Working Backwords (and finally....photos!)

I figured this would be a good way to capture some of the craziness from my life recently:

Recently, with some time on our hands, Catherine and I went to the Imperial War Museum North. Quite a sobering trip, really, but I wanted to see the performance space I'll be in next Friday.

The building was designed by Daniel Liebeskind, and if you know my penchant for James Kunstler, then you may know my hesitancy to enjoy it. However, I found it to be a remarkable building. Liebeskind's philosophy was built on conflict ripping the world apart. The building is broken into three "shards": the earth shard, (the main section), the water shard (the closest part in the photo), and the air shard (obviously the bit jutting out on top)


Once inside the main exhibition, you were greeted by an account of Britain (and the Commonwealth's) history of battles and such throughout the past 100 years. You were treated to many personal stories, and outlooks into the effects, reporting, and causes of war. Walls were irregular, reinforcing a deconstructivit's view of war.

This last aspect was used in the most powerful way. Every hour, a video was shone regarding children's role in and life affected by war, the instruments of war and their development , or why war may arise in the first place. During the talks, photos from the Imperial War Museum's photo collection were projected onto the walls, immersing yourself in the brutal conflict.

I was extremely impressed. Going in, I wasn't sure what to expect; we all know how war is terrible (expect, perhaps, certain economists), but neither did I foresee a hippie "we all need to love each other" approach (and for said reason, why my own war museum would probably not be objective). I found a well-balanced, sobering look into military conflict.