Right now I am reading Paris Manhattan, Peter Wollen's fascinating collection of essays on diverse topics in the visual arts. At the moment I am utterly transfixed by his "Magritte and the Bowler Hat," which explores the role of said chapeau in the marketing and representation of Surrealism, in film (Charlie Chaplin) and literature (Beckett, Kundera) and as a totemic cultural object, especially as both class signifier and empty vessel. The essay brings to mind one of the best cultural experiences I can recall in New York, seeing All Wear Bowlers a couple of years ago. And also reminds me that I'd like to have a drink at former Surrealist hangout, La Fleur en Papier Doré, next time I find myself in Brussels.
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