No. 47—curated by a guest visitor
Insurmountable joy, The Color of Pomegranates, Phase Shifting Index, short stories, and that indescribable feeling.
Frequent Visitors is a weekly newsletter created to share a thoughtful selection of favourite visits—both online and off—curated by friends, not algorithms.
For today’s issue we have a beloved friend of FV sharing their finds!
Recent Visits
by Nico
Ah! To have the treat of writing and sharing the things that have brought me joy and inspiration in these recent days of this very turbulent year of 2023. As you may know and relate, for a nerd like me, it is always such a thrilling privilege to be asked to share those special sightings that, on mostly unexpected cracks in time, can just so disproportionately impact one’s sense of aesthetic, creativity, and possibility. And so here we go. After some considerable but nevertheless much enjoyable struggle to narrow down to what is probably a highly incohesive and undoubtedly very personal list of frequent pleasures and recent findings, I present to you, dear visitor, 7 things I have judged imperative for the world to know and indulge in at their discretion. Thank you indeed and happy nerding!
Richard Copan’s Architectures
Copans’ documentary series Architectures isn’t exactly something I’ve recently come across, but one I have and continue to revisit over the years. In fact, it is the kind of thing for which each visit begs an almost ritualistic ceremony - at least if, like me, you also get a sweet high from understated, superbly made architecture documentaries. A careful curation of iconic historical and modern buildings together with a plethora of otherwise modest masterpieces by known and not so well known architects form the 66 episodes of the series. Artistic cinematography, critical architectural analysis, and poetic narration make each of the episodes a crisp autumn Saturday morning kind of treat, to be accompanied with good coffee and pastries. With some overlap, about 40 episodes are available for free on YouTube between these 2 generous playlists (playlist 1; playlist 2). Some of my personal favorites include Lina Bo Bardi’s Sesc Pompéia, Pierre Chareau’s Maison de Verre, SANAA’s Rolex Learning Centre, Le Corbusier’s Convent of La Tourette, Alvaro Siza’s Porto School of Architecture, and Oscar Niemeyer’s Headquarters for the French Communist Party.
The Triennale di Milano 100th Anniversary Permanent Collection Exhibit
Oh boy, what do you call that feeling when you’re walking around Milan after having spent a few hours amongst countless aisles of historical northern Italian pottery, musical instruments, tapestry, architectural fragments, and baroque furniture exhibits at the many museums of the Sforza castle, and you think you just can’t go on anymore but then after a long walk around the Sempione Park, you semi-accidentally stumble across the Triennale di Milano complex quietly nestled on the park’s southwest bank with a garden decorated with, among other Willy Wonka-quality wonders, bronze sculptures of Gaetano Pesce's Serie up 2000 chairs and de Chirico’s very post-modernist and very silly Mystyrious Baths fountain, and so you decide to just go into the lobby for a bit, because, what the heck, I know your poor brain can’t take it anymore, but you’re already here, and tomorrow you’re going to Como, and when are you coming back to Milan, and so you go in, and you’re instantly struck by the luminous and hard-to-categorize building you’re stepping in with its sensuous early 20th century avocado green marble clad lobby, and you ask the friendly staff member on the reception what’s on, and you agree with her that’s probably better to just buy the daily ticket for all the exhibitions, because, what the heck, it’s cheaper that way if you happen to decide to keep going later (which you doubt you will but yes, of course, you will so you just get ready), and you think you’re only gonna have enough energy left for one exhibit, so you pick carefully and decide to go into what happens to be the permant Museo del Designo Italiano exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Triennale this very year, and you don’t know, but you will end up spending hours here, and going to every other current exhibit after it, but for now, you do naively just go in in the hopes of making it quick but, the moment you walk in, you’re faced with the single best collection of mid-century modern and contemporary Italian design you could ever possibly conceive of, all under one roof, all in a beautiful naturally lit curving gallery, all of your design gods and goddesses you’ve always heard of and studied, sprawling and shining with their visionary ideas for how to make life better, and easier, and more modern, all of their ideas and their objects laying in front of you, and as if that wasn’t enough to make your legs start shaking, then come all the terrific graphic analysis and documentations of the beauty of what design does and can be for us mortal humans and, when you find yourself involuntarily dancing nervously in front of a colourful hill of Memphis chairs, you’re reminded of the wonderful thought that this should be fun, you know, design, and sitting, and ironing, and riding sexy Italian motorcycles, and all the things that we do around and with objects, and interfaces, and graphics.
IT SHOULD ALL BE FUN! And ugh! What do you call that feeling? You know, the feeling of being utterly and completely overwhelmed by good design and pure ideas? That feeling of being inspired and energized to carry on and keep it all going? Please do share if you know. I’ll be here, daydreaming, forever nostalgic of that unforgettable sweet eye-mind orgasm until then.
Sergei Parajanov’s The Colour of Pomegranates (1969)
Okay, probably just one of the most compositionally beautiful films ever made? You get bonus experience points if you happen to have some links to catholic traditions and/ or Armenian roots.
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House (1977)
It is cult. It is camp. It is horror. It is the freaking sexy 70s baby!
This film is a celebration of grotesque excellence and a pinnacle of craftsmanship in bad taste. Everything under a groovy score and angelic psychedelic new wave cinematography. Mwah! Chef’s kiss.
Jeremy Shaw’s Phase Shifting Index
A few weeks ago I blindley (as I like to make it customary) signed up for the Polygon Gallery’s closing event of what turned out to be one of the single best installations I’ve seen during my time living in Vancouver, BC. Phase Shifting Index is an immersive multimedia installation by Berlin-based artist Jeremy Shaw, playing with pseudo-documentary-like ideas of an alternate reality where seemingly disconnected humans contemplate, theorize, and dance their way into quantum transcendence. It’s pretty out there, yeah. It is. And it’s awesome. And it’s a sweet spiritual conversation that needs nothing to do with that who we call god, whoever They might be. Anyway, the show will be running from December 12th 2023 to February 25th 2024 at the MAC in Montreal. You should go if you can. It’ll be great. Happy mind-blowing.
‘House Taken Over’ and ‘Letter to a Young Lady in Paris’ - Two short stories by Julio Cortazar
All right, at this point who needs two delicious Latin American magical realism short stories to make their primate brains a little more confused and a little less trustful of reality and all the wonders of the tender and nourishing line that separates being awake from dreaming about fluffy white bunnies coming out of holy places? I’ll leave you at that. This PDF includes full translated copies of the two stories! Ps. Do read it in Spanish if you’re able, it’s a mouthful.
Le cirque de Calder (1961)
Now! What a delight it is to conclude this honorable task with one of the most pure and joyful things I’ve come across this past summer at the spectacular Serralves foundation in Porto on a joint exhibit of works by late friends and long-time collaborators Joan Miró and Alexander Calder. Le cirque de Calder is one of those things that makes you feel cozy and nostalgic, rejoiced and lighthearted, happy to be a co-heir of the wonderful human tradition of art making and fun having. This video clip documents Calder playing with his creations himself, like the child most of us mortals can only dream of becoming. Stay safe, stay happy. Joy is always worth spreading.
Thank you for reading and we hope you enjoyed your visit! Nico, this list is the most generous gift. Thank you for investing your time in spreading the joy 💌 We are the luckiest visitors!!
I look forward to revisiting this list over and over again. The selection shared and how you spoke about each one is endlessly inspiring, and I can’t wait to dive into all of it.
Until our next visit,
Sasha
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