Throughout history, music has often provided a backdrop for food and the joys of eating. In ancient times, musicians performed during festive occasions, entertaining guests at banquets. Recent studies also show that listening to music while eating encourages us to eat and drink more. In recent months, the Covid-19 pandemic has reduced opportunities for food and music, at least live music, to come together, but the internet has provided some alternatives.

"Don’t Leave The Dark Alone” is artist Oscar Chan’s first solo exhibition at Exit Gallery. Through ink painting and installations, Chan depicts darkness in both literal and metaphorical senses. Combining references from horror films by John Carpenter and painters such as Francisco Goya and James Ensor with Asian mythology and ghost stories, Chan hopes the viewer, faced with darkness and fear, will not look away.

"La Finta Semplice" or “The Fake Innocent” is a comic opera. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was just 12 when he composed this three-act opera covering 588 manuscript pages in 1768. For Leopold Mozart, a performance of the opera, at the invitation of Emperor Joseph II, was the perfect opportunity to introduce his son’s genius to the Viennese public and the court. Unfortunately, the young composer’s talent aroused the jealousy of other composers, sparking a controversy that prevented its planned performance. Earlier this week, members of Musica Viva, who will be staging the opera on 10th and 11th of September, came to our studio to tell us more.