have to say to this helpless stranger. He responded by looking down at his basic clothes, his small back pack and tent ... as if to say, this is it, this is all I have, I don't care.
He sat back down, holding the bread and cheese in his hand, then looked back over and gave the most gracious smile I have ever seen ... truly moved and truly happy. He looked like he had won the lottery. I picked up my backpack, only a little big bigger than his and simply said "No worries mate" before continuing on my way.
TWO EAGLES IN A CLEAR BLUE SKY
Yesterday I took a day trip to visit the opening of Volgermeer Polder just north of Amsterdam, which I had been invited to attend by the Head of Landscape Architecture at Delft University.
So, what is a polder?
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments (barriers) known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder)
It turned out to be one of those “the journey is more important than the destination” days. In Amsterdam I caught a bus in the wrong direction, good start! Then when I climbed on board a bus headed in the right direction my public transport card was out of funds ... great. The bus driver was very friendly, could obviously tell I was learning things the hard way, and allowed me to travel that part of the journey for free. At the end of this 20 minute bus ride I had to try to reload my public transport card ... sounds easy, especially when I was able to find the appropriate machine in a supermarket foyer. The catch is they don’t take Mastercard. Right. Slightly disoriented by the mornings proceedings I went to an ATM thinking taking out some money would fix my problems, then I realised this was useless as there was no way to get the money on the card.
So, I just bought a daily ticket, to the price of 9 Euro, about $13. Expensive hey! This wasn’t the biggest challenge of the day, I still had another small bus ride and walk. The 6 minute bus ride was fine. After arriving at the town of Broeke en Waterland I only had to walk 50m to eat my packed lunch (bread, dip and a muesli bar) whilst beholding a picturesque Dutch agricultural scene. A vast, endless horizon of grass, some cows, canals and farmhouses ... oh, and clear blue skies.
Then, where to next?
I had been given directions by the receptionist at the hostel I was staying. A map showing the walk from the hostel to the first bus stop (it didn’t show the direction of travel which caused the first mishap), a series of bus transfers and a map showing the walk from the last bus stop to my destination. Now, I rarely get lost whilst travelling ... perhaps the result of having to find my way through the thick willow trees along Brandy Creek in Gippsland. BUT I had made a critical mistake of not checking the receptionists information with GoogleMaps which I usually rely on. So, when I pull out the map I have no idea which way to go because there’s no scale and I find it hard to read the path of the sun in the northern hemisphere. The smart thing to do would have been to ask someone, but you know how it is ...
So I walked a couple of kilometres through this picturesque Dutch landscape on a perfect sunny day, eventually winding up in the next town. The turn-off I was looking for never “appeared”. This walk was not in vein however because a 100 metres off the next town two huge eagles took flight from the paddock in front of me, they circled and circled and circled, being chased by smaller crows and spreading their grand, graceful wings. At this point I still wasn’t sure I was “lost”, so I took the chance to ask a boy waiting on the side of the road, after a minute his mum came to pick him so she checked the directions on her satellite navigation system The answer was short, go back to the town I had come from and ask someone. Hmm, that would have been easy the first time BUT I wouldn’t have seen the eagles.
I walked back, asked for directions from locals and finally found my destination. I had missed the presentation and formalities but as soon as I had been to the bathroom a young Australian guy introduced himself. This is part of the reason for coming, he is originally from Geelong and has been working at the firm responsible for this project for the last 6 years. “Let’s jump on a cart”, he says. We walk outside and to the end of a “red carpet” where a horse and carriage was waiting to take us for a tour of the 100 acre site. Wow, that’s service!
So we jumped on boarded and took a loop through the polder landscape. My new Australian friend told me all about the site’s history, from its form as a marshland 10,000 years ago, to being drained for agriculture around the year 1000, peat extraction for fuel from the 1920s to 1950s, this formed a big hole which eventually became a rubbish dump. So the most recent transformation involved the rehabilitation of this toxic landscape into a recreation park. As we ride around I’m clicking away with my camera as I had been all day, before I realised the memory card wasn’t in the camera. I had left it in my computer after downloading some photos onto my blog for Kate. I couldn’t do anything but smile and enjoy the ride.
Volgermeer Polder opening LINK
So, what is a polder?
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments (barriers) known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder)
It turned out to be one of those “the journey is more important than the destination” days. In Amsterdam I caught a bus in the wrong direction, good start! Then when I climbed on board a bus headed in the right direction my public transport card was out of funds ... great. The bus driver was very friendly, could obviously tell I was learning things the hard way, and allowed me to travel that part of the journey for free. At the end of this 20 minute bus ride I had to try to reload my public transport card ... sounds easy, especially when I was able to find the appropriate machine in a supermarket foyer. The catch is they don’t take Mastercard. Right. Slightly disoriented by the mornings proceedings I went to an ATM thinking taking out some money would fix my problems, then I realised this was useless as there was no way to get the money on the card.
So, I just bought a daily ticket, to the price of 9 Euro, about $13. Expensive hey! This wasn’t the biggest challenge of the day, I still had another small bus ride and walk. The 6 minute bus ride was fine. After arriving at the town of Broeke en Waterland I only had to walk 50m to eat my packed lunch (bread, dip and a muesli bar) whilst beholding a picturesque Dutch agricultural scene. A vast, endless horizon of grass, some cows, canals and farmhouses ... oh, and clear blue skies.
Then, where to next?
I had been given directions by the receptionist at the hostel I was staying. A map showing the walk from the hostel to the first bus stop (it didn’t show the direction of travel which caused the first mishap), a series of bus transfers and a map showing the walk from the last bus stop to my destination. Now, I rarely get lost whilst travelling ... perhaps the result of having to find my way through the thick willow trees along Brandy Creek in Gippsland. BUT I had made a critical mistake of not checking the receptionists information with GoogleMaps which I usually rely on. So, when I pull out the map I have no idea which way to go because there’s no scale and I find it hard to read the path of the sun in the northern hemisphere. The smart thing to do would have been to ask someone, but you know how it is ...
So I walked a couple of kilometres through this picturesque Dutch landscape on a perfect sunny day, eventually winding up in the next town. The turn-off I was looking for never “appeared”. This walk was not in vein however because a 100 metres off the next town two huge eagles took flight from the paddock in front of me, they circled and circled and circled, being chased by smaller crows and spreading their grand, graceful wings. At this point I still wasn’t sure I was “lost”, so I took the chance to ask a boy waiting on the side of the road, after a minute his mum came to pick him so she checked the directions on her satellite navigation system The answer was short, go back to the town I had come from and ask someone. Hmm, that would have been easy the first time BUT I wouldn’t have seen the eagles.
I walked back, asked for directions from locals and finally found my destination. I had missed the presentation and formalities but as soon as I had been to the bathroom a young Australian guy introduced himself. This is part of the reason for coming, he is originally from Geelong and has been working at the firm responsible for this project for the last 6 years. “Let’s jump on a cart”, he says. We walk outside and to the end of a “red carpet” where a horse and carriage was waiting to take us for a tour of the 100 acre site. Wow, that’s service!
So we jumped on boarded and took a loop through the polder landscape. My new Australian friend told me all about the site’s history, from its form as a marshland 10,000 years ago, to being drained for agriculture around the year 1000, peat extraction for fuel from the 1920s to 1950s, this formed a big hole which eventually became a rubbish dump. So the most recent transformation involved the rehabilitation of this toxic landscape into a recreation park. As we ride around I’m clicking away with my camera as I had been all day, before I realised the memory card wasn’t in the camera. I had left it in my computer after downloading some photos onto my blog for Kate. I couldn’t do anything but smile and enjoy the ride.
Volgermeer Polder opening LINK
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
IF ONLY WE STUDIED IN THE BAUHAUS
There seems to be many landscape architecture graduates, and probably more architect graduates, who because of the economic downturn are either jobless or don’t have jobs in their chosen profession. This may be the result of myriad factors but one must ask, if these graduates had been trained in the Bauhaus would things be different?
In the Bauhaus students had to learn a craft as part of their architectural studies, meaning that if they chose or were forced not to work as an architect, they could still make things and thus earn an income.
In the Bauhaus students had to learn a craft as part of their architectural studies, meaning that if they chose or were forced not to work as an architect, they could still make things and thus earn an income.
THE BAUHAUS
Extracts from: ‘THE BAUHAUS: MASTERS AND STUDENTS BY THEMSELVES’
EDITED BY FRANK WHITFORD
THE BAUHAUS ACCORDING TO WALTER GROPIUS
GOAL:
Architecture, painting and sculpture in a single form.
PRACTISE AND THEORY:
1. Craft: sculpture to weaving.
2. Drawing/Painting
3. Theory: History to materials
A HANDS-ON, WORKSHOP FOCUS:
‘a world in which things are built’ VS ‘the unproductive artist ... [there is] no such thing as “professional art”.’
‘The ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building.'
The goal of the Bauhaus is a ‘working community of outstanding artist-craftsmen [who can create] ... socially useful products’.
HAND-MADE VS MACHINE-MADE
‘the handloom alone provides so much scope and permits a concept to develop from one experimental stage to the next.’
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE, ‘THE NEW EPOCH’ IN DIE FORM, 1930
‘Blind to all value judgements, all these things take their preordained course ... Everything depends not on the “what” but only and entirely on the “how”.’
EDITED BY FRANK WHITFORD
THE BAUHAUS ACCORDING TO WALTER GROPIUS
GOAL:
Architecture, painting and sculpture in a single form.
PRACTISE AND THEORY:
1. Craft: sculpture to weaving.
2. Drawing/Painting
3. Theory: History to materials
A HANDS-ON, WORKSHOP FOCUS:
‘a world in which things are built’ VS ‘the unproductive artist ... [there is] no such thing as “professional art”.’
‘The ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building.'
The goal of the Bauhaus is a ‘working community of outstanding artist-craftsmen [who can create] ... socially useful products’.
HAND-MADE VS MACHINE-MADE
‘the handloom alone provides so much scope and permits a concept to develop from one experimental stage to the next.’
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE, ‘THE NEW EPOCH’ IN DIE FORM, 1930
‘Blind to all value judgements, all these things take their preordained course ... Everything depends not on the “what” but only and entirely on the “how”.’
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
Coming to Europe you begin to realise how important public open space. Living in Australia its different because we spend so much time in our own backyards, and so public spaces are often extras rather than essentials. Whether you consider the Mayan cities of Mexico or the modern cities of The Netherlands people need open space, its where we live.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
ROTTERDAM MARATHON
Rotterdam was alive today ... you could literally feel the energy. When I stood still on the huge suspension bridge connecting two major areas of the city I could feel it bouncing under the pressure of people running and walking over it - amazing. Musicians playing on the roof of a bus, you would think it was a festival ...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
TREE SCULPTURE AND BOIJMANS ART GALLERY
Steel cage is a small circular soccer field with little goals built into the walls.
