Jeff Koons Versailles

One of my favorite days in Paris this March was our trip to Versailles, and one of my favorite days in New York this Spring was our night at the Met's Jeff Koons on the Roof exhibit.  They have now been combined (minus the whole Calvine being there aspect).  

Jeff Koons currently has a retrospective (his first full one) at Versailles--in the actual palace and on the grounds.  Though Versailles often installs specific shows (there was one on antique silver when I was there in March), they rarely focus on contemporary artists and if they do, they are shunned to random rooms.   Not this time. There is currently a balloon dog in the Hall of Mirrors.  Amazing. 

The combination of contemporary and historic or classic art (particularly architecture) is something I find fascinating and wonderful.  Bizarre, controversial, and epic, shows like this one question progress and changes in aesthetic opinion over time by (mis)placing contemporary pieces in antiquarian settings.  The article about the Koons retrospective in Sunday's Times focused primarily on French hatred of the show (there were many demonstrators at its opening), but made one point that really stood out to me: Louis XIV would have loved Balloon Dog.  It is new, it is large, it is imposing, flashy, awesome, bizarre, and expensive.  It is of the time and of the future.  The Sun King, if living now, would indulge in artwork like that of Koons and Damien Hirst (you know that diamond skull would have been in his palace in seconds).  

I think the decision to bring contemporary art to spaces like Versailles is forward-thinking and fantastic.  I wish I could make it to see this fantastic wedding of old and new, but a trip to Paris by its closing in December is not exactly possible.  If you are in Europe at all over the next few months, PLEASE go see this exhibit---and send pictures.  I'm thrilled that this is happening.

The NY Times Article (Photos from the NY Times Slideshow)

Go to Ventana

I briefly mentioned the bar Ventana in my previous post, but after grabbing drinks there again last night, I realized that it necessitated a full blog post. It is simply fantastic.

Ventana is located on 5th street SE, where Kiki used to be. Kiki prided itself on drinks made with fresh fruit--so fresh that it took approximately 18 minutes for the one bartender to create each drink. It was shortlived. Ventana has definitely kept the fresh aspect going, but is ten times more efficient. People without much patience (me) require this of a good bar. Also, Serena has now introduced me to the owner and the main bartender, so we can really expedite the process.

Ventana has a very creative drink list--from Mango Ginger and Rosemary Grapefruit Martinis, to Cucumber and Jalapeno Margaritas. They even have this odd seafoam concoction that they top drinks with (sort of like a latte) instead of putting salt on rims. Inventive, yes, over the top, maybe, but delicious? Absoltely. I've loved every drink I've tried there--especially the Rosemary Grapefruit, and the Bellini (made with fresh peaches).

I've yet to try the food (they have a Mexican-style menu), but word on the street is that it is delicious. The atmosphere is also great--extremely low key (we still stuck out a little bit in our heels last night, but I will continue to wear them), with great music, comfortable seating, and interesting people. Oh, and there's a live video feed in the bathroom so you can watch what's happening in the bar. We had a really great group last night, and Ventana was just the perfect place to be.

The icing on the cake? They were playing the Flight of the Conchords soundtrack.

Charlottesville Fashion Week

What? You haven't heard of Charlottesville Fashion Week? You're in New York, hanging out with Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, and Zac Posen? Psshhh, why would you want to do that when you can be in Central Virginia?!?!!!

Needless to say, morale is low in this part of the woods this week, particularly for those of us with a fondness towards fashion and anything New York. Yes, in fact, the whole month is destined to go downhill, as we longingly watch videos of shows streaming from Paris and Milan on our not even all that fast Charlottesville internet. Don't even mention the word "party."

Last night, Andrew, Serena, and I headed out on the town to lift spirits and distract from thoughts of separation from the excitement in New York. We had a great dinner at The Local in Belmont, then wandered over to the mall to hit the bars. After three failures (empty Ten, couples night at Zocalo, and Bachelorette Penis Hats at Blue Light), we ended up at Ventana, actually a really great bar with delicious drinks (Rosemary Grapefruit Martini? Yes, please). While completely failing to lift ourselves from Fashion Week Depression, we invited the pirate-patched bartender to have a drink with us (yes, this story is 100% true). His first question: "Why are you all so dressed up? Did you have some event?"

THIS is the problem with Charlottesville: we were not dressed up. I had on jeans and heels with a casual blouse and cardigan; Serena was in linen shorts, a tank top, and heels; Andrew had on leather leggings (I know, kill him now) and a flannel shirt (note this extreme seasonal oddity at his and Serena's outfits). Normal, I'd say, for going out to dinner and grabbing drinks after on a SATURDAY night! If we were in any city, even DC, this would be dressed down. But no, we stuck out like sore thumbs amidst Lacoste shirts and hippie skirts. It was as if You're Not at Fashion Week was flashing in lights.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it is blinding, neon, and flashing: STYLE.COM IPHONE APP. The greatest thing ever invented. You can see all the shows in crystal clear images (zoom in too!) and flip through them, oh, I'd say 350 times quicker than if you were using their obnoxious slideshow feature online. Everything is updated as soon as the site is, and it even feeds in Style File Blog! It is absolutely the greatest thing to happen to Fashion Week, to Style.Com, to Ipods everywhere, and particularly, to those of us in Charlottesville, VA.

