25/08/2022

'Weird Goodbyes'

 

Two of my favourite bands/artists released a new song, that I just got to hear, a few hours before leaving London (again).

And this is such a perfect soundtrack to these last couple of days... I've been interviewing veterans from forgotten wars, writing about artists creating music and visual art with sounds of (sacred) waters, and I'm about to say goodbye - again - to my 'other country', to my 'yellow brick road', to my dream of happiness, to be pursued elsewhere, obviously...

But I didn't say goodbye. To anyone. Not even the ones I think about everyday. Especially not them.

The National - feat. Bon Iver 

'Weird Goodbyes'





It's funny how we read into lyrics...

Uncanny... The sky was definitely leaking today...
And I even dragged a towel around all day...

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“It’s about letting go of the past and moving on, then later being overwhelmed by second thoughts,” The National frontman Matt Berninger further explained in a statement.

Along with Bon Iver, the song features strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra as orchestrated by The National’s Bryce Dessner.



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Lyrics:

16/08/2022

Milano / Bergamo

 First time in Italy in ... too long.

So, I travelled by train to Milan... 















A la Triennale: 'Unknown Unknowns' - where the arts interrogate science





















Ambiance nocturne: Aperitivo








Milan's street art: 









La grande stazione de Milano Centrale:




Bello Bergamo: 















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Bye bye Italia





05/08/2022

Street art in the Arab world: chapter 1 - Tunisia

 

If you're interested in the rise of street art in the Arab world, my first piece on the issue, beginning with Tunisia:

Tunisia: one of North Africa's top hotspots for graffiti art and culture

My piece on young graffiti artists from Tunis and beyond, for The New Arab.

Read from here: https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/leaving-mark-tunisia-hotbed-arab-street-art




A decade after the revolution in Tunisia, urban art has helped transform the nation’s relations with public spaces. Local artists are encouraged to use Arabic as a means of graffiti. Now, a younger generation is ready to bloom, including women.

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Read from here: https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/leaving-mark-tunisia-hotbed-arab-street-art