#to all pirandello lovers out there

[emily84]

the funniest bit about bbc staged is when they tried to offhandedly imply luigi pirandello was not a fascist. what a clumsy attempt at preemptively intercept criticism lmao

"his play six characters in search of an author came out in 1921, well before the fascists took power in 1922" my silly silly brits in christ, he literally had a card of the fascist party and personally corresponded with mussolini, whom he always praised as a great leader, and never repudiated fascism until his death. the fact that he couldn't get along with fascist party officials and his plays weren't liked or understood by most fascists =/= he wasn't a fascist. and also re: the hot takes about "well since his family were of a strong garibaldini extraction he wasn't really a fascist he was just very patriotic and fascism answered to that part of his longing for a united italy" or "he was self-proclaimed apolitical" how about you get fucked.

he was a literary genius, and his works are a part of italy's incredibly rich cultural history, his plays seminal in theatrical writing worldwide. his plays were never explicitly political, but rather razor-sharp, biting, nihilistic criticism of contemporary italian/western society, seeped in bleak, all-encompassing existentialism. he often clashed with fascists because they couldn't understand his art, especially when his early social-democratic roots showed a little bit too much. this is all true, so fellow italians, settle down, no need to die on that hill, no one is denying that.

but again, sorry, for all intents and purposes, politically, he was a fascist. to not admit that is a disrespect to writers, intellectuals (and less privileged private citizens and workers) who did repudiate fascism even when they had a lot more to lose than he ever did.

[ellaspore]

On Kinnporsche, humour and the fragmentation of the self

A lot of people have found jarring the tonal shifts in Kinnporsche and have found the comedic moments out of context.

I would like to put forward the notion that what Kinnporsche is really asking us to see for the most part in those scenes is the humour and not the comedy.

A little preface, I am using these terms based on the meaning given by Italian writer Luigi Pirandello in his essay "On humour".

He defines comedy as the "perception of the opposite", what we find funny at first glance, the first layer of interpretation; humour is instead the "feeling of the opposite", when we dig under and understand the deeper reasons for why a character is acting in that peculiar way. (You can find at the end of this post his example, it is the best way to understand what I mean)

This requires an effort in the part of the audience to use their empathy and critical analysis to perceive the reality underneath the surface and functions in highlitghing the contrast between what is perceived at first and the underlying reasons. It should leave the audience feeling a sour taste in their mouths.

Pirandello proposes that "comedy and its opposite lie in the same disposition of feeling"; this means that comedy and tragedy are the two faces of the same coin.

Porsche is the one of the characters who is often portrayed in this kind of humouristic way. The most glaring examples are

- the whole episode 2 sheningans

- the whole fear of ghosts in episode 8

- the seduction scene in episode 9

- the boyfriend reveal/the bodyguard replacement in episode 11

All these scenes are used for laughs if we interpret them at face value, but if we delve deeper in the narrative these are the moments where Porsche is feeling insecure, where his feelings are obfuscated and not really clear even to him.

These are all moments that if we, the audience, exercise our empathy we can pass from the perception of the opposite(the comedy) to the feeling of the opposite(the humour) and the contrast that is created is bittersweet and disorienting

What the audience needs to do is shift their stance in regards to the scene/the character, this way they will find that while it’s the comedy that conceals it is the humour that reveals (if you look deep enough to get to humour)

Because we already have the knowledge of the character, it is our responsibility to use empathy and perceive the underlying reasons beyond it

We should really move beyond the superficial impulse to laugh because, if the character has the required depth(here I would argue Porsche has it), and we use our critical analysis(that does depend on the individual), we will begin to see what a narrative that is essentially smoke and mirrors is hiding.

Also, and I know this will test the unfortunate souls who are still reading this post but bear with me a little more. Pirandello's conclusion in his essay is that what humour reveals is the fragmentation of the self. And again, I would argue that this is Porsche's case. Porsche's whole self is fragmented because he has lost his sense of self identity and he has not yet regained it.

Right now who is Porsche really? Is he the brother? The boyfriend? The bodyguard? The lover? How does he think of himself? Has he made peace with what he has become? How is he perceived by others? Does everyone see him as he is or as what they want him to be?

The answer to these questions remains yet to be seen, and so the only way forward is humour for him.

“I see an old lady whose hair is dyed and completely smeared with some kind of horrible ointment; she is all made-up in a clumsy and awkward fashion and is all dolled-up like a young girl. I begin to laugh; I perceive that she is the opposite of what a respectable old lady should be. Now I could stop here at this initial and superficial comic reaction: the comic consists precisely of this perception of the opposite. But if, at this point, reflection intervenes to suggest that perhaps this old lady finds no pleasure in dressing up like an exotic parrot, and that perhaps she is distressed by it and does it only because she pitifully deceives herself into believing that, by making herself up like that and by concealing her wrinkles and gray hair, she may be able to hold the love of her much younger husband–if reflection comes to suggest all this, then I can no longer laugh at her as I did at first, exactly because the inner working of reflection has made me go beyond, or rather enter deeper into, the initial stage of awareness: from the beginning perception of the opposite, reflection has made me shift to a feeling of the opposite. And herein lies the precise difference between the comic and humoristic.”

[insanityclause]

LOOK AT PLAYWRIGHTS from Kalidasa and Shakespeare to Girish Karnad and Wole Soyinka. Note the stylistic range represented by Nobel laureates George Bernard Shaw, Dario Fo, Jacinto Benavente, Luigi Pirandello, Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett. Take today’s hits—Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 or Samuel J Friedman’s Ink. Indubitably, playwrights then and now have created some of the most passionate, sophisticated works of literature. But do we ever read those pages unless we are compelled to do so in the classroom?

