A busy month of travelling and cultural highlights as Summer tips into Autumn.
First, I make it to Venice – a city I always find enchanting. This is for the Venice Biennale: a large international art festival that is staged every two years. Much art, therefore. It is possible to fill five days but managed to bring this down to 3.5! This year, the curator was Brazilian, and chose for his theme: ‘Foreigners Everywhere’. Of course this was an open door for art depicting refugees, immigrants, emigrants, and multicultural contexts.
However, there was also plenty of exploration of identity, strangers to ourselves, etc.
“One is a stranger in a place where one is not recognized, or one does not recognize.”
Venice has to be one of my favourite places. So, time to visit quiet corners.
Also, found the Church that is featured in one of my favourite films: Don’t Look Now – staring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland.
A Nic Roeg film – again, a Director I find fascinating – Walkabout, Man Who Fell to Earth, etc.
Key to the film? As one of the first statement: Nothing is as it seems…
Also visit Burano: touristy but a lovely colourful place.
Back home and a chance to visit Belmont House in Lyme Regis. This is the former home of the author John Fowles. A writer of his age, and there was a time when we waited for his next novel like one waited for the next Beatles’ record. This to know their direction: what were they thinking, wearing, etc.
It was built in C18 and the inventor of ‘false stone’ and terracotta lived there : Eleonor Coede. It was certainly worst for wear when Fowles died and has been heavily renovated to the period. Still, it was possible to visit his writing room, the window where his had his desk, his view.
It also has an observatory built by another owner.
Fowles let the garden go wild – was delighted with the animals that lived there, flowers, etc.
Back in London, I attended a new production of Waiting for Godot – by Samuel Becket. I have seen it several times before but really liked this version. Well acted and personable. I saw how almost each exchange is a philosophical statement in itself – to be unpacked. For me, it also became a play about time. The famous line ‘Let’s go – we cannot – we are waiting for Godot’ is there of course. And then the realization that it does not matter that he will not come : they have fulfilled their responsibility and waited for him.
And, more art: this time the Expressionists: an exhibition of the The Blue Rider (early C20)– mostly – at the Tate Modern in London. This included, Kandinsky, Macke, Delauney, Klee and others.
CD of the month: I have been listening to Malipiero String Quartets – beautiful
Reading. The Eye of the Needle has preoccupied me this month: both as an exercise and the book of wisdom.
I was also invited to contribute a story to the World Bank of Stories. I chose The Wolf by the German author Hermann Hesse, whose work has always meant a lot to me.
The Wolf – Hermann Hesse (1907)