The Andalucian Centre of Contemporary Art in Seville is showing Cercanías by conceptual artist Rogelio López Cuenca, until the 15th of May, as part of the La Constitución Política del Presente cycle. The interesting new show is centred around Andalucia, addressing the urban and political changes suffered by the cities as a result of migration.

Cercanías is a critical metaphor on the violence and dominance exercised by Western cultures. In just a word, it sums up the reactions and reflections of its meanings, since Cuenca doesn’t just refer to the geographic proximity with the Arab-Muslim culture, but the inherited cultural history, where the barbarians were the Europeans, who left their aesthetic, linguistic, architectural and urban mark on what is today Andalucia.

Rogelio López Cuenca was born in Nerja, Malaga in 1959. He graduated in Philosophy, and during the 1980s, assisted in workshops at the Madrid Círculo de Bellas Artes cementing his involvement in the art world. His political stance marks his artistic works, which started out as performance in public spaces, and led to the video Poesie pur le Poivre in 1986. He became interested in Russian constructivism and Cubo-futurism, as part of the group Agustín Parejo School. Cuenca ended up turning his attention to the idea of art as a space for linguistic debate, and the subversion of the dominant iconography of publicity and the media, following the interesting theories of artists Barbara Kruger and Matt Mullican.

Cuenca’s approach to art is clearly expressed in his continual reference to the work of the artist and his role in society: “Art can no longer consist in the representation of exterior or interior, psychological landscapes, because its space is the discussion about the significance of what it is we share and the languages we speak.” Any copied visual image then, however beautiful it is, is not art, but just technique – art can only be found in that which connects us to the rest of society.

In this interesting theoretical debate, Cuenca develops his play on words and icons, where the conceptual is complemented by images taken from magazines, newspapers, publicity, maps.

The piece Corpus is particularly provocative. Constructed of three images reflecting death and violence, Cuenca prints the mythical face of Che Guevara dead onto an anonymous body. The work invites us to think about the fragmentation of discourse due to a discordant memory, as well as injustice and life.

For more information http://www.caac.es/programa/roglop11/frame.htm

Nancy Guzman

If you are in Andalucia, don’t miss this exhibition. And now that spring is here, don’t miss out on a chance to explore this beautiful city when you rent an Seville accommodation

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Translated by: Poppy
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It was in the unspeakably beautiful city of Seville, the place of profound historical resonance and diversity including the Romans and Islam, where King Fernando III of Castile wanted to be buried. He was the first to be housed in the magnificent Sevillian cathedral, which was built in a spot previously occupied by the imposing almohade mosque, (whose unforgettable minaret, more than 100 metres high, was built to look like the famous Kutubia mosque in Marrakech) – and which continues to be one of the prides of the cities, and a universally known emblem.

Fernando III conquered Seville in 1248 – but not without help. Having previously had to conquer the prestigious city of Cordoba – memorably described by Saxon writer Hroswitha de Gandersheim as the ornament of the world. The king found an ally in Muhammed Ibn Yusuf Ibn Nasr, founder of the Nazari dynasty; the last Muslim dynasty in Europe. The aristocrat of Andalucian ancestry used the defeat of the almohade of the summer of 1212 in Navas de Tolosa in order to rebel against the power of the North African invaders. In exchange for his help at the conquest of Cordoba – the door to Seville – Mohammed Ibn Nasr (known at the time as Ibn Ahmar), obtained from Fernando his renouncement of the conquering of Granada, which was occupied by the Nazaris, paving the way for such rich cultural jewels as the Alhambra palace. Up until its conquest in 1492, Granada had been like a bejeweled miniature music box – during the years of incomparable splendor of Al-Andalus.

So it was that ten years later the Nazari dynasty installed itself in Granada. Fernando took Seville – with exception of the Granadian captial, which stayed in the hands of the Muslims. When he entered, the Jews presented him with a set of keys to the city which were inscribed in Hebrew, Latin and Castellano. Much later, after the King’s death in Seville in 1252, his son Alfonso X organised for him to be buried in a luxurious tomb, in the royal chapel in the city cathedral. The epitaph was engraved in the three old languages Arabic, Hebrew and Latin – as well as the new language – the diffusion of which the King had dedicated the best part of his life – Castellano.

