Weekly supplement by Insider Publications • insider-publications.com • facebook.com/insiderpublications • No 75 • Friday, September 18, 2015 WRITING JO NESBO
PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE MOVE
Norwegian crime novelist Jo Nesbo discusses his life, career and the creation of inspector Harry Hole and signs copies of his books in Greek, published by Metaichmio. The event will be in English and starts at 8 p.m. on September 18. Athens Concert Hall, Vassilissis Sofias & Kokkali. megaron.gr
With the participation of six professional photographers, “On the Move” is a photographic journey through life and the difficulties encountered by shepherds. Until November 10, Michael Cacogiannis Foundation, Pireos 206, mcf.gr
TRAVEL
MUSIC NEW YORK GYPSY ALL-STARS
The famous musical has finally arrived in Athens. Already played in 40 countries and seen by over 50 million viewers worldwide, this delightful fable about love, derision, friendship and music is guaranteed to captivate you. Show in English surtitles Greek. Until November 15, Badminton Theatre, Zografou, abcd.gr/show/mamma-mia
A fusion of Greek, Turkish, Balkan and Bollywood tunes comprise the joyful repertory of the New York Gypsy AllStars, scheduled to perform at Gazarte on September 24. Admission costs 14 euros and the concert starts at 10 p.m. Tickets at Gazarte, Public, Papasotiriou, Seven Spot and Ianos, online at www.viva.gr and by calling 11876. September 24, Gazarte, Voutadon 32-34, gazarte.gr
TV THIS WEEK
CITY LIFE
The Magic of
Chania
Wheeling your luggage down Chalidon Street, the main street that leads down to the the Old Town, you are dazzled by the view of the Venetian harbor, day or night, but the early morning stillness is best to hear the water lapping against the rocks. On summer nights the area turns into an endless promenade of feet doing their evening volta in the magical lighting of the Venetian port. Eating with a view of the harbour might be what you came on vacation for, but the best places are those tucked away in the alleyways of the Old Town. Eat: Old favorites are what we keep returning to, like Calderimi on Theotokopoulou Street, where Giorgos creates works of art of Cretan cuisine in his kitchen, like sfakiani pita with mizithra and honey, and to Semiramis on Skoufon with its lovely garden and Greek music. And then there is the discovery of new places, like Colombo with its fusion cuisine, which Miltos opened last December on Isodion St. Co-
TYRANT 2
Bassam Barry Al-Fayeed, the youngest son of an infamous MiddleEastern tyrant must now guide the new President , his brutal and unstable older brother Jamal. Every Wednesday at 21.30 on Fox
A jazz concert under the stars. A Venetian lighthouse piercing the azure sky. Raki on the harbour and Cretan delicacies in obscure alleyways. Sherri Moshman Paganos draws out the magic of Chania
UPCOMING EVENTS
MUSICAL “MAMMA MIA!”
lombo has become so popular with locals and tourists alike, that it is often forced to turn people away. Drink: For a raki in the late afternoon as the sun turns a little more gentle, Al Canea near the Naval Museum can’t be beat. At Fagotto, you might hear some great classic jazz, perhaps live if you go after midnight. Swim: From this westernmost part of town, also including the Naval Museum and the Firka Fortress, it is about a 10 minute walk west to the Nea Chora beach. Nea Chora, like all the beaches along the north coast such as Aghia Marina and Platanias is very affected by the meltemi, the north wind. On days like this, a wonderful idea is to go to one of the beaches along the south coast. Loutro is a favourite with its crystalline water and its white and blue architecture, resembling a small Cycladic village. Another nearby beach to Chania is Stavros on Akrotiri, where much of Zorba the Greek was filmed.
See: If you’re tired of swimming and sitting in cafes, you can take a walk to the dimotiki agora, which was completed in 1913, the year that Crete was united with Greece. The Archaeological Museum, the municipal art gallery, the gallery inside the 17th century Kioutsouk Hasan Mosque on the harbour and the public gardens are some other sights. A wonderful walk is along the ramparts, starting from the neoria, the Venetian shipbuilding houses, at the eastern end, to the faros, the Venetian lighthouse. Built in 1570 but completed three centuries later, the faros is Chania’s landmark of beauty,. A bit of History: The Venetian influence of course is everywhere. This era began in 1204. Walls and moats enclose both east and west sides; the eastern moat is used for a theatre in the summer, where you can watch plays or listen to music under the stars. Before the Venetians, the Byzanttines had also done the same, but concentrated on the hilly Kasteli area, behind the harbour. Taking a walk along Kanavaro Street, the main thoroughfare of Kasteli, you see Byzantine wall ruins as well as even remains of Minoan houses from as far back as the 15th century B.C., back when Chania was known as Kydonia, after Kydon, grandson of mythical King Minos of Crete. Besides fortifying the city, the Venetians, as we know, were active seafarers and shipbuilders. They built twenty two arsenals or neoria as they’re called, along the eastern section of the harbour. Today, seven neoria survive that you can see from your walk along the ramparts. One has even been restored as a cafe. The grand Arsenal on the harbour, which houses the Centre of Mediterranean Studies, is used for temporary exhibits on photography and painting.