Spiders and Spirals

Yesterday morning, I went to see the Louise Bourgeois retrospective at the Guggenheim. Bourgeois has never been any sort of favorite of mine, but the large spider statues (particularly the one Andrew and I ran into in the Tuilleries in Paris this March) have always intrigued me. The show has gotten great reviews, and the shows of late at the Guggenheim have been particularly impressive, so I was definitely looking forward to learning more and seeing the exhibit.

Overall, it did not disappoint. What stood out to me the most was not necessarily the art itself, but the actual exhibition: the art looked stunning in the Guggenheim building. The soft, cool curves of the building really played well with her understated, undulating sculptures. The show was presented chronologically, so as you climb the spiral, you work your way from her paintings of the 1940's (who knew she ever painted?) to her sculptures of today at the top. It was a wonderful walk up.

I decided against doing the audio tour, even though I was on my own, because I wanted to try to understand the development of her work on my own, simply through the work itself and wall text. The beauty of the chronological design was that I succeeded. Well, I certainly don't feel like I'm an expert, but I felt like I got it. I enjoyed seeing her original forays into domestic space, and how those themes seemed to disappear while she explored gender and the body, but reappeared in connection with these themes later on. I enjoyed her installations on Ramps 5 and 6 (near the top) the most. She set up these sort of enclosed spaces with still scenes on the inside, examining and including many of her thoughts on gender, domesticity, and making (insert spider theme/connection here: Bourgeois is most known these days for her spider sculptures). They were intimate and beautiful.

Anyway, I fully enjoyed my exploration of the exhibit and wandering of the Museum's ramps. I still stand to my original description of the show, that the space really helped the pieces to shine. I still won't call myself a die-hard Bourgeois fan (the sculptures on their own were sometimes easy to walk by without stopping to look further, which is my way of deciding if I like a piece), but there was something very beautiful about the way her pieces sat in this building. I highly recommend going - the show is up through the end of September.

N.B. For all of you (Wright) who complain about working during the week and being stuck with Saturday crowds when you visit a Museum, I want to point out that the Museum was extremely hectic and crowded with foreign visitors and large camp groups that made it just as annoying at noon on a Tuesday as 3pm on a Saturday . So don't get down about weekend crowds, I think there's no avoiding them when you're seeing a quality show!

For more information:

http://www.guggenheim.org/

Latin American (Costa Rican) Food and/or Cooking Day Four

Hola! I am back from Costa Rica and ready to continue my reflections on Cooking School and everything else that's been going on.  While I'm on such a food binge with these posts (I've also just read the book "Best Food Writing 2007," which I highly recommend), I can't help but write about the food in Costa Rica - it was absolutely delicious! As a non-fish eater, I was a little nervous about the selection, and feared I'd end up on a rice and beans diet, but I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of food served and the care with which it was cooked.  

The typical Costa Rican breakfast is called a "Gallo Pinto," or "colored rooster," and consisted of rice and beans sauteed with peppers and onions, alongside scrambled or fried eggs.  At both of the places we stayed, this was a big hit - and the first hotel even topped it off with sausage and fried plantains!  It was a tasty and filling meal, perfect to start a day of hiking and exploring the rainforest.  Our lunches varied, but were always delicious.  We had burritos, sandwiches, rice and vegetables, and even pizza - made with delicious sauteed vegetables and meats underneath the melted cheese!  Dinners also varied, and continued to have a latin feel, but reminded me of meals I cook at home - steak and vegetables, pork chop and potatoes, chicken kebabs, etc.  

Overall, the food was a lot less spicy than I was expecting.  I always think of Central American food as having that southwest-mexican chili taste, but we really did not encounter that often.  There were specialty sauces you could add (ask Wright about Lizano, the smoky brown sauce he poured on top of every bite he ate), and some were hot, but in general the food was more about fresh flavors, and focused on fruits and marinades more than bold spices.  I was pleasantly surprised, and reminded, again, that our vision of international food in America is often not very authentic.  

The fourth day of cooking school centered around Latin Cooking, so I considered it a preparation for Costa Rica.  It had more of a Mexican than Costa Rican feel to it, mostly because our walking tour of the day was up in Spanish Harlem, to a number of Mexican bodegas, where we picked up various types of chilis and vegetables that I'd never seen before.  Our chef, Richard Reuben, was enthusiastic about everything and especially loved chilis, so he was a great resource.  

Back at the school, we cooked a number of dishes, including lamb with a green chili sauce, a chili cabbage salad, potatoes with herbs and queso fresca, rice and beans (of course), fried plantains, and a wonderful coconut flan for dessert (Part of our buffet is pictured above). The highlight, though, was a Chicken Mole that just melted in your mouth (in the large pot in the picture).  I'd never made a mole before (mole means "concoction," and essentially is anything that blends different flavors together; guacamole, then, is an avocado concoction), and can't take full credit for the one we made in class, but I was captivated by the melding of flavors (there was a list of about 20 ingredients including different chilis, spices, tomato, chocolate, etc.) into an indescribable sauce that cooked into the pulled chicken so well.  I can't wait to make one on my own when I get back to Charlottesville (it's an extremely messy procedure, so I don't think Mom's white kitchen walls would appreciate my experiment).  It also freezes well, so Richard recommended making a big batch, then freezing portions and eating it over a month or so (again, the mess would not be worth making this on any sort of regular basis).  

Our meal was delicious, and got me very excited for Costa Rica, where I didn't exactly use my newfound knowledge of chilis, but I certainly appreciated every meal I had!