Impossible Conversations with Chef Dominique Rizzo

Chef Dominique Rizzo returns from her sell-out Spanish “Unique Catalonia” food, wine and cooking tour for the launch of Impossible Conversations, in Brisbane, an event that is a classic celebration of art, ballet and poetic stories.

Image: H Gambley

The Museum of Brisbane partnered with QPAC to create a series of Impossible Conversations with celebrated Italian figures from the past, many of whom are unfamiliar to most of us today.

“Inspired by Vanity Fair’s bitingly satirical 1930s series ‘Impossible Interviews’, nine of Brisbane finest residents shared the conversations that they would like to have with their chosen figure from Italian history.”

The conversation

Dominique Rizzo is honoured to be chosen to share her conversation with Saint Agatha, the saint of Sicily.

Image: Il Regno

Dominique’s conversation starts with a heart-felt note to Saint Agatha:

Image: Museum of Brisbane

The art

Sam Cranstoun, the artist commissioned to paint the no-longer-living famous Italians, met and talked to Dominique and listened to what she imagined that she would say to Saint Agatha about her brave but tortured life.  It was this conversation that Sam then interpreted in his own watercolour painting.

“Because the historical figures are unable to take part in the conversations, Sam’s paintings hover in the space between question and answer. He offers glimpses of the conversations through imagery and text, inviting us to weave our own narratives.”

Image: Museum of Brisbane

When and where can you catch up with Sam Cranstoun’s painting of Saint Agatha and the other eight historical Italian figures?

The stunning results can be viewed at the Museum of Brisbane exhibition Sam Cranstoun: Impossible Conversations, from 10 Oct 2018 – 31 Mar 2019,  and in the QPAC tunnel from November 2018.

The ballet – the pièce de résistance of this cultural event

The Italian theme of the Impossible Conversations celebrates the spectacular first-time visit of  Italy’s iconic Teatro alla Scala ballet company to Australia, to Brisbane only, performing Rudolph Nureyev’s grand Don Quixote and the ever-beautiful Giselle at QPAC.  What masterpieces are to be enjoyed by the lovers of ballet and theatre.

Image: teatroallascala Instagram

If contemplating these cultural events is making you think of food, why not cook Italian style with Dominique Rizzo’s recipe for Sicilian Arancini? These are show-stoppers in the arancini world.