Next week in Munich – DOK.fest, Die Brunft, Yasmine Hamdan

This week is all about art – there are lots of vernissages and cool exhibitions on in Munich right now.

We start with comedy though – the Australian duo (and superb mime artists) The Umbilical Brothers will be at the Freiheizhalle, tickets cost 30 €.

Israel Nash, who describes his music as “desert folklore” is playing in the Orangehouse on Tuesday night, and tickets cost 20 € on the door. His voice reminds me of Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, which irritates me, but I was charmed by this lovely acoustic performance that he recorded with Cardinal Sessions.

Lebanese-born singer Yasmine Hamdan is at the Ampere on Tuesday. She’s collaborated with CocoRosie and Marc Collin (from Nouvelle Vague) and has recently appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s vampire film “Only Lovers Left Alive”. She sings in a mix of Arabic dialects, ranging from Bedouin, to Lebanesem Kuwaiti and Palestinian, and I’m a little bit in love with her:

On Wednesday, Dutch artist Marije Vogelzang is at the MaximiliansForum with her Pasta Sauna installation. I will be popping down for a dose of wellness, dinner and art in one, and urge you to do the same. I mentioned in my post last week that she’s basically a Dutch Willy Wonka, and I’m really excited to see the installation.

The annual DOK.fest starts on Wednesday – I’ll be publishing a post on my film recommendations (the lovely people at DOK.fest have also been kind enough to send me a few tips too), so if you’re overwhelmed by the dazzling array of documentaries on offer, keep your eyes peeled for my tips this week. The opening film is See No Evil, a (painful) documentary on three famous, retired apes, made by renowned cinematographer Jos de Putter.

Also on Wednesday, the Rote Sonne is playing host to the premiere of Munich theatre collective What You See is What You Get’s new piece, Die Brunft. This time, the focus is the pick-up scene. Frustrated men, who attempt to learn the art of seduction in order to become a pick-up-artist. Men, who have turned flirtation into a sport. Tickets are available for 12 € online, and curtains open at 8:30pm.

The Amerika Haus is hosting a free lecture Wednesday evening from 7:30pm – Prof. Linn will be giving a lecture titled “Elvis’s Army: Creating the Atomic Soldier in the 1950s”.

I’ll be popping down to PLATFORM on Thursday for the 100 Word Pilgrimage vernissage, organized by Anna from What’s on in Mü. As a side note, she spoke very highly of the The Black Rider in the Metropol – with music by Tom Waits and text by William S. Burroughs – and I’m so disappointed that the final four performances are sold-out. Did anyone catch it? I’d love to hear what you thought of it.

On Saturday, Buddhists across the world will be commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha with Vesākha. Munich’s celebrations are centered in Westpark, and there’s a full program available here. If you are in the west of the city for the Hofflohmärkte anyway (this time in Neuhausen and Gern), it’s worth stopping by for a bite to eat.

Public service announcement – Sunday is Mother’s Day! I imagine that this is the reason that not much is going on. Swedish metal band Katatonia (no, not Welsh maven Catatonia) are playing the Freiheiz, and that’s about it. I’m not sure Stockholm heavy metal is the most desired Mother’s Day treat.  Take her out for coffee and cake instead and spoil her rotten.