Sea, Sand, Sun and Technology

Sea, Sand, Sun and Technology

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, and is held in Barcelona* this year from 27 February - 2 March 2017.

Every year its programmes continue to be the focus for the overall event, educating delegates whilst covering the latest technological developments, like the six-month trial** for contactless mobile shopping (using your mobile phone to pay for things – no coins or banknotes).

In 2011, 500 merchants in Sitges were equipped with payment terminals and 1,500 residents were given mobiles loaded with the contactless technology; all funded by Visa, the people behind debit and credit card technology, Telefonica, and La Caixa.

And the Next Year 2012

The Mobile World Capital Barcelona (part of the MWC) and the SITGES - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, created the Phonetastic Sitges Mobile Film Festival, an initiative designed to develop mobile devices—smartphones and tablets—both as cinema production tools and as an audio-visual distribution platform.

 But how does some of these technological developments affect me has also changed over the years and continues to do so… I remember when I carried one to three different notebooks, in order to catch my thoughts and ideas as they came to mind by physically writing them before they were forgotten. I even posted a bit of my writing process in the form of Putting Pen to Paper back in August 2015. Remember what I said? In the post, “I do the majority of my writing easily on my laptop, but I also do a fair amount of note taking by hand—on notepads and little bits of paper I find lying around”; and how they are then transformed into digital form on my computer and further developed and transformed into articles, essays or poems…

Well the ease at which this is done is how radically mobile technology has improved how I get things done.

Today, my mobile phone is the device with which I catch my ever-flowing ideas. My other devices (IPad, Laptop) like my phone all have Google Docs, Google Drive and the app I couldn’t live without, Evernote. These mobile applications allow me to interchangeably work on any one of my devices, to create a document and continue to develop it off or online until it comes to fruition.

Another interesting initiative, in its 3rd edition later this year May 5^th-6^th, Sitges Next, “is the exclusive meeting of innovation in advertising communication.” 

Two days to analyze and promote the work of those creating the relationships between brands and public demand— new connections between advertising and technology, industrial design, art, film, and ecology.

 The organizers continue, “Technology is transforming communication, consumption, entertainment, relationships”; so it stands to reason other organizers of other important “tech” conferences have also chosen Sitges as a host location for its infrastructure and easy global access such as:

The Third International Conference on Bio-Sensing Technology held in May of 2013 which provided a forum for accessing the most up-to-date and authoritative knowledge from both commercial and academic worlds, sharing best practices in the field as well as learning about case studies of successfully integrated bio-sensing technologies as in, healthcare, agri-food, environmental sectors, just to name a few.

And, the 1st International Conference on Bio-resource Technology for Bio-energy, Bio-products & Environmental Sustainability (October 2016) which aimed to provide a forum for researchers, academics, industry, and policymakers, to discuss the current state of the art and emerging trends in bio-technology, bio-energy, and bio-based products.

Although participants flock to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress year-in, year-out, who knew sometimes our sleepy-in-winter town could sometimes be at the forefront of technology as well? Needless to say, we welcome all thinkers and shakers in the varied world of technologies, but hope when conference attendees come here, they also know how to unplug, unwind, recharge their personal energy and enjoy Sitges.

Scribe Notes:

*The event brings many attendees to Sitges, because we’re located only 40 km from Barcelona and even closer to the conference at the Fira Gran Vía Exhibition Centre (near L'Hospitalet de Llobregat) and Barcelona–El Prat Airport. In addition, connections between Sitges and Barcelona are not limited to access by car via the C-32 motorway, but also there are free buses from the Calipolis Hotel (for guests) to the Fira de Gran Via and one Line of Cercanías or Rodalies that will transfer people directly (without transfer) to the venue of the Mobile World Congress 2017.

**Results of the Trial

The organizers of the trial were encouraged by the early results. They say that 52% of the 1,500 individual users made one or more purchases each week using the phones. The average value of purchases was €10. The majority of all purchases (52%) were made in supermarkets, and cafés also saw frequent use of the phones.

