The Flat Lake Literary Festival in Clones, Co Monaghan is early this year; they’re hoping for exam weather between June 3rd and 5th. Always a great mix of people and performers: Take a look at the programme on its website, theflatlakefestival.com. Meanwhile, musos will be tempted by Forbidden Fruit at Imma in Dublin that same weekend, where the Flaming Lips, Aphex Twin,
Yo La Tengo and other bands will prevail over two days
If buildings could talk . . .
“If buildings could talk,” wrote German film director Wim Wenders, “some of them would sound like Shakespeare. Others would speak like the Financial Times, yet others would praise God, or Allah. Some would just whisper, some would loudly sing their own praises, while others would modestly mumble a few words and really have nothing to say . . .”
Wenders’ short 3D video, If Buildings Could Talk, first shown at last year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, features the Rolex Learning Centre in Lausanne, designed by cutting-edge Japanese architects SANAA. It will be among a selection of films with architectural themes in The Fourth Wall season at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin on May 5th-16th.
The poster shows an image from Koolhaas HouseLife, a 2008 film by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine featuring a concrete house in Bordeaux designed by Dutch-born starchitect Rem Koolhaas. Unlike most films about architecture, this one focuses less on the building than on “letting the viewer enter the invisible bubble of the daily intimacy of an architectural icon”.
There is a lot more in the programme, including Dublin: Sean agus Nua, curated by Nathalie Weadick, director of the Irish Architecture Foundation, and Samantha Martin-McAuliffe of UCD’s School of Architecture, with support from the French Embassy and the Goethe Institute. Booking is at ifi.ie.
Frank McDonald
Teas and trees
As majestic city trees go, the London planes near Kelly’s Corner on Harrington Street in Dublin city centre are some of the most handsome. Tiesan Café is the only vantage point with plenty of seats outside to sit and enjoy the sound of the wind in their leaves in between the traffic noise.
Inside, there’s a shiny brass bell hanging over the door and it dinged often the morning we visited. There are limited seats – mainly high stools – and tables inside. Outside, the owners offer rugs for cover on cooler days.
I had an organic spinach and feta pie, a quinoa and chickpea salad, and a sensational cup of coffee. The small boy with me ate a chocolate-studded Danish and drank a small glass of milk. It was so much more of a treat than the regulation soup and sandwich and it all came to €8.95.
Tiesan has a long history as a venue for treats. In the 1930s, the café was a Macari’s ice-cream parlour. The chef and co-owner is Brazilian and the lunch menu often includes Brazilian dishes or a choice of salads from a fresh and interesting-looking salad bar. Literary events are planned and the walls of the cafe provide a showcase for artists’ work.
Catherine Cleary
Sutton Park School in north Co Dublin was set up by a bunch of progressive parents in 1958.
On May 12th-15th it is celebrating the achievements of its past pupils in the visual arts with an exhibition by a diverse group of 20 artists, from painter Una Sealy to sculptor Paddy Campbell (Kelly Campbell’s father; see page 16), animators Conor and Lorcan Finnegan, and ceramicist Orla Ross.
It will be open from noon-6pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the opening at 7.30pm on May 12th.
Index
WHAT’S HOT
Mrs Thatcher's HandbagExpected to attract over €100k when auctioned. What have we got? Bertie's anorak?
PluggedEoin Colfer's first crime novel is a "gloriously ramshackle comedy crime caper" (see Books pages in Weekend Review)
SamphireThis gorgeous, unslimy sea vegetable is served on top of scallops and corn fritters at House in Howth. A triumph
PygmalionAunts and godmothers take note: with costumes by Peter O'Brien (left), it's a good one for family outings. At the Abbey Theatre
Mariad WhiskerHer unmistakeably gorgeous clothes are in the window of Pace in Clontarf, Dublin
Go ProThis high-definition digital video camera has been capturing all our surfing, snowboarding and outdoor stunts for the past few months. It isn't cheap, but it's tough as nails and the picture quality is astounding
WeddingsNow that we've got over the wedding, it's time to face facts: the season is upon us, and the bar has never been higher
Pimm'sA jug mixed with ginger ale , cucumber sticks and a few frozen strawberries will go a long way on a sunny afternoon
MindfieldOur own festival of international ideas, today and tomorrow, in Merrion Square
Bing, apparentlyEven Jake Gyllenhaal is a fan, if Source Code is to be believed. Hang on, what's that? Product placement?
WHAT’S NOT
Nigella bashingWe don't like it. Cease and desist slagging off her weight
Clamping on Good FridayThey knew we all thought it was a holiday
Lamb pricesUp 25 per cent? Baaaa
WinningThe Sheen went off that Twitter craze fairly quickly. Geddit? Sheen?
TextingCold, impersonal messages are on the way out – set aside 10 minutes and spend time listening, instead of informing
Having two phone accountsDo you really need the landline? High time to sort it out
