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Major show about voyages James Cook in Bonn
Updated: August 28 2009, 13:20 CET
BONN: Today Kunst -und Austellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Bonn opens her doors to ‘James Cook and the Exploration of the Pacific’ an exhibition about the British explorer, navigator and cartographer James Cook (1728–1779), who achieved world fame for leading three expeditions into the vast and uncharted waters of the Pacific Ocean. The show includes around 500 original exhibits presenting the voyages of Cook and his international team of scientists and artists.
As early as the end of the 18th century many of the ethnographic and natural history objects from diverse Pacific cultures, which were collected during the three Cook voyages, were spread into various collections all over Europe. Now, for the first time, they are being reunited for this exhibition. The ethnographic exhibits are supplemented by paintings and drawings by the artists accompanying Cook on his voyages. Their works offer a fascinating insight into the explorers' euphoric yet curious view of the exotic South Sea landscapes. Ship models, sea charts and navigation instruments also provide a vivid introduction to the world of James Cook's voyages.
In 1992 the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany was founded as an institution for changing exhibitions and has since then offered a varied programme of international significance. During the first fifteen years over 143 exhibitions have been organized in the areas of art, cultural history, science and technology. An exhibition on the Bronze Age is just as suited to be presented here as a retrospective on a contemporary artist. Exhibitions on architecture, design, photography are offered to the public just as those on genetic engineering or the weather.
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Major show about ‘how Portugal brought the world together’
Updated: August 21 2009, 10:35 CET
LISBON: For holidaymakers in Portugal who want to change the beach for a museum and like to know more about the country, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon presents ‘Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries’ a major travelling exhibition about ‘how Portugal brought the world together’ during the Age of Discovery and its pioneering role in global trade. On show are over 200 pieces from 95 foreign collections, including those of the Louvre Museum Paris, the Albertina in Vienna , the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Staatliche Museums in Berlin and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Among the highlights are the Namban Screens or Panels of São Vicente, that are part of the permanent collection of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.
Other highlights are Kunstkammer objects collected by the Habsburgs, the Medici and other princely families, assembled from collections throughout Europe; rare 16th-century world maps by Portuguese and Florentine cartographers; ivory hunting horns and saltcellars carved in West and Central Africa for trade with the Portuguese; Indian mother-of-pearl vessels that were given precious silver-gilt mounts when they arrived in Europe in the 16th century; and scientific instruments created for the Imperial Chinese court by early Jesuit missionaries. The show has been equally enriched by additional Portuguese National Treasures, which due to their status, could not be lent for prior versions of this exhibit in the USA.
Most of the Portuguese expeditions during the age of discovery left from the harbour of Lisbon during the 15th to 17th centuries, including Vasco da Gama’s departure to India in 1497. The 16th century marks the golden age for Lisbon. The city became the European hub of commerce with Africa, India, the Far East and, later Brazil exploring riches like spices, slaves, sugar, textiles and other goods. This was the time of the Manueline style, which has left its mark in two 16th century Lisbon monuments, the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastry of which were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO .
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Car wreck and toxic waste in oldest zoo of the world
Updated: August 19 2009, 13:37 CET
VIENNA: In summertime, when the weather is nice, people are looking for outdoor activities. For them the Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, presents the unique exhibition ‘Trouble in Paradise’ a presentation of six ready-made installations by the artist−duo Steinbrener/Dempf in several enclosures at Schönbrunn: A sunken car wreck at the rhinos, railroad tracks in the bison pen or toxic waste in the aquarium are unexpectedly interfering with wildlife in the zoo. The viewer is forced to reconsider traditional modes of animal presentation and simultaneously to question the authenticity of concepts which are restaging ‘natural’ environments while they are increasingly endangered.
Present−day conceptions of zoological gardens aim at the presentation of animals in an idyllic and apparently natural environment, untouched by civilization. But this is a contemporary conception, since courtly menageries and kennels were adapted to the exposure of animals as decorative objects. Until the early years of the 20th century, animals were part of a preferably spectacular and exotic staging, to the entertainment and amazement of the public.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn, founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752 on the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace is the oldest zoo in the world. Today the zoo is considered and regards itself as a scientifically administered zoo which sees its main purpose as a centre for species conservation and general nature conservation as well as in the fulfillment of the education mandate given to it by the legislation. The still preserved buildings of the baroque era, which have been complemented in the last years by elements of modern zoo architecture, convey still a good impression of the 18th century menagerie-buildings after the Versaille model.
