Monday, September 9, 2013

Modern doomed

It seems absurd to call the period we live in "modern", not just modern times, but modern literature, modern art. In 50 years or a 100, our descendants will laugh not only at our outmoded fashions and tastes, but at our presumption. Unless we have no descendants. Only if the name was chosen in a premonition of upcoming doom will it be perfectly adequate. If the human race comes to an end within one or two generations, then "modern times" will have been the last historical period. It does not seem out of the question. Atomic bomb in hands of terrorists or insane dictator. Atmospheric conditions leading to general famine. Lack of clean drinking water. Combination of above.

Doomsday by Andree Wallin
Painful to think that our children or our grandchildren might know an apocalyptic scenario of fear and pain. The conditions making doom feasible are present, the question is, can humanity collectively rein in its crazy course and steer it towards reason? Not sure. Can't look to history for a similarly global situation. But in times of crisis, humanity has not shone in the past by its concerted solution taking.

Published by  - -  Arabella Hutter


Monday, September 2, 2013

El Anatsui at the Brooklyn Museum of Art: transcendence



I wish I had had a better camera. Profoundly touching that out of the most mundane material, liquor bottles' caps, El Anatsui creates such riches. If we all got down to doing that, transform poverty into wealth, what a world we could live in.

Transforming the space of the museum into a sumptuous organism, alive, vulnerable. Transcendental. We saw the earth's skin, or maybe it was the stars'.

The atmosphere amongst the viewers was electric. Passion is communicative.