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A contemporary take on Coriolanus – also showing at Cinema Nouveau, Rosebank

liz — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:33:24 +0000

With 3 or 4 screenings a day there is still time to see Coriolanus before it goes of circuit. Ralph Fiennes contemporary production has been called ‘the thinking person’s action movie’. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian writes: ’Ralph Fiennes’s intelligent take on an unloved Shakespeare links it not only to the 1990s Balkans, [much of it was filmed in the Belgrade] but [also to] the present-day Arab spring.’ Using Shakespeare’s original text (with some cuts here and there) the setting is contemporary, drawing on modern genres like war reporting and TV news. Ralph Fiennes is Coriolanus, Vannessa Regdrave is Volumnia, his equally powerful mother and our very own John Kani plays General Cominius. For the remaining performance times for this week see http://www.moviesite.co.za/where/Cinema_Nouveau_Rosebank.htm (Next week’s schedule is still not available so not clear if it will finish on Thursday.

The Met HD Opera Series: La Traviata, showing at Cinema Nouveau

liz — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:43:20 +0000

La Traviata (part of the latest season’s opera at the NY Met, filmed in HD and and showing at Cinema Nouvea), only has 4 more showings: tonight at 19.30; Wednesday at 11 and Thursday at 2 and at 19.30. Natalie Dessay plays Violetta (her voice was suffering after a cold on the night of the filmed performance) and Matthew Polenzani plays Alfredo.

Phantom is a tour de force – on until 3rd June

liz — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:53:16 +0000

Courtesy of the Phantom of the Opera Programme 2012 (Pieter Toerien Monte Casino)

A few weeks ago a guest staying at Liz at Lancaster & who is a musical-aholic, told me he had seen ‘Phantom of the Opera’ SEVENTEEN times – in NY, London and now the night before at Monte Casino, his 2nd time in SA. And he thought it was the best performance he had ever seen. I had never seen Phantom so on his recommendation and with high expectations, I went with a friend (also a Phantom novice). We were completely bowled over. Apart from that wonderful music, the stage sets and costumes were just amazing, but most gut wrenching of all was Johnathan Roxmouth’s rendition of the Phantom. Just an extraordinary performance. Really don’t miss it if you can help it. It’s been extended until 3rd June.

Nice piece on the Jozi Run

liz — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:24:29 +0000

The Jozi Run took place on Tuesday evening before Human Rights Day (21st March). See http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-03-22-run-jozi-sa-runs-for-its-life-finds-its-soul-in-hillbrow

Great new addition to the Maboneng Precinct

liz — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:47:22 +0000

The space at 281 Commissioner St opened up to allow the projection of Buntu Fihle's photographs onto a building across the street. Source: Andre Pretorius

On Tuesday evening, I went to 10 years On Air – the collaborative Review exhibition of the On Air partnership: Marcus Neustatter and Stephen Hobbs. Unexpectedly, Marcus was there to give a walkabout which made viewing particularly enjoyable and accessible . It was really good to see their production over the last decade – much of which has been based in other countries. Their projects have been very varied but all demonstrate their interest in collaborative work, performance and installation work, and making interventions in public spaces and buildings. With most of their work being of an ephemeral nature, Neustatter and Hobbs use different mediums (video, slides, artefacts and everyday objects, drawings) to record and re-present their various projects. These thought-provoking projects have generated many beautiful visuals as in the Hand and Machine piece which contrasts and compares the different rural and urban Mali environments of Djenne the mud city (and World Heritage site), and Bamako the capital. 10 years On Air will be on for another 2 months but only by appointment. It is showing in a great venue – a factory building at 281 Commissioner St (a block away from Arts On Main) and because much of their work is in the form of large scale video projections, the show is only on in the evenings after dark. For more see http://www.onair.co.za/broadcast/?p=415#more-415

March update on the Joburg art scene

liz — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 10:06:03 +0000

Joel Mpha Dooh's 'Untitled "I'm not drunk, I'm just happy" ' Photograph Courtesy of Gallery Momo's invitation

What’s new in the art scene in March?