Final picture is of coat room/ bag storage at Boijmans Museum ... lock your bag in a cage, release a cord to lower a clothes hanger then wind up to store your jacket until you get back.
Final picture is of coat room/ bag storage at Boijmans Museum ... lock your bag in a cage, release a cord to lower a clothes hanger then wind up to store your jacket until you get back.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
FURTHER STUDY AS A STUDENT OF LIFE (cont'd)
I visited the Boijmans Musuem in Rotterdam this morning, it was like a journey through time.
The first exhibition was a display of craft through the Middle Ages, so you're looking at beautifully made dishes made from bronze and brass, next to glass beakers, next to glazed tiles and carved timber furniture ... all 500 or more years old.
Then you walk into a room with a contemporary artwork by Wim T. Chippers, which was essentially a 3x12m timber board smothered in Peanut Butter ... imagine the smell! It was appropriately titled 'Peanut Butter Platform'.
Next, paintings and prints from the 17th through 20th centuries ... everything from impressionism to surrealism.
To complete the story, there is an exhibition presenting images and audio-visual displays relating to the latest science and technology. Most profound was a short documentary showing a sequence of ultrasounds of human babies, from a gestation period of 8 weeks to 34 weeks. In a word: phenomenal.
It reminds me of my experience of visiting the modern art gallery and technical museum in Prague. These institutions have incredible access to high quality material because much of what they are presenting, especially with art history, happened right here. In reality it makes Europe the perfect place to learn, and probably it has always been this way.
The first exhibition was a display of craft through the Middle Ages, so you're looking at beautifully made dishes made from bronze and brass, next to glass beakers, next to glazed tiles and carved timber furniture ... all 500 or more years old.
Then you walk into a room with a contemporary artwork by Wim T. Chippers, which was essentially a 3x12m timber board smothered in Peanut Butter ... imagine the smell! It was appropriately titled 'Peanut Butter Platform'.
Next, paintings and prints from the 17th through 20th centuries ... everything from impressionism to surrealism.
To complete the story, there is an exhibition presenting images and audio-visual displays relating to the latest science and technology. Most profound was a short documentary showing a sequence of ultrasounds of human babies, from a gestation period of 8 weeks to 34 weeks. In a word: phenomenal.
It reminds me of my experience of visiting the modern art gallery and technical museum in Prague. These institutions have incredible access to high quality material because much of what they are presenting, especially with art history, happened right here. In reality it makes Europe the perfect place to learn, and probably it has always been this way.
NOTE TO SELF: KENGO KUMA PROJECTS IN EU
Granada Performing Arts Centre, Spain
Ceramic Cloud, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Cava Market HQ, Campagna, Italy
San Pellegrino Therme, Italy
Sysla-mademoiselle, Paris
Besancon Art and Culture Centre, France
Tea House, Museum of Applied Arts, Frankfurt
Ceramic Cloud, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Cava Market HQ, Campagna, Italy
San Pellegrino Therme, Italy
Sysla-mademoiselle, Paris
Besancon Art and Culture Centre, France
Tea House, Museum of Applied Arts, Frankfurt
Monday, April 4, 2011
MONOCLE WEEKLY: THE NEW WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH
I just subscribed to Monocle Weekly on iTunes ... so I plan to download the podcast they make on Global Affairs each Monday, upload it onto my iPod and listen at my earliest convenience. Cool hey.
They also have the daily Monocolumn.
Then of course, they have Sections (Affair, Business, Culture, Design) with interest-specific videos you can watch ... haven't worked out the rhythm in which these are created.
BBC, The New Yorker, The Economist ... all have their own weekly podcasts, so when you can't carry around you computer, you can still be connected. Welcome to the 21st century.
They also have the daily Monocolumn.
Then of course, they have Sections (Affair, Business, Culture, Design) with interest-specific videos you can watch ... haven't worked out the rhythm in which these are created.
BBC, The New Yorker, The Economist ... all have their own weekly podcasts, so when you can't carry around you computer, you can still be connected. Welcome to the 21st century.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
AFRIKAANDERPLEIN MARKET COOK-UP
After visiting the local market I had the first opportunity in one month to cook something myself. This was also made possible by staying at the house of some new Dutch friends, whom were not unfortunately present to share the feast - next time!
So, on the menu:
Raw herring, with finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice. Raw herring is a typical Dutch delicacy, although this being the first time I have de-boned fish my dish certainly would not be up to local standards.
This was sided by tiny baked potatoes, beetroot and onion with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Finished with new-season strawberries, from Spain (still not sure if this is a good or bad thing), with sugar on top.
So, on the menu:
Raw herring, with finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice. Raw herring is a typical Dutch delicacy, although this being the first time I have de-boned fish my dish certainly would not be up to local standards.
This was sided by tiny baked potatoes, beetroot and onion with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Finished with new-season strawberries, from Spain (still not sure if this is a good or bad thing), with sugar on top.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
TO THE MARKET
Lunch time came so it was off through Delft's quaint streets to market square,
where I found stalls for food and clothing scattered everywhere,
first some Russian Caravan tea,
then some smoke salmon, cream cheese, two rolls, and oranges, well, three,
filled with excitement I hurried home and laid out my one-person fiesta,
Well and truly satisfied, even a little sleepy, in fact I'd say its time for an afternoon siesta.
(and who said I couldn't rhyme?)
where I found stalls for food and clothing scattered everywhere,
first some Russian Caravan tea,
then some smoke salmon, cream cheese, two rolls, and oranges, well, three,
filled with excitement I hurried home and laid out my one-person fiesta,
Well and truly satisfied, even a little sleepy, in fact I'd say its time for an afternoon siesta.
(and who said I couldn't rhyme?)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
COMMON-SENSE PACKAGING 1
How hard would it be to design a bottle of fruit juice where the bottle, bottle cap and label could all be recycled after use? Impossible for some, but this Dutch company got it right. Label slips on and off keeping the integrity of the bottle, which I plan to re-use as I drink bottle AND the juice is made from real fruit. Who would have thought such a straight forward product would be possible in a world with so much extra crap! That's my rant for the day.
DELFT UNIVERSITY
Day of my visit to the Head of Landscape Architecture at Delft Technical University.
UTRECHT
Day of my visit to LA firm OKRA on a beautiful, clear Spring day, walking along a Dutch canal.
Monday, March 28, 2011
ONLINE MEDIA
The amount of information we have at our fingertips is endless, as soon as you are up-to-date with the publications of one website or blog you find another which blows away your expectations of the web. Not only is it endless but it is also available 24-7. It may not replace tertiary study, but it does supplement it and it does open up new opportunities for students and practitioners alike. All information is available to you if you are connected. And this information can be incorporated into and inspire your life and work ... taking it to a whole other level. It has the potential to elevate individuals' plane of thought, almost making them super-human.
To keep your finger on the pulse you must to watching TV, listening to the radio, reading blogs, subscribing to websites, keeping informed/connected/sharing by/through Facebook/Twitter, visiting exhibitions at galleries and museums, reading the newspaper, reading magazines, reading books and of course talking with people face-to-face as well as texting, emailing, phoning and Skype-ing. Not to mention taking photos and recording videos. You constantly and seamlessly move through all mediums, sometimes favouring certain mediums but never completely neglecting them. And this is just in your free time, it doesn't include what happens during working hours.
Not only do we become excellent researchers and absorbers of information but we become excellent filters. Firstly there is a lot of crap out there, and secondly, there is too much to consume so we must use discretion as to what is most relevant and interesting at a given point in time. If we were not able to filter then this saturation may completely numb our minds. Perhaps the best and most natural way is to let the information almost come to us as we stumble upon links and references to information during our daily travels. For example, there might be an article in a magazine as we take time out to have a cup of tea at a cafe that grabs our attention and invites further investigation. Or we walk past a clothes shop we wish to know more about, we see an exhibition advertised on a billboard, a new friend gives us a web link ... the ways in which information is gathered and exchanged is more dynamic than ever.
TED TALKS
http://www.ted.com/
MONOCLE
Films: http://www.monocle.com/sections/design/
Monocolumn: http://www.monocle.com/monocolumn/
Programmes:http://www.monocle.com/monocle-on-bloomberg/
COOPER HEWITT
http://video.cooperhewitt.org/?utm_source=Link&utm_medium=Web%2Bsite&utm_campaign=Global%2BBottom%2BLinks
FYI
Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam
http://en.nai.nl/visit
ARCAM, Amsterdam
http://www.arcam.nl/index_uk.html
To keep your finger on the pulse you must to watching TV, listening to the radio, reading blogs, subscribing to websites, keeping informed/connected/sharing by/through Facebook/Twitter, visiting exhibitions at galleries and museums, reading the newspaper, reading magazines, reading books and of course talking with people face-to-face as well as texting, emailing, phoning and Skype-ing. Not to mention taking photos and recording videos. You constantly and seamlessly move through all mediums, sometimes favouring certain mediums but never completely neglecting them. And this is just in your free time, it doesn't include what happens during working hours.
Not only do we become excellent researchers and absorbers of information but we become excellent filters. Firstly there is a lot of crap out there, and secondly, there is too much to consume so we must use discretion as to what is most relevant and interesting at a given point in time. If we were not able to filter then this saturation may completely numb our minds. Perhaps the best and most natural way is to let the information almost come to us as we stumble upon links and references to information during our daily travels. For example, there might be an article in a magazine as we take time out to have a cup of tea at a cafe that grabs our attention and invites further investigation. Or we walk past a clothes shop we wish to know more about, we see an exhibition advertised on a billboard, a new friend gives us a web link ... the ways in which information is gathered and exchanged is more dynamic than ever.
TED TALKS
http://www.ted.com/
MONOCLE
Films: http://www.monocle.com/sections/design/
Monocolumn: http://www.monocle.com/monocolumn/
Programmes:http://www.monocle.com/monocle-on-bloomberg/
COOPER HEWITT
http://video.cooperhewitt.org/?utm_source=Link&utm_medium=Web%2Bsite&utm_campaign=Global%2BBottom%2BLinks
FYI
Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam
http://en.nai.nl/visit
ARCAM, Amsterdam
http://www.arcam.nl/index_uk.html
FYI
Food photography - http://www.carlkleiner.com/
OneMen - http://www.onemen.org/over-onemen/missie-en-visie-1
Les Demoiselles D'Avignon, 1907, Pablo Picasso (poetry+symbolism > sculpture+abstract)- http://www.sinoorigin.com/famous-artists/pablo-picasso.html
Cote Et Ciel (@ Bendorff) - http://www.coteetciel.com/
OneMen - http://www.onemen.org/over-onemen/missie-en-visie-1
Les Demoiselles D'Avignon, 1907, Pablo Picasso (poetry+symbolism > sculpture+abstract)- http://www.sinoorigin.com/famous-artists/pablo-picasso.html
Cote Et Ciel (@ Bendorff) - http://www.coteetciel.com/
DELFT - FIRST IMPRESSIONS
People walking quaint cottage-lined streets and religiously riding their bikes.
