Sydney Metropolis
The first of three exhibitions that will display different facets of Sydney life, ‘Sydney Metropolis’ explores the moods of the metropolitan district through a collection of 80 paintings, drawings and photographs by artists, photographers and architects. Their reactions are as varied as their occupations and the times they worked in; some see the city as a place of unsafe shadows inhabited by phantoms while others see a bright, shining utopia among the piecemeal and sometimes disastrous urban planning.
Modellhut
This pricey but elegant restaurant looked like it was bitting the dust at the beginning of the year, but fans of the truly beautiful décor lovingly created by architect Lomb will be delighted to hear that it remains in all it’s original glory, not serving only drinks. A fine place for cocktail lounging in Mitte just off the track from the day-tripping hordes and within tottering distance of some really good places to eat that won’t burn the hole in your pocket.
Rialto Circus Week
The Rialto will be under the sign of sawdust for a whole week, as the cinema house puts on a daily show of three circus-related films – including Walt Disney’s ‘Dumbo’, Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Circus’ and Billy August’s ‘Buster’s World’. On weekdays at 3pm, there will also be special workshops on circus arts: make-up, magic and juggling. It’s probably best to check ahead for the times most suitable to English speakers.
Opera: The Art of Emotion
Angels’ wings on a coat rack provide an intriguing entrance to this exhibition, celebrating La Monnaie’s 300-year history as an opera house. Old stage props and memorabilia are combined with works by nine contemporary artists. Of the latter, the most arresting are suspended dandelions arranged by Michel François, and the slide images – also on a floral theme – of Peter Fischili and David Weiss. One old picture depicts how La Monnaie was severely damaged by fire in the 1850s. Visitors to this exhibition will rejoice that it has been painstakingly restored.
Open air cinema
For years, one of the main features of summer in the city has been the open-air cinemas. Starting around mid-June and running through until mid-September, two films can be seen each evening at each of seven screens; the first showing is usually a new release and the second often something a little more ‘arty’. These places are also good hangouts generally with bars and even restaurants in some cases. Lots of fresh air is guaranteed.
Le Cambodge III
This cheerful little spot not far from the Canal St-Martin serves excellent and inexpensive Cambodian cooking – ideal when you’re hungry and almost broke: average prices are around 100F (£10). The Phnom-Penh soup with prawns, pork, rice noodles, lemon and beansprouts is a hearty meal in itself; alternatively, try a ‘bo bun’, a generous salad of rice noodles, fresh mint, sliced spring rolls and beef sautéed with onions (which is a lot better than corned beef and rice). The curries are excellent too, and on the weekends there’s a plat du jour. Desserts are recommended, especially the banana cooked in coconut milk. It’s popular with local trendies, but remains friendly and easy-going.
Photoespaña 2000
This, the third edition of Photoespaña, is a massive event and a must for lovers of photography. Comprising more than 70 simultaneous exhibitions, Photoespaña 2000, as in previous editions, is centred on the eight-kilometre Castellana, the wide boulevard running between Atocha station and Plaza de Castilla. Thirty-two of the shows make up the official section with the common theme of ‘frontiers’, the borders that define cultures, different artistic languages and the mutations implicit in processes such as globalisation. The other section, centred mainly on private galleries, is more diverse.
