Composing Art Actions

I took a pic in my hometown (Xixón) last week that I quite like. Just one more "arty" failed attempt... but well, as I've said, I like it. It's a sort of composition of 3 artistic actions. The first action was someone painting that forest and sky on an electric box (probably this is part of a city council sponsored program). The second action was some teenager (I guess) adding that Anarchy "A" (I hate anarchism... but that (A) emerging as a sort of "rising sun" is a nice intervention). The third artistic action has been me, spotting that painting, and taking the pic with a long exposure while a car passed by, capturing that blurring light trail (I've done this millions of times and I still find it surprising that something so easy can sometimes look so good).

And that's all, quite a short post...

Toulouse, Bâtiments Laids

J'aime bien Toulouse. Elle a été ma "ville d'adoption" pendant des années et maintenant c'est ma ville secondaire. Je la trouve bien jolie, avec beaucoup de charme. Mes premières semaines là- bas on peut dire que je suis tombé amoureux de la ville. Outre que l'architecture et le patrimoine, Toulouse est une ville dynamique, jeune, avec une économie forte (bon, le covid est catastrophique pour l'industrie aéronautique et les entreprises d'IT qui en dépendent, mais j'espère qu'on va s'en sortir).

Après des mots flatteurs, je dois admettre qu' on ne peut pas comparer Toulouse a Lyon, ou même à Bordeaux. Lyon et Bordeaux jouent à un autre niveau, c'est incontestable. Ce n'est pas que l'architecture ancienne, mais aussi la moderne. On trouve à Lyon et Bordeaux bien de bâtiments modernes remarquables ou simplement agréables (je pense a les bâtiments résidentiels a EurAtlantique ou Bassin à Filtres, ou à Confluences). A Toulouse, c'est une autre histoire, outre que la médiathèque et la nouvelle Business School (et ils ne sont pas trop impressionant) je ne peux pas penser a un seul batiment interessant bâti dans les derniers 70 ans... Je pense que au jour d'hui Toulouse a les pires arquitectes de France (Taillandier...)

Malheureusement, Toulouse a eu de très mauvais arquitectes aussi au cours du siècle dernier, ils ont laissé des verrues dans la ville qui sont d'une laideur redoutable. J'ai dit beaucoup de fois qu' en general j'aime les tours et les gratte-ciels quand ils répondent à certains exigences esthétiques, mais quand ce n'est pas le cas, une tour peut devenir d'un laideur extrême (au moins, pour la plupart des gens). Je vais montrer ci-dessous des exemples qu'on peut trouver à Toulouse de bâtiments très détestés. Je dois admettre aussi qu'avec les années je me suis habitué et même par la plupart j'en suis venu à les apprécier.

Cité Roguet, Saint Cyprien, années 60. Bien sur c'est moche, mais je lui trouve un certain charme

Barre Cristal, Saint Cyprien, années 60 (détesté par beaucoup, pas par moi, en fait, je pourrais dire que je l'aime)

Tour de rue de Maroc. Pour moi c'est dégueulasse en raison de son état actuelle, mais avec une bonne renovation de facade, ca pourrait marcher très bien

Place Roquelaine. Ouais, c'est vraiment moche, je ne peux pas trouver rien de positif...

J'ai commencé a ecrire ce post il y a des semaines, et par hasard je trouve que 20 Minutes a publié un article sur la cité Roguet et la barre Cristal il y a 2 jours.

Ça a été mon premier post en français!, désolé pour toutes les erreurs.

Bruxellisation

I've already explained in previous posts that I like skyscrappers (if they follow some basic aesthetic rules), but I'm not a fan of large clusters of them, and pretty much prefer seeing them scattered over the urban landscape in very specific points, as signals and reference points. This said, I've found this short video interesting, though I quite don't agree with the idea that seems to be conveyed in it (probably this video has been made by a USA guy), that the more skyscrappers in a city the more developed and appealling the city is.

One interesting concept mentioned in the video and that was unknown to me by that name is the one of Bruxellisation/Brusselisation

The indiscriminate and careless introduction of modern high-rise buildings into gentrified neighbourhoods" and has become a byword for "haphazard urban development and redevelopment".