TEST OR SURPRISE
In life things can be going along swimmingly and then out of nowhere something puts you off balance, some might call it a surprise while others might call it a test.
Tonight I went to a tapas bar for dinner. The place was busy so I had to wait to be seated, I figured it was probably worth waiting for especially since it had been recommended by one of the girls working in the hostel. Eventually I was placed at a seat around the bar. On my right side was a young couple, on my left a guy maybe mid-thirties in age and two young ladies.
The guy on my left began making conversation, commenting that this place is the best place in town to meet young ladies. He then made out as if he didn’t know the two ladies sitting next to him, suggesting that I swap seats with one of them so, as he said, we could both meet someone new. Slightly embarrassed I jokingly shrugged the comment off. My new friend seemed to come to this place a lot so I asked him for recommendations from the menu, as you do. I ordered some lamb cutlets as he had recommended, and a beer from the tap. He then said, “I’m leaving in 10 minutes so have whatever you want, tonight is on me.” I didn’t take this comment too seriously.
Conversation progressed; he asked me what I did. I explained that I was a landscape architect to which he replied by questioning whether it was a good idea to come to another country with highly educated people and expect to get a job. You could see him starting to think, “Usually I know someone in an area so I can give a person a head start, but this one is harder”. “My brother has some cafes, but that’s no good. You look like a genuine person ... so I’d like to help you ... but you could be a criminal.” Such shifting tones in conversation made me have to try to work out what to take seriously and what was meant as sarcasm. This was made difficult by another comment he had made earlier to one of the girls next to him not to talk to strangers (referring to the couple she was sitting next to), or give them any information as they might be a criminal.
He lifted the tone by telling me that he was impressed by my willingness to go out and travel the world alone, then asked if I was staying in a hotel. I replied, “No, in a hostel” and then explained the system of shared dorms and their typical costs. He was also interested to know how much I was spending each day while travelling ... perhaps this was a calculated prelude to his next question, “Wouldn’t you like to be able to visit a place and be able to do whatever you wanted to do and not worry how much it cost?” My reply was an honest one, “I’m happy ... and you can be creative about the ways you spend your time.”
After asking questions about what I was doing, I asked him what he did, to which he replied “I’m a criminal.” Still not knowing whether to take his response seriously I listened as he began to unveil his own life, “Since the age of 16 I’m lived the same way, I’ve had disco-techs and cafe’s ... I’m now trying to sell my disco-tech and house in Spain but now isn’t a good time ... I have already learnt that money doesn’t make you happy ... I’d love to have an interest in something in particular [this was his response to an earlier discussion of my niche interest] but it has never happened.” Then he came out and said that the girl on the right was his Filipino au pair, and the other, his 21-yr-old girlfriend whilst the wife of his four kids lives in Scotland.” “Sounds like a complicated life”, I responded. “No, it’s easy for me, staying in a hostel and walking into a shower with someone else’s hair on the ground is complicated to me.”
Our verbal exchange slowed as my food was served but this encounter was not all over. Not long before he left he poured his opare’s unfinished drink into his own glass, then commented that it tasted strange because of the “pill”, quickly but calmly correcting that to “lemon”. Who knows if I heard correctly but it seemed possible when considering the world this stranger lives his life within. When my acquaintance did leave he said, “I hope you find what it is you have come to find.” I thanked him then he walked out shaking the hands of the owner, obviously a long-standing relationship.
Astounded by this encounter I ordered another dish and another beer. Then it came time to pay the bill. I was pretty sure that the guy hadn’t paid for me but wasn’t 100% sure. The bill came, it was only for the second dish and beer, so he had paid ... I wasn’t surprised but felt a little strange accepting something from a stranger, especially this stranger. The guy was friendly and polite, and he did just pay for part of my dinner but the experience took me out of my own world. It was a reminder that that way I have chosen to live my life IS that, a choice. And different people choose different paths. Then came a realisation (or reminder), that the things I worry about on a daily basis, like whether a product is Fair-Trade or Organic or Local.... are not things that most people even consider. This encounter forced me to take a broader view and in doing so disoriented me because it took me out of my everyday world, and without that framework I found myself trying to cling to something to restore my sense of normality. So much so that I came back to the hostel and jumped on Youtube to hear my favourite song, just to help me relax.
I started to replay the encounter in my mind. There were points which could have taken me in a different direction. If I had moved seats I could have ended up talking to one of these girls (being played) and who knows what else. If I had of begun to doubt my chances to get work as a landscape architect and asked him if he knew anyone looking for a worker, I could have been lured into a underground scene – selling drugs? If I had expressed discontent with not having enough money to “do my travelling” he could have offered a “good” way to make money? At the time, I was being very genuine as I knew that being honest was the best way to keep out of trouble, not that I ever felt threatened by this softly-spoken acquaintance. Maybe part of me was naive in not reading the situation better, then I kind of feel like being myself made me completely incorruptible. This encounter came after an already tumultuous day.
During the afternoon I had visited Anne Frank’s House, which is a face-to-face experience of a Jewish family’s struggle to live in hiding during Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. As you walk through the house you follow the diary notes of Anne, a teenager and her daily experience of this incredible situation. It consolidated my experiences at the Jewish Museum and Jewish Memorial in Berlin, and it made it all so gut-wrenchingly real. You near the end of the path through the house having developed real empathy for Anne and her family, emotions really build up, and I was on the breaking point of tears. What an awful, awful situation I kept thinking to myself, she’s only just a girl. Perhaps the thing that saved me from crying, apart from the pressure of being in public, was a little quote from Anne’s diary that was printed on a wall near the end ...
“I’ll make my voice heard. I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind.”
Knowing how famous and important her story has become in the time since WW2 and its atrocities, I could only respond by thinking: You have, even though you might not be here to see it.
Late morning I had a wonderful time visiting the Van Gogh Museum but again learning about Van Gogh’s mental instability added further complexity to the day. There was a small exhibition of Picasso’s work, tracing his first visit to Paris at 19 and the next five or so year, bringing him to the same age as myself, 24. This has added meaning as it was at the end of this period that he finally began to replace the poetic and symbolic qualities of his work with abstract and sculptural ones, which eventually lead to his exploration of cubism. The possibility that I could be at a similar turning point, although perhaps lesser, really excited me. This roller-coaster day could not be complete without the climax, walking through Vondel park this morning, enjoying warm Spring sun and listening to buskers play as everyone as was. I couldn’t help but and feeling as if this is the perfect place to look for landscape architecture work.
What a day ... this is Europe, this is travel, this is life.
Tonight I went to a tapas bar for dinner. The place was busy so I had to wait to be seated, I figured it was probably worth waiting for especially since it had been recommended by one of the girls working in the hostel. Eventually I was placed at a seat around the bar. On my right side was a young couple, on my left a guy maybe mid-thirties in age and two young ladies.
The guy on my left began making conversation, commenting that this place is the best place in town to meet young ladies. He then made out as if he didn’t know the two ladies sitting next to him, suggesting that I swap seats with one of them so, as he said, we could both meet someone new. Slightly embarrassed I jokingly shrugged the comment off. My new friend seemed to come to this place a lot so I asked him for recommendations from the menu, as you do. I ordered some lamb cutlets as he had recommended, and a beer from the tap. He then said, “I’m leaving in 10 minutes so have whatever you want, tonight is on me.” I didn’t take this comment too seriously.
Conversation progressed; he asked me what I did. I explained that I was a landscape architect to which he replied by questioning whether it was a good idea to come to another country with highly educated people and expect to get a job. You could see him starting to think, “Usually I know someone in an area so I can give a person a head start, but this one is harder”. “My brother has some cafes, but that’s no good. You look like a genuine person ... so I’d like to help you ... but you could be a criminal.” Such shifting tones in conversation made me have to try to work out what to take seriously and what was meant as sarcasm. This was made difficult by another comment he had made earlier to one of the girls next to him not to talk to strangers (referring to the couple she was sitting next to), or give them any information as they might be a criminal.
He lifted the tone by telling me that he was impressed by my willingness to go out and travel the world alone, then asked if I was staying in a hotel. I replied, “No, in a hostel” and then explained the system of shared dorms and their typical costs. He was also interested to know how much I was spending each day while travelling ... perhaps this was a calculated prelude to his next question, “Wouldn’t you like to be able to visit a place and be able to do whatever you wanted to do and not worry how much it cost?” My reply was an honest one, “I’m happy ... and you can be creative about the ways you spend your time.”
After asking questions about what I was doing, I asked him what he did, to which he replied “I’m a criminal.” Still not knowing whether to take his response seriously I listened as he began to unveil his own life, “Since the age of 16 I’m lived the same way, I’ve had disco-techs and cafe’s ... I’m now trying to sell my disco-tech and house in Spain but now isn’t a good time ... I have already learnt that money doesn’t make you happy ... I’d love to have an interest in something in particular [this was his response to an earlier discussion of my niche interest] but it has never happened.” Then he came out and said that the girl on the right was his Filipino au pair, and the other, his 21-yr-old girlfriend whilst the wife of his four kids lives in Scotland.” “Sounds like a complicated life”, I responded. “No, it’s easy for me, staying in a hostel and walking into a shower with someone else’s hair on the ground is complicated to me.”
Our verbal exchange slowed as my food was served but this encounter was not all over. Not long before he left he poured his opare’s unfinished drink into his own glass, then commented that it tasted strange because of the “pill”, quickly but calmly correcting that to “lemon”. Who knows if I heard correctly but it seemed possible when considering the world this stranger lives his life within. When my acquaintance did leave he said, “I hope you find what it is you have come to find.” I thanked him then he walked out shaking the hands of the owner, obviously a long-standing relationship.
Astounded by this encounter I ordered another dish and another beer. Then it came time to pay the bill. I was pretty sure that the guy hadn’t paid for me but wasn’t 100% sure. The bill came, it was only for the second dish and beer, so he had paid ... I wasn’t surprised but felt a little strange accepting something from a stranger, especially this stranger. The guy was friendly and polite, and he did just pay for part of my dinner but the experience took me out of my own world. It was a reminder that that way I have chosen to live my life IS that, a choice. And different people choose different paths. Then came a realisation (or reminder), that the things I worry about on a daily basis, like whether a product is Fair-Trade or Organic or Local.... are not things that most people even consider. This encounter forced me to take a broader view and in doing so disoriented me because it took me out of my everyday world, and without that framework I found myself trying to cling to something to restore my sense of normality. So much so that I came back to the hostel and jumped on Youtube to hear my favourite song, just to help me relax.
