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With Danse shoes in Siberian Snows

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

With Danse shoes in Siberian Snows

By Sandra Kalniete

Published by Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (2006)

ISBN/ASIN: 9984-9613-7-0

Summary

For a person born in 1952 in a Siberian village to parents banished for life from their native Latvia by the Soviet regime, the author ‘Sandra Kalniete’ has come a long way. After Stalin’s death, her parents and she were allowed to return to Latvia in 1957. Educated as an art historian, she has devoted the last seventeen years more to diplomacy and politics than to art. As Deputy Chair of the Latvian Popular Front and Secretary General of its Coordinating Council, she became a fore fighter for the renewal of Latvian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She served as Latvian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva (1993-1997) to France (1997-2002) and to UNESCO (2000-2002). In 2002, when the final talks were conducted about Latvia’s joining the NATO and the European Union, she became Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2004 she was appointed the first Latvian Commissioner of the EU. She has received many Latvian and foreign distinctions for her service. Her book is an eloquent and moving testimony to her family’s and the Latvian nation’s fate under 51 years of occupation and an indictment of the inhuman repression by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. It has become the most translated recent Latvian book.

Chauvenism of Portugal

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

Portugal’s chauvinism lays in his Pousadas, the first national hotel chains in Portugal. Back in the nineteen forties, António Ferra as Minister of Information, dictated by Salazar, worked out the finer details. The first Pousada de Santa Luzia in Elvas, Alentejo opened its doors in 1942. With the restoration of country houses in the style and traditions of the region, in short with its regional Pousadas, this diligent propaganda specialist wanted to encourage an influx of tourists. They paid next to nothing for the service, as the level of comfort certainly left a quite deal to be desired. Even so, the success was so phenomenal that the number of overnight stays had to be limited to three nights. Back in the nineteen fifties, historical buildings and national monuments like castles, monasteries and abbeys were also refurbished into hotels, the ‘historical’ Pousadas. The focus was on comfort during the seventies, which also pushed up the prices. To make it easy for tourists, the Pousada’s were recently divided up into four themes. In addition to the ‘Historical Pousada’s’, which are around nineteen classified monuments, there are also ‘Charming Pousadas’, ‘Nature Pousadas’ and ‘Designer Pousadas’. Some of the historical buildings were tackled by contemporary architects during the nineties. The Portuguese in particular, a little over half, enjoying making use of this cultural inheritance. And the principle still continues to be further developed.

More chauvinism at www.pousadas.pt

Villa Panza, Italy

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

For gigantic trees in the garden and contemporary works of art, you can visit ‘Villa Panza’ in Varese an Italian town, which is situated on the Biumo mountain with views across the Alps and the Monta Rose mountain range. The founder is Giuseppe Panza, who took the risk of compiling an art collection with works by unknown young artists back in the fifties. Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Soll Lewitt, Richard Long, Joseph Beuys nowadays are some of the most famous and the list of names is several times longer. When his house in Milan became too small he brought an initial selection to his family house in Varese, a U-shaped baroque villa. At a later stage his villa boasted his entire collection. Americans like Dan Flavin, James Turell, Robert Irwin and Maria Nordman were even invited to design and furnish various different rooms in his villa. Flavin, who was resident in New York in the sixties, was the first artist to work with light bulbs and strip lights, in short, with artificial lighting. Flavin would depict various emotions in the villa’s long corridor and in the rooms off the corridor he designed concentrated atmospheres, for example strip lights in the form of a cross presented an ode to the death of his brother who died in the Korean War. Blue rooms would absorb you and the green room would offer rest. Panza’s collection has now been distributed across various different museums throughout the world.

More at www.fondoambiente.it

Helsinki's UFO

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:07:54 +0200

The ‘Tempellaukio Church’ in Helsinki, is build in a granite rock which is typical for the peninsula of Finland. Of the sixty churches, which are mostly Lutheran, the Tempellaukio is the most frequently visited church in the capital. The parish church in the Töölö district was designed by the brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. They won a competition in 1961, after which the work was ready to commence in 1969 under loud protest by the neighborhood. This was because the local park was going to be lost during the first phase. So it was decided to build the church underground, in order to save the green areas. A crater was blown into the granite rock using dynamite. A round roof made from copper was placed on top of this, which has made the church look like a just landed UFO when looking at it from above. The altar has been placed in such a way that the sun hits the altar wall perfectly during the summer services. The church is also often used for concerts as a result of its excellent
acoustics.

More info at www.hel.fi

In honor of the Kremlin

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

Spotted at Baselworld, in honor of the Kremlin’s 200th Anniversary last Year, Ulysse Nardin added the most refined cloisonné timepiece ever made: the greatly applauded 'St. Basil in the Red Square'. It took the Swiss artist one full month to complete each enamel cloisonné dial. The St. Basil Red Square is supplied in a blue multi layer Egg of the Tsars designed by Ulysse Nardin, but hand made by Russian artists in St. Petersburg. A perfect amalgamation of Swiss and Russian culture and art. The egg is decorated with diamonds showing the Cathedral St. Basil and the gates and walls of the Kremlin. A true masterpiece in a Limited Edition of 30 pieces.

For more information please visit www.ulysse-nardin.com

Helsinki - An Architectural Guide

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

Helsinki - An Architectural Guide

By Arvi Ilonen

English Translation by Lauri Siilasvuo

Published by Otavan Publishing Company (2004)

ISBN/ASIN: 951 1 16700 6

Summary

Helsinki, an architectural guide, is a convenient guide and authoritative, up-to-date reference work embracing Finland’s most significant and fascinating landmarks, including those of the capital district Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa. In addition to individual buildings, it features regional descriptions, a wealth of maps, and a history of construction in Helsinki.
You can order the book on www.otava.fi.

Geneva Cruises with history

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

Lake Geneva or Lake Léman in Switzerland is the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe (after Lake Balaton). 60% of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Valais) and 40% under France (Haute-Savoie). While you embark on a cozy evening on the Lake around a pot of cheese or Chinese fondue, just remember that around the Lake a lot of things happens. Empress Elisabeth of Austria was fatally stabbed in the heart while waiting for a ferry. Mary and Percy Shelley and Lord Byron holidayed by the lake and wrote ghost stories; one of which was the basis for the novel Frankenstein. Ashes of the British rock star Freddie Mercury are believed by many to be dispersed into the lake.

More info: www.cgn.ch

For a better environment

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

The passion for penguins of the British Professor of Marine Biology, Rory Wilson, led him to create the 'Daily Diary', a feather-light, miniaturized device designed to better explore the habitat of endangered animal species. With a single system the professor is able to study the behavior, energy expenditure and movements whether the animal is on land, in water or in the air. What's more, the results show ecologists why a particular habitat is poor, average or optimal, and how big a nature reserve needs for the population of a specific species of animal to survive. It is a way of resolving important questions, for example whether the decline of the African penguin is duet o climate change, predators or overfishing. The Daily Diary can be easily attached to an animal's body for anywhere from an hour to a year and is very easy to remove without disturbing its behavior or movements.

More info: http://www.swan.ac.uk

Sunrise in South Tirol

Mia Dekeersmaeker — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0200

In the autonomous region of South Tirol the best thing you can do is having a breakfast at sunrise on one of a thousand other peaks, admiring views into Switzerland, Austria, across to the Dolomites and south over Italy. After that you embark for the most beautiful walk in the world, gently downhill all the way.

http://www.suedtirol.info