I guess reading a play demands a different approach. You are stranded amidst dialogues, without authorial voice to describe and explain. You are challenged to flesh out the speakers by their vocabulary, speech rhythms, what they say and what they don’t say, sifting through lies, contradictions, dilemmas, disillusionments. All the while, you are mindful of stage directions, which may include soundscapes. In other words, you cannot merely read the text, you need to direct it as enactment on the mindscreen. Once you struggle through this process, you know why the director is king, though the script belongs to the playwright, and the stage is owned by the actor.

This summer I watched two modern classics in London. Their casting was superb, but it was the crafted directorial vision that restored freshness to familiar texts.

Betrayal, Harold Pinter’s full-length play, rounded off Pinter at the Pinter season, a series of less-known works in the playwright’s oeuvre, in the theatre named after him.

His Nobel citation acknowledges that the new-minted word Pinteresque signifies the ambience where ‘drama emerges from the power struggle and hide-and-seek of interlocution… characterised as ‘comedy of menace,’ a genre where the writer allows us to eavesdrop on the play of domination and submission hidden in the most mundane of conversations… (cognizing) the volatility and elusiveness of the past.’ In Betrayal, we eavesdrop on twosome and threesome conversations between literary agent Jerry (Charlie Cox) , art gallery curator Emma (Zawe Ashton), and her book publisher husband Robert (Tom Hiddleston).

The play opens with ex-lovers Emma and Jerry meeting in a pub to catch up on their now separate lives. Emma is getting divorced, she had just confessed to her unfaithful husband her own seven-years liaison with Jerry, Robert’s best friend. Pinter deploys a brutal time-reversal technique to expose the web of lies, the miasma of deceit, “to smash the mirror to find truth on the other side”. Nine scenes rewind in successive stages (1977 to 1968), climaxing on the first damning moment, in retelling the playwright’s own seven-year extra-marital relationship with TV presenter Joan Bakewell. (Bakewell too had her say when she turned 84, with her play Keeping in Touch.) Perhaps this autobiographical leitmotif makes Betrayal appear more straightforward, with fewer arabesque motivations.

However, director Jamie Lloyd steps in with inventive devices to uncover less perceived strands. Firstly, he has all three characters on the stage all the time—ensuring that even when a scene involves only two persons, the silent third looms in the background, inextricable from the others’ minds. None can escape the triangular, no-exit snare, imaged by spare props and bare walls, bathed in bluesy or jaundiced lights. Secondly, the director orchestrates a parallel play of their shadows. This ancient technique comes with primeval power, neither supplementary nor complementary, but minatory, spinning an alternative narrative of suppressed truths. As a theatre person myself, I note a shift in perspective: in Pinter characters lie. With Lloyd characters lie to themselves.

In Betrayal director Jamie Lloyd steps in with inventive devices to uncover less perceived strands. All three characters are on stage all the time

In this clinical setting, actors are directed to shape the play with their bodies and minds, relentlessly pushing Pinter’s silences and pauses to release uncanny resonances. The glance—surreptitious, stolen, sidelong, veiled, vacant—becomes a weapon. Gestures evolve a meta language: Emma reveals her mixed feelings in intimate ways of caressing her cuckolded husband; in the restaurant Robert stabs at his food with knife and fork, a ferocious contrast to his light banter with Jerry.

The director comes out on top when a child (not in the script) materialises out of nowhere. Seated with this daughter on his lap in a chair orbiting the centre- staged lovers, Robert pierces the void with his unflinching gaze. While Pinter concludes with the husband’s exit, leaving the lovers on the stage, Lloyd has the trio holding hands, inextricably linked to each other in pulsating perfidy.

Bakewell found the title accusatory. Lloyd might have seen it as catharsis, even expiation. After all, Pinter makes us empathise most with cuckolded Robert, not with Jerry, his alter ego. And I wonder what Pinter would have thought of celebrity star Tom Hiddleston (best known for Thor and The Avenger series) casting a melancholic mystique on Robert. Discovering Jerry’s telltale letter to Emma, it is with cadenced Hamletian ambiguity that Robert tells Emma of how, as editors of poetry magazines in Oxford and Cambridge, he and Jerry wrote long letters to each other about Ford Madox Ford and Yeats. “We were bright young men. And close friends… To be honest I’ve always liked him rather more than I liked you. Maybe I should have had an affair with him myself.” The implications lance you. When Robert’s eyes shine with tears, theatre smash cuts life.

And yet the alienating factor remains: the characters belong to the super elite strata, breathing class, wealth, entitlement, a clubby nonchalance. The production itself is so austere, so severe, so minimalist, that despite some wrenching sequences, it engages mind more than heart. And yes, you can see the cerebral tilt as its strength.

[polly-chan]

V for Vendetta and The Anarchy

V for Vendetta is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. I really love this comic and that’s why I want to share with You an analysis about it. 