I started to replay the encounter in my mind. There were points which could have taken me in a different direction. If I had moved seats I could have ended up talking to one of these girls (being played) and who knows what else. If I had of begun to doubt my chances to get work as a landscape architect and asked him if he knew anyone looking for a worker, I could have been lured into a underground scene – selling drugs? If I had expressed discontent with not having enough money to “do my travelling” he could have offered a “good” way to make money? At the time, I was being very genuine as I knew that being honest was the best way to keep out of trouble, not that I ever felt threatened by this softly-spoken acquaintance. Maybe part of me was naive in not reading the situation better, then I kind of feel like being myself made me completely incorruptible. This encounter came after an already tumultuous day.
During the afternoon I had visited Anne Frank’s House, which is a face-to-face experience of a Jewish family’s struggle to live in hiding during Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. As you walk through the house you follow the diary notes of Anne, a teenager and her daily experience of this incredible situation. It consolidated my experiences at the Jewish Museum and Jewish Memorial in Berlin, and it made it all so gut-wrenchingly real. You near the end of the path through the house having developed real empathy for Anne and her family, emotions really build up, and I was on the breaking point of tears. What an awful, awful situation I kept thinking to myself, she’s only just a girl. Perhaps the thing that saved me from crying, apart from the pressure of being in public, was a little quote from Anne’s diary that was printed on a wall near the end ...
“I’ll make my voice heard. I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind.”
Knowing how famous and important her story has become in the time since WW2 and its atrocities, I could only respond by thinking: You have, even though you might not be here to see it.
Late morning I had a wonderful time visiting the Van Gogh Museum but again learning about Van Gogh’s mental instability added further complexity to the day. There was a small exhibition of Picasso’s work, tracing his first visit to Paris at 19 and the next five or so year, bringing him to the same age as myself, 24. This has added meaning as it was at the end of this period that he finally began to replace the poetic and symbolic qualities of his work with abstract and sculptural ones, which eventually lead to his exploration of cubism. The possibility that I could be at a similar turning point, although perhaps lesser, really excited me. This roller-coaster day could not be complete without the climax, walking through Vondel park this morning, enjoying warm Spring sun and listening to buskers play as everyone as was. I couldn’t help but and feeling as if this is the perfect place to look for landscape architecture work.
What a day ... this is Europe, this is travel, this is life.
HISTORICAL TOUR, BERLIN
I know the significance isn't 100% clear just from the photos, but included within these are: The Brandenburg Gate where the Berlin Wall "fell" in 1989, the hotel from which Michael Jackson held his child over a balcony, the site of Hitler's bunker and place of death (carpark), Checkpoint Charlie which was the site of the Berlin Crisis (1961) a stand-off between American and Soviet tanks which could have led to a nuclear WW3, the German History Museum with renovations by I.M Pei, the largest water pond carved from a single piece of granite and Berlin Hauptbahnhof Train Station.
THE SHY CHEF, BERLIN
Have you ever had dinner with a group of strangers in a stranger's house cooked by a mystery chef? Well, last night I had this very experience.
After mentioning that I was on my way to Berlin a close friend forwarded me a website link to The Shy Chef, a secret supper club in the bohemian districts of Kreuzberg and Neukolln. I was intrigued by the concept so I sent "The Shy Chef" an email to see if there might be a chance to get a glimpse into this secret world.
Within 24 hours I had received an email reply, apparently there was an opening on Thursday ... Great! So the next thing I know I was on my way to the local bank to transfer a "donation" into the Shy Chef's bank account. The website seemed original and the link came through a friend so any suspicions that it might be a scam lasted no longer than a moment. A series of emails were exchanged, including an email the day before which disclosed the secret address of the dinner.
Only a few days after the first email I was standing outside the doorway of a 5-storey apartment block waiting for the clock to turn 6:45 so I could press the buzzer to an apartment with the label "Chef". As I walked up the wooden staircase with luxurious red carpet I began to wonder, would the chef be wearing a mask and hide his identity like the Stig on TopGear? How old will these strangers be? And mostly importantly, what was going to be on the menu?
On the last landing before the fifth I stopped to catch my breath, then turned around and saw our host, Frank, standing in the doorway waiting to greet me. Any doubts that I might have had before that time vanished. Then almost as I walked through the door the Shy Chef came over to greet me as well, "Put your coat over there, take a glass of wine and relax." The apartment was funky and made so much more interesting by the fact that it was someone's home, not an apartment rented for the purpose of hosting dinners. It was one bedroom with a generous kitchen and table set for eight, actually the space reminded me of my flat is South Yarra. The ceiling had all sorts of protrusion, which reflected the buildings roof line, whilst there was a little balcony which would be perfect for star-gazing, if it were for the haze cast by Berlin's night lighting.
Before long, the other guests arrived. All in all there were seven guests plus the host, plus the Shy Chef and a guest Chef, who would be preparing our meals for the evening. There was a group of four friends, a pair, myself and the host. The dining group was an interesting mix, ages ranging from mid 30s to mid 40s (I think), professions ranging from a freelance photographer, author/film producer to advertisers/marketers. Although everyone considered themselves locals, nationalities ranged from Austrian to German to Italian to Greek.
As soon as everyone learnt there was one English-speaking person they set their language dial to English, and it would stay this way for the majority of the night. Amazing! We worked our way through four courses and a dessert, with wines accompanying each dish. Soon candle light and laughter filled the space as we dined with backdrop of a "smoking" fish tank and quiet kitchen clatter.
We started with a French-inspired clear Chicken soup with prunes, then enjoyed a thin pastry basket filled with goats cheese and rocket drizzled with a balsamic reduction ... next, a salad - the elements escape me ... for the main, we had pork stuffed with blatwurst (blood sausage), with creamy potato, carrots and a local root vegetable colloquially known as black leek. To finish, a chocolate mouse and pear tart with a mixed berry sauce. The wines were from Germany and France.
Despite its quality, the food took a back seat and it was the conversation that would be the focus of the night - perhaps this is in fact the real goal of The Shy Chef. Of course there were moments when I felt like a child sitting around a table of adults, but these were only moments ... because of the atmosphere and setting it was as if I was enjoying a night with my sister and brothers, or perhaps young uncles or aunts.
At the end of the meal, the guest chef "walked" us through the menu, informing us of his background, his inspiration and influences for each dish as well as the provenance of the ingredients - almost all local, and organic where possible. This completed the whole experience.
Business cards were exchanged, and the time came when the eight guests whom would not normally dine together in a restaurant would have to part way ... but our paths crossed for an instant and will perhaps do so again. For now, our common connection: The Shy Chef.
(website)
After mentioning that I was on my way to Berlin a close friend forwarded me a website link to The Shy Chef, a secret supper club in the bohemian districts of Kreuzberg and Neukolln. I was intrigued by the concept so I sent "The Shy Chef" an email to see if there might be a chance to get a glimpse into this secret world.
Within 24 hours I had received an email reply, apparently there was an opening on Thursday ... Great! So the next thing I know I was on my way to the local bank to transfer a "donation" into the Shy Chef's bank account. The website seemed original and the link came through a friend so any suspicions that it might be a scam lasted no longer than a moment. A series of emails were exchanged, including an email the day before which disclosed the secret address of the dinner.
Only a few days after the first email I was standing outside the doorway of a 5-storey apartment block waiting for the clock to turn 6:45 so I could press the buzzer to an apartment with the label "Chef". As I walked up the wooden staircase with luxurious red carpet I began to wonder, would the chef be wearing a mask and hide his identity like the Stig on TopGear? How old will these strangers be? And mostly importantly, what was going to be on the menu?
On the last landing before the fifth I stopped to catch my breath, then turned around and saw our host, Frank, standing in the doorway waiting to greet me. Any doubts that I might have had before that time vanished. Then almost as I walked through the door the Shy Chef came over to greet me as well, "Put your coat over there, take a glass of wine and relax." The apartment was funky and made so much more interesting by the fact that it was someone's home, not an apartment rented for the purpose of hosting dinners. It was one bedroom with a generous kitchen and table set for eight, actually the space reminded me of my flat is South Yarra. The ceiling had all sorts of protrusion, which reflected the buildings roof line, whilst there was a little balcony which would be perfect for star-gazing, if it were for the haze cast by Berlin's night lighting.
Before long, the other guests arrived. All in all there were seven guests plus the host, plus the Shy Chef and a guest Chef, who would be preparing our meals for the evening. There was a group of four friends, a pair, myself and the host. The dining group was an interesting mix, ages ranging from mid 30s to mid 40s (I think), professions ranging from a freelance photographer, author/film producer to advertisers/marketers. Although everyone considered themselves locals, nationalities ranged from Austrian to German to Italian to Greek.
As soon as everyone learnt there was one English-speaking person they set their language dial to English, and it would stay this way for the majority of the night. Amazing! We worked our way through four courses and a dessert, with wines accompanying each dish. Soon candle light and laughter filled the space as we dined with backdrop of a "smoking" fish tank and quiet kitchen clatter.
We started with a French-inspired clear Chicken soup with prunes, then enjoyed a thin pastry basket filled with goats cheese and rocket drizzled with a balsamic reduction ... next, a salad - the elements escape me ... for the main, we had pork stuffed with blatwurst (blood sausage), with creamy potato, carrots and a local root vegetable colloquially known as black leek. To finish, a chocolate mouse and pear tart with a mixed berry sauce. The wines were from Germany and France.
Despite its quality, the food took a back seat and it was the conversation that would be the focus of the night - perhaps this is in fact the real goal of The Shy Chef. Of course there were moments when I felt like a child sitting around a table of adults, but these were only moments ... because of the atmosphere and setting it was as if I was enjoying a night with my sister and brothers, or perhaps young uncles or aunts.
At the end of the meal, the guest chef "walked" us through the menu, informing us of his background, his inspiration and influences for each dish as well as the provenance of the ingredients - almost all local, and organic where possible. This completed the whole experience.
Business cards were exchanged, and the time came when the eight guests whom would not normally dine together in a restaurant would have to part way ... but our paths crossed for an instant and will perhaps do so again. For now, our common connection: The Shy Chef.
