Photographer Nad Rivero was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1983. Rivero studied Visual Arts at The National University of the Arts in Buenos Aires and continues to live in Argentina where she is currently undertaking a Research and Curation Diploma in Documentary Photography at The University of Buenos Aires. Here she tells us about the best creative hangouts in her home city of Montevideo.

They say art wouldn’t exist if cities weren’t alive.
In other words THE CITY is the greatest human art piece.
The greatest albums of all time, the best photographs, all of the unforgettable books, all the movies ever filmed were born from and for the cities.
But what happens when inspiration comes from Nature?
Relaxing music, inspiring photography, simple and true stories are born from the eyes of the ones who escape the city. Well, it turns out that Montevideo is a city landscape and Nature’s magical scenery at the same time. Its people bring out the warmth of every corner and every cobble stone.
Montevideo’s lights and shadows invite art to rest in its womb and spread through its beaches to the world.
Montevideo is very much alive; it sings, it dances, and it whispers poetry and inspires whoever comes to walk its paths.

Sabrina Tachdjian (Fashion Designer)

Sabrina Tachdjian is a young and fiercely creative designer. She started thinking about having her own brand about four years ago while she was working for a denim brand as a designer. She comes from a family where fashion has always been a subject of love, having a father that owns a clothing store; she designed baby clothes with him. She felt that the biggest problem she came across as a designer in Uruguay was finding good fabrics to work with, so she started working with local leather instead; Uruguay being a world leader in livestock breeding, produces a variety of excellent quality leather. So it was ideal for manufacturing handbags, shoes and now jackets.

As it says on the web these true leather art pieces are unique and made with love. Each of the pieces is patiently crafted and their materials carefully selected. The tanneries used by the brand have strict environmental policies and all of them come from animals bred in free-range Uruguayan estancias, and are by-products of the meat industry.

Paullier Y Guaná (Restaurant & Bar)

Since 1909, Paullier Y Guaná was a general store or grocery. For almost half a century it worked as such; for two years in the mid-50s it was a political club lead by Uruguayan socialist journalist Zelmar Michelini. They kept it intact since. In 1954, its owner transformed it into a bar and warehouse, adding the marble counter, refrigerator oak and maintaining the beautiful original furniture store. Since that time it has had several owners, all Spaniards, who ran it as a classic bar and neighbourhood corner store.

Many personalities were parishioners of this old bar, including writers Mario Benedetti, Juan Carlos Onetti, musician Alfredo Zitarrosa, footballer Pepe Schiaffino, politician Luis Batlle, and many others. Interestingly, in its 100 years of existence, it never had a name, hence the use of the two streets where it’s located as a name. The new owners recovered the old facilities and transformed it into a restaurant and bar.

Guachass (Band)

Guachass is a rock’n'roll band from Montevideo with tentacles around the world. Guachass was born in 2004 during the underground punk-rocker scene in Montevideo, Uruguay. They’re Federico Molinari (drums), Mariana Gascue (guitar), Nicolas Taparauskas (bass) and Camila G. Jettar (voice). They have released two albums under the label Oui Oui Records (France – Argentina) and have toured Uruguay, Europe, Argentina and Brazil. As they say themselves on their Facebook page “Old school rock n roll, dancing melodies, guitars diluted in acid, a woman singing to the moon, the best drummer in the county and a ruling bass.”

KIOSCO (Gallery)

KIOSCO is an art space that brings together much of the cultural young creators in Montevideo. They focus on emerging artists and have a wide variety of work being exhibited, from photography to paintings and installations. They also give seminars and workshops to the community. The gallery is managed by Carolina Curbelo, Santiago Velazco and Fabio Rodríguez. They’re cultural managers, designers and artists.

More: Website | Behance | Facebook

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Firstly let me introduce myself, my name is Calum Johnston and I am a Scottish visual artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. I first moved to the city 3 years ago for the primary reason to learn the language. I managed to persuade my girlfriend, a Dane with little to no appetite for the city that it was a good idea and after Art School we could both do with a fresh start. So we packed our bags and headed east. At the time I never realised exactly what I was letting myself in for, but needless to say it was considerably more difficult than I thought. In reflection, I was probably running away from post Art School blues and the inability to make work. Having adapted, albeit slowly, I have managed to carve a small corner of Copenhagen into home. As an artist whose primary subject matter is language, it has proved to be a fruitful process. Learning a language from the bottom up is a great way to consider the idiosyncrasies of both languages.

It was 7.15pm on a cold, wet Monday night in Copenhagen. I was in a supermarket with my girlfriend, we were in a queue trying to buy some flowers. There was something like forty thousand people walking past the shop window as we waited. Just as we were leaving the store an older lady, possibly in her mid seventies, stopped me to ask if we were going to the Synagogue. This took me by surprise but I soon realised that the flowers were a give away. ‘Yes… We are’ I said ‘Would it be ok if I walked with you’ she asked ‘Of course, not a problem’.

This is strange for a number of reasons. I love Copenhagen, it is a great city but one thing it most certainly is not is warm or particularly friendly. The chances are if you have visited here you would have experienced some sort of dodgy customer service. There are a number of contributing factors to this, but what you are left with is a fairly inward facing city with many people in closed relationships. People like to stick to their own. It takes many years to make a lasting friendship in Copenhagen.

The Lady was Iranian. She had recently suffered a stroke that affected her temporal lobe so she had lost the part of her memory that controls names, places and faces. Everyday she would do the same thing so not to get lost or confused. As we walked towards the Synagogue we talked and she told us that she was going to a meeting for Iranians for Democracy. Once we completed the short walk we said goodbye and each lay our flowers. I couldn’t help but think that the flowers were a reflection of the people all side by side, hand in hand. Irrespective of race, creed or colour we were all there, all together. Since then the city has changed.

The idea behind this article was to talk about the cultural hot spots and to give my take on what is ‘happening’ in Copenhagen, instead I am going to talk about two places, the first being café Halvvej. Café Halvvej is as traditional and as Danish as Stæk flesk og pasli sauce. In the afternoon they serve smørrebrød and you can buy a klippekort for your beer. It’s small, wooden and smokey (after the lunch service is finished). There is one thing that I love more than anything else. In café Halvvej mobile phones are banned. If you want to make a call, then you go outside. Great! This brings the bar back to basics. After all, isn’t the reason we go to bar’s to enjoy each other’s company? I am not a smoker (5 years free) but this is one bar I don’t mind sitting in for hours. This to me is the real beating heart of Copenhagen. A place where it does not matter what you earn, where you work or what you believe in, you will feel welcome. This is the warm underbelly that Copenhagen exposes all too little.