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Helsinki Festival kicks off
Updated: August 17 2009, 09:46 CET
HELSINKI: Last week the 41st edition of the Helsinki Festival kicked off. This largest arts festival in Finland, is organised annually in late summer presenting events in venues all over town. The 2009 programme line-up features classical and world music, circus, dance, theatre, a children's programme, cinema and a range of urban events. This years’ festival kicks off with Pierre Boulez, with his French Ensemble Intercontemporain, led by Music Director Susanna Mälkki. The theatre programme highlights include the latest from Alvis Hermanis from Latvia, Dmitri Krymov from Russia and the Swiss Stefan Kaegi, as well as the Finnish premiere of circus artist Jani Nuutinen’s much-awaited new production. Adding American flavor to the proceedings are jazz musicians Joshua Redman and Paquito d’Rivera together with Wilco, making their Finnish debut appearance. The season at the Huvila Festival Tent will be brought to a close with a joint performance by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.
The first Helsinki Festival took place in May 1968. In the early years, the festival's focus was on classical music although the programme was soon extended to include other art forms. In its forty years, the Festival has presented a unique line up from Luciano Pavarotti to Massive Attack, from Picasso to Andy Warhol, from the New York City Philharmonic to La Fura dels Baus, from the Kaivopuisto concerts to the Mayor's Popular Selection, from the Piazza of Flavours to the Maa ilmassa exhibition, from Peter Brook to Pina Bausch.
During the year Helsinki has a lot of culture to offer. The biggest historical museum in Helsinki is the National Museum of Finland, which displays a vast historical collection from prehistoric times to the 21st century. Other major historical museum is the Helsinki City Museum, which presents visitors to Helsinki's 500 year history. The Finnish National Gallery consists of three museums: Ateneum Art Museum for classical Finnish art, Sinebrychoff Art Museum for classical European art, and Kiasma Art Museum for modern art. Helsinki has three major theatres: The Finnish National Theatre, the Helsinki City Theatre, and the Finland Swedish Svenska Teatern. The city's main musical venues are the Finnish National Opera and the Finlandia Concert Hall. Major concerts and events are usually held at one of the city's two big ice hockey arenas: the Hartwall Arena and the Helsinki Ice Hall.
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Mallorca celebrates Chopin festival on the eve of Chopin year
Updated: August 11 2009, 10:32 CET
MALLORCA/VALDEMOSA: This weekend the cloisters of Valldemosa's Monastry, at the Spanish island Mallorca, opened her doors to the annual Chopin Festival, dedicated to the Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849). This year the festival is honouring five colleague composers, celebrating the 200th birthday of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), the 100th anniversary of Jaume Mas Porcel (1909-1993) and commemorating the death of Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) 200 years ago, the death of Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) 100 years ago and the death of Wanda Landowska (1877-1959) 50 years ago. Works by these composers are performed together with works by Chopin.
In the 1830s the Spanish government confiscated the Valldemosa’s monasteries, and the historic estate was sold to private owners, who have since hosted some prominent guests, including Chopin and his friend the French writer and pioneering feminist George Sand (who wrote a notable account of A Winter in Majorca, describing their 1838–39 visit and praising the island's natural beauty but criticizing what she perceived as the prejudice and vices of the natives). Travelers still can visit the so-called Chopin cell at the monastry where the composer and George Sand stayed in the winter of 1838 – 1839.
Last year the Polish Parliament, declared 2010 the Year of Frederic Chopin, and special concerts, recitals, conferences and other events will honor the Romantic composer, who was born near Warsaw in 1810.
The prestigious International Chopin Competition for pianists will mark its 16th edition in October 2010. Held every five years, the competition draws scores of young musicians from all over the world. In addition, Warsaw's Chopin Museum, with the world's largest collection of Chopin documents and other artifacts, will undergo a total redesign, modernization and expansion.
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