“Remember, Remember! The fifth of November, the Gunpowder treason and plot; there is no reason why the Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot”: in 1605 Guy Fawkse tried to blow up the British Parliament, performing the first revolutionary act in his country to end the English monarchy. His plot, however, is discovered and he is sentenced to death. As the graphic novel (and movie too) teaches History is written by the winners while losers become the bad guys and for this reason they teach us to remember ideas and not men: men can fail, but ideas are immortal. V for Vendetta takes place in a post apocalyptic world upset by a nuclear war, the united kingdom has sunk into chaos until the emergence of the Norsefire party intimating positions and promising to making England great again, ending up creating a police state. Norsefire is the fictional Nordic supremacist and neo-fascist political party in which people are indoctrinated through the media and five organs rule the dictatorship: the Finger (the hitting police), the Eye (controls everything with the cameras), the Ear (which intercepts and spies over the citizens), the Nose (the scientific police) and the Voice (i.e. the television, led by Prothero). Strength through Unity, Unity through faith: Good win, Bad forgiveness and as always England dominates.  All minorities are oppressed: Muslims, homosexuals, dissidents, in all totalitarianisms there is always a target. Moreover, it’s a strongly male-dominated dictatorship. Totalitarism places control of the lower classes by the higher classes, which in fact are the minority. The goal of totalitarianism is to create a scapegoat on which to vent popular anger and justify ethically questionable actions. 

Evey is a sixteen year old forced into prostitution who is about to be raped by the Finger, but V saves her. When Evey asks him who he is V answers that “Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask” (as Pirandello would have said), the identity is a consequence of the showing of the Ego and therefore it makes no sense to ask a masked man who he is since the function is hidden. Here we can see how the mask plays an important role in this story, becoming an important symbol of freedom and we’ll see why soon.

V presents himself with a very long, poetic and dramatic speech, in which he declares himself the protector of the Vox populi: he is an avenger of people. A shakesperian hero who seems to see all London as its stage. A musician, ready to give a show. He turns to the statue of justice saying he loves her, but she is a woman of easy virtue and has betrayed him:

She has prostituted herself with a uniform, this because the extreme search for justice leads to the loss of freedom. This is why V found his new lover, the Anarchy: philosophy separated from Marxism because of Bakunin’s inspiration, according to which it is necessary to overcome the capitalist system and abolish the State, but without going through a phase of socialist transition and immediately abolishing the state, because even socialism is an oppression. 

The music that V leads at the feet of Old Bailey turns out to be the prelude to a gigantic explosion, a demonstration of violence that arises from classical music. Then government begins media manipulation showing how mass media should not be trusted. Adam Satler is a clear reference to Adolf Hitler, but also to Margaret Tatcher: as a matter of fact, the comic is born as a criticism of her ultra-conservative and liberal government that ignored the needs of the poorest in favor of large companies. Satler says they have to remind people why they need them (like the metaphor of Hegel’s servant): in the comic strip he is clearly fascist, but he is not a monster: He is obsessed with Faith (the super computer that analyzes the situation), he prays and he is also a fragile figure. Moore shows that even fascists know how to be human, there are no absolute bad guys. 

TV is intercepted and V’s long speech begins, He wants to remind England of what he has forgotten:

The government is already trying to shut it down “Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?”.  Communication is the alliance among men, while the truncheon is the short way to impose a vision without the other can accept it. 

It is the people who elected Hitler, but he understands why: there were so many problems, war, terrorism and disease. All dictatorships, we always start with a  crisis. A Man promised to bring back the truth, but in exchange for silent consent. The destruction of Old Bailey serves as a reminder that justice and equity are perspective and not words. 

V begins to kill several senior members of the party who command different organs of the dictatorship. But who the real terrorist is? Who decides the difference between those who fight for or against the freedom? We can consider totalitarianism as a closed system where not all ideas are allowed, therefore those who repress ideas and freedoms are the real bombers of democracy.  Evey is the anti-revolutionary one who wants to change totalitarianism from within without realizing that great freedoms and constitutional values ​​we owe to them thanks to violent revolutions and no dictator voluntarily surrenders their privileges. Moreover, for V there are no certainties, only opportunities and “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”. The revolutionary act is the necessary means to reach the end, the lesser evil. 

V is a Shakespearian hero and he often mentions it, also obviously inspired by the Count of Montecristo. Wearing a mask V is no longer a man, but an idea and so he can be free to say what he truely thinks. to be human without limitations.  V explains to Evey that “Anarchy wears two faces, both creator and destroyer. Thus destroyers topple empires; make a canvas of clean rubble where creators then can build another world. Rubble, once achieved, makes further ruins’ means irrelevant”: 

The destructive face is the active and superhuman nihilism that destroys power, to return to the terrible state of nature of Hobbes. The creator one wants an order without the head, not without rules. This is what anarchy dreams about: a society without a head, where people cooperate on a solidarity basis and are able to determine themselves.

By the way, V forced the people to break free as he forced Evey through the prison deception, but he ends to realize that the choice of what the new world will be is not up to him. In full anarchist style he dies for not becoming the next leader, but leaving to the people the possibility to decide for themselves:

[okimargarvez]

THE MAGIC IF

Original title: The magic if.

Prompt: Penelope plays Ophelia in Amlet.

Warning: none.

Genre: comedy, funny, romantic.

Characters: Penelope Garcia, Luke Alvez.

Pairing: Garvez.

Note: part 49 in Garvez canon Life.

Legend: 💑😘.

Song mentioned: none

1- This story is ispirated by my passion for theater, considering the fact Penelope joined a theater groupe... I had to write this. I’ve written it during the course of History of English Theater, dedicated on Shakespeare and especially on Amlet. They showed us different shows of Amlet, one incentrated on Ophelia character. 2- I love Luigi Pirandello with every inch of my heart. 3- My boyfriend understands nothing about theater and art at all. I think Luke has the same problem. 4- The magic if is obvious relative to Stanislavskij system.