As an artist, and a pretty low rent one at that, I have always been interested in underground art and music scenes. Copenhagen doesn’t have the same DIY history as parts of the working class UK. I suppose you will find all over the world that the cities with money don’t need a DIY scene. Yet, sandwiched between Tivoli and Copenhagen’s postal sorting office you will find a little rough diamond. There is a rag-tag group of artists in a disused council loft space with limited electricity and even more limited heating. Tietgensgade 31 or TTG 31 is everything that is great about artists; ingenuity, creativity and community. This formally disused space in the centre of the city is a hub for live music, exhibitions and parties. It has a real buzz and excitement in a place where the people are doing it for the right reasons.

Copenhagen is a great place. For me it is like the relationship I have with my big brother… quiet, distant but when needed he is there strong and supportive willing to defend what is right. Complicated but brilliant.

Read Calum’s recent interview on Made in Mind here.

More: Website | Twitter

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Hi! My friends know me as Eme like the letter ‘M’ in Spanish. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986. I graduated three years ago in Photography Direction. From that moment on, I’ve been doing seminars, courses and workshops. Last year, I was chosen to be part of a programme for contemporary artists, “EPAC” at Galería ArtexArte. Besides teaching photography and cinema, I’m also getting into video installation and have been featured in exhibitions with a group called Morbo. Alongside all of this, I still take photos with film cameras, almost for eight years now.

I find it a bit hard to write about my hometown because it’s a city so full of cultural activities that I don’t know where to start. Although there are activities for all people and tastes, I’ll talk about what I enjoy the most.

As a visual artist, two of my favourite places are MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Buenos Aires) and MAMBA (Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires). Both buildings are located in San Telmo; one of them used to be an old cigarette factory, and the other one has incredible architecture. Both museums offer very interesting exhibitions and courses throughout the year.

MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Buenos Aires)

MAMBA (Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires)

Another spot I enjoy visiting is the Botanic Garden, in Palermo. It’s full of different varieties of exotic plants. Its greenhouse is simply breathtaking, although it’s not always open to the public. The best time to visit is in the autumn/fall and spring.

Botanic Garden

Botanic Gardens

For a nice tea-time, my first choice is Le Pain Quotidien. It is a lovely place to spend the time reading a book and drinking a nice cup of berry tea along with a slice of Belgian bread and home-made jams.

Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien

A few months ago, I moved to San Telmo. Near to that neighbourhood, is the Ecologial Reserve of Buenos Aires, a highly-recommended place to go for a ride or even for a walk. When I’m there, I get the feeling that the air I breath gets purer, little by little. Something similar happens to me when I visit Tigre, a city well-known for its Delta and the “Puerto de Frutos”, a place where you can buy all kinds of furniture, amongst other stuff for your house.

San Telmo

Ecologial Reserve of Buenos Aires

Tigre

Tigre

All the places I’ve mentioned above are located in Buenos Aires. I didn’t want to end the article without writing about Puerto Madryn, a city located in Chubut, in the Patagonia. When I first visited it, I fell instantly in love with it because it’s such a beautiful place and so pure. In Puerto Piramides, you can go whale watching from July to November. And another great place to visit is Gaiman, a Welsh town a few kilometres away from there.

Puerto Madryn, Chubut

Gaiman, Chubut

Gaiman, Chubut

Puerto Piramides, Chubut

Puerto Piramides, Chubut

See Mariana’s showcased work on Central Station here.

More: Website | Flickr | Facebook | Twitter

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Melbourne is the antithesis of the Bilbao effect although there are plenty of its recent buildings by local architects shouting for some attention. Unlike its New South Wales neighbour with its postcard ready Opera House image, Melbourne is a city of ‘Ten Thousand Things’. It is the archeology of smaller scale spaces that are the ballast of the city. The laneways carving through the grid of the CBD are strangely familiar to a Glaswegian but in Melbourne they are an example of what can happen with a growing population and forward thinking licensing laws. Inside the laneways there is confetti of independent retailers, galleries, cafes, restaurants, kiosks and connections to rooftop bars and basements clubs. These are pedestrian focused spaces that create a human scale to a big city and which is predicted to double its current 4m population over the next 40 years. You will find wedding shoots down graffiti laneways and a backcourt culture, which has spread out from the city to the inner suburbs although with a bit more grit. It is a pluralist’s city with a diversity of cultures, food, fashion, architecture, art and music shaping a heterogeneous landscape of things to do.

Laneway bar

Melbourne was initially dominated by British and Irish settlers up until the 1950s when the first wave of Greeks and Italians arrived en masse and pockets of the city still feel characteristically Italian or Greek. Asian migration was disallowed under the White Australia policy, which wasn’t dismantled until the 70s. The first Asian migration wave was from Vietnam, but soon others arrived from Malaysia, The Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei, Hong Kong and, most recently, in very large numbers and often as students, from China. This fusion of cultures is having a unique impact on the evolving identity of the city. Common ground between East and West is where we are beginning to find a distinctive language in Melbourne whether it be with food, fashion, design or architecture. The work of the local architect Sean Godsell who has just completed the new MPavilion is an example where he has looked for an expression in his work that places him in the region, in Australia and in Asia, using devices common to both East and West. He has abandoned the corridor in most of his work, which immediately de-Westernized his plans, and developed instead his own versions of the Eastern divided plan, where space is articulated by sliding walls and doors.

MPavilion by Sean Godsell

The universities play a huge part in the cultural and social life of the city but unlike many other cities they are physically helping to reshape the city. RMIT University is in the heart of the city, spread across streets and laneways it has over 150 buildings that are part of the life of the city. Huge investment into this infrastructure over the last 30 years has seen a commitment to design with each new facility procured with a focus on design quality and enhancing the public realm. In other words this is not an introverted world of learning but an integrated urban campus where university and city trade off each other. The top end of Swanston Street in and around the state library of Victoria is a great place to start to explore the architecture of RMIT and the dispersed amenities for the students. Sean Godsell’s new RMIT Design Hub is the backdrop for “Predestination”, a sci-fi thriller starring Ethan Hawke and just released in Australia. There is usually an exhibition to be found in the Hub building or next door at the archive where the legacy of RMIT graduates work is being collected.

