THE MAGAZINE

Living in a Dream? The Messy Reality of Living in a “Bauhaus”
A hundred years ago, the Bauhaus movement hoped to build a better, more equal future by imagining a new way of living. Unfortunately, this vision was to remain a dream. In the 1930s, many German Jewish Bauhaus architects emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine to escape the Nazis. As a result, Tel Aviv can boast over 4,000 buildings in the Bauhaus style, more than any other city in the world.
Reader’s Response to “The Joy of Simple Gestures”
Read a response by Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi to “The Joy of Simple Gestures.”

Damien Hirst: Burning Art?
The British artist Damien Hirst was never one to shy away from publicity and controversy. Dead animals suspended in formaldehyde made him famous: in 1992. This month, in his project “The Currency,” he is burning physical artworks that have been exchanged for digital artworks, NFTs.

Interview: Princess Grace Academy’s Luca Branca (Winner of the 2022 Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award) and Morgan Johnson
Luca Branca (18) and Morgan Johnson (13) are both students at the Princess Grace Academy, a highly selective dance academy in Monte Carlo. TWoA talked to Luca and Morgan about their passion for dance and choreography, their dance video “Let Your Smile Shine,” and Luca’s success as an aspiring choreographer at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne.

Relax with Luca and Morgan
Luca Branca (18, winner of the 2022 Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award) and Morgan Johnson (13) are both students at the Princess Grace Academy, a highly selective dance academy in Monte Carlo. TWoA asked Luca and Morgan how they like to relax when they are not inside a studio dancing or choreographing.

October: Piece of the Month
Music is life in tunes and rhythms. Music captures life, seasons and feelings. And October has a piece of its own: “Autumn” by Antonio Vivaldi, a part of the Four Seasons violin concerti. There is one surprising fact about the piece that you might not know.
Couture and Ballet: New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala
On 28 September, just a few days after the opening of its fall season, New York City Ballet (NYCB) celebrated the 10th anniversary of its annual Fall Fashion Gala. The event pairs choreographers with top fashion designers and commissions them to create new works together.

Women. Life. Freedom
On 13 September, the Iranian morality police arrested Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22-year-old young woman. The offence: Mahsa Amini had allegedly not complied with Iran’s strict rules on head coverings. Three days later, she was dead. Her death has sparked protests across Iran. Jalz, a 22-year-old artist and graphic designer in Iran, is the same age as Mahsa Amini. He is posting powerful works of graphic art in support of the protests on Instagram.

October!
It’s finally October! It’s officially fall. The leaves are coloured in deep orange, and pumpkins are waiting to be carved. The weather is cooling down, and the nights are longer. October is a cosy month, and here are some of my favourite October things. And, of course, starting with the theme of the magazine – art.

Shervin Hajipour: Anthem of Protest
On 28 September, the Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour posted a song on his Instagram account: “You wrote this poem. May it ease all your pain.” Hajipour had composed a musical response to an outpour of protest following the death of 22-year-old Masha (Jina) Amini, who had been arrested by the Iranian morality police. The video went viral. Next, Hajipour himself was arrested.

Autumn Ballet: Giselle
Few would think of Giselle, the most famous of all Romantic ballets, as an autumn ballet – but it is. The ballet’s first act is filled with the joy and dances traditionally associated with this season. Its second act is full of the darker emotions we associate with autumn: as nature prepares for winter, the trees shed their leaves and appear to be dying. The legend of the Wilis (dead dancing-girls) that inspired the ballet is very appropriate for Halloween.

In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth performed the role destiny had given her with unwavering dedication, determined to take her final bow only with the final curtain. The Queen loved Scotland - and Scottish music. She even had her own piper, the Queen’s Piper, who played the bagpipes for her every morning.

Rudolf Nureyev: The Power of Curiosity
On 5, 6 and 12 September 2022, London celebrated the iconic dancer Rudolf Nureyev (1938 – 1993) at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Nureyev was the first international ballet superstar. Even people who knew nothing about ballet knew Rudolf Nureyev. Nureyev’s legend started with a scandal. His curiosity almost ruined him.

Royal Academy of Arts: Summer Exhibition 2022
Since 1769, London’s Royal Academy of Arts has held its annual summer exhibition, a showcase of art created right now, by both established and emerging artists. It is the world’s largest open submission exhibition: anyone can submit their work for consideration. This year was also the fourth year of the Royal Academy’s Young Artists’ Summer Show for students aged 4 – 19 across the UK.

Africa Fashion
Can fashion be art and does it belong into a museum? Certainly! London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V &A) has the largest, most comprehensive collection of dress in the world. But this collection has been very Eurocentric. The V & A is now trying to redress this imbalance with a major exhibition on African fashion, celebrating the imagination of African designers from over twenty countries.

Promming in London
Fancy some classical music in the ultimate relaxed setting? Excited about the idea of bringing a picknick blanket, a pillow, maybe even a book and to listen to some of the world’s most exciting classical musicians in one of the world’s most famous concert halls? Then try to go promming at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Olga Smirnova: A Ballerina in Protest
Life can change overnight. As one of the Bolshoi Theatre’s leading ballerinas, Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova was a national hero, a glamorous icon of Russian culture. But from one day to the next, she became an outcast and traitor in the eyes of the Russian government – and an international hero and symbol of artistic and human integrity in the eyes of the world.

The Joy of Simple Gestures
Want to strike a harmonic, calm chord in your soul? TWoA talks to choreographer and ballet master Noah Gelber about keeping your balance.

The Blackest Black, or: Anger Makes Creative
Imagine a black that is so black that it absorbs 99.96% of visible light, making three dimensional objects look flat if you stand directly in front of them. Impossible? Well, take a look at Anish Kapoor’s sculptures painted in Vantablack that are currently on display in Venice. The stuff is pretty scary.

Piece of the Month: Jules Massenet, Méditation from Thaïs
For this month, I have chosen a really great, strong and powerful piece! I’m sure you’re wondering what it is, sooooooo. . . . . . (I really need drums right now): Méditation from the opera Thaïs by the amazing composer Jules Massenet.