#definitely going to reuse that bottom left sketch

[awkwardpossum0]

[anamnesis-archive]

LVMH

Bernard Arnault, founder and CEO of the luxury L VMH Moët Hennessy conglomerate, was the richest man in the world at the beginning of the year (overthrowing Jeff Bezos). Due to coronavirus fears and the plummet of stock value, he was dethroned, yet remains in the number two position (Cuccinello, 2020). His empire includes fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Dior, to brands like Sephora and Veuve Cliquot. In recent weeks, business ventures have expanded to the production of hand sanitizer for French healthcare workers. In a press release, the LVMH group stated:

Bernard Arnault has instructed ...LVMH [to] therefore use all the production facilities of its Perfumes & Cosmetics brands (Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain and Parfums Givenchy) in France to produce large quantities of hydroalcoholic gel from Monday. The gel will be delivered free of charge to the French authorities and as a priority from the Monday to the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus. LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities. (2020)

Arnault quickly put his assets to good use and one can see his fierce nationalism in times of crisis in France (he also donated a lot of money towards the reconstruction of Notre Dame post fire). Known as a ‘tastemaker’, he is also an advocate for the arts and had La fondation Louis Vuitton (a cultural hub and art gallery) built in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, which opened in 2014.

In 2017 I went to la fondation with my family. I was completely awe-struck by the beauty of the architecture. At the time, artist Daniel Buren was doing a collaboration with the building. Coloured glass panels allowed for streaks of coloured light to pour through when the sun hit casting amazing beams on the structure below. I remember being proud of noticing design similarities between the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the Art Gallery of Ontario (reminded me of the exposed wooden beams and windows from the front galleries at the AGO). They were both designed by Frank Gehry.

I returned to la fondation in February. The glass panes were no longer colourful, and for this visit, it was an inter-exposition period so none of the galleries were open to the public; all we could do was admire the building itself. I felt bad while paying admission since I was contributing to Bernard Arnault’s dynastic wealth but c’est la vie. Through a set of doors on the ground floor, there was a permanent installation by the Danish artist/architect Ólafur Elíasson (left image). I was flabbergasted. My time in Paris came right after being in Copenhagen, where I had seen some of Ólafur’s creations in his native country (like the Cirkelbroen bridge). Here, he was playing with light and reflection to create a pathway giving refracted views of the structure, the water and ourselves. The pillars, which got increasingly closer together as you walked, were composed of two mirrored sides and one panel of yellow light. A subtle soundtrack played overhead to add to the experience.

One extremity of the building was dedicated to showcasing Frank Gehry’s conception process. Each floor exhibited a different layer of creation, from inaugural sketch to model rendering. (I’ve included a picture of the original inspirational sketch on the top of the next page.) Frankly, it looks like a child’s scribbles with all the wavy, overlapping lines, yet its shape and mood resemble the real-life feat of architecture. Gehry wrote alongside his sketch that “I dream of designing a magnificent vessel for Paris that symbolizes France’s profound cultural vocation.” The building as a whole looks like a boat with billowing sails, cutting through the wind. To achieve that articulation through design was revolutionary. The team had to develop 30 patents for new software and technologies in order to properly orchestrate Gehry’s shapes, volumes and curves. The building features 3600 glass panels for the sails, all of which were custom made with different dimensions, angles and inclines to fit just so. The inner metallic infrastructure even resembled the hull of a vessel (see bottom left image). The top floor terraces offer unique views of Paris, partially masked by wood and metallic beams.

