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Pimm's Good: Monday Night Jazz in Trastevere

Monday night is always funny. It's the night you'd - theoretically - never dream of doing anything. Either because you're still tired from the weekend or already tired from your first day at work. And yet, practically, you often find yourself missing the fun of a Saturday night and wishing you had somewhere to go. Thanks to Pimm's Good, a bar in the heart of Rome's Trastevere, I may have my new "appuntamento fisso".

Open all day, and serving everything from coffee and chocolate cake to curry and quiche, Pimm's Good comes alive on a Monday night with live music starting from about 9pm, and going on past midnight. Last Monday was 1920's jazz night, and last night we skipped a couple of decades into the 1940s with Red Pellini and Andrea Pagani playing, respectively, the saxophone and the piano. Towards the end of the night a gentleman joined them and did a beautiful rendition of "Georgia on My Mind". The atmosphere was just great - it's such a rare pleasure to experience live music in a bar in Rome like this. Next Monday we were promised Calypso music, so I plan to be there for sure.

Another very good reason to come here: the cocktails. Alejandro, the barman, mixes perfect drinks (which are about as rare to find in Rome as the aforementioned live music) and his Manhattan was the best I ever had.

Pimm's Good Via di Santa Dorotea, 8  00153 Roma, Italy 06 97277979

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Circolo degli Artisti Concert: 2CELLOS

On Saturday, March 9th 2013 Rome's Circolo degli Artisti hosted the young Coatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser - better known as 2CELLOS. The concert was simply amazing! The duo performed the song for which they are, perhaps, most famous - Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" as well as other terrific tracks like "With or Without You", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Highway to Hell". The crowd was going crazy and 2CELLOS were just mind-blowing, both as musicians and entertainers.  

Circolo degli Artisti Via Casilina Vecchia, 42 00182 Rome, Italy 

Phone:+39 06 7030 5684

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I thought this was just so beautiful and wanted to share....!

That’s not Photoshop. The Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde has developed a way to create a small, perfect white cloud in the middle of a room. It requires meticulous planning: the temperature, humidity and lighting all have to be just so. Once everything is ready, Smilde summons the cloud out of the air using a fog machine. It lasts only moments, but the effect is dramatic and strangely moving. It evokes both the surrealism of Magritte and the classical beauty of the old masters while reminding us of the ephemerality of art and nature.

http://techland.time.com/2012/11/01/best-inventions-of-the-year-2012/slide/

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2011 to 2013: Same Old, Same Old

Memories from Frieze Week, London 2011 ... and not much has changed. 

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Vernissage: Parachuting Pope in Rome Spazio 88

It was a busy Thursday evening in Rome; lots of (potentially interesting) shows opening, one of them near Via Giulia featuring works exclusively by Dennis Oppenheim. Leaving the venue, after having spent some time studying the art and checking out the eclectic crowd, there I was on my way to dinner when I noticed that Spazio 88 in Via Dei Cappellari 88 was having a vernissage too. Greeted at the door by the world's most adorable Jack Russel pup I just had to come in. On show were pieces by Matelica-born artist Andrea Boldrini, collectively titled Deep Sky.

His painting were, puzzling, to say the least. Having never previously heard of this marchigiano artist I did some research when I got home. Curious character: born in 1963, studied (among other things) Biblical Studies, is interested in astronomy (is the director of an observatory), teaches law and actively fights against light pollution! Ah, now everything makes more sense.

Boldrini's art, certainly, reflects his interests. Cosmogony, symbolic flocks of sheep, the Pope, blinding light, apocalyptic horizons, and the general sensation of angst – all overwhelm his paintings; the curator himself, Giancarlo Carpi, delightfully describes the body of work as "phantasmagoria". The, mainly figurative, works attempt to convey the kind of Weltschmerz present in the works of Bacon and Munch. Think, silent screams, unnatural contortions, figures suspended in a menacing void.