(website)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
28 YEARS IN 28 MINUTES, STORM, BERLIN
28 Years in 28 Minutes
Solo by Niels “Storm” Robitzky
This guy is probably the most creative person I have ever come across ... the way he was able to tell the story of his dancing evolution, interacting with an audio-visual projection, a box, and five 2L water bottles with lights in them is simply amazing. Did I mention he is one of Europe's most famous hip hoppers?
The guy is a genius, and very genuine. I am so lucky to have come across him during my time in Berlin. (more about the performance)
Youtube clips, admittedly nothing like seeing him in person.
1. Show preview
Behind the scenes
2. Animatronic Glitch
3. His website
Solo by Niels “Storm” Robitzky
This guy is probably the most creative person I have ever come across ... the way he was able to tell the story of his dancing evolution, interacting with an audio-visual projection, a box, and five 2L water bottles with lights in them is simply amazing. Did I mention he is one of Europe's most famous hip hoppers?
The guy is a genius, and very genuine. I am so lucky to have come across him during my time in Berlin. (more about the performance)
Youtube clips, admittedly nothing like seeing him in person.
1. Show preview
Behind the scenes
2. Animatronic Glitch
3. His website
MITTE
Mitte is a very trendy suburb within Berlin. One of the places I visited was C/O Berlin (website), a photography gallery I had found profiled in a magazine. Anyway one of the exhibits was this dark, small, square-shaped room with projections on each of the four walls. The projections were of shooting scenes in films and guess what, you're the one they are all shooting at ... its an uncomfortable feeling looking down the barrel of a gun. There is some comfort from the fact that you know its just a projection, and you could dance around the room and they still couldn't get you ... a pretty evocative artwork nonetheless.
PROVENANCE-BASED DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
I am one of those people who cares about the story of the products I buy and I'm happy to pay more for products that are made in the right spirit. Unfortunately one of the reasons why quality is often more expensive is because cheap things are still available and they'll continue to be as long as they're being bought.
Quality remains the highest priority for consumers, even above ethics ... hopefully one-day we can transcend this whole debate about ethical production, it will no longer be a selling point because it will be the base line. Is this is a little optimistic? Will people always look for the cheaper option?
Something I found interesting when read an ethical fashion article today was how there are a lot of incentives for young "designers", in fact they are often given a pretty high profile, but the same can not be said for young "producers", or manufacturers. In Australia, making quality clothes or furniture or anything, as a young person, is not really valued in the same way as it might be in Denmark or Sweden perhaps because they have well-established craft cultures.
Food for thought.
Quality remains the highest priority for consumers, even above ethics ... hopefully one-day we can transcend this whole debate about ethical production, it will no longer be a selling point because it will be the base line. Is this is a little optimistic? Will people always look for the cheaper option?
Something I found interesting when read an ethical fashion article today was how there are a lot of incentives for young "designers", in fact they are often given a pretty high profile, but the same can not be said for young "producers", or manufacturers. In Australia, making quality clothes or furniture or anything, as a young person, is not really valued in the same way as it might be in Denmark or Sweden perhaps because they have well-established craft cultures.
Food for thought.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
LEARNING CENTRE
The building is full of really good examples of the clever integration of technology and design.
HOLOCAUST TOWER
The beauty of architecture is its power to make you feel. In this way Daniel Libeskind's design for the Jewish Museum is a validation of the value of architecture. The building and its spaces are very much open to interpretation.
When I walked into the Holocaust Tower I instantly felt the coldness of the concrete, it was like being in a dungeon, trapper. As I leaned against the cold walls the big, heavy door being slammed sounded like a gun shot, as if I was being lined up for execution by Nazi's. The sounds coming from outside were hauntings of ghosts ... and the insensitive laughter of teenage boys entering the space gave a feeling of the wickedness of the people that had committed that torture. The way they quickly walked back out made me think of how little value these people's lives were given. These are only glimpses and metaphors, but they are very real and horrible feelings.
When I walked into the Holocaust Tower I instantly felt the coldness of the concrete, it was like being in a dungeon, trapper. As I leaned against the cold walls the big, heavy door being slammed sounded like a gun shot, as if I was being lined up for execution by Nazi's. The sounds coming from outside were hauntings of ghosts ... and the insensitive laughter of teenage boys entering the space gave a feeling of the wickedness of the people that had committed that torture. The way they quickly walked back out made me think of how little value these people's lives were given. These are only glimpses and metaphors, but they are very real and horrible feelings.
VOID
This space was really horrible ... a dull, cold lifeless space with a floor covered in 10,000 steel faces symbolising the six million Jews that were murdered. You could actually walk on the faces, as one guy did the grinding of the steel made you feel sick, as if he was actually walking over piles of bones. I walked up to the edge of the faces but I couldn't bring myself to walk onto them, it was just too much to bear.
LINE OF CONTINUITY AND HISTORY OF JEWISH PEOPLE
Here you feel a lightness as you move up the stairs to learn about the journey of Jewish people and their immigration to Germany over a thousand years ago. Through a vast range of mediums you gain insights into how their culture has changed through time, and most interestingly for me how Jewish people have been persecuted since the Christian Crusades. This anti-semitism was nothing something constructed by Hitler ... he wasn't just one bad guy, the atrocities were a reflection of a society's beliefs.
Initially this historical journey is a nice counter-balance from the heavy and almost overwhelming experience of the Holocaust Tower. However as you move closer towards WW2 in the timeline you start to get that sinking feeling again. You leave deeply moved and broken-hearted. How could people be so cruel? They say its impossible to understand irrational behaviour. It does show you just how destructive fear and hatred can be.
Walking down the street afterwards I found myself really consciously looking at the people walking around me and not judging them by their ethnicity or appearance, just focusing on our sameness.
Initially this historical journey is a nice counter-balance from the heavy and almost overwhelming experience of the Holocaust Tower. However as you move closer towards WW2 in the timeline you start to get that sinking feeling again. You leave deeply moved and broken-hearted. How could people be so cruel? They say its impossible to understand irrational behaviour. It does show you just how destructive fear and hatred can be.
Walking down the street afterwards I found myself really consciously looking at the people walking around me and not judging them by their ethnicity or appearance, just focusing on our sameness.
CONSUMING BRAND BERLIN (2)
This whole Cafe Culture thing, that is so sought after by so-called hipsters, is as bad a form of consumerism as any. Not to be party-pooper but I find it kind of boring. I am sure there are those whom are genuine about the whole scene, but others are just searching for status. I even wonder if I've fallen into this same trap myself.
How can I explain this better?
Some people are "havers", others are "doers". The two need each other, ie: the "doers" need the "havers" so they can continue "doing" and vice versa. The "havers" might seek out trendy neighbourhood icons to visit and they need that buzz because their everyday lives might not otherwise be that interesting. For the "doers" the richness runs through everything they do, the spirit in which they live their lives is everything. For the "havers" they only ever get a glimpse of that richness and its never going to be at the same level.
Who knows what I am really trying to say? Its not like things are black-and-white like this anyway.
How can I explain this better?
Some people are "havers", others are "doers". The two need each other, ie: the "doers" need the "havers" so they can continue "doing" and vice versa. The "havers" might seek out trendy neighbourhood icons to visit and they need that buzz because their everyday lives might not otherwise be that interesting. For the "doers" the richness runs through everything they do, the spirit in which they live their lives is everything. For the "havers" they only ever get a glimpse of that richness and its never going to be at the same level.
Who knows what I am really trying to say? Its not like things are black-and-white like this anyway.
Monday, March 21, 2011
KIDS PLAYING IN THE STREETS OF BERLIN
Arrived in Berlin this afternoon and after negotiating the city's intricate web of public transport I found my hostel in the suburb of Kreuzberg. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon so I decided to take a walk through the neighbourhood ... I was trying to find a couple of shops I had seen written about in magazines but had no luck, upon researching in more detail on the web I found out that the entrances to these places, in particular a book shop was very discrete. It's one of those areas, you know with all the hidden gems waiting to be found. Instead I stumbled upon a really funky screen-printing studio, an organic/eco-friendly supermarket and a fantastic Indian restaurant where I enjoyed a late lunch/early dinner feast.
It's hard to explain the flavour of this neighbourhood, although I was never there, New York during the '70s comes to mind. It has a large immigrant population, which was and still is dominated by the Turkish community, but over time has become a hot bed for art and bohemian culture. As in any neighbourhood this flood of creativity soon brings may followers, rent rises and the artists and low-income earners are forced to move elsewhere.
Even though this process is very apparent in Kreuzberg it still has a very raw quality. Graffiti, beggars, immigrants, artists, alternatives, musicians, trendy cafes and restaurants, un-kept streets, well-used public spaces, cyclists, young families ... creates a unique mix of cultural layers. Anyway this is an environment you feel ... and I must say it keeps you on your toes. I found myself reluctant to intrude on its ambience by pulling out my camera as I thought it might somehow destroy the beauty of the place.
On a sunny afternoon, a walk through Gorlitzer Park is like entering another world. It's kind of like entering a remote hippy commune only its in the middle of a dense city. There were kids playing on a soccer field, kids throwing themselves down a huge slide, some adults trying to tight-rope along a strap tied to two trees, kids riding their bike, musicians strumming their guitars, young people drinking beer (drinking in public is commonplace) ... but there was one area that really captured my imagine. It is perhaps the best example of unstructured play I have ever since in a public urban space.
So, there was a van, called the Spielwagen (website) which carries a vast collection of play equipment that can be spread out over a public park or square. During the warmer months they circulate between all the major public spaces in Berlin, also catering for private functions. Its not rocket-science, just good old-school equipment ... ropes, balancing beams, rolling drums, billy carts, balls, ladders, slides ... and the best thing is that the kids can pick them up, move them around and appropriate them as they want. It was a pleasure to watch, especially after watching my nephews and niece grow up as well as studying unstructured outdoor play at university. What also made the experience unique was that these were the kids of liberal-thinking creatives and immigrants whom are willing to give their children the opportunity to test the boundaries, get dirty and just be kids. I should mention that this liberty also extends pass the park boundaries, kids can been seen crawling around the pavement as the parents wait in-line outside a trendy cafe, or riding their bikes behind their parents along the road. As a result these kids' motor and social skills appear very well-developed for their age - what a blessing of growing up in such a rich cultural environment and what interesting adults they are sure to become.
During a conversation with the owner of the hostel I am staying in I have just learned that Gorlitzer Park was once home to Berlin's main train station. It was bombed during WW2 and was later reincarnated as a park ... Now it is host to the most vibrant of children's play. He also mentioned a big event during last winter which saw a massive snowball fight between the neighbouring suburbs of Kreuzberg and Neukolln, click here to see Youtube clip.
