Vincent van Gogh’s letters – principally addressed to his brother Theo – but also to fellow artists, friends and relatives are unquestionably one of the most articulated, rich and revealing harvest of an artist’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. This quite abundant documentation (819, of which 658 are to his brother Theo and a further 96 to others) referring to such a controversial and yet amazingly gifted artist is now available online thanks to the great effort of the Huygens Instituut and are also on exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum from October 9th to January 3rd “Van Gogh’s letters: The artist speaks”. The museum has arranged over 120 letters matching over 300 art pieces already part of its collection.

Additionally a six-volume publication “Vincent van Gogh – The Letters” containing 902 letters edited by Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten and Nienke Bakker has been recently published. It actually is a truly complete edition, the most comprehensive on the market (2164 pages) with plenty of illustrations (4300 images) and commentary notes; plus a CD-ROM of the letters in their original languages (Dutch, French) – however pretty much the same that are published online.

Van Gogh’s letters show a lot about his remarkable art, and include also sketches briefly embedded within his writings merely meant to explain to his brother the path that his mind, heart and soul were following when deciding what to paint or draw. It is a wonderful experience to follow up the inspiration and creation process and thus witness how Van Gogh eventually painted many of his masterpieces.

Through his letters Van Gogh shows his geniality and tormented state of mind, but also – in spite of his insanity, poverty and constant uneasiness – his extraordinarily humanity, sympathy, religious soul and incessant search for peace and beauty. Reading them is a great experience, not simply in terms of biographical curiosity or artistic speculation; I consider it mostly a journey through a greatly endowed and sensible human mind and soul.

Trailblazing is a marvellous brand new project co-ordinated by Professor Michael Thompson FRS for The Royal Society in order to celebrate its 350 anniversary. Historic events, documents, letters and other historical material – over fifty captivating and stimulating commentaries – are published online, arranged on an interactive timeline that will most certainly appeal and entice anyone who shares passion or even curiosity in science and its history.

Duly assembled by researchers, scientists, scholars, history experts Trailblazing has a remarkably easy-to-use interface that allows visitors to virtually walk through over three centuries of scientific discoveries and inventions.

Articles and explanations marked by a red circle can be printed and downloaded as PDF file.

Mercedes Sosa,  “la cantora popular” symbol of the struggle against dictatorship and civil rights in Argentina, died today at age 74. Unquestionably the greatest Latin American folk music singer was hospitalised last month In Buenos Aires as a result of renal dysfunction. Here above she sings one of my favourite South American ballads.

In 60-year career, she performed all over the world, shared the stage with the most famous artists and poets such as Victor Jara, Pablo Neruda, Ignacio Villa and Atahualpa Yupanqui, she leaves an incomparable artistic heritage.

Born to underprivileged parents in San Miguel de Tucumán on July 9, 1935, Haydar Mercedes Sosa started her career at a very young age, impressing her public with passionate traditional popular songs. Eventually achieving her great success in the Sixties, in 1967 she performed in a extensive tour throughout the United States, Russia and Europe.

In 1971 she publishes “La voz de Mercedes Sosa” and “Homenaje a Violeta Parra” into which she marvellously sang the greatest hits of the famous Chilean singer, including the celebrated “Gracias a la vida”. In 1972, regardless the military oppression she released “Hasta la victoria“, a collection of  clearly social and political impact plus the famous “Cantata Sudamericana” written by Ariel Ramirez (music) and Felix Luna (lyrics).

Mercedes Sosa was also considered as an icon of resistance to the tyranny in South America and after the military golpe (1976) she became a prey of military censorship. She was banned from making records and arrested while performing a concert in La Plata. In 1979 she fled to Paris and afterwards settled in Madrid (1977). During that period she wrote many songs dedicated to her country, hoping for harmony and democracy. “Todo Cambia“, “Luna Tucumana” and “Solo Le Pido a Dios” and many more soon became the anthem of the new generation of freedom lovers.

Finally back home in Argentina (1982) she assisted to the reinstatement of democracy and celebrated it with a record/documentary named “Como un pájaro libre” and since then she never stopped singing, performing, enriching her discography.

Her latest work only recently released, “Cantora – Un viaje intimo” is a double CD  where Mercedes Sosa duets with South America’s leading artists, such as Julieta Venegas, Shakira, Lila Downs, Caetano Veloso, Marcela Morel, Gustavo Cerati, Jorge Drexler, Gustavo Santaolalla and many more.

The funeral service to pay homage to this greatest artist will be staged in the “Hall of Lost Footsteps” by the Argentine Congress.

