Here come the animals

We have a new album out! It’s called ‘Des Animaux Pires Que Moi’, featuring music by Louis Fontaine, and vocals by Yzoula, formerly in the French band La Femme. (An English translation could be ‘Creatures Crueler Than Me.’) 

After the positive experience we had working on our song ‘Tormento’, composer and multi-instrumentalist Louis Fontaine asked if I would like to brainstorm and write the lyrics for his next album with the singer Yzoula. We met up in his studio in Paris. Pointing to an old film poster above one of his 1970s synthesizers, he said he wanted to make an album about a vampire or a young witch. He played some of the tracks he had composed and I took some notes in my sketchbook. 

Excited about the project, I walked to my local library and checked out a stack of books about witchcraft and the history of the occult in Paris. Fontaine sent me the music, along with more specifics: one song should have the mood of chanson française, another should be a speech, another a kind of spell, another a spoken story, and the last song should be a bit melancholy.  I walked the rainy streets of Paris, crossing the Seine, singing poems to myself, and remembering the times I could have used some magic powers. 

From there, I created the character of the album's protagonist: a kind of sorceress with my personality and experiences combined with elements of the singer. Then I wrote the songs in French, layering my stories and moments with my research, along with inspiration of witchy movies and 1970s pulp books, (which I collect) plus a sprinkle of imagination… and a dash of dark humor. I also came up with the titles of the instrumental songs, except for the second song on the record. Fontaine liked the lyrics, recorded Yzoula’s dreamy vocals, brought in a harpist and a violinist, and spent many hours mastering and perfecting the songs. 

‘Des Animaux…’ tells a story about supernatural powers, taking risks, playing with seduction and revenge, and prowling around Paris. Broc Recordz is releasing ‘Des Animaux Pires Que Moi’ on April 18th, 2025 on vinyl. You can listen to the first single here or watch the video here. If you don’t have a record player, you can stream the album to get in the midnight mood.

My First Disco Song

I've loved disco music since I was a teenager, growing up in the right city but in the wrong decade. It was easy to find cheap disco records in New York City, if you knew how to hunt. I started collecting records when I was about 14, and began taking it more seriously four years later. 

Fast forward to a recent unexpected encounter in Paris: I met the composer Louis Fontaine in a cafe in Le Marais. Sharing a fondness for 1970s music, films, and hairstyles, we struck up a kind of friendship. He asked if I wanted to write lyrics for him. We started with a soft disco track. He had heard singer/ music supervisor Alix Brown performing in bands (including La Femme and Daisy Glaze), and wanted her to sing the song. I wrote a late night-tale about a strange love triangle I nearly interfaced with while living in Madrid. We recorded the song and heard from labels a few months later. On February 14th, 2025 the cult Italian record label Four Flies released our song 'Tormento' on vinyl. You can listen to it here.

'Tormento' appeared in the press and soon featured on radio shows including KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Shindig, the English magazine wrote "It's a beguiling song, the music combining a lilting keyboard arpeggio, sinewy bass and insistent rhythm with vocals that are at once intimate yet ethereal...Fontaine found his wordsmith when he met author and artist Margo Fortuny in a Paris bar." (Clive Webb.) A fun fact: Chuck D from Public Enemy loves Shindig and has been collecting issues for years! 

Italy's IndieVision wrote "This is a piece that owes a lot to the music of Serge Gainsbourg and the soundtracks of François de Roubaix, that is to say to those electronic sounds, precursors of the French touch à la Cerrone and Daft Punk, which pairs perfectly with sensually captivating and mischievous lyrics... From the union of these three artistic minds, all linked to the Italian cinematic aesthetics of the 70s, 'Tormento' was born, a song where Brown's dazzling and sensual voice marries perfectly with Fontaine's sexy late-'70s sound, dominated by analog synthesizers, thus giving life to Fortuny's story, a nocturnal tale of seduction, transgression and sensual tension where one does not listen to one's own rationality, one's own fears, but one lets oneself be involved and dragged into the inebriating vortex of the forbidden." (Edoardo Previti) 

