Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2008/09/12 Tate Modern, South Bank, London

To see the other Tate Museum in London, I took the tube down to the Southwark tube station.  I observed the Blackfriars station as closed, when I walked north.  Approaching the former Bankside Power Station from the south side, the Tate Modern is an imposing building.

DI_20080912 130108 TateModern BanksidePowerStation south side

Walking around to the west side of the building, I could see the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance.

DI_20080912 130200 TateModern BanksidePowerStation west side

From the west side, the entry of to the Tate Modern is down a long ramp.

DI_20080912 130254 TateModern west entry ramp

The ramp continues inside the building into the Turbine Hall.

DI_20080912 130354 TateModern TurbineHall

The galleries are on the upper floors.  I went up to Level 3, and saw some red benches with display terminals.

DI_20080912 130822 TateModern Level3 terminals

Coming around the corner, I could look down onto the east end of the Turbine Hall.  When I was on the ground floor, I hadn’t realized that exhibits were being set up behind the curtains.

DI_20080912 131740 TateModern TurbineHall east

On the Level 3, at one end of the hall is the collection titled Material Gestures, with works from the 1940s and 1950s.

DI_20080912 130902 TateModern Level3 MaterialGestures

At the other end of the hall is the “Poetry and Dream” collection, including the Surrealists.

DI_20080912 131858 TateModern Level3 PoetryAndDream

Up the escalator, to Level 5, I found a small theatre with in a red enclosure in the centre of the hall.

DI_20080912 135050 TateModern Level5 hallway display

At one end of Level 5 is the “Idea and Object” collection, of abstract minimalism.

DI_20080912 133400 TateModern Level5 IdeaAndObject

At the other end of Level 5 is “States Of Flux“, with early 20th century movements such as Cubism.

DI_20080912 135110 TateModern Level5 StatesOfFlux

After strolling through the exhibits, I took the escalators down to catch the last bit of daylight outside.

DI_20080912 141222 TateModern escalator down

I took the elevator back up to Level 2 for a view of  the Millenium Bridge over the River Thames from the cafe terrace.  It’s a pedestrian-only bridge, and full of workers crossing home at the end of office hours.

DI_20080912 142712 TateModern MilleniumBridge view

I walked outside, down to the shore.  Looking east, there were a lot of cranes over the London skyline, signaling ongoing construction.

DI_20080912 143644 MilleniumBridge shore east

Due north across the Millenium Bridge is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

DI_20080912 143524 MilleniumBridge shore

I walked west along the Thames.  Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the Tate Modern in the dusk.

DI_20080912 144056 TateModern nw view

Kiosks were being set up for the Thames Festival 2008 starting the next day.

DI_20080912 143722 ThamesFestival kiosk

With the number of beer taps at the bar, I could imagine lineups when the festival operates.

DI_20080912 143832 ThamesFestival bar

Some of the stalls had been set up during daylight, and zipped up for the evening.

DI_20080912 143924 ThamesFestival stall

I continued west by the Blackfriars Bridge as a train crossed over it.

DI_20080912 144410 Blackfriars bridge

The sun was almost completely set by the time I reached Waterloo Bridge.

DI_20080912 144552 WaterlooBridge

Wandering into the park, I was entertained to find a group of Koreans on an open air stage, rehearsing for the next day.

DI_20080912 145236 ThamesFestival Korean dance rehearsal

Dav finally finished off his project at the office, and coordinated with LJ to meet me walking west.  As we looked for a restaurant, we found an area covered with foam on top of plastic, that children (and some adults) were shuffling through.

DI_20080912 150834 ThamesFestival foam walk

After deciding to have Japanese dinner at Wagamama, we had desserts at Le Pain Quotidien.

DI_20080912 164306 LePainQuotidien DB LJR

This was a rare day of leisure for me, enjoying the sights of London.  Dav and LJ made sure that I found my way back to Victoria station, to catch the train back out to Purley that evening.  The next morning, my hosts Scott and Greg remarked that they were wondering whether they should have been worried that I was out so late.  I had to admit that I was having such a good time — and that I’m out late so rarely these days — that it didn’t occur to me to phone home!

