Tag Archive: Perugia


PICTURE POST #5 : WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

Filed under: Italy, Photography — Leave a comment
October 7, 2013
Putting words to images.

I took this picture in Perugia, Italy.

I don’t know who the sculptor is but I can all too easily relate to the idea behind it.

To make progress with any undertaking there needs to be co-operation and communication. When this is absent you can never be sure who’s supposed to be pushing and who should be pulling. The end result is stagnation.

I’ve experienced this many times both in and out of my workplace.

Feelings of being stuck are enemies of creativity and wellbeing. Sometimes all it takes is the realisation that all the time you’ve been pushing hard when you should be pulling ( or vice versa).

And sometimes you just need to let go!

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THE RATS WHO RULE OUR WORLD

Filed under: Books, Fiction, Italy, Politics — Leave a comment
September 15, 2013

RATKING by Michael Dibdin (Faber & Faber, 1988)

“A ratking is something that happens when too many rats live in too small a space under too much pressure”.

A ratking is not a creature but a condition. It’s a state of a nation.

Dibdin’s subject is Italy, a country where state corruption is so advanced as be as deadly as an inoperable form of cancer. Italy is one of the most conspicuous examples of the misuse of power and the decay of democracy but it is not alone. This novel could be set elsewhere and be just as damning but, at the same time, it is Dibdin’s accurate sense of place that gives the story its credibility.

Ostensibly, this is a generic crime thriller with a maverick cop , Aurelio Zen, appointed to a high-profile kidnapping case. The victim is the head of a prominent Miletti family in Perugia, Umbria. This man has four children and as the investigations proceed the dysfunctional relations between these siblings suggests that the demise of their father would not necessarily be a cause of grieving.

Zen is under no illusions that the can of worms he uncovers will be closed happily. Neither does he see the resolution of the case as being anything but an isolated victory against the wealthy lawyers, politicians and criminals who control the institutions. His pessimism is understandable but also a little frustrating for any reader looking for a more inspirational figure.

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THE SELF EXPOSED

Filed under: Gender, Photography — 1 Comment
September 11, 2013

Il Corpo Solitario (the solitary body) is a small exhibition of photographic works at  the Palazzo della Penna, Perugia which runs until 27th October 2013.

On display are a series of self portraits.  Many  are nudes though none are meant to titillate.

They show  nakedness as a way of showing the self in its most exposed state.

These are two images (photos of photos), The first is by Giada Rochira called Pensanda (Thinking) which I like for the strong, almost defiant pose of the subject

The second by Rosy Martin makes a fairly bleak statement about ageing with a work entitled  ‘The vagina begins to shrivel …..’  which features an extended quote by David Reuben from ‘Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask’ telling women things they’d rather not know about.

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BOOKS, ART AND A DONKEY

Filed under: Books, Italy, Modern Art, Photography — Leave a comment
July 16, 2013

One of the highlights of a recent trip to Perugia was an exhibition in the Palazzo della Penna entitled L’arte è un romanzo (Art is a novel)  which opened on 24 April 2013 and runs until 1st September.

Curated by  Luca Beatrice, this examines how visual art influences books and how books influence contemporary art.

The exhibition is divided into 20 ‘chapters’  and includes photographs, paintings, illustrations, video installations, sculptures and quotations including section on cheap romance, literary classics, science fiction and books for kids.

With such a wide variety of works there is no single theme that stands out but it’s a lively and stimulating show.

While presenting a fresh perspective on our image dominated culture, it is a reminder that words still matter.

My photo shows the centrepiece of the exhibition : Asnería conceived by Pilar Albarracìn – a stuffed donkey surrounded by a mountain of books.

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UMBRIA JAZZ AT 40

Filed under: Italy, Music — Leave a comment
July 12, 2013

umbria-jazz-2013Umbria Jazz held in Perugia is more of an annual happening than what you would call an out-and-out festival.

This being Italy, there’s no camping out in muddy fields or any risk of contracting e-coli; you may occasionally be hit by freak storms but the climate is generally quite reliable and much better suited to being exposed to the elements.

There are big daily concerts every evening at the Arena at Santa Giuliana. This year’s attractions include Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Marco Biondi and Gilberto Gil with the price of the best seats ranging from €45 to a whopping €120 (for Jarrett). John Legend dispensed with seating altogether and made everyone pay €40 for the privilege of watching him while standing (dancing?).

Being on a budget of €0, I ignored all of these star names, preferring the cheaper and to my mind more enjoyable experience of soaking up the lively street atmosphere downtown. Continue reading →

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