T13-27-06-08.qxd
26.06.2008
15:18
Page 1
CULTURE&ARTS
TODAY’S ZAMAN 13
F R I D AY, J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
Stevie Wonder’s new albums in the works
An artistic tribute to
Even as he hits the road for his North American tour, Stevie Wonder is in the midst of two and possibly three recording projects, Billboard magazine reported. Wonder, whose last album, “A Time 2 Love,” came out in 2005, told reporters on a teleconference that he’s continuing work on “The Gospel Inspired by Lula,” which he started following the death of his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, in May 2006. “Some of it is going to be traditional gospel but some of it is going to be ... I’m trying to do some [different] stuff,” Wonder was quoted as saying by the music industry publication. “I might do something in Arabic. I might do something in Hebrew. My whole thing of the title is just saying ‘Spreading the good word, the message.’” Wonder described the other project, “Through the Eyes of Wonder,” as a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. As for a rumored duets album with Tony Bennett -- possibly a set of Marvin Gaye covers produced by Quincy Jones -- Wonder did not confirm the project but said: “I’m the last one to hear about it and the first one to agree. Definitely Tony and I talked about doing some stuff together. And Quincy and I have always wanted to work together on a project. So if this is something that Quincy is doing and Tony and everyone has decided to kind of go in that direction ... I’m excited to be a part of it.” Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman
s mosques
Ýstanbul’ RUMEYSA KIGER ÝSTANBUL
Ýstanbul’s Cemal Reþit Rey Concert Hall (CRR) is currently hosting a collection of colorful paintings of Ýstanbul mosques by American artist Avis Asiye Allman. Titled “Teþekkürler Ýstanbul” (Thank You Ýstanbul), the exhibition reflects 25 years of Allman’s artistic explorations in the metropolis. Allman, who was the first artist to be given special permission to study in the harem section of the Topkapý Palace, has held many exhibitions in Turkey. In an interview with Today’s Zaman, She explains how she found herself in Ýstanbul at the age of 27. “As a young painter I was very much influenced by the French painters. When I was a child, Picasso -- and, after that, Matisse -became more and more important. So I did a trip to southern France. Matisse was influenced very much by his trip to Morocco, where he was exposed to Islamic art, and you see that in his later work, which he is very famous for,” she says, adding that as she got to know Matisse’s work she began to develop a longing to visit Greece because he had so admired the light of the Mediterranean, which combines the whiteness of light with the blue of the sea. “It is a very different kind of light from New York or Paris. So I then knew that the next step of my journey was to Greece. The trip to Greece also took me to Ýstanbul in 1982,” she says, recalling
that those were the years immediately following the 1980 military coup. She was shocked to see soldiers and tanks all over the city. Pollution was another huge problem; she got sick as soon as she arrived in Ýstanbul and was consigned to bed rest. While she was on her hotel bed she heard the call to prayer five times a day and it had a calming effect on her. “And then, when I recovered enough, I went to the Blue Mosque and started my first painting in Turkey, which is also included in this exhibition.” The symbolism of the colors in her paintings has changed over the years, due in large part to her conversion to Islam. “Now I paint with the eye of knowing Ottoman Art, Islamic art; knowing the symbolism of the color,” she says. In her more recent pieces she uses more green, turquoise and yellow, which are common colors in Islamic Art. “I also put a lot of pink, because pink is a feminine color and brings out the softer side of the religion. After Sept. 11 everybody tended to only see the harsh side of Islam. Painting with softer colors, I am trying to find the female voice and perspective,” she says. Her current show includes 26 pieces, most of which are paintings depicting Ýstanbul’s mosques, such as the Sultanahmet mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque), the Rüstem Paþa Mosque, the Hagia Sophia Museum and the Süleymaniye, Firuz Aða, Fatih and Þehzadebaþý mosques. Some of her work utilizes a silkscreen method. One
piece of the pieces in the exhibit was begun in 1985 and only finished in 2006. Some of her pieces are photographic tapestries based on pictures she took herself and others are oil-on-canvas pieces that she painted on site while fasting for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Allman notes that this current exhibition is a collaborative effort: “I am working as a painter and collaborating with a young Turkish poet, Barýþ Özer, who is now studying in America. We both try to deal with the concept of tolerance through our works. Barýþ is also uniquely brought up on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s perspective of peace. His poems and one of my poems will be displayed in the mosque as well.” The show, which will run through June 30 at the CRR, will move to the courtyard of the Sultanahmet Mosque, where it will be on display from July 3 to July 30. Asked why she chose a mosque courtyard for her exhibition, Allman explains: “The Blue Mosque is a very unique place. Non-Muslims, Turkish people and Muslims from around the world go there. Everybody meets, particularly in that courtyard.” She adds that while many of the museums charge money even for Turkish visitors, the mosque is open to everyone. “A lot of families with many children could never afford to go [to a museum]. That was one of the reasons a courtyard is the perfect place. It is open to everybody, there is no distinction between the rich and poor, just like in Islam,” she explains.