Though, for the most part, Boldrini's works did not appeal to me, appearing kitsch and ostentatious, I did quite enjoy some of these grotesque characters. Particularly the parachuting Pope, who is depicted landing on sheep-filled field.

Associazione Spazio 88

Via dei Cappellari, 88, Rome

Phone:+39 06 6880 5846

Opening times: Tuesday - Saturday from 4pm-8pm

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Vernissage Dennis Oppenheim "Device to Root Out Evil" - Montoro12 Contemporary Art Rome

Rome's new art space Montoro12 Contemporary Art is showing an exhibition by recently deceased US giant of the contemporary art world, Dennis Oppenheim. 

Famous for his stage designs and topsy-turvy sculptures, as written in his 2011 obituare in the New York Times, Oppenheim was also a man of great passion and showmanship: "He was always a showman, not averse to the circuslike, or to courting danger. For “Rocked Circle — Fear,” a 1971 body art piece, he stood at the center of a five-foot-wide circle painted on a New York sidewalk while a friend dropped fist-size stones from three stories above, aiming for inside the circle without hitting the artist".

The exhibition in Montoro 12 looks at some of the artist's most famous works, such as "Device to Root Out Evil", an upside downchurch hammered into the ground by its steeple. There's a nice selection of the artist's original sketches and futuristic models.

Montoro12 Contemporary Art Via di Montoro, 12  00186 Roma info@montoro12.it - tel. (+39) 06-68308500 

Open Tue - Sat, 11AM - 7PM

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Special: Vienna Magnum

Vienna's best photography gallery Fotomuseum WestLicht Wien has done it again - a fantastic exhibition titled In Our Time Magnum 1947 - 1987 dedicated to the famous photo cooperative founded by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour (Chim) in 1947. Standing for the highest standards of photographic journalism and very difficult to become a member of, this group has consistently produced iconic photographs throughout the decades. Photographs of famous politicians and entertainers; photographs of major current events; photographs sensitive to human tragedy and natural disaster; photographs capturing the beautiful, the poignant and the funny. Cartier-Bresson, often called "the father of photojournalism" is quoted to have said a particularly beautiful thing:

“In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a Leitmotiv.” 

I have always found this to be both very inspiration and, of course, very true. 

This exhibit a walk down memory lane, so to speak. No Parr - instead, lots of Elliott Erwitt, Burt Glinn, René Burri & Co. An exhibition full of images that intrigue, amuse and move to tears. Exhibition running  from the 7th of December 2012 to the 10th of February 2013. 

Fotomuseum WestLicht  

Westbahnstr. 40 - 1070 Wien Austria   Hours:  Tue, Wed, Fri 2-7pm, Thu 2-9pm  Sat, Sun 11am-7pm  

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Happy 2013!

Warm wishes for a happy new year! May it be filled with inspiration, pleasant surprises and wonderful change for the better!

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Stockholm's Fotografiska Museum - Christer Stromholm Retrospective

Following my post about Swedish decor & food comes a special note about the exhibition in Stockholm's Fotografiska Museum. I was lucky enough to be there just before the closing of a Christer Strömholm retrospective. The exhibition marked ten years since the death of the great Swedish photographer and displays over 150 works by Strömholm, the most striking of them taken in Paris, France.

Perhaps most famous for his series Your Friends at the Place Blanche (1959-1968), the photographer demonstrates sensitivity and open-mindedness depicting the  loud, colourful (despite being in black & white) "night birds", as the transsexuals were then called. The wonderful text accompanying the exhibition is intelligent, informative and brings to life these, surprisingly daring, modern and timeless photographs. This one titled Jackie is a great example:

After the exhibition I was introduced to another delightful local tradition: Sunday Brunch! Fotografiska is famous for having one of the best in town, and I cannot recommend it enough. If you like the idea of a never-ending selection of delicacies like smoked salmon, poached eggs, smoked cheese, baked beets, smooth herring, fresh berry pie, champagne & more - you will love brunch at Fotografiska. Call or email in advance to book a table!