CINEMA
Authentic Thai in Athens Insider Weekly rounds up the city’s fieriest Thai choices The harmonious blend of salty, sweet, sour and the long, slow buildup of chilli heat is what makes Thai food so unique and one of the most crave-worthy cuisines. The exotic and fragrant aromas of lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and curry paste alongside the crunch of bamboo shoots, fresh vegetables and crumbled peanuts only enhances this dynamic textural and sensory experience. Insider scouts the top four Thai restaurants in Athens that your palate will revel in, without hurting your wallet…aroy! 1. Andaman: Amazing atmosphere, dine either indoors or in their al fresco garden under the stars. Insider Favourites: Phad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, Spring Rolls, Pad See Ew with Chicken and Shrimp, Red Curry with Chicken, Bean Sprouts, Special Fried Rice, and Fried Rice with Green Curry. Alopis 65, Petralona, 211.210.4939, andaman.gr 2. Rouan Thai: A hidden neighbourhood gem, this restaurant is owned and operated by a mother and daughter who are from Thailand, offering you a warm and authentic dining experience. Insider Favourites: Fried Pork with Garlic and Pepper, Curry Puff, Spring Rolls, Chicken with Green Curry, Fried Shrimp with Red Curry, Fried Pork with Chilis and String Beans, Thai Fried Rice, Beef with Fresh Chili and Bamboo and Pad Thai. Notara 131, Pireaus, 210.429.4494, rouanthai.gr 3. Tamarind: Renowned for their cocktails just as much as their food, Tamarind is a great stop before a night out. They now of-
fer a Private Chef service, bringing Tamarind to you! Insider Favourites: Fresh Thai Rolls, Steamed Dumplings, Satei bbq, Mendake Papaya salad, Phad Thai, Turmeric Curry and Chicken Padan BBQ. Keramikou 51, Metaxourgio, 210.522.5945, tamarindathens.gr/eng 4. Blue Bamboo: a contemporary minimalist space with an open plan kitchen and the newest kid on the block to the Thai food scene in Athens. Insider Favourites: Yellow Curry and Coconut Pineapple Fried Rice, Salad with Mango, Fresh Onion and Shrimp, Beef Panang Curry, Chicken satay, Phad Thai and Coconut Ice Cream. Kydantidon 24, Ano Petralona, 210.342.3124, bluebamboo.gr
AMERICANS 3
Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth(Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings(Matthew Rhys), two Soviet KGB officers posing as U.S. citizens and a married couple. Every Monday at 21.30 on Fox Watch FOX on OTE TV
CINEMA THIS WEEK
THE VATICAN TAPES
A priest and two Vatican exorcists must do battle with an ancient satanic force to save the soul of a young woman.
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
A good-natured womanizer and a serial cheater form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in.
ART
ATHENS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Tickets are on sale for the 21st edition of the Athens International Film Festival, aka Premiere Nights, which runs from September 23 to October 4. Screenings take place at the Danaos, Odeon Opera and Ideal movie theaters, the Greek Film Archive and the Technopolis cultural complex. The festival opens with Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth,” starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Rachel Weisz. For more information on films and screenings, visit www.aiff.gr.
CYCLING
ART
6TH BIKE FESTIVAL Technopolis welcomes thousands of cycling fans for three days to take in the latest trends in the bike market, accessories and equipment at the 6th Athens Bike Festival. September 18 to 20, Technopolis, Peiraios 100, technopolisathens.com
ITHACA RETURNED Ithaca represents not just a place, but the amazing and complicated journey of trying to find it. More than 20 international artists have been invited to interpret “Ithaca Returned” from the most personal expression, to the heroic, Odyssean nature emboldened by Homer. Until October 3 at the Blender Gallery, Zisimopoulou 4, Glyfada, theblendergallery.com
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Master manipulator of shapes and forms Vanessa Wildenstein is seduced by Tony Cragg’s sculptural journey at the Benaki Museum
CINEMA
A forecast of bitter truths CineDoc begins with a special screening of the acclaimed documentary The Forecaster – which tells the story of infamous financial advisor Martin Armstrong’s economic forecasts and their astonishing interconnections with world events. The film will be screened as a live event across Greece and Europe on September 29 at the French Institute. Martin Armstrong, once a US based trillion dollar financial advisor, developed a computer model based on the number pi and other cyclical theories, which allowed him to predict economic turning points, like “Black Monday” in 1987 or Russia’s financial collapse in 1998, with eerie accuracy. In the early ‘80s, he founded his financial forecasting and advising company Princeton Economics International. His forecasts were in great demand worldwide. As Armstrong’s recognition grew, prominent New York bankers invited him to aid them in market manipulation. Armstrong repeatedly refused. In 1999, the FBI stormed his offices, confiscated his
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computer model and accused him of a 3 billion dollar Ponzi scheme. When Armstrong refused to produce the source code for his computer model to the government, he was imprisoned for 7 years, without trial. For the last years, Armstrong has predicted that a sovereign debt crisis will start to unfold on a global level after October 1, 2015 - a major pi turning point that his computer model forecasted many years ago. The screening takes place with the support of the Goethe Institut. A Q & A with the film’s director Marcus Vetter and Martin Armstrong will follow the screening. The discussion will fo-
cus on Armstrong’s predictions that the world will be hit by a gigantic economic crisis in the first week of October 2015. The event will be broadcast live to audiences across Europe and questions from European audiences will be taken via the internet and answered. The exclusive screening is organized by Moving Docs, the EDN led partnership for the joint distribution of documentaries across Europe, the Greek documentary festival CineDoc, with the support of the Goethe Institut Athen. In Greece, partners screening the film live include AegeanDocs in Mytilini, Olympion Cinema in Thessaloniki and Cineland Cinema in Rethymno.
