This major retrospective of influential Viennese photographer Lisette Model (1901-83) continues Kunsthalle Wien’s intent to highlight exiled Austrian artists. After an initial interest in music – studying under Schöneberg in Vienna – she took up photography in her 30s. Her perceptive visions of bougeoise life on the Côte d’Azur were published in the US during World War II under the title ‘Why France Fell’. Musical themes dominated her American exile where she took the now famous shots of jazz pioneers performing at clubs and festivals. These photos form the core of the show and are displayed with musical extracts by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Chico Hamilton.
Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
September 22, 2009 - Comments Off
52 oils paintings and watercolours spanning over 60 years make up this important retrospective of Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, one of German expressionism’s most outstanding exponents. A founder member of the Die Brücke group in 1905, Schmidt-Rottluff experimented first with neo-impressionism and later re-created nature in his own fashion. In the pre-war years, he produced a large number of sensual primitivist nudes. Declared ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis, Schmidt-Rottluff survived and continued painting until the 1960s.
Popcorn
September 18, 2009 - Comments Off
Ben Elton’s satire on Hollywood ‘Popcorn’, adapted from his novel to the stage, won the 1998 Olivier Award. An Oscar-winning director is taken hostage by a pair of serial killers who have based themselves on characters from his films. Now the director, who acts and talks like a cross between Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino, must face the moral consequences of his influence on popular culture. A witty, violent tale that addresses serious issues.
The Weir
August 13, 2009 - Comments Off
The Arden Theatre presents Irish wunderkind Conor McPherson’s Broadway hit, ‘The Weir’, in its Philadelphia première. Winner of two 1998 Olivier Awards including Best New Play, ‘The Weir’ is a stirring tale about people losing and looking for kindred spirits. Taking place in a rural Irish pub, a fascinating story unfolds as a mysterious outsider, bringing promises of a new lease on life, captures the imagination of the bar’s regulars. Drinking ensues and the barroom chat soon becomes a series of increasingly spooky and distressing tales.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
August 3, 2009 - Comments Off
With a prime berth on the Grand Canal and one of the world’s greatest collections of Modern Art, this is the perfect place to escape from all those Madonna and Child altarpieces. The Collection, amassed by and hung in the former home of an American heiress, takes you from Cubism to Pollock via the Surrealists and early Abstractionists. The shady tree-filled Sculpture Garden is an oasis of green with works from the famous Nasher Collection in Dallas, and the team of international art students who run the place will give you all the help you need.
Summer nights at the Parterre
July 7, 2009 - Comments Off
The Parterre, near Piazza della Libertà, is one of Florence’s most popular outdoor summer venues and it offers a huge variety of activities. Starting in the late afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, kids are catered for with shows and games. Cocktails are served on the terrace at sunset and live concerts – jazz, world music, blues, hip hop – are held every night at 10pm. A bar, snack bar, ice cream and frozen yoghurt stands are nearby to fill your belly and sporting events are projected onto a giant screen.