Mexico's DNA magazine wrote "Vintage synthesizers, powerful bass, and rhythmic percussion dominate the instrumental of the piece, while Alix's intoned lyrics are inhabited by Odyssean and fantastical feelings, contemplated by desire. In a kind of erotic filmscape, the texture of the voice envelops the love of Alix, Louis, and Margo Fortuny, the lyricist and writer of the piece, for the seventies and the musical aesthetic that leaves its mark." (Sofo Tequiero) 

Flaunt magazine wrote "Tormento sweeps you away into the gleamy, glowy summer nights of the late sixties and seventies from the very first chord... Brown contributed vocals from L.A. to music composed by instrumentalist and soundtrack maestro Louis Fontaine with lyrics by Margo Fortuny. The shimmering recording captures Brown's Jane Birkin breathiness as she mouths a teasing mix of French and English couplets that dissect a forbidden desire...alongside references to Emile Zola and 'Twister'." (Hannah Bhuiya.) 

Taking the Train to Strasbourg

We woke up early and boarded a train heading east. If you’re looking for a quiet, cozy, picturesque trip Strasbourg could be the perfect spot. The tickets were very cheap, about 30 euros return from Paris because it was mid-week and just before the Christmas market opened, so there wasn’t much demand. Strasbourg has one of the best Christmas markets in the world but it’s just as enjoyable a few weeks before then, because you can still meander through the village-like streets in the snow, admire the architecture, and nibble on gingerbread, and sip hot spiced cider. One of my favorite foods was tarte flambée, a very thin kind of Germanic pizza usually with a base of crème fraiche and onions. There are a multitude of varieties, from melted cheese, goat cheese and honey, to sauteed apples and cinnamon drizzled with Calvados liquor. 

On the second day, we spontaneously decided to walk to Germany. It didn’t look too far on the map and we love walking long distances so we bundled up, packed drinks and snacks in our leather messenger bags, hoped it wouldn't rain or snow, and set out after a rather late breakfast. Luckily, I was wearing my comfortable cowboy boots. It was sunny but very cold. We only had one pair of wooly gloves between us so we each wore one and kept the other hands pocketed. 

First, we walked through the city of Strasbourg, then along a kind of highway, then through an industrial area, through a park, and finally we arrived at the French/ German border. Three flags billowed above us. There was nobody there so we just walked through the little gate. There was grass and a tiny hilly path. Suddenly I spotted a circus tent and besides that a stable and horses. I was delighted to see creatures on the walk. A beautiful brown horse stared at me as I pressed against the gate. We continued until we arrived at a bridge. There was a lovely view of a river and trees and old German houses. 

Walking to Germany while doing a Monty Python impression

We watched the sun set from the banks of Germany and then explored the closest town. Hungry, we picked a random restaurant and shared a plate of fried dumplings filled with vegetables and covered in melted cheese, an onion and potato salad, and a leafy salad with shredded celeriac. It was delicious. A drank a strange local specialty: beer mixed with Coca Cola. I guess it’s the German equivalent of Kalimotxo. We also stopped by a everything-for-a-euro shop because those can be interesting when you travel to different countries. I found some tasty marzipan chocolates. They also sold the smallest jar of Nutella I had ever seen – it was about the size of a silver dollar coin. A picked up some local pastries minutes before the pâtisserie shut and then we got a ride back to France.

Here are some local foods to try in Strasbourg:

-The cheesy spetzle and hot apple cider at La Corde à Linge.

-Big soft pretzels at any bakery.

-Tarte flambée at Binchstub (6 Rue du Tonnelet Rouge.) So tasty we took one on the train with us.

-Grog or mulled wine anywhere. (We enjoyed Le Schluch and Jeanette et les Cycleux for casual drinks.)

-Gingerbread cookies at Christian bakery (12 Rue de l’Outre.)

Here are a few places to visit:

-Le Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain. They have several works by the amazing Gustave Doré.

-Le Musée Alsacien – a museum housed in an ancient building dedicated to local history and furniture.

-There’s also a museum of illustration but it was closed to install the next exhibition while we were in town.

-Uncle T’s record shop for fair-priced vinyls and assorted comic books.

-Le Bouclier d’Or is the most charming hotel in Strasbourg, and they have large discounts when it’s off-season/ before the Christmas Market.

-The Christmas Market (if you don’t mind crowds.)

-La Grande Île neighborhood. It's full of storybook historic houses. Walk around here on your first day.