Melbourne University has typically been North of the RMIT campus. The origins of the campus are more European in its layout but it is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries to become a significant part of the North of the City with huge investment into a new sustainable technology research and development precinct around the Parkville Campus. Like the University’s biomedical precinct where biomedical scientists work with hospitals to translate research progress into useful and sometimes life saving applications – the Carlton Connect Initiative will provide a place where researchers can work with industry and Government to translate research in areas such as water, energy and urban futures. In addition, the new Melbourne School of Design opens its doors on 1 December; a building designed by local architect John Wardell in collaboration with Boston based NADAAA. The building houses the best architectural collection of books in Australia, a new digital fabrication lab on the ground floor and a major new public gallery space which will launch a curatorial programme in March 2015.

Melbourne School of Design by John Wardell and NADAAA

Melbourne University also includes the Victorian College of the Arts VCA on the Southbank of the CBD. This is part of the arts precinct which is renowned as being one of the very best in the world with on the highest concentrations of top-class venues including the Arts Centre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Australian Ballet, Hamer Hall, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Recital Centre all located within a stone’s throw of one another. The VCA announced its expansion earlier this year as part of the Arts precinct redevelopment, which would further open the college campus to the community of the city.

Just outside of the City at the Caulfield campus of Monash University you can also find MADA (Monash University Art Design & Architecture) while in Prahran you have Swinburne University offering yet more design related courses. It is as such not difficult to see how ‘design’ has become imbedded in the cultural life of the city. Many graduates continue to live in Melbourne or work with established designers and as such the city is bursting with creative talent and work to show. With a city looking to cater for a rapidly increasing population it is obvious what role design and young designers can play in shaping the future of the city.

PLACES TO EXPLORE

The Melbourne Arts Precinct
Just South of the Yarra River (also referred to as Ngargee, which is a Bunurong word for describing “gathering for celebration”) groups together, The Arts Centre including the recently refurbished Hamer Hall, The MTC Theatre, Melbourne Recital Centre, The National Gallery of Victoria, Malthouse Theatre, The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) Iwaki Auditorium and Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

MPavilion
A more recent addition to the Arts Precinct portfolio is the MPavilion situated in the Queen Victoria Gardens. Conceived by its patron, Naomi Milgrom, the pavilion takes its cue from the Serpentine Pavilion in London and will host a series of curated events over the summer in Melbourne. The pavilion has been designed by Melbourne architect, Sean Godsell.

Coffee Houses
Long, short, black, white, filter, cold drip, single origin or house blend, are all part of a shared language amongst one of the world’s most culturally diverse populations. Coffee and cafés are part of the DNA of Melbourne. The quality and craft in coffee roasting, blending and serving has chased away the global brands and what remains and continues to grow is a coffee culture, which has shaped a new social infrastructure for the city. It is a culture, which has been actively encouraged and used in government policy to breathe life back into the inner city following the 1990s recession. They are a layer cake of carefully considered typography, signage, raw interiors, furniture, breakfast choices, sculpted beards and tattooed staff. In a world of homogenized streetscapes and retail offerings Melbourne’s café culture creates a unique atmosphere of originality, individuality and good taste.

There are too many to list and I would recommend browsing through www.broadsheet.com.au, which is an encyclopedia of things to do in Melbourne. Also watch out for Melbourne International Coffee Expo 13-15 March 2015.

Inner Suburbs
The inner suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood are also worth exploring; Gertrude Street, Brunswick Street, Johnston Street and Smith Street, connect together in a large urban promenade of small gallery spaces, local fashion designers, furniture makers, independent bookshops, 21st century furniture shops, food outlets and coffee shops.

St Kilda
St Kilda sits adjacent to the bay and is home to the cultural institution that is Luna Park, a 100-year old amusement park. You can catch a tram from the CBD and it is worth allocating a day to explore the bayside around St Kilda.

The Wilde, Fitzroy
The vibe is a bit British gastro pub but a good place to start a night out in Collingwood and Fitzroy. Complete with roast dinners, G&Ts, house-made tomato sauce and hand pumped English Ale. Plus they have a colonial themed function room called the Explorer’s Club that fits 60 people and comes with a projector and a free pool table.

RMIT Business School by Lyons Architect | photo by Nils Koenning

Swanston Street – Architecture
Walk the length of Swanston Street, from Melbourne University at the North and the recently completed Melbourne School of Design down through the city campus of RMIT University with its new Design Hub by Sean Godsell, Business School by Lyons Architect and Building 8 by Peter Corrigan, past the state Library and the offices of the City of Melbourne and you will get a sense of the diversity of the architectural offerings.

Federation Square
At the foot of Swanston Street you will find Federation Square a somewhat controversial addition to the city when it first completed just over 10-years ago. Now the square is at the heart of the social life of the city. Federation Square hasn’t been the site of any great political event, civic turmoil or ritual like other major squares around the world but it filled a huge gap in a city that had no real gathering space for its citizens. It fulfills a unique offering – the opportunity to accommodate 15,000 people smack bang in the heart of the city.

GALLERIES / MUSEUMS

The Lyon Housemuseum
The Lyon Housemuseum is a private house and private art collection located eight kilometres east of Melbourne in the residential suburb of Kew. The Housemuseum displays selected works from the Lyon Collection of contemporary art, which includes paintings, sculpture, video work and installations by many of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. The Housemuseum and the Lyon Collection are open for public viewing by appointment on designated visiting days each year.

Heide Museum of Modern Art
A short drive away from the city but a fantastic modernist house set in sprawling gardens and a Sculpture Park, once owned by art collectors John and Sunday Reed, this is both an important piece of Australian art history and a vital contemporary art gallery.

Gertrude Contemporary
Showcases up and coming Melbourne and international artists, but allows for development before the big reveal. Quite often you will find large-scale sculptures of mixed media.

