Portugal takes Sydney by storm
iIt is difficult to make your voice heard in a city like Sydney - a bustling metropolis of 4 million people.
But in January 2006 Portugal took Sydney by storm. Portugal's vehicle has been contemporary Fado singer Mariza.
The event was the Sydney Festival, the premier cultural event in Sydney, and Mariza clinched the prime venue - the Sydney Opera House for some of her shows. For her it was a dream come true to sing at this amazing venue. Playing to packed houses every night Mariza and Portugal became the darling of the Sydney Festival.
The Australian newspaper, with its national circulation, raved about her -‘New Portuguese diva delivers a glimpse of heaven’ the headline rang out. It went on to say:
“occasionally in life we are blessed and privileged to experience something unique, so magnificent that it sets the standard for everything else. A magical performance, a work of art an affair of the heart, or perhaps a glimpse of heaven.”
“Such was the concert by the stunning Portuguese fado singer Mariza at the Sydney Opera House.”
The article went on “She appeared out of the darkness, gliding tall and slim into the light. From that instant she took control of the stage. Lithe and athletic, she danced and floated.”
It summed up the concert “if you were there you will always remember it. Mariza. Her name is written in the stars. We can but gaze in awe.”
The Sydney Morning Herald was equally enthusiastic. It wrote “There are two more chances to hear Mariza. Grab one with both hands and don’t let go.”
“She is the most complete singer/ performer to come here since Ute Lemper. A wonder to hear and striking to behold, she is also accompanied by seven musicians of the very highest calibre.”
“Mariza could hold a note like a lover not wanting to say goodbye. Her pianissimo were as gorgeous as those of Jose Carreras, and she would stretch them as though they had secrets to tell”, it raved.
And so Portugal made a magnificent splash – one singer, one voice and yet it garnished Portugal a wealth of favourable publicity once again elevating Portugal’s image as a vibrant, contemporary European country.
Mariza in her return in 2007 to Australia
Mariza in her return in 2007 to Australia has concerts scheduled on March 7th and 8th in the Opera House, Sydney , and on March 10 and 11 at Womadelaide, Sounds of the Planet 2007 Festival , Adelaide.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Royal Botanic Gardens
The title for the 2004 Biennale of Sydney (June 4 to August 15) was On Reason and Emotion. This concept in part emerges from neurologist Antonio Damasio, who suggests in his book Descartes`Error that emotion is crucial to human intelligence, and indeed that humans cannot function without it. In order to reflect this tangled relationship between reason and feeling, the projects encouraged viewers to think and to feel, using all their senses to engage with the work. Much of the exhibition was sited within Sydney´s major art museums and galleries, however many new projects were created for specific sites at outdoor locations within the city, namely the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. For more information visit the website
Behind the Scenes with Isabel Carlos
was a photographic exhibition promoted by the Consulate-General of Portugal in Sydney with the assistance of Instituto Camões;
The exhibition of photographs by Justine Kerrigan was inaugurated on June 10, 2004 in the NSW Parliament and was also on display at the Consulate General of Portugal.
The Biennale of Sydney is Australia's largest festival of contemporary art. In 2004 it featured 51 artists from 32 countries. The Biennale of Sydney brings the work of international artists to the attention of Australian audiences and places the work of Australian artists alongside their international peers.
I In 2004 edition, Portugal's Isabel Carlos was curator. Her theme - On Reason and Emotion - encouraged the viewer to think and feel using all their senses as they engaged with the exciting work on display.
Behind the Scenes with Isabel Carlos has offered viewers a glimpse of what it is like to mount a major exhibition like the Biennale.
ISABEL CARLOS
Born in Coimbra, Portugal, in 1962.
Free-lance curator and art critic based in Lisbon.
Degree in Philosophy by Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra (1987). Post-graduation and Master´s Degree in Social Communication, Departamento de Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa; thesis: “Performance: Art in na Uncanny Place” (1993) . Art critic since 1991. Head adviser for the Exhibitions Department in Lisboa 94, Cultural Capital of Europe (co-coordination of a program of 25 exhibitions).
Among others she curated the following exhibitions:
“Sublime” (Museu do Chiado, Lisboa 1994)
“The Day After Tomorrow”(Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisboa 1994)
“Mediations” (Palácio Galveias and Museu do Chiado, Lisboa 1997) “Eve´s – Paula Soares”, Triennale of India, New Delhi, 1997
“Entrada Azul – Helena Almeida retrospective” (Casa de América, Madrid 1998)
“Trading Images” – one year international exhibition cycle ( Museu da Cidade, Lisboa 1998)
“Initiare” (Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisboa 2000) .
Founder and Deputy Director between 1996 and 2001 of the Instituto de Arte Contemporânea (IAC) of the Portuguese Ministry of Culture where she ran during 3 years an International collection and organized the Portuguese representations to: Venice Biennale (2001), London Art Biennale 2000, São Paulo Biennale (1996 and 1998), Istanbul (1997 and 1999) among other activities.
She has participated in numerous international conferences including, Madrid (ARCO, 1997), São Paulo (Centro Cultural de São Paulo, 1998), Istanbul (V Biennale de Istanbul, 1997) Melbourne (1st Melbourne International Biennale), University of Cape Town (1999), Innsbruck (2000