It all started at 3pm for me (with the perfunctory “lighting of the barrel”). Just making sure there was a heat source for people who arrived before the big bonfire lighting.
The sky was gorgeous.
And soon there were solstice attendees and tiki torches.
We lit the fire shortly after 5pm when it finally got dark enough. There were LOTS of people here for the lighting. It was a good one.
The fire had a huge core (that is still burning late the next day).
Meanwhile up at the barn there was terrible Christmas music, lots of food, and a great sense of camaraderie.
The day could not have been prettier. Light rain, but gorgeous light. And peak Fall leaves. And waterfalls everywhere you look. The funny thing is, though we hiked about 13km, we never made it to the big waterfall! Ran out of light.
I guess we’ll just have to go back
THIS is not the one! But look. Spectacular does not even begin to describe this walk.
We had some very late lunch very near the top at an old farmstead and village.
Sometimes walking out the door and around back is the best way to hike. We bushwhacked up through juniper and blueberry towards a small lake where fish are rumored to live. Tyinkrysset, Norway is beautiful.
This little stream is just up the road a few hundred meters.
Here are some pictures of our walk in the mountains.
A view of the valley.
Chilly Romey.
Panorama
Our intrepid hosts at the top. Our fearless leader Nova was dressed for the weather.
It’s pretty far to get to the waterfall, and the directions are tricky.
Maybe it’s that way?
Should we follow the reindeer?
And you have to stop by the visitors center snack place where they have really nothing. No coffee today, no waffles, nope, no water, sorry only candy made from juniper berries.
But there it is! Upness in a waterfall.
OK. Not the best waterfall in Norway, or really even the most interesting. But there were reindeer!
There is lots of politics pervading the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which if you think about it is somewhat ironic. I mean, the place itself is named after a queen. And lots of anti-imperial politics pervades (including some well-deserved anti-Americanism). But a queen? What kind of democracy has a monarch? Or still reveres a monarch? Seriously. Those days need to be behind us as a species.
Anyway, the ill-begotten gains of monarchy are at least being spent on art and not on oppression. Or is art just an opiate slightly stronger than religion? These are difficult issues to plumb.
And are they old fashioned or what? No pictures of some of the pictures? Trapped in the past they are. The guernica room is a shrine that should be full of life, not a mausoleum. Spain still seems to have a Franco hangover.
After a bunch of beers (who is counting?), we wound our way over a 5km spiral into the venue. Germans are a very orderly bunch. Bt who thought up this entrance and exit plan?
MOO.
Sabaton from Sweden
Rock and roll
What?!
My crowd. What an unruly, fantastic bunch.
There was beer
Did I mention the part about the beer?
We pushed off the rain through sheer psychic magic, but it was only delayed.
Nap time for the American
Five Finger Death Punch
You may start with five fingers, but you will end up with four.
Finally, Metallica
Are you feeling good? Yes, we are.
Some guitar for you.
Rocker
Nothing else matters in this crowd of strangers. Metalheads are a welcoming bunch.
In the end it is a sight to behold. That is, the transformation from a workaday, poorly conceived upper gallery blank slate into a thoughtful exhibition of great beauty and striking talent. Feast your eyes on this…
The (almost) final instantiation of digital psychedelic art by ulluh
This is the first formal showing of ulluh’s art on planet earth, and it is an incredible testament to the power of digital art and artistic vision.
Here’s how the show went up.
Stands for the digital displays (seven of them in the show, all told), five on these rolling stands.
This window required covering, and the space could use some chopping up and conceptual clarity.
That’s more like it. The blue leaks into the great hall like the glow of an old school TV. All intentional design.
Screens booting up. Each of these displays show three pieces in a six minute cycle. They are synchronized. The art gets an opportunity to speak for itself.
Romey’s couch and a 10.5 by 8 feet divider create a space for more intentional viewing. This is where the absolutely stunning builds are shown in an 18 minute loop. Watching the artist’s creative process is both informative and captivating. Wow. Once again, the blue light brings the space an altered reality.
Shadow box frames hover off the wall.
The rest of the space creates a natural eddy, flowing around the room, drawing the viewer in.
The prints go up, each its own reflection of a digital display.
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