East Eats West

A Swiss mechanical maniac

 One of the first vivid artistic memories of my childhood is an exhibition by the Swiss artist Jean Tinguely in the Zurich art museum Kunsthaus. He put up a massive metal machine that could be fed with volleyballs. The machine would then process the balls through its intestines and spit it out into a safety net. I was amazed, excited and thrilled: art that not only could be touched but also played it. Ever since then Jean Tinguely had a special place in my heart. And still has as one of his masterpiece, Heureka from 1964, is located in a park nearby where I live. Every morning when I go for a walk on the lakeside with my little daughter I pass the massive, freshly restored, machine without purpose. It is a monstrous, genial combination of metal and electric engines that springs to life several times a day. And as Tinguely, a true anarchist in art and private life, always pointed out strongly: all his machines are useless, absolutely useless. And therefore as beautiful as an ancient Chinese Celadon teacup or Tang dynasty tea jar. Useless, beautiful and captivating. 

Autumn mood in Zurich

 

I am currently reading a very interesting book about “garden therapy”, or how to treat mentally impaired people with gardens, or garden work. The book contains articles from various practitioners of ergo- or garden therapy and how gardens affect all of us, not only patients. A garden is a man-made work of nature. It therefore provides a safe sanctuary but still connects us to mother nature. Garden work demands care and attention to detail. And often gardens connect us with childhood memories. And one of the truly outstanding gardens I have ever come across is “Zürihorn” on the right lakeside of Zurich. Many people use the garden for a summer stroll. Every year over 2.5m people visit Zürihorn. The garden was created in the late 19^th century and is a finely balanced arrangement of imposing trees, water ways, a modern day China Garden, a house by the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier, “Heureka” by the famous Swiss artist Jean Tinguely and the former workshop of the Swiss sculptor Hermann Haller. While Zürihorn can be incredibly busy on a warm summer evening, it is best appreciated in the late autumn when the leaves turn yellow and red, contrasting with the green grass.   

Involuntary entrepreneurs

 

Recently I came across an interesting article in the recruitment section of Tages Anzeiger, a Swiss daily newspaper. The article highlighted a new type of professional who have an excellent education and a solid work experience. Due to specific knowledge they are asked to help out in specific situations, in fact becoming independent contractors. The characteristic of such professionals is that they do not have a linear career but have tried different roads. They have excellent management skills and are well connected. What is very important to them is a meaningful job as they often have a vision they want to accomplish. This makes them harder and harder to employ in big organizations with rigid structures and frequent re-organizations. Or as Prof. Muhammad Yunus once said at a lecture: if you can’t find the perfect job, create it and become an entrepreneur. Interestingly, I think I know a couple of such “hybrid” professionals and maybe the current state of the economy accelerates this trend. Currently a few of my friends are dabbling with the idea of starting their own business. 

Japanese wood frame house in Zurich

 

The notable Japanese architect Shigeru Ban built a new annex for the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. The frame of the building is made mostly out of timber and then was covered with glass. For Zurich a truly bold statement.