GARVEZ STORIES

THE MAGIC IF

 -I don’t like it at all.- she barely holds back a laugh, looking away from the frown of her boyfriend. -Among all the dramas, you had to choose just that one?- he drives her crazy when he shows jealous. He's too soft, it reminds her of what Kevin did with Derek, only that she didn’t think that also one like his current boy could do such paranoia.

-Do you know it's just fake?- it's not the first time they've dealt with a similar theme. -It's not me the one that will kiss Carl, Ophelia and Hamlet will make love.- she takes his hands and sits down next to him on the bed. -Luke, do you think I could ever be attracted, I mean seriously attracted, by another man, when I got all this well of God available?- the man's pouting melts when he hears her use that explicit and provocative flirting tone.

-I'm not the only man in the universe, unfortunately.- he replies, chuckling. -And I don’t want another guy to put his dirty hands on you. I really had to find a theater lover, damned?- she hits him on the shoulder.

After all the dramas that I forced you to see with me you haven’t yet understood that it's all a wonderful illusion?- inside him he knows that the woman is right, but this doesn’t change the elementary fact that he is jealous about the idea that she kisses another man, whether it's for fake or not. But how can the engaged couples, the wives of the actors handle these things? And those who have to play even more burning scenes? Better not to think about it. Fortunately for him, her is just a hobby. -Everything depends on the magic if. You know that game you were doing as children, let's pretend that... and we became trees, little birds, whatever we wanted? It is essentially based on that. I have to think, eat, move as if I were Ophelia, I have to get into her head. And when I go on stage, I'm not your girlfriend anymore, I'm not Penelope, I'm not a computer analyst. I cease to be myself to leave my body to another being, a spirit that after almost five hundred years still has much to say.- Luke looks at her with a confused expression.

-This thing stinks as mysticism. What does it mean that you have another into you? You are... possessed?- he pronounces this adjective with a strange, almost frightened, indeed horrified tone. Too many years of Catholic upbringing bring with them such traps, things that can hardly be understood by those who grew up in such a different culture, like the American one. This is why many people had failed to understand why the priest who was the protagonist of I confessed hadn’t said what he had been told by the real killer and preferred to carry this weight on his shoulders, rather than breaking this so-called seal of the confessional. Hitchcock was European and Catholic. But she is wandering also in her thoughts; Penelope strives to return to reality.

-In fact yes, some scholars and men of the theater speak of possession.- he opens up even more his wonderful brown eyes and for a moment Penelope is lost, contemplating them. -I imagine that you have never heard of Luigi Pirandello.- his vague expression confirms her thought. -It was a writer and man of Italian theater, at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet I'm sure that at least once you've heard someone say "There are more masks than faces, on the street" or something like that... well, it's one of his quotes.- Luke can’t help but be fascinated by the enthusiastic tone with which she explains everything inherent in the world of theater. It had already been a shock to find that long ago she had been part of a company, with the express purpose of exorcising the murder attempt she had suffered. And certainly, he hadn’t reassured when he had described in detail the plot of that show.

-And how do you know an Italian writer and playwright of the last century?- he raises an eyebrow. It is clear that he couldn’t hold back his jealousy. Anything to do with Italy makes him automatically think of Kevin, the mysterious man with whom his Penelope had spent at least four years. And as long as he doesn’t know him, he will remain a shadow and appear to him far more threatening than he really is.

-Well, one person in my company mentioned it and... you know how I am, so curious, so I did a search on the Internet at home and then I went to one of those bookstores in the suburbs, those full of dust... and I took all the American editions of his novels and plays. It's really very fascinating.- he nods, looking at her as she settles the collar of her dress. In addition to being an actress, she has the task of the seamstress, given her passion for sewing as well. Her hands move skillful and precise.

-Are you sure that Ophelia had such neckline?- she can’t help herself, but she laughs at his frown. She feels him behind her and turning in his direction. -I would have definitely preferred if you had followed the original script...- he mumbles.

-Hey, Luke, you know what?- he shakes his head. -Carl can’t come to every rehearsal, so, you know... I'll have to practice with another man.- immediately he frowns, not understanding where she wants to go. -Do you think you are willing to make this sacrifice?- she smiles mischievously, playing with the necklace that ends exactly between her breasts.

-Uh, I... yes, I think I can do it. But I'm terribly slow to learn the lines. We will have to repeat the scenes many, but many times...- he approaches the female face. Penelope chuckles, while their noses touch each other. She closes her eyes, as she kisses him, her head full of their gasping breaths that in a moment fog up the glass of the mirror, given the poor size of the improvised dressing room in which they are. She struggles to hold back as much as possible, but then she feels his hand, this time yes, very cold, palpate her breasts and just can’t contain a moan of pleasure.

Someone knocks at the door, making them jump. -Hey, you two, in there!- a deep, male voice. Even Luke recognizes him, he plays Horatio. -Did you have cuddle each other enough? In five minutes, we have to start the rehearsals.- and then steps that means he is gone. Both burst out laughing, looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds and starting over.

-Are you satisfied now? I will not be able to look at any of them anymore.- but she is not really angry as she would to seem. -In a moment the whole building will know everything.- he seems much less worried.

-Well, you can say we were just trying to dig into your unconscious, to shape a believable character.- Luke shrugs. -It seems perfectly normal, many movie actors working in this way.- she doesn’t know whether to punch him or start kissing him again.

