There seems to be a trend within the design, products, fashion and food worlds back to simplicity, elegance and quality ... to the essential. In tough financial times people want to be certain that they're getting value for money and that a purchase will improve their quality of life not add unnecessary complication. Then is a feeling of returning to tradition but because it is often using modern technology it is undeniably moving forward.
It's as if we have peaked with the range and quantity of things we can consume, now we are peeling away the excess and moving closer to what is essential. Of course, this may represent the frontier but it may represent less than 1% of consumption/buyers ... the rest are still gorging themselves with excess.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A DUTCH EASTER
A Dutch Easter
Having stayed at Linda’s family home Saturday night I had a relaxed morning when eventually led to a late breakfast with the family, Linda, her partner Mark and their four children (ages ranging 8-15). (Linda being an ex-student of Jim’s from 20-odd years ago) The table was full of food and chocolate ... So, first thing to do was to crack some boiled eggs Linda had prepared. The game involved saying “Click, Click, Click” and then clashing eggs with an opponent to see whose egg came off worse for wear, then the eggs became the contents for an egg-roll. Next, a roll with butter and chocolate sprinkles, a Dutch speciality. “Hundreds and thousands” and sprinkles are common place here, I also saw them while staying at Duco and Danielle’s. Next was a traditional Jewish Easter food, called Matzes, which has been adopted by the Dutch. They are essentially a large cracker which you cover with butter and sugar – very sweet and probably good thing to have once a year. The story of the Matzes goes that when the Jewish fled slavery in ancient Egypt they left with bread which hadn’t been given time to rise. Cups of tea and coffee, chocolate eggs for the kids, some little chocolates bunnies for everyone and a cake of butter in the form of a chicken were other elements of the banquet. It was a wonderful educational experience. Kids along the street outside were running up and down carrying out their egg hunts ... this led to a water fight later on, involving some of the local kids taking refuge in Linda’s cosy courtyard. All in all, a great Easter morning had by all.
Thanks Linda and family.
Having stayed at Linda’s family home Saturday night I had a relaxed morning when eventually led to a late breakfast with the family, Linda, her partner Mark and their four children (ages ranging 8-15). (Linda being an ex-student of Jim’s from 20-odd years ago) The table was full of food and chocolate ... So, first thing to do was to crack some boiled eggs Linda had prepared. The game involved saying “Click, Click, Click” and then clashing eggs with an opponent to see whose egg came off worse for wear, then the eggs became the contents for an egg-roll. Next, a roll with butter and chocolate sprinkles, a Dutch speciality. “Hundreds and thousands” and sprinkles are common place here, I also saw them while staying at Duco and Danielle’s. Next was a traditional Jewish Easter food, called Matzes, which has been adopted by the Dutch. They are essentially a large cracker which you cover with butter and sugar – very sweet and probably good thing to have once a year. The story of the Matzes goes that when the Jewish fled slavery in ancient Egypt they left with bread which hadn’t been given time to rise. Cups of tea and coffee, chocolate eggs for the kids, some little chocolates bunnies for everyone and a cake of butter in the form of a chicken were other elements of the banquet. It was a wonderful educational experience. Kids along the street outside were running up and down carrying out their egg hunts ... this led to a water fight later on, involving some of the local kids taking refuge in Linda’s cosy courtyard. All in all, a great Easter morning had by all.
Thanks Linda and family.
Friday, April 22, 2011
JAPANESE DINNER
Photos of a Japanese-inspired meal I prepared, with the assistance of Danielle, to thank her and Duco for having me at their house in Rotterdam.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
BACK TO NATURE MOVEMENT
Tonight I went to a lecture by dance theorist Susan Foster called 'Choreographies of Hire' in Utrecht, Netherlands. I take an interest in contemporary dance because it reminds me of our humanity.
Susan presented research based on patterns she has seen emerging since 1987, the year I was born. It was a time when choreographers didn't have as much time with dancers and couldn't train them in a particular way of movement. It has meant dancers have become adaptive and generic, hence the hired body.
