Art, Architecture, Cinema, Oh My!

Still in Torino, I have had an amazing week filled with Art, Architecture, Cinema, Music, Dance! A Creatively Full Week!

I had the luxury of going to see the Matisse (and some of his contemporaries) exhibit here in Torino  “Matisse e il suo tempo”, at the Palazzo Chiablese.

I was so inspired afterwards. I am reminded how creativity is not static and how wonderful that as artists our art has the opportunity to change, expand and evolve with time, practice, experience, and who we hang around with, our models, our inspirations all influence us. And dance too reveals our autobiography.
From Matisse’s contemporaries, his move through Fauvism and Cubism, to his adventures in still lifes to his timeless cut outs, his magnificence as an artist is seen. This exhibit truly demonstrated his influence on art and culture and really how it transcends time.
I invite all of you to get to a museum!
As not just a dancer but seeing myself as an artist, my dance has changed and evolved over time too. How I dance now is a total of all my experiences up until this point, and “the why” I dance now is different than why I danced 10 years ago. I think the changes are important to notice. It’s inspiring to see how some of the dancers I admired in the late 1990’s have changed and grown. As performers, we dare to put ourselves “out there” to be seen, and to be accepted or not. I was so inspired to see the Matisse exhibition and to see his growth and change as an artist. It’s a good reminder!

Also this week I went to the spectacular Museo Nazionale del Cinema. 

Housed in the fabulous Mole Antonelliana tower, you must pace yourself on an exciting historical adventure of how cinema began, with interactive displays and so much to see! 3 hours later my mind was reeling but I was so impressed. Being an amateur photographer when I was younger and a HUGE film fan, seeing the intricacies and details of some pre-cinema and photography artifacts was fantastic. It served as a lens into our culture as well – Our desire not just to tell stories, but to share the world from the earliest days and to document everything from war to every day life, and then for photography and film to become a means of self-expression and exploration.
Another inspirational day!

Yes, I have danced tango but there’s so much to do here. Wandering the streets surrounded by the most amazing architecture means there is never a dull moment. I have been to my cousin’s Jazz Accapella rehearsal, taken a class in Piemontese Folklore dancing, started a tour into the world of chocolate, and THIS WEEK, I will go to the 2nd largest Egyptian Musem and to the Museum of Human Anatomy before heading off to Genoa!