TarraWarra Museum of Art
This is a bit of a drive but the scenery (both in the gallery and outside) is nothing short of amazing. The not-for-profit gallery features work from the Australian modernists to the current day; notables from the collection are John Brack and John Olsen.

Seventh Gallery
This multi-room, not-for-profit gallery is artist-run and features young, contemporary local artists from a range of disciplines and levels. Seventh is an ambitious gallery, which is growing in reputation.

The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
Catch the overnight ferry to Tasmania from Port Melbourne: Don’t come all this way and miss a trip to MONA in Tasmania. The experience starts in Hobart with the ferry ride from the wharf to the museum – the only way to arrive. Perched on a promontory of land the museum rises like a rusted ancient temple. After disembarking you climb a colossal staircase to the entrance of the museum, all angles and mirrored surfaces. You enter one of two Roy Grounds listed modernist buildings built in the 1950s and descend down into the cliff as part of a wonderful immersive, sensory experience.

DON’T MISS

White Night Festival | 21 February 2015 (7PM – 7AM)
White Night Melbourne is Australia’s most celebrated cultural event. Inspired by the international Nuit Blanche movement, White Night Melbourne is an all-night, free cultural event with visual art, illuminations, music, food, theatre, sport, fashion, film, design and performances on display. The event runs from 7pm to 7am, and is held within the centre of Melbourne, with activities in city streets, parklands, laneways, public spaces and cultural institutions.

This article is part of the Melbourne by Design takeover on Central Station. For more Melbourne themed features, please visit here.

More: Website

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Rua Confettora, 17, Brescia
A shop, a gallery, a laboratory for ideas, owned and managed by Daniela Bettoni. Located in the backalley of the same name in the old artisan district, the building used to house a restoration shop some years ago. Exploring the place you can encounter the cast iron machinery and carpenter tools originally used by the artisans, harmoniously mixed with modern design objects.

Photo courtesy of Damiano Nava

The rooms are placed, each is subsequential to the next one, all the way to the backyard which features columns and arches from the XIV century. Rua Confettora focuses on young Italian designers, among which Alice Visin, Massimiliano Adami, Francesca Pasquali, Antonio Cos, Cristina Celestino, Ugo La Pietra, Studiocharlie, promote their works by organising personal showcases.

Officina9, via Padova, 9, Brescia
Officina9 is an experimental studio with an annexed art gallery, born in March 2013, located in a vintage car garage. It deals with architectural topics with a cross-cutting point of view due to the multidisciplinary education of its members. The team is composed of 5 members: Nicolò Galeazzi, Stefano Di Corato, Patrick Dolci, Francesco Ferliga and Michele Papa. Officina9 partecipated in the Studio Azzurro’s installation “Paesaggi Abitati” in the Italian pavilion, part of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition also known as “Venice Biennial”. They also organised an installation named “Ascolta il Vuoto” at the Castelvecchio Museum to celebrate the 50 year old restoration carried out by Carlo Scarpa.

Photo courtesy of Officina Nove

Tarantola, via Fratelli Porcellaga, 4, Brescia
The history of the Tarantola Library begins with Alfredo Tarantola, considered one of the ancestors who moved from Tuscany, spreading knowledge around Italy by selling books and volumes. After permanently estabilishing himself in Brescia in 1922, he began to work in his uncle’s library and small but dynamic typography until he decided to found his own library with his wife Luigia. At a later moment Alfredo’s daughter Silvana had the task to carry on the management of the renewed library in Corso Zanardelli, in the hearth of the city center.

Now everything is in Marco’s hands and recently Tarantola moved to a new location, in Via Fratelli Porcellaga, near Vittoria square, where they keep organising inter-cultural events.
It’s even possible to read and have breakfast in this Library’s unique atmosphere.

Officina Creativa Chiari, Chiari, Brescia
(They are opening their official headquarters in the next weeks so check their website for updates)
This is a project born around the idea of promoting the development and diffusion of cultural, artistical and creative pratices, focusing on street-art and self productions of young emergent artists. Members, Luca Consoli, Daniela Lupatini, Andrea Lupatini and Leonardo Cirimbelli, recently helped renovate the A.M.A Festival based in Chiari and organized “Penumbra”, an independent photographers exhibition within the Quadra Villatico during the Festa delle Quadre in Chiari.

Photo courtesy of Officina Creativa Chiari

Carmen Town, via Fratelli Bandiera, 3, Brescia
A bar, a restaurant and nightclub. Carmen Town was created around culinary and cultural variety, presenting a refined choice of wines and beers among live music events, parties and DJ sets. It’s located in the Carmine disctrict part of the city center of Brescia, once forgotten by the local administrations and now reborn as a modern centre both at day and night, thanks to the University of Brescia, Cinema Eden, and more cultural activities. It’s not a common pub, lots of artists are being invited to express their talent through music, acting or any kind of figurative art they desire. They organised hundreds of live rock and jazz music events (collaborating with Gallo Rojo, L’Altrosuono and Jazz in Eden), DJ sets (often with Corrado Bucci), jam sessions (usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday), theatrical performances, art expositions, books debuts, public debates, handicraft street markets and more. The programme of this year offers movie nights and “one man shows”. Starting from October, in collaboration with the cultural association Detour and Milano Film Festival, a selection of short movies, both Italian and international, will be held two Sundays a month every month. The “one man show” will leave performance freedom to artists, such as Roger Rossini alias Jet Set Roger, who will inaugurate the series of events with his Cabaret Solo. It is extraordinary to find out that Carmen Town cultural offerings are entirely free.

More: Behance | Tumblr | Facebook

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

I didn’t know that The Sublime still existed until I moved to Seattle. Green is everywhere, even more ubiquitous than the notorious grey skies many equate with the Pacific Northwest. On a clear day, layers of snow-capped peaks jut out from beyond the seemingly infinite horizon and the landscape resembles a German Romantic painting. Words like “noble,” “majestic,” and “surreal” don’t do justice to the actual scenery, but I will try my best to convey that feeling of indescribable awe in the face of the natural world. Seattle is a city full of world-class restaurants, cutting-edge design, and vibrant art communities, but what inspires me most are the places without walls. Here are some of my favorite spots to daydream, ruminate, brood, meditate, and simply be in the Emerald City.