Issues of locality/identity VS universality/homogeneity emerged. She discussed the trend towards frontal orientation and importance placed on the silhouette of a dancer, no doubt the influence of having to communicate through 2D media, ie: TVs and computer screens, and exposure to a mass audience. ie: So you think you can dance. In this "industrial" context performance is based on a dancer's ability to communicate the essence of a particular genre whilst overlaying one's own interpretation. Its not something deep that reflects a way of thinking or being, its a mask they adopt.
This reminds me very much of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's critic of architecture being reduced to a facade, a surface. He calls for a return to materiality, craft and substance.
In a similar way Catherin Bull, the head lecturer of landscape architecture at Melbourne University, denigrates the landscape architecture professions preoccupation with the Picturesque and calls for eidetic landscapes that engage the body, heart and mind.
This pattern is a rejection of the hyperactive and superficial state of capitalist consumerism. I have seen it manifest in friends from Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, Ireland ... these people are suffering from a nature deficiency and find themselves craving something "real", something beyond the surface of their laptop or smartphone screen.
The recent film "Somewhere" with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning (link) is a classic example of a guy who is grossly dissatisfied with the hollowness of his high-profile life, eventually finding meaning in family and nature.
In Japan there's a movement of young people shifting to the country to live the simple life, starting organic farms and escaping the chaos of Tokyo City. This has manifested in a "back to nature" aesthetic in products and clothes, as well as a return to hand-made craft.
Susan Foster cited indigenous Alutiiq performer Tanya Lukin Linklater (link) as an example of this counter culture, describing the way Tanya "weaves herself into her surrounds", becoming one with everything around her. Themes of ceremony, ritual, storytelling run through her work as she recognises and celebrates her connection with the earth. She also cites the Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan. (link)
Of course Bangarra dance company from Australia have become world-renowned for telling ancient indigenous stories through contemporary dance. The same can be said for Australia's many indigenous painters, including my favourite Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
Another more popular example is the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Avatar' and the portrayal of the Navi people as being connected with all forms of life in a network called Eywa.
NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen, who is redefining Nordic cuisine by using unexplored and under-utilised traditional produce, has just been voted the World's number one restaurant again. The idea is that the whole ecosystem where the ingredients originate can be visible on your plate.
This momentum shift is occurring in all aspects of our daily life, more and more people have had enough of the superficiality of consumerism and are actively seeking meaning in life by reconnecting with nature and family. BUT because this is a whole new paradigm, attitude and belief system, it is going to take time to evolve and infiltrate our current culture. Even still the signs are positive.
Susan presented research based on patterns she has seen emerging since 1987, the year I was born. It was a time when choreographers didn't have as much time with dancers and couldn't train them in a particular way of movement. It has meant dancers have become adaptive and generic, hence the hired body.
Issues of locality/identity VS universality/homogeneity emerged. She discussed the trend towards frontal orientation and importance placed on the silhouette of a dancer, no doubt the influence of having to communicate through 2D media, ie: TVs and computer screens, and exposure to a mass audience. ie: So you think you can dance. In this "industrial" context performance is based on a dancer's ability to communicate the essence of a particular genre whilst overlaying one's own interpretation. Its not something deep that reflects a way of thinking or being, its a mask they adopt.
This reminds me very much of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's critic of architecture being reduced to a facade, a surface. He calls for a return to materiality, craft and substance.
In a similar way Catherin Bull, the head lecturer of landscape architecture at Melbourne University, denigrates the landscape architecture professions preoccupation with the Picturesque and calls for eidetic landscapes that engage the body, heart and mind.
This pattern is a rejection of the hyperactive and superficial state of capitalist consumerism. I have seen it manifest in friends from Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, Ireland ... these people are suffering from a nature deficiency and find themselves craving something "real", something beyond the surface of their laptop or smartphone screen.
The recent film "Somewhere" with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning (link) is a classic example of a guy who is grossly dissatisfied with the hollowness of his high-profile life, eventually finding meaning in family and nature.