It's hard to explain the flavour of this neighbourhood, although I was never there, New York during the '70s comes to mind. It has a large immigrant population, which was and still is dominated by the Turkish community, but over time has become a hot bed for art and bohemian culture. As in any neighbourhood this flood of creativity soon brings may followers, rent rises and the artists and low-income earners are forced to move elsewhere.
Even though this process is very apparent in Kreuzberg it still has a very raw quality. Graffiti, beggars, immigrants, artists, alternatives, musicians, trendy cafes and restaurants, un-kept streets, well-used public spaces, cyclists, young families ... creates a unique mix of cultural layers. Anyway this is an environment you feel ... and I must say it keeps you on your toes. I found myself reluctant to intrude on its ambience by pulling out my camera as I thought it might somehow destroy the beauty of the place.
On a sunny afternoon, a walk through Gorlitzer Park is like entering another world. It's kind of like entering a remote hippy commune only its in the middle of a dense city. There were kids playing on a soccer field, kids throwing themselves down a huge slide, some adults trying to tight-rope along a strap tied to two trees, kids riding their bike, musicians strumming their guitars, young people drinking beer (drinking in public is commonplace) ... but there was one area that really captured my imagine. It is perhaps the best example of unstructured play I have ever since in a public urban space.
So, there was a van, called the Spielwagen (website) which carries a vast collection of play equipment that can be spread out over a public park or square. During the warmer months they circulate between all the major public spaces in Berlin, also catering for private functions. Its not rocket-science, just good old-school equipment ... ropes, balancing beams, rolling drums, billy carts, balls, ladders, slides ... and the best thing is that the kids can pick them up, move them around and appropriate them as they want. It was a pleasure to watch, especially after watching my nephews and niece grow up as well as studying unstructured outdoor play at university. What also made the experience unique was that these were the kids of liberal-thinking creatives and immigrants whom are willing to give their children the opportunity to test the boundaries, get dirty and just be kids. I should mention that this liberty also extends pass the park boundaries, kids can been seen crawling around the pavement as the parents wait in-line outside a trendy cafe, or riding their bikes behind their parents along the road. As a result these kids' motor and social skills appear very well-developed for their age - what a blessing of growing up in such a rich cultural environment and what interesting adults they are sure to become.
During a conversation with the owner of the hostel I am staying in I have just learned that Gorlitzer Park was once home to Berlin's main train station. It was bombed during WW2 and was later reincarnated as a park ... Now it is host to the most vibrant of children's play. He also mentioned a big event during last winter which saw a massive snowball fight between the neighbouring suburbs of Kreuzberg and Neukolln, click here to see Youtube clip.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A SUNDAY DAY OUT
MORNING STROLL
This morning started with a breakfast of hand-made bread and goats cheese from yesterday's Farmers' market. Then it was time for a morning stroll. My destination was Letenske sady, a park which overlooks the city from the north. Perhaps the park would have been better name Letenske "sadly" because the lookout, which house a very strange giant pendulum was in a state of disrepair. Despite the undeniable beauty of Prague there are aspects where are run-down. For example, roads can be badly surfaced by then lined by perfectly paved cobble stone paths. The subway system is in need of a face lift and just doesn't have the efficiency of Vienna. Then I noticed on the way to Prague from Vienna the countryside looked neglected from a government point of view. So the vision of a perfect city is not quite right.
MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Anyway, I continued on my way and dropped into the newly re-opened National Technical Museum. Of particular note was their exhibition on astronomy which included audio-visual displays that traced the study of outer space from Ancient Egypt, through to Galileo in Italy and right up to the latest Hubble telescope. It also included a comprehensive collection of different measurement implements from sundials to telescopes. It was a remarkably humbling experience and puts the evolution of science within context, a good follow-on from Strahovska Library yesterday. By presenting different remote sensing techniques, from X-ray to Infrared to Optical telescopes, you begin to recognise how our biological senses conditions our perception of the world. Technology is expanding our senses and causing advancement more rapid than any other period. If we manage to avoid ecological collapse this advancement is sure to continue and perhaps as we transcend our obsession with consumerism we will be able think and live on entirely new levels ... perhaps the futuristic visions of sci-fi films, including Avatar, not so distant.
I then visited the Veletrzni Palace which is said to host the city's best collection of modern art. I do not disagree, in fact it is probably the best collection of art I have ever visited. The first exhibition, Across Today (website), presented contemporary art from around the world addressing issues relating to globalisation, provenance and the "flat" world of films, internet and mass media. Here's an excerpt from the Introduction:
"the Classic art genres seem even fresher, more alive than the new media. Why is that?
The explanation might be simple. Globalisation is art, intertwined with the spirit of democratization that sought out the universal common denominator ... It has become the background against which any real gesture suddenly stands out ... The physical presence of real people, things, places, works of art, acquires a whole new force, meaning and intensity.
And because an encounter is no longer centred around the exchange of information - since all data is permanently and universally available - a simple happening such as common experiencing of a present unique moment in a specific place becomes a luxury and a real joy."
Again thought-provoking and poignant.
I also had the chance to walk through several other collections, including works by Claude Monet (his brush strokes are so perfect, can't wait to visit his garden in France), Vincent Van Gogh (whose work bestows incredible emotions and reflections of the artist) and Pablo Picasso (whose work I saw in Barcelona, but again it was the constant tendency to evolve according to different influences amazed me). I also had the chance to see a painting by my favourite, Joan Miro, as well as Gustav Klimt (a favourite of Pa's) an Edvard Munch. What a venue!
DINING IN THE STABLES OF OLD PRAGUE
Having survived on bread and cheese up until mid-afternoon I was keen to find somewhere for a decent sit-down meal. Back into the city on the subway and within minutes of entering Old Prague I had stumbled across something extraordinary. Presenting nothing more than a door at street level I decided to take my chances with a restaurant called Pasta Fresca (Fresh Pasta) (website) ... needless to say I am over-loaded with carbohydrates at the moment. Upon entering I was greeted with shocked faces of people who mustn't have thought a baby-faced Australian tourist belonged in their hidden local gem. I was led through a labyrinth-like series of tunnels, staircases and rooms down into a basement which I later discovered had been a horse stable from the 14th Century. Hanging from the irregular ceilings were elaborate lighting fixtures and a tasteful range of decor - I knew I was onto a winner.
The waiter oozed with charisma, craftily managing to convince me to up-size my glass of Pilsner Urquell. The Pilsner type of beer actually originates from the Czech Republic so it was only fitting that I fall in suit with the locals. I ordered Gnocchi with Truffles and Truffle Butter sided by stale Brussel sprouts that had been fried with garlic. This was complimented by some fresh bread to be dipped in olive oil and balsamic. The indulgence went further as the crafty waiter convinced me to have the Italian vanilla ice-cream encased in crushed pistachios with a seductive chocolate sauce poured on top.
A brisk walk back to the hostel with an early night in store to make preparations for a train trip tomorrow.
This morning started with a breakfast of hand-made bread and goats cheese from yesterday's Farmers' market. Then it was time for a morning stroll. My destination was Letenske sady, a park which overlooks the city from the north. Perhaps the park would have been better name Letenske "sadly" because the lookout, which house a very strange giant pendulum was in a state of disrepair. Despite the undeniable beauty of Prague there are aspects where are run-down. For example, roads can be badly surfaced by then lined by perfectly paved cobble stone paths. The subway system is in need of a face lift and just doesn't have the efficiency of Vienna. Then I noticed on the way to Prague from Vienna the countryside looked neglected from a government point of view. So the vision of a perfect city is not quite right.
MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Anyway, I continued on my way and dropped into the newly re-opened National Technical Museum. Of particular note was their exhibition on astronomy which included audio-visual displays that traced the study of outer space from Ancient Egypt, through to Galileo in Italy and right up to the latest Hubble telescope. It also included a comprehensive collection of different measurement implements from sundials to telescopes. It was a remarkably humbling experience and puts the evolution of science within context, a good follow-on from Strahovska Library yesterday. By presenting different remote sensing techniques, from X-ray to Infrared to Optical telescopes, you begin to recognise how our biological senses conditions our perception of the world. Technology is expanding our senses and causing advancement more rapid than any other period. If we manage to avoid ecological collapse this advancement is sure to continue and perhaps as we transcend our obsession with consumerism we will be able think and live on entirely new levels ... perhaps the futuristic visions of sci-fi films, including Avatar, not so distant.
I then visited the Veletrzni Palace which is said to host the city's best collection of modern art. I do not disagree, in fact it is probably the best collection of art I have ever visited. The first exhibition, Across Today (website), presented contemporary art from around the world addressing issues relating to globalisation, provenance and the "flat" world of films, internet and mass media. Here's an excerpt from the Introduction:
"the Classic art genres seem even fresher, more alive than the new media. Why is that?
The explanation might be simple. Globalisation is art, intertwined with the spirit of democratization that sought out the universal common denominator ... It has become the background against which any real gesture suddenly stands out ... The physical presence of real people, things, places, works of art, acquires a whole new force, meaning and intensity.
And because an encounter is no longer centred around the exchange of information - since all data is permanently and universally available - a simple happening such as common experiencing of a present unique moment in a specific place becomes a luxury and a real joy."
Again thought-provoking and poignant.
I also had the chance to walk through several other collections, including works by Claude Monet (his brush strokes are so perfect, can't wait to visit his garden in France), Vincent Van Gogh (whose work bestows incredible emotions and reflections of the artist) and Pablo Picasso (whose work I saw in Barcelona, but again it was the constant tendency to evolve according to different influences amazed me). I also had the chance to see a painting by my favourite, Joan Miro, as well as Gustav Klimt (a favourite of Pa's) an Edvard Munch. What a venue!
DINING IN THE STABLES OF OLD PRAGUE
Having survived on bread and cheese up until mid-afternoon I was keen to find somewhere for a decent sit-down meal. Back into the city on the subway and within minutes of entering Old Prague I had stumbled across something extraordinary. Presenting nothing more than a door at street level I decided to take my chances with a restaurant called Pasta Fresca (Fresh Pasta) (website) ... needless to say I am over-loaded with carbohydrates at the moment. Upon entering I was greeted with shocked faces of people who mustn't have thought a baby-faced Australian tourist belonged in their hidden local gem. I was led through a labyrinth-like series of tunnels, staircases and rooms down into a basement which I later discovered had been a horse stable from the 14th Century. Hanging from the irregular ceilings were elaborate lighting fixtures and a tasteful range of decor - I knew I was onto a winner.
The waiter oozed with charisma, craftily managing to convince me to up-size my glass of Pilsner Urquell. The Pilsner type of beer actually originates from the Czech Republic so it was only fitting that I fall in suit with the locals. I ordered Gnocchi with Truffles and Truffle Butter sided by stale Brussel sprouts that had been fried with garlic. This was complimented by some fresh bread to be dipped in olive oil and balsamic. The indulgence went further as the crafty waiter convinced me to have the Italian vanilla ice-cream encased in crushed pistachios with a seductive chocolate sauce poured on top.