Steven Spielberg looks to direct ‘The 39 Clues’ A multi-author narrative being planned by the US publisher of the Harry Potter books has picked up a famous patron: Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks Studios has acquired the film rights to “The 39 Clues,” a mystery series-online game that Scholastic Media will debut in September. Spielberg, director of “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List” and the “Indiana Jones” films, says he’s hoping to direct. “’The 39 Clues’ takes creative leaps to expand the story experience from the pages of the books to multiple stages of discovery and imagination,” Spielberg said Wednesday in a joint statement issued by DreamWorks and Scholastic Media. “Together with Scholastic, we have the opportunity to develop this property that says ‘film,’ ‘family,’ ‘fun’ and ‘franchise.’” “The 39 Clues,” which also features a set of 355 collectible cards, is a planned 10-book series about a powerful, mysterious family that lives in upstate New York. The first installment, “The Maze of Bones,” was written by Rick Riordan, author of the best-selling “The Lightning Thief.” Jude Watson and Gordon Korman are among those who will write future volumes. New York AP
PHOTO
BAHAR MANDAN
Oasis announces release date for album
RECITAL
FESTIVAL
Hough to open upcoming Ýstanbul Recitals season
Ceylan to head jury at Sarajevo Film Festival
British-born piano virtuoso Stephen Hough, praised by the Washington Post as "a virtuoso who begins where others leave off," will be in Ýstanbul for a concert in October, kicking off the 2008-09 season of the monthly series "Ýstanbul Recitals." Hough, who has released over 40 CDs that have won many awards, will take to the Mustafa Kemal Center (MKM) stage on the night of Oct. 7 with a program of pieces by Bach, Copland and Chopin.
Turkish art house film director Nuri Bilge Ceylan will head the international feature film competition jury at this year's Sarajevo International Film Festival. The five-member jury will also include British director Hugh Hudson ("Chariots of Fire"), Croatian actress Marija Škaricic, German film sales company director Michael Weber and Taormina Film Festival Artistic Director Deborah Young. The festival's 14th edition will run from Aug. 15-23.
FESTIVAL
Violinist Zimmerman to enchant festivalgoers Celebrated as one of the greatest virtuosos of our time with his interpretations of the classic, romantic and 20th century repertoires, world-renowned violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann will tonight be onstage at the Hagia Eirene Museum as part of the Ýstanbul International Music Festival. Accompanied by Enrico Pace on piano, Zimmerman will present a program ranging from baroque to contemporary music at the concert, scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
Academy calls for foreign Oscar entries
CONCERT
Ece Demirci set for piano recital at Akbank center Pianist Ece Demirci, who started playing the piano at the age of 8 and later went on to study with wellknown virtuosos at the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, will next week perform at Ýstanbul's Akbank Art Center. Demirci, an associate professor of piano at her alma mater, released her debut album, "Piano Sonare," featuring sonatas by Haydn, Scarlatti and Chopin, in 2006 under the label Triolila Music. Demirci will be onstage July 3 at 8 p.m.
CM Y K
British rock band Oasis will release their new album “Dig Out Your Soul” on Oct. 6, Reuters reported. The band made the announcement on their Web site Wednesday. The first single from the group’s seventh studio album will be “The Shock of the Lightning,” due out on Sept. 29. “If ‘The Shock of the Lightning’ sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast,” songwriter Noel Gallagher said on www.oasisnet.com. “‘The Shock of The Lightning’ basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think.” Dave Sardy produced the new album which was recorded at London’s Abbey Road studios and mixed in Los Angeles. Gallagher described the music as “more hypnotic, more driving” than previous records. The band, which has sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide, will release the new record globally on its own Big Brother record label for the first time. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman with wires
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent entry forms for foreignlanguage film submissions to 96 countries for the 81st edition of the Oscars, Variety magazine has reported on its Web site. To be considered for the 2009 Academy Awards, a movie must have been released in the submitting country between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, and publicly screened in a commercial theater for at least seven days. The film must also be predominantly in a language other than English. The academy considers one picture per country. Submissions must be received at the academy by Oct. 1. Turkey submitted Özer Kýzýltan’s 2006 feature “Takva” (A Man’s Fear of God) for this year’s foreign Oscars, but the film did not make it into the final shortlist of five nominees. Austria’s “The Counterfeiters” earned the Oscar for foreign-language film at the 2008 ceremony. Ýstanbul Today’s Zaman