Rain Room

Rain Room

“The rain is falling all around ,It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea.” Robert Louis Stevenson

Rain Room is an art-and-tech installation from London-based studio Random International. Visitors slowly walk through a room of falling water, yet (almost) never get wet.

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It drew long lines at the Barbican in London in 2012 and at MOMA in NY in 2013. It is currently at LACMA in LA , a place where rain is most needed.

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The Rain Room uses a tiny amount of water. It’s about 528 gallons. And to put that into perspective, an American family of four uses 400 gallons of water a day. It’s constantly recycled through the run of the show.

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There is something wonderful about navigating a room full of falling water while trying to stay dry. ( I found a rainbow)

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When you walk in you have to wait and watch the small group of people ahead of you creep into the Rain Room. They walk slowly, distrustfully—visibly wondering if they’ll get wet.

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The notion evolves into a feeling of ease as they begin to embark through the room, their arms outstretched. (I loved this couple dancing in the rain)

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If you are wearing dark colors the sensors don’t pick up as well so wear light colors and walk slowly and watch the rain stop around you. You can take photos but no flash.

Fly safe,

JAZ

 

The Favela – Project Morrinho

The Favela – Project Morrinho

“The world lies in the hands of those who have the courage to dream and who take the risk of living out their dreams – each according to his or her own talent.”Paul Coelho

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The story began in 1998 when Cirlan Souza de Oliveira a 14 year-old boy moved to the favela Periera da Silva in Rio de Janeiro.

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He and his brother decided to play with bricks they found in the back yard to create buildings inspired by the new places and surrounding buildings he saw. His efforts attracted seven young boys who began the creation of the replica of their community built into a hillside where they played out imaginary adventures with toys.

They kept it hidden to protect it and being in their mid teens they didn’t think it was”cool.” The ‘trafficantes” who controlled the area found out about it and encouraged the project. They thought it would help the kids in their community have opportunities so they did not become traffickers as well. Sometimes they came and played with the boys in the miniature city with their guns slinging behind them. The police after understanding that the traffickers had nothing to do with this project became encouraging as well.(utube by Cirlan Souza de Olivera)

.In 2001 the mini favela was visited by two documentary filmmakers, Fabio Gavião and Markão Oliveira. The filmmakers were so taken with their work that they developed a documentary about the project. Out of the documentary grew a partnership that helped Projeto Morrinho become a registered NGO and opened doors to the wider world of arts and social projects. The project is already famous and has been recreated in top international art festivals in Venice, Berlin, Munich and Prague, among others.  (Morrinho at Mar Museum in Rio fundraising for the favela project)

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The fame of this miniature favela continues to spread, along with the positive message it put out about young people against the odds, taking charge of their own lives and becoming role models for others in areas, normally synonymous with poverty and crime. In this respect Morrinho has become an inspiration to young people across the world.

Tenha Uma Boa Viagem,

JAZ

 

Street Art In Brazil

Street Art In Brazil

“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.” Banksy

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You don’t have to look for street art in Brazil because in cities like Rio and Sao Paulo, you will see it  every where. (Sao Paulo)

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It is part of the Brazilian culture now and a big influence on urban art throughout the world. (Sao Paulo)

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Urban Art In Brazil falls into two categories – street art for everyone to see and enjoy and graffiti writing which seems to be for other graffiti writers – with coded tags, style of letter and specific color palettes. Graffiti art has rules, specific use of materials (almost always spray paint), easy recognizable styles and a history. (Sao Paulo)

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Street art uses many different materials (paintbrush, computer generated images and spray paint). (Sao Paulo –  Beco de Batman)

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Street art engages us as we walk or drive by and see something beautiful, sad, funny or painful. (Sap Paulo)

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Graffiti art always seems like personal message that we are seeing.

