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?)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
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.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
THE LINE OF FATE
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Visited Vienna's Museum of Modern Art this afternoon. I was particularly captured by a video within one of the exhibition, Craneway Project. (Read more)(See clip)
Watching a choreographer, bound to a wheelchair by age, but still working as a master of art was poetic. And watching dancers is so soothing. (Tangent) In fact this reminded me of a documentary about architect I.M Pei working through the design and construction of a museum in Suzhou, China. I.M Pei was born in Suzhou, which was once the home of traditional Chinese art and culture, so the place had special significance. (See clip) Like the choreographer I.M Pei is a master of his craft, but for both it has taken a lifetime to reach their peak. They've reached a point when each word, wave of the finger or line on the page is a mythical act.
I began to think about my own experiences, at university, working with Jim, and then on my own projects. The later has provided invaluable experience in designing and constructing landscapes in the "real world". It has enabled me to break through the intellectual baggage of university and put everything into perspective. Of course, travel has been interspersed throughout this whole process - these have provided new insights, and always find their way into my work.
So then, in contemplating the path of masters, my own professional development is in its infancy. In truth I will probably never reach a level close to their's. But, it gives context, so the foundation of my creative processes will continue to evolve - and this travel will be a critical influence.
Visited Vienna's Museum of Modern Art this afternoon. I was particularly captured by a video within one of the exhibition, Craneway Project. (Read more)(See clip)
Watching a choreographer, bound to a wheelchair by age, but still working as a master of art was poetic. And watching dancers is so soothing. (Tangent) In fact this reminded me of a documentary about architect I.M Pei working through the design and construction of a museum in Suzhou, China. I.M Pei was born in Suzhou, which was once the home of traditional Chinese art and culture, so the place had special significance. (See clip) Like the choreographer I.M Pei is a master of his craft, but for both it has taken a lifetime to reach their peak. They've reached a point when each word, wave of the finger or line on the page is a mythical act.
I began to think about my own experiences, at university, working with Jim, and then on my own projects. The later has provided invaluable experience in designing and constructing landscapes in the "real world". It has enabled me to break through the intellectual baggage of university and put everything into perspective. Of course, travel has been interspersed throughout this whole process - these have provided new insights, and always find their way into my work.
So then, in contemplating the path of masters, my own professional development is in its infancy. In truth I will probably never reach a level close to their's. But, it gives context, so the foundation of my creative processes will continue to evolve - and this travel will be a critical influence.
SAINT CHARLES PHARMACY
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I dropped into the Saint Charles Pharmacy today, picked up some tea, honey "gummy bears" and some nice soap. It was great to chat to one of the pharmacists about the production processes, how things are made depending on the seasons and the way available ingredients dictate what is in the shop. These are such wonderful things in a world which values more, cheaper, faster.
I dropped into the Saint Charles Pharmacy today, picked up some tea, honey "gummy bears" and some nice soap. It was great to chat to one of the pharmacists about the production processes, how things are made depending on the seasons and the way available ingredients dictate what is in the shop. These are such wonderful things in a world which values more, cheaper, faster.
ELITE STREET (draft)
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I was walking down a little lane of high-end boutiques when I stumbled across Rudolf Scheer, a leather shoe shop established in 1816. Only a month before I’d read about the company in Monocle magazine.
There was no-one in the shop, or so it appeared. I opened the door and in I went to a timeless world – a space of craftsman pursuing the art of perfection. Imagine a window of sculpted wooden shoe moulds, parquetry floors and a seductive smell of leather. There was barely a shoe in sight.
As if out of a fairy tale, a young man walked down the staircase, all dressed in white. Initially addressing me in German, he corrected himself. Then, in perfect English asked “Can I help you?”
I explained that I had stumbled upon the shop and had been mesmerised by the company’s values after browsing their website.
He explained that they source the leather from secret sources, from all over the world, as it is available. “When it comes, we have to be the first.”
Conversation expanded, I asked how long it takes to make a pair of shoes? Six to eight months. My natural response was, I should think about starting the process while I’m here. He explained that he would need to see me three to four times during the process. In the beginning for measurements, then, in three to four months time for a trial fit, and then in another three to four months after completion, all going well. Right I thought, so then I daringly asked how much a pair of dress shoes would cost.
Knowing the background of the company, their process and uncompromising commitment to quality I knew it would be expensive, maybe $500, maybe even $1000.
Well, 3000 to 4000 Euro for the first pair because of all the time required in shaping the wooden foot mould to precisely match each of my feet. Thereafter, depending on materials and styles expect to pay 3000+ Euro per pair.
Gulp! I tried to conceal my bewilderment and stop myself from falling over. I wouldn’t be surprised if my eyes bulged but I responded calmly by saying I would think it over.
I asked if there were any shoes on display upstairs, there literally two or three pairs on display on the ground level. He said that the only ones are upstairs and they are the ones in the process of being made for others. But he let me come upstairs to see the fitting room and take a glimpse at the workshop.
Up I went, following the master. It was beautiful, simple and the smell of leather only became more seductive.