The light in Lisbon...plus records & palaces

  

I flew to Lisbon and arrived at a 4-storey pink building that was one or two hundred years old. I walked up three flights of wooden stairs with my little suitcases and met my friend João. Right away he took me to a little Bossa Nova concert performed by young men with wavy hair. Afterwards, we met his friend for an astoundingly delicious Lebanese feast. We ate and drank pomegranate juice, while talking about our families, our fathers, and festivals. For dessert we shared an orange blossom crème brûlée before walking home in the moonlight.

The next morning we drove to a quiet beach and met two of João’s friends: Victor, a dapper French man who looks like a young Clark Gable and Mario, a witty Portuguese diplomat with curly hair and a dry sense of humor. Mario recalled meeting me in London years ago and we guessed where until we figured it out. The boys told me about scorpion fish and then we swam in the icy sea. Afterwards, we went to an outdoor café and ate green bean tempura, a Portuguese specialty, as well as fried eggs mixed with potatoes and a local sheep cheese. A tall woman rode past us on a horse, before disappearing into the trees, like a Magritte painting come to life.

On Saturday I woke up early and visited the flea market. I love looking through faded postcards, beloved junk, life-size ceramic dogs, unusual books, and other bizarre treasures. There was a variety of flippers, 90s pornography, and trinkets shining in the morning sunlight. What really caught my attention were the records. First I bought a weathered 1970s compilation for a few euros. Then I saw a hard-to-find record with some excellent breakdance songs on it. 

Suddenly, in the only box protected from the sun, appeared an original 1967 vinyl of my favorite Velvet Underground album. My heart beat faster, examining it carefully. The cover had a peel-off banana designed by Andy Warhol.  I felt like Indiana Jones discovering the grail. I put the record down, thought about it, then wove back through the people, and asked about the small coffee stain on the cover. The seller cleaned it with alcohol and told me he nearly took the record for himself. We chatted about Lou Reed and then I bought it. I floated through the streets, past the pastel houses, looking for an old ice cream parlor.

An accurate picture of me when I'm hungry

THINGS TO DO IN LISBON

-Walk around different neighborhoods in the center and admire the beautiful colorful houses. Remember to pack shoes that are good for cobblestones and steep hills.

-Visit the museums (e.g. Museo do Oriente, CAM).

-Buy presents (beautiful retro packaged Portuguese things) around Chiado at A vida Portuguesa (spices, old school toothpaste, tinned goods), Claus Porto (soaps, candles, and perfumes), and Benamôr 1925 (beautiful creams and bath products).

-Wake up early and wander around the flea market Fiera da Ladra on Saturday then buy a vintage paperback novel at the bookseller market on Ria Anchieta in Chiado (cash only).

-Take a day trip to Sintra and visit the Palacio da Pena or drive to a surfer beach.

-Nightlife: Go party at Lounge or at the nightclub Lux (opens late) or Damas (fun artsy/queer crowd, arrive early-ish to avoid a long line).

WHERE TO EAT

 

-My favorite meal in Lisbon was at Farès – it’s a cozy place with incredible Lebanese food. Order the stuffed sweet potatoes and the orange blossom crème brûlée. Rua de S. Paulo 200.

 

-Enjoy Portuguese food at Faz Frio. It’s open late too. They have private areas for larger tables.

 

-Rua Santos-O-Velho has two fantastic brunch places (Heim and Mila) as well as Yalla, a Middle Eastern restaurant. Mila is also good for people watching and the service is fast.

 

-Eat sorbet at Santini gelateria. I loved the melon flavor and the citrus Santini flavor.

-Try veggie versions of Portuguese classics at the vegan comfort food café Kong

 

-Drink Lisbon’s famous coffee at any classic bar

 

Local creams and a groovy toothpaste

P.S. Come visit but please don’t move here, my Portuguese friends say. Due to the recent explosion of TED-talk tote-carrying tech people and crypto traders moving to the city the rents have tripled, forcing many locals out of their neighborhoods.

P.P.S. I heard these places were fun but didn’t have time to visit them: cocktails at The Red Frog or Pavilhão Chinês, visiting the Palacio Foz. 

For more pictures check out my Instagram: @thefortunyverse .

