Notes from the Highlands

Day 2

The second day of the Ursula Weekender featured five cultural talks at Braemar Village Hall, bringing together leading voices from across art and culture.

The morning opened with legendary photographer Don McCullin in conversation with Tim Marlow, chief executive officer and director of the Design Museum in London, for a reflective discussion on a life spent making images. In a wide-ranging exchange, McCullin reflected on fear, trauma, aging and the importance of bearing witness through photography, remarking: “Photography is theft. I was one of the greatest thieves in the world.”

This was followed by a discussion on supporting creativity, moderated by Victoria Siddall, with Allison Berg of the A&L Berg Foundation, Alex Petalas of Perimeter and Aric Chen of the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Together, they considered how new models of support might reshape relationships between artists, institutions and audiences in times of uncertainty and change. “The best way to make good things happen is to simply give people space,” said Chen.

The afternoon sessions began with artist Rashid Johnson in conversation with Katherine Brinson, focused on Johnson’s recent retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the ways the museum’s spiral architecture shaped both curatorial and artistic decisions. Reflecting on his practice, Johnson noted: “I would make art if nobody was looking.”

Next, Ursula’s Sarah Douglas sat down with Carly Eck to discuss Burberry’s 170-year history. As archivist for the heritage brand, Eck described the archive as an active site of storytelling, reinvention and ongoing negotiation between preservation and innovation. “You should use the archive as a springboard to move forward,” she said. “It’s not there for looking back, it’s there to look forward.”

The daytime program concluded with artist Lorna Simpson joining Ursula editor in chief Randy Kennedy for a conversation about the evolution of her practice—from conceptual photography and collage to painting and film—as well as the personal and cultural influences behind her work, including her recent exhibition “Third Person” in Venice.

The evening began with a Ruinart reception, followed by an action performance by Oddur Roth and Davíð Þór Jónsson at Braemar Kirk, the village's Victorian parish church, in honor of Björn Roth.

Guests were then treated to The Glenrothes Feast—an evening of local food, whisky tastings at Bertie’s Bar, live music and fireside conviviality, culminating in the ceremonial smashing of a porcelain case to reveal a 42-year-old vintage bottle created by Annalisa Stone for the occasion. Slàinte mhath!

Day 3

The final day of the Weekender began with a wild swim in the River Dee, with warming toddies courtesy of The Glenrothes.

Guests then gathered at Braemar Village Hall for the closing program. Designer Bella Freud joined art historian Katy Hessel for a conversation on creativity, discipline and building her fashion label, while reflecting on the lasting influence of her father, painter Lucian Freud, and her experience sitting for his portraits. “You just never know when someone’s going to like something or not,” Freud remarked, “and it’s not about how good it is.”

The program concluded with artist Julianknxx in dialogue with writer and curator Ekow Eshun in a wide-ranging discussion on diaspora, poetry and “the Black Fantastic.” Together, they considered how film, sound and language can evoke memory and open up new ways of seeing, with Julianknxx observing: “You can’t think of the world without thinking about Sierra Leone.”

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With thanks to The Fife Arms, The Glenrothes, Burberry, Ruinart, To My Ships and Hauser & Wirth.

Videos: Olly Bharat & Ted Mendez
Photos: James D. Kelly & Rene Lazovy