Posts tagged Tourism

Curiouser and curiouser – beasts of the South Australian Museum all the way from the U.K

By Neena Bhandari

When British Museum’s Alison E. Wright opened a box of 16th century Dutch and Flemish prints, she was amazed to discover Dutch Baroque era engraver, Jan Saenredam’s magnificent engraving of a beached sperm whale from 1602. It was many years ago, but it had sparked in her the idea of curating the Curious Beasts: animal prints from Dürer to Goya exhibition.

“Saenredam’s whale is now at the heart of the Curious Beasts. The remarkably accurate representation of this mysterious giant is bordered by an equally remarkable frame that gives us broader insight into the ways people thought about whales: images of eclipses, earthquake and plague tie into the idea that the monstrous sea creature dying on land was a bad omen. The whale is surrounded by a crowd of sightseers, testifying to the intense curiosity about strange and rare creatures in this period”, says Wright, who has enjoyed showing it to new audiences.

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David Roche Foundation House Museum opens on June 3

By Neena Bhandari

Fermoy House, the residence of art aficionado, David Roche will open its doors to visitors this June to enjoy, marvel and learn from the over 3000 artefacts the owner collected from around the world and Australia.

The David Roche Foundation House Museum, which includes Fermoy House and a new adjoining neoclassical building, will display his entire collection spanning from 1690 to 1960s.

`Living well is the best revenge’ was Roche’s refrain. He amassed a vast reservoir of furniture, porcelain, metalware, ceramics, clocks, paintings and textiles from renowned creators and many with a connection to royalty or aristocracy such as France’s Napoleon Bonaparte and Russia’s Catherine the Great.

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Ngeringa (Ukaria) Cultural Centre – a symphony in nature

By Neena Bhandari

Waking up on a clear October day in the Adelaide Hills draped in green gums, Ulrike Klein thought if this is her new home it would be wonderful.

It was 1983 and she has never felt any different. A philanthropist and connoisseur of music, Klein says, “Lifestyle is about culture, good local food and wine and to have that combination with four distinct seasons, clean beaches, blue skies, no traffic jams and festivals galore is what makes South Australia so special for me”.

She confesses that despite being very German at heart, she has never felt homesick. But she did find Australia to be very sports focused unlike Europe, where art and culture are an integral part of the society. As a parent of four young kids, she wanted to create a balance.

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