Contact Information:

Fotografiska Stadsgårdshamnen 22 116 45 Stockholm

Telephone: +46 (0)8 50 900 500

E-mail: info@fotografiska.eu

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Special: Swedish Treats

Something I particularly love about traveling and new cultures, is the culinary side of things. My trip to Sweden allowed me to experience famous favourites (who does't know and love Köttbullar?!) and discover new treats! For someone who loves fish and pastries (separately, of course) as much as I do, Sweden was Heaven. Here are some of my favourite snapshots from Stockholm and Gothenburg. 

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Special: Swedish Elegance

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Sweden. The country pleasantly surprised me: it was not as cold as was promised, and it was sunny despite the fact that I was told that sunshine was practically a myth on November; people were incredibly helpful, polite and efficient; Stockholm felt international and cosy at the same time; Swedish design, taste, elegance and ingenuity were present each step of the way. Here are some of my favourite memories from Stockholm and Gothenburg. 

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Vienna Special: Male Nudity Taboo

The Leopold Museum in Vienna, famous worldwide of course for its staggering (currently, ever-diminishing), dubiously acquired Egon Schiele collection, has been making national and international headlines since October 2012 with its current temporary exhibition nude men from 1800 to the present day.

Never in recent history has a Viennese art exhibition sparked such lively discussion and argument, such extreme disdain and smug appreciation. On one hand, you have the prudes: "What a ridiculous, vulgar idea - naked men! Trash!". On the opposite side we have the curious and the progressives, pointing out that women have been depicted nude since the dawn of time, and in modern society are revealed as such in painting, photography, advertisements, films, video games, music clips and so on. So what is the big deal about male nudity?

Regardless of whose side you are on, we can all agree on one thing: the male nude is a taboo in modern society.

This was, of course not always the case. The exhibition opens with statues from Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, showing us that the male nude has been around – much like the female – for as long as there has been figurative art. The museums' choice of the ancient example, however, is quite "tame". The male nude was not always stoic or even realistic (as is suggested by this exhibition). One visit to either Pompeii of the Naples Archeological Museum will illustrate this; erect, extremely enlarged penises were common and socially acceptable in the Ancient World.

They were not a taboo and were depicted frequently, their size often exaggerated in frescoes. They are found everywhere, in all shapes and sizes: phallic-shaped pendants were worn by children for good luck, statues depicting the gods had them, famous writers openly wrote about male genitalia, and penis-sculptures were turned into charming everyday trinkets like lamps, door handles, bells, and much more.

Leaving behind the Ancient world we move into the 1800s, 1900s and modern times. The nude male form as it was depicted in art throughout the centuries is celebrated, ridiculed, fetishized and dissected in the works of the greats like Schiele, Warhol, Cézanne, Cocteau, Joseph-Désiré Court and many, many more. Here too it seems acceptable, natural, and not at all shocking. Why, then, does it appear scandalous in modern photography, film and installation, and why does an exhibition dedicated exclusively to this topic make so many people feel uncomfortable? Is it a matter of hyper-realism, or are we just uncomfortable in our new roles?

Art historian Eva Kernbauer, from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, makes an interesting point in commenting that, traditionally, while female nudity had been linked to eroticism, beauty and a certain vulnerability and humility, the male nudity was associated with strength, power and a challenge. This makes sense, since even on a basic level the male sexual organ is more aggressive and evident than the female.

Since the ancient times, however, much has been done to alter the role of the female nude in art, and the old concept was challenged and overturned thanks to artists like Gustave Courbet, David LaChapelle, Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville and many others. The female nude is no longer necessarily aesthetically pleasing; and if it is, then it is certainly not humble or vulnerable.

Yet if we are willing to recognize the change in the role of the female nude, why is it so difficult to accept its change in the male? Perhaps, because we simply need more time. Further, new roles assigned to the male nude by artists like Mapplethorpe, Nan Goldin and others oftentimes radically transforms the "classical hero" into a tender, seductive homosexual lover. This is not a role that everyone is fully comfortable with.