Mt. Rainer, one of the world’s twenty known supervolcanoes, provides a mystical backdrop to Madrona Beach. Grab a freshly roasted organic chicken and some bubbly from Leschi Market beforehand and go for a swim after you’ve had enough champagne to dull the perpetually chilly waters of Lake Washington. Stick around for sunset on a gauzy summer night or one of those wintry gloamings and watch the glaciated peak turn a dreamy shade of pink—there is no better feeling in the world.

Seattle is one of the last bastions of American literary cities—go visit its patron saint of independent bookstores, The Elliott Bay Book Company. The store—airy, loft-like and hardwood floored—has the quietly charged atmosphere of a cathedral. Hushed concentration and solemn reverence is highly encouraged—preferably with an espresso (or four) from Café Pettirosso coursing through your bloodstream. A couple of blocks away, Twice Sold Tales’ ensures a more relaxed vibe, as well as 25% off of any book in the store during their daily “happy (cheap book) hour”—browse to your heart’s content as the store’s fluffy mascot perches over the counter and poses in corners, watching you ever so indifferently. BYOB.

On some levels, Seattle is not the easiest city to live in, (at least for this particularly mercurial author) because when the sun goes away and the lake freezes over, no amount of zesty pho or ethically sourced cups of coffee can keep the darkness entirely at bay. That’s perhaps the best time to take advantage of analog filmmaking classes at NWFF—learn from established locals, experimental directors, and guest lecturers how to shoot your own short and, well, why not submit it to Local Sightings or SIFF while you’re at it? If you volunteer long enough classes and rentals are free of charge—just be prepared to support a new addiction. Not ready for a habit just yet? Take an exotic tintype photography class at Photo Center NW instead; learn how to solder silver or carve stone at Pratt Fine Arts Center. When the mean reds and the grey blues roll in, I find that a screen-printing class at The Vera Project, or a poetry reading at The Hugo House is even better without the glorious distraction of the sunshine I crave. There’s a word for the person I have become since surviving the misty November to May doldrums: ombrophiliac—lover of rain. See also: ombrophily–the capacity of some plants to thrive in the midst of copious rain. Also called hydrophily. — ombrophilic, ombrophilous, adj.

The crown jewel of Seattle’s cultural crown, however, belongs to the Seattle Public Library’s steel and glass Central Branch. At first glance, the 362,987 square foot Rem Koolhass-designed structure looks like disco ball origami or a fourth dimensional death star. Sharp jagged platforms seem to float and angles pierce through geometric shapes like blades. Thousands of diamond-shaped windows catch the light and seem to ripple like water on a sunny afternoon. Take the escalator all the way up to the top for 360-degree eagle-eyed views of the city street below and the bay beyond. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get any work done in a building this glorious—just write that screenplay in a juice bar like everyone else.

For more from Mischa, read about her Ghostmodern webzine in this Spotted feature.

More: Website | Twitter

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Hullo, my name is Alex Holroyd. Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, I’m a photographer and a co-conspirator in the affairs of Offset 57, a local creative collective. I have a fondness for houseplants, a big love for music and I’m rarely seen without facial hair. You can find my photography here. This is a wee tour of some of the creative scene of Aberdeen.

Aberdeen is a funny place. I wasn’t born here, but grew up here in one of its suburbs. It’s a place that’s known primarily for its striking granite buildings and its oil wealth. It’s also a place that many have found easy to bemoan, myself included, but after a time away, I’m beginning to find more to it than I previously appreciated. It is pretty corporate on the one hand as a result of it being the energy capital of Europe, but there’s also a crowd of creative folks making things of all types and existing outside the mainstream, both old and young. This is the side of Aberdeen that I feel most at home in. I’ll take you through a few of my favourite things:

The Belmont Filmhouse (formerly of the Picturehouses chain) is Aberdeen’s local indie cinema, and is the go-to place to see quality, interesting films. Its recent change to being part of the Filmhouse family is thankfully expected to increase the variety of foreign and independent film on offer. They often put on special screenings of films you may not have seen on the big screen before; a place where you can watch Predator or Home Alone with a beer is a good’un in my book. Downstairs you have The Bar Below, host to the E.A.R.L. (of sandwich) guys, who make one of the best chilli bowls in the ‘deen. You’ll often find artwork down here too, and it’s just a nice place to kick back before or after a film. A game of scrabble here never goes amiss.

Further down the street from the Belmont, you’ll find a wee bar called The Tippling House. Head down the stairs and you’ll find yourself in Aberdeen’s best cocktail bar (in my opinion anyway). Headed up by Adrian Gomes, the bar has won a stack of awards for its food, its cocktails, and its staff’s skills. The food is taken care of by Eat Beetroot, culinary mavericks in their own right. The Tippling house’s style has been much emulated, but not bested. My personal recommendation has to be one of their white Russians. As we’d say here, affa fine.

Mike and Katie’s mirror mural for Flagship 57 #1

Prints from local artists up on the wall at Brewdog Aberdeen as part of Flagship 57 #1

Another bar to mention is BrewDog. The brand probably doesn’t need much of an introduction, but the Aberdeen bar is its Flagship. BrewDog is famous for its unconventional approach to beer and business, and the Aberdeen bar has been a welcome home for creatives. Most recently, they’ve teamed up with a local creative collective that I’m involved with called Offset 57 to launch Flagship 57. This is a monthly event involving live illustration, live music, a pop-up stall with work from local creatives, and prints for sale by students and former graduates of the city’s art school and college that remain in the bar over the course of the month. They’ve also got a sister venue called Musa near Union Square, a restaurant, gallery space and live music venue. The Monday open mic night hosted by Pete is a good mellow way to enjoy an evening, with a decent lineup of regulars, some good, some odd…

We’re lucky enough to have a few collectives making work here. Local favourites are a duo that go by the name of WLDWLVS. Neil and Stu are a pair of designers and illustrators and all round rad dudes who have carved a pretty big following for their work, and rightly so. Their tees, hoodies and beanies have featured some really nice designs, with collaborations with local artists like Stu Allan and others further afield like Glasgow based Conzo Throb. They’ve also partnered with BrewDog recently for their Glasgow Beer Geek Brunch event, and started the #seeninthedeen stream that many folk now contribute to on twitter and instagram.

