Oct

Grand Openings

by Joyce McGreevy on October 9, 2018

A facade in Hobbiton, New Zealand evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What’s behind doors and windows? In Hobbiton, New Zealand, that’s a trick question!
© Joyce McGreevy

A Cross-Cultural Tour of Doors and Windows Around the World

With more than 12 million posts and counting, doors and windows around the world are among the most shared objects on Instagram. Clearly, doors can be adorable and windows wonderful. But beyond pretty pictures, what cross-cultural stories do doors and windows tell?

A window in Lismore, Ireland evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Lismore, Ireland, a medieval window has been silent witness to both
Sir Walter Raleigh and John F. Kennedy.
© Joyce McGreevy

A facade in Zagreb, Croatia evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Zagreb, Croatia, a post-Civil War window showcases the city’s renaissance.
© Joyce McGreevy

When Is a Door Ajar?

Doors can seem ordinary; their job, after all, is to hang around the house. But doors are also sentinels between opposite worlds: the private and the public, the inside and the outside, the secular and the sacred.

Some doors are instantly recognizable even if one has never stood before them. The door at 10 Downing Street, London (despite numerous replacements since 1735). The circular doors of Hobbiton (located in Middle Earth or on a movie set, depending on your level of devotion to Lord of the Rings).

Other doors make you slow your step and wonder, “Now what’s in here?”

A door in Plovdiv, Bulgaria evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, butterflies, flowers, and a glimpse of snail mail
turn an ordinary door into visual poetry.
© Joyce McGreevy

Some ancient doors, like the imun of Changdeokgung Palace, declared one’s status. An imun is a set of double doors, but of different heights. In 15th century Korea, only royalty could walk through the taller door.

Some doors are false doors, carved in stone on Egyptian tombs and temples. They can only be passed through in the afterlife.

Doors can have the blues. From the Cycladic islands of Greece to the high deserts of New Mexico, blue doors project complex layers of cultural symbolism, protective yet calm, local yet ethereal.

A collage of entryways in New Zealand, Greece, New Mexico, and Norway evokes the cross-cultural appeal of blue doors. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Clockwise: From Greece to New Mexico, Norway to New Zealand, blue doors enchant us.
© Joyce McGreevy

Doors can be downright contrary with signs like, “This door to remain closed and locked at all times.” At ALL times? But what if we need to—oh, never mind. We’ll just climb out through the window.

Keleti Train Station in Budapest, Hungary evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At Keleti Train Station, Budapest, windows evoke grand visions of travel.
© Joyce McGreevy

Open Your Wind-Eyes

The origin of the word windows is a doorway into poetry. It comes from Old Norse and Frisian phrases that mean “wind-eye” and “breath-door.” Contained in those words is the history of the window, from unglazed hole in the roof, a way to draw breath into your body, to grand portal, a way to inspire, or “draw spirit into” your soul.

Oh, I see: The most basic objects can be storehouses of cultural history.

A crumbling old house Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge Center, Oregon evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Carolyn McGreevy)

A former home in Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge Center, Oregon opens the door to nature.
© Carolyn McGreevy

Breaking (or Bricking) Glass

Ever heard the expression “daylight robbery”? In the late 1600s, new technology was making it easier to produce glass windows. Soon windows were opening up a whole new world for homeowners.

English King William III saw this as his window of opportunity.

In 1696, he levied a window tax. The more glass windows one had, the more tax one paid, with rates increasing exponentially. Some people registered their protests— and avoided the higher rate—by bricking up a strategic number of windows.

A glass wall in Copenhagen, Denmark evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What would King William III have thought of this window-wall in Copenhagen?
© Joyce McGreevy

These Cross-Cultural Traditions Hinge on Doors

In the Chinese custom of men shén, images of the Door Gods Shen Shu and Yu Lei are displayed on doors as guardians of all within.
Some door customs come with door prizes. In Finland, the custom was for brides to go door-to-door collecting wedding gifts in a pillowcase.
In Poland, if you can’t find something in your house, go to the nearest closed door and speak through it to the Skrzaty, friendly elves who live in nooks and crannies.
Skeptical? Next time you lose your reading glasses, tell the Skrzaty, “Play and put away!” Then prepare to be amazed when you find your specs right on top of your head.

A winter street scene in Bend, Oregon evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Windows in Bend, Oregon keep winter outside.
© Joyce McGreevy

A living room in Evanston, Illinois evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Windows in Evanston, Illinois invite summer inside.
©Joyce McGreevy

Word Windows, Discovery Doors

Doors and windows give us many cross-cultural idioms and sayings.

