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.

Dancheong

Dancheong. Seoul, Korea. August 2017.  

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest of the "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul. Construction of Gyeongbokgung began in 1395 and the palace became the main royal residence during the Joseon Dynasty for roughly three hundred years before a fire swept through and demolished the grounds. The palace has been through two major restorations, each one expertly restoring the palace closely to its original design and color. 

This is the interior of Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall, where the King would host formal audiences and deliver official speeches and announcements. The size is impressive, however I was taken more with the "dancheong," the traditional decorative coloring used on the wood. The colors of "dancheong" are blue, white, red, yellow, and black and the various combinations of the colors also convey social status. The pattern pictured here in the throne room was used almost exclusively for royal residences or holy places. While I have seen palaces in Asia before, many of them are a deep red with gold decor and dark wood. The "dancheong" style is truly unique and a nice departure from what I imagined traditional Korean architecture and interior would look like. 

Paper Prayers

Paper Prayers. Seoul, Korea. August 2017.

Bongeunsa Temple is a peaceful getaway in the middle of the urban chaos of Seoul. As you approach the temple, long rows of hanging lanterns line the pathway up. When you walk through the second gate, a beautiful courtyard opens up and hundreds of these white paper lamps hang creating a delicate white ceiling. Each lantern has a written prayer tied on it; mothers wishing for their children to attend a top college or to find a good match. Patrons give generous donations to the temple to have their prayers hang from one of these lanterns, some for up to a year. Every morning, monks hold a ceremony to read new wishes received, meditate, and pray on them. I am not a Buddhist, but admittedly I did leave my mark in the form of a prayer. Who knows, perhaps the mothers are on to something.