culture – The Cultural Exposé

That time I discovered high culture on my doorstep: Investec Opera Holland Park London

Matilda — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 19:52:31 +0000

A funny thing happened last year. I was at home, minding my own business, when I received an out of the blue e-mail inviting me to get involved with a local project in my old neighbourhood. Can’t say I’d been one for extra-curricular activities in Kensington, but it turns out, the ‘local project’ was Opera Holland Park – an annual season of affordable outdoor productions in one of the loveliest parks in west London. Seriously: if you haven’t hung out in Holland Park yet – home to wandering peacocks, a giant chess board and an idyllic Japanese garden – you should get that on the bucket list, stat.

I ended up seeing a performance of a 19th-century Russian opera called Queen of Spades, and as morbid as it was, watching it under a canopy on a mild summer eve was one for the best night outs I’d had in a while. And I’m not even into opera!

The 2017 season just kicked off and runs until 29th July – so if you’re looking for something different to do this summer, this is a great shout. Check out my experience of last year’s event below:

The Performance

Behind The Scenes

Find out more about Investec Opera Holland Park.

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Ever wondered where to go to try Nigerian food in London?

Matilda — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 13:33:42 +0000

Did you see the piece I did last year about Nigerian culture for Time Out London? No worries – you can check it out here. I mention some of my favourite spots including 805 restaurant in Peckham and the Soboye boutique in Shoreditch.

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What we’ve been up to… the Havana Cultura: Anthology launch, Shoreditch

Matilda — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 10:39:55 +0000

A few weeks back, I enjoyed the most incredible week of music. Robert Glasper Experiment on a Monday. Miguel Atenwood-Ferguson’s Suite for Ma Dukes on a Tuesday. Then, the launch of the latest Havana Cultura album on a Wednesday, which wasn’t just a fun night out of discussions led by Gilles Peterson and live performances (shout out to Havana Rum for the grub and cocktails), but it absolutely schooled me on everything I never knew about the brilliant, long-running project to champion Cuban artists. I also got to see the stunning Dayme Arocena – who’s been described as the Cuban Jill Scott and recorded her first EP via the initiative. Learn more about Havana Cultura here and check out some pics from the night below.

Pic: Fabrice Bourgelle

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8 photos that sum up my love for the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Matilda — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 07:30:13 +0000

Every Autumn, London gets peak arty with Frieze, Moniker and The Other Art Fair – but it’s the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair that I love the most. Taking place from October 6-9, the fair presented more than 40 exhibitors reppin’ for 18 of the 54 countries from the continent (hence the fair’s name).

Highlights

This year’s heavily Instagrammed highlight was Zak Ové’s ‘Black and Blue: The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness’ installation, where 40 Yoruba-masked statues stood proudly in the Somerset House courtyard. Elsewhere, there were strong flicks from Malick Sidibé in the artist’s first UK solo exhibition and even a free film forum – but here’s a summary of my favourite bits from this year’s show in photos.

Did you go to the 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair this year? What was your highlight? Let me know in the comments!

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Photos: Afropunk London at Alexandra Palace

Matilda — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 07:30:53 +0000

AFROPUNK LONDON. It came, saw and it truly conquered, not least in part to the stylish people who came out to SLAY, the solid musical line-up (Grace Jones…WOW) and the positive vibes all day long. Was it perfect? Not at all (Ally Pally is a mission for starters and the indoor setup? Meh.) but the highlights definitely outweighed the shortcomings, and so I don’t doubt 2017 is gonna be a smash. Here’s a few of my snaps from the day:

Did you make it to Afropunk London? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… Duke of York Square

Matilda — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:00:18 +0000

Unless you’re made in Chelsea, there’s a slim chance the Duke of York Square is at the top of your radar. But after being invited along to an evening which showcased everything this swanky shopping complex has to offer, here’s five reasons why it’s worth a visit:

It’s where you’ll find a branch of the world-renowned Taschen store

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Apr 22, 2016 at 2:11pm PDT

This is the maker of sexy art, design and photography books, many of which will look incredibly dope on a coffee table.

It’s also got a wonderful Italian spot in the form of Manicomio

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on May 17, 2016 at 4:20am PDT

This classy restaurant offers both indoor and alfresco dining, and considering the area, a reasonably priced set menu – you can get a three course meal for £23.75.

It’s the home of Saatchi Gallery

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on Apr 12, 2016 at 4:02am PDT

The next time you’re forced to queue up for nearly two hours for another Saatchi gallery exhibition – the nerve of that Louis Vuitton show! – get fed and watered somewhere around the DOYS beforehand (they’ve got a Polpo cafe) so at least you’re not starving to death. That said, the Rolling Stones exhibition is on until 4th September and since it’s ticketed, you’ll be spared the hassle to get in.

