Material Gestures

Gerard Richter

Tate Modern 

Cage 1-6 

Finally most of my boxes are unpacked and I am starting to feel that I have a home again. We are waiting for our new sofa though and most of our artwork is still in New York. 

Early this morning I therefore came to think of what Art I wish I could surround myself with, and I came to remember the Gerhard Richter room at the Tate Modern. How I wish I could enfold myself in these large canvases, what fine ambience they give, what composition they portray.

These paintings were inspired and named after the great American composer John Cage (1912-1992), and the complicated, brilliant avant-garde music that he left us.  

"I have nothing to say and I'm saying it"

John Cage

"I don't know what I want I am inconsistent, non-committal, passive, I like the indefinite, 

the boundless, I like continual uncertainty"

Gerhard Richter

These paintings were done in 2006 (lent to the Tate from a private collection). Gerhard Richter moves on, he is in a constant evolution. His art is really indefinite and boundless. I am always excited to see his work. October 2011, the Tate Modern will show a chronological retrospective of Richter's work (he turns 80 this year) and I can't wait to see it.

With Love

Kristin

More Gerhard Richter

Becoming

AI WEIWEI

Bejing Airport

When I came back from Spain last week I was met with a house full of boxes from N.Y... so instead of having time to blog I have spent time trying to make space for living.

One of these boxes contained one of our most valuable possessions; a limited edition "Box-set" of Ai Weiwei photographies that was given us last year. 147 photos from the building of the Foster & Partners Bejing Airport.

Documented photos from the "Becoming" of Bejing airport where his destiny was to be detained a few years later. 3rd of April 2011.

It has been over three weeks now since Ai Weiwei disappeared and the whole Art World is longing for his return. There has been great demonstrations all over the world, the latest one in Hong Kong with the slogan "Who is afraid of Ai Weiwei?" Yes, who? What makes an Artist be such a symbol of fright for the Chinese Government. Why did they pick him as a symbol to frighten others?

Ai Weiwei's favorite slogan is:

"To live your life"

Why is he not allowed?

Maybe, because he strikes a cord with us all, maybe because he represents the people in such an intense and truthful way?

Here are pictures from the Box-set of the building of Bejing Airport. It will give you a sense of his composition and of how he makes the common turn into something incredibly beautiful. Like with his Sunflower seeds he makes the small become powerful, and that is what he is doing for the Chinese people. The many and what the many does still counts, you are important!!!

"I have always admired writing as the highest medium of expression that a person can use. But it has to be related to practice. I can always use writing to better state my understanding of a concept in art and architecture, because it has less limitations and more freedom in written form. I use my blogs to help me to advance my writings, not only on artistic discussions, but also on social and political issues."

       Ai Wei Wei "Becoming" (Ivorypress & Timezone)

To Support the release of Ai Wei Wei:

Change

where is weiwei

With Love

Kristin

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Mystery and Murder

The Alhambra of Granada

Part 3 (1 and 2)

Nisrad Palace and Partal Palace

The last part of the most famous Islamic Architecture in Spain, is the Nasrid Palace and the Partal Palace.

Enjoy, the dripped ceilings, the calming water and the mystery of these spaces. 

Entrance to the Hall of the Mexuar

Hall of the Mexuar

Court of the Gilded Room

The space where meetings where held.

Ceiling Gilded Room

Court of the Myrtles

Where the Nasrid did their best to tame water, the water is supposed to have an intricate construction to be completely quiet and reflect the buildings. I therefore thought it was quite awkward that fishes had been added to it. 

Entrance ceiling, Comares Room

Court of the Lions

Hall of the two sisters

Supposedly named after two imprisoned sisters who is said to die of desire after seeing a couple secretely making love in the nearby garden.

In the Hall of the Abencerrajes there is also another myth. The Abencerraje massacre, the leader was supposed to be smitten by the beautiful Zorraja, the Kings favorite. This ended in a massacre and the red bloodstains are said to be still there. Later the episode has been thought of as the downfall of Grenada.

Jardin de Lindaraja

Partal Palace

Alhambra's oldest castle, with what is left of it and it's gorgeous less secluded garden. 

What better way to end this wonderful trip, than to see a couple in love?

With this I will end my vacation and go back to the Contemporary world in London for a while.

See you next week:)

With Love 

Kristin

The Warriors Den

The Alhambra of Grenada

Part 2 (Part 1 here)

Alxazaba/ Charles V. Palace

Walking to the fortress and the Narid Palace you have a view back up to the Generalife, we walked by the gorgeous Palace hotel in the center to where the burial place for the Catholic Ferdinand V and Isabella I is, in a Crypt in the Royal Chapel. The two were known to bring unification to Spain (15th Century). A continuos Golden time for Spain and the Catholics but turned in to a rather horrible time for the Jews and Muslims with the "inquisition". The Spanish inquisition was established in 1480 and meant in simple terms that you either had to convert or leave.

The ceiling of the Crypt

Burial Stone

Ferdinand V and Isabella I, conquered Granada in 1492 and then turned the mosque into a church.

The Palace of Charles V

With the later rule of Charles V. the Holy Roman Emperor continued the colonization of America and in Granada he decided to build a palace befitting an emperor. The Palace is built by Pedro Machuca (1527) in a mannerism style... and to be honest it seems directly insulting to the surroundings. A building with grandeur on the outside and empty on the inside, a building built to impress not for any particular stated use. Now though they have filled the empty spaces with gallery's and museums. 

Alcazaba

I walked to the Alcazaba with much lighter steps, here is the original fortress, presumably where the Nasrid people lived while they built their palace. Wonderfully situated on the peak of the mountain with a fantastic view.

The Warriors den

With the tension within the sultans, this fortress was built not only to  defend from the outside but also from within. Built so the sultans could defend themselves from their own guards. As a visitor one is always confronted by at least one wall forming a bend that one has to go round in order to penetrate into the interior. 

View to Granada

Few would understand the beauty of the inside of this fortress by seeing the facade.

After seeing the Fortress, I walked back to the timed slot (important to book in advance) for the Nasrid palace and the Partal Palace, the pearls of this place. Will write about these wonders next time as the last segment about the Alhambra of Granada. Until then enjoy:)

With Love

Kristin