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Both are subversive art movements where work is displayed in a public setting for a brief period. (Rio)

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It is always the knowing that it wont be there the next time I come that makes it more special to me – that it wasn’t painted to be there forever. (Sao Paulo)

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Tagging is different from graffiti. It is known in Brazil as pichacao. (Rio)

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The tagger wants to see his name on a wall and has no interest in aesthetics. It is all over Brazil as well. (Rio)

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Brazil’s street art is very diverse and always willing to challenge the political, environmental and social climate. (Rio – Lapa)

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Urban art is different in Brazil then in other countries because it is everywhere with an abundance of styles, colors and techniques. (Sao Paulo)

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In March 2009, the Brazilian government passed a law making street art and graffiti legal if done with the consent of building owners. (Sao Paulo-Kobra)

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It is all around from the favelas to the upper class neighborhoods with consent or without. (Rio)

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The walls that exist all over the cities whether urban topography or security provide huge spaces for painting. (Sao Paulo)

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The cities of Brazil are a giant canvas for the self-expression of their artists. (Sao Paulo)

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Obrigada and Ciao,

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JAZ

 

 

Learning Russian In America

Learning Russian In America

“It’s a plié. You do it on all the positions. It’s very good for dramatic moments.” Anne Ursu

It began with Whitney. She was a ten-year old girl with natural ballet ability who was impeccably trained. My daughter was a nine-year old dancer. “Go to Yuri,” Whitney’s mom said.

Yuri was Yuri Grigoriev, a Russian ballet teacher who taught an intermediate and advanced level adult ballet class. He allowed kids to attend if they could keep up. He spoke only in Russian.

This did not sound like good parenting to me. It was not an experience that would build positive self-esteem. Being taught by someone who did not teach in English with advanced adults in the class was not a recipe for building a good self-image. As far as I knew, if we as parents did not help our kids develop positive self images, they would probably end up on drugs robbing convenience stores.

My daughter became more focused on dance and she found herself in her first class with Yuri. She liked it. The adults were nice and she felt like she was learning. I asked if she understood him. She said yes. “But you don’t speak Russian?” Her reply was that it was not a problem.

Slowly Yuri developed a children’s program and in the years that we were there, I never heard one kid say they did not understand what he was teaching them. I didn’t understand him. I was always asking his wife Alexandra what he was saying. She ran his school and was his English.

He was teaching much more than ballet. Ballet was about movement and because the kids did not understand the words, they focused on watching him demonstrate the movement. They learned to stay in the present moment or they might miss something important. They watched his facial expressions and listened to his tone of voice. They began to use all their senses in communication. They also picked up many Russian words.

His students were developing an understanding of how to obtain knowledge from different cultures. There were things to learn from people who did not speak English. They became educated about the Russian ballet world and the famous Russian ballet dancers both past and present. When dancers came from Russia they would teach a class and pass on their dance knowledge. The dancers came from companies like the Bolshoi, Stanislavsky and the Kirov. These are amazing Russian companies and the students knew a lot about them.  No one taught in English. This had become the norm.

Yuri Grigoriev died suddenly. He now had his own ballet school with many girls. I have driven by it and seen the big sign in the front with his name on it.(http://www.yurigrigoriev.com). I went to the funeral at a Russian Orthodox Church. It was of course in Russian. As usual with Yuri, I didn’t understand the words and I didn’t need to. Many people gave tributes to Yuri in English and in Russian. Many little girls got up tearfully saying he was a second father to them and talked about how much they loved him. I hadn’t seen him in over ten years and was impressed with the school that he and his wife Alexandra had built with hard work and dedication. I asked someone if Yuri had ever learned English. She said no. Yuri took his knowledge, talent and love of dance and turned it into something even more beautiful. He passed it on to future generations and he is a testament to the fact that love and art will always transcend our differences.

Fly safe Yuri

JAZ

Art In Hanoi – Thanh Chuong Viet Palace, Viet Nam

Art In Hanoi – Thanh Chuong Viet Palace, Viet Nam

“Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

 Thich Nhat Hahn

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There is no right way to experience an art museum or gallery .

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As a traveler who knows a little something about art, I always have a list of art work that I have to see in a country which I can check off in my brain.

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But at the Thanh Chuong Viet Palace in Hanoi, I did not know the artist or his collection.

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I did not know which was considered a masterpiece and which was not so I slowed down and looked at what I liked – what interested me and what touched me.

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It is easier to make a connection with the art that way – when you don’t know what it is that you are “supposed to see.

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It is a different experience when you choose what resonates with you instead of what is famous.