-You... you are tremendous. And you wanted to make me believe you didn’t know anything about theater! Method hot actor or cold actor? Stanislavskij or Diderot? The eternal conflict!- but man doesn’t understand a single word. -Leave to lose.- she takes him by the hand, dragging him. -We have to go on stage.-

TAGS: @theshamelessmanatee  @arses21434 @kathy5654 @martinab26 @reidskitty13 @jenf42 @gracieeelizabeth27 @silviajajaja @smalliemichelle99 @charchampagne14 @thinitta   @myhollyhanna23 @garvezz @mercedes-maldonado  @shyladystudentfan @cosmicmelaninflower @criminalminds14 @gonewhere @pegasus-scifichick

[gigsoupmusic]

Blank Mass 'Animated Violence Mild'

These eight tracks are the diary of a year of work steeped in honing craft, self-discovery, and grief. With these words Blank Mass, aka  Benjamin John Power summarized his studio album titled Animated violence mild, that saw the light on the 16th of August this year, two years later the ground-breaking World eater, that had already consecrated him like one of the most innovative masterminds out there. Eight tracks that were recorded in a studio outside of Edinburgh which could be immediately classed as heavy striking heritage of Unesco. This undulating project clarifies its Easter egg from its eloquent cover: a blood-dripping apple that conjures up the Book of Genesis forbidden fruit, a concept herby stating how poisonous these dark times ended up being, with humanity slavering over nothing but money-driven desires and merciless ambitions, without any scrupulous. To portrait all this in music the member of the drone band Fuck Buttons swims across some cyberpunk pure wonder, that clearly has no intention to buck the audience’s spirit up. The record morphs with ferocity and thunderous beats, a territory in which Blank Mass unashamedly excels. And if the voice-only Intro seems to butter up what it’s next to come, Death drop immediately pitches up in a melodic topos smeared with astonishment, where its lexicon is as sharp as needed to grapple with the author’s emotional tsunami. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXasTgAzc9s But as the perception undergoes its representation in music, we quickly find ourselves in a vigorous tour-de-force through the rippling waters of  human beings' rawest emotions: the abrasive Wings of Hate is a weighty sandstorm of layers and pulses. Nothing is rose-tinted, the baleful look of remorseless capitalism is reflected on tracks like No Dice,  the nightcore-fueled Hus Money and the  bewitching Love is a parasite. But the pathway is not sold to perennial, submissive negativity: the enlightening House vs House expels hope, turning out to be a liberating tune on a metaphysical, utterly transcendent level.  Creature/west Fuqua is heart-lifting, the melody is that faultless that easily embodies perfection. The atmosphere itself echoes Blak Mass’s versatile career: His misty bubble wrap songs tag along Moby’s early years of insanely electronic libertinage as much as they stir up his previous experience with ethereal landscapes made in Sigur Ros and Jon Hopkins. The result of such collective panic attack is a timeless masterpiece that is amber for any music lover, hands down, an album that exudes resin to cure everyday frustration as a social exorcism. And how fitting it is that the creator of all that named itself Blank Mass, a fascinating concept that finds its interesting roots in the Italian author Luigi Pirandello’s essay about transforming identity called Warning on the Scruples of the Imagination. What we really are, says the writer, is just an inadequate metaphor of ourselves, something mysterious that even we ourselves fail to understand beyond a certain point. Well, we don’t know if our hero feels this very same way about himself, after all he even gathered Ennio Morricone's consensus, approval and motivation, but what is crystal clear here is that with this strident album we discovered that the Apocalypse got infiltrated by a Genius and ladies and gentleman his name is Benjamin John Power. https://open.spotify.com/album/74tQiCbJ97DTI7zsRbj55f?si=sQqwFr21RM-maWYaO6ZqDw

Read the full article

[destinyhixon-blog]

We’ve been in Sicily for a good number of days. That island is a splendid destination for sightseeing and summer vacations too. Here are the best Sicily beaches to have in mind, after reading our extra posts for Cefalu, Taormina, Palermo, Catania, Agrigento and Syracuse.

In all these places you will find the best beaches in Sicily. Read this post for the best things to do in Sicily.

Best Sicily Beaches in all Coasts

So, are you looking for a premier European destination to unwind this coming summer? Consider the Mediterranean island of Sicily.

It is by far the largest island in the Mediterranean. With an area measuring 25,711 km², this island indeed provides awesome beach facilities for your enjoyment.

Sicily’s suitability as a holiday destination is further solidified by the fact that it hardly experiences the wide seasonal fluctuations in weather and climate as is the rest of continental Europe.

This means you can visit it just about any time of the year.

We have sampled the best beaches on the island. We are going to explain them alongside the resources which they have for you to explore.

Taormina

Taormina is a picturesque Italian holiday resort. It is situated at the base of Mt. Etna and strategically above the Ionian Sea.

City and coast of Taormina from above

The town is a popular fashion destination for the lovers of sea activities. Throughout the resort are numerous hotels and restaurants. A cable car also exists which connects this beach resort to the other adjacent destinations.

Read our experience in Taormina.

Apart from the usual beach activities like sunbathing and swimming, this resort city also provides numerous other opportunities. For instance, it is right next to the tiny island of Isola Bella. This is a nature reserve which showcases numerous attractions inspired by nature.

San Vito Lo Capo

Located at the northwestern Sicily, this seaside town overlooks Mt. Monaco and is sheltered from the harsh external weather elements.

