Monday 17 August 2015

readreadreadandlook

Staying in a house in S France for 7 days in Esparron-de-Varon - I managed to walk the 10 feet from kitchen to garden view overlooking the lake to read - there was an overall sense of connection between and within the books - we are all lost in some way but decisions can bring understanding. Some recommendations - the Goldfinch : Donna Tart, truly truly beautiful words - your fathers where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever : Dave Eggers, exploring the deceit surrounding unfulfillment - the Children Act : Ian McEwan, exploring the weight of decisions - Cloud Atlas : David Mitchell, exploring the dazzlingly interconnection of individuals - How to be both : Ali smith, wonderfully crafted words bestowing the opportunity to see alternative  worlds - Us : David Nicholls, I have never laughed uncontrollably and then cried uncontrollably so much whilst reading in my life. Stopped in Paris on the way down to see work at Palais du Tokoyo - it's an exciting playful space, always challenging. There's always a mixture of shows but a video piece by Tianzcho Chen  http://tianzhuochen.com/ was the most extraordinary work I have seen this year. https://vimeo.com/102807393 On the way back from Esparron I stopped in Paris and went to the Pompeii Centre to see the extensive show of Mona Hatoum's work, https://www.centrepompidou.fr/cpv/resource/cxABRMq/rMeBjj7 taken by her use of textiles, especially the Palestinian windows women's embroidery project, but the earnest integrity of the early performance pieces especially the raw walk through the Brixton of 1986 stays with you. Spent several days in France travelling great distances on clean trains that were on time only to find myself at Liverpool St Station to find delays and cancellations......nothing changes.