Freakie & Fluffie

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LightSpace | Michael Hulls

A tribute to the vanishing tungsten light bulb, an immersive choreographic piece - without the dancers. The installation combines lighting, sound and the clever use of a rigging system to give a new experience in movements.

Joan Jonas

Jonas’s work takes inspiration from different cultures and traditions and conveys her interest in movement, music, female identity, the environment, natural and urban landscape.

Really like the curation of this exhibition, the lack of large panel and text helps audience to dive into the work. The Level 0 East Tank session is also a good way to attract people to check out the rest of the exhibition.

Anthea Hamilton | The Squash

Tate commission 2018. The white tiles floor transformed the Duveen Galleries in Tate Britain, played a strong contrast against the neoclassical architecture.

Each element of The Squash was inspired by a photography Hamilton found when looking at improvisation theatre and participatory art practices in the 1960s and 1970s.

The solo performer selects their outfits for the day from a collection of costumes, designed collaborated with Jonathan Anderson. Performer in the galleries from 10am to 6pm every day.

Julius Caesar ⚠️ Play contains shooting scene flashing lights, with promenade stage⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Br/dge Theatre is a new theatre just opened last year, and I’m very happy I manage to visit for a good show.

The production features with a promenade stage that would change scale and height throughout the play. (And thank goodness for that, short people and standing ticket….don't' go well together) You can also choose traditional seating ticket but hey where's the fun.

A Shakespeare's story of the Roman state echoing to the modern society we are living and experiencing right now; the overpowering dictator, civil war, assassination etc. A little nod to a modern version of the narcissistic leader of a certain country, *cough* Trump *cough* perhaps? And the promenade production is the perfect way to have the audience be part of the play, responding to the characters like the true Roman subjects.

The immersive experience with a promenade stage makes one fo the shooting scenes quite shocking and even discomfort I would say. Being in a crowd, the shouting from the act, the sound effect... fear and panic quickly filled the room. It felt real. I would imagine it might be what's like doing a mass shooting in real life; only those people would experience something 10 times worse. Maybe it‘s part of the plan,  to make you experience the craziness we see on news. Yet a lot of time we act like it's not our problem because they happen so far away.

(I got my £15 ticket from @todaytix app; good luck and set alarm if you were trying your luck for remaining shows.)

📅 Until 15 April 2018 📍 Br/dge Theatre | London SE1 2SG

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⚠️劇中包括槍擊和閃光場面

Br/dge Theatre是2017才開的新劇場；第一次來就看了個好劇。

舞台會跟據劇情移動改變大小或高度，配合漫步劇場，屬於體驗劇場。你也可以挑選傳統的座位，但感覺就不好玩了。

一個莎士比亞，關於羅馬帝國的故事呼應了現代社會和時下政治；獨裁者，內戰，刺殺等。或者有點小示意某國那位極為自戀的領導人？而沉浸式劇場的設計讓觀眾成為舞台劇的一部分，觀眾對角色的反應如故事中的羅馬人民。

其中一幕槍擊的劇情因為沉浸式劇場而非常逼真，人群的移動，大叫，聲效讓恐慌的氣氛迅速的籠罩劇場。情況感覺異常真實而我真的有一刻感到震驚，我相信那些真的親身經歷過如此事件的人一定承受著十倍多的驚慌。也許這也是企劃的一部分，讓人們能夠體會在新聞上看到的瘋狂事件，有時間因為他們發生在世界另一端，大家一種事不關己的態度。

15英鎊的票是在TodayTix的程式上搶到的，有興趣的人士剩下的場次要把握機會。

Wes Anderson 犬ケ島 | Isle of Dogs Exhibition and Noodle Bar

Pop-up exhibition at 180 The Strand featuring the models and sets from Wes Anderson’s new stop-motion animation “Isle of Dogs”.

Enter through life-size ramen bar setting from the scene, with the movie soundtrack at the playing in the space, you transport to inside the movie right away.

Attention to the details, from micro size font on the newspaper, lifelike fur of the dogs, futuristic spaceship interior, it’s a jaw-dropping well-done production.

The Musée Magritte Museum “There is no choice: there is no art without life” - René Magritte

Because it would be such a crime to visit Belgium and not to visit this museum. This museum alone is pretty much all I need to hear to make this trip.

Holding the largest collection of works by the Belgian Surrealist, from less well-known periods to numerous world-famous works. The various techniques and mediums create a great journey of the artist’s career.

P.S: And I've never wanted a bathroom mirror this badly.

Rebenshuis

Former home and studio of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp, now as a museum to house a large number of works by the master himself and his peers.

House bought in 1610 and was enlarged after the artist’s design, adding a semi-circular statue gallery, and a garden pavilion. The change brought a style of an Italian palazzo; embodied Ruben’s artistic ideals - the art of Roman Antiquity and the Italian Renaissance.

From tiles, velvet curtains, decorative carved bed frame to the finely made fireplace. The joy to get close to the artist’s life and literally step into a piece of history.

The Rubens House

Coffeelabs Esco*Bar

I have two ways to plan my travel: Museums or Cafe. For my short trip to Antwerp, I made sure I visit one cafe (at least) each day.Because first...coffee, right?

And the cafes I’ve visited all have a very spacious and comfortable seating area unlike many of the one I visit in Hong Kong / London where seats are too close to each other most of the time.

Coffeelabs sit on a small road in the shopping district of Antwerp. With a lot of space and a wood feature interior; it gives you a calming atmosphere and a good break between your shopping. Cute little vintage store Think Twice is just right next door.

@coffeelabs_antwerp 📍Lange Klarenstraat 19 | 2000 Antwerp

Esco*Bar is about 15mins away from Antwerp Central rail station. A smaller one but very cozy with the cute little hand-drawn menu board.

Warehouse

I found this cafe on my way to check out Port House (Zaha Hadidplein) in a rainy and windy morning. You could imagine the joy to find a shelter in that situation.

Only to realised it’s not only a cafe, also a gym hub…? The decoration looks more like a design home store at first glance. Gym equipment sit at the back of the space, divided by shelf with plants; so casual walk-in like me won’t feel awkward about intruding the space and still able to enjoy the nice selection of cafe menu.

The coffee saved me from the cold for sure, I also had an avocado on toast. (Yup, that again.) They had Za’atar with the smashed avocado that gives a very nice flavour. I wolfed down the food ‘cause I was so hungry at the point so no photo. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The cafe is just a short walk to the Museum man de Storm (MAS), it’s a good spot to check out if you were planning to visit the museum.

Copper | coffee.cuisine.collect

Found this little cafe on my last day at Antwerp. About 30 mins walk from the Antwerp Central station, it’s set in a quiet neighbourhood.

A round rail with block colour curtain at the entrance, keep the space cosy. Selection of small design works displayed across the space, blending in with the home-like interior features.

The owner of the place is a polite and kind lady, seems to know many of the customers in the cafe. With soft music and beautiful plants filling the space, it is a small cafe that you can spend a good time to completely relax and enjoy the coffee.

Cathedral of Our Lady 

Also known to me as the place where Nello and Patrasche died. 😭

 A Dog of Flanders is a story set in Antwerp by English writer Marie Louise de la Ramée that became very popular in Japan; and was adapted into Japanese animation.

I watched this when I was little and the ending scene was just too much! 😫

It’s back! After 2 years of refurbishment, the beautifully brutalist building is reopened with the retrospective of photographer Andrea Gursky.