Centre of the World

The four-hour long opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing were widely covered in the international press. Simultaneously, war between Russia and Georgia broke out. China ignored all political turbulence by creating a programme which completely focused on the history of the country and the most important Chinese inventions. Fireworks, printing press, paper; it all played a prominent role in the Olympic opening. All means were used and long rehearsals paid off its hard work. The show ran smoothly and China was for at least 4 hours the centre of the world.

The chief of the opening stated before hand that the opening was supposed to be an artistic statement, to show China’s artistic and cultural capabilities, while politics were to be left out. Remarkable then was the “hidden” statement of including an old-professional with Tibetan origins next to the Chinese old-professionals who carried the Olympic flag into the stadium. What does this mean? Or more so, what does it mean that the Chinese emphasized this in their information for the international press?

By now many have said that sports and politics should be separated. Of course, this is not possible during the Olympic Games. China’s so-called statement was an empty, hollow message, in a programme which completely focused on the glory of the host country. It was not a poor decision to include the Tibetan old-prof, but more so to emphasize it this way in the information provision. In the context of all the glamour and hyper-organized Olympics, this “statement” made the whole happening looke like a farce.

V&R: the new D&G?

Dutch fashion designer duo Viktor & Rolf created an amazing world of their own. Constant innovation and bursts of creativity have turned the Barbican in London into a palace of haute couture and extravaganza. This is no ordinary fashion exhibition, but an insight in the duo’s creative world of the last fifteen years. For the exhibition, they have created miniature versions of many dresses, which are also displayed in original size. The miniatures are worn by small dolls in a giant doll house.

The exhibition rooms, where the originals are displayed, are grouped around the central space taken up by this doll house. This makes the visitors feel they have entered an even larger doll house of their own. Besides displaying the designers’ imaginative talents from over the years, the exhibition also plays on the visitors’ imagination. This play on interaction between the visitor and the displayed, emphasized through the structure of the spaces, is a real strength of the exhibition.

The designers have now reached a path where they want to expand their business. Most of the designs on display in the Barbican are not for daily wear and are balancing on the fine line between fashion and art. Now, the duo wants to become a world wide known brand, with all the extras that come along with it, like an extended line of accessories. They want to become more accessible, without doing concessions on the creative side. The duo has expanded its team with business-minded members and who knows in another fifteen years V&R will have become an artistic and extravagant version of D&G.

The Rothko Effect

One of the most prominent and famous features of Tate Modern in London is the Rothko Room. This room, designed and arranged by the beloved painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970) himself, is a place for contemplation and utter balance. The colours of the paintings and the dimmed effect of the lighting creates a perfect combination for a moment on your own, escaping from the bustling environment of the rest of the museum. Rothko’s reds, pinks and purples radiate a calmness and tranquillity which make you shiver and relish simultaneously.

September 26, Tate opens an exhibition dedicated to these and others of Rothko's iconic works. It is the first larger overview of his works in the UK since 20 years. The exhibition expands from the well-known tints of the Rothko room into ranges of brown, black and grey. The wide range of colours and the amazing effect Rothko created by his particular balancing of them, conveys his masterly skill and style. It moreover shows how Rothko's style is not a ready-made formula, but how the rectangular shapes are adjusted to the used colours and the effects these adjustments create. Finally, the combination of all these works and colours shows that the enjoyable shivers do not just come from the warmth of the colours in the Rothko Room. The same effect is reached with icy greys and blues, which make Rothko the master of colour.

To see so many works together must be a thrill for the real Rothko lover. But also for the novice this exhibition will be a must-see. I feel it will be an almost perfect opportunity to experience the world of modern art and the powerful character of expressive colour use. No theoretical knowledge is necessary, just go in and let the colours guide your senses. I say almost perfect, because the exhibition is expected to be a huge blockbuster. While the Rothko Room works the best when almost empty, let’s see if the works in the exhibition are powerful enough to conquer the crowds.

Pride

Last Saturday Amsterdam saw its thirteenth Gay Pride Parade through the canals. There were the extravagantly dressed people, but even more so, there were boats whose passengers wanted to convey a message. Most notable were the gays with roots in the Netherlands Antilles and the gay Christians. This being the first time Christians occupied their own boat in the parade, it was very remarkable that a day before the event, the Dutch Minister of Defence Eimert van Middelkoop made some notable statements about the participation of four colleagues.

The Minister of Defence represents the Christian Democrat Party (CDA), while the four participating colleagues represent the Dutch Labour Party (PVDA). With the third coalition partner being the small Christian Union, Van Middelkoop stated he found the participation of the PVDA politicians “even a little provocative” with regards to the coalition partners. When the CDA signed the coalition accord, they supported the initiatives to increase the social acceptance of homosexuality. Also the PVDA responded that with their participation they represented the entire coalition accordingly.

Now it seems that for Van Middelkoop there is a difference between theory and practice and he is having more difficulties with the issue than he might have expected. The question is why. Why does he feel provoked by something his party agreed to? Because it is something he does not personally approve of? Does he feel himself a less good Christian when he would not have protested against the PVDA delegation?

People are wondering why The Netherlands’ once famous tolerance is decreasing. Well, Van Middelkoop’s attitude is a perfect example. He is not stating he is outright against the Gay Pride, but is questioning political participation. This concealed criticism only has mistrust and awkwardness as consequences. What happened to letting other people be who they are? Can someone explain why this critique is necessary? Whose pride are we talking about here anyway?