I guess my main hometown, Xixón, could be seen as a good example of Bruxellisation :-) Not that we have many historical buildings, but in the 60's and 70's many buildings of 8 to 12 stories sprung up like mushrooms wall to wall with buildings of the early century... Over time, I have learnt to enjoy these contrasts, and find some charm in it. Additionally, I have to say that many of the 15 stories towers that were built in some parts of my town look pretty nice to me now (in particular when compared to the predominatly ugly, cheap towers built in Southern France cities). So while I understand that most people distaste "Bruxellisation", in my case it's not a particularly denigrant term. Indeed, I like Brussels a real lot, and not just because of the gorgeous Grand Place and some other nice central areas, but preciselly due to these contrasts between nice, old Flemish buildings and the 60/70's grey, high-rise buildings.

From the same article I learn also another term, Facadism defining an important and controversial practice in architecture:

The architectural and construction practice where the facade of a building is designed or constructed separately from the rest of a building, or when only the facade of a building is preserved with new buildings erected behind or around it

The part that I've highlighted is the one that mainly concerns me from this practice, and that for the most part I find like a good option in many circunstances. I guess it's normal that I like it, as it can bring about contrasts similar to the ones I've just said that can look pretty charming to me.

La Colomina 36

Having been a fierce supporter of Asturian language for many years I have to admit that I have read very few literature books in Asturian language (well, as in any other language, to be honest). This said, there are 3 books that I've really enjoyed: "Carretera ensin barru" more than 10 years ago... "Lluvia d'agostu" 2 years ago, and now "La colomina 36".

La colomina 36, by Nicolás Bardio, is a too short, amazing fiction, "un drole de livre". It's an uchronia in which Asturies in 1970 is one more (and far away) republic of the Soviet Union! The story follows Fabian, an Asturian KGB member in charge of watching the other dwellers of his 8 stories block in Mieres (the block number 36), hoping to find one enemy of the state among them. It makes me think mainly of the Stasi in Eastern Germany. The story is interesting, maybe slightly slow, but with a really superb ending, but the really amazing, exiting, delirious element of the book is the background, that Soviet Socialist Republic of Asturies (RSSA)!

Unfortunately the book does not explain in much detail how Asturies got to that status, but as we read the book some hints are provided. I would have preferred an intro of several pages explaining that alternate history, but indeed that would be material enough for a different (and longer) book, that I really hope the author has in mind. Indeed, he previously created a Role game "Depués d'Ochobre/After October" that describes that universe. If you can read Asturian, please visit that url, it's crazy!
I'll summarize here how Asturies seemed to manage to turn into a Soviet Republic and some of the details provided about normal life in that Republic:

The 1934 revolution succeded and, not having had an equivalent in the rest of Spain, Asturies ended up becoming an independent country. A country that would enter in the WWII in 1942 when Nazi Germany tried to invade it. There are references in the book to the Heros of both the Revolution and the War. After the war, Asturies decides to join the Soviet Union, with Stalin coming to Asturies to sign the adhesion pact. In an attack of inventive the author says that Moscovitas Rialto (a delicious almond paste produced in Uvieu) has its roots in that event!

As interesting as how Asturies got to that situation is how life for Asturians is. We learn that the Asturian population speaks both Asturian and Russian (in their own way :-), with their home libraries made up of Asturian books and Russian classics. There's a Russian stewardess living in the block that normally does the routes Asturies-Praga and Asturies-Moscú. One family in the building has one child studying in Moscú and another one in Leningrad. Mieres is the biggest city in Asturies, and the 2 main football teams are the Caudal Lokomotiv de Mieres and the CSKA Xixón :-D. Obviously, the Xixon harbor is an important Soviet naval base. Also, there are Spanish refugees that found shelter in Asturies after the Spanish Civil War... There are some more bits of life in Soviet Asturies over the book, but these are the main ones that come to my mind now.

If all the above is not enough, the book cover should for sure awake your interest.

And what to say about the flag and coat of arms taken from the Role game!