A Favorite Painter

I put on my green and white striped suit and walked into Arco, the huge art fair in Madrid. It was right before the pandemic and the place was packed with gallerists, collectors, artists and their admirers. One painting stood out from all the other works: ‘Quiet Listening’ by Peter Uka. The painting depicted an elegant young man listening to records. It sang of another era and yet it is completely contemporary. It spoke of memory, music, and beauty. This summer (2021) I was delighted to interview Peter Uka for Metal magazine. We talked about art, music, 1970s culture, and identity. You can read the full article here. 

Visit Peter Uka’s solo exhibition, ‘Longing’, at Mariane Ibrahim gallery if you happen to be in Chicago. It’s on view until January 15th, 2022. 

Peter Uka, Quiet Listening, 2020. Courtesy the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim

Denge Pose II, 2018. Courtesy the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim

Peter Uka, Still Riding 2, 2021. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim

Meandering in Marrakesh

Recently I had the chance to go to Marrakesh to celebrate the birthday of my beloved friend, Patricia, a poet and alchemist. It’s only a couple of hours from where I live and I’ve always dreamt of going to Morocco so I packed my most demure 1970s garb (inspired by peak Yves Saint Laurent) and a sketchbook and headed down to Marrakesh. As we drove into the city, we saw stone walls, discontent donkeys with matted fur, and a couple of camels crouching beneath palm trees. We walked into the labyrinth of the old souk, down shadowy alleyways, until we arrived at an inconspicuous wooden door. 

Suddenly a French man and his dog opened the door and invited us inside a riad. We walked into this secret courtyard dripping with vines, bright foliage and blossoms. Hundreds of pomegranates lay at our feet. He led us past yellow-painted doors, to our colorful rooms, each decorated with different local embroideries, fresh flowers, and books in various languages. When we returned from our lunch of salads, falafel, spicy hummus, and kiwi juice, a fire was blazing in the hearth of every room.

Over the next few days, we explored the city on foot. We admired the sunken gardens of orange trees and palace ruins. Later, a cool café offered shade and bitter orange cake as Stevie Wonder played in the background. An old man threw a live monkey at our friend as we crossed the famous Djemaa el-Fna square. The creature clung to his arm before he handed it back. A meter away, a fellow wrapped a long cobra around a boy’s shoulders. A nearby table was heaped with fruit, being sliced and squeezed into fresh juice. There was so much to look at in every direction. Later, we drank the colors at the Yves Saint Laurent museum and gardens, overflowing with hot pink bougainvillea, blue architecture, and tall cactus plants. There was a beautiful little restaurant where we sampled orange blossom, pistachio, and date ice creams.

Another day we headed to a different market. My friend Marta and I bought harissa and loose tea made of dried verbena, flower petals, and curved leaves. We asked some local women for directions and they kindly walked us to the square we were looking for. On Patricia’s birthday we sat at a long candlelit table and feasted on crisp pastries stuffed with soft cheese, crunchy salads, hot pears sprinkled with cinnamon, massive artichokes, limpid green beans, clay pots of vegetable stew, and a date cake covered in white, creamy frosting and nuts.

HERE ARE A FEW PLACES I RECOMMEND VISITING:

The Badi Palace, a large ruin with pool, trees, and a view from upstairs.

Bahia Palace, an elaborately decorated palace.

The Saadian Tombs.

The Yves Saint Laurent Museum & Jardin Majorelle & the small Berber Museum. You can get all three on one ticket. If you love fashion, the bookstore at the YSL Museum is excellent – bring a tote bag! The restaurant in the garden is delicious. Try the desserts.

Musée des Confluences, archeology and there’s a famous coffee shop inside.

Djemaa El Fna- a lively (intense) square filled with tourists by day and locals on weekend nights. You can find snake charmers, sad monkeys, hunks of meat, and outdoor dining at communal tables.

Various markets: carry cash in the local currency, and bargain. Look for spices, unusual teas, necklaces, leather goods, cotton pajamas, and argan oil. Try the fresh pomegranate juice.

Leave the center, dressed appropriately (cover your limbs), and explore. There are lots of fascinating things to see. I felt more comfortable when walking with a two-meter-tall Dutchman…so go with a friend.

The Pleasures Come to London

Koenig Books, Frieze Art Fair 2021

After years away from my second home (in my heart, not in bricks) I finally flew to London. Aside from museum-hopping and eating Indian food, I visited the coolest bookshops in the city, discovered new authors, distributed my book, met up with friends, and had some wild times in East London. The highlight of the trip was seeing my art book, ‘The Pleasures of Hackney Road’, at Koenig Books in Frieze Art Fair. 