Today, retailers capitalize on the growth of mobile shopping via phones and tablets, but instead of directly using the phone for payment, shopping is done via access to the retailers’ mobile app loaded ON the device or phone with the owners’ bank details.

*** Mobile World Capital Barcelona was an initiative aimed at turning the city into the permanent global centre of mobile technologies, where people, companies and institutions work together to exploit the potential of mobile technologies as an element to transform daily life and create new business opportunities.

Year's End Sight

The Manteros

At the end of last year, as I walked along the paseo, negotiating my way through pedestrians, pets and kids playfully skipping, I couldn’t help but wonder - who were these dark men overseeing the many blankets with all sorts of counterfeit handbags, trainers and brightly coloured cloth displayed for enticing passers-by to stop and purchase their tax-free products. More questions came to mind as I gazed on the scene - how did they get to Sitges? Where do they live? Wouldn't they rather be at home in their own countries? And how can they survive constantly on the run from the law?...

The Manteros. Men, usually of West African descent who take part in this illegal trade normally due to lack of opportunity, and alternative occupation, trying to make a living—not stealing.

The streets of our town have been the target of organized crime groups responsible for these illegal street vendors. Shopkeepers have complained to the Ayuntamiento due to the fact that they negatively impact their sales (not unlike the impact to designers around the world); and not to mention the residents who weigh in on the less than positive image it presents of our municipality.

Shutting down the puppet masters of the operation is the real issue. And last July, a plan of action was launched, a joint crackdown by the Local Police and Mossos d'Esquadra, which brought about several arrests and a seizure of a considerable amount of the illegally sold counterfeit material.

Unfortunately, illegal street vendors are a problem which exists in many countries throughout the world and requires complex and global solutions. Yes, illegal street vendors are a problem, but I can't help thinking they are also people. It is one of the last images left at the front of my mind of 2016.

The Countess and the Impresario

The Countess and the Impresario

Proust's Muse, The Countess Greffulhe

Late this autumn I went to see a fashion exhibition, 

Proust's Muse, The Countess Greffulhe in New York, at the Museum at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City). 

I knew nothing of its subject, Marie Anatole Louise Élisabeth de Caraman-Chimay (1860–1952) —The Countess Greffulhe—a French socialite who after having married the extremely wealthy Count Henry Greffulhe, became very influential.

According to Dr Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the museum, “today, when fashion is increasingly regarded as an art form, her attitude is especially relevant.” Arguably, historians of the day debated that no other patron did more for music.

Just before you step into the actual exhibit gallery, there is a space for viewing a film which introduces the exhibit and gives a brief background to the importance of the Countess. And that’s where I learned she had raised funds, produced and promoted operas and shows, including Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. A subject we covered in my article, “Pirouettes in the Sand” (SQ4).

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was a Russian art critic, 

ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers 

would come to fame.

At once, the exhibition took on a more personal interest for me because, as research for my article, I travelled between Sitges, Madrid and Washington D.C., following the exhibit, Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929: When Art Danced with Music. I studied biographies of Diaghilev’s main players and knowing what was happening in Sitges at that time—I pieced together the fragmented histories and could write about what I believe is a portion of the town’s history that was somewhat lost over time.

Pirouettes in the Sand *

"Las Meninas", Serge Diaghilev’s first Spanish ballet, inspired by the Velázquez painting of the same name, was written in the summer of 1916, when he and Leonide Massine, with other creative cohorts, came to Sitges.

We’ve all heard of the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Kirov Ballet (The Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre), two of the most famous ballet companies founded in the 18^th century, which continue to tour the world today. One such classical ballet company, founded by Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev in Paris in 1909, the Ballets Russes, became the most innovative ballet dance company of the 20^th century, moving traditional geometric ballet into more natural modern movement.

