Europe

Finding Rivendell

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Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Plivitce Lakes National Park, Croatia.

If you enjoy The Lord of the Rings as much as I do, then you may see a bit of JRR Tolkien’s Imladris aka “Rivendell,” the refuge for the Elves, in Plivitce.

Plivitce Lakes National Park is a group of 16 lakes situated on different elevations; twelve upper lakes and four lower ones. Upper lakes cascade down into the lower lakes, creating countless spectacular waterfalls. The water that feeds Plivitce is runoff from nearby mountains and moves over the limestone formations surrounding the lakes. As it flows, the water dissolves the rock and becomes saturated with calcium carbonate which creates a travertine coating on the bottom and sides of the lake. Essentially, the water calcifies everything it touches and that is why the lakes are so clear — no mud or algae ever accumulates. This also means that the water has stunning and distinctive shades that range from crystal clear, to aqua, blue, green, and grey. Colors change between lakes and also alter depending on the sunlight and the minerals in the water.

Plivitce is a stunning gem of a UNESCO site and perhaps the only one that would be adequate for Lord Elrond.

 
Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Alone, Together

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Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Ganzfeld “Aural” by James Turrell.

In my in opinion, the most fascinating part of experiencing Turrell’s works is that you can be surrounded by people, but still feel completely alone with it. Often, his pieces are about the solo, mental experience. Ganzfeld “Aural” is a prime example. While there may be several individuals in this same shared space, the perceptual experience is completely individual and internal.

In Ganzfeld, a visitor walks into an empty room and is bathed in light. When you first step into the piece and approach the central point, the combination of the light and the decline is completely disorienting; it is intended to be this way. You feel as though you are walking through a thick colorful fog before your eyes can adjust. As the lights slowly change, so does your depth perception; you think you are walking towards the end of a tunnel, when in fact you are walking precariously towards a 2 meter drop.

Ganzfeld is actually a German word that describes the phenomenon of “perceptual deprivation” and this is what this work challenges you with. Once you are immersed, you cannot trust your eyes or your senses, but you are forced to grapple with it alone.

 
Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Eye Spy

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JR at Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP). Paris, France.

In November, I was fortunate enough to be in Paris when artist JR did a “takeover” of the city, installing his large scale photographs in various metro stations across the city. The campaign was to promote the artist’s first major show in Paris aptly named “MOMENTUM”.

While I was unable to go to the exhibit, the MEP smartly put some of his work on the exterior of their building as well. MOMENTUM included some of JR’s early photographs and showcased several new installations. JR’s work is politically charged and often controversial, but that’s why I enjoy it. He has a point of view and is unafraid to double down on it. The past few years, he has focused his work on immigration and victims of wars and conflicts. The most talked about piece inside the exhibit was his recent mural about guns in America that landed on the cover of TIME’s November 5th cover. For the mural, JR filmed and photographed 245 people from across the gun debate spectrum: hunters, activists, teachers, parents, police officers, and children.

This particular photo here used on the exterior of MEP is from his series: Portrait of a Generation, an illegal pasting exhibition of portraits all captured with a 28 mm lens.

The Little Engine That Could

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The Little Engine That Could. Lisbon, Portugal. May 2018.

The Little Engine That Could. Lisbon, Portugal. May 2018.

Elevador da Bica, otherwise known as Ascensor da Bica, is one of my favorite locations in Lisbon. The Iberian coast is hillier than people expect and Lisbon exemplifies this; it's a vertically layered city.

This particular train runs up a short steep street in Barrio Alto and the tricky part to capturing the trolley car, is that it only runs once every 15 minutes. You can easily spend an hour waiting for the right frame while avoiding unwanted photobombs. It is a short track train and the ride only lasts a few minutes so timing is everything. Bica is a popular destination for visitors (especially Wes Anderson fans) and I went about three or four times during my last visit to try and get as many variations as possible, rain and shine.

For this shot, I went on a Sunday morning for the first run of the train up/down the incline. I stood in this vantage point for awhile so folks passing by knew I was waiting for this shot. Unfortunately, as a sola traveler, you cannot control who walks down into the frame at the precise moment you want to snap. That happened many times before, but thankfully not this time. Right after I took this shot, a group of fellow photogs chasing the train down the incline, came barreling around the corner. I can't hate, we all want the perfect shot of this engine that could. It's damn cute. 