In Japan there's a movement of young people shifting to the country to live the simple life, starting organic farms and escaping the chaos of Tokyo City. This has manifested in a "back to nature" aesthetic in products and clothes, as well as a return to hand-made craft.
Susan Foster cited indigenous Alutiiq performer Tanya Lukin Linklater (link) as an example of this counter culture, describing the way Tanya "weaves herself into her surrounds", becoming one with everything around her. Themes of ceremony, ritual, storytelling run through her work as she recognises and celebrates her connection with the earth. She also cites the Cloud Gate Theatre of Taiwan. (link)
Of course Bangarra dance company from Australia have become world-renowned for telling ancient indigenous stories through contemporary dance. The same can be said for Australia's many indigenous painters, including my favourite Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
Another more popular example is the Hollywood Blockbuster 'Avatar' and the portrayal of the Navi people as being connected with all forms of life in a network called Eywa.
NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen, who is redefining Nordic cuisine by using unexplored and under-utilised traditional produce, has just been voted the World's number one restaurant again. The idea is that the whole ecosystem where the ingredients originate can be visible on your plate.
This momentum shift is occurring in all aspects of our daily life, more and more people have had enough of the superficiality of consumerism and are actively seeking meaning in life by reconnecting with nature and family. BUT because this is a whole new paradigm, attitude and belief system, it is going to take time to evolve and infiltrate our current culture. Even still the signs are positive.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
PICNIC UNDER THE CHESTNUT TREE
Today I made the trip from Amsterdam to Utrecht, it take about 25 minutes by train. No troubles with public transport today. When I arrived there was a market in the town square so I took the chance to buy some local apples and a thick slice of local Gouda cheese. There was only one ingredient lacking, really nice bread.
So, I asked the cheese man for directions to the best bread shop in Utrecht ... 15 minutes later I had a beautiful loaf of olive bread to go with my cheese. Spotting a seat under the shade of a magnificent chestnut tree I decided to share its cover with another guy enjoying its splendor. The bread was fantastic, so was the cheese but before long I became quite full. I looked over to the guy sitting nearby. He was a young guy, maybe late 20s, long black hair, dark clothes with a small backpack in hand and what looked to be a rolled up tarp or tent. He was unassuming, introverted and probably homeless. Realising the guy probably didn't have any form of nourishment on hand, other than a bottle of water and a packet of cigarettes ... I called out "Excuse me ...[no response], excuse me." He looked over. "Would you like some cheese and bread? I am already full." Without hesitation he politely responded with a confident "yes", I handed it over and said "it's best eaten fresh", perhaps partly my justification for not holding onto it until tomorrow, but what else did I have to say to this helpless stranger. He responded by looking down at his basic clothes, his small back pack and tent ... as if to say, this is it, this is all I have, I don't care.
He sat back down, holding the bread and cheese in his hand, then looked back over and gave the most gracious smile I have ever seen ... truly moved and truly happy. He looked like he had won the lottery. I picked up my backpack, only a little big bigger than his and simply said "No worries mate" before continuing on my way.
So, I asked the cheese man for directions to the best bread shop in Utrecht ... 15 minutes later I had a beautiful loaf of olive bread to go with my cheese. Spotting a seat under the shade of a magnificent chestnut tree I decided to share its cover with another guy enjoying its splendor. The bread was fantastic, so was the cheese but before long I became quite full. I looked over to the guy sitting nearby. He was a young guy, maybe late 20s, long black hair, dark clothes with a small backpack in hand and what looked to be a rolled up tarp or tent. He was unassuming, introverted and probably homeless. Realising the guy probably didn't have any form of nourishment on hand, other than a bottle of water and a packet of cigarettes ... I called out "Excuse me ...[no response], excuse me." He looked over. "Would you like some cheese and bread? I am already full." Without hesitation he politely responded with a confident "yes", I handed it over and said "it's best eaten fresh", perhaps partly my justification for not holding onto it until tomorrow, but what else did I have to say to this helpless stranger. He responded by looking down at his basic clothes, his small back pack and tent ... as if to say, this is it, this is all I have, I don't care.
