Our Stories
Editor’s note – announcement
Did you ever have the feeling that you need the world to stop for a bit just so you can think for a second? Just to slow things down to give you some time to understand what is going on.
Always repeating, never the same – or How not to trip on your way to pick up garbage
Hey!
Psst, pstttt.
So, as I have been saying for a while now – I do not need any help. Thank you very much.
The ominous question
Fantasy is all around us. It is not just present in stories, books, movies, etc., where fantasy takes the form of a physical artefact, mostly designed to keep us entertained.
Under cinema’s spell
The realm of fantasy is a very wide one. In fact, its definition, when it comes to art, tends to depend on the artistic field. Pierre-George Castex defines it as “the brutal intrusion of mystery in real life”. This is the generic conception. Now if we try to narrow it down to the cinematographic field, a film of fantasy can just as well be one of science fiction as a horror movie. The point is to build the story on supernatural elements, from the world of magic and imagination. It doesn’t matter if the result is Alien or Harry Potter, it will still be a fantasy movie.
The Edges of Reality
Rub your eyes
and check to see
something
edging your sense
of reality
Imagining improbable things
Imagine yourself sitting outside. The sun is coming up at the horizon. You can see the clouds gaining some colours, the sky is slowly turning brighter. The birds are chirpy-duping. Some left-over party humans are returning home. You say hi. You feel the wind tousling up your hair. And, suddenly, the morning sun is getting too bright, too warm. You get off the bench, or chair, or log, or other entity you imagined yourself sitting on, and go. Where to? I don’t know. That’s up to you to fantasise about.
Letter from the editor July
Dear reader,
Does it suffices to say “once upon the time” for you to guess what will come next?
The Never-ending story of Marvel Universe
Doctor Strange 2: the Multiverse of Madness has just been released in the cinemas and there is a whole list of must-see before the new movie.
27.
What do you think of when you see the number 27? If you have any sort of interest in music and the culture that surrounds it, chances are that your mind will invariably ebb towards the infamously long list of brilliant artists who lost their lives at that age.
The intriguing story of Curupira
Children’s literature… So many controversies can arise from it. But let’s face it, they are the first narratives that we hear as a human being, and so they help shaping the stories through which we will see the world.
What am I?
Both art & texts
do not fit one genre.
Despite the presence
of a certain resemblance,
The Misrepresentation of Culture
A few of us were sitting on a terrasse on a sunny-soon-to-be-cloudy day with the chance of meatballs…khm, khm, sorry, I meant rain. Yes, indeed I haven’t made a #dadjoke pun about a random film or cartoon in a while, so here it is. Relish it. . Anyhoo, while enjoying the gentle breeze a few of us were talking about the usual arts people topics, such as living in the Netherlands as internationals, admiring its DIY healthcare system, and randomly talking about synaptic pruning and the power of behavioural patterns.
Vissi d’arte
Few are the art forms as linked to tradition as opera. Embedded within a rich history of conventions and techniques, opera’s life spans over five centuries and spreads across Europe.
Letter from the editor May
Life has not been easy. Let me tell you something: writing your thesis while doing another hundred things on the side is not the smartest idea I had in life.
It is not that common, it doesn’t happen to every guy, and it is a big deal
Warning: I’m about to problematize Friends. But don’t worry, it will all be fine.
Falling for Disney’s spell
Once upon a time, there was a guy named Walt who enchanted the whole world with a bunch of drawings. A lot of us have grown watching Disney movies and we have to admit that they hold a special place in our hearts. I will always sing over a Disney song, I still know all the lyrics and I’m fine with it.
Me Time
Guilty pleasures. Hidden desires. Forbidden sweets. Call it however you’d like, they are things we value in secret. If I would ask you what your guilty pleasure is, as far as I am concerned, it would be something you like to do alone.
Guilty Poems
Guilty pleasures. What are they really? And why do we all feel that certain pleasurable things should bring us guilt?
An Ode to MGM
‘Frothy confections’ is a term that’s often heard to describe early movie musicals of the 1930s. True, if one considers them from such a perspective, that’s all they’re bound to see.
The Candy of Guilt
Pleasure for itself and in moderation does not, by virtue, possess a guilty quality. It is when a person starts to indulge themselves in excess that it becomes ‘guilty’. From personal observations and experiences, it seems to me that indulgence is one of the key steps which opens doors to the realm of guilt. Between all the silly and real ‘guilty pleasures’, there is one I would say for which you really should look out for – it is the guilty pleasure of guilt itself.
Letter from the editor april
What weights down your consciousness?
Maybe it is that time you left things to do because the coach was too comfortable. There was no way you would get out of there, so it’s best to procrastinate.
