“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!
This Week’s Apéritif: Side Car Cocktails (Buy One, Get One Free!) at Tribeca Café in Skopje, Macedonia
Reading: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré!
Check out this short video on the genius of John le Carré (October 19, 1931 - December 12, 2020), featuring interviews with the author himself as well as cast members of the 2011 film version, including Gary Oldman, Ciarán Hinds & Toby Jones:
Purchase the new 50th Anniversary edition of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré:
Listening: Two Great New Albums This Week! Ensoulment by The The & Key by Alison Moyet!
The The (led by singer-songwriter Matt Johnson) have released their first new album in 25 years! And it’s brilliant! Meanwhile, Alison Moyet has eimagined her last 40 years of music with a stunning new album featuring 2 new songs and 16 entirely revamped and re-recorded arrangements/versions of songs chosen from her entire catalog. Links to listen below. And check out the videos!
Official Site of Alison Moyet / Upcoming 2025 Tour Dates! Tickets go on sale today! (Friday, October 18th, 2024)
Looking: Artist Barbara Chase-Riboud Makes History with New Exhibition Across 8 Major Museums in Paris!
“Barbara Chase-Riboud. Everytime A Knot is Undone, A God is Released is the first multi-museum exhibition of a single artist to be presented in Paris during their lifetime. On view across eight major Parisian institutions—Musée d’Orsay, Palais de la Porte Dorée, Musée du Louvre, Philharmonie de Paris, Centre Pompidou, Musée du Quai Branly, Musée Guimet and Palais de Tokyo—this presentation is a wide-ranging celebration of the work of the artist, spanning sculpture, drawing and poems created from 1958 to the present day.” [Source]
Read more about the exhibition here! (via Hauser & Wirth)
View a beautiful gallery of her work here! (via Hauser & Wirth)
Click here to read a striking poem by Barbara Chase-Riboud “that offers a poignant glimpse into the pursuit of a life of art in the City of Light.”
Wonderful video featuring Barbara Chase-Riboud introducing her amazing sculptures (including many great close-up images of her work):
Watch this great video of Barbara Chase-Riboud discussing her life and career on the eve of the groundbreaking Paris exhibition here:
Viewing #1: Season 4 of Slow Horses (Gary Oldman’s self-proclaimed final on-screen role!)
Slow Horses is our favorite TV spy thriller of the moment! We love this show, which is based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron, starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce & Hugo Weaving.
Watch Slow Horses on Apple TV+! Check out the Season 4 trailer here:
We’re also obsessed with the show’s theme song (by Mick Jagger!):
Viewing #2: The Indie Film That Made Us Cry This Week! Close to You (2023) starring Elliot Page!
One of our favorite films of the year so far: Close to You (2023) — starring & co-written by Elliot Page, directed & co-written by Dominic Savage.
Such a powerful, emotionally honest, and superbly acted film. And don’t worry, no one dies. We cried because the story portrayed an aspect of queer/trans life — the alienation many of us feel from our hometowns, from our families, and even from the very concept of “home” — that we’ve never seen portrayed in this way before. Elliot Page deserves ALL the awards for his unforgettable performance.
Read a great interview with Elliot Page here: Elliot Page Is Finally Home (via Them)
Tasting: New Cookbook from World-Renowned Chef Michael Mina: My Egypt: Cooking from My Roots!
Did you know October is National Cookbook Month? Neither did we! But we have a perfect way to celebrate. It turns out of one our favorite chefs, San Francisco’s Michael Mina (who now has over 30 restaurants across the globe), just last week published a brand-new cookbook about his Egyptian roots:
Click here for Chef Michael Mina’s Halloumi and Watermelon Salad recipe! (via The Mercury News)
Read a great interview with Michael Mina about the cookbook here: Michael Mina's Love Letter to Egypt (via Michelin Guide)
So that’s it for this week! But we have a big announcement coming for all of our listeners and subscribers. To find out more, make sure you stop by our Epicurean Vagabonds Substack page on Monday, October 21st, to read all about our future plans!
And to all of our regular podcast listeners, you might want to be on the lookout next Wednesday (October 23rd) for a brand new episode!
And, as always, thank you for joining us for Season 3 of The Aesthetic Arrest Podcast!
Cheers to that!
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