Architects Inc.

Almost in continuation with my last post "who would have thought!" - went for this talk by a radical Jewish architect Daniel Libeskind whose main claim to fame in this country is winning the WTC reconstruction contest. I was apprehensive about going for a talk by an architect - I mean that's hardly been of any interest for me before this. I am, almost, anti- buildings and all my life whenver Ma baba have given us a choice of going to see some historic buildings or going to the sea/hills I've voiced my preference quite vociferously. I made exceptions only when the building was super old (like some 15th century church) or super famous (like salim chisti ka dargah).

But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the man's talk - it helped that he was quite witty and humorous (could tell he that given many such talks) and said quotable one -liners like " architecture is like music, altho there are systems and structures, what matters most are the emotions" or "all buildings have something to say. Yes even the kitschy ones with reflecting mirror walls. They are saying that they have nothing to say!"

Inspite of my no love lost for buildings, architecture as a subject has been favorite one out of all the sciences. I guess cos it lies somewhere between the arts and teh sciences? I used to envy my archietct friend who had the ability to work creativity into sciences, combine Foucault and Sassen with autocad (or whatever they use!). Yestrday at the talk, Libeskind made me envy them even more - he was talking like a poet, philosopher, musician and theatre director but had created tangible buildings which people could walk into, touch, see, hear... it was quite amazing. I was swooned by another thing he said "architecture to me is not about concrete and steel but more about light. Buildings are not just for people to live in but there are to get the light to us even when we are in"(and though it sounds cliched it sounded so real when he said it!) And he did have a fantastic way of playing with lights in all his buildings especially the Imperial war Museum and the Jewish museum in Berlin.
Ah well, it's too late to change my career track - and as A & P keep saying architects get rich only when they cross 60 (altho sociologists NEVER get rich so what am I laughing about!)