Two women sit on the Elevator Bed overlooking the exhibition of Belgian-born artist Carsten Hoeller at the "Museum fuer Gegenwart", a contemporary art museum, in "Hamburger Bahnhof" in Berlin, Germany. For the duration of the exhibition "Soma" by Hoeller from Nov. 5, 2010, until Jan. 6, 2011, the bed serves as accommodation and can be booked for the night by one or two guests.
For his installation Hoeller arranged twelve male castrated reindeer, reindeer urine, frozen and dried fly agaric mushrooms, freezer cubes, refrigeration units, snow, two houseflies of indeterminate sex, twelve canaries in aviaries and four mice.
AP Photo/Gero Breloer.
Curtis, for an artistic reference to reindeer that's perhaps slightly less exploitative, you might want to check out this portfolio of great photos of the reindeer herders of Siberia. These are the Yakutian peoples, or which, currently, 1509 individuals currently survive. Their historical culture is one of interrelation with the reindeer herds. Plenty of ice and snow but no frigid postmodern ironies to be found anywhere in the picture.
ReplyDeleteSome years back we saw a profoundly beautiful and disturbing documentary by the Swedish filmmaker Stefan Järl about the effects of the post-Chernobyl radiation dispersal upon the traditional reindeer herding peoples of Lapland.
The stuff of tragedy, verily.
Then again and on the other hand: thank you for the deep and abiding respect for creatures great and small which informs all your writing. I can certainly feel it here, in the unstated but implicit "message" of this post.
And with that, may I also send along the warmest of Christmas wishes to you and Caroline and Jane from Angelica and myself. It hasn't been the easiest of years here (speaking of the travails of the vanishing tribes), but your friendship has shone out for all us all through it nonetheless, much as a guiding star in the East (yet), and we'll always be grateful for that.
Good morning and Merry Christmas Eve. I will check out the reindeer portfolio when I'm back on a stronger internet connection. Becoming friends this year has meant pretty much everything to me. We haven't faced quite the difficulties you and Angelica have, but it was certainly the most worry-filled year we've ever spent, in large part because Caroline finally joined me in my worrying, which proved that my concerns had a rational basis. Nonetheless, there were high spots, which were basically becoming friends with you, becoming less of a stranger to myself than I had been in previous years (that is one of the downsides to full-time employment as a lawyer) and seeing Jane continuing to grow up into a fine, very amusing person and turning into a first-rate, intellectually curious and excited student. Based on my wife's influence, I'm cautiously optimistic that next year will be easier and more fun for all of us, but I will always be grateful for this year's rewards. Curtis
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ReplyDeleteDear Hotel Hamburg:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very kind note.
I hope my wife, daughter and I have the pleasure of visiting your city and hotel someday.
Please accept our best wishes for a good 2011.
Curtis Roberts