Thursday, July 10, 2008

How to Build an Indoor Rain Forest

July 10, 2008, 5:15 p.m.

Australia's Latest Wilderness Area

What took 10 years for a handful of dedicated Iowans -- and then was never completed -- the Australians have accomplished in 24 hours: a rain forest inside, of all places, the Sydney Opera House.
I've been there. It's one of the world's great architectural accomplishments -- as well as a great music hall -- and I've got to admit it just would never have occurred to me to take out all the seats and replace them with 1000 trees.

I guess I just don't have the very well developed creative artistic ability to come up with something like that.

French artist Pierre Huyghe having created this work of art in 24 hours, scheduled it for no more than a 24-hour showing. So, sorry, you've already missed it.

Maybe that's what we should have gone for. A 24-hour rain forest. Oh, well, I guess the Aussies beat us to it again. Now we're going to have to settle for "The Stories Project."

Here's the story: Alex Lalak, "Opera House concert hall now forest of trees for Biennale," Daily Telegraph, July 10, 2008, 12:00 a.m. -- and here's the story of the Iowa rain forest.

Some challenge the notion that "Foster's is Australian for beer."

But now no one can challenge that "Opera House" is Australian for "rain forest."

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nick;

Are you proposing that we turn Hancher into a rainforest?