I join two of the many messages posted on the site: “The world is not fair”; “Negra querida, your voice will keep following us singing”. And I prefer to remember her singing a sweet lullaby:

ds

Björn Larsson is truly a greatly versatile intellectual: writer, seaman, lecturer, traveller, essayist and  journalist. Born in Jönköping, (Sweden), in 1953 since his early boyhood proved to be a  remarkably originative lad, irresistibly attracted by adventures, travels and most of all by the sea. He used to read all the classics by Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson and one of his major dreams was to perform the journey at the centre of the earth, just as described by Jules Verne in his legendary book. In his school-days he was mostly interested in literature and when he left school he moved to Paris for four years to become a writer, whilst studying for his university degree. Once back to Sweden he served in prison because he refused joining the mandatory military service. In those days he completed his studies in French Literature and Philosophy. His final dissertation was about the novel The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir. He started as a research assistant at the University of Lund (Sweden) where he then became lecturer in French; but his life is much more than teaching…

Naturally because of his academic career Björn Larsson has published several university essays and books, mostly dealing with French language and literature; but he has reached the great public and significant success as a bright novelist. In truth his first work was a collection of short stories, Splitter (1980), almost neglected. His first success was “Den keltiska ringen” The Celtic Ring (1992), a dark deep-sea spy story set between Denmark, Scotland and Ireland and based on the aspiration of Celtic countries (Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Galicia) to set themselves free and create a confederation. Thus two sailors stumble upon a perilous secret plan within perfidious waters nearby the Northern Sea and in the midst of the little islands of Scotland. The Celtic Ring reminds of Erskine Childers “The Riddle of the Sands” and indeed the true protagonist of the book is the inevitable thirst for freedom and the seafaring life. Long John Silver (1995), is a fantastic mixture of childhood dreams and love for adventures and seamen’s life. The protagonist is obviously the famous one-legged pirate of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island” who lives rich, old and almost alone in a forced Madagascan exile, remembering his past. But in this novel his real life is narrated with great attention to the hardships of sea life of those days, the code, rituals and habits of the pirates. The portrait is a wonderful description of the kaleidoscopic aspects of human nature and the influences of destiny i.e. environment and circumstances.

“Drömmar vid havet” Dreams by the Sea (1997) is set on the North European sea-villages and focuses on daydreaming and the rare courage of pursuing our true aspirations. The four protagonists have nothing in common but dreaming. 22 year old Rosa Moreno works in a bar in the little Galician fishing village of Vilagarcia dreaming of true love, Peter Sympson an Irish jeweller lives a quiet regular life in Kinsale waiting for a customer who will be able understand the true beauty of his beloved stones; a widow, Madame Le Grand of Treguier, in Brittany dreams of the days when her husband was a successful shipping entrepreneur and Danish software engineer Jacob Nielsen is in search of peace away from his career in the IT business. These strange, and at the same time so normal characters, wait spasmodically the almost regular visits of a happy wanderer, Captain Marcel harbouring his ship and answering to their longing for something beyond the horizon, a yearning for a life that will not just flow away without a trace. “Den sanna berättelsen om Inga Andersson” (2002) “The true story of Inga Andersson“, is once again a fantastic mixture of adventure and sea-story: the main character Inga Andersson is a criminologist who studies secret societies and wrote her thesis on “The criminality of religious cults“. She will be facing bitter conflicts within her own academic environment and dangerous situations caused by the very same secret sects she is after. She is helped by two old Danish sailors – her only true friends – and a Swedish professor of French Literature… His book “Sea says“, has no actual story is just a long-lasting, wonderful and profound hymn to the sea. His last success “Le rêve du philologue”, is a tribute to the joys and pains of research – both intellectual and spiritual.

Björn Larsson has been living for six years on his sailing boat “Rustica“, cancelling his address on the main land and sailing throughout the North Sea, the Scotland islands, Ireland coasts, Brittany, Normandy, Galicia and the unforgettably beautiful coasts of the North Iberian peninsula. So while university lecturing allows him to count on a steady income, sailing is Björn Larsson’s real passion as he writes in his autobiographic volume (for the first time in French instead of Swedish) Besoine de Liberté (2006). Bjorn Larsson, his Danish wife Helle – a gypsy-soul marine biologist – and their daughter presently live in Gilleleje, a little fishing village at the northern tip of Denmark, where their Rustica, is anchored, waiting for the next journey…

Venezia, city of Art and History accepts the modern multimedia challenges in order to broadcast its beauties and fascination. As of July 3rd, Venice has launched its project Cittadinanza Digitale (Digital Citizenship), an extraordinary undertaking which will grant public free Wi-Fi access for residents, workers and students, powered by optic fibre access points (band 20Mbit/s) and broadcasting all over the Serenissima lagoon.