Along with Gerard Batha’s Paintings from the Karoo, Hermann Niebuhr’s exhibition City Chromatic, Views of Johannesburg opened at Everard Read on 8th March. For a review see http://todoinjoburg.co.za/2012/03/hermann-niebuhrs-city-chromatic-views-of-johannesburg-opens-at-everard-read/.
RosenClaire’s Immaterial Matters is on at the Goodman and runs till 24th March. This is the first exhibition in South Africa by the duo of Claire Gavronsky and Rose Shakinovsky since they left the country for Italy in 1985. Part of Rosenclaire’s aim is to examine the discourse of art history through their art making . This does perhaps present interesting contradictions in that artists as creative beings tend to look forward and construct visual texts, as opposed to historians who attempt to look at existing production and frame, comment on, and contextualize this creative work. Have just come across a wonderful quote which encapsulates those who are cynical of art history: ‘Writing about art is like dancing about architecture.’ ! So Rosenclaire’s starting point might turn the relationship between art historical production and contemproary art making on its head … but for sure contradictions still abound. James Delaney’s Exhibition Creation: the Discovery of the Ancient shows at In Toto in Birdhaven until 10th April. Opening at Gallery Momo on 15th March (until 16th April) is Joël Mpah Dooh Let’s take a walk!

Further afield in Joburg central : On Friday 16th March at 19.00 Trinity Session and Hobbs/Neustatter celebrate a decade of Collaboration with the opening of their exhibition 10 years on Air at the Maboneng precinct. Showing his amazing jewellry at Unity Gallery until 1st April is Mthakathi Prince of Newtown – what a great poster. See http://www.jhblive.com/events/art/mthakathi_prince_of_newtown/98363 and http://www.jhblive.com/reviews/art/prince_of_newtown_%27s_studio/97865 Candice Breitz, who has just joined Goodman’s stable continues to show at the Standard Bank Gallery until 5th April. On 22nd March the Regional Finalists (Johannesburg) of Absa L’Atelier 2012 will be announced.

Now this is a win: a cheese ‘factory’ in the same street as Liz at Lancaster

liz — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 08:37:55 +0000

A cheese maker on Liz at Lancaster’s doorstep … literally in the same street , one block away, and I never knew about it. Am off there this week. And seems he supplies no lesser luminary retailers than Thrupps, Organic Village Market in Bryanston, Nieghbourhoods in Braamfontien, and our great neighbourhood restaurant Cnr Cafe http://www.jhblive.com/reviews/shops/damn_fine_cheese_in_jozi!/99781

Nothing beats dinner al fresco on a clear Joburg summer’s evening

liz — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:50:32 +0000

Had a wonderful dinner with friends last night outside on their terrace overloooking Saxonwold and Killarney with Rosebank on the opposite hill top where all the cranes attest to the major building activity around the new Standard Bank satellite campus. Was one of those glorious balmy Highveld summer nights under a cloudless clear starry night sky. So what’s happening with the planets over the next few weeks?
Venus and Jupiter have been in our early evening skies for the past few months – Venus is the very bright “evening star” in the west; Jupiter is almost as bright, in the north-west (higher and to the right of Venus).
Over the next few weeks, the two planets will appear to move closer to and then past each other. Watch out especially for:
* Moon passing Venus & Jupiter - 25th to 27th Feb
* Venus passing Jupiter – 13th March
* Moon passing Jupiter & Venus – 25th – 27th March
* Venus near the young crescent Moon – 26th March

Another new institution opens a branch in Rosebank: SA College of Applied Psychology

liz — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:39:37 +0000

After 14 years of success in Cape Town, The South African College of Applied Psychology’ (SACAP) has expanded to accommodate Gauteng students. Located in Lower Rosebank a mere 2 km from Liz at Lancaster Guesthouse, the College is located at 160 Jan Smuts Ave on the corner of Tyrhwitt Ave. See http://www.rosebank.co.za/view/index/psychology_college_opens/62/1/139