Diaghilev employed the talents of some of the most renowned artists and designers of the day to help bring his productions to life linking art, design, and performance. The costumes, set designs, paintings, drawings, and prints were created by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Coco Chanel among others, and the music was written by Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, and Erik Satie, to name a few.

The artistic collaborations also included Russian choreographer and dancer, Léonide Massine (Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin), who, from 1915 to 1921, was the principal choreographer of the Ballets Russes, where he sometimes combined elements of Spanish dance with ballet.

The short ballet, "Las Meninas" inspired by the Velázquez painting of the same name, was written in the summer of 1916, when he and Massine with others, came to Sitges. Diaghilev was said to be in "ecstasy at the beauty of Spain". Gabriel Fauré had the task of setting the ballet to music and selected his Pavane in F-sharpminor, op. 50, which originally dates back to 1887. Here it finally gained fame and is now intrinsically associated with this ballet. Las Meninas, or The Gardens of Aranjuez as it is sometimes called, shortly thereafter became a part of the Ballets Russes’ repertoire.

The designs for the production were by Barcelona born José-María Sert.

And it is no small wonder that these men came to Sitges at that time—because Sitges had a growing reputation for attracting artists and writers, and was the home of Santiago Rusiñol, a very close friend of Sert. José-María's costumes were stunning and enormous. The skirts were said to be twice the length of arms and the wigs were twice the width of the shoulders! They looked wonderful on stage (though the iron panniers, frames supporting the skirt, cut painfully into the dancers’ shins).

From an Australian production of Las Meninas

At the same time Sitges was alive with activity and notoriety. Miquel Utrillo was finishing the Palau Maricel and acquiring fine art on behalf of its owner, American Charles Deering (who spent most of that summer in Sitges too). There had also been correspondence between Deering and Sert, who was commissioned to create paintings for one of the rooms of the Palau.

The premiere of Las Meninas was in San Sebastian on August 21^st and was performed a week later in Bilbao and again in spring of 1917, in Naples and Rome – all starring the ballerina Olga Khokhlova, Picasso’s first wife.

During this period as the company toured Spain, an enigmatic notebook was kept (either by dancer Félix Fernández Garcia or Massine) with notations in Spanish and Russian containing drawings believed to illustrate the lessons Garcia gave Massine in Flamenco dance with references to Sitges in 1918. 

As great an artistic endeavour as it was, the ballet never achieved wide success, although it remained a favourite of Diaghilev. And it’s nice to know that in some small way, inspiration was found at that time, not only in painting or sculpture but also in dance and design, along the sands of Sitges.

Velaquez's Las Meninas (1656) / Maids of Honour

Pablo Picasso's Maids of Honor (1957)

          

Scribe Note: *This is the first time I’ve published a complete article of the SQ online.

On display is the countess’s famous “Lily Dress” (circa 1896)

Proust’s Muse, one of the exhibitions at the museum today is based on La Mode retrouvée: Les robes trésors de la comtesse Greffulhe, an exhibition that was organized in Paris at the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, which is the repository of the countess’s wardrobe. “The Countess Greffulhe believed in the artistic significance of fashion,” says Dr Steele. “And although she patronized the greatest couturiers of her time, her style was very much her own.”

Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, talks about the history of fashion within Marcel Proust's work and the legendary wardrobe of Proust's Muse, Élisabeth de Caraman-Chimay.

Featured Music:
Gabriel Fauré, Paellas et Mélisande, Op. 80 - III. Sicilienne
DuPage Symphony Orchestra
Gabriel Fauré, Paellas et Mélisande, Op. 80 - IV. La mort de Mélisande
DuPage Symphony Orchestra

Featured Photos:
Olivier Salliard © Grégoire Alexandre
Countess Greffulhe by Otto Wegener, www.metmuseum.org

"Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe" runs through January 7, 2017 at The Museum at FIT in NYC. This exhibition was developed by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, Paris Musées. 

