I had a very busy week, almost did not have time to breath, so as a reward, I decided to allow myself some fun: I canceled some clients, postponed others and decided to spend the day at the Museum, enjoying art lectures sponsored by Canvas Magazine.
I woke up early, got myself ready and off I went.
The first lecturer was a total disappointment. The lady was talking about artists and art work we all knew, but did not mind revisiting. The problem was her style ( or lack of). The woman next to me was fast asleep, literally. I could not wait for the time to pass by.
I even considered escaping to a spa. A massage, some pampering would do me good.
He starts with a little story, compliments Bahraini's friendliness, and then he starts talking about art. His charisma, his passion for the subject, makes my eyes glue to him. I swallow each word, I watch each movement he makes, I am hypnotized.I even forget about the massage I had already called to book.
He makes links between the art pieces and the historical, social and economic scenarios they were created in. He makes comparisons, he shows pieces I am sure we all saw before, but never really cared for - and he explains them in such a way, I am keen to revisit them, and try to look again, try to see them through his lenses.
Dr Anthony Downy is tall, powerful, secure and simply amazing in front of his audience. He is kind, gentle in his interactions, yet funny and witty.
I swear, I had chills going down my spine, I had multiple intellectual orgasms listening to him. I could be there forever.
After lunch, we were walking back, and I see this ordinary man coming along. I almost had a heart attack when I recognized him - away from the stage, without the spotlight and all the eyes looking at him, the semi God I just described, looks like an ordinary man, a nobody.
Tomorrow I am going to have the opportunity to see him again. He will be back on stage. Spotlights and keen audience, drinking every word he says... I will have the opportunity to see the transformation one more time.
Lucky me.
Depois de uma semana ultra corrida, eu me dei de presente um dia no Museu, participando de um semonario sobre arte contemporanea.
Acordei cedo em pleno sabado, e cai na freeway, rumo ao evento.
A primeira palestrante falou sobre os grandes mestres, mostrou fotos de obras que nos ja conheciamos, mas que e sempre um prazer revisitar e foi acima de tudo, uma chata de galochas.
Monotonica, mal preparada, a fofa colocou a senhora sentada ao meu lado, nos bracos do Morfeu.
Quando ela acabou o bla bla bla dela, entrou um cara chamado Anthony Downey, que da aulas na Faculdade de Artes de Sotherby's em Londres.
O cara acordou os que estavam dormindo, com o seu carisma, sua paixao pelo assunto e pela didatica com que ele apresentou o seu programa.
Ele falava de artistas, obras famosas, faziam links historicos, a audiencia participava, dava palpites, fazia perguntas...
E ele, no seu melhor elemento. Poderoso, fascinando todo mundo com a sua cultura e o seu conhecimento especifico.
Eu tive arrepios percorrendo a minha espinha, enquanto ele falava. Fiquei com a impressao de ter participado de uma palestra com um genio envolvente e carismatico.
Depois do almoco, quando nos voltavamos para o museu, vi um cara minguadinho, ordinario, beirando a sem gracisse. quase infartei quando percebi que era ele. Longe do palco, fora do alcance dos holofotes, ele e um cara comum.
Amanha, vou estar de volta, esperando ver o professor, o talentoso professor em acao.