Paul Oilzum

It’s a beautiful place, and is an important symbol of the history of Spain. If you rent Seville accommodation , don’t forget to pay a visit.

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The Photos of Alix (1980) is the title of the last film by French director Jean Eustache – who, shortly after decided to take his own life. Part of a group of films in which Eustache used unrelated experiences to tell us about his personal world; the things which moved and interested him, The Photos of Alix is a beautiful and unsettling 19 minutes, revolving around Boris Eustache, the director’s son, and his photographer friend Alix Cleo-Roubaud. After the commercial failure of the remarkable My Little Loves (1974) – in spite of also making The Mother and the Whore (1973), one of the most cult films in the history of cinema – Eustache was never able to return to making feature lengths.

As Alix shows the adolescent some of her photographs, they both discuss the images, which the viewer can also see, covering topics such as childhood, love, sex, travel, parents, suicide… Gradually, little by little, the viewer beings to notice a discordance between the photographs and Alix’s commentary, which becomes more and more sporadic, creating a gap between image and words, and a loss in our ability to make any connection between what we are seeing and the words we are hearing. A space is created in the mind for new, personal and unexpected associations.

Working in a similar way – though with more directly political intentions – is Malaga artist Rogelio López Cuenca, some of whose recent projects have been included in the Cercanías exhibition at the Andalucian Centre of Contemporary Art in Seville, on until the 15th May. Rather than a retrospective-style show, it seeks to set up a discussion between various different works. For more information visit the website: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/caac/programa/roglop11/frame.htm

In López Cuenca’s work, text functions in an opposite way as an ordinary caption – the intention is that words are presented as though they are a misprint, giving the sensation that the caption is wrong, and doesn’t correspond with the image. This also takes place in reverse – sometimes, it is the image which makes the spectator question the information already given in a text.

Cercanías, the second part of the exhibition cycle La construcción política del presente is a definitively political act which meditates on the deconstruction of some of the popular myths associated with Andalucia – thereby inviting the viewer to reflect upon its representation.

Paul Oilzum

A stimulating exhibition which teaches us about the violence and impact that one image can have. Worth a visit when you rent Seville accommodation .

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Translated by: Poppy
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Caressing our partner is very easy, but not everybody puts it into practice and caressing is very important to keep alive the spark of love and sex calls. So, with a few simple tips you’ll learn how to caress the other and the positive effects it generates in the couple.

Caressing is not synonymous of touching, but an art to be learnt and practiced to perfect the magic art that stimulates all the senses of your partner, their sex appeal, erotic desire and love.

Affectionate people have no problem in putting this sexologists’ advice into practise, but for the most timid people, this is an exercise to let go inhibitions and that allows you to discover the skin and the body of your partner, but also your own, because the cuddle must be mutual.

But not only couples caress. Parents and children, siblings, friends, everyone hugs and kiss proving that this action is fundamental in human society. It shows love, affection and respect.

And as tastes are varied, there are many kinds of caresses and it is important to ask your partner what they prefer and what they like, because some may prefer soft, sweet caresses and others a little more hard and firm. It also depends on the situation in which they are; the environment is always important.

ingridb

So whether you’re a cuddling fan or an apprentice, you have to rent Seville accommodation to spend a few beautiful days with your partner. Enjoy sex, love, but also a beautiful city that will allow you to caress on every corner.?

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The Catholic Church is in a great crisis propelled by some of the most serious scandals in recent history related to sexual crimes, which were apparently covered up by senior Catholic officials for years. So now a number of more than 144 Catholic theologians (one third of the total) of the German-speaking area decided that in this serious crisis the church should react with a major reformation in its legal structure, starting with celibacy. A true revolution in the history of Catholicism.