  The "crown jewel" of the show, which caused so much public uproar when it was selected to advertise the exhibition, is Pierre et Gilles' Vive la France: a giant full-frontal photograph of three naked football players. As reported by the country's prime news channel ORF 1 the exhibition's poster and its well-endowed subjects were described as everything from "embarrassing" to "pornographic". The posters were "censored", the men's genitalia covered up with red band. It was reported that more women complained than men; one woman allegedly threatened to grab a brush and start painting the posters over herself. Ironically, in all my time visiting this museum, I have never seen longer lines at the ticket office.

Paradoxically, while the posters throughout the city were covered up due to alleged public criticism, Ilse Haider's Mr. Big (first picture) remains outside the museum doors, welcoming the eager crowds... and continues to be "used as a children's playground", comments the press spokesman for the Leopold Museum. 

  19.10.2012 – 04.03.2013

Leopold Museum im MuseumsQuartier Wien 
U2 MuseumsQuartier 

Opening Hours:��        
 Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun          - 10am–6pm
 Tue                                 - Closed
 Thu                                 - 10am–9pm

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Vernissage: Rome International Photography Festival FotoGrafia

Some photos from the vernissage of FotoGrafia at MACRO Testaccio in Rome on September 20th, 2012... and some post-vernissage dinner in Testaccio.

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Vernissage Photos: YTO BARRADA / ANDERS PETERSEN

Some photos from the YTO BARRADA / ANDERS PETERSEN vernissage at MACRO in Rome on September 19th, 2012. 

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Vernissage: Anders Petersen 2012 Photographic Tribute to Rome at MUSEO D'ARTE CONTEMPORANEA ROMA (MACRO)

Anders Petersen was born in Stockholm, Sweden and spent most of his life living between Sweden and Germany. He is an internationally renown photographer, who boasts numerous solo exhibitions in cities all over the world, including Istanbul, Prague, Moscow, New York, Tokyo – and now, for the second time since 2005, the Eternal City. The photographer's monochrome works are characterized by stark lights and darks and, often, disturbing and provocative subjects.

The exhibition titled simply Rome, a diary 2012 is organized as a part of Rome's upcoming international photography festival FotoGrafia, and will be on display until the 28th of October 2012. The Swedish artist was formally invited back to Rome this past July, seven years since his last visit, and was commissioned to produce a new photographic record of the Italian capital. Every year FotoGrafia bestows this honour on a different international professional, and it is a privilege to admire Rome, once again, through the eyes of Anders Petersen.

Curated, as in 2005, by Marco Delogu, the exhibition depicts Rome as anything but your average tourist's Heaven (or Hell, depending on how you look at it). The setting is the Roman street or a sinister, private home, often at their filthiest; the subjects are the Romans themselves, typically at their least graceful and chic. Peterson's protagonists and foci are the homeless, wrecked vintage cars, blemished tattooed bodies, tattered billboards, sexual acts, snapshots of decaying buildings, and evocative portraits. They are sometimes repulsive, other times beautiful, but above all mesmerizing. At the heart of Petersen's work is the Eternal City not as an romanticized Roman Holiday but, rather, as the very real, paradoxical and contradictory place that it is.

Contact Details:

MUSEO D'ARTE CONTEMPORANEA ROMA - MACRO

via Reggio Emilia, 54 (second entrance via Nizza corner of via Cagliari)

Tel 06 671070400 FAX 06 8554090

YTO BARRADA / ANDERS PETERSEN -  from 19/9/2012 to 11/11/2012

Tue - Sun 11am-7pm (7pm-9pm free entry to non exhibition spaces), Saturday 11am-10pm

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Restaurant: Pastificio Sanlorenzo in Rome

  The events on my agenda for tonight were two art openings, both outside the historic city centre, in the young, artsy and hip area of San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo, heavily bombarded during the Second World War, was almost entirely rebuilt from the ground, it's architecture quite plane and monotonous. Today, still associated with communists, hippies and bohemians, the area's many restaurants, bars, cafes, galleries and piazzas are flooded with students, musicians, artists and locals. It's a very different atmosphere, and is a place that, frankly, feels more like Barcelona than Rome. 

