urban aquarium

A beautiful art installation in the Portland International Airport by artist Sayuri Sasaki Hemann. Handmade jellyfish are suspended in a large-scale aquarium. The project aims to 'create a dialogue between viewers about context and displacement and about the unexpected.'

The jellyfish are styled after the Sky Jelly, A Midsummer's Night Dream (real name!), Portland Rain, Electric Moss Jellyfish, Magic Jelly, Moonlight Parade, and Sunset Jelly. I would love to unexpectedly come across this work while headed to a flight.

[vimeo vimeo.com/44358107 w=500&h=400]

Photos by The Weaver House

scenes of intimacy

In Scenes of Intimacy, artist Anne-Laure Maison captures the windows of a city at night, the lit frame revealing the stories within.

Pictured above, the windows of Amsterdam. Below, New York (left) and Prague (right).

"At nightfall, the windows of the flats that are lit up attract more attention than the façade of the buildings that frame them. Lit interiors become real tableaux vivants. The interior takes precedence over the exterior, and we can glimpse moments of people’s intimate lives. I am not actually interested in their intimacy as such, but rather by the space itself – the warmth of a particular light, the twinkling of a Christmas garland or the shimmering glow of a television, the corner of a painting. All these details stir my imagination and inspire my work. When I gaze at these windows, I like to tell myself a story. I capture these intimate moments and build my own structures." - Anne-Laure Maison

via constant wanderlust

Amsterdam: The Essence by David Beckett

In Amsterdam: The Essence, 25 Amsterdammers share their stories of life in the Dutch capital, shaping a tale of the city itself. Written by David Beckett, I spotted this book on a shelf recently, but really starting exploring it through the stories captured on film.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTEz30d3hPI&w=560&h=349] Laser 3.14, street artist, "The essence of Amsterdam is its freedom and openness. You don't find that anywhere else."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42F6EIA5ziE&w=560&h=349] Henk Schiffmaker, tattoo artist, "When I walk the streets, this city communicates with me."

farm in the city

A few weeks ago, I discovered that a small children's farm (kinderboederij) in my neighborhood accepts donated vegetable and fruit scraps for the animals. Living in an apartment in the middle of Amsterdam doesn't leave much opportunity for gardening and definitely doesn't allow for a compost pile. At the farm, they keep goats, incredibly large hogs, rabbits, gerbils, two calves, chickens, a cat, and more. I'm so happy to be able to donate the leftovers to these cute city animals instead of throwing them away.

Yellow and Red

Just walked in from an evening of badminton in the park and I had to appreciate the fact that summertime is here in full force.  Fresh fruit every day, bbqs galore, beach trips on the weekend, flowers throughout Amsterdam and long hours of daylight to sit on a terrace and enjoy a drink and conversation. I won't censor the sweat and humidity, but the sun is setting now and the misery seems far away. My holiday to the lakes and forests of Germany doesn't come for a few weeks, but until then I plan on fully enjoying the city. Lovely photo by James Nord.

Die Stadt. Vom Werden und Vergehen

While in Berlin last weekend, I attended the opening of the exhibition Die Stadt. Vom Werden und Vergehen (The City. Becoming and Decaying) at C|O Berlin in partnership with Ostkreuz. The exhibition features photography by 18 Ostkreuz photographers who have 'embarked on a search for the essence of present-day urban realities'. It was a long-term project that covered 22 cities around the world, depicting urban growth and decay. The exhibition runs until 4 July. Above image: Pactrick B. Mitchell, Leland Hotel, Detroit, USA, 2009 by Dawin Meckel/Ostkreutz