And the summer is over for me.
Escaping from three hours of sleep in an average night, endless frustration, mel, rhino scripting and from the outstanding final presentation of my team 0RN8 with a quiet efficacious delivery of "ParaGothic Interiorities" at the end of June, followed by three days trip to Berlin for a critique of architecture students' work, few days later I landed in the cleanest mountain air, crystal-pure lakes, spring water, snow tops of mountains, unique beauty, different at all times during the year, my true and only TYAN SHAN MOUNTAINS. Nothing compares to this place, the way it soothes, calms, and enriches my soul.
While hiking in Tyan Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan, adoring Bear waterfall in Turgenskoe canyon, drinking ”youth" water from a sacred spring - supposedly I should become 10 years younger – and simply being home, really home. The trip was swift and velocious, but still delightful by seeing some friends that I haven't seen for more than 10 years, whom I went even to the kindergarten, Some of the days were perplexing and eerie as this awkward and unexpected attendence of a protestant morning service left me ---- and I am even not a protestant ---- feeling misplaced. Oh, well!!! I believe into AUTOPOIESIS.
Oh, yeah, fishing for the first time in my life was so 'hand-stirring' and awaiting, and I actually caught one trout, which was succeeded by feeding ostriches at the farm at the outskirts of Almaty. Loved, the steamy day in four saunas ----- Alpine, Japanese, Finnish, Turkish followed by beautiful bouquet of Georgian wine(s), singular or plural --- not sure, ask my cousin.
A rapid flight delivered me to the capital and biggest city of Russia, being also the largest metropolitan area in Europe. In 2008, Moscow was ranked #1 as the most expensive city in the world EXPENSIVE, and in 2009, it got dropped to #3.
Clandestinely and sincerely, I am enamored with this city for common and peculiar reasons. It seems rich but poor, inviting but cold, embracing but monumental, grandeur but only "facade", open and warm-hearted but classified and camouflaged. I discovered an astonishing metro architecture, as I never travelled in Moscow's metro before because I was always afraid of Moscow public transportation. Stunned and captivated by its genuine and intricate beauty, I think I stared more rather than photographed as I was trying to absorb and record the metro space in my mind. Next time I am in Moscow, it is a metro time. Genetically, the Russian avant-garde runs in my blood, and certainly being in Moscow for a week, I didn't want to miss this time to see slowly-dying and degrading two Russian avant-garde masterpieces of the constructivist architecture, located in two different parts of the city: Rusakov Workers' Club
"In plan, the club resembles a fan; in elevation, it is divided into a base and three cantilevered concrete seating areas. Each of these can be used as a separate auditorium, while if combined, the building seats over 1,000 people. At the rear of the building are more conventional offices. The only visible materials used in its construction are concrete, brick and glass."
In addition, it is a first type of theater/auditorium that registers an outer volume that shows where the audience seats, as it was original at that time in 1927.
The second building is by the same architect Konstantin Melnikov is MELNIKOV'S HOUSE. It was fenced and restricted by the architect's family and then Russian Government for a long time as well as now, this house was/is deteriorating, even though the decision was passed and supported by the international architecture committee that included Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaus and so many other architects to convert this masterpiece into the world-class museum of the Russian Avantgarde; but it seemed to me nothing was done so far. I was able to catch glimpses of this “20th century architecture and a kind of an icon for the world culture in general, completed in 1927-1929, which consists of two intersecting cylindrical towers decorated with a pattern of hexagonal windows, experimental and on-of-the-kind project.”
The hectic city vibe was ended in the beautiful Moscow forest for non-architectural experiments and deconstruction experience.
Cyprus ………………………….. looks like some parts of LA and is the Mediterranean's third largest island, a former British colony, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year ----- I wonder what the percentage of the Russian tourists. I found myself inhabiting a Cypriotian Little Russia, with Russian stores signs, Russian-speaking Cypriots, Russian food, and Russian people. Nevertheless, there are two sides of Cyprus as I lean to a proportional representation of hot and cold and adoration and aversion toward the country, people, mentality, the way of living, and etc.
But I can’t help to praise sea and beach and MEZE and moussaka MOUSSAKA and Cypriote wine and beautiful ruins of KOURION AMPHITHEATRE that was built in the late 2nd century A.D. Continuing to develop as an island-republic as it became a part of EU in 2004, it offers prime residences next to the sea [ooo – la la].
Now ending the summer in my dearest LA with ever-cold Pacific Ocean. But my presence pretends to be comfortable. With all dislocations, there is an evident loss of belonging to any country. It seems I can adapt anywhere, and long-sitting fear seems gone but uncertainty is there. Wanting is still un-figured or dis-figured.
My majesty, please welcome me back.....................
Invited critics include Dana Cuff ---- Winka Dubbeldam ---- Francois Roche ---- David Ruy ---- Peter Testa ---- Brett Steele ---- Patrik Schumacher ---- Christos Passas ---- Alisa Andrasek ---- Theodore Spyropoulos ---- Yusuki Obuch ---- Rob Stuart-Smith ---- Marta Malé-Alemany ---- Bob Somol
really
