reptiles and avians

Lord Vishnu,  one of the three supreme Gods in the trinity of Bramha - Vishnu - Mahesh and the orchestrator of all lives on earth , rides on his vehicle, the "Garuda" in this black marble statue. 

Hindu temples are adorned with sculptures statues and reliefs that depict tales from mythology and beings that inhabit this mythological world.

Garuda, believed to be the King of birds as per Hindu mythology is an all powerful being who subjugates the serpents or 'nagas' of the earth.

Is it a coincidence, or a carefully created iconography, that assigns the dark side of nature to the reptiles (whom Vishnu has firmly under control, whether it is Shesha or Kaliya) and the alleviating side of nature to the bird that carries him through the universe?

the swing

"21 Balancoires" is a public art installation in Montreal, based on a set of swings operated by people in a public space. Part game, part street furniture, it is a collective musical instrument designed by artists Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat, with the help of Luc-Alain Girardeau, a professor of animal behaviour.

Made up of seven sets of colourful swings, each swing generating its own notes depending on how you swing, the installation offers the passer by a chance to take part in a co operative musical experience, playful and poetic, and derive great pleasure out of it.

A blend of art and urban Design, it brings people together to create music, even people who may not think of themselves as musicians otherwise.

source: http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/21-swings-brings-music-to-the-quartier-des-spectacles/

http://www.quartierdesspectacles.com/en/blog/163/21-balancoires-a-musical-collaboration-from-andraos-mongiat-at-the-promenade-des-artistes

leap

Nachi falls, a hanging scroll from the Kamakura period (13th /14th Century), Japan is a colour painting on silk displayed currently at the Nezu Art Museum Tokyo.It is one of the 159 items designated as 'National Treasure' by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan) based on its "especially high historical or artistic value". 

A hanging scroll "kakemono" is one of the many traditional ways of displaying or exhibiting a painting or calligraphy.

The traditional craft involved in creating a hanging scroll is considered an art in itself. The actual painting is mounted on a larger mount of fabric or paper, sewn at the top and bottom ends round small wooden poles or rods. At the top it allows hanging by a cord, at the bottom, it provides a little weight to hold the scroll flat and steady.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_

Treasures_of_Japan_(paintings)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_scroll