V
It’s a casual Saturday night. I’m putting on my best clothes: huge sweatpants and a chic, flowy floral top. I complement my look with a bold red lip and… done. Ready for the night to start. Only, tonight the party doesn’t happen in some sticky-floored club. No. Tonight we go to the theater.
Augusto Boal: the Profile of a Revolutionist
Performance art.
The most ephemeral type of art in which everything is questioned by the means of anything.
So beautiful and so lost: “Va Pensiero”
As Verdi lay down the quill with which he had just penned the famous notes to “Va Pensiero,” he could hardly imagine the song would still resonate with his nation over a hundred years later.
Accidentally revolutionary
There is no better way to describe Tropicalismo than as a casual conversation with friends that became an artistic movement. It started with the intention of discussing the modernization of art.
Licorice Pizza: bitter or sweet?
Do you remember when Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood landed in the cinemas back in 2019? The reception of Quentin Tarantino’s 9th movie was divided. The directorial choice of using the real events of the Tate murders as a background story set off many viewers.
Food, Glorious Food
Food, Glorious Food:Denis Villeneuve’s Next Floor by: Matteo Carazza The maître d’ (Jean Marchand) peers at the audience as the devil himself. A hard cut
Chanel: a Joy Forever
Woven like a fine English tweed, The Return is a wonder of skills.
Du, a gentle violin sonata about family
“Robert, go get grandpa’s violin from the basement!”
Let’s Embark On This Experience
Welcome to Witch Hunt. This multidisciplinary performance by NITE was just something else. They never cease to impress me with their experimental, progressive, and insightful theatre.
The (Not So) Fairy-Tale Of Zinderella
It was fun!” This was the sentence I heard the most after the performance Zinderella by NITE. The movement-based performance was everything that the company represents: meaningful, maximalist, rich, skilful, entertaining and challenging.
Dance Lovers: You Can Come Along
It is no wonder that Nederlans Dans Theater is the best contemporary dance company in the country. Their performances are always a spectacle of dance skills that can’t possibly disappoint a fan of the genre.
Draw & Drive
– The Mystery that is Vivian Maier
Whenever one finds out
about the woman who died
intriguingly leaving behind
several storage lockers
Letter from the editor March
When I decided that this month we were going to deal with engaged art, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. I didn’t know the brutality that exists in the world would manifest itself in the worst ways. I didn’t know that this topic would be more relevant than ever.
Sexuality in movies: A better portrayal of love or just a fantasy?
A seventeen-year-old girl sitting in the open-air summer theatre watching a movie about a seventeen-year-old boy falling madly in love with an enigmatic exchange student during the magical summer of 1983 in Italy.
La courtisane: between depravation and emancipation
The 19th century is known to be one of social awareness. Especially in France, the condition of the lower classes began to interest artists.
Generational Sex Gap
Setting and time: quarantine day #5, around 7pm. Season: winter. Weather: dark, gloomy, and raining. Drunken wine bottles: one (I swear).
The Vulva and the Arts
When I set myself to research the representation of the female genitalia in the art world, I was ready to find obstacles. It is nothing new that the topic is taboo and it has been for a long while in the Western world. So, my expectations were low.
Nightmare Alley turns at a predictable corner
Littered with weak character construction, plot holes and a predictable story arch, the only ominous alley that Nightmare Alley encounters is that of its directorial origins.
Caught in a Moment
Placed in front of the window
representing the sanctioned union of
love between the god of love and
human, Amor and Psyche,
Death and Sensuality
Love and death, eroticism and abolition; two entities, two conflicting symbols that nevertheless always find each other throughout time in order to form a contrasting, fervent couple.
Letter from the Editor February
If you are not listening to anything, put on a song that you like. A calm one. Maybe some smooth jazz. Maybe a waltz.
A Bird of Beauty
At first glance, it appears true beauty always eluded Edith Piaf. At just one and a half metres in height, with the slight figure of a waif, the French chanteuse was never acclaimed for her looks, and her 28 year career never rested on visual glamour.
Snapshots of Happiness
A new year is coming along and it got me thinking. You know, the usual “what am I thankful for?”. Pretty cliché, but this year has been such a rough one, so why not ask myself?
Creative Industry or Content Creation?
These days, most of us have more time to ourselves than ever before. In line with the constant ebb and flow of lockdown restrictions, an increasing number of waking minutes are accompanied by screens, and their vices.
The man, the fool
Glasses of wine in hands, we were hanging in my student bedroom, talking about beauty. Beauty. A word that has been philosophized about so many times.
A Reminder: The Beauty of the Human Body
I sometimes forget to appreciate
the beauty of the body I live in
but was reminded recently
when I folded my ankle
The Colors We Carry
Isn’t it wonderful how you can find beauty almost anywhere? It can be found within a place, a material piece or in a person.
