Villa Aurora Events Archive

August 2013

Welcoming Reception

August 6, 2013 8:00 pm

Villa Aurora (520 Paseo Miramar, Los Angeles, CA 90272)

Participants

Serge Baghdassarians & Boris Baltschun: "Bodybuilding"

How long is a meter? That was the question to be answered by a French scientific expedition that set out for South America in 1735. There, the scientists intended to measure the distance between the equator and the first parallel. The absolute length of the meter would be established on the basis of their findings. Their party included the mathematician and astronomer Charles-Marie de La Condamine. He chose to return via an uncharted route through Amazonia and spent nearly 10 years wandering through the jungle as a result. Among the discoveries he made along the way was caoutchouc, which would later become the raw material of the Brazilian rubber industry.

In their own way, Berlin-based sound artists Serge Baghdassarians and Boris Baltschun have retraced Condamine’s journey, though instead of the tropical wilderness, they’ve measured the urban jungle of Rio de Janeiro. Instead of compass and quadrant, their tools are microphone and recorder. What remains unchanged is the physical effort of exploring foreign terrain—hence the title, “Bodybuilding.” On foot, and with an assortment of quasi-ritual exercises, Baghdassarians and Baltschun move from their residence in Rio to the triangular plaza Largo do Guimarães. At the end of their aural training session stands the ideal form of a place, an artificial sounding-body that seems strangely familiar in the way it further alienates the alien.

Leif Randt

During his stay at Villa Aurora, Randt will be writing a quintessentially Californian novel about two successful German artists coming to Los Angeles to experience and record the birth of their daughter, a moment that is supposed to mark their transition to a more adult bourgeois existence. Their lives, as well as those of their two assistants in their company, will indeed change, but in a different way than they had imagined. In Randt's own words, it is "a story about grand-standing, young Germans' perceptions of America, art marketing and aspirations that cannot be fulfilled: my first real Califonia novel".

Leif Randt studied Comparative Literature, Film, English Philology, Creative Writing and Journalism and earned a degree in Cultural Studies. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the KulturSpiegel Award for Best Young Writer (2009), the Ernst-Willner-Prize at the Ingeborg-Bachmann-Prize (2011) and the Literary Award of the City of Düsseldorf (2012). In addition to Randt's journalistic work, contributions to anthologies and screenplays, his publications include the novels Leuchtspielhaus (2009) und Schimmernder Dunst über Coby County (The Haze over Coby County, 2011).

RP Kahl: "The Presence of Marta"

RP Kahl presents first fragments from the filmic work he is producing during his stay at Villa Aurora. In this work he refers to the aura of the Villa, finding inspiration from its former inhabitants, first of all Marta Feuchtwanger. The first film fragments focus on "sculpture on film". Therefore Kahl collaborates with artist Stephanie Keitz. The notion of "the absent" builds the thematic framing of this cooperation. The work will be presented as a video as well as an installation.

SILENT SALON - silent films and the villa organ

August 10, 2013 8:30 pm

Los Angeles

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

and Villa Aurora present:

Comedian Harold Lloyd - Christoph Bull on Organ

Born in Burchard, Nebraska, on April 20, 1893, comedian Harold Lloyd became an icon of the silent film era by starring in Just Nuts, Girl Shy and The Freshman, among other notable films. Lloyd's popularity continued after the coming of sound, with movies including Mad Wednesday. He died on March 8, 1971, in Beverly Hills, California. Suzanne Lloyd, Harold’s Granddaughter, is hoping to attend and introduce her Grandfather to the audience.

One of the world’s most unique organ artists, equally versed in classical and popular music, Christoph Bull has performed in Europe, the United States, El Salvador, Russia and India, at venues including Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Lincoln Center in New York, the Catholic Cathedrals of Moscow, Salzburg and Saint-Denis, as well as rock clubs such as The Viper Room, The Roxy and The Whisky in Los Angeles.

He has won first and second prizes in numerous organ and songwriting competitions, including Jugend Musiziert, Chamber Music Competition of the City of Bad Dürkheim, Michael Masser Songwriting Competition, Berklee Songwriting Competition, International Organ Competition Marcello Galanti.

For the first time, the Villa gardens will be open for patrons to come early and picnic, watch the sunset and then settle into the salon for a program of comedies, by Hollywood's leading comedians. Bring a picnic and enjoy the Villa garden, followed by a sceening of silent shorts with live organ accompaniment. Grounds open and shuttle starts at 6 pm.

Program:

YOUNG MR. JAZZ – 10 min.

THE BIG IDEA – 10 min.
NEVER WEAKEN – 20 min.
NUMBER PLEASE – 30 min. (Filmed on location in Santa Monica)

Tickets are $15
Friends of Villa Aurora $5
For tickets go to: www.brownpapertickets.com

Street parking is available on Los Liones Drive. Shuttle service starts at 6 pm from Los Liones Drive, off Sunset Boulevard two blocks North-East of Pacific Coast Highway.

Please do not park on the Topanga State Park Lot!

For the other Silent Salons visit our event calender.

SILENT SALON - silent films and the villa organ

August 24, 2013 8:30 pm

Los Angeles

Charles Chaplin - Tillies Punctured Romance (c)AMPAS

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

and Villa Aurora present:

Chaplin at Keystone – Dean Mora on Organ

Charles Chaplin came to Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios late in 1913 as a little-known British vaudevillian, and after a year, had not only established his Tramp character, learned to write and direct his own films, and also achieved public recognition as a star comedian. Although Keystone did not publicize its performers by name, standees of Chaplin's likeness outside theatres sufficed to attract audiences. Some of the films, especially Tillie's Punctured Romance, remained in theatrical distribution for decades.

Program:

MABEL’S MARRIED LIFE – 14:38 w/Mabel Normand and Roscoe Arbuckle, directed by Mack Sennett
THE ROUNDERS – 13:15 – Chaplin and Arbuckle
THE MASQUERADER – 12:21 – Behind the Scenes in a Movie Studio
DOUGH AND DYNAMITE – 28:29 – Chaplins most popular Keystone, last three all directed by Chaplin.

Tickets are $15
Friends of Villa Aurora $5
For tickets go to: www.brownpapertickets.com

Street parking is available on Los Liones Drive.Shuttle service starts at 6 pm from Los Liones Drive, off Sunset Boulevard two blocks North-East of Pacific Coast Highway.

Please do not park on the Topanga State Park Lot!

For the other Silent Salons visit our event calender.