Changing the World, Not Explaining the World: Carl Andre at Museion

“My works do not explain the world, they change it.”

When looking at that quote above of Carl Andre explaining his own work, you can really read it one of two ways: either you see an artist’s ego shining like a brand new penny, or you see a less vainglorious statement of artistic intention. Going with the latter choice requires a bit more thought, but going along with the idea that the greatest efforts reap the greatest rewards, let’s give it a try… A lot of art seeks to explain the world around us, at the very least by opening up a new way of seeing something that might otherwise appear ordinary, and really you can say the same thing about Carl Andre. So, where is that difference is his works that makes that quote not only not megalomaniacal, but also makes his output so legendary and continually relevant?

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Last Wednesday of the Month Architecture: Alpine Capsule

Believe it or not (and personally I’m leaning towards “not”), August is at an end, and over here at the White Line Hotels Blog that means it’s time once again for the Last Wednesday of the Month Architecture feature. This month’s is a puzzler. Is it a product or is it a building? I’ll tell you now, though — no — it is not an Anish Kapoor.

You may be familiar with industrial designer Ross Lovegrove for any number of his organically shaped products. Solar Trees or Car On A Stick, anyone? It might seem like an unlikely pairing, but a few years ago when a private commission came along to find a way to sleep (protected, mind you) under the stars in Alta Badia, Lovegrove stepped in with a self-sustainable solution. Yes, you can say a lot of things about Lovegrove, but you have to give him credit for his unending dedication to environmental issues and sustainable energy.

Lovegrove wanted to provide contrast to the traditional wood and stone architecture of the region, but remain respectful to its environment. The result was Alpine Capsule, an 8 meter wide…well…do you call it a structure? Pod? Drop-of-mercury-like blob? Whatever your preference, Lovegrove calls it an “ephemeral infinity space”. Reflective glass means that, once inside, your view is infinite nature. From outside, that same reflective glass renders it nearly invisible in some conditions. Alpine Capsule pays its respect to its environment by mirroring it, and when that mirroring means it nearly vanishes, it gives a whole new meaning to the idea of a low-impact building.

Although the exact location and how to get to it appears to have something in common with the holy grail, it might be worth the effort to take a gander. After searching, return for a dose of the good life at  the altogether more spacious Lagació Mountain Residence, as chosen by the team at White Line Hotels.

All photos www.rosslovegrove.com

Deadlines, the Other Mother of Invention

Whoever said “necessity is the mother of invention” — and seriously, we mean “whoever” because it’s one of those sayings that seems to have been invented without a mother, if you’ll pardon the bad joke… — probably brought that expression into the world before deadlines existed, so we’ll cut the anonymous author some slack and just update it for him/her: “necessity and deadlines are the mothers of invention.” If you consider that deadlines are indeed themselves a necessity, then we’re back at square one with no need for the update on the old adage, but a step further in explaining that TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE WHITE LINE HOTELS ALPINE EDIT CONTEST.

Will inspiration strike before midnight?

Photo of the Mothers of Invention record sleeve taken from the fabulous www.sleeveface.com

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Just a reminder: only 5 days left to enter White Line Hotels’ Alpine Edit contest to win 4 nights of alpine summer lushness. You can check out the competition, or vote for your favorites, on our facebook page.

Countdown clock photo: Steven Depolo

you snooze, YOU WIN

No matter if you’re exhausted, pooped out, spent, running on empty, knackered, or just plain tired, the weekend is finally here and, for once, if you snooze you might win — you can still enter White Line Hotels’ Alpine Edit Contest to win 4 nights of Alpine summer bliss until August 15th!

Thinking of the currently-running Copenhagen Fashion Week and tonight’s Fashion Night Out, as anyone in fashion will tell you, a new twist on a classic is always a chic move. Like we said when we first introduced the contest, when you’re talking about photos to illustrate being tired, sleepy babies and animals are among the classics. To give some inspiration for thinking outside the box of “tired”, here are sleepy animals that aren’t your mega-classic “Sleepy Kitty”. Let Bobo the Yawning Guinea Pig, a sleepy mouse, and Diana the Very Tired Rat show you the equivalent of pairing that classic perfect trench coat with sweatpants…