In comparing both my experiences at La fondation Louis Vuitton, I would say that I preferred my first encounter. There was some magical effect created by the coloured glass panels that completely enamoured me, but was not present the second time around. I’m definitely more in-tune and appreciative of architecture now, so it was nice to just bask in the magnificence of the building (I’m a sailor, and the boat-like shape is very comforting to me and takes me back to summertime and the feeling of wind in my face and the lulling sound of waves), yet I was somewhat let down that there wasn’t any art on view.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation is not the first example of a luxury fashion house that has established a cultural hub to foster and showcase creativity. In the 90s, Muiccia Prada had La Fondazione Prada in Milan erected, destined to present art in all media. Rem Koolhaas’ OMA was responsible for the new building design in 2015 and it features a restaurant designed by none other than Wes Anderson! This new site uses the adaptive reuse technique, combining pre-existing infrastructure with some contemporary additions. They used an old industrial complex as the Fondazione’s new home. I have the book on the 2012 MET Gala, who’s theme was Schiaparelli & Prada : Impossible Conversations. Upon reading, I learned that Prada was a fan of, and self-titled her clothing as ‘ugly chic’, which she explains as “to make ugly appealing... my work is concerned with destroying – or at least deconstructing – conventional ideas of beauty, of the generic appeal of the beautiful, glamourous.” She continues by adding that “[p]eople say my designs are quirky, but they’re not quirky. I deliberately introduce a steady look into high fashion. So what people sometimes interpret as quirky, is my attempt to subvert the concept of luxury by introducing elements that are considered ordinary or commonplace.” Prada also admits that she’s

known for using materials that fall outside of fashion. I’m also known for contrasting different types of materials in one ensemble – light and heavy, rough and smooth, opaque and transparent – to challenge our expectations about good taste and bad taste. I love working with materials that confuse and confront our assumptions about what is real and what is virtual, what is natural and what is artificial, and what is luxurious and what is elementary. Basically, I love blurring the boundaries between what is real and what is a cheap fake. (Koda, et al, 58, 60, 66)

The Fondazione Prada epitomizes her design ethos. It is ‘ugly chic’ with the non-homogeneity of the multiple structures. With this built environment, “the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming, where art and architecture will benefit from each other’s challenges” (Aguilar, 2015). La Fondazione was on my bucket list of things to attend while abroad, but as my time was cut short, it’ll have to wait until the next time I go to Europe.

Works Cited

Aguilar, Cristian. “Fondazione Prada / OMA.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 7 May 2015, www.archdaily.com/628472/fondazione-prada-oma.

Cuccinello, Hayley C. “Jeff Bezos Back on Top as World's Richest Person as Bernard Arnault's Net Worth Falls $3.7 Billion.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/hayleycuccinello/2020/01/21/jeff-bezos-bernard- arnault/#1c5526957558.

Koda, Harold, et al. Schiaparelli & Prada : Impossible Conversations. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.

LVMH. “LVMH Prepares to Manufacture and Distribute Free Hydroalcoholic Gel in Large Quantities.” LVMH Press Release, 15 March 2020. https://r.lvmh- static.com/uploads/2020/03/gel_150320_va.pdf .

[andy-abroad]

