After a serene weekend in and around Düsseldorf where I visited some fresh and old local art sites the new presention of a private collection held by Arthur de Ganay made up a suitable end.
Düsseldorf is the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia and along with the city of Weimar and Leipzig, home of the most prominent art school in Germany. The list of landscape painters that belong to the Düsseldorf school of painting (comparable to the Hudson River School and the Barbizon School) is endless. The list of artists from all parts of the country who have passed the art academy in the 20th century makes up a who is who of almost every influential German artist of modern times. And last but not least the academy has been the site of the photography school of Bernd and Hilla Becher, that has been introduced in U.S. through the genius Ileana Sonnabend, whose gallery is still recognized as one of the most remarkable ones in New York.
The current presention of the collection features a dozen of exemplary works of Becher students (Elger Esser, Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff, Thomas Struth) along with works of Hiroshi Sugimoto and Arwed Messmer in an intimate, truely "Berlin-style" location - an old factory site where you get the feeling of overviewing the cityscape and where the television tower is mirrored in the picture frames... The pictures are mostly large format and colorful; partly landscape and partly architecture. They convey absolute, almost surreal silence and invite the viewer to contemplate long about time and past, spaces and dimensions. After all, the viewer might be puzzled about the people and human stories that have been omitted. An exquisite personal collection that you can feel is sorted with affinity and endurance.
Sammlung Arthur de Ganay, Köpenicker Str. 10 A, Kreuzberg. Guided tour every first Saturday after registration.
Btw another highly recommendable art collection in a spectacular private home:
Sammlung Hoffmann, Sophienstr. 21, Mitte. Guided tour every saturday after registration.
Without context let me throw in some of my revolutionary finds in the www :)
1. Rare touching historical photographs of Koreans. Rare because they belong to the Cornell University Library. Touching because these people before the industrialization era (for Koreans that was only 100 years ago) look so innocent, vulnerable and still jauntily.
You can find personal captures here together with more sources. (Btw altough its name indicates a different cuisine missboulette is one of the finest Korean food and culture readings out there, check it out!).
2. Any idea, where and how I can get to see the episodes of Kimchi chronicles? I am desperate to see Hugh Jackman's kitchen and watch him cooking Kimchi. I really am.
3. I have a dream dish that after a lazy summer at the cooking front, I will make true. Promise.
4. Ms Maangchi, the Youtube cooking star with a big sense of humour, will be on a global tour beginning this fall. If you want to learn Korean cooking from her in person, sign up now. She is from Busan, where my family comes from as well and maybe that's why I totally agree with her recipes.