I asked him which generation in the family business’ lineage he was, seventh generation. Indigenous cultures say that when a family has been in a place for seven generations they become indigenous to that area, many would also traditionally base their community’s decisions on its impact on the next seven generations. How many 21st century many families, communities, businesses can claim this kind of heritage?
Not wanting to disturb this mythical operation I swiftly departed after thanking him very much for his time.
Still in shock I continued walking down the lane, Brauner Strasse. A few shops up there was a piano shop where the shop owner was serenading passersby. Then there was a hand-made leather bag store, tucked away down an arcade. Directly opposite was an antique store with pieces that scream history.
I’d stumbled into a world which has been trapped in time, a precious, precious microcosm. Scheer’s Shoes are the first really expensive item which I think I might not ever have, but that I value and want so much.
These companies along Brauner Strasse have pursued the perfection of craft to its end, and have miraculously found a way to sustain it in a world which the majority want more, quicker and cheaper. The result is that their products become luxuries for the elite, way out of the range of the everyday person.
If you were a craftsman, perhaps the original Scheer shoe maker, and you were able to look into the future ... would you still pursue the perfection of your craft if you knew it would become elitist? Or doesn’t the socio-economic class of your customer matter at all, its only the authenticity of the creative process that matters? Maybe thats more of a contribution to our society than to succumb to the production of crap.
I was walking down a little lane of high-end boutiques when I stumbled across Rudolf Scheer, a leather shoe shop established in 1816. Only a month before I’d read about the company in Monocle magazine.
There was no-one in the shop, or so it appeared. I opened the door and in I went to a timeless world – a space of craftsman pursuing the art of perfection. Imagine a window of sculpted wooden shoe moulds, parquetry floors and a seductive smell of leather. There was barely a shoe in sight.
As if out of a fairy tale, a young man walked down the staircase, all dressed in white. Initially addressing me in German, he corrected himself. Then, in perfect English asked “Can I help you?”
I explained that I had stumbled upon the shop and had been mesmerised by the company’s values after browsing their website.
He explained that they source the leather from secret sources, from all over the world, as it is available. “When it comes, we have to be the first.”
Conversation expanded, I asked how long it takes to make a pair of shoes? Six to eight months. My natural response was, I should think about starting the process while I’m here. He explained that he would need to see me three to four times during the process. In the beginning for measurements, then, in three to four months time for a trial fit, and then in another three to four months after completion, all going well. Right I thought, so then I daringly asked how much a pair of dress shoes would cost.
Knowing the background of the company, their process and uncompromising commitment to quality I knew it would be expensive, maybe $500, maybe even $1000.
Well, 3000 to 4000 Euro for the first pair because of all the time required in shaping the wooden foot mould to precisely match each of my feet. Thereafter, depending on materials and styles expect to pay 3000+ Euro per pair.
Gulp! I tried to conceal my bewilderment and stop myself from falling over. I wouldn’t be surprised if my eyes bulged but I responded calmly by saying I would think it over.
I asked if there were any shoes on display upstairs, there literally two or three pairs on display on the ground level. He said that the only ones are upstairs and they are the ones in the process of being made for others. But he let me come upstairs to see the fitting room and take a glimpse at the workshop.
Up I went, following the master. It was beautiful, simple and the smell of leather only became more seductive.
I asked him which generation in the family business’ lineage he was, seventh generation. Indigenous cultures say that when a family has been in a place for seven generations they become indigenous to that area, many would also traditionally base their community’s decisions on its impact on the next seven generations. How many 21st century many families, communities, businesses can claim this kind of heritage?
Not wanting to disturb this mythical operation I swiftly departed after thanking him very much for his time.
Still in shock I continued walking down the lane, Brauner Strasse. A few shops up there was a piano shop where the shop owner was serenading passersby. Then there was a hand-made leather bag store, tucked away down an arcade. Directly opposite was an antique store with pieces that scream history.
I’d stumbled into a world which has been trapped in time, a precious, precious microcosm. Scheer’s Shoes are the first really expensive item which I think I might not ever have, but that I value and want so much.
These companies along Brauner Strasse have pursued the perfection of craft to its end, and have miraculously found a way to sustain it in a world which the majority want more, quicker and cheaper. The result is that their products become luxuries for the elite, way out of the range of the everyday person.
If you were a craftsman, perhaps the original Scheer shoe maker, and you were able to look into the future ... would you still pursue the perfection of your craft if you knew it would become elitist? Or doesn’t the socio-economic class of your customer matter at all, its only the authenticity of the creative process that matters? Maybe thats more of a contribution to our society than to succumb to the production of crap.
UDINE (ITALY) TO VIENNA (AUSTRIA)
River – Mountain – Tunnel – Remote town –
River - Mountain – Waterfall – Tunnel – Remote town –
River – Mountain – Animal tracks – Tunnel – Remote town –
River – Mountain – Tunnel – Remote town
River - Mountain – Waterfall – Tunnel – Remote town –
River – Mountain – Animal tracks – Tunnel – Remote town –
River – Mountain – Tunnel – Remote town
INTRODUCTION
This blog will trace an unknown path ... a continually expanding array of experiences and discoveries, personally and professionally.
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