Real Nice Collective and more specifically, the Hell Yeah crew have recently reared their heads. Katie, Mike, Lee and Neil are freelance illustrators who collaborate on illustration installations and have worked with us at Offset 57 twice and put on some really impressive shows. Katie and Mike recently killed it on the mirror illustrations at BrewDog at the Flagship 57 event. Really looking forward to seeing what they’re going to do next.

Back to Belmont street we go to visit 17, the not so new home of the Arts and Culture side of the Council support but fairly new home of Make Aberdeen, a digital fabrication studio delivered by Peacock Visual Arts. Armed with all sorts of machinery including laser cutters, CNC routers and a fleet of macs, creative possibilities here abound (like engraving Brian Blessed punching a bear onto the back of your phone). 17 had a super shaky start but is beginning to realise its place in the cultural map of the city. They’re currently playing host to the ‘In the shadow of the breast’ exhibition curated by the Scottish Sculpture Workshop. This is a Year of Natural Scotland project inspired by Bennachie, featuring film, a sound installation, paintings and prints. Here’s to 17 going from strength to strength.

Peacock Visual Arts remains a central connecting point for creatives in the city. They’re the leading contemporary arts organisation in Aberdeen; current exhibitions include Marc Wilson’s photography work ‘The Last Stand’, and the annual pre-degree show exhibition from local Gray’s School of Art printmaking students. Aside from exhibitions and events, PVA are also home of screen printing studios that artists can use as well as facilities for lithography, etching, a darkroom, and more. Over the years they’ve hosted both big name artists and provided a platform for local artists to showcase their work. They unfortunately lost out in the Union Terrace Gardens debacle, but I’ll not get into that otherwise I’ll get angry, and you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…

The music scene in Aberdeen is pretty varied. The yearly jazz festival is a big draw and pulls in several music venues around the city, including jazz scene staple The Blue Lamp, a stone’s throw from BrewDog. The recently held Big Beach Ball  hosted acts as varied as Fatherson and Krystal Klear in the lineup alongside pop up shops and food market. Nice.

Right next door to The Blue Lamp, you’ll find the Candle Close Gallery, housed in part of Soapy Ogston’s Victorian soap factory. You’ll find reclaimed fixtures from notable Aberdeen buildings as the old Frederick Street School and the Astoria Cinema House here alongside bespoke furniture, jewellery and gifts. I buy my nag champa from there.

Old image, you get the idea though.

One wee place that many don’t know about is a shop in the west end called Peltoniemi Concept Store. I’ve had the pleasure of working with owner Tytti on a few projects. Her shop showcases high end design and is always well curated, stocking items Tytti has hand picked from London, Paris, Milan and further afield. As she’s a Finn, there are of course a few Moomin related items in there too. Also a cracking interior designer, she’s responsible for the sophisticated design of the Adelphi Kitchen, a new restaurant in the Adelphi area of the city, off the main line of Union street.

Coffee wise, favourites are Contour Café on the green and Food Story on Thistle Street. Both of these places do events outside the normal realm of a coffeehouse. Contour has hosted clothes swap nights, and Food Story has hosted whiskey tasting evenings. Both also do excellent food.

Snow, skate and BMX shop Boarderline is always worth a visit. The staff are all pretty gnarly riders of their chosen board/wheels, and both Katie and Mike are also part of the Hell Yeah crew mentioned earlier. Skate culture has always been tied to the arts and visual side of things, so it’s no surprise that this place is pretty well connected to the indie scene in the ‘deen. They’ve played host to screenings of local skate films, the latest of which being ‘Ah Dinna Ken’, screened in local music venue The Lemon Tree.

Dunes at Balmedie

I haven’t even mentioned the Shire yet. Aberdeen is nicely situated not only on the coast (shame about Trump’s oafish installation), but right by an affa bonny bit of country. There are hills and green things aplenty the further west/north/northwest that you go, along with more creative potential too. Check out the Woodend Barn if you’re out Banchory way, and while you’re at it, hit the Birdhouse Cafe for a giant flat white (they mistakenly were given big cups instead of regular flat white ones, and so just make their flat whites bigger. What a shame.) The dunes at Newburgh are also worth a trek.

More: Website | Flickr | Twitter

See more of Alex’s work in this Central Station showcase.

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

My name is Dorian Nuskind-Oder, and I am an American dance artist living in Montreal, Quebec. I fell in love with Montreal in the summer of 2006, when I attended a month-long workshop in the city. I knew right away I wanted to live there. I loved the parks and the quiet back alley “ruelles”, and the reasonable rents. Quebec has traditionally taken great pride in its culture, and I could sense that the city had a rich arts scene. In addition to the big institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet, there are tons of smaller, experimental companies and venues. In 2009, I made the move from New York City and never looked back.

It was hard to narrow down the list, but here are a few of my favorite creative places in Montreal:

Belgo Building

Belgo Building
Located on St. Catherine St, right next to the Place des Arts, is a loft building filled with a variety of arts organizations. Mostly clustered on the 3rd, 4th and 5th Floors, there are commercial galleries, artist-run centers, and dance studios. A few favorites:

SBC Gallery often host interesting live events in conjunction with their exhibitions as well as symposiums and workshops.

Studio 303 is an organization that supports the creation of contemporary dance and interdisciplinary work. They host intimate, provocative performances in their studio space.

Also, check out CIRCA.

For a weekly overview of what’s on at the Belgo, you can check out the website for The Belgo Report.

DHC/Art
DHC/Art is a private foundation housed in two beautiful buildings in Montreal’s Old Port neighborhood. They host two large exhibitions per year and focus on international artists who, though well known, have not yet had major a solo show in Canada. Recent artists include Thomas Demand, Cory Archangel, and Ryoji Ikeda. There is no admission fee, and they are usually not very busy, which means you can enjoy the artworks in peace and quiet.

Short and Sweet (performers: Adam Kinner and Kelly Keenan). Photo: Celia Spenard-Ko

Wants & Needs Dance
Wants & Needs Dance is a company run by choreographers Sasha Kleinplatz and Andrew Tay. In addition to making their own work, they organize several regular events including the very popular Short & Sweet series. Short & Sweet invites 30 choreographers (or, occasionally artists from other disciplines) to create a 3-minute piece. A timekeeper is present and anyone who goes over the limit has their lights and sound cut. Experimentation is highly encouraged, and the evenings are a really fun way to get a sense of Montreal’s contemporary dance community. Most of the time, the shows happen at La Sala Rossa, a bar/music venue on Avenue St. Laurent.

