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@FANNY.YO | ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL (STEPHANSDOM) | VIENNA, AUSTRIA | C. 1160 @POEALAN | EDIFICIO ESPAÑA | MADRID, SPAIN | C. 1953 n screen, Wes Anderson's fictitious universe is no doubt a world in which we all wish we could live. Each frame is filled with whimsical imagery, intentional symmetry and a particular color palette that makes his films equal parts entertaining and visually striking. Off screen, however, our everyday surroundings seem to dim in comparison. Where's the portal that will take us to the front steps of the Grand Budapest Hotel? Or more importantly, where's Bill Murray? Before Anderson became one of the finest working filmmakers of all time, he once admitted in an interview that he wanted to be an architect. at is, only if directing didn't work out. One could consider him an architect of sorts, because it's as if the director's work has inadvertently informed the designs of real-life buildings across the world including Germany, Japan and even as close as the Catskills in New York. Over the years, eagle-eyed onlookers have spied so many Anderson-esque destinations around the globe that a Subreddit entitled "Accidental Wes Anderson" was created. e goal being, to keep track of these real-life locations that looked as if they could be stills from one of his films— everything from a lighthouse to a bathroom, hotel bar or ski li. Wally Koval was one of those people to stumble upon this popular thread, and it inspired him so much so that he started an Instagram page in 2017, along with his wife Amanda, that's fittingly named @accidentallywesanderson. I myself accidentally came across Koval's account a few years back, which reached a new level of fame (one million followers) this past May. Here, Koval uses his platform to publish photos from avid travelers, professional photographers and everyone in between who have been lucky enough to capture these architectural marvels in person— albeit all from a different lens. e milestone confirms what many of us have long known to be true. at the weird, wonderful and eccentric world of Wes Anderson feels strangely as familiar as it does a work of fantasy. A master curator, Koval's sharp focus and extremely intentional photographic feed is just half of what makes this account a success. Just like Anderson's films, the stories behind the attention-grabbing façades have real depth to them. Whether it's the tale of an unassuming mom-and-pop shop or an abandoned castle that dates back centuries, Koval makes it his mission to unearth these unexpected narratives and bring what he refers to as "a bit of substance" to the surface. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Koval who shared with me his fascination with Anderson, what it's like cultivating this community, his personal relationship with the director and the details of his upcoming book. V U E N J . C O M 71

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