Its beaches are unlike any other in Sicily. On the whole, they exhibit some clear azure waters, are adorned with some white sands and have numerous palm trees around and about.

The culture of this town is also strange and one of its kind. Each afternoon, the shops in the city are locked and the streets dead quiet. If you are not taking the afternoon siesta, you are on the beach. What a nice place to go and spend some quality time?

Palermo

Palermo is the capital of this Italian autonomous region. Throughout the city’s wave-washed strands are numerous beaches.

The two most outstanding of these are the Mondello and La Piazza. Generally speaking, the beaches of the city are well-maintained and appropriately equipped for your comfort and proper stay.

Mondello beach, near Palermo

They possess deck-chairs, beach umbrellas, and the elegant multi-colored wooden cabins. To make the best of your time while at Palermo, you must time your visit appropriately.

If you are a bathing enthusiast, May to September is the best time to visit. If you like swimming though, the spring to autumn would be your best time to pay a visit.

Here is our experience in Palermo.

Cefalù

This northern Sicilian town features long sandy beaches. It is basically a picturesque and historic town.

Cefalu beach

Its strategic location on the rocky headland also provides breathtaking views of the adjacent Mediterranean Sea.

What’s more? The city is served by many decent transportation links.

Cefalù is an embodiment of the Italian past. That is because it developed from the numerous fishing villages which graced Italy’s past.

This is the place to be for sightseeing and photography. That is contained numerous archaeological sites and ancient buildings make it all the more a historical gem.

Catania

Catania stands apart from the others in that it is served by an international airport. Apart from this, it also avails to you a comfortable 18km stretch of white sandy beaches to explore, relax, and enjoy.

Active nightlife does exist here. This is evidenced by the existence of numerous night clubs, bars music concerts, and restaurants. It, therefore, follows that this is the place to be if you are a nightlife enthusiast.

Syracuse

Syracuse is a beach city right at the length of the Ionian coast. The city is generally famed from its ancient ruins.

This notwithstanding, its coastal strip of Syracuse has perhaps some of the most beautiful beaches that the entire island of Sicily has to offer.

Ortygia or Syracuses

Featuring breathtaking and white sandy shorelines, these beaches are surrounded by some incredible natural scenery which is great to behold.

Your visit to this beach, therefore, gives you so much more than you actually bargained for. You get to enjoy the water sport, beach activity, and excellent sightseeing opportunities.

Sciacca

Sciacca is in its bare form and shapes a fishing port city. Located at the south of Sicily, this venue is an embodiment of numerous attractions. From excellent ceramics, thermal baths, religious gatherings, and large fishing fleet, the untold wonders of this city never cease to amuse.

Sciacca beach

By far the best reason for a visit to this locale is as a layover in the course of a journey to any destination in North Africa or the entire Mediterranean world. You may as well also time your visit accordingly to take part in the numerous festivals which are held in the city year round.

Licata

Licata is a seaside resort city which is situated right at the heart of the southern portions of Sicily. The beach is full of historical attractions and a couple of other natural wonders.

At its east are numerous white sandy beaches while its west side is dominated by a series of cliffs and pebble beaches.

Take your time to visit this area to swim, enjoy some water sport, and also sunbathe. After you are through with those water sports activities, you also want to explore other attractions of the area. In particular, we recommend that you try out the various traditional cuisines on offer.

Trapani

Trapani is an enchanting parcel of land. It comprises some marvelous coastlines which have alternating steep cliffs together with endless sandy terrains.

Trapani beach

Along the entire shoreline are some valuable naturalistic spots, cliff seafronts, and sandy strands. You may wish to relax, sunbathe, and even swim if you so wish. Owing to the picturesque nature of this location, you might also want to take some photos or simply relax.

Capo d’Orlando

Capo d’Orlando is not one but numerous beaches that span a total of 14 km stretch. The beaches draw quite a number of watersport enthusiasts ranging from holidaymakers and revelers.

From viewing the Aeolian Islands in the horizon to swimming, and boating, the opportunities that Capo d’Orlando provides you are limitless.

There are also numerous cultural shows, events, and exhibitions in this beach city. To catch the best of them, you have advised to time your visit accordingly. By far the most fascinating of these are the blues and the Villa Piccolo clubs.

Acireale

Acireale is an elegant baroque town. Located at a stone-throw distance from Catania, the beach rises up a hill which overlooks the adjacent Ionian Sea.

Even though Acireale is predominantly a beach city, it is only great for relaxation, not really for water-related activities.

This beach is a wonderful place to escape from busy city life. That is because it confers to you some breath of fresh air not to mention its detached location. Given also that it attracts fewer visitors, you will find it less congested and highly breathable.

Mazara del Vallo

Mazara, by its conception and design, is a city that is dedicated to all things hospitality. As you stroll around and about the city you will come across numerous eateries, hotels, casinos, and high-end restaurants. What is more striking though is the cosmopolitan nature of the city.

Mazara del Vallo

This is the place to fish, dive, relax, and swim. If you do not like any of the aforementioned water sport, you can still take some of your time to gaze at the anemones, daisies, and wild orchids that surround the area.

Porto Empedocle

Are you a lover of nature? Do you just want to go to a beach and spend some of your time gazing at the breathtaking wonders of nature? You have this Porto Empedocle for your consideration! On the whole, this beach offers breathtaking natural attractions over and above the ordinary beautiful beaches.

