Japan photo diary

Shall we start with this image of cherry blossoms *almost* in bloom? We were a couple of weeks early for the grand floral explosions, but had enough of an inkling of what was to come.  Of course that did not deter us nor the tons of other tourists from flocking to Kyoto, known for temples, palaces, shrines, kaiseki and lesser known Kyoto style sushi. We rented some bikes for a couple of days and discovered the city with frozen toes (we are flashing back to early March here).

Tom on above-mentioned rental bicycle.  At the rental shop, the owner set us up with a "manual GPS" by clipping a map onto the basket.  Awesome.  We managed to get lost anyways.

1. At the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

2. Shrine signage with a construction worker apologizing that there is work taking place

3. These two visitors with their masks, with a hint of the amount of tourists at the frame edges

A visitor making a prayer or offering with tons of Ema behind her. The ema are wooden plaques sold to those wanting to communicate to the gods their hand-written wishes, generally for health, wealth, happiness and good marks on an exam.

Or sometimes visitors wish for Saint Laurent, Air France Premiere seats or jewels from Van Cleef & Arpels.

Some of the thousands of Torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine.

The bamboo groves at Arashiyama

Spooky deer and friendly deer in Nara

So we got ourselves onto a bullet train or a Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo with a glimpse of Mount Fuji while drinking bottled water from Mount Fuji.  It was all very meta.  Speaking of meta I am typing this post while on a regular 5hr train ride from Montreal to Toronto.  The distance from Kyoto to Tokyo is almost equivalent and via those bad assed trains took about 2.5hr.  #bringhighspeedrailtoCanada #please #thankyou

1. Bright light and shadow in Ginza, Tokyo

2. Shoes almost in a line at Dover Street Market Ginza

3. A giant fallen rose by Andy Hillman for Visvim

HK photo diary

Hellooooooo Hong Kong! (Which I really enjoy calling HK.)

We took a quick jaunt to visit friends who have relocated on this unique island. HK, the home to millions, was full of wallet busting meals, bustling crowds, history and lots of dichotomy.  But what I couldn't get enough of was the density of the city. Sure New York is dense, Tokyo is dense, but for some reason I really felt the presence of the population represented not just by the crowds but also in the densely packed housing.  Infinitely photogenic, I couldn't get enough of it and marvelled at all the laundry precariously hanging outside of windows over a busy city below.

I was quite concerned for laundry everywhere I looked.

Meandering some of the little streets and alleyways of Sheung Wan.  As we wound our way we found stairways, graffiti and a hidden barbershop.

.

Okay, what about that dichotomy I was talking about?  Financial disparity of the population aside, a really awesome duality of HK is its urbanism and easy access to the outdoors.  While the Off-White store in Causeway Bay displayed some lovely greenery, HK spoiled us with tons of hikes, beaches, islands and other assorted outdoorsy-ness all while being nestled in a busy city.

.

Above:

1. walking up to Victoria Peak, viewing the city below

2. Lamma Island in the distance

3. the winding paths of Wilson Trail

.

Above:

1. making soup dumplings!

2. mall crowd

3. little HK and Chinese flags stretched over Kowloon streets. 

Last look: hitting up a trail in the New Territories with a view of mainland China yonder

Bloc Shop: Expansion Mode

Bloc Shop delivered an early Christmas gift to eager climbers last week by completing a new extension ahead of schedule. 

Originally slated to open in the new year,  Bloc Shop's now 20 000 square foot facility can boast to being the largest bouldering gym in Canada, welcoming hundreds of climbers-from newbies to seasoned pros-every day.

I popped by a couple of weeks back to document the in-progress action.

Kyle (right) from Flashed and Yan (left) get some crash mat making done.

Nathan Leblanc-Limoges' second addition to Bloc Shop's walls is a painstaking effort with a ballpoint pen inspired by art historical imagery.

Artist buddy Kevin Ledo recreates his Wynwood, Miami portrait of his grandmother "Vavo, the Montreal OG"

Yoris gets the first climb

Two out of the four Bloc Shop partners Cloé and Fred kindly pause for a picture amidst their race to completion.

I stopped in again for a quick session after the new section had opened and the place was packed and bumping.  Good times were had as I tackled some problems over and over and over and over again!

le pop up smart design

After a hiatus last year, the Smart Design Mart is back in a smaller pop-up version of its former self. Merchandised in a more boutique feel, the multiple brains behind the operation mixed up many of the local designers and artisans on displays of vintage pieces of furniture (also for sale!)

Pictured above: Lettering and design work from Council for Design cozying with pillows from Assembly Home Goods.

Wood cutting boards and guitar hooks from Mitz Takahashi with more Council for Design quoting the Smiths.

Ceramic tableware and jewelry by YYY Collection.

Wood lamp and ladder by Loic Bard.

And those kooky bowling pins by Tyson Bodnarchuk.

and obvs so much more,

Full list and details here until the 13th of December.

Atelier b

On a rainy Montreal evening, designers Anne-Marie Laflamme and Catherine Métivier rolled out the new identity for their ethical women and menswear label atelier b.
Design and identity work was by Nouvelle Administration with photographs by LM Chabot.
Merriment, wine and design equals good times.

Dia : Beacon

Oh the breathtaking Dia:Beacon!
Although my art romp through the Hudson Valley was a month or two back, I could not not share some images from this magical wonder of contemporary art.  I had major love goggles on as I took in the art sprawled over the 300 000 square foot former factory building.  The gallery space itself-gah! I am without words-stunning? Inspiring? Deep sighs of joy worthy?

From the top:
Robert Irwin- Excursus: Hommage to the Square³
Sol LeWitt- from the Wall Drawing Series
Richard Serra- Elevational Wedge, 2001
Richard Serra- Union of the Torus and the Sphere (detail), 2001
Robert Ryman- Untitled, 1965
And a stolen photograph of a gallery patron contemplating a Robert Ryman