Sep

Crossing Cultures To Tell A Story of Turmoil

by Meredith Mullins on September 9, 2019

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Environmental disaster in Ogoniland, Nigeria (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

The World Is Screaming

The power of an image can be far reaching. A story can be told—or a message delivered— in even a single photograph.

And when a space is filled with images that have a common theme, the story becomes exponentially compelling.

This is the impact of photographer Philippe Chancel’s series “Datazone”—photographs made in remote and diverse corners of the world to reveal realities that we don’t ordinarily see. The interwoven essence becomes increasingly clear.

Damaged ship and house after earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan, part of the Datazone exhibit at the Rencontres d'Arles, using Chancel photographs and crossing cultures to deliver a message via documentary photography. (Image © Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and the Melanie Rio Fluency Gallery.)

The aftermath of natural disasters
Tohoku, Japan (2011)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

This series of images delivers the disturbing message that our planet and its inhabitants are in trouble.

Chancel is adept at crossing cultures to reveal the signs and symptoms of what Datazone Curator Michel Poivert calls a world in decline. “The world is screaming,” Poivert says. And we have to take notice.

Philippe Chancel’s Datazone at the Rencontres d’Arles
© Meredith Mullins

“Datazone” at the Rencontres d’Arles

The Datazone exhibit was one of the highlights of the 2019 Rencontres d’Arles photography festival. The images filled the cathedral-like Église des Frères Prêcheurs. The 16^th century gothic space lent a symbolic importance to the visual storytelling.

Directional lines on the floor led to each of the countries represented, reminding us that the world’s problems are not isolated to a few “hot zones.” We are surrounded by turmoil.

Chancel includes 14 countries in the Datazone exhibit.
© Meredith Mullins

Chancel’s sensitive and thoughtful explorations from the past 15 years show us brutal dictatorships, environmental tragedies, the effects of climate change, war, natural disasters, and the dehumanizing effects of modernization.

French photographer Philippe Chancel
© Meredith Mullins

The Datazone exhibit includes 14 different sites, from Fukushima to Haiti, from Marseilles to Nigeria, from North Korea to Afghanistan, from Antarctica to the United Arab Emirates, from the West Bank in Israel to the Greece/Macedonia border. From Kazakhstan to South Africa. From the U.S. (Flint, Michigan) to India (Mumbai).

Marikana, South Africa (2012)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

The places were chosen by Chancel as areas in peril. They became part of his journey perhaps because of a specific disaster or social or political event. But they were often selected because the issues were off the main media’s radar or were insidious growths, moving slowly toward danger.

Dehumanizing modernization
Marseille, France (2017/2018)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Moments of Truth

Once on site, Chancel chooses his photographic moments carefully. No clichés. No staging. No special effects. Just reality, which is sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatically direct. He shows us hidden truths.

In many scenes, Chancel shows us the future conjoined to the past. Skyscrapers mixed with barren desert land. Opulence and poverty in close proximity. High speed roads alongside well-trodden paths. Natural beauty overtaken by industrial disaster.

The past and future together
Abu Dhabi (2007)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Chancel shows us not just the effects of war, but the change in life as a result of years of war. We are shown the compounds, surrounded by barbed wire, built to protect the rich warlords from attack . . . and the mercenaries who guard the concrete structures with Kalashnikovs.

Guarded compound in Kabul, Afghanistan (2012)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

He shows us the aftermath of natural disasters, such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor tragedy of the Tohoku region of Japan.

The photographs are not the immediate headline-grabbing scenes, but images that tell of the long struggles and hardships that follow such tragedies for years.

The people of Haiti continue their life after the devastating 2010 earthquake
(Port au Prince, Haiti, 2011).
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

He unveils the theater of a dictatorship that requires blind loyalty and enthusiastic support, as well as the growing international tendency to create border barricades to prevent the influx of refugees.

Theater or truth?
North Korea. Pyongyang (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

In several series, he shows us how the pristine beauty of many places on earth is in jeopardy and how once thriving ecosystems have been destroyed.