Barry Lyndon: a movie or a walk through a gallery?
Stanley Kubrick directed, in 1975, the costume drama Barry Lyndon. Adapted from William Thackeray’s novel, the movie tells the story of the rise and fall of an Irish rogue who, after going to war, marries a rich widow.
The Anatomy of a Celebrity Crush
There are numerous directions one can go in when exploring the realm of beauty and art. The amounts of literature there is on the connection of the two is unlimited. Philosophers like Aristotle, Hegel, Kant, etc. have been discussing the idea of beauty in art for centuries.
Letter from the editor January
Are you beautiful? Do you consider yourself a beautiful person?
How dare I ask that question in this day and age?
The Hegemonic Power of the Christmas Spirit
When I moved to Europe, I could for the first time experience Christmas in the wintertime. Although it didn’t snow, for the first time I stayed indoors during the celebration, close to a heater and wearing a warm sweater. The most striking part about all that change is that it didn’t feel weird.
On the way to Christmas
Now that you ate all the chocolates in your advent calendar waiting for Christmas day, what would you say about discovering the story of these little boxes you love so much ? Once upon a time in Germany, children were about to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth.
Reminiscences of artisanal Christmases in Italy
At the foot of the Alps, in the region that is called Piedmont, lived a little old lady… No, she was not the befana. The befana is the lady who, on Epiphany Eve, on January 5, delivers little presents to the children of Italy.
Oh, Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how I love your branches…
When the air starts to turn frisky, the roads in the cities slowly become covered with thin icy layers of ice, and the Christmas decorations flood the stores, so starts the hunt for one of the main components of Christmas. We can all agree, it is the famous Christmas tree.
It’s a Wonderful Life
The most magical time of the year has finally arrived and it is more than time to spend all our weekends watching Christmas movies! To help you with that, here’s an idea: It’s a wonderful life, by Frank Capra.
Die Hard: Very Much Not A Christmas Movie
20th Century Fox
I have never seen Die Hard before. The only two things I know about it is that Bruce Willis plays the main character and that it is considered to be a Christmas-action movie. Yes, you read it right.
Letter From the Editor December
December is finally here. And with this last month of the year comes the Holiday season. If you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Pancha Ganapati, the winter solstice, New Year’s, all or none of these days, you can sense something changing around you.
I’m Locked In
Around the end of January 2021, the Dutch government implemented a curfew to prevent the spreading of COVID-19. This is how I stumbled upon the Netflix series Locke & Key with my best friend from Budapest, a show that gave structure to my nights during lockedown.
Mascara behind the lens
A few days ago I opened a book about Cinema history. It was a famous director listing the different individuals who came before him and inspired him in his own productions.
The Unknown Groningen
The Unknown Groningen By: Leda Spiranec The Unknown Groningen By: Leda Spiranec When walking around Groningen, one is always bound to encounter various lively groups
Concerning Groningen’s Jam Scene
You’re standing at the precipice of the stage with your instrument. You’ve had a few drinks to give you courage; your friends are practically begging you to step up and join in the music-making.
Afghanistan Between Survival and Cultural Heritage
Before I start, let me make some things clear. This article has been written from a Western perspective. I have been raised as a catholic white woman. And although I don’t claim any religion, it still influenced my upbringing and my conceptions of the world.
Dutch Window Culture
‘Windows to the soul’, they say,
but I say, a way to control
the environment you live in
– changing it up, depending on your mood.
Letter From the Editor
Not knowing can be scary. It brings us the insecurity of uncertainty and how much we have yet to discover. Either by pride, fear or curiosity, something that is unknown can be terrifying.
“We are down to do dope shit” –
Recently, the city of Groningen suffered a great and terrible loss. After being a feature in the city’s nightlife for years, Oost became the latest casualty of the pandemic when it closed its doors once and for all, early in the morning of October 4th.
The recipe of success: a flying nanny
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. The sound of it is quite atrocious isn’t it? Yet this tricky word reflects all the complications that the movie Mary Poppins (obviously) had to face to take form.
The Commentary of the Mainstream
How does an unassuming work of art become so widely admired, understood and therefore mainstream? Why does it occur? And why do I feel sort of foul when saying that not all mainstream occurrences are bad just because they are mainstream?
Interview Teddy’s Last Ride: from naïve idealization to concrete project
Sharing a cup of coffee in the city center of Groningen, I took a trip in the wonders of Teddy’s Last Ride with their creative producer, Agnese Fiocchi.
One Touch of Genius: The masterpiece, or forgery, behind the frame
The art world: where paintings are sold and bought for fortunes. The cynical eye and mind of a purist art lover may see in this statement the sad state art is reduced to – serving as a form of currency – despite this having been the inescapable case since time immemorial.