After seeing the second art show, and meeting the wonderfully personable, charming Jan Stradtmann at his vernissage at Bloo Gallery (more about this tomorrow, I promise), I was absolutely famished and in need of a nice glass of wine. We decided to look no further than Via Tiburtina, and stepped into the first restaurant we saw: it happened to be Pastificio Sanlorenzo.

  I'm too tired to write about the exhibitions tonight, but I feel like I have to share this new discovery with everyone, because it's truly phenomenal. Remember how I said San Lorenzo felt like Barcelona? Well, Pastificio Sanlorenzo feels like … a café in Paris. Beautiful, tasteful, chic. Large, airy, and full of natural light; in the evenings the mood is set with dim, romantic lighting; Coltrane playing softly in the background; beautiful furniture with a few delightful touches like vintage pommel horses; restaurant with an open kitchen; possibility of indoor and outdoor seating; impressive wine list and pleasant waiters floating in and out of the kitchen, carrying gastronomical works of art. Noteworthy too, are the two young Chefs running Pastificio Sanlorenzo: Fulvio Penta (student of Nazzareno Menghini, Hotel De Russie, student of Antonello Colonna, Open Colonna and Stefano Preli of Pastificio San Lorenzo) and Fabio Pecelli (Ristorante Reale, student of Nico Romito, Giuda Ballerino and student of Riccardo Di Giacinto, Ristorante All'Oro).

  I stayed just for an aperitivo, however the food was exquisite and beautifully presented: Fried anchovies with an herbal dip, warm foccaccia stuffed with prosciutto crudo and figs, supplì al telefono, chips 'Cacio e Pepe' and a glass of red or white wine. Delightful. I did not stay for dinner, but it looked beautiful: steak tartar, gnocchetti with clams, zucchini and squid, Vanilla crème brûlée with an apple and cinnamon ragout.

The prices are quite high, the crowd elegant and beautiful. Needless to say, I'm coming back for dinner very soon.

  Details:

PASTIFICIO SANLORENZO

Via Tiburtina 196-00185 Rome (near Pzz.le del Verano)

Phone and email reservations: +39 0697273519 

 pastificiosanlorenzo@pastificiocerere.it

 (Francesca De Rossi)

Open every evening from Monday to Saturday from 7.00pm to 2.00am. Sunday closed.

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Concert: Classical Music at Blackmarket in Monti

Tonight I experienced a beautiful and unusual evening at Blackmarket in Monti. Blackmarket, a young, hip bar in the heart of Rome's historic city centre, is slowly becoming my favourite place to be in the Eternal City - it has an intimate atmosphere, wonderful and tasteful decor, great music, good drinks, and - above all - wonderful live events. In conjunction with Unplugged in Monti the club hosts cosy private concerts featuring international indie musicians. I promise to write more about them later, in another post. Their second season officially kicked off just a couple of weeks ago so, undoubtedly, there will be lots of material to cover.

But tonight's event steered off the usual path of rock and into the realm of classical music. The atmosphere was something comparable only to a scene in an 18th Century-set film: printed wallpapers, antique mirrors, dim lighting; a small gathering of young ladies and gentlemen, dressed elegantly, whispering amongst each other while sipping wine and Champagne; a trio dressed in black performing Bach, Mozart and Strauss. It was absolutely magical; the musicians played their set beautifully - it was such a treat, I hope for an encore soon.

Details:

Via Panisperna 101, Rione Monti

00184 Rome, Italy

Phone 339 822 7541

Email blackmarketmonti@gmail.com / blackmarket101@virgilio.it

Website http://www.black-market.it

For List of Events at Blackmarket:

http://www.unpluggedinmonti.com/