Valuable Time With You

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.

Blue Over You

Blue Over You. Houston, U.S.A. August 2017.

I had a long layover in Houston, Texas this afternoon so I decided to leave the airport and head over to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston to spend a couple hours with their collection. I was not familiar with the museum in advance of visiting so it was a pleasant surprise to see a James Turrell installation*. It is always hard to capture a Turrell correctly through the camera because it is such an immersive light experience, however this guard's silhouette against the rich, blue backdrop of light provided a poignant moment that was worth capturing.

*Turrell, "The Light Inside" (2000)

Like Diamonds in the Sky

Like Diamonds in the Sky. Milan, Italy. April 2016.

My favorite time of the year in Milan is during Milan Design Week commonly referred to as "Salone del Mobile." It is the largest international design/furniture fair and draws and an incredible amount of attention and talent to the city. It happens every April, perfectly timed for when the weather finally turns. While there is plenty to see at the actual fairground where Salone del Mobile is held, the best part is that exhibitions permeate throughout the entire city. Designers and brands show outside of the fairground and those installations are known as Fuorisalone (outside Salone).

For Fuori Salone 2016, Citizen created this amazing installation, "time is TIME," in Superstudio Più. Under the creative direction of Tsuyoshi Tane, Citizen created a galaxy where the silver stars are 120,000 main plates suspended in the air with wire. It was 800 square feet of breathtaking bling. The idea behind this design was that visitors would witness time standing still where. This was one of my favorite installations, it was inspired and beautiful both when inspected closely or taken in in its entirety. The experience stuck with me long after we visited and obviously still does.

The Red Sea

Red Sea. Venice, Italy. September 2015. 

This was an installation created by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota titled "The Key in Hand" for the Venice Art Biennale in 2015. Housed inside the Japanese Pavilion in the Giardini, it was beautiful, immersive, glowing. When you entered the exhibit, you were surrounded by a web of red yarn with individual keys hanging on each string. You felt as though you were "swimming" in a red sea and every surface inside reflected an electric crimson glow. This boat was a central focal point, however just one piece in the multi-roomed pavilion all interconnected by the yarn and key adorned cielings. I would do a poor job in summarizing Shiota's description of what the boat, red string, keys, and other items signify in the exhibit so I leave her description here for you to explore.

The True Artist

The True Artist. Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. April 2015. 

As I was about to take this shot without a subject, Ayo unknowingly walked into frame. I asked him to stop, not move, and surprisingly he obliged a complete stranger. Thank you Ayo for making this photo complete! The installation was created by Bruce Nauman (1967) and reads:

The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths

I have to admit, I've run up the "Rocky Steps" a few times and never wanted to continue into the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I finally made the trip this weekend; why did I wait so long? Word to my friends - if you've already made it up the steps - the museum is worth the extra trek, don't be lazy!