In Turkey, “Kind words unlock an iron door” and “Create a window from one heart to another.”
In China, “Teachers open the door; you enter by yourself,” and “Learning a language is like having another window from which to see the world.”
In France, “Everyone sees noon from his own door” (Chacun voit midi à sa porte). We each have our own perspective, our personal window on life.
Speaking of unique perspective, an early “life hack” from my own Irish culture reminds us, “Never bolt your door with a boiled carrot.” Especially if you’ve buttered it.

A street scene in Co. Cork, Ireland evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In the Ireland of my youth a knock at the door meant
“Sounds like visitors. Put the kettle on!”
© Joyce McGreevy

In Closing, Stay Open

Doors and windows can open up new worlds, or reframe and transform a world we thought we knew. As you close the door on this modest cross-cultural tour, hold fast to the key of observation. For doors and windows around the world have stories to tell and wonders to reveal.

An exterior view of the Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway evokes the cross-cultural stories of doors and windows. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Oslo, Norway, windows bring the light of hope when the world seems dark.
© Joyce McGreevy

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Crossing Cultures/Cultural Symbols/The World's Art & Design/Worldwide Sites

Jul

Memorable Moments: A Wave of Ocean Wonders

by Your friends at OIC on July 17, 2018

Oh, I sea!
© iStock

One constant in our travels is the ocean, whose mysteries make it a prime location for “Oh, I see!” moments. As our bloggers navigate their way to their next set of inspiring adventures, take a dip back into some posts that highlight the majesty and artistry of what lies beneath the sea. Whether you’re diving in for the first time, or revisiting these posts as we are, fascinating discoveries await. Enjoy!

Sculpture in the underwater museum by Jason deCaires Taylor, showing innovations by artist and ocean. (Image © Jason deCaire's Taylor)

The ocean is an extraordinary exhibition space, altering art with life.
© Jason deClaires Taylor

The Underwater Museums of Jason deCaires Taylor

Jason deCaires Taylor creates the world’s first underwater museums where sculptures grow into artificial reefs, showing innovations by both artist and ocean. Go to the post.

colorful plastic pieces in rows in Jerry Takigawa's artistic expression of world ocean tragedy

Artistic Expression Speaks Out for World Oceans

Jerry Takigawa’s artistic expression inspires us artistically while delivering a powerful call to action to save the world’s oceans. As a special bonus, this post includes a free download for protecting our oceans, with useful tips for reducing your plastics footprint. Go to the post.

Sea nettle Jellies swimming at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, showing travel stories that connect travelers to different worlds (image © Sam Anaya A.).

Watch these jellies long enough and you will be transported to another world.
© Sam Anaya A.

The Awe-Inspiring Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium lets us travel underwater while still breathing our own air. Come on a journey that connects us to awe-inspiring worlds. Go to the post.

To explore more treasures from the past, check out the Blog Topics & Archive section. And to find a new “Oh, I see!” moment every week in your inbox, take this opportunity to subscribe.

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Making a Difference/The World's Art & Design/Worldwide Sites

Nov

“Blistering Blue Brussels, Tintin!”

by Joyce McGreevy on November 6, 2017

The Tintin mural in Brussels, Belgium showcases comic book art as a cultural tradition. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Hugely popular in Belgium, Tintin and friends race down a wall in Brussels’ Rue de l’Etuve.
© Joyce McGreevy

Where Comic Books Are
a Cultural Tradition

Remember watching Saturday morning cartoons and reading Sunday’s comic strips? Settling in to reread stockpiled comic books? And how your parents—those draconian disciplinarians—made you go outside to play?

In Brussels, you can have your comics and play outside, too. Just follow the Comic Book Route.

The Léonard mural by Turk in Brussels shows why comic books are a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Léonard, a zany caricature of da Vinci by cartoonist “Turk,”
paints Brussels’ Palais de Justice.
© Joyce McGreevy

Launched in 1991, this citywide project turns buildings into comic-book panels to celebrate one of Belgium’s most popular cultural traditions—l’art de la bande dessinée, the art of the comic strip.

A mural of Francis Carin's "Victor Sackville" in Brussels shows why comic books are a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Meticulous cartoonist Francis Carin, creator of spy hero Victor Sackville,
is known as Belgium’s “tour guide to history.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Picturing Brussels

Brussels features 55 murals and counting. Centering your sightseeing around comics is a wonderful way to explore the city.

A mural of Frank Pé's "Broussaille" in Brussels shows why comic books are a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

In Frank Pé’s “Broussaille,” even background details (inset) get star treatment.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Ninth Art

Belgium boasts more comic strip artists per square kilometer than anywhere else in Europe. It’s here that the comic strip grew from a popular medium into le neuvème art, “the ninth art.”

“In most Belgian homes, you will find a collection of comics or even an entire library dedicated to comic strips. More than half of the books published or produced in Belgium are comics.” So says Jean Auquier, director of the Belgian Comic Strip Center, Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée.