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Large-scale bronze sculptures, by Liverpool-born sculptor Tony Cragg, come into view as I enter the courtyard of the Benaki Museum, on Pireos. Glorious shapes in varied patinas twist and turn upwards, dizzying in intensity and verticality. In some, I see human figures, profiles or other familiar shapes. Others are more abstract, otherworldly or totemic. On September 8, opening night, art lovers and students flock to the auditorium to listen to the British sculptor speak about his work. Wearing a dark suit, open-necked white shirt, and an equally relaxed expression, 66-year-old Cragg, recipient of the Turner prize in 1988, speaks eloquently. He is charismatic and draws the audience into his rhetoric and ideology without dumbing it down. No wonder his position at the prestigious Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts lasted over 30 years. His sculptural journey, Cragg explains, begins when his pencil touches paper. He doesn’t know where it’s going until he’s explored every facet of the future sculpture. “The fixed world is the fixed world: it’s the dead world,” he explains. Art is an ever evolving process. Objects shaped by people are dull, their function limited. “Objects that come out of nature are infinitely more interesting, because nature’s taken millions of years to make them,” he says, emphasizing his words with a flurry of hand gestures, “and we are very dumb at making things. Designers and architects always have re-
cipients in mind; they’re making things for people. If nobody buys the thing or uses it, then it’s a ‘bad design’. An artist obviously needs to survive but, when in the studio, he generally doesn’t think about anybody else.” Cragg constantly pushes boundaries, whether material or structural, while seeking inspiration from nature. Sometimes his imagination gets away with him, and he ends up with shapes and plans that are impossible to realise in 3D form. Mostly, though, the end sculpture is something innovative, futuristic even. After the talk, we are ushered towards the exhibition, a collaboration between Cragg’s studio, the Benaki Museum and Xenia Geroulanos of the Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, which has been representing the sculptor for 20 years. “This is the artist’s first solo museum show in Greece,” says Geroulanos. “He’s always loved the idea of showing here and was instantly taken by the Benaki Museum and its courtyard. He was a major decision-maker as to which works would be included.” The 25 works that made the cut span the last 15 years and are all on loan from the artist’s own foundation. According to Geroulanos, the chosen sculptures all relate to the forms in which you can see a portrait. His works are made of wood, bronze, and stone. Only a few are of manmade materials like mirror-finish steel and plastic. In a tall red sculpture, made of stacked
slices of plywood that have been epoxied together, “Bent of Mind” (2008), I recognize the profile of Nefertiti. A step to the right or to the left and the image changes completely. The viewers’ physical location determines what they will perceive. Wanting to approach the sculptor, I queue up behind a man who’s asked him to sign a pile of catalogues. Cragg is happy to oblige. My quest is different: I want to know if the human profiles are fortuitous. His answer: the sculptures are studied from all angles, thus leaving little room to chance. We wander about the room, dying to trail our fingers along the smooth and tantalizing surfaces. Cragg identifies with the compulsion to touch. “We have, when we’re born, this beautiful organ, complicated through evolution, but it has to be filled,” he says. “The way you fill it is by smelling, touching, looking and hearing. This is the way you gather the terms to describe the world.” Some of his sculptures are squat and grounded, some windswept, and others soar upwards. Cragg is undoubtedly a master at manipulating the elements and their energy. *1. McCormack #1, 2007 (bronze, 117x130x75 cm) Photo: Michael Richter, ©the artist, Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac *2. Bent of mind, 2008 (wood, 200x110x110 cm) Photo: David Kaluza, ©the artist, Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac