Antologia Di Casa Vogue. Il Beat Hotel a Parigi

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Antologia Di Casa Vogue. Il Beat Hotel a Parigi Leggi l'articolo su beautynews Antologia di Casa Vogue. Il Beat Hotel a Parigi Tutti ricordano il Chelsea Hotel di New York; niente da dire, ci sono anche fior di canzoni a immortalarlo. Essere nella Grande Mela e avere ospitato ospiti illustri quanto stravaganti per decenni avrà pure i suoi vantaggi. E, poi, il Chelsea è ancora lì, monumento a se stesso. Meno famosa e invece ormai chiusa dal 1963, ma non per questo meno importante (oggi si dice iconica) è la pensioncina parigina senza un nome preciso che nel Quartiere Latino fu il domicilio di quel gruppo di “expat” americani (Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs…) noto poi come Beat Generation. Come a dire che anche Parigi ha la sua da dire; del resto, allora era ancora (per poco) il baricentro del mondo dell’arte, il magnete che da da 30 anni attirava artisti da tutto il mondo. Il Beat Hotel, come veniva chiamato, ha riaperto da non molto come relais di charme; da 42 stanze-pertugio si è passati a 12 curatissime e di certo il soggiorno degli ospiti ne ha tratto giovamento. Il “cold comfort hotel” raccontato dalle foto di Harold Chapman, anch’egli colà residente, è ormai circonfuso nella calda aura della leggenda; sporco, disordine, sciatteria e ideali bohemien sono ora la convalida di quanto fossero all’avanguardia gli scombinati e sognatori pigionanti di allora. Lo studioso inglese Barry Miles, che di underground ha scritto molto essendone stato anche un protagonista, ha dedicato al Beat Hotel un bel volume, uscito in Italia da Guanda nel 2007. Il servizio sull’hotel uscì su Casa Vogue nell’aprile 2014, firmato da Matteo Guarnaccia, un’altra assoluta e, fortunatamente, ironica autorità in materia di controculture. Un’ultima curiosità, come dire che le concomitanze sono sempre interessanti: esattamente negli stessi giorni in cui i trentenni Ginsberg & Co arrivavano a Parigi appariva per la prima volta il termine “nouvelle vague” nell’ambito di un’inchiesta sulla gioventù francese. Di lì a pochi mesi divenne il marchio di fabbrica di un nuovo cinema, fatto da poco più che ventenni. Il succedersi delle generazioni e delle nuove idee cominciava a correre sempre più veloce. (Paolo Lavezzari). pagina 1 / 9 pagina 2 / 9 Allen Ginsberg Allen Ginsberg Harold Chapman/TopFoto/Archivi Alinari Loro sono uno strambo gruppo di artisti americani che in patria fatica a essere preso sul serio, ma che in compenso è già stato dichiarato, a causa dello stile di vita anticonformista, «una delle più gravi minacce alla sicurezza nazionale» da Edgar J. Hoover, il direttore del Federal Bureau of Investigation. Nel 1957 arrivano in Europa: vogliono affrontare quella che è considerata la più classica forma di iniziazione per ogni artista che si rispetti: vivere per qualche tempo a Parigi. La loro aspirazione è entrare a far parte della scena pubblicizzata da Henry Miller e Gertrude Stein, proprio come gli altri dodicimila espatriati con velleità intellettuali che affollano l’indiscussa capitale mondiale della cultura. Loro – il mistico visionario Allen Ginsberg e il suo fragile amante Peter Orlovsky, il geniale teppistello Gregory Corso, l’inquietante oracolo tossico William Burroughs – compongono quella famiglia allargata (stravagante anche per i canoni assai permissivi della nostra epoca) che passerà alla storia come Beat Generation. pagina 3 / 9 pagina 4 / 9 William Burroughs William Burroughs Harold Chapman/TopFoto/Archivi Alinari L’unico membro mancante è Jack Kerouac, rimasto a casa con la sua mamma. Eleggono a loro domicilio una pulciosa pensioncina della Rive Gauche, al 9 di rue Gît-le-Coeur, che pare uscita dalle pagine delle “Scene della vita di Bohème” di Henri Murger. Le camere sono grandi come sgabuzzini e non tutte garantiscono lo spazio per allungare le gambe. Il cambio delle lenzuola è un optional. Servizi igienici (è un eufemismo) alla turca in comune, escrementi di cane nei corridoi, topi al pianterreno, una sola vasca da bagno con acqua calda contingentata. I muri sono istoriati da pitture e disegni, ben accetti dalla direzione, perché offrono un’idea di “freschezza” su pareti non imbiancate da secoli. Nell’aria ristagna odore di umido e di cavoli, di pasti cucinati su traballanti fornelletti ad alcool. La luce è affidata a lampadine nude da venticinque candele. Servizio a parte, l’hotel offre, oltre a un bistrot all’ingresso, una commovente tolleranza verso le eccentricità degli artisti. La proprietaria, Madame Rachou, nutre un profondo rispetto per la bizzarra fauna multiculturale e multirazziale che ripara sotto il suo tetto e spesso accetta come pagamento opere e scarabocchi. I suoi inquilini possono essere veri balordi, matti totali, ma anche (grandi) fotografi come Harold Chapman, (eccellenti) pittori come Guy Harloff, (geniali) musicisti come Daevid Allen. pagina 5 / 9 Harold Chapman Il fotografo Harold Chapman, autore degli scatti nel servizio. Harold Chapman/TopFoto/Archivi Alinari È in questo ambiente “protetto” che, con spensieratezza orgasmica intensificata, i beat irrobustiscono la loro rivolta individuale, conferendole una tale profondità e onestà intellettuale da renderla un esempio universale da imitare e seguire. Si tengono alla larga dalla sicurezza – considerata un male ripugnante– e dall’omologazione sociale. In un’atmosfera di ineffabile dedizione all’esperienza borderline, tra il 1957 e il 1963 passano in rassegna ogni forma di deriva, testano gran parte della farmacopea illegale che la città offre, sviluppano tecniche creative per cambiare stato di coscienza, sperimentano impervie pagina 6 / 9 formule sessuali, narrative, pittoriche e vocali. Si danno all’occultismo, si collegano con il demi-monde di Tangeri tramite una sfera di cristallo. Nelle loro stanzucce, un viavai di ragazzi arabi di facili costumi, ereditiere pronte a farsi spennare, giornalisti americani in cerca di scoop, intellettuali francesi incuriositi, spacciatori dal cuore tenero, editori di fama dubbiosa. Qui Ginsberg scrive la splendida poesia “Kaddish”; Corso inventa l’iconica struttura del poemetto “Bomba”; Burroughs organizza la spietatezza narrativa di “Pasto nudo” e, in combutta con Brion Gysin (il papà della Dream Machine), crea la tecnica letteraria del cut-up. Il Beat Hotel forse non è mai stato nelle guide Michelin; ma questo non serviva per divenire, con il Chelsea Hotel di New York, una delle potenti leggende dell’immaginario avant-garde e controculturale del Novecento. pagina 7 / 9 Stanza di Chapman La stanza 32 dove alloggiava Harold Chapman. pagina 8 / 9 Harold Chapman/TopFoto/Archivi Alinari pagina 9 / 9 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org).
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