So theologians signed a statement in which – among other things, it was noted that the Church needs married priests, and also should incorporate the ordination of women, allowing women for the first time to occupy in the church.

However, Church in general is facing a serious crisis. And despite there are more than a billion Catholics worldwide, the critics who denounce it as a retrograde and misfit to times of a liberal global culture resonate louder and louder. Therefore the concern because of lack of young priests is also increasingly perceived at a Church that still denies the needs of a progressive generation.

Many critics, however, point out that the Church is about to crumble before its incredible inconsistencies and scandals and, above all, before the incredible conservatism in matters of high importance as gay marriage, contraception and AIDS, to name a few.

Heloise Battista

Hopefully the Catholic revolution is more than tabloid news. In any event, in Seville you will find some of Spain’s most impressive churches, such as the Cathedral of Seville. Rent Seville accommodation and enjoy the spectacular architecture of the city.?

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Translated by: Maria
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The April “Feria” is one of the most famous festivals in the world. It started out in 1846, and has since become the emblematic fiesta of Seville – where, for one intense week, it becomes the center of life of sevillanos.

The Seville council installs the “Municipal House” and the festival starts with the gathering of members, and the “cena del pescaíto” (“The Fish Supper“). With the “alumbrao” (“lighting“), the mayor turns on all the lights, officially opening the week. The entrance front of the fair commemorates a monument in the city – this year they are celebrating with a Barrio de Los Remedios, an area made up of three parts: “Real de la Feria,” “Calle del Infierno” (an attraction park) y Aparcamientos.

In the Real de la Feria there will be constructed over 1000 tents – and in the Calle del Infierno, there will be more than 400 activities. Throughout the day, horses festooned with period dress walk up and down the streets – the only permitted mode of transport, with the exception of security. And at night, the drink flows, accompanied by the sounds of the sevillana music – in a mixture of themes, such as the feria, Holy Week, famous people, bull-fighting, Seville, lovers. Huge crowds get together and sing and dance unashamedly, celebrating everything that the festival represents.

The biggest element of the April Feria is the music, as well as the vibrant, eye-catching traditional Sevillian dress. But the food is also great – simple, delicious dishes such as prawns, cheese, hams, and the famous Spanish tortilla. All of which is washed down with some of the Feria’s famous types of sherry- fino and manzanilla (camomile). Also on offer is the “rebujito,” a soft drink which mixes camomile, soda water and lime, as well as different types of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

As the festival goes on, the nights get longer, and on the Saturday, all the lights stay illuminated until 6 in the morning. Some of the spaces don’t admit entrance without an invitation – but in general, visitors to the fair are free to wander where they like. And you are always welcome at the information tent, which is just next to the main entrance, where you’ll find a programme, and a map of the fair.

egomez

This year, the fiesta kicks off on the 3rd of May, and finishes on the 8th. If you were thinking about visiting the famous April Feria, why not rent  apartments in Seville – it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience.

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Imagine that there is a way to get punctual easy and safe sex, for a modest amount of money, and without regular health problems that come with access to traditional prostitution. On the other hand, imagine you need to pay for your education, your apartment, your regular expenses, and in a mediocre office job you get a ridiculous amount for eight hours, would you prostitute? No! This would be the most common response and not necessarily thinking about moral taboos, but more as a matter of hygiene and “honor”; now, what about if you were proposed a way of prostitution, where there was no physical contact, where there was complete anonymity and where you wouldn’t need to leave your home, would you accept?

Virtual prostitution is a phenomenon that stems from new communication technologies, and the ease and benefits offered to both parties: the user and the person providing the service. With a computer, through a screen, sexual services can be provided thousands of miles away using a web cam and a credit card account. Many students from around the world opt for this work in order to pay for college and access to better quality of life. Many of them do not consider that they are prostituting, as the absence of actual contact does not expose their body or “dignity” to the ones who are paying for them, so they that people have full control of the game and focus on meeting customer’s fantasies, stimulating their imagination and making them believe that all requests are completely fulfilled, though this might not always the case. It is a kind of “interpretation” where both sides know that what happens is not real; one does it to evoke a sexual fantasy, the other one to satisfy a financial need.

