Tag: culture
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Theatre Picasso Exhibition at Tate Modern
Although not a favourite of mine I admire his inventiveness, imaginative qualities, curiosity and eclecticism and this was a fascinating exhibition bringing to the public gaze the Tate’s collection of the most significant painting and drawings by the artist in the collection and exploring performance and ambiguity in Picasso’s work. Looking at the spectrum of…
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Kabuki-za … a trip to the theatre
One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was to visit Kabuki performance and I was lucky enough to book a show here at the Kabuki-za in Ginza. It’s traditional theatre developed in the Edo period and the three plays I saw today were written in 1719. The first was the first…
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Entangled Pasts … Art and Colonialism at the Royal Academy
As you enter the courtyard you are instantly arrested by First Supper by Tavares Strachan a reimagining of Leonardo’s Last Supper in black and gold portraying famous black historical figures. It’s a suitable introduction to this exhibition exploring art in the eighteenth century and beyond and its difficult, complex and often contentious relationship with slavery…
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Whale watching
Whales galore A fantastic day. After snowing like mad the skies cleared as we set out from the harbour. Almost as soon as we left we encountered three humpback whales which stayed around our boat for about two hours. Photographing them was difficult in the freezing cold but I managed a few decent shots before…
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My last day
Well I’ve just finished my last lesson. My Italian has improved and I’ve learned a lot although I got off to an over ambitious start which dented my confidence. The grammar of prepositions has been very difficult as Italian has about seven variants for each one and they use them differently … English is much…
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A visit to Queer Cinema Festival
The film I’ve just seen was a documentary on Intersec. It was stunning, touching, heartbreaking and joyful. The experiences of the people interviewed were shocking and troubling and the efforts made to maintain a purely binary view of sexual identity by society and the medical profession were terrible and still exist today. What came through…
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Today … visits to Flea Market at Santo Spirito, Brancacci Chapel and Queer Cinema
Last night I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Laura’s with some of her friends. I had met Gregorio and Roberta before. They are charming. They had a very rapid conversation about the Meloni situation which was amusing. Cloister at Santo Spirito … a rather austere church Santo Spirito contains a crucifix by the young Michelangelo……
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At the FolkeMuseum Bygdoy
This was a great day out and the weather was beautiful today; a ferry trip to the museum and a wander around this enlightening space. Founded in the 1890s it’s sim is to display Norwegian culture and heritage through buildings and objects. It is a little like our Weald Museum in Sussex and it contains…
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First impressions of Oslo
Well the hostel is fine if large like all these northern hostels. I miss the smaller type of hostel I found in Italy. The city is modern and I was told it was boring but so far I’ve walked the city centre, past the Cathedral and ended up by the fjord and the Akerhus fortress…
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Telliskivi graffiti and more
I visited this wonderful boho and bougie area this afternoon. It’s really great … cool and upbeat. It was a former industrial complex and now is home to art galleries, restaurants, a world beating photographic museum, a container hotel and many independent shops and bars. A great place to wander and have a coffee and…
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A museum for everything … some x-rated … be warned
KGB headquarters… very chilling stories Prostitution display at Tallin City Museum
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In Helsinki
I e arrived in Helsinki. Bustling and interesting. I’m loving some of the Victorian and thirties architecture. It’s hot and sunny … 24 degrees. I e booked into the hostel and found my bunk … it seems fine. It’s A very boho neighbourhood near the city centre surrounded by cool bars. I’ll go out exploring…
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After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art… National Gallery
I visited this exhibition on impulse having seen it advertised on recent trips to London. It was worth it. The exhibition examined the way in which Impressionism acted as a catalyst for various movements in Modern Art; Abstraction, Cubism, Post Impressionism, Fauvism, German Expressionism and many more. The exhibition contained works by so many artists…
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Leaving for home! But before I leave a visit to Musee Carnavalet
Well I start my last day in Europe before I leave for London this afternoon. before I go I’m going to visit an exhibition of Philippe Starck the designer at the Carnavalet Museum nearby.. the whole experience has been wonderful. The first couple of days in Paris was lovely and I enjoyed renewing my acquaintance…
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Saint Germain des Pres and l’Odeon
This afternoon Cedric and I had ananother wandering tour of Paris around the 6eme … Saint Germain des Pres and L’Odeon. A bougie area very different from the boho vibe of the 4eme. We did a little shopping at Courreges where we both bought something a little extravagant … then to Hermes and to La…
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An Italian evening
Yesterday evening I had a nice surprise. Cristina had invited two of her friends to meet me. We had dinner together and I tried to drag my Italian together and have a conversation. Luckily they spoke good English too. They corrected me when I was wrong which was very helpful. They were very welcoming and…
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At the Tate … dissolving in light … Turner
The wet dawn inks are doing their blue dissolve.On their blotter of fog the treesSeem a botanical drawing. Sylvia Plath, Winter Trees These late Turner’s speak for themselves … almost unknown in his lifetime they are incredibly influential in modern art history; think Monet, Rothko and so many others.
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The Archiginnasio di Bologna
This is a is a splendid place. The seat of the old university and still in use as it houses the rare book collection of the university and also the Stabat Mater room which is used for some lectures. Redolent with learning and the researches of great minds of the past. It also contains the…
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A lovely day with a new friend
A lovely chilled day in the sunshine with a coffee and walk around the city with Sophy who lives in Devon. We had a relaxing wander and found we had a lot in common. Lunch of polenta, sausage and cheese rosti at a boho restaurant with a relaxed vibe … outside in the sunshine. Then…
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A visit to the Banksy exhibition
This was a really fascinating exhibition. While we all know about Banksy and his notoriety this presentation gave me a real insight into his mindset; his politics, humanity and way of seeing the paradox of the world in which we live. The basis of capitalism which underpins war, consumerism and the unseen machinery directing our…
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By boat to the islands… Murano and Burano
Murano Taking a trip to the islands. It’s a beautiful day and while it’s breezy the sun is warm. It will be nice to have some time away from the city. Murano is very pretty and remarkably quiet. We had our glass demonstration which was interesting. Murano , contrary to expectations, was really lovely with…
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A little afternoon trip to Vicenza
A pretty little town which on a Sunday afternoon had a chilled and relaxed vibe. Everyone out for an afternoon stroll in the sunshine; a spritz, a coffee, a spremuta and some pasticceria. Musicians in the street, people window shopping (some great shops) or just taking the air. Young and old it felt so natural…
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Street Art in Desanzano del Garda
This is a very pretty little town: and very up market. As a result there is a lot of interesting street art. The big fibreglass animals are great fun. There are also some good modern sculptures throughout the squares I had the chance to catch a street installation … “Riflessi del Lago”. Using recycled clothing…
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Last Day in Florence… still enticing … and an Escher exhibition
I’m still finding hidden views and places on my final morning here. It’s a fascinating place. Chiesa Santa Maria Maggiore A beautiful church with some original 14th century Frescos Escher exhibition True to form I found an exhibition! Escher is fascinating and what a great draughtsman. His inventiveness and wonderful precision is hypnotic. The first…
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Siena and a wine tasting
After San Gimignano we left for a lunch and wine tasting. You know me and wine … I drink it … but the owner who took us around and lead the tasting during lunch was passionate about his work and it showed. The winery specialised in Chianti but also made Balsamic Vinegar which seemed just…
Escape to myself 