Theatre Aux Ecuries
Aux Ecuries is a bit off the beaten path, but I love their theater space and appreciate the adventurous programming.

Performance at Aux Ecuries (“AVALe” by Compagnie Joe Jack et John). Photo: Adrienne Surprenant

Societe des Arts Technologiques
If you are interested in digital and multi-media art, there is the SAT, which hosts electronic music performances and immersive multi-media type shows, as well as residences and workshops. The Satosphere is a large, domed theater space which allows for immersive 360 projections. They also have a restaurant, the Labo Culinaire, which offers an “experimental” menu.

SAT Photo: Sebastien Roy

Drawn and Quarterly Bookshop
Drawn and Quarterly is a rad little bookshop run by a printing press of the same name. They have a great selection of contemporary writing, as well as graphic novels and children’s books.

Drawn and Quarterly Bookshop, Photo: Studio Happy Birthday

Montreal is a city known for its festivals, especially for the two huge summer festivals (Montreal International Jazz Festival, and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival). Here are two of my favorites:

International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) 
FIFA is an international festival of films on art. Their programming is a mix of documentaries on art and artists, video art, experimental film and dance film. In general the quality is very high, and I’ve seen a lot of beautiful movies at this festival.

Festival TransAmerique (FTA)
The FTA is a performing arts festival that programs both Canadian and International dance and theater. It usually takes place the last week in May and the first week in June. Tickets are expensive, but it’s a great moment to binge on performances. The festival also organizes panel discussions with visiting artists. In addition to the FTA, there is the OFFTA, which focuses on work by local companies, as well as a number of other independent events and showings. There is not much performance programmed during the summer in Montreal, so this always feels like the season’s last hurrah before everyone takes off until fall.

Dorian Nuskind-Oder will present a new solo performance on 31 May and 1 June 2014 at Studio 303 in Montreal. For more information about her work, please visit her website.

More: Website | Facebook |  Tumblr | Twitter

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

I’ve only recently moved to Brighton so my creative scene doesn’t have many hidden gems and despite walking several miles on its streets and lanes in the past week, I feel that I don’t know the city that well yet. So, instead of writing about all things creative in Brighton, I decided to note down a few things that you can do and experience in one day or over a weekend. See it as a whirlwind tour of Brighton if you will with things I’ve discovered and loved so far.

You are probably going to arrive by train, so let’s start at the station. Once you get outside the station, head down Queen’s Road. You can carry on walking this street right down to the seafront, but from about two minutes from the station there’s a flight of stairs to your left taking you to North Laines. Please go down that way instead!

You’ll soon see 3 galleries all worth a visit. Art Schism is run by a co-operative of artists and makers which started as a pop up shop. Gallery 40 showcases local emerging artists in a variety of disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture and installation. They are currently showing portraits by local photographer Alexa Clarke Kent. And last but not least, White Rabbit Gallery – a great little place that showcases and sells independent artists and makers’ work.

By now you are probably feeling a little peckish and I urge you to pop into La Choza for amazing Mexican street food. They don’t take bookings and can get very busy, so go in before the lunchtime rush. If Mexican is not your thing, another brilliant lunch option in nearby Kensington Gardens is Iydea, a vegetarian café/restaurant where you pick your own main, sides and toppings from several healthy options. No matter how full you are after lunch, I doubt you’ll be able to resist Little Bird’s massive slices of gorgeous cakes next door. Especially as they’ve helpfully set them by the window for the passersby to see!

Now that you have filled yourself with tasty food, you should walk down Gloucester Road down to Gloucester Street, turn right and then turn left when you reach the busy road. In just few minutes you should find The ONCA Gallery. Their art exhibitions focus on environmental issues and raise awareness for conservation projects. If you carry on walking further 5 minutes up the road, you’ll come across a little photography gallery called One Eyed Jacks. Their current exhibition, American Odyssey is well worth seeing. Their next exhibition opening in early April will showcase photographer, Barbara Nitke’s behind-the-scenes photographs of the American porn industry in the 80s.

It’s time to head back to North Laines. Just retrace your footsteps but instead of walking all the way to Kensington Gardens, pop over to The Coffee Counter on Vine Street for take-away drinks. Or you could stay a while playing Atari or browsing their newly opened vintage market. They have amazing brownies too.

Now to explore some of the small shopping lanes in North Laines which can get super busy at weekends. From records and spices to books and Moomins, you can find pretty much everything here. I’d walk along Kensington Gardens, cross the road to Gardner Street and then turn right when you reach Church Street, popping inside different shops when you see something you like. When you get to end of Gardner Street, look right and you can see Unlimited’s bright yellow hello character. Unlimited sells prints and other items created by contemporary illustrators, designers and printmakers. Go in but be prepared to leave with a pretty print or two. They seem to have an animal theme going on at the moment and I love their little wooden trees.

From here walk down Church Street, turn right at New Road and then head to the Pavilion Gardens which offer small green respite. Walking diagonally across the park will take you to East Street. You can now explore some of the South Laines’ shops and alleyways. The shops here are more commercial and mainstream and you won’t find items created by local people. It’s more Paperchase and Prettygreen in this part of town. Some of the tiny lanes are worth seeing though especially during quieter times.

If you carry on walking on East Street and turn left at the Fishbowl pub/restaurant, you’ll find Boho Gelato. Oh my, this is THE place to get ice-cream. Their flavours range from plain vanilla and chocolate to more unusual ones like chocolate with chilli, avocado, chocolate with pepper and mascarpone and figs. Get at least 2 scoops of different flavours (don’t worry, they let you taste the more experimental flavours before committing to a whole big scoop) in a small tub (or cone, who am I to judge) and head to Brighton Pier which is only couple of minutes away.

You can spend a while walking by the sea, browsing some of the small galleries and sit on the pebble beach. It’s great for recharging batteries and slowing down a bit. If you walk along to West Street, you can walk straight back to the train station (the street changes into Queen’s Road halfway through). If you fancy a stop, snack or a drink (or all of them), I’d recommend The Blue Man. Its North African theme makes it incredibly cosy and their food is great.