Mr. Cacciari, – the mayor – states his pride with this unique public wireless network:

“I consider it a necessary infrastructure as much as roads. A very important change for the city: since this Friday people can interact online with the Town Council and other local authorities, but also with the rest of the world, and for free”.

The grand opening has included several interesting initiatives, such as a boat leaving from Piazzale Roma (the outpost of Venice mainland) towards the Lido (the heart of the lagoon), filled with laptop/camera fully equipped bloggers creating on the spot their own multimedia content and posting it online in real time on their weblogs and websites while still sailing.

The service is absolutely free for all Venetian residents, workers and students (even minors provided the written permission of their parents) who will simply have to apply online for a username and a password, showing their citizenship credentials. As to tourists, lovers of art and history, they will have to wait next Autumn: they will be enjoying the Wi-Fi service by getting a temporary access to the network at http://www.veniceconnected.com/ only for a nominal fee.

Johann Sebastian Bach composed three cantata in honour of St. John the Baptist. Cantata 167 (1723) – a tenor aria plus a duet for soprano and alto, with a chorale finale. Cantata 7, (1724), with a fantastic opening chorus and a 12 movimento marvellous Cantata BWV 30 (1738) a parody of from a previous secular cantata Angenehmes Wiederau.

In truth this latter (named BWV 30a) was a laudatory cantata composed to celebrate J. C. Hennicke’s appointment as high official of Wiederau. Thus Bach’s BWV 30 has been re-written – a practice quite diffused and accepted in those years – in order to fit as cantata for June 24th feast of St. John. Yet, in spite of its derived origin (numerous Bach’s parodies are nevertheless worthy e.g. Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248 or the h-Moll-Messe BWV 232), this cantata retains all its fascination and suavity.

Basically this masterpiece, based on the texts of Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), Johann Olearius and on Salm 120.5, is divided into two parts and 12 movements with a joyous opening chorus followed by amazing arias and recitatives the altogether effect is a beautiful expressions of worship.

1. Coro: “Freue dich, erlöste Schar” for choir, flauti traversi, oboes, strings, and continuo.
2. Recitativo: “Wir haben Rast” for bass and continuo.
3. Aria: “Gelobet sei Gott, gelobet sein Name” for bass, strings, and continuo.
4. Recitativo: “Der Herold kömmt und meldt den König an” for altus and continuo.
5. Aria: “Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sünder” for flauto traverso, strings, and continuo.
6. Chorale: “Eine Stimme lässt sich hören” for choir and orchestral tutti colle parti.
7. Recitativo: “So bist du denn, mein Heil, bedacht” for bass, oboes and continuo.
8. Aria: “Ich will nun hassen” for bass, oboe d’amore, violino solo, strings, and continuo.
9. Recitativo: “Und obwohl sonst der Unbestand” for soprano and continuo.
10. Aria: “Eilt, ihr Stunden, kommt herbei” for soprano, violins, and continuo.
11. Recitativo: “Geduld, der angenehme Tag” for tenor, and continuo.
12. Coro: “Freude dich, geheilgte Schar” for choir, orchestral tutti, and continuo.

The gaiety and joyful tones are justified by the central praiseworthy themes of John and his father Zachary. Thus the choruses, the bass aria and even the recitative are sublime expressions of praise.

Enjoy the above wonderful video where Magdalena Kožená, soprano directed by “Bach himself” sings Aria “Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sünder” – it is like a enchanting step back into the past:

Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sünder,
Eilt und lauft, ihr Adamskinder,
Euer Heiland ruft und schreit!
Kommet, ihr verirrten Schafe,
Stehet auf vom Sündenschlafe,
Denn itzt ist die Gnadenzeit!

[Come, ye sorely tempted sinners,
Haste and run, O Adam's children,
This your Savior calls and cries!
Come ye, all ye errant sheep now,
Rise ye up from sin-filled slumber,
For now is the hour of grace!]

Bernard Moitessier (1925-1994) was born in Saigon (at that time French Indochina) son of a French import/export entrepreneur. His family (he had two brothers and one sister) lived in accordance with the colonial style of those days: strongly tied to social conventions, classy outlook, etiquette worshipping and business orientations.

His childhood was strongly influenced by the long summers spent with his brothers in a fishermen village on the Western Vietnamese coast. After completing his studies at a peculiar agronomic high-school (since he failed attending any regular high school), he tried to work for his father’s company, but sitting at his desk, lost in paperwork and pursuing moneymaking goals he felt too restless and definitely unhappy. He soon started dreaming of a different life.

A sailor’s joys are as simple as a child’s.