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The palace houses Vietnamese artist Thanh Chuong’s vast collections of Vietnamese spiritual and folk art along with his modern paintings. (artist)

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It is located forty kilometers from the center of Hanoi and covers over 10,000 square meters. There are thousands of cultural and historical artifacts from different Vietnamese dynasties which the artist spent his life collecting and storing.

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It includes all kinds of architectural elements, different houses antique and replicated, furniture from all periods, statues, a theatre for water puppetry and a beautiful restaurant.

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Thanh Chuong comes from a talented and literary family. There is an altar to his father the writer Kim Lan and a room displaying his work.

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The palace is not without its critics. The “House of Auspicious Clouds’ has been called an artistic theme park, and “an ostentatious display of wealth and social status.

It attracts local and foreign visitors who are interested in understanding Vietnam’s artistic and spiritual culture.

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I loved walking around in this beautiful and very feng shui environment and finding all the old and new pieces together.

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The lotus ponds, bamboo beds, mud cottages made you think of Viet Nam’s history. I liked his modern paintings, sculptures  and the creative way he juxtaposed the old and the new.

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When you spend time looking at something, you actually begin to see it.

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A very special thank you to my guide in Hanoi Mr. Do Sy Quy. He was my first guide on this trip and set the tone for an amazing experience. “Buffalo Joe” is kind, friendly, funny, intuitive and very knowledgeable about Hanoi and Viet Nam history. I connected with him immediately and feel like I have a friend in Hanoi.

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Di du lịch một cách an toàn,

JAZ

Chihuly Garden And Glass – Seattle, Washington

Chihuly Garden and Glass – Seattle, Washington

“I never met a color I did not like.” Dale Chihuly

As soon as you enter the Chihuly space , there is a magnificent piece of glass.

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You turn around and an explosion of color and light appears.

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I walk through the galleries in awe of seeing so many beautiful pieces in one place. Even the idea that hot glass pushed through a pipe, can be shaped in such extraordinary ways is fascinating.

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The exhibition includes indoor and outdoor spaces as well as a glass atrium. The pieces work perfectly to heighten the spirit of the environment.

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In the first gallery is his basket series influenced by Indian baskets and tapestries with blown glass in them.

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The other works are mostly floral motifs based on influences from his mother’s garden.

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He has the ability to blend his work well with nature.

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Dale Chihuly is renowned for his architectural installations in museums, gardens and public buildings throughout the world.

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He studied at the first glass program in the United States at the University of Wisconsin and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study glass blowing in Venice. He established a program at the Rhode Island School Of Design and taught there for many years. An auto accident in 1976 caused him to lose eyesight in one eye. His injuries caused him to relinquish his actual glass blowing activities and continued developing his projects with his chief glassblower William Morris. He now presides over a company of artisans.

I would have loved to see his large-scale installation of Chandeliers Over Venice.

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There were fourteen large-scale chandeliers hung over various sites in Venice. PBS did a video about it which runs from time to time called Chihuly Over Venice.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Chihuly+Over+Venice+On+PBS&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=E27A5D3BB7EC80DC7FA8E27A5D3BB7EC80DC7FA8

The Chihuly Garden and Glass opened in 2012 by the Wright family who own and manage the Space Needle to reinvigorate Seattle City Center.

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The Collections Cafe which houses some of Chihuly’s collections has great food.

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Though others may critique this idea, there is something magical to me about an artist who can no longer physically create his own pieces, but is able to see how far he can go with glass and show us his vision – with only one eye.  http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/m/

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Fly safe,

JAZ

 

If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them – Graffiti Art In Bogota Colombia

If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them – Graffiti Art In Bogota, Colombia

“Graffiti is not about clean lines, pretty colors and beautiful blends. Graffiti is my life’s turbulence exploded on a wall.” Mint Serf

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Graffiti started in Bogotá in the seventies with different futbol fans proclaiming their loyalty. It was a time of drug cartels, poverty and a repressed military society.The graffiti was a way of protesting  and not so much about art.  In the nineties it became more artistic. As in other countries, it was started by art students near the Universities.

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In Bogotá like everywhere else, graffiti and graffiti art was a crime. In 2011 Diego Felipe Becerra was spray-painting his signature  Felix the Cat image on the walls of an underpass when he was killed by police.

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Public outrage and protests led to the city’s change in attitude toward street art as well as the arrest of the officers. Certain walls became legal for graffiti.

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The city began hiring street artists for public murals.

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Many walls were designated for artistic expression and beautiful murals were painted – usually with political or social messages.

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Looking over the photos there is definitely much more of this in Bogotá then in other countries I have been to.

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The street art scene in Bogotá is not so much a street gallery as it is art in the streets. There are many less paid for walls and much more self-expression than in some other cities.

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The paint is expensive so they use cheaper paint that is not long-lasting. .  The art is constantly changing. There are wall wars with people painting over each other’s pieces.

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DJ Lu was one of the earlier street artists and his stencils all had serious political messages. He uses common branding as a way of getting his message across quickly. (pineapple grenades, mosquitos ,guns )

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Rodez paints with his sons (both college graduates) and sometimes gets help from other street artists. They often teach in Buenos Aires.

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Animal Poder Crew is a street art collective started by Stinkfish and has grown to include graffiti artists and writers from all over the world.

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Toxicomono started as a punk rock band and grew into a street art group.

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The increase in street art also produces an increase in tagging or vandalism. It’s hard to tell street artists where they can and cannot paint. It doesn’t go with the nature of street art. It s harder to tell people who are angry or just have something to say that they can’t write their messages on walls either.

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Then there was Justin Bieber. After a concert in Bogotá, he went with a police escort to write on city walls that were off-limits for graffiti. Overnight, hundreds of new artworks appeared on the underpass. When approached by police the artists said, “Why don’t you protect us like you did Justin Bieber?”

Thanks Luiz Lamprea for your knowledge and love of street art.

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Fly safe,

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JAZ

 

 

 

Things I Have Learned In Naoshima, Japan

Things I Have Learned In Naoshima, Japan

“You cant really say what is beautiful about a place but the image will remain vividly with you .”  Tadao Ando

The small fishing island of Naoshima is an unlikely destination for globe-trotting art collectors and my most favorite place in Japan.  Tadao Ando’s vision coupled with investments from a large benefactor join art, architecture, nature and life together in an amazing place.

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An eccentric billionaire from Okayama and the company Bennesse that he runs, have been slowly transforming the island into open-air museums of contemporary art.

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It is located 500 miles south of the Fukushima plant so no worries there. ( I did hear from a physicist who worked on it that it was a self-contained explosion and the radiation did not escape into the universe –but I’m a worrier)

Tadao Ando’s Chuchu Art Museum is entirely underground but doesn’t feel that way with light and skylights at carefully constructed angles. It houses the works of Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter de Maria.

You are not allowed to take pictures in any of the museums. It is about being in the present moment  and experiencing the art.

If you are not an art fan (though why would you come here  if you aren’t? – it takes three hours from Osaka – Shinkansan (bullet train) plus two more  trains and a ferry) you will like the James Bond “Man With The Red Tatoo”Museum.

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One of the really interesting things about Naoshima is discovering art in surprise places.

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Wandering around on foot will have you discovering outdoor sculptures and art exhibits sometimes cleverly disguised as children’s playgrounds and colorful gardens.

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The pumpkins have become the  image of the island. There is an Orange and a yellow one on opposite sides of the island. They were made by Yayoi Kusama an artist known for colorful, psychedelic patterns.

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People are always taking pictures with them.

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The vision behind the Benesse Art  Site at Naoshima was ‘to create a physically and mentally rejuvenating haven”.

Benesse House is a unique facility that combines the functions of both museum and hotel.
Four hotel facilities—Museum, Oval, Park and Beach are available. All were designed by Tadao Ando.

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James Turrell presents light in itself as art. The museum has three of his works. 
Open Sky  can be viewed at anytime, but a special sunset viewing is also available.

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He makes large rooms and space where light itself becomes the object. You actually step inside his art. It cannot be described, it has to be experienced.

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Minamidera is a new structure that pays homage to a temple formerly at this site, which was a spiritual gathering place for the community. It was designed by Tadao Ando  for the size of artwork by James Turrell inside.

