Showing posts with label Leuven - Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leuven - Belgium. Show all posts
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Leuven Walkabout.....
To sum up our time in Leuven I wanted to include a few photos taken randomly around town. I loved our time there even though I couldn't speak a word of Flemish!
M Leuven.....
Later on, with a bee in my bonnet, I decided to visit the local museum, M Leuven, to see their contemporary collections.
I enjoy modern art while usually not understanding much of it. :) M Leuven was no exception. The Ugo Rondinone exhibit was a interesting mix of sculpture interspersed with stained glass.
The multitudes of small bid sculptures made me feel like I was trespassing by getting too close to the artwork - I read later that that was the idea. Needless to say I tread softly until I was able to leave the gallery.
What I encountered next were wax sculptures that were eerily realistic and the accompanying masses of earth in each of the galleries tremendously imposing and severe.
A second and very different portion of this exhibition was an interesting piece of semi interactive art. All alone I approached the gallery and peaked around the corner to see a massive concrete box suspended 2.5 feet above the floor. I read the sign and had to smile, "You can crawl under the volume to view the artwork". Well, ok. Why not? And what do you know? Inside that intimidating structure was papered with childrens' drawings of the sun. From the outside the volume gave the impression of something very dark and cold but inside it was bright and "sunny". Interesting mix. :)
After crawling out from under the concrete structure I found my way across the rooftop balcony to the next gallery that housed a collection by Ilse D'Hollander. I hadn't seen anything from this particular artist previously but the simple combinations of varying color and shapes made for a collection that evoked calm.
I enjoy modern art while usually not understanding much of it. :) M Leuven was no exception. The Ugo Rondinone exhibit was a interesting mix of sculpture interspersed with stained glass.
The multitudes of small bid sculptures made me feel like I was trespassing by getting too close to the artwork - I read later that that was the idea. Needless to say I tread softly until I was able to leave the gallery.
What I encountered next were wax sculptures that were eerily realistic and the accompanying masses of earth in each of the galleries tremendously imposing and severe.
A second and very different portion of this exhibition was an interesting piece of semi interactive art. All alone I approached the gallery and peaked around the corner to see a massive concrete box suspended 2.5 feet above the floor. I read the sign and had to smile, "You can crawl under the volume to view the artwork". Well, ok. Why not? And what do you know? Inside that intimidating structure was papered with childrens' drawings of the sun. From the outside the volume gave the impression of something very dark and cold but inside it was bright and "sunny". Interesting mix. :)
After crawling out from under the concrete structure I found my way across the rooftop balcony to the next gallery that housed a collection by Ilse D'Hollander. I hadn't seen anything from this particular artist previously but the simple combinations of varying color and shapes made for a collection that evoked calm.
Groot Begijnhof......
That same day I strolled through the famous Groot Begijnhof, a mostly intact, tightly woven group of buildings built in the 13th century as a safe community (within a community) for religious women who were unmarried. It has been preserved and restored and is still used as university housing (for students and faculty) for those at KU Leuven (translates to Catholic University). I find it incredible that the buildings are still being used and it's just part of the norm for students to house there during their time at University.
Leuven Botanical Gardens......
In our last couple days I took in the Botanical Gardens which played host to a large number of people taking the scenery during their lunchbreak. Talk about a beautiful place to relax and have a bite! I even spotted a plot that contained the sunny yellow solidago that was my favorite type of filler when I worked as a floral designer. And just like Cambridge there was no walking on the grass....this turned out to be a theme during our trip. :)
Exploring Campus.....
One morning I accompanied Tim on the 30 minute walk to campus. After dropping him off I walked around gawking at the beautiful landscaped spaces and the castle. Yep, they have a castle were people have offices, meetings and all sorts of normal things like that. Still I find it amazing that it's a castle!
After seeing the space where Tim's class was held I demanded that he take some photos. Such a cool space with circular staircases and all sorts of engines and pieces of machinery.
One thing we noticed immediately is that many people in Leuven use bikes as their primary mode of transportation. You needed to not only watch out for cars but the cyclists that were everywhere. You can see some in the photo below riding down the long bike pathway leading to campus - admittedly I felt a little out of place walking everywhere but Leuven is small enough to navigate on foot for just a few days. My favorite sights were of moms riding bikes that had been kitted out to transport kids, dogs, groceries, flowers and anything else you might pick up at the store. Tim told me that he saw a mom dressed in a sharp business suit with nylons and high heels. She was riding her bike with one kid on the front, one on the back and saddlebags filled with the kids' backpacks and her handbag. And she was booking it down the road. Now I can't fathom this type of commute but in Leuven I'd say it's the rule and not the exception.
After seeing the space where Tim's class was held I demanded that he take some photos. Such a cool space with circular staircases and all sorts of engines and pieces of machinery.
One thing we noticed immediately is that many people in Leuven use bikes as their primary mode of transportation. You needed to not only watch out for cars but the cyclists that were everywhere. You can see some in the photo below riding down the long bike pathway leading to campus - admittedly I felt a little out of place walking everywhere but Leuven is small enough to navigate on foot for just a few days. My favorite sights were of moms riding bikes that had been kitted out to transport kids, dogs, groceries, flowers and anything else you might pick up at the store. Tim told me that he saw a mom dressed in a sharp business suit with nylons and high heels. She was riding her bike with one kid on the front, one on the back and saddlebags filled with the kids' backpacks and her handbag. And she was booking it down the road. Now I can't fathom this type of commute but in Leuven I'd say it's the rule and not the exception.
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