We see the oil seeping into the life of the people of the Niger Delta from fractured pipelines, threatening the very existence of the farmers and fishermen of the area.

Oil-scarred land of the Niger Delta
Ogoniland, Nigeria (2013)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

And we sense the melting ice of Antarctica, once described by explorer Charcot as “a vast, magnificent city made from the purest marble”—a dream that he would like to keep dreaming. That collection of “towering amphitheaters and temples built by divine architects” is melting. Yes. Climate change is very real.

Melting majesty
Charcot Point, Antarctica (2017)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Although the Datazone exhibit has ended, additional exhibits of the Rencontres d’Arles can be viewed until September 22. The Datazone work will next be shown at Paris Photo 2019 in the Grand Palais of Paris from November 7–10 at the Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency and can also be seen on Philippe Chancel’s website.

Contrasting realities
Abu Dhabi (2007/2011)
© Philippe Chancel. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Melanie Rio Fluency.

Oh I See: A Wake-Up Call to the Planet

When Chancel’s images are taken as a whole collective—crossing cultures on so many continents—the future seems all too clear. This is a wake-up call to the world. The only question that remains is what shall we do . . .

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 6 Comments

Afghanistan/Africa/Asia/Crossing Cultures/Greece/Haiti/India/South Africa/USA

Sep

Traveling the World Musically

by Joyce McGreevy on September 3, 2019

The way we experience music can isolate or connect us.
© Joyce McGreevy (Public art in Evanston, IL by Jeff Zimmerman)

Harmonious Ways to Connect Across Cultures

Thanks to streaming technology, it’s easy to take music along when traveling the world. Headphones help shorten long flights, but it’s when we remove the headphones that we discover music’s true power. Mixing music with our itinerary and social interactions elevates travel experiences to whole new levels.

Oh I see: To connect across cultures, use a language we all understand—music. Here are suggestions for traveling the world musically.

Show Up and Sing!

I arrived in Montréal not knowing a soul. The next day, hundreds of my new best friends and I performed live in concert across Canada.

How did this opportunity to meet local music lovers come about? Not by auditions—there weren’t any.

I simply showed up for Choir! Choir! Choir!, a Canadian singing group led by Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman. “DaBu,” as they are affectionately known, travel the world hosting community choir performances.

Choir! Choir! Choir! Is a Canadian singing group that travels the world musically, connecting across cultures through community performances. (Image © 2019 Choir! Choir! Choir!)

“DaBu’s” approach is non-traditional. Just show up and they’ll teach you
an original arrangement to a song you love.
@ 2019 Choir! Choir! Choir!

In Montréal, we paid tribute to native son Leonard Cohen, live-streaming our performance of “Hallelujah” with choirs in Toronto, Vancouver, and Kingston.

To sing, sing, sing with Choir! Choir! Choir!, catch their world tour. They’ll be all over the U.S. starting this week. It’s a wonderful way to meet your neighbors, from around the corner or around the world.

See Choir! Choir! Choir! here.

Attend High Caliber Artistic Concerts—Free

From LosAngeles to London, excellent free concert series abound. In Chicago, I found a series so sublime—the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts—that you should probably just book your flight now. Photogenic architecture and free admission make this a travel trifecta.

Mark Riggleman of the International Music Foundation announces the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert, which connect musicians across cultures in Chicago. (Image © Riggleman family)

Mark Riggleman is Executive Director of the International Music Foundation, which
produces a highly popular Chicago concert series.
© Photo courtesy of the Riggleman family

“This an opportunity to hear rising talent from all over the country and around the world,” says Mark. “Our artists are all within five years of getting a degree and all are at the top of their game.”

Vetting is rigorous and performance standards are high. This is no mere recital of well-worn classical hits.

At the concert I attended, the standing ovation was rapturous for saxophonist Hyoung-Ryoul Kim and pianist Shin-Young Park. The South Korean artists had sent a thrill through the packed house with a program of contemporary works.