[Start a large-image lightbox screen show]

  • RSS Photo Microblog

    • 20250417 Lock #1 Trent-Severn Waterway
      National Historic site, just south of busy Highway 401, Lock 1 is southernmost, and first of 44. Constructed 1908-1912, the boats can be raised 18 feet up from the level of the Bay of Quinte. Thicker concrete allowed for wagon valves chambers along side walls, rather than more expensive sluice gates. (Lock #1 Trent-Severn Waterway, […]
    • 20250427 Snowden Deli
      Away from city centre, deli has been a Montreal institution since 1946. Single order of smoked meat platter with rye bread and fries was sufficient for three diners. Broader menu included smoked whitefish chunks appetizer with salad, plus potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream. (Snowden Deli, Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec) 20250427
    • 20250427 St. Viateur Bagel purchases
      Possibly obsessive purchase, it's unclear how many bagels will be consumed in a few days, and how many into freezer. One dozen poppyseed, 6 sesame, 6 blueberry, 2 pumpernickel, plus assorted others. Resorted into plastic bags on the drive in traffic. (St. Viateur Bagel, St. Viateur Ouest, Montreal, Quebec) 20250427
    • 20250427 St. Viateur Bagel
      Pilgramage for Montreal bagels (not Montreal-style) fresh from the oven. Samples on entry of avocado cream cheese, plus spicy avocado non-dairy, suggest a Quebec version of avocado toast. Plastic freezer bag offered in addition to paper bags. (St. Viateur Bagel, St. Viateur Ouest, Montreal, Quebec) 20250427
    • 20250427 Gluten Free Bakery, Montreal
      First stop on the way home was a specialty bakery. Consuming in the car, described the chocolate croissant as enjoyable and flaky, although he doesn't have previous experience withthe butter and wheat version. The bakery was discovered on a prior trip to the city. (Parc Sans Gluten, Avenue du Parc-La Fontaine Plateaux, Montréal, Quebec) 20250427
    • 20250426 Post-theatre dessert
      Post-theatre dessert with family, discussing Mean Girls The Musical. We had planned to hold up letters in the theatres as the cast was taking bows, but audience rose too quickly. Continued evening in hotel lobby until after midnight. (Yoyo, Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montreal, Quebec) 20250426
    • 20250426 Mean Girls, The Musical, Montreal
      Place des Arts: Cast of Mean Girls The Musical taking bows on Saturday night performance. Owen Kent Ing stepping up from ensemble role to Kevin G this evening. He will have appeared in 150 shows by end of tour, having joined the company last year. (Place des Arts, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Quebec) 20250426
    • 20250426 Mean Girls The Musical, Montreal
      Seven seats ready for Saturday night performance of touring company for Mean Girls, The Musical. Nephew in cast, in Montreal for 6 days, following Dallas, Texas, and before Boston, Massachusetts. We preferred visiting Quebec, rather than London Ontario in late May. (Place des Arts, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Quebec) 20250426
    • 20250426 Montreal pre-theatre dinner
      Pre-theatre family dinner, including dim sum for cousins who don't get the option as often as we do. Second order of main dishes left much to take home. Short walk away from Places des Artes. (Restaurant Chinatown Kim Fung, Rue Sainte-Urbain, Montreal, Quebec) 20240426
    • 20250426 Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Frank Stella (1990)The Pitchpoling D-17, 2X
      luminum relief Frank Stella (1990) The Pitchpoling D-17, 2X. Inspired by Herman Melville (1851) Moby Dick novel, type of harpooning with a lance. Chaotic and explosive surface, negative spaces with silhouettes. (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec) 20250426
  • Meta

  • Translate

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • RSS on Coevolving

    • Rethinking work, with the pandemic disruption | IJOTB (2025)
      Two years after submitting an academic manuscript and responding to double-blind reviews, “Rethinking work, with the pandemic disruption” has now been published in the International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior (IJOTB) as earlycite. The article has a DOI (Document Object Identifier), and should be streamed with an official volume and issue number soon. The […]
    • Evolving Styles for Learning Systems Thinking | Systems Thinking Ontario | 2025-02-13
      The 128th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario was convened in person.  The classroom was filled with current students, alumni, our regular participants, and a few curious newcomers. Moderated by Zaid Khan, the conversation was sparked by Stephen Davies and myself (David Ing) on the evolving styles in learning systems thinking.  Stephen has been leading SFIN-6011 […]
    • Systems Approaches (Project Language + Literature Reviews with Generative AI) | OCADU | 2025-01-20
      The “Understanding Systems” SFIN-6011 course is a requirement in the master’s program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU.   For winter 2025, the class is now led by Stephen Davies, breaking the incremental evolving of content since 2008.  While still on faculty at OCADU, the original course designer Peter H. Jones is now a Distinguished […]
    • Generative AI and Inquiring Systems: Ways of Patterning and Ways of Knowing | Systems Thinking Ontario | 2025-01-08
      In the 1970s, five ways of knowing were established by C. West Churchman in The Design of Inquiring Systtems. In the 1990s, his student Ian Mitroff carried on the tradition and extended that work in The Unbounded Mind.  Now in the 2020s, the technology of Generative AI opens up opportunties to query or request responses […]
    • STPIS 2024 Proceedings: Reifying Socio-Technical and Socio-Ecological Perspectives for Systems Changes
      For readers with an interest deeper than the 15-minute presentation given in August, the Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Socio-Technical Perspectives in Information Systems (STPIS 2024) have now been formally publishied. The invited paper on “Reifying Socio-Technical and Socio-Ecological Perspectives for Systems Changes: From rearranging objects to repacing rhythms” was reviewed by the […]
    • Systems Thinking Ontario as Systems Convening | ST-ON | 2024-10-21
      The 125th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario coincided with the closing day for the RSD13-RSDX online program.  As a regular systems convening group, we’ve had monthly meetings since January 2013. Zaid Khan moderated  a discussion including me (David Ing), Tim Lloyd, Allenna Leonard, and Kelly Okamura. We recollected starting as a spinoff from Design with […]
  • RSS on Media Queue

