Damien Hirst, Tate Modern
Damien Hirst, Tate Modern.
4 April – 9 September 2012
This was the first time that I have voluntarily gone to see Damien Hirst’s work, of course I’ve learnt of his work from reading reviews in newspapers and I supposed this nourished my sceptical position and unwillingness to seek a deeper engagement with the work even when encountering it at group shows, collections etc. I felt that this retrospective was the right time and place for me to discover more. I must say my dubious mind-set had its advantage as there was a novelty in seeing a curation of his greatest, most sensational works.
I entered the gallery and admired Damien Hirst’s early
Spot Paintings from when he was still at, Goldsmith College. The raw, gloopy
painterly qualities of the spots and the faded colour palette of the household
acrylics had far more character and appeal (this could be because I’m a recent graduate)
as opposed to his more recent spot paintings that have a prestine, sharp,
formulated, commercial manifestation. This
feeling of rawness versus gleaming execution was something that remained
with me during the show: it may be a case of taste, an aversion towards the
transition or reinterpretation of the old qualities of the masters to a more
modern, repetitive and robotic expression. But, it
became apparent that these divergent forces have to exist at least to be in
harmony with the recurrent theme in this exhibition that wavers between life
and death. For instance, there is a sense of longevity and termination in depiction
of life-cycles in the animal vitrines and more figuratively in the spot
paintings that possess endurance yet death in their mind-numbering array.
I find Hirst’s articulation of ideas, for example interviews, written
pieces, far more compelling than his
grander visual gestures. I felt this when viewing a short simply executed video
in the exhibition, (essentially an
exercise in achieving a successful suicide). There, Hirst pressed an
unloaded gun onto various places on his
head and each time graphically listed the potential detriment if one mistakenly
positions the gun on one’s self to result
in a failed suicide. The piece ended with the best instruction on how to carry
out such a precarious act. This evocative meditation together with the clicks
of the trigger was enough to sustain the tension of being on the edge of life
and death and, even though displayed in
a dark corner of the exhibition, it was
the only piece that resonated with me: maybe because committing artistic
suicide is what Hirst does best!
the Love of Go(l)d by Eugenio Moreno
Ham House
Bank Holiday Monday
I wasn't going to let the weather forecast deter me from visiting the GardenofReason, contemporary art exhibition, at Ham House, Richmond, UK. This outing was balanced by my admiration of historic houses, especially with their excessive, magnificent decor, and my love for contemporary art. I have seen art exhibitions in external more ‘natural’ spaces before, yet I still found the responsive ‘gestures’ the artists had made remarkable and I really appreciated their simple approach and playfulness. Below are snap shots of my time spent at Ham House. I had heaps of fun and I’ll definitely recommend this event as a day out.
I wasn't going to let the weather forecast deter me from visiting the GardenofReason, contemporary art exhibition, at Ham House, Richmond, UK. This outing was balanced by my admiration of historic houses, especially with their excessive, magnificent decor, and my love for contemporary art. I have seen art exhibitions in external more ‘natural’ spaces before, yet I still found the responsive ‘gestures’ the artists had made remarkable and I really appreciated their simple approach and playfulness. Below are snap shots of my time spent at Ham House. I had heaps of fun and I’ll definitely recommend this event as a day out.
Le canzoni
Some Italian music, all women, great artists...
1. Patty Pravo- Raggazo Triste
2. Caterina Caselli-Insieme a te non ci sto più
3.Mia Martini- Mineutto
4.Gianna Nannini- Fotoromanza
5.Ornella Vanoni-Senza Fine
Playlist put together with the help of my friend Albi.
Io sto imparando
Il lunedi, io seguo un corso di lingue di italiano. Ho ancora tanto da imparare.
On Monday, I follow an Italian course. I still have a lot to learn.
Vespa
Le Biciclette- The bicycles
You can hire these to ride around the city. An Italian version of our 'Boris Bikes'.