There’s a party for the Queen on June 12th

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on Apr 21, 2016 at 1:08am PDT

Her majesty is turning 90, so there’s going to be a street party with plenty of fine food, booze and cake – and we’re all invited!

And the Square is hosting a screening of the Wimbledon semi-finals and finals from 8-10th July

Strawberries & Screen will be your chance to pitch up on bean bags, munch on picnic food, sip Pimms and catch all the action at SW19 for free.

Have you been to the Duke of York Square? What do you love about it? Tell me all about it in the comments!

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Why you need to go to the Musee du quai Branly the next time you’re in Paris

Matilda — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 07:04:38 +0000

I had a whale of a time in Paris last spring, hitting up the usual suspects – shout out to the Louvre! – and eating all the good food. But I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why the Musée du quai Branly fell off my radar: it’s totally my kind of museum. Committed to promoting the art of indigenous cultures from Africa, Asia and the Americas, quai Branly has been going strong for only 10 years – but in that time it’s produced culturally-rich and thought-provoking shows that’s made it a brilliant institution in its own right. I popped in on a recent day trip to Paris and discovered five more reasons it’s so dope:

1. It’s along the river Seine

And might I add, you can’t miss it, mainly because it’s insanely close to the Eiffel Tower and…

2. …it’s housed in a weird and wonderful building designed by Jean Nouvel

The great thing about modern museums is that they tend to go HAM on the architectural front, and Nouvel’s multi-structural, earthy-toned compound in the middle of a garden is every bit eclectic as it is distinctive.

3. It’s the French version of the Barbican – but better

And by that, I mean it’s humongous (not ugly, though some might beg to differ) and feels more like a destination space for chilling than just checking out whatever exhibition(s) are on show. For instance, they give up their outdoor space to revellers during the annual Siestes électroniques – a music festival that takes place in the summer.

Matahoata, Arts & society of the Marquesas Islands

4. There are some solid shows on the schedule this year

On my visit I got to whizz around three great shows: Matahoata: Arts and society in the Marquesa Islands, which highlights cultural artefacts from one of the most remote islands in the world (on until 24th July); Dakar 66: Chronicles of a Pan-African Festival, a retrospective of stunning artefacts from a ground-breaking arts festival in Senegal in the ’60s (on until 15th May); and Persona, Strangely Human – a intriguing presentation of the relationship between technology and humanity (on until 13th November).

5. You can make it a day trip – 2 hours from London and a 30ish min jaunt from Gare du Nord.

Gotta love the Eurostar.

Visit the Musée du quai Branly website to find out more.

Many thanks to Alambret Communication for the invite.

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Currently reading: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Matilda — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 08:52:38 +0000

I’d never heard of Ta-Nehisi Coates until an episode of This American Life. The exact theme escapes me, but the story where his name popped up was about a guy who had writer friend he’d grown up with but he’d become so famous, he was rubbing shoulders with Barack and Jay-Z. All because he could grasp race and politics in a way that hadn’t been seen since fellow New Yorker James Baldwin. Naturally, I was intrigued. Who was this cool writer in the US that loved hip-hop and was writing about the race? It took me a while to find him because I googled his name phonetically (“Tanaheesy?”) but a couple of pals happened to be reading his book Between the World and Me. One of those lovely peeps eventually gave me his copy.

So far, it’s so good (Ta-Nehisi is a beautiful writer) and it could easily be the literary companion to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, one of my favourite albums in 2015 – but I’m taking an absolute age to get through it. There’s much to chew over with this one…

Have you read Between the World and Me? What did you think of it?

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9 things I learned on my holiday to Tokyo

Matilda — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 11:03:51 +0000

If you’ve been flicking through my Insta feed of late, you’ll notice I spent the last part of February in Tokyo. It’s a city I’ve always wanted to visit for as long as I’ve been hip to bento boxes, Sony tech, Muji, Uniqlo and Streetfighter’s Ryu (what a bae, eh?). And of course, Lost in Translation. I was out there to run the Tokyo Marathon, but the city itself was quite an eye-opener. Here’s nine things I learned from my trip:

No lie: this is the best ramen I’ve had in my life. So cheap too #tillyinTokyo #photography #iphoneography #japan #vacay

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Feb 22, 2016 at 7:28am PST

Every London street needs an Izakaya

“Izakayas” are these cosy eating and drinking spots that seat like, eight people (?) max – and you can expect to get some of the most delicious food that costs next to nothing. On the night of my arrival, the friends and I visited one not far from our AirBnB for a piping hot bowl of ramen and gyoza on the side. Total cost? Six quid!