There is, however, the risk of children falling into the pedophile networks, and being cheated or violated, or even end up being blackmailed by cyber-sex servers with some controversial material. Dangerous “occupational hazard”.

In the network there are endless options of websites that offer this service, given by legal or illegal companies that mainly recruit open-minded girls, guys and transsexuals, with material needs. They work in private offices with cubicles, where there are computer sets, a web cam, clothing and various items, depending on the needs of clients; these are often intercontinental video chat services, which encourages anonymous. There are those who are self-employed, engaging customers through chat rooms, with no intermediaries, increasing profits, but with the risk that personal information is accessed from the network, or inconvenience arising from the presence of others at home. Either way, the question remains about whether it is prostitution or not, and if it is, to what extend this modality stigmatizes a profession that has existed since the beginnings of mankind itself.

ArBlanco

If you’re curious, you can rent apartments in Seville and from there explore the possibilities of “prostitution” of the new era.

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Translated by: Maria
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For those romantic travelers or just those who wish to approach symphonic music, Seville has an extraordinary celebration in April 2011. This is a double anniversary as both the Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra and the Maestranza Theatre are twenty years old now. Therefore, the director and composer from Madrid, Pedro Halffter has developed a program formed by the Suite of “Atlantis” composed by Manuel de Falla and the popular cantata “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff.

Although much could be written about “Carmina Burana”, this time we will go into the suite “Atlantis”, perhaps less known than Orff’s cantata, but which has a curious travel, exile and misunderstandings history.

Inspired by the homonymous poem by Jacint Verdaguer, Manuel Falla worked in the scenic oratorio “Atlantis” or eighteen years, being unable to finish it. When he died, his heirs asked Ernesto Halffter to complete the composition as he had been a pupil of Falla. Halffter worked from 1954 to 1960 in the oratorio. In 1962, it was premiered at La Scala in Milan under the direction of Thomas Schippers, but the composer from Madrid made ??several revisions until 1976.

Long before Jacint Verdaguer wrote the poem “L’Atlàntida” that would inspire Falla, while traveling to Cuba by boat. Verdaguer, working as chaplain of a vessel of the Transatlantic Company of Antoni López, spent two years making the journey from Spain to Cuba. In 1876 he completed the poem the day his father died, on a trip to the Caribbean island.

Falla began the “Atlantis” in Granada and continued in Argentinean province of Cordoba, where he died in exile. The scores were taken back to Spain to be completed by his pupil Ernesto Halffter; curiously the director of the premiere in Italy was born in North America. Thus, “Atlantis” was fed from different places in both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the patience of various creative artists. Verdaguer’s poem, which inspired Falla, talks about the myth on how, after sinking the Atlantis and the Atlantic ocean being created, Spain and America were separated, only to meet later after the voyages of Christopher Columbus (for whom the street where la Maestranza Theatre is named).

Thus, this collaborative musical production could be named double transatlantic. It seems that thanks to both the occasion and the artists involved for the special concert of the twentieth anniversary of the Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra and the Mestranza Theatre will be memorable. The evenings will begin at 8.30 pm on Thursday 28^th and Friday 29^th of April, 2011.

The sale of tickets on-line starts on February 1, 2011 and at the box office from will be from 11 April. The ticket prices range from €32 in Paradise to the €50 in Patio. Both for bookings and for more information about this celebration at the Maestranza Theatre:

http://www.teatrodelamaestranza.es/secciones/prog/prog_ficha.php?id=449

Address of the Maestranza Theatre, Paseo Cristóbal Colón, 22 41001, Sevilla, Spain

Sol Ulacia

And of course, to enjoy this concert, finding suitable Seville accommodation is increasingly easy.?

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An almost unbelievable equation gives Amanda Hocking financial success. Hocking could be a millionaire in a year by selling her books at such low costs that range from three dollars to ninety-nine cents. And this is because the young writer has sold one hundred thousand copies of her books a month. With a bestseller in Kindle, the Amazon virtual book store, Amanda self-edits her publications and keeps seventy percent of the profits.

