A random walk through Downtown, guided by traffic light signals, led me to Philip Johnson’s 1972 IDS Center, a testament to its enduring design. However, Johnson’s past as an ardent Nazi supporter in the 1930s casts a long shadow. He publicly admired “Mein Kampf,” attended the invasion of Poland, and described it as a “stirring spectacle.” While he renounced these views in the 1940s, his earlier actions forever tarnish his legacy.
Category: Create
How We Live
Movie night tonight! The blockbuster anime “The Boy and the Heron” is finally available for rent at a reasonable price. Today, I’ve been skimming the 1937 Japanese coming-of-age novel “How Do You Live?” (in translation, of course), which apparently provides some of the philosophical underpinnings of the movie but not the plot. Interestingly, the novel also makes an appearance within the film itself. The author’s backstory is a lesson for our times as we slide towards authoritarianism.
From Darkness to Light
Went on a journey from despair to celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra. The opening piece was based on W. B. Yates’ dark poem, Nine Hundred and Nineteen, reflecting the turmoil of Ireland in 1919. The concert concluded with Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony composed in 1944 Russia with notes of celebration in the final movement. Time will tell if there are parallels with the upcoming days in the USA.
Orchestra Hall at 50
At Orchestra Hall, admired a LEGO model of the venue, part of a display celebrating the building’s 50th anniversary. The model captures the auditorium’s angle relative to the rest of the building and the street grid, a tricky feat with LEGO. Inside the auditorium, we enjoyed a concert featuring Shostakovich, Bernstein, and a recent commission by Chinese American, Zhou Tian.
Exploring the Elusive Nature of Home
A visit to the Walker always transports me. Today, the draw was a new exhibition, “This Must be the Place,” exploring the multifaceted concept of “home.” Anything I would write on this worksheet seemed pretentious, so I held onto my thoughts about home being more of an idea woven from experiences, relationships, and memories for this aging, gay, technocratic, married, …, immigrant.
Brushes With AI
At the Victoria & Albert Museum it was Digital Design Weekend. Here, museum visitors are on a date with a difference. They’re communicating via phones using language restricted by AI. Meanwhile another AI system is generating social media comments on how the date is going. Elsewhere, machines creating water colors inspired me to imagine the…… Continue reading Brushes With AI
View from Endless Bridge
Endless Bridge is a cantilevered structure that juts out of The Guthrie Theater, reaching towards the river. It has two levels, an outdoor space, and a bar. And the bar is where we’re enjoying a glass beside a mirrored window before The Lehman Trilogy. I’m anticipating a 3-hour critique of unfettered capitalism, starting in the…… Continue reading View from Endless Bridge
Old Meets New
On my cycle ride through the Minneapolis North Loop, took in new construction that integrates with two historic structures, thus retaining some sense of place. I’ve always liked the 1884 Commutator building on the corner, but it was falling into disrepair. The white structure (propped up) was wheeled round the corner while a huge hole…… Continue reading Old Meets New
Hamlet’s Last Stand
Last night we watched the first three acts of Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet (1996), tonight the final acts. It’s quite a marathon (4 hours) and uses the full original text, which makes it tough going at times, but the performances and settings (and subtitles) hold our attention sufficiently.
The Hidden Question
Spotted this parked in the Seward neighborhood. A quick Google search revealed that ‘Yhw’ is a vowel-deficient Hebrew deity. Looking closer, I noticed a compartment labeled ‘chalk.’ The orientation of the label suggested I was viewing the piece incorrectly. A photo search revealed it was by local artist Tom Saunders, who invites viewers to write…… Continue reading The Hidden Question