 Alla Bulyanskaya Gallery, 31 Bury Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6AU
Daniel Ratiu, talented boy, was born on 5 October 1996. With his family roots deep in Romania, the Ukraine, London and the North of England his life routes have taken him far and wide. In this, his first solo exhibition "My Roots" you will see scenes from London, Transylvania, Danube Delta, France and Switzerland where his father was born; his experiences, real and imaginary scenes from his inner world - rich, bright and astonishingly mature. Through his pictures he is telling the story of his noble ancestry. His grandfather was a Romanian exile - Ion Ratiu - educated at Cambridge, who returned to Romania, continuing the family tradition of serving his native country.
Daniel is not the first with an eye for art in his family. The maternal Frost side of Daniel's English grandmother, Elisabeth Pilkington of the glass family, started the famous Bristol gallery, Frost and Reed in the 19th century. His great uncle, the late Godfrey Pilkington, founded the Piccadilly Gallery.
Daniel began to amaze his teachers at school with his unusual artistic originality at the age of seven. Behind his public self of non-stop pranks, computer games, fun with his four year old brother Thomas and a gruelling daily schedule of homework in four languages, plus piano, violin, and his favourite saxophone, Daniel's art is a more private affair. In fact, the only reason his work has survived at all is thanks to a loving Mother - very well known Jewellery Designer Sasha Ratiu, who over the years retrieved whatever items she could salvage from the nursery floor. That was until recently when for the third year running Daniel won awards at the Russian Art competitions.
We hope that you will enjoy Daniel's show and please do not hesitate to encourage him and other gifted young people like him to explore their own artistic talent and their own roots.
A share of proceeds from the sale of Daniel’s pictures will be used to set up the "Danny Fund" to provide much needed materials for talented young artists.
|
|
Citeste mai departe... [12 noiembrie - 7 decembrie - EXHIBITION: ‘My Roots’ by Daniel Ratiu]
|
 19.30, The Concert Hall in the Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1QH; Box office: 0118 960 6060
Tickets £10-£20 (subscriptions, concessions, groups & student standby rates available)
Programme:
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No 2 in F, Op 77
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No 15 in G, D887
The Belcea Quartet has rapidly gained an enviable reputation as one of the outstanding quartets of the new generation, consistently receiving critical acclaim for their performances. In 2001 the quartet won the prestigious Gramophone Award for the best debut recording. They continue to take the British and International chamber music circuit by storm, recording exclusively with EMI Classics and touring extensively throughout the world.
Pre concert talk - Philip Hesketh 18-15-19.00, The Town Hall (free).
Details on readingarts.com
|
|
Citeste mai departe... [30 noiembrie - CONCERT: Belcea Quartet in Reading]
|
 20.00, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX; Box office: 0871 663 2500
Tickets: £10-£20 (concessions available)
Johnny Depp said ‘the Taraf de Haidouks are the greatest musicians I know - they play a music which expresses the most intense joy, and have this gift to make you feel alive’ when he gave them their BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music. The Kronos Quartet have played with these fantastic Romanian gypsy musicians, they feature in the new film Gypsy Caravan, and The Independent called them ‘wonderful entertainers and one of the planet's great live acts’. Their shows burst with intense passion and overflowing energy.
Support comes from 40 Thieves Orkestar with their delicious blend of Eastern and Balkan melodies, served piping hot over dub, breaks and hip-hop beats. Thief-in-chief Aiden Love and his club cohorts promise a night of club sounds bittersweet melodies and solid percussive grooves.
Details on southbankcentre.org.uk
|
|
Citeste mai departe... [26 noiembrie - CONCERT: Taraf de Haidouks plus 40 Thieves Orkestar]
|
Two films by the acclaimed Romanian film director Cristian Mungiu will be screened at this year's CINECITY - The Brighton Film Festival: 4 Months, 3 Days, and 2 Weeks (2007) and Occident (2002).
Further evidence of the continuing renaissance of Romanian cinema (e.g. The Death of Mr Lazarescu, 12:08 East of Bucharest) was clearly shown when 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival (the first time this prize had gone to a Romanian director).
The film is set over one long night and traces the attempt of two students to attain an illegal abortion during the final years of Nicolae Ceausescu's regime. Set in 1987, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) and Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) are university roommates in an all-female dorm): when Gabita becomes pregnant, they arrange a meeting in a cheap hotel room with criminal abortionist Mr Bebe (Vlad Ivanov). There are many standout scenes - rarely has screen realism been so nail-bitingly tense and dramatic - and a superb central performance from Anamaria Marinca as Otilia.
Followed by Q&A with Mihai Chirilov, film critic and Transylvania International Film Festival director, and leading actor Vlad Ivanov.
A rare UK screening of Cristian Mungiu's debut feature, Occident is an intelligent black comedy that interweaves several stories about migration and about those who stay behind. Life does not seem to have much to offer in Romania. Almost everyone, young and old, wants to leave for a life abroad. Luci and his girlfriend Sorina have just been made homeless. Sorina's father would have found something for them but he has been dead for years. They go to his grave looking for a sign from heaven� In Occident's clever and complex screenplay the central characters influence each other's lives without even realising it and events become linked in a way that gives them unexpected meanings.
Followed by Q&A with Mihai Chirilov, film critic and Transylvania International Film Festival director, and leading actor Alexandru Papadopol.
Mihai Chirilov, Vlad Ivanov and Alexandru Papadopol's participation is supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute.
When: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days on 23 November, 6.30 pm, at Duke of York's Picturehouse and Occident on 24 November, 2 pm, at Duke of York's Picturehouse
Where: Duke of York's Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton, BN1 4NA
|
|
Citeste mai departe... [23 noiembrie - 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days and Occident @ Brighton Film Festival]
|
|
|
Please join us for the great communist bank robbery (we mean it!)