Utopias an infinitum

I am packing my bag today, as I fly tomorrow to British Columbia for my summer sojourn in Sointula, the community that inspired my reflections on utopia. Below are some pictures of works by the Zaire artist Body Isek Kigelez (1948-2015) that are currently on view in the exhibit City Dreams at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. These intricately constructed sculptures of miniature buildings and cityscapes suggest harmonious cities of the future. The works are created from plastic, soda cans, bottle caps, commercial packaging, colored paper -- in other words, the "found objects" or detritus of our contemporary wasteful environment. The artist was clearly attuned to international affairs and "global" issues. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

Note the Canadian flag

 

Not many hours later I was walking along the Hudson River greenway and was struck by the resemblance of his tiny sculptures to a contemporary Manhattan sight. Of course, it could be any city in the world.