He sat back down, holding the bread and cheese in his hand, then looked back over and gave the most gracious smile I have ever seen ... truly moved and truly happy. He looked like he had won the lottery. I picked up my backpack, only a little big bigger than his and simply said "No worries mate" before continuing on my way.
TWO EAGLES IN A CLEAR BLUE SKY
Yesterday I took a day trip to visit the opening of Volgermeer Polder just north of Amsterdam, which I had been invited to attend by the Head of Landscape Architecture at Delft University.
So, what is a polder?
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments (barriers) known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder)
It turned out to be one of those “the journey is more important than the destination” days. In Amsterdam I caught a bus in the wrong direction, good start! Then when I climbed on board a bus headed in the right direction my public transport card was out of funds ... great. The bus driver was very friendly, could obviously tell I was learning things the hard way, and allowed me to travel that part of the journey for free. At the end of this 20 minute bus ride I had to try to reload my public transport card ... sounds easy, especially when I was able to find the appropriate machine in a supermarket foyer. The catch is they don’t take Mastercard. Right. Slightly disoriented by the mornings proceedings I went to an ATM thinking taking out some money would fix my problems, then I realised this was useless as there was no way to get the money on the card.
So, I just bought a daily ticket, to the price of 9 Euro, about $13. Expensive hey! This wasn’t the biggest challenge of the day, I still had another small bus ride and walk. The 6 minute bus ride was fine. After arriving at the town of Broeke en Waterland I only had to walk 50m to eat my packed lunch (bread, dip and a muesli bar) whilst beholding a picturesque Dutch agricultural scene. A vast, endless horizon of grass, some cows, canals and farmhouses ... oh, and clear blue skies.
Then, where to next?
I had been given directions by the receptionist at the hostel I was staying. A map showing the walk from the hostel to the first bus stop (it didn’t show the direction of travel which caused the first mishap), a series of bus transfers and a map showing the walk from the last bus stop to my destination. Now, I rarely get lost whilst travelling ... perhaps the result of having to find my way through the thick willow trees along Brandy Creek in Gippsland. BUT I had made a critical mistake of not checking the receptionists information with GoogleMaps which I usually rely on. So, when I pull out the map I have no idea which way to go because there’s no scale and I find it hard to read the path of the sun in the northern hemisphere. The smart thing to do would have been to ask someone, but you know how it is ...
So I walked a couple of kilometres through this picturesque Dutch landscape on a perfect sunny day, eventually winding up in the next town. The turn-off I was looking for never “appeared”. This walk was not in vein however because a 100 metres off the next town two huge eagles took flight from the paddock in front of me, they circled and circled and circled, being chased by smaller crows and spreading their grand, graceful wings. At this point I still wasn’t sure I was “lost”, so I took the chance to ask a boy waiting on the side of the road, after a minute his mum came to pick him so she checked the directions on her satellite navigation system The answer was short, go back to the town I had come from and ask someone. Hmm, that would have been easy the first time BUT I wouldn’t have seen the eagles.
I walked back, asked for directions from locals and finally found my destination. I had missed the presentation and formalities but as soon as I had been to the bathroom a young Australian guy introduced himself. This is part of the reason for coming, he is originally from Geelong and has been working at the firm responsible for this project for the last 6 years. “Let’s jump on a cart”, he says. We walk outside and to the end of a “red carpet” where a horse and carriage was waiting to take us for a tour of the 100 acre site. Wow, that’s service!
So we jumped on boarded and took a loop through the polder landscape. My new Australian friend told me all about the site’s history, from its form as a marshland 10,000 years ago, to being drained for agriculture around the year 1000, peat extraction for fuel from the 1920s to 1950s, this formed a big hole which eventually became a rubbish dump. So the most recent transformation involved the rehabilitation of this toxic landscape into a recreation park. As we ride around I’m clicking away with my camera as I had been all day, before I realised the memory card wasn’t in the camera. I had left it in my computer after downloading some photos onto my blog for Kate. I couldn’t do anything but smile and enjoy the ride.