In truth he was not a silly, shallow rebellious teenager – as there were and still are too many. He was instead quite a deep young man and longed to find another dimension, a more appropriate world to his ingenious, contemplative and passionate character.

You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea. It goes, that’s all

To accelerate this escape process was his imprisonment during the Japanese occupation of Saigon. As soon as he was set free, in his early 20s, he left his steady but dull job, his family and home town to follow the call of the sea, starting a long life of travels, adventures, meditations, writings, social commitment and ecological research.

I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea.

Moitessier sailed “solo” through the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and also survived a few shipwrecks. His cheerful and simple disposition allowed him to quickly and instinctively become friend of all the people who had the fortune to meet him along his routes; and surely even while still alive he unquestionably became a guru for all the free life lovers and sea worshippers who read or heard about his philosophy and life. His boats, Marie Therese I and Marie Therese II, Joshua and Tamata are in the heart of every seaman and ocean lover.

People who do not know that a sailboat is a living creature will never understand anything about boats and the sea.

Bernard Moitessier drastically refused the materialistic approach to life and deplored the workaholic modus vivendi that was already booming in early 50s in the Western world – and that nowadays is alas! too widely diffused all over the globe.

La solitude qui fait mal je l’ai connue dans la foule à Paris, jamais en mer

He strongly despised the high speed endeavour for money accumulation, he scorned the unstoppable haste and rushing in any possible and even minor human action and relation, mocked the ridiculous struggle in gathering more and more luxurious useless items, he watched with compassion the victims of silly and vacuous formalism – in one word he abhorred this nonsensical rush to nowhere that involves and imprisons all those who have not understood what life is really about.

One summer night, out on a flat headland all but surrounded by the waters of the bay, the horizons were remote and distant rims on the edge of space. Millions of stars blazed in darkness, and on the far shore a few lights burned in cottages; otherwise, there was no reminder of human life. My companion and I were alone with the stars; the misty river of the Milky Way flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon. It occurred to me that if this were a sight that could be seen only once in a century, this little headland would be thronged with spectators. But it can be seen many scores of nights in any year, and so the inhabitants probably gave not a thought to the beauty overhead. And because they could see it almost any night, perhaps they never will.

He is definitely a classic example of a true free spirit and a romantic nature lover who lived in perfect harmony with himself and with those who loved him. His life, travels and philosophy are perfectly reflected in his marvellous and insightful autobiographical five books and diaries: Sailing to the Reefs, Cape Horn:The Logical Route, The Long Way, Tamata and the Alliance and A Sea Vagabond’s World.

My real log is written in the sea and sky; the sails talking with the rain and the stars amid the sounds of the sea, the silences full of secret things between my boat & me, like the times I spent as a child listening to the forest talk.

Further to his Hommage à Allen Ginsberg: a tribute to his friend and one of the greatest American contemporary poets – performed last June 30th at the Odeon Theatre in Lyon – on July 13th Philip Glass is going to commemorate (twenty years after his tragic death) another major American artist and friend: Robert Mapplethorpe.
The show in Lyon “Footnote to Howl – The Poet Speaks”, presented by Les Nuits de Fourviere was enriched by the presence of Patti Smith, whose poetry was highly inspired by Allen Ginsberg. A marvellous combination of poetry and music has been flowing around the venue capturing the audience. Dense of emotions, read by Patti Smith, the lines of one of the guru of the Beat generation, preaching freedom and peace, were accompanied by piano solo Philip Glass – Ginsberg’s comrade in the famous opera “Hydrogen Jukebox”.
Thus next week Monday another tame, insightful and inspirational evening is awaited in Florence, at the Galleria dell’Accademia. Immersed within the masterpieces of Italian pre-Renaissance and Renaissance Philip Glass will give a tribute concert in memory of the famous American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. This initiative has been organised within the framework of a major exhibition titled “Perfection in form” dedicated to Mapplethorpe by the curators Franca Falletti and Jonathan Nelson, which will last from May 26th to September 27th. The title itself reproduces the artist’s philosophy and itinerary:

I seek for perfection in form… a subject rather than another makes no difference… I try to capture what appears “sculptural” to me.

Altogether the exhibition will display 111 pieces: in addition to Mapplethorpe’s 93 works there will be Michelangelo’s David, Quattro Prigioni plus four drawings and a wax model of the extraordinary Renaissance master. Thus coincidentally his modern artworks will be exhibited a few steps from the David – Michelangelo’s masterpiece; somehow rewarding Mapplethorpe for his unfathomable admiration for the greatest Italian master:

If I were born one or two hundred years ago, I could have made a good sculptor, but photography is a faster way to see things, to make sculptures.