The Art House Project is really cool. There are eight houses that have been turned into art installations. This interesting concept successfully fuses the history and culture of the island with contemporary art.

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It is a bit like a scavenger hunt trying to find them on the island. If you get lost, follow the cool arty looking people, not the  fishermen.

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Naoshima is an island that fuses ancient traditions with modern creativity. This blend of styles is due to Tado Ando’s and his insistence on using traditional materials in ultra modern ways. Art, Nature and Japanese food – my three favorite things.

Thanks Anna. We had such a great day!

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Yo I sorano tabi o

JAZ

Hob-ART, Tasmania

Hob–ART, Tasmania

“Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. … It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see.” Ann Patchett

I don’t know why I was surprised.  Art can be everywhere. When I thought about Tasmania, I thought of the clean air and water, rugged coastlines, interesting wildlife and incredible views.

I started to do some research.  I found MONA – Museum Of Old And New Art ( blog https://travelwellflysafe.com/2013/12/09/mona-roma-to-mona-hobart-tasmania-australia/ )   a boat ride away. MONA is a “deliberately underwhelming”  gallery of old and new art. It is an art Disneyland experience with all of your senses engaged – not what I was expecting in Tasmania at all.

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On the grounds of MONA (The old Moorilla Wine Estate), there is also a  bar, café, restaurant, accommodations, a winery and a brewery.  The outdoor areas are interesting and inviting.

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Moo Brew’s original brewery was located on the site of the Museum of Old and New Art. I was there on the last day of Moo Brew brewery and had a private tour.  They produce five core beers: a Pilsner, a German-style Hefeweizen, a Belgian Pale Ale, an American Pale Ale and an American Dark Ale.  Due to the continued expansion of MONA,  all brewery operations are now carried out at their second brewery.

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I was looking for a hotel and came upon the Henry Jones Art Hotel. I began to be more curious about Hobart and decided to stay longer than I planned. The hotel is housed in the H. Jones and Co. Jam Factory . The architect has fused the traditional structure with modern design. I rarely talk about hotels but I really liked this one.

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I was in this cool loft room.   I found my room easily because I knew it was near the pink pig.

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They have a wonderful art tour given by the fun, knowledgeable and pretty Christine Scott.  The Hotel has over 300 original and contemporary works of art which are exhibited throughout the property. These works showcase Tasmania’s leading and emerging artists. Most of the art is for sale.

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Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, you should come and have a drink and and take the tour.

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Christine told us about the artists of Hobart and I was curious.  On my last day in Hobart,  I took an art walking tour of with Christine. (Art from film slides, Patrick Hall . He has some great pieces art MONA also)

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Christine knows everything that is going on in the art world in Hobart. She has an extensive network of artists, galleries and friends .

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Christine is up on the latest  exhibitions and reviews and knows exactly where to go. Whether you want to buy or look, she will take you to the best galleries.  (Christine  www.hobARTwalks.com )

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Writing about art is hard for me.   It is translating the visual into language .  They are two very different mediums. You have to go to Hobart and take the art tour with Christine to experience it for yourself.

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I loved Tasmania and I loved seeing all the  unexpected  art. The best thing about traveling is finding a place that you had no idea was just where you wanted to go.

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Fly Safe,

JAZ

Mona Roma To MONA, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Mona Roma To MONA in  Hobart, Tasmania

But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.”Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.””How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.”You must be,” said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.” Lewis Carroll

What happens when an art collector/mathematician  uses his ability to beat the odds in casinos and makes millions of dollars? If it is David Walsh, he builds an art museum in Hobart Tasmania.  He builds the most expensive privately owned museum in Australia. It opened in January 2011.  The museum is called MONA – the Museum of Old and New Art  Modern art and ancient artifacts are shown side by side.  It is free if you live in Tasmania.  It has quickly become their number one tourist attraction . (MONA ROMA dock)

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The day begins on a camoflage painted boat in the Hobart Harbor  called the MONA ROMA (get it ?roamer?) complete with sculptures of  livestock in the back.  You can also drive (it is a peninsula) or take a taxi boat.