Volgermeer Polder opening LINK
So, what is a polder?
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments (barriers) known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder)
It turned out to be one of those “the journey is more important than the destination” days. In Amsterdam I caught a bus in the wrong direction, good start! Then when I climbed on board a bus headed in the right direction my public transport card was out of funds ... great. The bus driver was very friendly, could obviously tell I was learning things the hard way, and allowed me to travel that part of the journey for free. At the end of this 20 minute bus ride I had to try to reload my public transport card ... sounds easy, especially when I was able to find the appropriate machine in a supermarket foyer. The catch is they don’t take Mastercard. Right. Slightly disoriented by the mornings proceedings I went to an ATM thinking taking out some money would fix my problems, then I realised this was useless as there was no way to get the money on the card.
So, I just bought a daily ticket, to the price of 9 Euro, about $13. Expensive hey! This wasn’t the biggest challenge of the day, I still had another small bus ride and walk. The 6 minute bus ride was fine. After arriving at the town of Broeke en Waterland I only had to walk 50m to eat my packed lunch (bread, dip and a muesli bar) whilst beholding a picturesque Dutch agricultural scene. A vast, endless horizon of grass, some cows, canals and farmhouses ... oh, and clear blue skies.
Then, where to next?
I had been given directions by the receptionist at the hostel I was staying. A map showing the walk from the hostel to the first bus stop (it didn’t show the direction of travel which caused the first mishap), a series of bus transfers and a map showing the walk from the last bus stop to my destination. Now, I rarely get lost whilst travelling ... perhaps the result of having to find my way through the thick willow trees along Brandy Creek in Gippsland. BUT I had made a critical mistake of not checking the receptionists information with GoogleMaps which I usually rely on. So, when I pull out the map I have no idea which way to go because there’s no scale and I find it hard to read the path of the sun in the northern hemisphere. The smart thing to do would have been to ask someone, but you know how it is ...
So I walked a couple of kilometres through this picturesque Dutch landscape on a perfect sunny day, eventually winding up in the next town. The turn-off I was looking for never “appeared”. This walk was not in vein however because a 100 metres off the next town two huge eagles took flight from the paddock in front of me, they circled and circled and circled, being chased by smaller crows and spreading their grand, graceful wings. At this point I still wasn’t sure I was “lost”, so I took the chance to ask a boy waiting on the side of the road, after a minute his mum came to pick him so she checked the directions on her satellite navigation system The answer was short, go back to the town I had come from and ask someone. Hmm, that would have been easy the first time BUT I wouldn’t have seen the eagles.
I walked back, asked for directions from locals and finally found my destination. I had missed the presentation and formalities but as soon as I had been to the bathroom a young Australian guy introduced himself. This is part of the reason for coming, he is originally from Geelong and has been working at the firm responsible for this project for the last 6 years. “Let’s jump on a cart”, he says. We walk outside and to the end of a “red carpet” where a horse and carriage was waiting to take us for a tour of the 100 acre site. Wow, that’s service!
So we jumped on boarded and took a loop through the polder landscape. My new Australian friend told me all about the site’s history, from its form as a marshland 10,000 years ago, to being drained for agriculture around the year 1000, peat extraction for fuel from the 1920s to 1950s, this formed a big hole which eventually became a rubbish dump. So the most recent transformation involved the rehabilitation of this toxic landscape into a recreation park. As we ride around I’m clicking away with my camera as I had been all day, before I realised the memory card wasn’t in the camera. I had left it in my computer after downloading some photos onto my blog for Kate. I couldn’t do anything but smile and enjoy the ride.
Volgermeer Polder opening LINK
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
IF ONLY WE STUDIED IN THE BAUHAUS
There seems to be many landscape architecture graduates, and probably more architect graduates, who because of the economic downturn are either jobless or don’t have jobs in their chosen profession. This may be the result of myriad factors but one must ask, if these graduates had been trained in the Bauhaus would things be different?