Among the attractions that await you here are medieval structures, excellent opportunities to take memorable photos, and simply a chance to take some rest and relax. For your curiosity, this village is the birthplace of two renowned Italian writers, Andrea Camilleri, and Luigi Pirandello.

Castellammare del Golfo

Who said going on a holiday overseas ought to be that expensive? You can and indeed deserve spending the least to go for such a holiday. The Castellammare del Golfo is the place to retreat to. It does have a rough sandy beach right behind its harbor.

Castellammare Del Golfo

Yet another beach is situated to the east of the medieval castle which sits atop a cliff. What makes this beach cheap is the fact that it is served by an excellent public transport system, which is cheap and affordable.

It also contains numerous beach establishments that are geared towards your overall satisfaction.

Marsala

Marsala has two main beaches. These are Lido Signorino and Punta Tramontana. Both of them are sandy and have clear adjacent waters.

Over and above this, the two beaches are equipped with numerous relevant facilities which are intended to make your visit worthwhile and very enjoyable.

The summerhouses which are easily reachable by car are by far the most notable. Marsala beaches are the places to consider going to if you want to sunbathe, adore rocky terrains, or simply want to enjoy some quiet time with that ‘someone special.’

Gela

Gela is one of Sicily’s most ancient communities. Its coastline extends roughly 24 km and is adorned with fine and golden sandy beaches and dunes. Along the coastline is some Mediterranean flora which contributes to the beauty of the land nearby.

On the whole, Gela is the place for beach and water sport. Some of the activities that revelers engage in while here are jogging, canoeing, diving, and beach volley. You might also retreat to the archeological ruins that are located around the beaches for sightseeing and photography.

Avola

Christened ‘the grand canyon of Sicily,’ Avola is a seaside village which is nestled in the southeastern portion of the island. It is so called as it is a very beautiful destination which makes for a great place to spend your vacation while on the island.

Its coast is rather unusually transparent. The beaches themselves are long, sandy, and expansive enough to accommodate all your small children. This expanse also provides for great and romantic strolls which are great for relaxation. You want to spend your romantic evening here!

Favignana

Visiting a beach need not necessarily mean swimming, sunbathing or engaging in a water sport. You can just do so for the sake of a small trip. 

If you are such kind of a person, we recommend the Favignana beach.

Favignana rocky beach

This beach is rocky and hence unsuited for water-based activities. However, its secluded location, sheltered harbor, and sweet breezes make are ideal for relaxation. Also, it offers you impressive views of the surrounding environment. Be wary of the jellyfishes which may attack you from time to time.

Giarre

Giarre is a tiny village within the island of Sicily. It is home to Sicily’s most popular beach, Fondachello. The adjacent sea is quite clear not to mention that it is constant bombardment by the strong winds. Its strand is also cleaner and unusually cooler than the rest of the island as a result of this.

Summer is the best time to pay a visit to this city-cum-beach. It is at this time that the area experiences many events and concerts which add flavor to your visit. Further to this, the beaches are well-equipped by reason of the possession of numerous beach resources.

Ready for the Best Beaches in Sicily?

A visit to Sicily is a must if you indeed are a true beach enthusiast. The numerous facilities and amenities this wonderful geographic locale has to offer are simply inescapable.

Its Mediterranean location further makes it suitable for a visit year-round. This stems from its lack of huge seasonal variations in weather and climate, and as such the Sicily beaches are a delight.

What are you waiting for? Rush to your calendar and find the best time to do so right away! You do not want to visit alone, do you?

Consider bringing your family too! You want them to enjoy the awesome wonders and resources of the city as well.

Intrigued? Read our experiences in the whole of Italy, so far.

The post Best Sicily Beaches: Warm and Sunny Paradise appeared first on AGreekAdventure World Travel Blog.

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Culture in Ticino by Pamela Pintus

The Swiss region of the Canton of Ticino can be an interesting and stimulating destination both from a naturalistic point of view and in terms of art and culture. In fact, there are many appointments that are renewed every year at the museums and places of interest in the main cities of this canton, as well as are particularly varied activities and events planned this year for the coming months. Locarno, Chiasso, Bellinzona and Lugano, in addition to offering the opportunity for relaxing holidays, thanks to the presence of the beautiful Alps with breathtaking views, also offer the opportunity to participate in numerous activities, exhibitions and events to experience a day of culture. The offer reflects, in a certain sense, the very variety of the Canton: from the imposing structure of the  LAC with a full daily program of events, to the smaller and more intimate exhibitions, suitable for a selected public. Don't forget, then, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso in Locarno, in whose museum you can admire precious works of art, or the Castelgrande in Bellinzona with its medieval shows or the natural Amphitheatre of the marble quarries in Arzo. In just over half an hour by car you can easily move from Chiasso to Lugano, while in an hour from Lugano you can reach Locarno to visit, in the same day, the largest number of places of interest in the Canton.

Let's see, then, which are the proposals planned in the near future in these cities and which galleries, museums or foundations to visit.

One of the main artistic and cultural landmarks of the Canton Ticino is represented by the LAC, the Lugano Art and Culture, a multifaceted and international center, created to give space to all forms of art, whether visual, scenic or musical. In this way, an increasingly heterogeneous and vast public is involved, but above all, the new generations are brought closer to culture, thanks to the programming of high quality and particularly innovative events. The structure, in fact, was designed and built to give space to different events at the same time. There are a museum, the Teatrostudio, several multipurpose rooms and conference rooms, the Agorà and Piazza Luini overlooking the beautiful lake and welcomes visitors who arrive at the LAC. Thanks to this structure, Lugano is an essential destination for all art lovers in all its forms; the calendar of events scheduled for the months of May and June is also very varied.