    • 2018/04/17 Susan Rogers on Prince, production and perception | Ableton
      Rhythm and pitch are primordial to language. Susan Rogers, after a career becoming Prince's recording engineer, turned to complete a PhD in psychology focused on music cognition and psychoacoustics.Read more ›
    • What to Do When It’s Too Late | David L. Hawk | 2024
      David L. Hawk (American management theorist, architect, and systems scientist) has been hosting a weekly television show broadcast on Bold Brave Tv from the New York area on Wednesdays 6pm ET, remotely from his home in Iowa. Live, callers can join…Read more ›
    • 2021/06/17 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 2
      Following the first day lecture on Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1 for the Global University for Sustainability, Keekok Lee continued on a second day on some topics: * Anatomy as structure; physiology as function (and process); * Process ontology, and thing ontology; * Qi ju as qi-in-concentrating mode, and qi san as qi-in-dissipsating mode; and […]
    • 2021/06/16 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1
      The philosophy of science underlying Classical Chinese Medicine, in this lecture by Keekok Lee, provides insights into ways in which systems change may be approached, in a process ontology in contrast to the thing ontology underlying Western BioMedicine. Read more ›
    • 2021/02/02 To Understand This Era, You Need to Think in Systems | Zeynep Tufekci with Ezra Klein | New York Times
      In conversation, @zeynep with @ezraklein reveal authentic #SystemsThinking in (i) appreciating that “science” is constructed by human collectives, (ii) the west orients towards individual outcomes rather than population levels; and (iii) there’s an over-emphasis on problems of the moment, and…Read more ›
    • 2019/04/09 Art as a discipline of inquiry | Tim Ingold (web video)
      In the question-answer period after the lecture, #TimIngold proposes art as a discipline of inquiry, rather than ethnography. This refers to his thinking On Human Correspondence. — begin paste — [75m26s question] I am curious to know what art, or…Read more ›
  • RSS on Ing Brief

    • Installing WordPress Studio on Manjaro Linux
      In 2024, WordPress Studio was released, making installation on a local computer simpler. The instructions were modified from MacOS to Ubuntu Linux, by Daniel Kossmann, “How to install WordPress Studio in Ubuntu Linux” | Jun 15, 2024 at https://www.danielkossmann.com/how-to-install-wordpress-studio-ubuntu-linux/ I already had NVM installed, but in Terminal, with the result “command not found”. In the […]
    • Notion of Change in the Yijing | JeeLoo Lin 2017
      The appreciation of change is different in Western philosophy than in classical Chinese philosophy. JeeLoo Lin published a concise contrast on differences. Let me parse the Introduction to the journal article, that is so clearly written. The Chinese theory of time is built into a language that is tenseless. The Yijing (Book of Changes) there […]
    • World Hypotheses (Stephen C. Pepper) as a pluralist philosophy [Rescher, 1994]
      In trying to place the World Hypotheses work of Stephen C. Pepper (with multiple root metaphors), Nicholas Rescher provides a helpful positioning. — begin paste — Philosophical perspectivism maintains that substantive philosophical positions can be maintained only from a “perspective” of some sort. But what sort? Clearly different sorts of perspectives can be conceived of, […]
    • The Nature and Application of the Daodejing | Ames and Hall (2003)
      Ames and Hall (2003) provide some tips for those studyng the DaoDeJing.
    • Diachronic, diachrony
      Finding proper words to express system(s) change(s) can be a challenge. One alternative could be diachrony. The Oxford English dictionary provides two definitions for diachronic, the first one most generally related to time. (The second is linguistic method) diachronic ADJECTIVE Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “diachronic (adj.), sense 1,” July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3691792233. For completeness, prochronic relates “to […]
    • Introduction, “Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2”, edited by F. E. Emery (1981)
      The selection of readings in the “Introduction” to Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2, Penguin (1981), edited by Fred E. Emery, reflects a turn from 1969 when a general systems theory was more fully entertained, towards an urgency towards changes in the world that were present in 1981. Systems thinking was again emphasized in contrast […]
  • Creative Commons License
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
    Theme modified from DevDmBootstrap4 by Danny Machal