Friday, August 21, 2009

Vogue

No relation to the magazine or the ultra hip club in Beijing, Vogue has taken over an old teahouse and is gradually changing it into a cosy den behind heavy window drapes. So far, the main bar is as far as the vogueism has got. From there in the series of dimly lit rooms are pretty basic, yet comfortable and discreet and its too new for the straight crowd to have got wind of it. Already a regular clientele lines the bar every evening - owner manager Tony is generous with the shots.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Spirit of Montmartre: Cabarets, Humour and the Avant Garde, 1875-1905

The last decades of the 19th-century were a time when Paris' Montmartre district was the centre of Bohemian life. Artists, writers, composers and actors drank, discussed, drank some more and not only managed to pump out their own work but also to collaborate on many other creations - from magazines and posters to theatrical productions. The Van Gogh Museum has put together an exhibition to reflect these heady times with works that are enhanced by the helping hands of the likes of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georges de Feure, Eugene Bataille and Emile Cohl.