Something you should see – The Cultural Exposé

Last chance to see… The Rolling Stones: 50 exhibition at Somerset House

Matilda — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:00:55 +0000

These candid and insightful photos captures the history of one of the world’s most iconic bands over half a century – from rebellious teen starters working the club circuit to wealthy aged rockers who can fill a stadium of diehard fans to this day. Admission to the exhibition (in the East Wing Galleries, East Wing) is FREE and on until August 27th.

For more info, visit www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/rolling-stones-50

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Something you should see… Tracey Emin’s She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea

Laura Thornley — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:27 +0000

Margate may not have always been kind to Tracey Emin but it has provided her with plenty of material for her self-reflective art. Her latest exhibition comprises work made in the past year and was made specifically for her hometown – with her being a wiser and less ‘mad Tracey from Margate’. Her tales of promiscuity and rape may not have inspired complete confidence in the coastal town, but don’t be put off, Margate is a great opportunity to take break from the capital to see the new show, which is part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Emin’s harshest critics may find themselves silenced by this new collection, most of which is straight from her studio. It shows the 50-year-old artist reflecting on her cruel experiences of Margate in a more mature way – revealing a new found affection for the location of past defiance. The works include sketching, sculpture, embroidery, the unmistakable neons and as always embody themes of eroticism, depression and love. Perhaps the greatest silencer of all is that her work will be hung alongside nude sketches by Turner and Rodin, highlighting the power she wields as a female artist representing herself, unlike years gone by. And ever the rebel, Emin continues to stick two fingers up to the Man – and we kind of like that! (Words: Laura Thornley)

She Lay Down Deep Beneath The Sea is showing at the Turner Contemporary, Margate until September 2012. For more info, visit http://www.turnercontemporary.org/exhibitions/tracey-emin-she-lay-down-deep-beneath-the-sea

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Something you should see… We Have a Pope

Apostolos Kostoulas — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:00:31 +0000

From a quick look at the plot – which revolves around a newly elected Pope that cannot bring himself to greet the faithful, leaving his advisors to seek help from a renowned psychoanalyst – you would be excused to think that this is nothing more than the Italian version of The King’s Speech. However, both films tackle a similar subject from two different angles.

Melville (Michel Piccoli), the central character, has the more daunting task of facing his fear of his new role and responsibilities on his own. After a brief awkward session with the psychoanalyst, Melville escapes the Vatican and starts wandering around the city. As expected, a legendary actor Piccoli perfectly captures the child-like enthusiasm with which Melville embraces the simple joys of life that he has been deprived from for a long time, adding a warm and affecting touch to these scenes and helping us feel emotionally connected to a character who happens to be the Pope.

Unfortunately, whenever the story moves away from Melville’s stroll to follow the life in the Vatican, the film loses some of its charm. By showing us how the initially disorientated psychoanalyst ends up appearing almost at ease, Moretti makes a nice point about how confinement does not necessarily equal unhappiness but these mostly comic scenes feel somewhat tame (with the exception of the impromptu volleyball game which is as fun as it sounds).

It is difficult though to be overly critical of a film that never succumbs to the forced sentimentality often associated with this type of stories. We Have a Pope’s strongest merit is that it manages to warm our hearts not by feeding us with the idealistic notion that “if you believe in yourself you can accomplish anything” but by helping us realise the sheer happiness that lies in accepting that not everyone needs to become a leader. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

In cinemas now.

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Something you should see…Gabriel Orozco at Tate Modern

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:34 +0000

The Empty Shoe Box you see in the middle of the fourth floor of Tate Modern isn’t just any old shoe box… it’s an Orozco shoe box. Reminiscent of how he found it to be something he could use to easily transport his belongings from one place to another, he reinterprets the idea of movement, the notion of constantly accumulating different places on his many travels with his biggest exhibition yet.

(To read the rest, visit our Tumblr blog…)

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