Ottobeuren

26.8.11

Ottobeuren was founded in 764 as a benedictine abby, and the present church was built in the middle of the 18th century. It is one of the great Baroque churches of central Europe. Its one of those places, that while I am not sure I really like it, I keep going back to look at it.
Photographed November 2010 in Ottobeuren, Germany.

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Archeology Museum Istanbul

12.8.11

The Ottoman empire occupied the lands of so many ancient civilizations. And then they gave permission to western european archeological teams to ship it all off to London, Berlin, Paris etc. Perhaps it was for the best. The Museum in Istanbul while not having the master pieces of the Elgin marbles, or the Pergamon frieze is a fantastic museum. Perhaps my favorite thing is Bes, half god of inexhaustible power and strength. You have to see him in person.
Photographed April 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Jantar Mantar

5.8.11

Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah gave Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur the task of revising the calendar and astronomical tables.  So starting in 1724 Jai Singh built the Jantar Mantar,  architectural astronomy instruments.  Of the five Jantar Mantar built the one most missing from this photostory is the one in Jaipur. But unlike the one in Delhi that is filled with families and lovers, the Jaipur one is overloaded with bus tourists seeing another site on their checklist itinerary. But these are special places. Science conducted with what look like 20th century abstract architectural sculptures. I have always found that instruments at the pinnacle of contemporary science to be as beautiful as any piece of art.
Photographed march 2010 in New Delhi and Varanasi, India

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Carlo Mollino Chair

29.7.11

This chair was in our living room while I was growing up. I loved it's crazy weird look, the ivory colored leather made me uncomfortable. The pervy look is still there. It feels like chic Italian S&M.
Collection Bruno Bischofberger

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Lama Temple

15.7.11

I'm not a fan of much Asian architecture due to the constant restoration that makes many places seem as if they were brand new. Thankfully the Lama Temple survived the cultural revolution and while being alive and used, it still feels old and beautiful.
Photographed May 2011 in Beijing, China.

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Nazca by Air

8.7.11

The Nazca lines are one of those archeological mysteries that seem so strange since the creators could never have appreciated them as we do today. This was my second trip to see them and what I noticed more this time was the bleak and bareness of the surroundings. Coastal Peru is arid and mostly desert, and what are you doing making kilometer long drawings in the sand and rocks, Dancing?
Photographed November 2009 in Nazca, Peru.

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Aluminium Casting Workshop

1.7.11

We were visiting a small art exhibit in the suburbs of Istanbul. It was in the ruins of an old Synagogue and in the room next door these two men were working. They were also much more interesting.
Photographed May 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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