I went back to the Criti-Pop exhibit today with a Russian friend and found the others floors just as intriguing as the floor Taylor and I saw. One thing that left the biggest impression was a large display that took live video feed and converted based on color into logos. Remember the effect on older video cameras to record with large pixelated blocks of color? It was like that, only the blocks were logos like VW and HP and Burger King. It was fascinating, but also disgustingly revelatory. I stared at it closely, trying to identify logos and finding almost everything was familiar, and most of those that weren’t weren’t from America. After identifying everything, I began to think about how appropriate it was that in the image it wasn’t just logos but logos creating a representation of us because it was a live feed. How appalling accurate to find oneself a collection of corporate allegiances.

On an entirely different note, after the gallery, Ksenia and I walked back to my neighborhood and we stopped in a grocery store before heading to the dorms for tea. She bought some bread and this wonderful jar of икра (eekra), something I’d never tried before. I only knew that икра meant caviar so I’d avoided it. However, it also means paste, and this variety is basically blended roasted vegetables with some herbs. It is delicious and is going to make some great бутерброды (open faced sandwiches).