Mapplethorpe was fascinated by the classics, he felt particularly the utmost care to any detail, the research of right proportions. In truth, his photographs truly look like marvellous sculptures, light and shade are perfectly balanced. No matter as whether the subject is a human being or a still life, the quest for classical marble-like effect is absolutely achieved and the result is sublime indeed:

I see things like they were sculptures.. it depends on how that form exists within the space and I think that this kind of approach comes from my historic-artistic education

The exhibition is organised in five sections all dealing with one pivotal issue “form”:
1.Mapplethorpe and “il Rinascimento”
2.Geometry of Form
3.The fragment as form
4.The form doubles itself
5.The sculptural form

Philip Glass, one of the most audacious and ingenious composers of our days (one of the originators of Minimalism) will try to revive this conceptual approach with his music, it ought not to be arduous for him since he admits:

Subject and structure are the same thing. This is what I used to do with my music. And thisi is what I think Robert used to do in his art.

Sponsor of the concert is The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, a charitable institution created by the artist supporting the recognition of photography as a fine art and the medical fight against AIDS and HIV infection. Thus the proceeds from Philip Glass concert will go to L.I.L.A, the Italian League for the Fight Against Aids – a non-profit agency defending human right violations against AIDS or HIV diseased.

Bruges is a surprising wonderful location for art lovers offering a fantastic and diverse selection of collections ranging from archaeology to modern-art. The Musea Brugge is the institution in charge for Raakvlak (the inter-municipal archaeological service for Bruges and its outskirts) and for the Bruges cultural inheritance department, is a comprehensive name that refers to all the sixteen different historical museums of Bruges. Rich in variety and quality, housing artworks from the Flemish Primitives up to more recent fine arts, furniture, silver and folklore Musea Brugge can provide the visitors with a marvellous and significant survey of the history – not only artistic – of the enchanting Bruges.

These numerous venues can be easily arranged by themes: Groeningemuseum and the Arentshuis. Forum+ Concertgebouw can be considered the framework for contemporary arts of Musea Brugge hosting artistic works from the 15th to 21st century. Hospitaalmuseum includes two historical hospitals: the old Saint John’s Hospital, (now Memling in Sint-Jan museum) famous for its collection of paintings by the great master of the Flemish Primitives Hans Memling; and the O.L.V.-ter-Potterie (Our Lady of the Potteries) known for its Baroque church and its outstanding silver-work. Finally the Bruggemuseum gathers The Historical Museums of Bruges: a omni-comprehensive title for the eleven historical museum of Bruges among which : Archeologie, Belfort, Brugse Vrije, Gentpoort, Gezelle, Gruuthuse, Koeleweimolen, Stadhuis, Volkskunde.

Particularly fascinating is The Groeninge Museum, practically Bruges museum of Fine Arts. A collection which has started in early 1700, focused on Bruges artists and characterised by the rich presence of a marvellous collection of the Flemish Primitives that so innovated painting art in the late Middle-Age among which outstand two masterpieces by Jan Van Eyck: The “Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele” (1436) and the portrait of the artist’s wife “Margareta”. Among many anonymous Masters from Bruges the museum exhibits “The baptism of Christ” by Gerard David, The “Death of the Holy Virgin” by Hugo van der Goes, “The Justice of King Cambyses” and “The altar of Saint Christopher” by Hans Memling.

Groeningemuseum also exhibits artworks of Renaissance and Baroque from Bruges: painting by Lanceloot Blondeel, Jan Provoost, Adriaan Isenbrant; as well as from the Brabant and Antwerp: Pieter Bruegel, Jan van Hemesssen, Cornelis van Cleve. An interesting display Bruges artists’ pieces of late 1800/early 1900 such as Albert Gregorius, Joseph Suvée and Jozef Ducq and and Flemish expressionist paintings from the school of Sint-Martens-Latem. Contemporary pieces of Marcel Broodthaers and Roger Raveel are finally exhibited.

Since 2004 Bruggemuseum is undergoing a massive re-development (expected completion in 2010) in order to represent Bruges’ art, culture, society and history from as many perspectives as possible, thus aiming at becoming a world famous model of showcase for “city’s history”.

Being a poet, a writer, a master of narration, a wizard of words is one of the best endowments a person can be bestowed with. This is gratefully dedicated to those few who can truly convey emotions simply by the flow of feelings springing out of their own pen:

SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?

If it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
Unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.

If you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.

If you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
If you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
If you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
If it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
If you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.

If you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
If it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

If you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.

Don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
The libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
Don’t do it.
Unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
Unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.

When it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

There is no other way.
And there never was.

[Charles Bukowski]