The scent of incense, building up against the jasmine and spicy aroma of blooming osmanthus trees, has added a palpable quality to the air. Two swans are unfolding their wings in a nearby pool and white herons are resting on the concrete-lined banks of the “Duck River”. Concealed in the shadow of the hills to the east, the narrow, lantern-lit streets of Japan’s ancient capital stir the imagination, evoking the time of emperors, courtesans and samurais… Read more »
Hans Magnus Enzensberger, a prominent German poet and writer, said during his brief visit to Łódź in 1986 that the city should become a media hub of the East. This daring prospect never came to fruition. Three years later, the Eastern market crumbled and Łódź was among the most affected vicitms. After all, it was the city’s ties with Russia that once catapulted it to prosperity. At the end of the 19th century, Łódź was a veritable promised land… Read more »
Her foremost artistic interest are Georgian villages. Through her photos, she narrates a personal and intriguing story about rural communities, their joys and sorrows, traditions and customs, work and everyday life, an account of a rich and beautiful culture on the brink of extinction. In the course of her travels over many years, leading her to regions stricken with hardships and poverty, Natela Grigalashvili has produced an extensive photographic collection depicting geographically and socially remote populations and ethnic minorities, Georgia’s last nomads.…Read more »
Whenever she has some time on her hands, she takes a bus to the all-familiar place, her native village, returning to people she grew up with and her mother, the two bonded in an uneasy relationship. In a struggle to tear down the barrier of indifference and deeply rooted accusations, Natela started the touching photo project “Book of My Mother”. She kept on taking pictures of her mother until she realized that the mutual anger and… Read more »
The contrasting depiction of the North by John Bauer, a masterful illustrator and champion of children’s imagination, features both the fairy tale-like scenery, populated by strange creatures derived from Swedish folklore, and its more sinister, dark and mystical counterpart, bringing to mind Nordic shamanism and ancient Scandinavian sagas…Read more »
Nordic noir, also known as Scandi noir or Cold noir, has now gone beyond its original status of a Scandinavian narrative genre encompassing crime novels, movies and TV series. Having penetrated deep into the mainstream, it is an essential part of popular culture and Scandinavia’s claim to global fame…Read more »
The photos depict a monumental, metabolic aesthetic, bringing to mind sci-fi architecture, as seen in movies like “A Clockwork Orange”, “Equilibrium” or “Star Wars”. Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Andō, drawing upon the tenets of the Zen philosophy, but with a futuristic twist in the vein of space opera, they have captured the attention of… Read more »
Cut out like with a scalpel, extremely enlarged irregular facades set against holiday resorts and amusement parks, captured in the warm colours of golden caramel and roasted Belmont coffee, they are the essence of Spanish post-modernism. The crowded beaches, open umbrellas, deckchairs and towels which look like dots on the sand, create tension between the abstract geometry of photography and realism… Read more »
World wide trends are showing that the most wealthy people tend to locate their capital not only in luxury residences, cars, exclusive liquors or original jewellery. But they are also getting more and more interested in acquiring photographs made by known and celebrated artists… Read more »
The contemporary Hong Kong is regarded as a city of the future with its futuristic architecture mingling with infinite recurrence of massive, compact and standardized residential complexes dating back to the 60s of the 20th century. Several-dozen-storey blocks of flats designed in the spirit of Le Corbusier with their infinite mazes of claustrophobic flats and rows of… Read more »
Stockholm-hailed Erïk Bjerkesjö is making waves on the design and broadly understood fashion scene. Polimoda graduate Bjerkesjö stepped into the artistic world with his personal footwear concept of post-modern craftsmanship for men. Each pair of shoes is produced entirely by hand in Tuscany, made of…Read more »
Megan Hess is one of the most identifiable fashion illustrators and print designers, working with Chanel, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Montblanc, Balenciaga, Guerlain YSL, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Fendi, Ladurée or even Michelle Obama. The list is long. Her drawing style seems so effortless and radiates luxurious elegance and beauty…Read more »
Originally known for luxuriously crafted silk dresses, the popularity of Mayla has allowed the brand to quickly expand into outerwear, cashmere knitwear, my favorite flared denims, shoes and other classy accessories. It's the French luxury combined with Scandinavian simplicity that has found a loyal clientele from around the world including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Hollywood actresses…Read more »
Her well-thought handmade 'hangers', stylish magazine holders, modern decorations and accessories, lighting and furnitures can also be used as unique sculptural art. I would describe her style as 'asymmetrically symmetrical' and structural. Clean designing and fresh approach towards aesthetic details reminds me of Ingo Maurer, Tom Dixon or Shigeru Uchida…Read more »
At the beginning I was quite critical watching one collection after the other. I didn't see anything new. I didn't see anything that stuck in my mind. For sure I was impressed by the well prepared video effects and the well selected music. Without exception, music plays a vital role in the interactive process of audience behaviour…Read more »