In the Bauhaus students had to learn a craft as part of their architectural studies, meaning that if they chose or were forced not to work as an architect, they could still make things and thus earn an income.
In the Bauhaus students had to learn a craft as part of their architectural studies, meaning that if they chose or were forced not to work as an architect, they could still make things and thus earn an income.
THE BAUHAUS
Extracts from: ‘THE BAUHAUS: MASTERS AND STUDENTS BY THEMSELVES’
EDITED BY FRANK WHITFORD
THE BAUHAUS ACCORDING TO WALTER GROPIUS
GOAL:
Architecture, painting and sculpture in a single form.
PRACTISE AND THEORY:
1. Craft: sculpture to weaving.
2. Drawing/Painting
3. Theory: History to materials
A HANDS-ON, WORKSHOP FOCUS:
‘a world in which things are built’ VS ‘the unproductive artist ... [there is] no such thing as “professional art”.’
‘The ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building.'
The goal of the Bauhaus is a ‘working community of outstanding artist-craftsmen [who can create] ... socially useful products’.
HAND-MADE VS MACHINE-MADE
‘the handloom alone provides so much scope and permits a concept to develop from one experimental stage to the next.’
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE, ‘THE NEW EPOCH’ IN DIE FORM, 1930
‘Blind to all value judgements, all these things take their preordained course ... Everything depends not on the “what” but only and entirely on the “how”.’
EDITED BY FRANK WHITFORD
THE BAUHAUS ACCORDING TO WALTER GROPIUS
GOAL:
Architecture, painting and sculpture in a single form.
PRACTISE AND THEORY:
1. Craft: sculpture to weaving.
2. Drawing/Painting
3. Theory: History to materials
A HANDS-ON, WORKSHOP FOCUS:
‘a world in which things are built’ VS ‘the unproductive artist ... [there is] no such thing as “professional art”.’
‘The ultimate aim of all creative activity is the building.'
The goal of the Bauhaus is a ‘working community of outstanding artist-craftsmen [who can create] ... socially useful products’.
HAND-MADE VS MACHINE-MADE
‘the handloom alone provides so much scope and permits a concept to develop from one experimental stage to the next.’
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE, ‘THE NEW EPOCH’ IN DIE FORM, 1930
‘Blind to all value judgements, all these things take their preordained course ... Everything depends not on the “what” but only and entirely on the “how”.’
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
Coming to Europe you begin to realise how important public open space. Living in Australia its different because we spend so much time in our own backyards, and so public spaces are often extras rather than essentials. Whether you consider the Mayan cities of Mexico or the modern cities of The Netherlands people need open space, its where we live.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
ROTTERDAM MARATHON
Rotterdam was alive today ... you could literally feel the energy. When I stood still on the huge suspension bridge connecting two major areas of the city I could feel it bouncing under the pressure of people running and walking over it - amazing. Musicians playing on the roof of a bus, you would think it was a festival ...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
TREE SCULPTURE AND BOIJMANS ART GALLERY
Steel cage is a small circular soccer field with little goals built into the walls.
Final picture is of coat room/ bag storage at Boijmans Museum ... lock your bag in a cage, release a cord to lower a clothes hanger then wind up to store your jacket until you get back.
Final picture is of coat room/ bag storage at Boijmans Museum ... lock your bag in a cage, release a cord to lower a clothes hanger then wind up to store your jacket until you get back.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
FURTHER STUDY AS A STUDENT OF LIFE (cont'd)
I visited the Boijmans Musuem in Rotterdam this morning, it was like a journey through time.
The first exhibition was a display of craft through the Middle Ages, so you're looking at beautifully made dishes made from bronze and brass, next to glass beakers, next to glazed tiles and carved timber furniture ... all 500 or more years old.
Then you walk into a room with a contemporary artwork by Wim T. Chippers, which was essentially a 3x12m timber board smothered in Peanut Butter ... imagine the smell! It was appropriately titled 'Peanut Butter Platform'.
Next, paintings and prints from the 17th through 20th centuries ... everything from impressionism to surrealism.