Musicians Shin-Young Park and Hyoung-Ryoul Kim show inspire the writer to travel the world musically. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Shin-Young Park and Hyoung-Ryoul Kim wowed the audience in Chicago.
© Joyce McGreevy

The venue, Chicago’s Cultural Center, combines incredible acoustics with turn-of-the-century splendor. Mosaic-embellished stairs lead up to Preston Bradley Hall, where the audience convenes under an architectural wonder, the world’s largest Tiffany dome.

The world’s largest Tiffany Dome at Chicago’s Cultural Center is one of the many attractions of traveling the world musically and connecting across cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At Chicago’s Cultural Center, admission is free, but the music is pure gold.
© Joyce McGreevy

The series runs year-round, Wednesdays from 12:15 to 1:00 pm. Says Mark, “It’s a short format, comfortable for people who work downtown and take a lunch hour. People in town visiting can come to the concert and go to lunch afterward.” (Tip: Meet local concert-goers at Toni Patisserie & Café.)

Reserve ahead, as seats fill quickly. Start here.

Can’t make it? Catch live radio broadcasts, watch the WFMT Facebook livestream, and subscribe to the podcast here.

Uncover Musical Secrets—in 440 Cities

One evening in London, Rafe Offer invited friends round to his flat for a low-key musical gathering. They sat on the floor listening to live music by Rafe’s friend Dave. Over time, such gatherings evolved into Sofar Sounds, a global music community that meets in unique and welcoming spaces.

A diverse audience gathers for a Sofar Sounds concert of international musicians in Montreal, Canada, proof that traveling the world musically connects cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

To keep gigs intimate, tickets operate on a low-price lottery system.
© Joyce McGreevy

An element of surprise adds to the magic. The exact address of the venue is not revealed until the day before the gig. The three musical acts remain a mystery right up until the moment of performance.

Afterwards, it’s all about conversation and community building as artists and audiences mingle.

To get closer to music at home and abroad, visit SofarSounds.

Simon Denizart of Canada and Kid Be Kid of Germany performing at a Sofar Sounds concert in Montreal, Canada reflect how traveling the world musically connects cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Connecting across cultures, Simon Denizart of Montréal and Kid Be Kid
of Berlin duet on keyboard.
© Joyce McGreevy

Ask, Don’t “App”

Many travelers use music-recognition apps to identify world music they overhear in public, such as on café sound systems. Apps like Shazam and SoundHound operate as audio search engines, matching a music sample to its source. It’s one way to collect a playlist for your travel memories.

Better yet, ask the friendly local who’s sitting right next to you, humming along. It’s a natural icebreaker. Keep a pen and notepad handy to circumvent any language barriers.

Be Your Own Roadie!

Do you play an instrument? Consider it your musical passport and carry it everywhere. In many countries, socializing includes sharing music. Having songs at the ready lets you contribute and connect.

Just ask Rick Chelew. “For meeting people and making new friends, my Voyage Air folding guitar is even better than a cute dog. When I’m traveling solo, it’s a great conversation-starter at parks, in pubs and outdoor cafes, even airports and bus stations.”

Rick Chelew, a musician from California in London, with his folding guitar, travels the world musically to connect across cultures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The guitar folds & conversations unfold: Californian Rick Chelew travels the world musically.
© Joyce McGreevy

All Together Now!

When you travel the world musically, connecting across cultures becomes likelier, because you’re literally signaling attunement. What better way to make the world a more harmonious place?

Can’t pack it? Find it! Public pianos are turning up in cities worldwide.
© Joyce McGreevy

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 7 Comments

Crossing Cultures/The World's Music/Worldwide Sites

Aug

Watery Wanderlust: The City of Spas

by Meredith Mullins on August 26, 2019

The power of water
© Meredith Mullins

Going with the Flow in the Thermal Baths of Budapest

It’s summer. And in the hot Northern Hemisphere, our thoughts turn to the cooling force of water. Beaches. Rivers. Swimming pools. Waterfalls. Fountains. We travel in search of comfort.