Autumn in Sitges, part 2

This post comes a little late, but I must write about last month when the 49^th Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya was held. The festival took place from October 7^th through October 16^th. Again, autumn in Sitges wouldn't be complete without it.

This years’ theme celebrated Star Trek, the American science fiction and entertainment franchise based on the original television series created by Gene Roddenberry back in 1966. The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as “The Original Series”, only aired for three years; and by the late 1970s the series had aired in over 60 international markets, in addition to 150 US markets.

Five decades later, the franchise is still boldly going strong, with a sixth incarnation coming this coming May 2017* (Star Trek Discovery) and a 14th movie is planned—following this past summers' blockbuster, “Star Trek Beyond”.

Considering the festival itself started just two years after the series debuted, in September of 1968, it was wonderful to honour the iconic television series, by screening the first feature film based on the series called, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1980).

Furthermore to the screening, there were two exhibitions running concurrently:

At the Edifici Miramar, which exhibited posters, games and Star Trek character figurines and other memorabilia—from the films and all the television Trek series.

While at the Blue Sala in the Palau Maricel, artwork was displayed depicting mainly (but, not solely) caricatures of the Federation Holy Trinity of Captain Kirk, Spock and McCoy…

Another screening at the festival, one that I wasn't able to get tickets to see due to it being sold out was Arrival (La Llegada). The film had a surprise screening at this years film festival. And after seeing it only this week [jarring me into finally writing this post], I now know why it was so very popular, and can recommend it highly.

It is a science-fiction film served just how I like it - great story, great effects, good acting and paced just right, without the need for extreme violence (albeit a lingering threat) and the world's most famous landmarks blown to bits!

Film Synopsis: Arrival (La Llegada) 

"A Linguistics professor, Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind." (Google)

The film is primarily about trust, language and communication. And personally, after trying for years to unravel the marvels of the Spanish language, it was eye-opening to see such a linguistic struggle depicted on screen. Especially as over the years I’ve searched and searched for commonalities between my native language (English) and Castellano, and looked for formulas to conquer the challenge and finally arrive at a comfortable level of fluency… it is a work in progress.

In terms of suspense or mystery, one such film stands out for me at the festival, Without Name. This film was perfect to be screened at the Sitges festival; as an indie film it ticks all the boxes of what a film in this genre should accomplish—to be thought inspiring, atmospheric, dark and shows how enjoyable a film can be having been made with a low budget. SQ assistant editor Gloria Gannaway and I got the chance to speak with director, Lorcan Finnegan to tell him how much we enjoyed his film!

Film Synopsis: Without Name  

“There’s something bizarre and nightmarish waiting in the woods, and its sights are set on Eric (Alan McKenna), a land surveyor who’s tasked with assessing the woodland area in question just as his marriage is about to crumble. Stressed out by his fractured home life, Eric is tragically susceptible to the woods’ powerful ability to enter the emotionally wounded man’s mind and wreak both physical and mental havoc on him. Incorporating disorienting and inventive visual tricks to bring the film’s scenic forest to life, first-time Irish director Lorcan Finnegan taps into an effective psychological dread to create a psychedelic and one-of-a-kind descent into madness”. (Brooklyn Horror Film Festival)

Cast: Alan McKenna, Niamh Algar, James Browne

Director: Lorcan Finnegan

Screenwriter: Garret Shanley

Producers: Brunella Cocchiglia, Rory Gilmartin

Cinematography: Piers McGrail

Overall our autumn so far this year has been a mild and memorable season. The time of harvesting grapes, the films of the festival; and as the first day of winter grows near (Winter Solstice, Dec.21^st) we quickly approach our highly anticipated Christmas season with even more festivities…

Autumn in Sitges, part 1

Autumn in Sitges, part 1

This autumn wouldn't be complete without Sitges hosting its 55a edició de la Festa de la Verema (55^th Harvest Festival), one of the most traditional local festivals in its annual agenda. 