L'arancia gassata- Fanta, Fizzy Orange (and dirty dinner plates ;-p)
Cioccolata calda- Hot chocolate
Biglietti- Tickets
Viale- Avenue
L'albergo- Hotel
Images from Milan,2011
After university I decided to carry out activities that were pending on my post-graduation to-do list, one of these tasks was to learn a new language. I chose to study Italian because I had a wonderful time holidaying there last year and I really love eating Italian food. My journey of learning the Italian language has been good so far because I always devote 15 minutes a day to practice what I have already learned. I always try different ways of revising new words, grammar ... so the passion does not wear thin. I enhance my learning experience by:
1)Following Transparent language Italian on Twitter and reading their blog
2)Practicing activities on the BBC's Italian language site
3)Watching Commissario Montalbano
4)Reading parts of La Reppublica
5)Listening to Italian songs
Nada
So I challenge everyone reading this blog to learn a new language or something you have always wanted to learn and stick to it!
Ciao tutti.
On Monday, I follow an Italian course. I still have a lot to learn.
Le immagini da Milano, 2011
La Mostra- The exhibition
You can hire these to ride around the city. An Italian version of our 'Boris Bikes'.
L'albergo- Hotel
Images from Milan,2011
After university I decided to carry out activities that were pending on my post-graduation to-do list, one of these tasks was to learn a new language. I chose to study Italian because I had a wonderful time holidaying there last year and I really love eating Italian food. My journey of learning the Italian language has been good so far because I always devote 15 minutes a day to practice what I have already learned. I always try different ways of revising new words, grammar ... so the passion does not wear thin. I enhance my learning experience by:
1)Following Transparent language Italian on Twitter and reading their blog
2)Practicing activities on the BBC's Italian language site
3)Watching Commissario Montalbano
4)Reading parts of La Reppublica
5)Listening to Italian songs
Nada
Noemi
So I challenge everyone reading this blog to learn a new language or something you have always wanted to learn and stick to it!
Ciao tutti.
Funny Pai Pai
On top of the fridge!
Lick lick!
Eyes closed tight.
Cool for the summer.
Tug of war.
In Reading?
Close up.
My cat can be hilarious sometimes.
Piccola Italia
Ciao!
Having read a reasonable review about Piccola Italia, in the
local newspaper, I wanted to taste and see firsthand. My experience was disappointing; the food
was terrible and overpriced! The only saving grace was that the restaurant looked
authentic and that one member of staff spoke to me in Italian (bearing in mind
that they had no prior knowledge of my Italian speaking skills). This transported
me. Also, I found the pizza face on the table outside quite amusing! And it
certainly did grab the attention of school children passing by.
Food Diary
Having graduated, I am taking out time to visit places in
and around the city. I have been eating out considerably more than I ought to, but
this has inspired me publish posts that document where I have munched, dined
and whined at.
I had been introduced to TAS by, Sophie, a good friend of
mine about 3 years ago. I have always enjoyed Turkish cuisine but these chains
of TAS restaurants are exception! It was
good to revisit after such a long time for one does not want to lose that
novel, special feeling. I must say that the decor is perfection in that it ‘transports’
you to Turkey. I love how a rug is thrown on a stand by the door giving you
that instant ‘welcome home’ feeling; nonetheless the place has an elegant ambience.
Below are pictures of dishes that my friend and I consumed,
at EV, on celebrating his 23rd birthday.
Apéritif
After making yourself comfortable, you are asked if you
would like some homemade bread, (which no-one in their right mind would refuse).
The bread; soft, spongy in texture with sesame seeds scattered on top, is
accompanied by olives and a creamy delicious yogurt dip so delicately enhanced
by a flavoursome selection of herbs.
Sebzeli Köfte (Falafel) :Ground chickpeas and broad beans tossed in spices, deep fried and served with tahini sauce and
salad. The Falafel was so crispy and all the ingredients in it were perfectly
balanced, the coolness and smoothness of the sauce was delightful. I really liked
the use of parsley in the salad.
Ispanakli Patates: Spinach, baby potatoes, fresh tomatoes and leeks.
This portion was huge; the plates are
massive, which was totally unexpected, but
I am not going to complain as this mean was incredibly delicious and well worth
the money!
Overall, a delectable experience: the
food was served on time,every dish was mouth watering and enjoyable. You must
visit, in fact a few weeks later I took another friend to TAS in Farringdon and
he also enjoyed the dishes served there. Unfortunately, I do not have any
photographs of that time. Anyway, keep reading for more of my food diaries.
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