A biblioteca itinerante

300 people attended the opening of Eleven Arts’ first exhibition at Coletivo 284 in Lisbon, an exhibition displaying more than 80 works by 11 artists and a special guest.
This was the first of several initiatives curated by Mónica Reis under the name Eleven Arts and which are to be replicated nationally and abroad. The quality of the works exhibited by artists from three countries was celebrated by a cosmopolitan crowd and in light of the strong attendance, feel-good feeling during the opening and the number of visitors during this three-day exhibition Eleven Arts is on the right path.
This first edition featured works by Ângelo de Castro who uses canvas to represent and paint major architectural works; Áurea Regina-Zaibon with its new concept of preserving plants; Gilvan Nunes whose canvases refer to the experimentation he engages in using different supports and an materials. Ivan Pinheiro created new paintings for this exhibition under the seven deadly sins motto. João Bruno Videira showed his works using fine wool as a guiding thread, promoting the match between technique and traditional materials and design and art. João Reino presented seven graphite drawings also focused on the seven deadly sins. Lívia Nacache presented her “repujados”, oil paintings with elaborate coatings. Luis Espírito Santo developed plastic interventions on guitars. Natalia Pitta presented jewellery pieces full of texture and movement and using assorted materials. Ricardo Abrahão used photography to represent his family refuge where he moved in during the pandemic. Wanderson Alves showed his visual narratives in photography in order to stimulate public reflection.
The special guest of this first edition was Mathias Contzen, a German living in Portugal and who showed his sculptural work in marble he works with “the objective of trying to transform consciousness into matter” and whose pieces are truly therapeutic.
Curated by Mónica Reis, this event marks the launch of several initiatives and a new brand with a view to taking this concept to other parts of the country and abroad, as contained in the name Eleven Arts International: “Our aim is to take this concept to other parts of the country and the world, thus showcasing the work of great artists”.
Carlos Tomé Sousa
Venho num Alfa a 280 à hora, o mais rápido que consegui arranjar, perseguido que venho por um exército de rojōes apoiado por uma artilharia de chanfanas. Quando chegar ao Sul peço asilo… gastronómico. Depois de uma experiência traumática com filhós e gente da Beira, fui de novo graciosamente acossado pelas gentes do norte. Quanta generosidade… calorica. Aquela gente olha-te nos olhos, coloca-te o prato à frente e toca a comer. Ainda o pequeno almoço não assentou e lá vem uma travessa de estufadinho de vitela, um coelho com fumados, uma bacalhauzinho generoso. Tudo remete para o comer, até as couves que saltaram os muros dos quintais e decorarm as avenidas aos milhares nos canteiros. Tenta-se uma desculpa, sou celíaco e tal, que disparate ninguém morre disso. Vegetariano, melhor não, a couve espreita matreira. Muçulmano, hindu ou judeu também não, há sempre uma travessinha de alheira e se não come porco, come vaca, vaca não pode, come galo do campo, campos cheio de vacas, cabras, ou seja, mais estufado e chanfana, lá vem a sanfona “quem não é bom para comer não é bom para trabalhar, quem não trabuca não manduca”… e pimba, estamos de novo à mesa.
Carlos Tomé Sousa
Forty years after their last record, ABBA are back with a bunch of gold old new songs and the album “Voyage” that should read like that, a voyage through time.
There are things you don’t question in life, particularly in these troubled times: covid-19 vaccines and Abba songs. And while there may be some side effects to the jab, the most the songs by this Swedish pop group can do to you is make you feel happy or sad. Forty years after their last record, they are now back and taking centre stage again with a new album under the name “Voyage” and a concert with a new format. As for the record, there is nothing particularly new, which is not a bad thing. If you buy an ABBA record you want to listen to ABBA, not some obscure thing. ABBA have always been good at making pop songs and that’s what they offer us here, a bunch of catchy songs. Most of the songs are quiet and introspective and to be enjoyed rather by the fireplace than on the dancefloor and have a great sing-a-long potential. “Ode to freedom” is perfect for family or church choirs and “Little things” a perfect Christmas song. The remaining songs deal with current affairs of life and the heart and bear resemblances with previous material released by the band. You may claim that they became cheesy or sentimental or whatever and that there is nothing new here, but then again they reached a mature age and could not care less. And if there is a group with the potential to bring together people of all ages, that’s ABBA. Most of us have records by this Swedish band for many reasons and mostly because our parents loved the band too and were happy to give us money to buy them. ABBA is a true household name and moved from the living room to the dance floor thanks to a handful of songs that made our days in the seventies when glitter was commonplace.
“Voyage”, the new album, is more suited to listen at home but ABBA promise to join the world in a huge communal celebration in the Spring of 2022. “A concert that combines the old and new, the young and the not so young. A concert that has brought all four of us together again”, in their own words. In these gigs, we will get to see ABBA’s avatars accompanied by a 10-piece live banda in a custom-built arena at the Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park in London. The band has been preparing the show using motion capture technology to give us the images and moves we will get to see on stage. The whole arena promises to be a true glitterbox with sitting places, dances areas and dance booths for 10 people. Technology meets pop in a giant spaceship that has landed in London. In light of all the technology involved, we may claim the new album could be more daring. But perhaps releasing a new album was just an excuse to open their crock of good old songs again and to host a giant celebration.
Carlos Tomé Sousa
David Bowie left us five years ago and would be 75 years old next January. To celebrate his life, the David Bowie estate is launching today, 75 days before his birthday several curated pop-up events in London and New York.
The London location where Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie’s alien personas, was last sighted before David Bowie decided to kill him, and the neighbourhood where Bowie lived his last years in New York, the city where he recorded his last haunted jazz record will be the stage of pop-up experiential shops involving music, fashion and art. In these two events and many others to be hosted, you will be able to find rare apparel collectables, watch several archived and behind-the-scenes videos, photos and hear his music in an immerse experience in 360 reality audio exclusively in 75 locations. October 25 events in London and New York mark the start of Bowie’s celebrations to be hosted here and there and everywhere.
If you missed the exhibition “Bowie Is” that travelled the world these events can bring you closer to that glorious experience where sound and image combined offering the full experience of the life and of work of the man who combined all kinds of arts and whose influence is felt in many fields. For further information, visit www.bowie75.com and chances are that one of these events will be hosted around the corner from you.
Carlos Tomé Sousa
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