To complete the story, there is an exhibition presenting images and audio-visual displays relating to the latest science and technology. Most profound was a short documentary showing a sequence of ultrasounds of human babies, from a gestation period of 8 weeks to 34 weeks. In a word: phenomenal.
It reminds me of my experience of visiting the modern art gallery and technical museum in Prague. These institutions have incredible access to high quality material because much of what they are presenting, especially with art history, happened right here. In reality it makes Europe the perfect place to learn, and probably it has always been this way.
The first exhibition was a display of craft through the Middle Ages, so you're looking at beautifully made dishes made from bronze and brass, next to glass beakers, next to glazed tiles and carved timber furniture ... all 500 or more years old.
Then you walk into a room with a contemporary artwork by Wim T. Chippers, which was essentially a 3x12m timber board smothered in Peanut Butter ... imagine the smell! It was appropriately titled 'Peanut Butter Platform'.
Next, paintings and prints from the 17th through 20th centuries ... everything from impressionism to surrealism.
To complete the story, there is an exhibition presenting images and audio-visual displays relating to the latest science and technology. Most profound was a short documentary showing a sequence of ultrasounds of human babies, from a gestation period of 8 weeks to 34 weeks. In a word: phenomenal.
It reminds me of my experience of visiting the modern art gallery and technical museum in Prague. These institutions have incredible access to high quality material because much of what they are presenting, especially with art history, happened right here. In reality it makes Europe the perfect place to learn, and probably it has always been this way.
NOTE TO SELF: KENGO KUMA PROJECTS IN EU
Granada Performing Arts Centre, Spain
Ceramic Cloud, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Cava Market HQ, Campagna, Italy
San Pellegrino Therme, Italy
Sysla-mademoiselle, Paris
Besancon Art and Culture Centre, France
Tea House, Museum of Applied Arts, Frankfurt
Ceramic Cloud, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Cava Market HQ, Campagna, Italy
San Pellegrino Therme, Italy
Sysla-mademoiselle, Paris
Besancon Art and Culture Centre, France
Tea House, Museum of Applied Arts, Frankfurt
Monday, April 4, 2011
MONOCLE WEEKLY: THE NEW WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH
I just subscribed to Monocle Weekly on iTunes ... so I plan to download the podcast they make on Global Affairs each Monday, upload it onto my iPod and listen at my earliest convenience. Cool hey.
They also have the daily Monocolumn.
Then of course, they have Sections (Affair, Business, Culture, Design) with interest-specific videos you can watch ... haven't worked out the rhythm in which these are created.
BBC, The New Yorker, The Economist ... all have their own weekly podcasts, so when you can't carry around you computer, you can still be connected. Welcome to the 21st century.
They also have the daily Monocolumn.
Then of course, they have Sections (Affair, Business, Culture, Design) with interest-specific videos you can watch ... haven't worked out the rhythm in which these are created.
BBC, The New Yorker, The Economist ... all have their own weekly podcasts, so when you can't carry around you computer, you can still be connected. Welcome to the 21st century.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
AFRIKAANDERPLEIN MARKET COOK-UP
After visiting the local market I had the first opportunity in one month to cook something myself. This was also made possible by staying at the house of some new Dutch friends, whom were not unfortunately present to share the feast - next time!
So, on the menu:
Raw herring, with finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice. Raw herring is a typical Dutch delicacy, although this being the first time I have de-boned fish my dish certainly would not be up to local standards.
This was sided by tiny baked potatoes, beetroot and onion with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Finished with new-season strawberries, from Spain (still not sure if this is a good or bad thing), with sugar on top.
So, on the menu:
Raw herring, with finely chopped onions, salt and pepper, olive oil and a drizzle of lemon juice. Raw herring is a typical Dutch delicacy, although this being the first time I have de-boned fish my dish certainly would not be up to local standards.
This was sided by tiny baked potatoes, beetroot and onion with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Finished with new-season strawberries, from Spain (still not sure if this is a good or bad thing), with sugar on top.
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