This girl of only 26 is currently the best seller freelance writer in Kindle. Without any imprint sponsoring her, she has become a pioneer of a reality that is already concerning the publishers, as it happened previously with the record industry: the digital distribution of works.

Much of this cultural revolution in the cultural market is thanks to Kindle, a new sale, display and distribution device which, through its digital-book store, has provided a chance to many new and talented writers who before competed to find an editor.

For writers, the e-book benefits are numerous, as when publishing through this means they save expensive printing costs that generally traditional edition requires. Without these obstacles, launching a book has become much easier. This, fortunately, makes the bid more democratic and diverse and eliminates the need of a sponsor, patron or benefactor.

Within a reluctant industry to join the digital world, Kindle’s system has reduced the gap between authors and writers when rising as the first serious and viable alternative to the publishing company. Traditional publishers are quite frightened by the example of Hocking, which proves that the culture industry only needs a public wanting to develop culture and a creator who provides works.

Of course, the publishing industry can still be confident that all writers usually want, sooner or later, a book published in paper, as it usually helps them win prestige. Also every reader long, from time to time, for caressing the smoothness of the leaves and feeling the sweet smell of the paper. Who does not like to give themselves a good leisure time to engage in reading?

Laura Aurelia

If you are looking for a place to make of your time an open book, rent apartments in Seville and visit its many bookstores, including The Book House, the largest library of Andalusia and give yourself the pleasure of accompanying a good trip with a good book. Welcome to this new era of writers and readers.

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Coming from a family of Andalusian noble ancestry exiled in the current Tunis after the Christian conquest of Seville, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) is probably the most influential philosopher of history who has written in Arabic to date, perhaps even in any common language, not in vain he is reputed as the father of history as we understand it today.

His most celebrated work, the famous Muqaddimah or Prolegomena (in the History of the Arabs) is a reflection on the new science of history, many of whose views are associated with more than 600 years prior to those supported by the prestigious school of social history of the Annals, which considers history as something subject to different and relentless cycles that include the rise, decline and fall of several societies which in turn give rise to others that start a similar cycle of boom and bust, as if they were different and infinite variations on a theme.

Perhaps this view took roots during the season between 1364 and 1365 in Seville, the city of his ancestors, as a member of an embassy of the kingdom of Granada, which had close relations with the kingdom of Castile since the time of Fernando III. There, he was received at court with all the honours by King Peter, who offered him a refund of the heritage of his family if he agreed to stay with him as a philosopher and adviser.

In one of his beautiful books, the historian Maria Rosa Menocal cannot help contrasting the feelings that Ibn Khaldun must have experienced during this stay in the old Al-Andalus to those experienced by Edward Gibbon, one of the fathers of history as we know it today, when he visited Rome in 1764. It was then, discouraged by the sight of barefoot monks praying in the ruins of the ancient temple of Jupiter on Capitol Hill, idea of writing his monumental work on the decline and fall of the Empire came to his mind for the first time. In the case of Ibn Khaldun, what he saw in one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient Al-Andalus was a place full of new temples and palaces that graced the splendor of defeated civilization with buildings such as the Real Alcazar of Sevilla (http://www.patronato-alcazarsevilla.es/), residence of Peter I, built in Granada style so much that the abysmal arabesque musical chain is joined verses written in Arabic on the walls and even the usual prayer Wa la ghalib ill Allah (There is no conqueror but God).

Only a few years later, King Peter was treacherously murdered by his bastard brother Henry of Trastámara, while being held by the infamous mercenary Bertrand du Gesclin. This tragic event changed the history of Spain and the future of Spanish kingdom. Shortly afterwards, Ibn Khaldun was compelled for other reasons to abandon the Maghreb forever.

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Paul Oilzum

However, King Peter’s palace still remains as a testimony of that Spain that could have been but was not. You may not decline to visit it when you rent Seville accommodation

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Translated by: Maria
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