In a year marked by the commemoration of the victims of the Wars and the bombing of Montecassino Abbey, the Italian Cultural Institute wishes to send a strong message of peace and celebrate art as an opportunity to encourage dialogue between people. In this sense the project “Journeys” is an exploration of different forms of artistic expression – from dance to music, from painting to photography – running through centuries in the Christian, the Jewish and the Muslim traditions. It delivers a message of unity and fraternity in the face of conflicts and incomprehension among people
Mystic Hymns of Sufi Poets
Latif Bolat, Turkish Singer, Composer & Scholar of Turkish Music & Folklore
Thursday 2 October 2014 6pm
Italian Cultural Institute, 82 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
Medieval Italy and Turkey produced two of the biggest names in mystic thought: St. Francis and Rumi. It has been 800 long years since they departed and this program celebrates their legacies with poetry, music, movement and philosophical ideas, reflecting the devotional and mystical aspect of Anatolian culture accumulated over thousands of years. The deep quality of devotion in these songs and poetry is the direct result of this beautiful blend of such devotional and dedicated people of Anatolia.
Antonio Pacitti: Joy and Protest
2 October – 24 October 2014
Opening time: Monday from 2pm to 5pm – Tuesday / Thursday 9.30am to 5pm and Friday from 9am to 12noon.
Italian Cultural Institute, 82 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
This exhibition presents two sides of the Scottish-Italian artist Antonio Pacitti (1924-2009), celebrated by the global Charter for Compassion for his contribution to our understanding of war. A prolific painter, sculptor and potter, the Cassino-born artist returned repeatedly to nature in its various moods, and to the depiction of injustice and oppression. The drawings from the Guantanamo series, described by Harold Pinter as ‘deeply impressive and very important’, express his anger at the human tendency to dehumanize those who are perceived as enemies. In contrast, Pacitti’s sheer joy in life is shown in the vibrant colours and energetic brushstrokes of his canvases painted direct from nature. Pacitti’s oeuvre drew admiration from critics and fellow artists, such as Craigie Aitchison, who wrote that no other artist painted with so much love, brightness and enthusiasm. (The Guardian)
Memories and Light by Lisa Borgiani
Friday 3 October 2014
7.30pm – 9pm Assembly Roxy, 2
Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
This video journey undertaken by the artist Lisa Borgiani around various capitals in the Middle East: Jerusalem, Istanbul and Tehran. The idea is to film moments from daily life in specific locations which also have an historical meaning: the Mamilla mall in Jerusalem, the Galata bridge in Istanbul, the Azadi Tower and Jamshidieh park in Tehran. The aim is to use Light as a symbol of strength and hope.
GREEN LIGHT, Mamilla Mall, Jerusalem 2013
in collaboration with Claudio Pagliara, journalist, RAI middle-east correspondent
YAKAMOZ, Galata Bridge, Istanbul 2013
in collaboration with Marta Ottaviani, journalist and writer
BLACK LIGHT, Azadi Tower / Jamshidieh Park, Teheran 2013
in collaboration with Tatiana Boutourline, journalist and columnist
Russkaya Cappella
3 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
Russkaya Cappella is the only Russian choir in Scotland and one of the very few choirs in Britain specialising in Russian choral music. Founded in 2009, this amateur mixed voice choir in Glasgow, performs both Russian choral church music and traditional Russian folk songs.
Flamenco Puro – The spiritual side of Flamenco
3 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
Reflections – Merav Israel and LaNua Company
4 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
Multimedia, site specific, dance performance, incorporating video projection, sculptural forms and dance choreography, it creates intriguing layers of visual stimuli and challenges concepts of perceptions of reality.
Gillywolfe – Folk duo
4 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
A duo of brazen chancers presents original and re-invented music rooted in a thicket of folk traditions and offered through the medium of violin, guitar and harmonic vocal interplay. Musical influences range from a strong hint of English, Scottish and Irish traditional, through to Gaelic song, French chanson, Appalachian, Balkan, Klezmer and Arabic.
Polish songs & Dances in traditional costumes – 5 Polish Dancers
4 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
Dervish Dance – Sema
4 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
Rumi’s Circle is a group of people inspired by their love of Mevlana Rumi to come together to share and understand his wisdom Dervish Dancers.
www.rumiscircle.com
Polish Religion & Culture by Alex Ingle
4 October 2014
7.30pm to 9pm
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh
A documentary study which looks at religion and culture in Poland. It was shot in the southern part of the country, in and around Krakow. This project is a response to a brief from the ‘Scottish Polish Cultural Association’ for the Italian Institute’s ‘Journeys’ exhibition in Edinburgh. Five triptychs will be exhibited during the ‘2014 Doors Open Days’ festival in Edinburgh and can be seen at the Roxy Assembly venue this October.
Venue Italian Cultural Institute:
Admission free
Venue Assembly Roxy:
Tickets: £10 (£7 concessions) for both days
Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions) for one day
Tickets can be purchased either at the Italian Cultural Institute, from 9am to 5pm, or at Assembly Roxy, just before the events.