The two-day event, took place on Saturday, October 8^th, and Sunday, October 9^th in the Rincón de la Fragata. The festival was officially opened in the Gold Room of the Palau Maricel with the proclamation of the harvest this year.

The weekend was packed with educational activities, wine-making traditions, and showcases a large number of wineries or bodegas, including activities for children. 

The event was well attended by wine aficionados and wine-lovers and enthusiastic filmgoers as the Festa de la Verema returns this year to coincide with the Sitges - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya.

A highlight of the event for me is watching the traditional grape treading competition, this year is the 38è Concurs de trepitjadors de raïm. And a Pubilla (the prettiest girl in town) is named annually at la Verema de Sitges. [Pubilla is an old Catalan term given to the eldest daughter destined to receive the family inheritance if there are no male heirs]

10a Mostra de Vins / The 10th Show of Wines

La Mostra de Vins featured a large number of exhibiting wineries of Sitges, the Garraf and Penedès, and there were many stands for venders of cheese, cakes and a host of other products which complement wine; this year also featured a stand dedicated exclusively to premium cavas (reserva and gran reserva) and PIMECAVA, the association of small and medium producers of cava.

There was a presentation of La Carretera del Vi (the Wine Road), a route which connects Sitges with Vilafranca i Sant Martí and was initiated last year. According to lacarreteradelvi.com, “it allows wine lovers to get acquainted with the ancient route that linked the vineyards in Penedès and the beaches of Garraf” (The project, the first of its kind in Spain, aims to recover the historical commercial route that was previously used by the Romans to export Penedès wines all over the world)…

This year, I had the pleasure of being in Haro (La Rioja) during their harvest, and had the pleasure of actually helped by picking a few kilos of grapes in a vineyard. Yes, it was a pleasure and yes, it is back-breaking, arduous work!

Cheyenne Crump, Navarrete (La Rioja) Harvest 2016

 Maturana de Navarrete, the grape variety indigenous to Navarrete (a small village in La Riojo) is what we picked one brisk morning. And the harvesting has solidified my love of wine. 

Taking me to the start of the winemaking process, and the long journey the fruit takes to become the beautiful elixir, we know to be wine.

Accessing Sitges

With a budget of €5.5 million, the roadworks started last May had a 12-month duration. The improvement works to access the Sitges Centre junction of the C-32 are almost over!

Not since 1880 has such extensive works been carried out for accessing the town, when the construction of the railway linking Barcelona (via Sitges) to Vilanova began, and led to establishing the railway link between Barcelona to Sitges in 1881. Until then Barcelona was accessed by sea or by long, arduous ways through the Garraf, and things were made just a little bit easier by building the C-246 coastal road in 1879, along the old way utilized back in the Middle Ages.

The works consisted of remodelling the junction to provide direct access to the Mas Alba Industrial and Retail Park via a slip road, and the creation of a new lane (in the Barcelona direction) exit 31 to Port d’Aiguadolç, enhancing road safety.

To build the slip road to the park, excavation work was carried out and explosives were used, which for a short time affected C-32 traffic in both directions. The explosion works started almost a year ago on the 14^th of October, and were carried out over a 12-week duration, including the building of an earth retaining wall at exit 30 of the C-32 in the Barcelona-direction.

The new junction is comprised of two roundabouts, one with the direct-access junction slip road from the motorway exit to the park and means that lorries and other vehicles will not have to go through the town centre in order to get there, which they had to do until the works were completed.

What remains pending is highway or autopista landscaping. Well-planted and maintained landscaping is believed to help reduce driving stress, give better visual quality, and decrease speeding, and consequently improve roadway safety.

As you can see, at the moment, the infrastructure has been completed and all roads are in use today. And, for drivers, the landscaping of the terrain bordering the new lanes, roundabouts and slip roads will also solidify positive, and fitting first and last impressions of Sitges.