A brisk walk back to the hostel with an early night in store to make preparations for a train trip tomorrow.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
ELECTRONIC BEATS MAGAZINE
Came across this magazine while browsing through the hostel's lounge collection ... found some interesting things:
- BERLIN GUIDES: http://berlin.unlike.net/locations/303544-HAU3, visitberlin.de
ART
- Eugenie Grandet (exhibition in Paris November 2011, more)
FOOD
- BERLIN: theshychef.wordpress.com , foodorama: carbon neutral cafe
MUSIC
- ELIPHINO (Electronic ... Song: I Just Can't)
- RUSS YALLOP (Electronic ... Song: I Can't Wait)
- DIETER MEIER (Song: Oh Yeah)
- UNDERWOLD (Song: Born Slippy***)
- SPIRIT CATCHER (Song: No Way out)
FASHION
- MONO-GRAMM, BERLIN-BASED FASHION LABEL (collab. with dancers)
mono.gramm a/w 2010
Fashion Lookbook / 2010 / Berlin
Commissioned by mono.gramm / Berlin
Styling / Saskia Schmidt
Hair & Makeup / Julie Skok
Model / Anna Sartison / Seeds
Dance Images / ‘wound’ by cie. toula limnaios
The Autumn/Winter 2010 collection by mono.gramm is based upon dance and the effect of movement on clothes. Assisting the rehearsals of Berlin-based dance company cie. toula limnaios, the cuts and silhouettes of the winter season refer to shapes and figures of modern dance, creating a unique symbiosis between body and dress
DANCE
- JUKE (web)
- FOOTWORK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZyaYeq38Ao)
- BERLIN CHOREOGRAPHERS: Constanza Mackas (web), Toula Limnaios, HALLE (web)
- HAU3 (Dance studio, Berlin)
28 JAHRE IN 28 MINUTEN - SOLO VON NIELS „STORM" ROBITZKY / NHIEU MAT (GESICHTER) - CHOREOGRAFIE: RAPHAEL HILLEBRAND & SÉBASTIEN RAMIREZ
23.03.2011 / 19.30 UHR / HAU 1 - BOOK TICKETS
24.03.2011 / 19.30 UHR / HAU 1 - BOOK TICKETS
23. and 24. March
Double evening:
28 Jahre in 28 Minuten
Solo by Niels “Storm” Robitzky
In his new solo Niels “Storm” Robitzky, one of Europe’s most famous hip hoppers, goes on a time travel. In 28 minutes he looks back on 28 years. Almost half a life in which he experienced a lot as a human and as a dancer. In the Eighties Storm got into contact with pioneering hip hop dancers while travelling through Europe and North America, and he began to teach himself different hip hop styles. Meanwhile he is being invited to symposiums and workshops as an expert to explain hip hop as a dance style and social phenomenon. But the past 28 years are also an historical epoch in which a lot of things have happened. Just think of the political changes in 1989 that meant an end to Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. “28 years in 28 minutes” blends private and political matters together in a time-lapse.
A co-production by MOOV’N AKTION and Jean Vilar – Suresnes Cités Danse 2011, supported by HAU.
Nhiều mặt (Gesichter)
Choreography: Raphael Hillebrand and Sébastien Ramirez
In their play „Nhiều mặt“ nine young hip hoppers from Hanoi and the choreographers Raphael Hillebrand and Sébastien Ramirez confront the central questions in life: What is their biggest dream? What is love? How do they imagine their future as hip hop dancers? And what does it mean to grow up in a country like Vietnam that is ambivalently positioned in-between tradition and swift transformation? The answers of the young artists are both surprising and manifold, same as the forms of expression that they choose: B-boying, popping, locking, traditional dances, pop songs or beat-boxing, in accord with classical Vietnamese instruments. The young Vietnamese country has many faces.
A co-production by Goethe Institute Vietnam, L’Espace – Centre Culturel Français and MOOV’N AKTION. With support by the Fonds Elysée. The performance in Berlin will be supported by the Goethe Institute Vietnam
-
- BERLIN GUIDES: http://berlin.unlike.net/locations/303544-HAU3, visitberlin.de
ART
- Eugenie Grandet (exhibition in Paris November 2011, more)
FOOD
- BERLIN: theshychef.wordpress.com , foodorama: carbon neutral cafe
MUSIC
- ELIPHINO (Electronic ... Song: I Just Can't)
- RUSS YALLOP (Electronic ... Song: I Can't Wait)
- DIETER MEIER (Song: Oh Yeah)
- UNDERWOLD (Song: Born Slippy***)
- SPIRIT CATCHER (Song: No Way out)
FASHION
- MONO-GRAMM, BERLIN-BASED FASHION LABEL (collab. with dancers)
mono.gramm a/w 2010
Fashion Lookbook / 2010 / Berlin
Commissioned by mono.gramm / Berlin
Styling / Saskia Schmidt
Hair & Makeup / Julie Skok
Model / Anna Sartison / Seeds
Dance Images / ‘wound’ by cie. toula limnaios
The Autumn/Winter 2010 collection by mono.gramm is based upon dance and the effect of movement on clothes. Assisting the rehearsals of Berlin-based dance company cie. toula limnaios, the cuts and silhouettes of the winter season refer to shapes and figures of modern dance, creating a unique symbiosis between body and dress
DANCE
- JUKE (web)
- FOOTWORK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZyaYeq38Ao)
- BERLIN CHOREOGRAPHERS: Constanza Mackas (web), Toula Limnaios, HALLE (web)
- HAU3 (Dance studio, Berlin)
28 JAHRE IN 28 MINUTEN - SOLO VON NIELS „STORM" ROBITZKY / NHIEU MAT (GESICHTER) - CHOREOGRAFIE: RAPHAEL HILLEBRAND & SÉBASTIEN RAMIREZ
23.03.2011 / 19.30 UHR / HAU 1 - BOOK TICKETS
24.03.2011 / 19.30 UHR / HAU 1 - BOOK TICKETS
23. and 24. March
Double evening:
28 Jahre in 28 Minuten
Solo by Niels “Storm” Robitzky
In his new solo Niels “Storm” Robitzky, one of Europe’s most famous hip hoppers, goes on a time travel. In 28 minutes he looks back on 28 years. Almost half a life in which he experienced a lot as a human and as a dancer. In the Eighties Storm got into contact with pioneering hip hop dancers while travelling through Europe and North America, and he began to teach himself different hip hop styles. Meanwhile he is being invited to symposiums and workshops as an expert to explain hip hop as a dance style and social phenomenon. But the past 28 years are also an historical epoch in which a lot of things have happened. Just think of the political changes in 1989 that meant an end to Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. “28 years in 28 minutes” blends private and political matters together in a time-lapse.
A co-production by MOOV’N AKTION and Jean Vilar – Suresnes Cités Danse 2011, supported by HAU.
Nhiều mặt (Gesichter)
Choreography: Raphael Hillebrand and Sébastien Ramirez
In their play „Nhiều mặt“ nine young hip hoppers from Hanoi and the choreographers Raphael Hillebrand and Sébastien Ramirez confront the central questions in life: What is their biggest dream? What is love? How do they imagine their future as hip hop dancers? And what does it mean to grow up in a country like Vietnam that is ambivalently positioned in-between tradition and swift transformation? The answers of the young artists are both surprising and manifold, same as the forms of expression that they choose: B-boying, popping, locking, traditional dances, pop songs or beat-boxing, in accord with classical Vietnamese instruments. The young Vietnamese country has many faces.
A co-production by Goethe Institute Vietnam, L’Espace – Centre Culturel Français and MOOV’N AKTION. With support by the Fonds Elysée. The performance in Berlin will be supported by the Goethe Institute Vietnam
-
PRAGUE - FARMERS' MARKETS, MONASTERY BREWERIES AND MODERN ART
A delightful day out in Prague today. Off to a Farmer's Market first thing where I picked up some beautiful biscuits and pastries for breakfast, and a hot chocolate. It was fun to see some traditional Czech food and be able to compare the market to those back home.
Then it was across the Vitava River and hiked up through a park to Petrin Tower (with a little impromptu rock climbing along the way just for kicks). The view from the tower was stunning, Prague really is the most beautiful city in the world - thank goodness it escaped WW2 bombing. Apparently Hitler wanted to keep it as a 'Musuem'. Wow!
For lunch I dropped into the famous Strahov Monastery after being told it had a fantastic brewery. In short, it does. Started with an amber ale which was a little warm, but I didn't mind this at all considering I was outside and in Prague its freezing at the moment. No snow, but my hands did feel like they had frozen at one point. The brew was pretty potent stuff so I sobered up by dropping into the monastery's other famed asset, its library. (Photo) (Website)
The library is a symbol of the Age of Enlightenment (mid-17th to 18th centuries) with collections of insects, butterflies and other preserved creatures within the Cabinet of Curiosities. Then there is the Theological Hall and Philosophical Hall each with their own collection of marvelous books. It shows how far we have come with science and technological within the space of a couple of hundred years. It does make you question the deterioration of the humanities in modern universities and our unquestioning acceptance of modern science. As we continue our search for truth you wonder if there will ever be a revival of the non-material ... or is perhaps physics going to take us there anyway. Thought-provoking stuff.
I returned to the brewery to continue my contemplation, that's what monasteries are for right? Well, yes, but they have also perfected the craft of beer and make a wonderful beef stew encased in hand-made bread. The way the relationship between art and Christianity has baffled me, this relationship between beer and religion is also a little bizarre. Oh well.
Once I had finished my trip into one old world I was off to visit another, Prague Castle. Another extremely exquisite building, immaculately preserved, but what do you expect I'm in Prague!
Back to the present, I headed back across the river and into the Rudolfinium Gallery (website) to see an exhibition on the 2010 Czech Grand Design Awards and an exhibition called 'Mutating Medium', which traces the evolution of photography over the past two decades. Both were great, in the Design exhibition (Website) the winner of the Fashion Award stood out (Hana Zarubora, Fix-yo) as did Salim Issa in the photography section.
I have found visiting art galleries a good way to experience new cities, museum's can be a little heavy and dry, but galleries tend to inspire and give a good sense for the creative spirit of a place. Each country has its own cultural and historical background so you often see some pretty unique things.
Finished the afternoon by walking back along the river as the setting sun was spraying golden light across Prague's beautiful buildings. Back to the hostel ... still full from the lunch, although I do have a loaf of hand-made bread from the Farmer's Market and a slab of goats cheese still in hand but might leave that for tomorrow. An organic apple and apple strudel might suffice for tea, also from the market.