Water wanderlust can lead us to many destinations, but none more water themed than Budapest—the “City of Spas.”

There is much to see in Budapest, including

the Neo-Gothic Hungarian parliament building,
the elegant State Opera House,
the exotic beauty of the Matthias Church,
the vistas of the Fisherman’s Bastion,
the ornate St Stephen’s Basilica, and
the lively Great Market Hall (a covered market designed by Gustave Eiffel).

If you’re not spending all your time relaxing in a spa, the Great Market Hall offers
characters, chaos, and color.
© Meredith Mulins

However, throughout this city rich in history, it is easy to see that water holds a place of honor. Oh, I see. For Hungarians (and visitors to Hungary), water is a constant presence. It is sport, medicine, exercise, relaxation, transportation, and fun. It is a life force.

The Danube River is a central artery, running through the city and dividing the old city of Buda on the west side from the newer, more modern eastern side, known as Pest.

The city is also home to a variety of thermal baths, many showcasing past eras of history, from Ottoman influence to Art Nouveau.

At any given time, whether a hot summer afternoon or a cold gray winter morning, water-loving Hungarians and Budapest visitors are immersed — either swimming in cool pools, relaxing muscles and bones in warm water, or soaking in the medicinal baths fed by the city’s more than 100 thermal hot springs.

Time for Research

What better way to conduct water wanderlust research than to swim and soak in Budapest’s offerings. It’s a tough job, but someone has to rise to the challenge. So, I made several trips to Budapest, in all seasons, to see what the attraction was.

At the end of several soaking/swimming/floating experiences, my vote for favorite bathing setting is a tie between the Gellért Baths and the Széchenyi Medicinal Bath.

Another Era: Gellért Baths

The Gellert Baths are located in the Art Nouveau Hotel Gellért, built in the early 1900s on the Buda side of the river. As you walk in, you feel you are entering a time warp or a movie set from another era.

The main pool is palatial, with carved roman columns, marble sculptures, and mosaic tiles. The various thermal baths are fed by the mineral springs of Gellért Hill, said to be helpful for joint problems, disk issues, and circulatory trouble.

The complex offers 10 indoor pools and 3 outdoor pools, including plunge pools, and a pool that generates artificial waves.

In one of the underground passageways, the swimmers become entertainment, like aquatic specimens of the deep, through small aquarium-like windows.

When you leave Gellért after a day of water, you will most likely feel like a wet noodle, have super flexible joints, and smell of minerals.

Checkmate: Széchenyi Bath

The Széchenyi Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe, with water supplied by two thermal springs. The 15 indoor pools and 3 outdoor pools are housed in a palace complex in Budapest’s City Park.

The thermal water is said to be high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate, all believed to be good for joint pain and arthritis.

I love watching people here enjoying all forms of water—from relaxing in warm outdoor pools throughout the year while playing chess to being pounded by spraying jets to get the blood flowing. Although Széchenyi can sometimes feel like the Grand Central Station of pools, the people-watching aspect of a visit is a never-ending source of entertainment.

And, if you stay into the night, the latest craze is “sparties” (spa parties)— with DJs, films, and laser shows throughout the summer.

The Ottoman Spas

Also in the running for interesting spas were the Rudas, Kiraly, and Veli Bej baths. All of these venues are reminiscent of Ottoman rule, with darkened interiors under domes dotted with tiny holes for streaming light. A wonderful, mysterious ambiance where you can lose yourself in time.

Finding Fürdő

To enjoy this life of water wanderlust in Budapest, all you need is a swimsuit, some flip flops, a towel, and the word fürdő on the tip of your tongue— the Hungarian word for bath or spa.

And no matter what your ultimate goal for your time in the thermal baths, I can almost guarantee that you will feel better for having been a part of the Hungarian water culture. I know I did.

Gellért Baths at H-1118 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4.

Széchenyi Baths at 9-11 Allatkerti korut Street, Budapest, District 14

Rudas Baths at Rudas Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda, H-1013 Budapest, Döbrentei tér 9.

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