Luxor_02

June.10.2017 Hello hello- Today has been a great day, and a long day, but a great day! It started this morning at 6am. My alarm went off. I was pretty tired, but super excited. I didn't have the best night's sleep. Although there is a ceiling fan in the room that works very well, it was still so hot. The sun sets in the direction of my room (like at home) so it turns it into an oven. The walls, and even the mattress just retain heat. It took a while to fall asleep, but I got some rest and woke up ready for the day. To beat the heat, I asked the tour to come at 7am, instead of 9. 6am was also an option, but I thought that was a little aggressive. I woke up and immediately forced myself to eat the burgers I had saved from last night. It wasn't the most pleasant, but I knew I needed energy, so I washed it down with some water. I got ready and packed a few things in a bag. I knew I wasn't going to sketch. It just wasn't going to happen due to the heat, so I only brought my Polaroid, my external charger, water, and sunblock. I applied sunblock all over and before I knew it, it was 6:55. Also, side note, so glad I bought these linen pants. They breathe so well, and protect my legs from the sun. They were so awesome in Egypt. I definitely didn't want to wear shorts out of respect, even though they know that I'm a tourist. I met my driver downstairs and my guide. One is Muslim (driver) and the other is Christian. We started the day by driving to the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. It's about a 40 minute drive, as the bridge is located away from the city. This was done to protect the purity of the waterfront, and to preserve the atmosphere of Luxor. There used to be a ferry, I was told, but they stopped its use as it stirred up the river too much. On he way there, the guide sat with me in the back and explained a bit of history and a bit of Luxor as it is today. They are still a huge agrarian based economy, with one of the largest sugar cane industries in the world. They are also known for their fruits, especially bananas. Mangos, dates, figs, grapes, all thrive in the fertile soil. It's true. When I was flying in, the Nile was like a cut in the dry sand, with green all around it. Upon arrival at the temple complex, we took a small train (like the ones at the mall for kids) and rode up to the entrance. It was cut deep into the rock. Here I learned that Christians actually used it as a monastery, and had destroyed some parts of it. Also, I learned that it was the polish people who restored the temple. It is a three story complex, and until about 100 years ago, the bottom two floors were buried in sand, which actually preserved the paint quite well. All the paint I saw today was original, meaning thousands of years old. They don't restore the paint out of respect to the passage of time. I was really... in awe of the structure, not because of its presence physically, but more due to the fact that like other works, it's something I studied for so long and finally got to walk and see. My guide was very knowledgeable and took me around the whole complex. At the end, he gave me free time to wander and see it at my own pace, which was awesome! It was here that I walked into the last chamber. One of the docents pointed at something on the wall. I looked. He kept trying to get me to take photos, and when I turned to leave he asked me for a tip. Very annoying. He just pointed. I walked briskly away and met back up with my guide. As a side note, my guide was very good, but I think he was not feeling well? I am not sure. He was very out of breath and just had a hard time throughout the day. It was a bit troublesome at times, as I know he, like so many others, are more than a little desperate for job stability. More on that later. Our next stop was the valley of the kings, or where the Pharos were buried in secret as to protect themselves from grave robbers and such. This complex is still being excavated, but has recently been abandoned, more or less, because the government will not spend money on it. It was also here that I learned the location of king Tut's funeral mask is not in Luxor, but at the Cairo museum!!!! I am definitely regretting not going to see it, as I didn't have the time. I do have that 5 hour layover in Cairo tomorrow morning, maybe I'll try and go! Haha. In the valley of the kings, I got to go into the burial chambers of several kings, including king tut's but no photography was allowed, and they were strict about this. It was impressive to see all of these tunnels cut out of sheer rock. The labor it must have taken, the treasures they must have held. My guide told me that the ancient government stopped paying these craftsmen well, so they rebelled and started robbing the graves. The funerary rites and beliefs of the afterlife were so intricate and really played out on the walls and paintings. After the tombs, we walked back to the car and I drank water. I learned from my precious mistake of not bringing my own water and quickly downed it all. At this point, my guide wanted to take me to where "local artisans" paint and sculpt in the inherited style, but I strictly told him I wasn't interested. I said I didn't want to buy anything and he kept telling me That it was mostly for cultural value, but I held my ground. I could tell he was disappointed or annoyed, but I really just wasn't up for being sold more things. He also Said this was a chance for him to drink