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Visuals & texts
©Hannu
Lehmusvuori
Week 44/98
The time is
in Finland
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Pure
form
in a
Chianti...
Alvar Aalto Chianti 1996
So.Vi.So S.N.C. Figline
DOCG Chianti - Italia
49.50 FIM :-)
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One 50 FIM bill, decorated with Alvar Aalto's profile, get's you intoxicated with the ghost of A. Aalto himself, and gives you 50 pennies, the amount you get when recycling an empty bottle, in exchange. But, buying this wine, you also donate the value of two recycled bottles to the restauration of one of Aalto's top works, the Library in Vyborg, Russian Karelia. Rather funny arithmetics, and not such a bad cultural experience!
I'm happy to enjoy the centennial commemoration of The Architect, Alvar Aalto, and his love of Tuscany. I sip a basic Chianti that interprets nicely Aalto's soft, ingenious, and nimble form-linguo. I stick my nose into a fruity grape that fills a glass very well. But there really aren't any barockian, deep depths in this wine. And, all the same, there is the stuff that crowns a laden table so gracefully.
I've been bold enough to include some Vivaldi on this page. And probably in a way that gives trouble to ordinary sound cards. If the acoustics turn sour, you should think of A. Aalto's unfortunate Finlandia House. In Helsinki Aalto's architecture has been rather expensive to erect, but even more expensive to maintain. But arithmetics can be even wilder: had it been possible to buy two bottles of Aalto's wine a few years ago, one would have given away two Alvars to receive a whole FIM in exchange. With that one FIM one could have bought Alvar Aalto's absolutely best creation in Helsinki, the Culture House*. And there the acoustics work, and a passer-by doesn't have to be worried about getting killed by Carrara marble falling from the walls. - An excellent master he is, our Mr. Aalto, even though Helsinki received almost only...
*That sad story is, I'm afraid, a bit too long to be presented on this page.
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