S-H-O-E-S

It is nice to have somewhere to go of a Sunday evening. I met up with Gooru and headed to the IVAM yesterday (you just can't drag him away from the place these days!) to catch a shoe show and a symphony overture. On the way he tried to show me the stuffed turkey, but it had gone - lucky he got the photographic evidence then! The Banda de la Federación de Sociedades Musicales de Valencia took up the whole of the entrance hall to the museum as around two hundred onlookers stood to listen to a piece especially composed for IVAM's 18th birthday. Written by composer, musician, professor and director Ferrer Ferrán, it was quite beautiful and the setting and acoustics were ideal - the rain coming down outside made us feel extra cosy indoors and all the more privileged to witness this special performance alongside Rita Barberà, Consuelo Ciscar and other familiar faces.



We stayed around afterwards to see the inauguration of the Julio González' life works exhibition and then for a parade down the catwalk of an unusual collection of shoes and sandals by Álvaro Carpena. - from bejewelled and platformed to leopard printed and stripy to flat and frumpy. The models came down the spectacular concrete and marble staircase of the IVAM and down onto a catwalk, accompanied by the orchestra playing the piece IVAM for a second time. We were then showed a (rather disappointing) cake and offered champagne. I passed, I was nursing a rather heavy hangover and was not on for hair of the dog, so headed outside instead to admire the new scrolling LED lights imbedded in the steps up to the museum and the images projected on the front.
Tonight at 11pm Josele Santiago will be singing songs from his new album Golondrinas. All events during the 18th anniversary celebrations are free to the public.
©ANITA DARLING
Read her great WOMAN column by clicking on this entry's title.