Autonomous Netflix: more than a streaming platform
“And the Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” goes to… Billy Porter!”
And just like that, 2019 marked the first year where an openly gay black man won an Emmy.
The Fairy-tales of Recognition
Once upon a time, in a far far land, was a woman named Ludovica. Ludovica was a sensational, confident and luminous being. She was also a happy being. Ludovica wasn’t trapped in any tower, she had no evil stepmother and didn’t need a prince on a white stallion to save her from an embarrassing situation.
Commercialised Art
A contradictio in terminis,
aka a contradiction in terms,
– if I’ve ever known one-
in its direct senses,
but as interconnected
as pen and paper can be:
Lone Review
Attending the theatre always causes a sense of occasion, and with the novelty of returning to these hallowed halls as the pandemic hopefully reaches its conclusion, this has become all the more true.
Let us take a look at what really happened to Game of Thrones, shall we?
It is rare to find an artwork in the contemporary culture industry that does not include elements already seen in the past, does not use clichés and/or cannot be tracked back to any other work that has been created before.
Letter From the Editor
When I first brought the topic of commercial art to the table, I felt a certain reluctance or, at the very least, a hesitation from the writers to start a discussion on the topic. However, by the end of our brainstorming session, I had to cut the conversation short to not go overboard on our time frame.
Before the World Starts to Talk
It’s morning. It’s that moment where I am not sure I am awake yet or if I will go back to sleep like this moment never happened. My eyes are still heavy. But there is a dim light that forces me to open my eyes…
A Language in Common
The sun is out
on my way to the weekly shop
my feet walk fluently- like a beat-drop
through scented petals on a walkabout
The “language no problem” of Korzo Theater
The first time I walked into Korzo Theater, Prinsestraat 42, 2513 CE The Hague, my stress levels were almost human. They grew in my stomach during the night, forest of uncertainties, expectations and excitements. When we walked into Korzo for the first time, my stress and I, were holding hands.
How Talkies Shook Hollywood!
Shh … Silence in the room. Turn off the lights. Let the show begin… The Jazz Singer is on the big screen tonight. And what a surprise! He is talking!
The Jazz Singer is considered to be the first talking movie in history.
Contemporary Dance as Discourse of Resistance
When I say contemporary dance, what comes to your mind? If you are not a dance geek, you will probably think of that weird performance you once saw in which some people were dancing naked on the floor. And to be honest, that is fair.
Undusting a Language
“To be or not to be: that is the question:” Familiar words, right? Many people reading these lines could say for certain that these are Hamlet’s words. More precisely, Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s words. At this point, recognizing this piece is expected general knowledge for many.
The Language of Perception
As Dave Chapelle said, ‘the beauty is in the attempt’, and often it is not only crucial what we say to each other, but also how we attempt to do it. That disregarded factor of ‘how’ is what makes or breaks the connection.
Letter from the Editor
Dear reader,
When we talk about language, we immediately think of words, of our mother tongue or daily-life communication. But when one puts “art” next to it, all of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up in front of us.
Home
Home: a feeling of positive attachment to places/people. Being an unidentified, nameless part of a landscape. Where is the place that you call home? It is a place, or in the way you roam? What makes home for you?
Review of Nomadland: Welcome back to cinemas
In this first edition, dedicated to the theme of welcome, a topic that could hardly be less appropriate would be the return to cinemas. This welcome was offered in mid-June by the local easing of restrictions against the virus.
Out of the Organized Comfort Zone
It was unexpected that I received an invitation from the African Student Community – ASC – to participate in their week of Mental Health and Well-Being RELEARN to give a workshop relating the topic with art.
TERRITORY-ART: a Gaspésian coffee with La Nomade Photographie
I was greeted by the sun, her Australian Shepherd (who ran around with my Border Collie like crazy), and a coffee in her backyard (right next to where her partner was at work in their large fruits and vegetables garden).
Are Museums Dusty Relics?
Let’s fancy ourselves in front of a big, towering building.
But not any building. A museum. What does it evoke in your mind? Probably a series of rooms and corridors filled with artworks of all sorts and from all times, a place, maybe slightly boring
Beats and Bucket Hats: How music in Groningen finds you
It’s February 23rd, 2021, and for the first time in years, the temperature is below zero for the sixth straight day. Groningen’s usually yellow, cobbled streets are white and where there once was water in the canals and lakes of Noorderplantsoen
Of Beauty and Order – Conversations with my family
My older sister and I are sitting precariously on a half-damp old piece of wood. It was probably a long, robust and important branch once to some wise old oak or perhaps even more probable to a beech.
Our beginning – Letter From the Editor
Dear reader,
In literature, there is a device called beginning in media res. This is what they call when a story starts right in the middle. Instead of presenting the setting or characters, some books welcome us with a speech or an action.