Here is an overview of the most interesting ones. On May 3rd the Berliner Philharmoniker directed by Daniel Harding performed at the Sala Teatro, with a selection of pieces from Wagner's Parsifal and Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet, interspersed with other music by great artists such as Debussy. On May 4that at the theater was staged "Family Party", a show born from the assembly of various texts by Luigi Pirandello on the family theme, expertly revisited thanks to the advice of Andrea Camilleri. On May 5th and 7th there was guided tours of the two exhibitions "Surrealism Switzerland" and "Hodler, Segantini, Giacometti" are scheduled at the "Museo d’Arte della Svizzera Italiana"; participation is free of charge by booking online a day before. Both exhibitions are open until June 16th and July 28th respectively. In May, the LAC Atelier will host the "Bambini in scena" and "4 stagioni" (May 11th at 10 a.m.) workshops; the first is an unprecedented experience in the museum's rooms, dedicated specifically to children, while the second is a journey through the seasons of life through the works of Giorgio Vicentini. The Church of the Angioli, instead, will host spiritual concerts and organ Vespers on May 12th, 26th and June 27th from 8.30 pm.

The exhibition dedicated to the works of Franz Gertsch will be held at MASI LAC from May 12th September 22nd; in fact, on the artist's 90th birthday, his woodcuts and wood carvings will be exhibited. Also, at the MASI, on June 7th at 18.30 is planned a guided tour of art, music and poetry with a reading of literary pieces and live musical moments. On June 13th at 6 p.m. there will be a pleasant convivial meeting entitled "Let's toast to Art", an opportunity to meet experts in the field and talk about art in front of a good glass of wine. Another exciting event is the one scheduled for June 9th at 3 p.m. at the Atelier, wholly dedicated to portraiture with the creation by the participants of personal works to take home as souvenirs.

The Museum of Art of Italian Switzerland (MASI), mentioned several times before, is an important cultural reality of the city of Lugano. It was born from the merger between the Museo Cantonale di Arte and the Museo d'Arte della Città di Lugano in order to give greater impetus and diffusion to the projects carried out. It has two offices: the first at the LAC and the second at the Palazzo Reali. The MASI LAC has an area of over 2’500 square meters, entirely dedicated, as seen, to temporary exhibitions thanks to the modernity and flexibility of the spaces. For art lovers, there is also the Olgiati Collection, open until June 16th, entitled "A Collection in Progress" with the new exhibition Nature is What We See, with works strongly linked to the theme of nature and the environment.

The opportunities offered by the city of Lugano in terms of art and culture certainly do not end here. Anyone who wants to can dedicate a day to the Villa of the Ciani brothers, dating back to 1840 and built in the park that runs along the lake. The visit is particularly interesting for the historical memory that it evokes, linked to the Risorgimento and liberalism of which the Ciani were witnesses. Interesting are the original furnishings of the time, the interactive projections, the historical archive and the surrounding park.

The Hermann Hesse Museum is in the Camuzzi Tower, part of the homonymous historical house. It is a small collection entirely dedicated to the Nobel Prize winner, who decided to live in Ticino. It is also an international reference point that promotes activities, meetings and seminars on the figure of Hesse and exhibits his watercolors, made between 1919 and 1938.

An interesting alternative route in Lugano is the Parco delle Sculture (Sculpture Park), created at the end of the 1970s with the acquisition of various works of art by local and international artists. At the Belvedere Garden, therefore, you can walk admiring sculptures by Carlo Ciarli, Massimo Ghiotti, Remo Rossi, Nag Arnoldi and many others, in a pleasant and stimulating path thanks to the presence of a bike path, relaxation areas and special lighting.

Moving from Lugano to Chiasso, there are also opportunities to organize a different parenthesis from the usual. The Cultural Centre of Chiasso, in fact, offers a wide range of exhibitions, shows and events. Among these, the Biennale dell'immagine should be mentioned: Marcello Dudovich and photography and Franco Grignani: polysensory between art, graphics and photography, both on display at the M.A.X. Museum. The poster of the Cinema-Theatre is equally rich and varied with performances of comedies, concerts and ballets. At the Spazio Officina on May 11thit will be possible to attend the "CON - SCIENZE THEATRE - dar VOCE" a performance that revolves around culture and humanistic innovation, with a virtual bridge between Chiasso and San Francisco where the event won a prestigious prize. From May 25thto June 5th, instead, there will be the exhibition "Young artists prize - Synesthesia in the world of art", a competition to promote the contemporary art of emerging young people. 

In Locarno, it is worth visiting the Pinacoteca Casa Rusca, located in a beautiful eighteenth-century building that houses works from the city's museums, and the Ghisla Art Collection, a building in the shape of a red cube, which does not go unnoticed and which houses paintings by modern and contemporary artists from the private collection of Martin and Pierino Ghisla. 

Finally, here are some of the most interesting Art Galleries in the area, located mainly in Lugano, which is a real cultural hub for fans of the sector: 

La Galleria La Colomba di Nag Arnoldi a Lugano

Fondazione Anna e Gabriele Braglia a Lugano

Artrust a Melano

Little Nemo Art Gallery a Lugano

L’Imago Art Gallery a Lugano

As we have seen, therefore, the cultural offer of the Canton Ticino is very heterogeneous and varied and allows art lovers in all its forms to carve out their own space to live a different day at the gates of Italy.