Squared Away

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Squared Away. Rome, Italy. March 2016.

Squared Away. Rome, Italy. March 2016.

The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (or Colosseo Quadrato) is one of my favorite examples of rationalist architecture. Just outside of Rome in the EUR neighborhood, the palazzo was recently renovated to be the global headquarters for fashion powerhouse Fendi. While I enjoy the aesthetics, it has a bit of a controversial past.

The palazzo was constructed between 1938-1943 and created to showcase Benito Mussolini's grand fascist vision for Rome, Italy, and the world. EUR was created to host the 1942 World's Fair and the palazzo was its centerpiece. It is rumoured that there are nine window arches to match the number of letters in "Mussolini". If you look across the top of the photo you can count: M-U-S-S-O-L-I-N-I.

The plans for the exhibition were actually canceled in 1941 during the finishing of the palazzo and it sat unused for a decade after its completion. The palazzo has open and closed intermittently since 1953, and in 2015 Fendi moved in after a five year public restoration period. Fendi will call the palazzo home at least until 2030. 

I am headed back to Rome this month and will hopefully make it back to visit EUR. 

Never Neverland

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Never Neverland. London, England. September 2017.

Never Neverland. London, England. September 2017.

Kew Gardens. London, England, UK. September 2017.

While I love the busy and frenetic aspects of London, I also enjoy its green spaces. Despite how dense London is, there are numerous parks scattered across the city: from Hampstead Heath to St. James Park, Regent's Park to Kew Gardens.

This Victorian-style greenhouse named Palm House is located in Kew Gardens, roughly 45 minutes via tube from city center. This was my first time to this part of Richmond and I ventured there to see "The Hive," the U.K. Pavilion from Expo Milano. The pavilion was beautiful, but I was just as intrigued by the greenhouse.

The Palm House was built in 1844 as a place for explorers to house tropical plants brought back from travels in the tropics. It remains one of the most distinguished examples of a glass and iron Victorian structure. The misters are necessary to maintain the rainforest climate inside, but also creates the appropriate ambience for this ethereal and mystical urban escape.

Sky High

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Sky High. London, England. September 2017.

Sky High. London, England. September 2017.

Sky Garden, London, U.K. September 2017.

Sitting atop of London's controversial "Walkie Talkie" building (aka 20 Fenchurch Street Tower), Sky Garden is a must see for anyone that enjoys a free urban retreat with a view. Opened in 2015 and designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, Sky Garden has a full 360 degree view of the city where you can see London Bridge, Tate Modern, Barbican, Gherkin, and a lot in between. I went right around opening so that I could get some photos without people in them, but many others had the same idea. Luckily the garden is large enough to accommodate hundreds and finding an undisturbed moment shared between a couple is still possible.  

Valuable Time With You

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Valuable Time With You. Venice, Italy. October 2017.

Valuable Time With You. Venice, Italy. October 2017.

Venice, Italy. September 2017.

This is Domenico, one of my dearest friends. We traveled to Art Biennale in Venice together two years ago and returned again this year to see Vive Arte Vive! As a seasoned attendee of both the art and architecture Biennale, Domenico navigates the Giardini by heart and has an eye for detail that I can only hope to emulate. 

Here we are inside an installation in the Korean Pavilion designed by Lee Wan. Lee's work entitled "Proper Time: Though the Dreams Revolve with the Moon" is an installation of 668 clocks that cover the walls of this room from floor to ceiling. Each face has the name, birthdate, and nationality of various individuals Lee met while researching economic circumstances around the world. Despite its uniformity, the clocks do not move in unison. The hands move at a speed that is determined by the amount of time the subject has to work in order to afford a full meal. 

But, back to Domenico. He is my better half in all ways: sophisticated, articulate, and wise beyond his years. The time I spend with Domenico is precious and so when I took this photo, I thought it was, for lack of a better word, timely. I can only hope our Biennale trips together continue on as a tradition because every trip with Domenico is an education I cannot get anywhere else.