Being the only Black American Woman in an entire city is weird – but it has its advantages

I know there were others in town, but they were few and far between (but when I did see a fellow sista, we gave each other that look and nod that basically meant “Black lives DO matter even if we’re in the minority right now. Keep ya head up”). Still, I didn’t catch a whiff of racism and figured if I dropped the name “Kobe Bryant” in all conversations, the Japanese would appreciate I knew their love for US basketball, America and the sixth largest city in Japan that produces some really tasty beef.

Plus, when you’re probably the only Black American Woman running a marathon, people WILL notice you, like this kind chap:

@megerecooper I don’t know you, but you looked elegant so I took these photos. pic.twitter.com/4rFAinQRPF

— Philbert Ono (@philbertono) February 29, 2016

I’m kind of fat in Japan

I was very happy to discover the biggest Uniqlo in the World is in Tokyo. It’s one of my favourite clothing shops, and I’m well aware that I have to pick up most items in a Medium or Large. Not so in Japan. I could only fit in XLs, which my self-esteem didn’t like very much.

The first (and last) time I’ll have sushi (including “sea urchin”) for breakfast… tasted good though #daiwasushi #tillyinTokyo #iphoneography #japan #vacay A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:31pm PST

I’m not 100% sure about sushi now

We all know proper sushi is raw. But in the UK, restaurants aren’t even allowed to roll like that, so even if your sashimi or nigiri looks and feels quite fleshy, it’s been prepared in a way to remove any remnants of life for the sake of our health. Yet when in Tokyo, you get the raw deal. And you know it’s raw. Why? Because you’re eating it in a fish market, at 8am in the morning, because that’s the time you will have the freshest fish that was probably caught 30 minutes before you sat down and ate it. Let’s just say it was an… experience. A tasty one to be fair, but I had to give up on the roe aka “baby Nemo” maki. That’s just going too far now.

Google Maps is my ride or die

The only time I got lost in Tokyo was when my phone died. Thankfully, the good people of Japan that evening went so far as to map out the way to get to my destination (one guy in a shop actually disappeared for 20 minutes to find a computer to print out a map for me, bless him). But even with three maps in my hand, I still struggled to find my way. Never will I underestimate Google Maps again.

Insane in the membrane #takashimurakami #contemporaryart #culture #tillyinTokyo #japan #vacay A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Feb 24, 2016 at 12:57am PST

The city is demented and blissful in equal measure

I saw some very strange things out there, not least the Takashi Murakami exhibition at the Mori Art Museum. But that was an intentional kind of weird. On other days, I’d find there was alot going on beyond the city’s flashing neon lights, Hello Kitty references and the occasional spotting of a Harajuku girl. I walked into one shop that looked and sounded like it had a serious case of ADHD. Thank God I was only looking for KitKats, so I could get out of there quickly (speaking of: I brought so many different flavours back home like Strawberry Cheesecake, Green Tea and even Sweet Potato!). But on the flipside, you can walk through an area like Ueno where all calm is restored. How odd. Or as my friend put it: “bi-polar”.

I need some Japanese friends in my life

I’ve travelled to many places in my time, but this is one of the few occasions I’ve felt so welcome. And I liked a lot of their customs – like offering wet cloths at restaurants, the humility of bowing, the meticulous approach to everything or the habit of wearing sterilised masks to protect us from their germs (and here’s me thinking they were trying to protect themselves from us).

A few more flicks from last night’s run: the unusual suspects ( @rkrkrk ) #btgtokyo #bridgethegap #rundemcrew #tillyinTokyo #tokyomarathonsooncome #japan #vacay

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Feb 24, 2016 at 10:25pm PST

Everyone should run the Tokyo Marathon

The organisation, the crowd support, the route (for the most part: there were four nasty inclines at the end, boo!) – I’d give it a ten out of ten. And you get a very lovely medal! Plus, the “Japanese Run Dem Crew” AFE Tokyo hosted a “Bridge the Gap” weekend for all running crews coming in town for the race, and it was great to meet them.

And finally: Tokyo has some kickass toilets (that can actually clean ‘that ass’)

I’d heard the stories and seen the photos but seeing one of these superloos in real life was one of the highlights of my holiday. No matter where I was, every time I had to go, I was met by a mechanical contraption that appeared to take pleasure in my personal waste disposal. But really, the pleasure was all mine.

Have you been to Tokyo? What did you like about the city? What drove you mad? Let me know in the comments!

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My weekend in pictures: January 9

Matilda — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:30:53 +0000

The first weekend of the New Year was all about chilling at The Tabernacle in West London, the bar/gallery space that’s hosting the new SOUND SYSTEM CULTURE: London exhibition. All pics shot on a Canon 5D Mark 1 with a 24-105mm lens.

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