This particular combination of story and photos reminded me of "Last and First Men" (2020), an experimental art film by Jóhann Jóhannsson. It's a visually stunning movie featuring black-and-white footage of the abstract WWII monuments (or "spomeniks") from the former Yugoslavia. The film is narrated by Tilda Swinton, who reads excerpts from Olaf Stapledon's 1930 novel of the same name, exploring humanity's future over two billion years.
It conveys a stark, minimal, sterile - yet - gritty, clean - looking - but - only - superficially - so appearance that public / official places probably have the world over, little warmth or humanity, personality. A habitation for machines & / or synthetic people. Or a class of lobotomized genetically - engineered humans ( I MAY HAVE used up my hyphen allotment for March already ! ).
I like how a place can be seen in a different light when you wrap it in a story ... the Barbican is usually a bustling art centre built into an area of residential accommodation
I studied the concept of Liminal Spaces last year & going to pick it up AGAIN when the temperature outside after 12 a.m. becomes halfway decent. There seems to be a whole school of thought dedicated to the world after dark & / or enclosed, starkly - lit, etc.
& THANK YOU for the link. Subjects such as that are like a chamber full of treasure.
This particular combination of story and photos reminded me of "Last and First Men" (2020), an experimental art film by Jóhann Jóhannsson. It's a visually stunning movie featuring black-and-white footage of the abstract WWII monuments (or "spomeniks") from the former Yugoslavia. The film is narrated by Tilda Swinton, who reads excerpts from Olaf Stapledon's 1930 novel of the same name, exploring humanity's future over two billion years.
Thank you Gianni - I absolutely love the work of Johannsson - and have seen 'Last and First Men' ... I'd love to see some of those monuments ...
Would you happen to have a link to it ?
I'm reminded a little of the settings for Fritz Lang's signature " METROPOLIS ".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-lBSl4MqWY is the trailor
Very " Omega Man / I Am Legend " with *maybe* some of Capek's " RUR " as well. Maybe Youtube or a streaming service has the entire thing.
Tilda Swinson seems a GREAT Choice for a narrator. Helen Mirren would've been another.
It conveys a stark, minimal, sterile - yet - gritty, clean - looking - but - only - superficially - so appearance that public / official places probably have the world over, little warmth or humanity, personality. A habitation for machines & / or synthetic people. Or a class of lobotomized genetically - engineered humans ( I MAY HAVE used up my hyphen allotment for March already ! ).
I like how a place can be seen in a different light when you wrap it in a story ... the Barbican is usually a bustling art centre built into an area of residential accommodation
I studied the concept of Liminal Spaces last year & going to pick it up AGAIN when the temperature outside after 12 a.m. becomes halfway decent. There seems to be a whole school of thought dedicated to the world after dark & / or enclosed, starkly - lit, etc.
& THANK YOU for the link. Subjects such as that are like a chamber full of treasure.
Great!!!
Thank you Alex!