Tag Archive: Rome


SUBURRA – WHEN IN ROME…..

Filed under: Books, Fiction, Italy, Movies, Politics, Television — Leave a comment
November 8, 2015

SUBURRA directed by Stefano Solima (Italy, 2015)
suburra

If, this year, you had been inclined to follow the age-old advice to do in Rome as the Romans do you might have attended a Mafia funeral, joined those protesting against travel disruption or become embroiled in one of the numerous corruption scandals.

2015 has been a veritable ‘annus horribilis’ for the Eternal City.

In this context, the movie Suburra looks less like a work of fiction and more like an depressingly realistic depiction of current events.

The title takes us back to ancient times, referring to the notorious red-light district of the city. The 21st century equivalent is an equally squalid world where prostitution, institutionalised crime, violence and general levels debauchery are routine. Continue reading →

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A TALE OF TWO CULTS – KAHLO vs WARHOL

Filed under: Italy, Modern Art — Leave a comment
July 11, 2014

WARHOL – Palazzo Cipolla, Rome 

FRIDA KAHLO – Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome 

Andy Warhol Self-Portrait 1986

Andy Warhol Self-Portrait 1986

Frida Kahlo - Self Portrairt With Thorn Necklace And Hummingbird (1940)

Frida Kahlo – Self portrait With Thorn Necklace And Hummingbird (1940)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the face of it these two artists have little in common but after seeing the exhibitions of their works  in Rome back to back I got to thinking about the similarities in their distinctive styles.

Neither are what you would call classically good-looking but both are immediately recognisable through their self portraits, most of which feature them staring, straight-faced at the viewer.

“I am the subject I know best”, said Frida Kahlo while Andy Warhol brazenly presented himself on a par with the other celebrities he idolised.

They made no attempt to airbrush out the flaws in their appearance. Kahlo’s amazing eyebrows and visible moustache challenge conventional notions of female beauty while by donning silver wig and maintaining an impassive expression Warhol seems to be saying ‘Yes, I’m a freak – what of it?’

Kahlo and Warhol both created their own realities and , at the same time, each cultivated an enigmatic air of mystery. They anticipated what anyone who craves their 15 minutes of fame now takes for granted,  ie. the fine line between success and failure depends on how well you are able to control and manipulate your public image.

In their lifetimes Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón and Andrew Warhola achieved a cult following.

In death, exhibitions like these in Rome ensure they respectively maintain the kind of iconic status you suspect they individually knew was theirs by birthright.

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COOL FOLK IN CESENA

Filed under: Italy, Music — Leave a comment
June 14, 2013

Sylvie Lewis / Dawn Landes (Rocca Malatestiana, Cesena)

“I’m freezing my tits off up here!”

Wooden pallets for seating in the grounds of the town’s medieval fortress makes for a pleasant rustic setting. But it’s a bit on the chilly side! Both these folk maidens have underestimated the coolness of the evening and are wearing flimsy sleeveless summer dresses,. Hence Sylvie Lewis’ less than ladylike lament.

This free concert is part of a three-week European tour that also takes in Spain, France and Britain. Continue reading →

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LA GRANDE BELLEZZA : THE BITTER SWEET LIFE

Filed under: Italy, Movies, Music — 1 Comment
May 22, 2013

LA GRANDE BELLEZZA directed by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy, 2013)

Just as Marcello Mastroianni became synonymous with the films of Federico Fellini, Toni Servillo is a perfect match for Paolo Sorrentino.

Following from Le Consequenze dell’amore (2004) and Il Divo (2008) this is the third movie the gifted Neapolitan director has made with this brilliant actor.

The Fellini connections are also obvious both in the richly visual style of filmmaking and, here, with the setting. Yet, although this movie is rooted in similar themes of hedonistic excess, the Rome of La Grande Bellezza is a very different one from La Dolce Vita of 1960.

Servillo plays Jep Gambardella, a 65 year-old journalist who wrote one acclaimed novel in his twenties but nothing of note since. He seems largely content to amble around the city as a wry observer of the high and low cultural scene. Continue reading →

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CALIGINE : FOLK RAMBLINGS WITH FUZZY GUITARS

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January 21, 2013

Caligine’s Anomia Mediterranea

Caligine is, to all intents and purposes, the brainchild of one man although,as Gabriele de Seta loves playing with other people, he prefers to define the project more as a collective than a solo act. He’s an Italian who, for the past two years, has mainly divided his time between the Netherlands and China.

Having begun in 2007 by experimenting with harsh noise and found sounds on two volumes entitled Minimalia, Caligine’s new album Anomia Mediterranea is a more luminous and melodic collection of contaminated folk music.

The title track has spoken words (in Italian) that are all but drowned out by insistent drones and there’s even a brief hint of Carmina Burana in there if you listen carefully. These inserts make the musical journey so much more interesting, it’s as if each track begins with the intention of taking a direct line from A to B, then gets drawn to a sound or idea that lies a little off the beaten track.

The longest piece on the album, all 12 minutes and 26 seconds worth, is entitled ‘Cani di Paglia Divorano Tigri di Cartapesta’ which roughly translates as ‘straw dogs devour paper maché tigers’. This surreal ,even faintly savage, imagery belies the lyricism of the instrumental track where a rustic acoustic guitar has elements of Jack Rose’s work with Pelt in which traditional folk becomes gradually corroded by complimentary elements.

Other tracks make me think of Czech poet-musician Vladimir Vaclavek, self-styled neo-folk guru David Tibet and Six Organs of Admittance’s Ben Chasny. In addition, a brief piece of improvised acoustic guitar (Blitris) sounds like an homage to Derek Bailey. Continue reading →

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