God is in the Detail: Scaling Memory

It had been five years since my last visit to Berlin and before that, 31 years.  That latter visit was so memorable because 1979 were those steely Iron Curtain days when West Berlin was an "island" of the country.  A mysterious and surreptitious air surrounded the visit: the gloomy and somewhat uncomfortable Checkpoint Charlie and, although the Unter den Linden was beautifully spruced up to give foreigners the impression that all was well in the East, occasionally, a small black car passed the desolate wide streets.  My godmother and I were the only visitors to the Pergamon Museum that day.  Our only other companions were the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floors in those giant pantheonic rooms and the tired but nonetheless "at attention" guards, watching over the enormous installations.

My recent visit was a vast contrast to my first.  This time it seemed as though all was in technicolor: lines of people buying entrance tickets, bus loads of tourists decamping, headsets, and racks of vibrant postcards.  And although part of the museum is under restoration and there were hundreds of people scaling the Pergamon temple and crowding the surrounding rooms, my past memories were wonderfully renewed, and it was nice to relive that cherished and exciting moment from my childhood.


  

The temple of Pergamon, built in 250 BC as a gift to the gods after
the assassination attempt of King Pergamon failed.

processional gate of Babylon (560BC)...glazed terracotta
tiles cover the entire structure

 

fragments from colossal emperor statues

A model of the original temple



Love is in the Air

Most people believe Spring to be the most magical time for romance, and while maybe this is true I always find autumn to be full of romantic possibilities.  Perhaps it's that time of year when people begin gearing up for the cold winter months ahead, of staying indoors with that special someone.  As the air is getting crisper, I thought of this wedding that took place at Esma Sultan.  The couple seemed to be so in love and I found the atmosphere I created to be both ethereal and sexy, all contained inside a fairy tale setting.

The palace was built in the late nineteenth century.  Its namesake Esma Sultan was married at the age of fourteen to Mehmed Pasha, a leading statement.  He died when she was twenty six and she never remarried.  According to legends, she became a maneater, touring up and down the Bosporus in a golden gondola, picking young boys and bringing them back to the palace.  After one night with them, she had her staff dispose of the bodies to destroy any evidence of her sexual escapades.  There goes the romantic setting I composed.  Enjoy these photos and all the best to the fall season!

Up the Garden Path

I recently discovered for myself the beautiful town of Ravello while attending my friend Seyhan Ozdemir of Autoban's wedding.  Perched above Italy's Amalfi coast, life here is sublime . . . the architecture, the gardens and views, the airy villas and palazzos.  I found myself quite happy inside the fairy tale setting.  After arriving by boat, I wandered through the town, and was instantly charmed by its subdued glamour.  The wedding took place in the gardens of Villa Cimbrone, best known for once being owned by Ernest Beckett, who hosted so many famous guests including T.S. Elliot, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill, D.H. Lawrence, Greta Garbo, and Jean Piaget.  The elegant wedding and dinner echoed the talents and intrigue of all those visitors past . . . a wonderful summer experience, as the season soon draws to a close . . .

God is in the Detail: Hotel Bauer

I'm raising a glass to my favorite place to rest whilst in Venice, the Hotel Bauer.  Its combination of old Venetian palazzo and fantastic Gothic architecture (designed by the 16th Century architect Andrea Palladio), combined with a mixture of opulent details, including eclectic doses of Art Deco, makes for a dazzling spectacle for the eyes.

Say a Little Prayer

I love these votive chapels, most tiny, as small as 5m x 3m.  There are literally hundreds to be found on any of the Greek islands.  One finds them dotting barren hill and mountainsides, along the roads, beside crowded and quiet beaches, and in the village squares.  It is said that each local family has built (most in the last two centuries) and continues to maintain a chapel.  Some even have a little old lady dressed in black sitting solo, keeping a watchful eye over the church, or you might catch them head down, peacefully asleep.  Some churches are private but there are many, especially ones designated as monuments by the Ministry of Culture, that anyone can enter.  If one enters, it's best to give an offering to express one's gratitude to the spiritual world.  I've seen so many different types of votive offerings, from money, photos, and food to pieces of paper and wood with writings of praise.  I find the tradition of these tiny alters quite beautiful, and I hope it continues for a very long time.

Light Ascending a Staircase

I'm very proud to finally present some photos from the Istancool 2011 gala dinner, which included celebrity guests Kirsten Dunst, Michael Stipe, Stephen Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Tilda Swinton.  Cem Hakko, owner of Vakko company was the generous sponsor.  The stunning location was chosen a long time ago, so upon seeing it, I knew that I had to bathe the space in candlelight.  The mood was quite extraordinary.  Held in one of the oldest institutes of higher education in the world, Istanbul University--which has helped shape the cultural landscape of the city--the space, the design, and the event truly meshed well.