There’s a comic book museum? Actually, there are several. “Nowhere else are comics so strongly rooted in reality and in people’s imagination.”

The Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels showcases comic books as a cultural tradition. (Image © www.visitbrussels.be and Daniel Fouss)

The Belgian Comic Strip Center is housed in Art Nouveau architecture.
© www.visitbrussels.be and Daniel Fouss

Belgium’s Comic-Book Legacy

Some Belgian comic-book characters are famous worldwide. As a kid, you likely spent Saturdays with Les Schtroumpfs, as Franco-Belgians call them, De Smurfen in Flemish. That’s “Smurfs” to you and me. Cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) invented the little blue characters after coining the word schtroumpf as a joke and sprinkling variations of it into conversations.

A group of children intently reading comic books at the Belgian Comic Strip Center show why comic books are a popular cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © www.visitbrussels.be and Daniel Fouss)

Belgium’s Boy Wonder

First, however, came Tintin, globe-trotting reporter, faithful dog Milou (“Snowy”) and brash Captain Haddock—he of tongue-twisting epithets like “Blistering blue barnacles!” and “Ten thousand thundering typhoons!”

Created by Hergé (Georges Remi), whose tumultuous life merits its own graphic novel, Tintin comics (1920s–1980s) influenced generations of cartoonists with their lignes claires (“clear lines”) and innovative use of speech balloons—previously, cartoonists kept text beneath the drawings.

A window at the Belgian Comic Strip Center showcases the comic-book art as a cultural tradition. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Beyond Europe, Hergé influenced artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. He was also honored by the Dalai Lama for his 1960 work, Tintin in Tibet.

Paper Heroes

Brussels Comic Book Route will inspire you to get to know other Belgian héros de papier, too.

A mural of Hergé's Quick and Flupke in Brussels shows why comic books are a popular cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The adventures of Hergé’s “other sons,” characters Quick and Flupke,
take place in the Marolles, where Hergé grew up.
© Joyce McGreevy

Where to Begin?

Because you’re never far from public transportation, I recommend starting wherever you are. Use the museum’s interactive online map to locate clusters of nearby murals.

A mural of Yves Chaland’s comic-book character, Le Jeune Albert, in Brussels shows why comic books are a popular cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

My base is L’Art de la Fugue, in the St. Gilles neighborhood, an inexpensive B&B with—aptly—visually dazzling rooms, each unique. Like a cartoon detective, I begin my mystery tour by seeking out the proverbial Fat Cat:

A mural of Philippe Geluck's "Le Chat" in Brussels shows why comic-book art is a popular cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The trail winds through the heart of the Marolles, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, where streets are lined with vintage shops. Like comic-book panels, the neighborhood reveals itself one fascinating window at a time.

A vintage figurine in a Brussels inspires comparisons with Belgian comic-book art as a cultural tradition. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Likewise, everyday sights seem to imitate comic art, evoking the seductions of a great story.

A street scene in Brussels, with yellow motorbike and "L'Etoile Verte" sign, inspires ideas for comic-book art, a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Walking Through Pictures

By moseying from one mural to another, I cover a wide swath of Brussels on foot. The search for comic-book murals reveals other urban pleasures, too. Like comic-book motion lines, the aromas of coffee and fresh-baked bread lead to wonderful cafés, places filled with locals, where visitors find a warm welcome.

A street scene in Brussels, featuring Café L'Aubette, inspires ideas for comic-book art, a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Turning a corner becomes like turning a page. Mural by mural, I’m guided from one facet of the city to another—peaceful gardens, bustling market squares, centers of cutting-edge design, and places of gilded baroque magnificence.

At one point, I encounter a glass elevator that lifts me high above red-tiled rooftops to panoramic views from the Palais de Justice.

A mural in Brussels of François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters' "The Passage" shows why comic books are a cultural tradition in Belgium,. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A couple stands beside François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters’ “The Passage,”
unaware of their cartoon shadows (inset).
© Joyce McGreevy

All day I follow the visual narrative. The passing hours play with the autumn sunlight like a cartoonist experimenting with background colors: slate grey dawn becomes morning’s pale gold, then afternoon’s bonus blue. With so many comic-book heroes watching over Brussels, can sunset be anything but rosy?

Finally, as darkness inks in the sky, the city’s windows begin to glow, like panels in a graphic novel.

A café window in Brussels inspires ideas for comic-book art, a cultural tradition in Belgium. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Oh, I see: In the comic-book city, where the cartoonist’s art is a cultural tradition, Brussels has ever more stories to tell.

View a map of Brussels’ Comic Book Route here and see a mural being created here. See more street art in London here, on top of gum globs here, and at the Tour 13 project in Paris here.

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Grand Openings