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They serve champagne, coffee and hor d’oeurves during the half hour journey on the Derwent River.  The arty people who I did not see when I arrived in Hobart are on this boat at 930 am.

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When you get to MONA it is hard to find the entrance.  There is a mirrored building behind a tennis court .  Apparently David Walsh likes tennis.

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“When you go to a conventional museum you are forced to walk up stairs and past pillars meant to make you feel small and then have academics tell you it’s culture but David wanted none of that so he built this place underground.”, according to the curator.

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After finding the entrance, you are given an Ipod Touch.  It uses GPS to work out which piece of art you are standing in front of. (Lobby)

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The Ipod Touch called the 0 is one of the things that makes museum designers very curious about MONA.

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As the guide says: ‘We don’t have labels on the walls. We have the O. Use it to read about the art on display and to listen to interviews with the artists. It’s free.’ (Fat car, Erwin Wum)

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There is a running commentary by David Walsh, artist interviews and explanations. They have cute names, like the truth, the gospel, gonzo (that would be David Walsh), Tweedle dum  (that could be  David Walsh) and Jabberwocky and art wank. Pick the explanation you want to hear. (1$ for your story James Newitt series of photos and stories)

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Enter your email address, and you’ll later be sent a diagram of the route you took through MONA and the artworks you saw.

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When you tap on the icon for the artwork, information appears along with a place you could check if you loved or hated it – way too subjective for modern art . I don’t like to make decisions when I am looking at artwork. Sometimes I didn’t use the O at all. But that is probably ok with David Walsh also. ( The Mice And Me by Meghan Boody)

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According to my visit email,  I did  hit love for Berlin Buddha by Zhang Huan.  It is made from incense ash collected from temples around Shanghai and  faces its hollowed aluminum counterpart. The ash moves and decomposes with time. It is based on  the concept in Buddhism from “existence to nothing.” Yes the artist is a Buddhist.

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There is no flash photography and they will charge your phone at the coat check while you are having lunch, if you take too many pictures and use up your battery. (personal experience )

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From the lobby, a spiral staircase descends 17 meters underground, ending in an open basement  with a 250-million-year-old Triassic sandstone wall (the rock it was built on)

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There are three levels of steel and stone filled with art, objects and a lot of video /techno  works.  It is all  shocking, educational and entertaining.

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Visitors are encouraged to get lost in the maze of dark hallways, where hidden staircases might turn into open galleries and rooms go out into dead ends. I missed a few important exhibits on the first day but found them on the second. Whatever you see during your visit is what you are supposed to see. There is no set route.

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It feels like the “art ride” at Disneyland, but in a good way.   From the minute you walk in to the exhibition space all five senses are engaged. They stay that way for your entire visit. My first visit was  eight hours. ( Paradise by Kutlug Ataman)

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Being an avid museum goer all my life, it was hard to not to keep looking for those plaques to  tell me what I was seeing. Not being technologically adept, I had some trouble with the O at first. But it is such a techno place, the O kind of works.  I like having the record of my visit (I had a few glitches the first time – the second time I knew how to do it perfectly.) to refer back to as I write this. ( The Frieze Of War Treasures by Sarkis)

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The exhibition is called the Red Queen.  And it is interspersed with some of the original collection. “The Queen is driven, by abstract forces, to run in order to keep pace with the world around her. However fast she goes, she never seems ‘to pass anything””[Do] all the things move along with us?” wonders Alice.’… Is human-ness nothing but a set of such behaviours?

 The answer, we hope  will remain elusive; there will be no lessons learnt or taught, only contagious inquiry into human nature.” From the Mona website ( Untitled White Library by Wilfredo Prieto)

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Many of my favorite pieces were the video ones and the death gallery that I couldn’t photograph or explain. (Artifact by Gregory Barsamian – This is amazing. It is giant head with window holes  in it and this photo is of one of the videos in the head)

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I  had a cold. Tasmania is  one of the largest producers of pharmaceutical opium and has some pretty strong cold medicines. I was taking them. From the moment I tripped down those stairs, I was definitely having the full Through the Looking Glass Art experience. (Zizi the Affectionate Couch with sounds by Stephen Barass, Linda Davy, Robert Davy, Kerry Richens)

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Fly Safe,

JAZ