On Mondays, I sometimes get the urge to look at art. At the start of my walk today, I popped into Open Book for “Crossing the Line: The Passport Re-Imagined.” Bad idea: like many galleries, it’s closed on Mondays. Since the cafe was open, an Americano and a donut replaced examining “themes of immigration, power, limitation, and belonging.”
Category: Create
Rob Roy: history, spiced for the screen
It’s Sausage Saturday, which means sausage, cabbage, and a movie with ice cream at intermission. Tonight’s feature is Rob Roy (1995) and his ‘fight against a corrupt aristocracy,’ a story that feels relevant for our times. Set in 1712 and 1713, the plot follows the fallout after money lent to Rob Roy is stolen. While the ‘baddie’ is an invention, the performance nearly won an Oscar, so we’re expecting a well-told tale filled with ‘epic Highland sword battles.’
Exploring Tokyo’s layers
Visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art to view Utagawa Hiroshige’s “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (1856). In 2011, artist Emily Allchurch photographed some of these same locations. I’m planning a multi-day hike across Tokyo that includes remnants of Tokyo when it was Edo (pre-1868). I’m collecting materials and layering historical maps over Google Maps. The city has faced destruction more than once, yet traces of its past remain.
Mind games at the Guthrie
Tonight: Sleuth at the Guthrie. Plenty of mind games.
Contemplating compromise and conscience
At the Minneapolis Institute of Art today, explored German art from 1910 to 1945. In the foreground ‘The Fallen Man’ was created in 1916 as a memorial against war. Like other pieces in this gallery, it was declared ‘degenerate’ in the 1930s. Moving through the exhibit, I saw the contrast between artists who resisted and those who compromised their work.
Music for a winter night
A light snow was falling as we walked into Orchestra Hall for a Minnesota Orchestra concert. The program included pianist Kirill Gerstein, who performed two concertos: a modern piece by Thomas Adès, a British composer new to me, and Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand. It was impressive to hear such a rich, full sound produced by just one hand. By the time we left, the snowstorm was intensifying.
A study of moral failure
Tonight, Macbeth on the thrust stage at the Guthrie. I asked AI to restate the first two acts as though Macbeth was you-know-who: ‘Listen, we’re going to make Scotland great again, okay? The previous administration—Duncan, total disaster—was weak. Very low energy. We’re doing a complete takeover, and frankly, the witches, they’re tremendous people, they saw the vision. They told me, “Sir, you’re going to win so much you’ll get tired of winning.”‘
Walking the Hobsonville Coastal Walkway
Walked the 5km Hobsonville Coastal Walkway, which loops around a former Air Force base. Over the last 20 years, the area has been transformed into mostly high-density housing, over 4,000 homes when complete, two schools, restaurants and bars. Developers have offset the footprint with extensive parklands, bush, and trails. It ensures no one is ever far from nature or the water, while a ferry terminal offers a scenic commute to downtown Auckland.
Pride festival at Auckland Art Gallery
Today is Saturday in Auckland, the final day of Pride Month. Our hostess for the day, the fabulous Buckwheat, introduced the music at the Auckland Art Gallery’s Pride Festival this morning. It was a rare sight to see a drag queen so early in the day. Later, we observed the Auckland Rainbow Community Choir rehearsing a program inspired by gay icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Liza Minnelli, and Lady Gaga.
Art walk through Auckland
Joined a docent-led art walk from the Auckland Art Gallery through downtown to the harbor. Since the group was all locals, we dove straight into the deep end. Our docent expertly connected several public installations by Māori artists to foundational myths and the origins of Aotearoa (New Zealand). (The audio receivers shown in the photo let us hear the commentary clearly over the bustle of the city.)