Ali Smith’s Ferrara
After reading « How to be both », I just had to plan a stop at Ferrara, on Ali Smith’s footpath, if only to visit the Palazzo Schifanoia and see Francesco del Cossa’s frescoes. Unsurprisingly, it was well worth the trip… Palazzo Schifanoia’s frescoes, allegories of months, gods and zodiac signs. The wall by Francesco del Cossa...
Siena, Montepulciano and Firenze postcard
Siena, a few days before the Palio, with the funny lamps and the flags to the colours of each neighbourhood, and the rings on the walls waiting for their horses.. Montepulciano Firenze
Verona, Trento, Venice, Rome postcard
Verona Trento Venice On St Giorggio, The Glass tea house Mondrian by Hiroshi Sugimoto @ Le stance del vetro, more info here Part of the « Together » exhibition by Jaume Piensa for the 2015 Art Biennale, at San Giorgio Maggiore, luckily left on loan by Jaume Piensa to the monastic community for the...
Hotel Caumont, Aix-en-Provence
After an extensive restauration, the grand XVIIIe century Hotel Caumont, in Aix’s beautiful « quartier Mazarin » reopened last year. It offers two temporary exhibitions, the current is: « Turner et la couleur » and runs until September 18. Hotel Caumont, an « hotel particulier entre cour et jardin » epitomises XVIIIe century refinements, it’s restauration is amazing, see here: http://www.caumont-centredart.com/fr/dossiers/restauration-lhotel-caumont?galerie=1 ...
Maison Paysanne de France’s exhibition
« Maison Paysanne de France », is a French NGO dedicated to preserve the less glamorous part of historical architecture: the vernacular buildings, mostly farmhouses. Thanks to their dedication and experience, many know-hows have been saved from oblivion. Lime stucco, raw earth buildings and many other techniques that are now being rediscovered by a new generation of...
Petites utopies européennes, Fort St Jean
In those troubled times for Europe, it’s nice to see this collaboration between schoolchildren of Croatia, Spain, France Greece and Italy to create those white socialising spaces, symbols of Mediterranean habitat
Angkor, citée Khmer: the (extended) postcard
Preah Ko Banteay Srei Angkor Vat Angkor Thom Bayon Ta Prohm Preah Khan
Journées du patrimoine: Fort d’Entrecasteaux, Marseille
The Fort d’Entrecasteaux is quite emblematic of the fiercely independent Marseille. Built in the XVIIe century by the order of Louis XIV, it was dubbed the worst military design ever by Vauban…. maybe that had something to do with the fact that unlike all of it’s contemporary forts, this one was not built to protect...
Bauhaus Archiv, Berlin – Bauhaus School, Dessau
Of course, going to Berlin also means doing a bit of a Bauhaus pilgrimage: it started with the bauhaus archive. The building was finished in 1979 and designed by Walter Gropius. it showcases the classic icons from bauhaus member such as Breuers various studies for the tub chairs, and Mies Van de Rohe furniture as...
Neues Museum, Berlin
Built in the XIXe century to house the stolen archaeologic findings from Egypt, as was unfortunately the way Europeans liked to behave in those days, the Neues Museum even sported a pastiche copy of the great hypostyle hall in Karnak. It was almost destroyed by WWII and left abandoned until the 80’s. It was painstakingly...
Chapelle Ronchamp, Notre-dame-du-haut
On more stop on the architectural pilgrimage before getting back to Marseille: Chapelle Ronchamp, on the Notre-dame-du-haut hill, has become an icon of Le Corbuisier’s design, and experimenting the play with light inside the church is really a mystic experience. The two altars outside the chapel allow the thousands of pilgrims who converge to ronchamp...
Observatory/Playground, Dan Graham @ MAMO
Playing around with reflections in Dan Graham’s exhibition… Inside the MAMO: Skateboard pavillion, 1989 Ying Yang, 1998 Two half-cylinders off-aligned, 2000 And on the roof terrasse: Two nodes and Tight squeeze, both 2015