Tomorrow's agenda? You will just have to wait and see.
Then it was across the Vitava River and hiked up through a park to Petrin Tower (with a little impromptu rock climbing along the way just for kicks). The view from the tower was stunning, Prague really is the most beautiful city in the world - thank goodness it escaped WW2 bombing. Apparently Hitler wanted to keep it as a 'Musuem'. Wow!
For lunch I dropped into the famous Strahov Monastery after being told it had a fantastic brewery. In short, it does. Started with an amber ale which was a little warm, but I didn't mind this at all considering I was outside and in Prague its freezing at the moment. No snow, but my hands did feel like they had frozen at one point. The brew was pretty potent stuff so I sobered up by dropping into the monastery's other famed asset, its library. (Photo) (Website)
The library is a symbol of the Age of Enlightenment (mid-17th to 18th centuries) with collections of insects, butterflies and other preserved creatures within the Cabinet of Curiosities. Then there is the Theological Hall and Philosophical Hall each with their own collection of marvelous books. It shows how far we have come with science and technological within the space of a couple of hundred years. It does make you question the deterioration of the humanities in modern universities and our unquestioning acceptance of modern science. As we continue our search for truth you wonder if there will ever be a revival of the non-material ... or is perhaps physics going to take us there anyway. Thought-provoking stuff.
I returned to the brewery to continue my contemplation, that's what monasteries are for right? Well, yes, but they have also perfected the craft of beer and make a wonderful beef stew encased in hand-made bread. The way the relationship between art and Christianity has baffled me, this relationship between beer and religion is also a little bizarre. Oh well.
Once I had finished my trip into one old world I was off to visit another, Prague Castle. Another extremely exquisite building, immaculately preserved, but what do you expect I'm in Prague!
Back to the present, I headed back across the river and into the Rudolfinium Gallery (website) to see an exhibition on the 2010 Czech Grand Design Awards and an exhibition called 'Mutating Medium', which traces the evolution of photography over the past two decades. Both were great, in the Design exhibition (Website) the winner of the Fashion Award stood out (Hana Zarubora, Fix-yo) as did Salim Issa in the photography section.
I have found visiting art galleries a good way to experience new cities, museum's can be a little heavy and dry, but galleries tend to inspire and give a good sense for the creative spirit of a place. Each country has its own cultural and historical background so you often see some pretty unique things.
Finished the afternoon by walking back along the river as the setting sun was spraying golden light across Prague's beautiful buildings. Back to the hostel ... still full from the lunch, although I do have a loaf of hand-made bread from the Farmer's Market and a slab of goats cheese still in hand but might leave that for tomorrow. An organic apple and apple strudel might suffice for tea, also from the market.
Tomorrow's agenda? You will just have to wait and see.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
INTO THE WOMB
What a random title for a blog, BUT if you choose to continue reading you’ll find out why it fits. I started the morning by dropping into a supermarket to pick up some breakfast and lunch, a tub of yogurt, a few beautiful multigrain rolls (the bread in these supermarkets is not the like the home-brands of Coles or Safeway) and a slab of cheese. Then, onto a subway train and a tram as I set out for a day at Oberlaa Therme, Vienna’s thermal baths. (Website) The public transport is so efficient here that I arrived at my destination without confusion or delay.
The tram takes you right to the front door, in fact the tram is named 67 Oberlaa Therme Wien – that’s German precision for you. I walked through a light mist of rain towards a mammoth complex, it’s not like the hot springs at Rye, but it is equally as wonderful. Because of the public transport systems efficiency I arrived a little before 9am, the foyer was open and people were already lining up. The main visitors were retirees getting their weekly dose of exercise and natural therapy. There was also couples with their babies, and some of my own generation.
At the clock approached 9 the anticipation built, there was already thirty people and the attendants at the desk were not letting anyone in early. When it came my time to approach the desk I was given a wrist band, a locker key, and to my surprise did not to pay anything – that was to come later.
The building operated across three levels, the basement is home to all the lockers and changing ‘cabins’, Level 1 has all the action with a vast array of bathing experiences and Level 2 has hundreds of lounges to relax as well as a restaurant and cafe. A shop, hair salon and all means of beautification all exist within the complex.
Now, I walked down a broad staircase into the basement, around a corner and then, aisle after aisle of changing cabins and lockers. My locker was 940, that alone gives you an idea of the somewhat industrialised feeling of this place. I found my locker, nicked into a changing room and then asked myself, is this a bather-on or bathers-off type of place? The boardies went on and that turned out to be the right decision ... it could have gone either way.
Walking up to Level 1 I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had studied the website, and understood that the pools were set in Stones (like zones, but they have philosophical context). It was the start of the day so I thought its probably best to do the most active things now because hopefully later I will be pulled into Zen-like bliss. So, off to the water slides ... I grabbed an inflatable tube to ride down and followed behind a couple of teenagers having a day out. Hahaha. Within moments I was a kid again ... dropped the tube, then down the skinny fast slide ... back up, down again ... I kept going until I was sufficiently dizzy.
Next, diving board? A one metre diving board is not something I have much experience with ... maybe only the memory of being mortally “winded” on a childhood trip to the MSAC in Melbourne. I approached with caution, but before long I had developed a way of entering the water without too much pain.
Then it was off to the whirlpool ... and through a tunnel which connects indoor and outdoor pools ... another water slide ... some time in the lap pool ... then inside to a cave-like pool with bubble-beds and waterfalls ... and so it went, I continued moving from zone to zone, pool to pool ... each experience defined by its own space ... variations in light, water temperature, depths, ceiling heights, water animation, size, shape, materials and people.
Before long I found that Zen-like bliss I had been longing for.
My favourite experience was the Grotto, a zig-zagging tunnel that draws you into its womb-like atmosphere. It has a series of submerged bench seats and lounges which offer you the chance to let your mind wander, or just go completely numb. The water envelopes you as if it was liquid silk and you gently sway to the movement generated by soft underwater jets. As you close your eyes you listen to dampened gurgles and drift away into endless space...
Lunch time approached so I made one last dash to the water playground to see if my heightened state of awareness would help my diving endeavours. Up onto the board, along and jump ... the next thing I remember was slipping through the water, my ears compressing until I gently touched the bottom of the pool (maybe 7 metres below the surface) and slowly made my way up to surface. Success.
Then a few jumps off the 3 and 4 metre platforms and onto lunch. The afternoon was much the same as the morning ... ending in a failed attempt to take some photos of the pools to show you all (I was stopped by an employee protecting the companies image, and visitors privacy). You will have to be content with their website.
On the ride back into Vienna, which is only around 20 minutes away, my muscles were still completely relaxed and my brain was ready for sleep. A few hours later I’ve been able to resist that urge, but I will sleep well tonight. (Or perhaps not, as its St Patricks Day ... but that’s another story)
PS: As I was leaving Oberlaa Therme Wien I handed in my wristband, my hours were tallied and 20 Euros ($30 AUS)later I was on my way.
The tram takes you right to the front door, in fact the tram is named 67 Oberlaa Therme Wien – that’s German precision for you. I walked through a light mist of rain towards a mammoth complex, it’s not like the hot springs at Rye, but it is equally as wonderful. Because of the public transport systems efficiency I arrived a little before 9am, the foyer was open and people were already lining up. The main visitors were retirees getting their weekly dose of exercise and natural therapy. There was also couples with their babies, and some of my own generation.
At the clock approached 9 the anticipation built, there was already thirty people and the attendants at the desk were not letting anyone in early. When it came my time to approach the desk I was given a wrist band, a locker key, and to my surprise did not to pay anything – that was to come later.
The building operated across three levels, the basement is home to all the lockers and changing ‘cabins’, Level 1 has all the action with a vast array of bathing experiences and Level 2 has hundreds of lounges to relax as well as a restaurant and cafe. A shop, hair salon and all means of beautification all exist within the complex.
Now, I walked down a broad staircase into the basement, around a corner and then, aisle after aisle of changing cabins and lockers. My locker was 940, that alone gives you an idea of the somewhat industrialised feeling of this place. I found my locker, nicked into a changing room and then asked myself, is this a bather-on or bathers-off type of place? The boardies went on and that turned out to be the right decision ... it could have gone either way.
Walking up to Level 1 I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had studied the website, and understood that the pools were set in Stones (like zones, but they have philosophical context). It was the start of the day so I thought its probably best to do the most active things now because hopefully later I will be pulled into Zen-like bliss. So, off to the water slides ... I grabbed an inflatable tube to ride down and followed behind a couple of teenagers having a day out. Hahaha. Within moments I was a kid again ... dropped the tube, then down the skinny fast slide ... back up, down again ... I kept going until I was sufficiently dizzy.
Next, diving board? A one metre diving board is not something I have much experience with ... maybe only the memory of being mortally “winded” on a childhood trip to the MSAC in Melbourne. I approached with caution, but before long I had developed a way of entering the water without too much pain.
Then it was off to the whirlpool ... and through a tunnel which connects indoor and outdoor pools ... another water slide ... some time in the lap pool ... then inside to a cave-like pool with bubble-beds and waterfalls ... and so it went, I continued moving from zone to zone, pool to pool ... each experience defined by its own space ... variations in light, water temperature, depths, ceiling heights, water animation, size, shape, materials and people.
Before long I found that Zen-like bliss I had been longing for.
My favourite experience was the Grotto, a zig-zagging tunnel that draws you into its womb-like atmosphere. It has a series of submerged bench seats and lounges which offer you the chance to let your mind wander, or just go completely numb. The water envelopes you as if it was liquid silk and you gently sway to the movement generated by soft underwater jets. As you close your eyes you listen to dampened gurgles and drift away into endless space...
Lunch time approached so I made one last dash to the water playground to see if my heightened state of awareness would help my diving endeavours. Up onto the board, along and jump ... the next thing I remember was slipping through the water, my ears compressing until I gently touched the bottom of the pool (maybe 7 metres below the surface) and slowly made my way up to surface. Success.
Then a few jumps off the 3 and 4 metre platforms and onto lunch. The afternoon was much the same as the morning ... ending in a failed attempt to take some photos of the pools to show you all (I was stopped by an employee protecting the companies image, and visitors privacy). You will have to be content with their website.
On the ride back into Vienna, which is only around 20 minutes away, my muscles were still completely relaxed and my brain was ready for sleep. A few hours later I’ve been able to resist that urge, but I will sleep well tonight. (Or perhaps not, as its St Patricks Day ... but that’s another story)
PS: As I was leaving Oberlaa Therme Wien I handed in my wristband, my hours were tallied and 20 Euros ($30 AUS)later I was on my way.
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