Month: October 2024

Amsterdam

Published on by angelinapacosaLeave a comment
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At this time last year, I was heavily considering conducting my study abroad experience in Amsterdam. The city has always fascinated me, especially because it is a landmark in terms of art and culture. At the end of the day, I felt I had more of a connection to Ireland, but that decision has never diminished my desire to visit Amsterdam.

Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to finally cross it off my bucket list last weekend. My friend and I flew out of Cork Airport on a 6 AM flight and landed in Amsterdam just after 10. The transportation system was extremely easy to navigate- we hopped on a train to the city centre and were there in about 10 minutes. From there, we set off to find our hotel so that we could drop our bags off before starting our exploration of the city. “Hotel” is a generous term. We stayed on a boat, which was docked in one of Amsterdam’s numerous canals. While it wasn’t the greatest accommodation, I think it made the experience a little more authentic. It was definitely an adventure within itself.

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I will admit our first stop was a bit of a tourist attraction, but it was a very cool experience. We visited one of Amsterdam’s Strooperies, where the famous Stroopwaffles are made right in front of you. If you’ve ever had one of the packaged ones before, nothing compares to the real thing.

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We had booked tickets for the Van Gogh museum prior to leaving for Amsterdam, so we explored the city for a while before heading over to the museum district. It was a surreal experience to see such famous works of art up close and in person, when I had only ever seen them in pictures, on screens. I couldn’t believe I was looking at such pivotal moments in art history. It’s difficult for me to articulate the feeling accurately. You learn about these works of art, you see them and study them, but it’s easy to forget that they’re out there in the world, accessible to you. It’s easy to take for granted the experience of seeing them in person, when we can conjure their images with a quick Google search. The museum had an extensive collection of Van Gogh’s work on display, including small features from other pivotal artists of the time. It was such an incredible experience, and ended up being one of my favorite parts of our trip.

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The next day we took a tour of Amsterdam’s modern art museum, which featured works from several popular contemporary artists like Andy Warhol. We also searched the city for a chance to try its famous “Holland Fries,” which are regular French fries, but served with a sauce of your choice. Because Amsterdam is a tourist city, there aren’t a lot of traditional Dutch cuisine options, so it was important for us to find at least something that was important to Dutch culture food-wise.

We also went on a canal cruise, which was such a fun experience. It was amazing to see the city from a different perspective. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us a few history lessons about some of the famous bridges and landmarks, and of Amsterdam itself. It was really meaningful to me to come away from the experience having learned a lot about the city, its culture, and the people who live there.

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We unfortunately did not have time to tour the Anne Frank House, but we made it a point to at least stop by. It looks like an ordinary house upon passing glance, but I could almost feel the gravity of it the longer I looked. I wish we could have spent more than a short weekend in Amsterdam in order to see it properly, but I was glad that I could at least lay eyes on it.

I haven’t been to many places- domestically or abroad- but Amsterdam was definitely near the top of my list. The city was so beautiful- its canals and architecture definitely being the highlights, and I also loved learning about its history and culture in both the past and present. Two days isn’t enough to see how much the city has to offer, but I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to even spend that amount of time in such a lovely place.

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Discovering a New Artist: Hilma af Klint

Published on by gwenmorgan323Leave a comment

The other day I decided to spend the morning alone and frolicking about one of the frequently mentioned places in my blogs: the Guggenheim Art Museum. I heard there was a new exhibit up, and what better way to spend a Friday morning?

I had no idea I would discover one of my new favorite artists: Hilma af Klint.

Hilma af Klint was a Swedish artist and self-proclaimed mystic born in the mid-1800s. Her paintings are mostly abstract, geometric, and full of spirals and color. What drew me to Klint’s work at first was how perfectly she was able to execute such symmetry. I was particularly infatuated with one particular painting of hers titled “What a Human Being Is ” (slide 2 in my Instagram post). It’s a split pink heart with a gorgeous spiral through it, leading to a rainbow refraction at the bottom. This particular painting supposedly delves into abstract symbolism that explores the human essence. Most of her work is similar in theme, exploring the dualities of human nature. In much of her works, you can see her depict the feminine with bright, baby-blue colors, while the masculine is depicted with vibrant yellows. She uses much of her work to explore this dichotomy, along with several spiritual themes. I simply couldn’t get over how geometric her work was, how vibrant and feminine, yet so deeply in touch with the spiritual world.

Hilma was ahead of her time, painting abstract pieces even before Kandinsky or Mondrian. If I hadn’t been drawn to her work initially, I certainly was after learning that not only was she queer, but she was a spinster and what some would consider a “witch.” She belonged to a group of four other women, proclaiming themselves “The Five.” The Five would perform ritual seances together. One of those rituals was ultimately successful, one that occurred in 1906, and served as a catalyst for what she considered to be her life’s work: The Paintings for the Temple. These three paintings were among the last of 193 works she created during her life, considering herself to be the sole commissioner for these pieces as a gift to her spirit guides. The Paintings for the Temple also included several sub-series, such as The Ten Largest, Primordial Chaos, and The Swan (which I have a few pictures of below as well).

The Ten Largest was certainly something to behold. Displayed in a massive room inside the Guggenheim, these ten paintings explore the stages of human life from childhood to old age. They include countless floral motifs and bright colors. What I loved most was that I could really see each age within the colors. Childhood was a playful bright blue, young adulthood/adulthood vibrant yellows and oranges, and old age was a softer purple. They were phenomenal, full of spirals, and a sort of dream-like quality I very much enjoyed. I always love to see how artists go about representing the cycle of life in their works, and Klint’s work was especially exceptional.

Hilma was certainly ahead of her time, and she knew it, too. She specifically requested that her work not be shown until at least 20 years after her death. I mean, can you imagine a spinster woman in the 1800s talking about how she regularly spoke to spirits and painted more than 1,200 paintings for them? Unlikely.

Originally, she had wanted her work to be shown in a round building, where visitors could “progress” with her paintings along a spiral path. She wanted the nature of that journey to reflect her own with her spirit guides, and you can see how she draws on various religious imagery from Christianity and Buddhism but also Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and theology. Many have speculated as to why she wanted to wait for her work to be shown, most coming to the conclusion that the general public just wouldn’t have been ready to receive it since it drew upon such profound and complex ideologies. But it wasn’t until 1986, 40 years after her death, that her work was finally put on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

I was floored to have gotten the opportunity to experience her work in person. I felt such a kinship with her and her art style. I loved how she incorporated colors and shapes into her paintings, how she was able to depict her spiritual journey, and how deeply those experiences affected her. It was also nice to see another female artist who made such an impact. I find it funny how I’ve gone to so many museums, and each time I am introduced to a female artist who was supposedly “ahead of her time”, yet wasn’t debuted and instead overshadowed by the popular male artist names we know today. I’m glad they are getting the recognition they deserve, even years later.

Wherever you are studying abroad, I strongly encourage you to visit your local art museum and view the exhibits. You never know—you may find a new favorite artist!