So, here you go, a quick walk around Brighton’s creative, and somewhat culinary scene in a day. If you have more time, you could wonder to Kemptown and its numerous bars and charity shops or towards Hove and its colourful beach huts. There are also plenty of other galleries such as Phoenix, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, and Prescription Art.

Right now Brighton is getting ready for Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe which are both happening in May. I also have so much more to explore from galleries to photography events and talks. Definitely many more exciting and creative times ahead of me.

More: Twitter | Blog | Cargo

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.

Paris is a city about which most everyone has an opinion. And if you’ve been, and you’ve liked it, you more than likely have a few favourite places that aren’t necessarily a part of most visitors standard repertoires. My favourite Paris is the everyday Paris, with its markets and the small intricacies of daily life that mark each arrondissement. Having spent a formative part of my life in the 4th arrondissement, better known as Le Marais, I know I’m home when I see a family of Hasidic Jews on their way home from the shul passing by a gay couple on their way out for the night.

As much as I try to capture these small moments in writing and occasionally on film, I realise that I am not the first to attempt such a feat. I’m inspired by photographers such as August Sander, Eugène Atget and Brassaï whose work documents the everyday extraordinarily. Their work has a certain universality in its grasp of human emotion and curiosity about the places we inhabit. While the neighbourhoods these artists worked in have changed, similar moments are still there waiting to be captured.

When I was last home, I spent the weekend immersed in photography from the early 1900s. I was most excited about the Musée Albert Kahn, a museum that I stumbled across in my Facebook  newsfeed that had colour photographs from the 1920s. It seemed like an unusual concept and was in a part of Paris I wasn’t particularly familiar with. I already had plans to see the Brassaï exhibition at the Hôtel de Ville and with just over forty-eight hours, I also hoped to get to the Maison Européenne de la Photographie to see the David Lynch exhibition Small Stories. All of this and the usual cafe-hopping and catching up with family! Below are some impressions of the weekend:

Musée Albert Kahn:

The Musée Albert Kahn focuses on the photographic commissions and contributions of the philanthropic and well-travelled Albert Kahn. Located just outside of Paris in Boulogne, the museums sits on the site of Kahn’s mansion and former estate. Although the house no longer exists, the museum has preserved the grounds which include a series of different gardens that cover an astonishing four hectares.

Originally from Alsace, Kahn was born in 1860. He made a large fortune through banking and was a staunch pacifist. In his goal to promote harmony and tolerance, he also became an avid documentarist. His goal to create the Archives de la Planète (Archives of the Planet) and document the world through photography, resulted in the creation of over 72,000 colour autochromes that are astoundingly comprehensive in their gaze of life in the early 1900s.

Kahn’s autochromes delve into the discoveries of the past in the heyday of colonialism, exploring the world from Antarctica to Africa and then turning the gaze back on World War I Europe. The collection of formal portraits reads like a who’s who of the times. Nobel prize winners, heads of state, writers and contemporaries such as Auguste Rodin and Rabindranath Tagore appear next to close family friends and the photographers that carried out his work. It is this juxtaposition of everyday life, the houses, children, gardens and villages of the world, that along with the more formal portraits, create a compelling archive that is not only of exceptional cultural value but also introspective in its examination of humankind. It’s a truly mesmerising way to spend an hour or two, wondering about the stories behind the photos and admiring compositions that are so clear that it’s hard to believe they were taken over a hundred years ago.

Hôtel de Ville – Brassaï: For the Love of Paris:

Exhibition runs until 29 March

Covering several different bodies of work, Brassaï’s ‘For the Love of Paris‘ exhibition spans nearly fifty years of work. His photographs were some of the first I saw when my family moved to Paris. It seems funny to me now, that I should admire the work of someone for whom Paris was also an adopted city. I think there’s something to be said for trying to document a place you aren’t originally from.

Brassaï’s work is appealing on many levels. His voyeuristic gaze draws you into the shadows of  smoky clubs, cafés and brothels. It’s a view that is far from detached. These photos are intimate, as if at any moment, one of the subjects might turn around and say something. In Chez Suzy (1932), a topless woman stands in front of a gilt mirror looking downwards, her face obscured by the sweep of her dark bobbed hair, looking as if she’s about to turn to face the camera.  It’s these images where you sometimes find yourself nearly holding your breath, waiting, convinced that you might soon see their faces and hear their words.

It isn’t so much that Brassaï captures the margins of his world, so much as that he appears to capture the moments everyone else was too impatient to wait for. These photos have a comforting universality, a feeling that in less than a hundred years there are still some things that have remained the same. Somewhere between bygone eras of the Follie Bergère and mauvais garçons (bad boys), there are still people drinking and dancing, kissing on darkened streets, and etching their names and other pictograms onto walls. Brassaï’s work captures the extraordinary in the everyday. Undisturbed fresh snow on a row of chairs in a public park has the appearance of having made a downy white cushion upon which to sit in Chairs in the Luxembourg Gardens (1947).  In another series, Brassaï photographs wet cobblestones in the night. In Cobblestones (1931-1932), it’s the texture and luminescence of the stones that pull the gaze, the notion that although you may have walked this way thousands of times that you still never quite saw it this way. Or, that perhaps, you simply never noticed at all.

Maison Européenne de la Photographie – David Lynch ”Small Stories:”

Exhibition runs until 16 March

Perhaps this is why I found the David Lynch’s Small Stories exhibition at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie so jarring. Grainy black and white images with superimposed figures were numbered and given the same vague titles. There were stories there too, realities that were equally fabricated but somehow not quite as compelling or as evocative of the Paris I had just spent most of the weekend looking at. And since I couldn’t really think of very many nice things to say, there was a resolution to flee the universe of David Lynch and return to the streets of the Marais for lunch in a café. Ensconced in the Parisian equivalent of a local, with bustling waiters, paper tablecloths, rickety wooden chairs and a pichet of red wine to go with lunch, I found myself silently reaffirming just how much I love this city.

More: Twitter | Vimeo

/////

My Creative Scene is an insight into different creative & cultural happenings in cities where our members and readers live. Browse through more insider guides here or contact us to write about the arts scene where you are.