Here’s where you can find my art book in London:

The Broadway Bookshop. Burley Fisher Books. Pages of Hackney. Gosh!. Housmans Books. Koenig Books at Frieze.

It’s also available in 12 other bookstores and art museums. Write me on Instagram @thefortunyverse if you would like to find a copy at your nearest bookseller.

The second draft...

My book at Gosh! in Soho

Summertime Words

 

My discreet summer look.

Have you read all the articles and juicy interviews in my portfolio? Check out my conversations with Jeremy Scott, Kaws, Futura 2000, Massive Attack, KR, Nan Golden, Alec Soth, Alan Aldridge, and many more at margofortuny.com .

Have a great summer!

Come Into The Fortunyverse

Exciting news: I have a new artist website! You can see my drawings, performance art (yes, I love rubbing paint on naked skin, dancing at bus stops,  and lifting shamans into the air), photography, and paintings at thefortunyverse.com. Check out www.thefortunyverse.com and let me know what you think.

Use Your Illusions: My First Exhibition in Madrid

This year has been hell at times and yet there came a point where I woke up and started acting with urgency. Between the global pandemic, two members of my family in life-or-death situations (unrelated to Covid), and the intense loneliness of spending so much time alone, I thought 2020 might break me. But at the end of summer, suddenly I took action. I wanted something good to happen! I created an artist book and distributed it to numerous bookstores and art museums, where it was received well. I started drawing and painting like my life depended on it. I was invited to participate in two important exhibitions (details are in the previous two posts.) And in December 2020, I had my first dual exhibition in Madrid. 

'Use Your Illusions' examined the purpose of illusions and memories, nostalgia and desire, questioning whether these trips into imagination are positive or detrimental to one's present reality. The exhibition featured both my figurative paintings and the surreal analog collages of the Spanish artist Ella Jazz. We both lived in California at the same time, before meeting in Madrid, and this experience greatly influenced our artwork and worldview.

'Use Your Illusions,' Exhibition View, 2020

'Walking Up To Your Street', Margo Fortuny

Acrylic on canvas,  26 x 18 cm

'The Fighter', Margo Fortuny, 2020

Acrylic on canvas, 80 x 60 cm

Beto looking at 'Love Me When I'm Gone' by M. Fortuny. 

Photo: Larry Balboa

'The Trip', Margo Fortuny, 2020

Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 65 cm

'The Lover', Margo Fortuny, 2020

Acrylic on canvas, 70 x140 cm

'Use Your Illusions' Madrid 2020. Photo: Larry Balboa

Here I am outside 'Use Your Illusions', at Pavilion. 

December 2020. Photo: Diego & The Blue Sea

For more images of my artwork check out my Instagram @margofortuny .

Dear Jack Kerouac: Reading in Gala Knorr's 'Tumbleweeds'

A few weeks ago, I read Gala Knörr's letters to Jack Kerouac, along with four other artists, for her exhibition 'Tumbleweeds' in Bilbao. We read lively letters in a seance-like performance on Zoom (due to the pandemic), in between jazz played by a live saxophonist. The reading premiered on December 14th on Youtube. (Mine is in English at 36:10 if you're curious.)

"Tumbleweeds' is a project based on the fictitious epistolary relationship that artist Gala Knörr established with her "silent mentor" Jack Kerouac. A mentor whose answers could only be found within his oeuvre. Modelling her writing after Satori in Paris, a cognac infused short novel based on Jack Kerouac's search for his family origins on a ten day trip to Paris and Brest, in which the author alludes to a spiritual awakening, yet finds said 'kick in the eye' in a series of Parisian pilgrimage-like extravagant encounters. Knörr narrates similar anecdotical rendez-vous over a four month period at a residency at Cité Internationale des Arts. Utilizing the figure as the one of a confidant, she invokes Jack's spirit, in a seance like performative activation reading of her letters as if we were in a 'Shakespeare&Co' tea party."  -Nicolas de Ribou/ Gala Knörr

The exhibition is on until January 8, 2021 at Torre de Arriz. Go see it if you're in Bilbao.