water and take a rest, as out of respect he didn't like to drink in front of people during Ramadan, which I felt badly about, but I chose to be selfish. We drove back to the east bank, the bank of life, which took about another 40 minutes. During this time I looked up how much I should tip a tour guide. I found out that I grossly over tipped my woman in Cairo. I was also upset because I began to realize that she didn't do a good job at all of explaining. Even if my guide today was being a bit repetitive, he asked me questions and really wanted to have a conversation about what I wanted to learn about. Anyways, we got to Luxor Temple, which I had walked around yesterday but didn't enter. Here, he gave me a ton of information about why it was built, how, and by whom. It took two hundred years to complete, and was worked on by several Pharos. It even depicted events from the Bible, like Joseph's time in Egypt and the collection of grain in preparation for a famine. Like so many other structures, the Muslims, Christians, and other invaders all did their part to destroy or reuse these spaces. A mosque was built on top of one of the gate walls, as it used to be buried in sand, while the christians painted frescoes of the last supper in one of the back rooms. It was really interesting to see the layers of history and of conquest. At the end of this, I needed to get some money from an ATM (one located right across the street). I grabbed my cash and went to get water. The price for 1.5L of water is 4 Egyptian pounds, here, it was 15! I couldn't bring myself to buy it, even in dollars it's 25 cents vs. 75. In retrospect it's silly. My guide agreed that it's a steep price, but that it's not just because I'm a tourist, but also because his shop is right across the street from the temple and rent is higher. I felt very foolish. We got to our final destination, Karnak temple, which is where I was last night. While my guide was paying for the tickets, I grabbed a bottle of water. It was 20 Egyptian pounds, which I happily paid. My guide and I laughed about that. Again, my guide took me through all the rooms, explaining the importance of each, and showing me really interesting things cut into the stone. Here, there were depictions of slaves and of conquests. There was also a portion showing soldiers cutting off hands. The soldiers cut the hands off of their prisoners to keep count, but also to torture and kill them slowly. Yikes! I took a ton of photos, had some free time to wander, and then it was time to get lunch. On my way out, I picked up two post cards and a stamp. The man tried to charge me 50 Egyptian pounds. If I were alone I would have haggled down to maybe 25, but I settled at 40. Throughout the day my guide and I had a conversation about the tourism industry and the economy. It was really sad to hear that many guides that went to school for it had to go and work in the fields because they get no support from the government, and not many people come on holiday. We got to lunch and originally my guide was going to go home to eat, but he decided to stay. We went to a nice restaurant. I was also really mad about eating falafel, because I think the woman took me somewhere cheap and pocketed the rest of the money in Cairo! I ordered some chicken, and a lot of 반찬 came with it. A great lentil soup, some pickles the way mama makes, a cucumber salad, and really delicious grilled eggplant. It also came with pita bread. I enjoyed my food and my guide and I continued to chat. He didn't eat which was kind of awkward. He told me that he's in the process of trying to immigrate to Canada with his family as the job situation is not so great in Egypt. He says more and more people are seeking to leave, especially Christian's, as the government is somewhat oppressing them. I finished my meal, tipped the waiter, and we were on our way back. We dropped the guide off at the train station down the street from my hotel. I tipped him and thanked him for his time. I over tipped him as well, but he deserved it, and earned it! We then made our way to the hotel I tipped the driver as well and headed inside. I saw the man who took me on the boat and just hurried to my room. I quickly took off my money belt and sat for a bit. I drank water and wrote a post card. I wanted to send it before I left so I searched for a post office, and luckily there was one down the street. It was closed but it had s little slot to drop off mail. I really hope any of my post cards make it. I also hope that slot was for mail. It was in Arabic so I couldn't tell! I walked back to the hostel, grabbed some waters and a mango juice, and took a nap. The heat is super tiring. I know I keep saying that, but it's true! I woke up from my nap, went downstairs to pay for my cab (only 75 pounds in comparison to the 150 I paid at the airport...), showered, packed and organized, and now I'm here! While cleaning, I realized I drank 14L of water (4 gallons) in two days! I learned my lesson from last night and have opened my window. The ventilation is helping regulate the temperature. I think yesterday the fan was just pushing the hot air around, that didn't really have anywhere to go. The downside is that the street is noisy, and I'm trying to sleep early as my flight tomorrow is at 5:30a. I have a. 5:30a flight to Cairo, a 1:25p flight to Kuwait, a 9p flight to Mumbai and I arrive at 4a. It's going to be a long day. Anyways, I will leave it here. Until tomorrow--