Although this trip to Japan, masterly organised by @leafluberon, was very much centred on indigo, textiles and crafts, one cannot decently go through Kyoto without paying a visit to some of the admirable temples scattered throughout town Fushimi Inari-Taisha. A sanctuary for the Inari (fox) kami with a path to the top of the mountain […]
The « jewel » of Cistercian abbeys. Built between 1160 and 1230, Le Thoronet Abbey, together with Silvacane and Sénanque, is one of three Cistercian abbeys in Provence. In danger of falling into disrepair after the French Revolution, restoration work began on this masterpiece in 1841. An example for contemporary architecture. Generations of architects were inspired by the
It seems as I haven’ really come back from Japan… keep looking for indigo everywhere! On a busy day in paris, I managed to stop at the Musee Guimet to catch an exhibition showcasing a flurry of etchings from the famed Tokaido route. The Tokaido is the east and most famous of the Gokaido routes. It started
Ici, 2017 Cuve au mâchefer, Cuve au cailloux blancs, Cuve aux cailloux blancs et trou d’homme, 1968 Autoportraits, 1980-86 Sans titre, 1993 Sens interdit, 2009 And also, La Maison de jean Pierre Raynaud, a 31 min movie by Michelle Porte … and finally a bit of blue sky and citée radieuse to
Rosa Barba, Solar flux recording
Dialogue between Frank Gehry’s architecture and Daniel Buren’s instalation, on an almost sunny Parisian day..
The has recently moved to it’s new venue and iconic 60’s landmark, the ex- Commonwealth Institute. Refurbished by John Pawson Himself, it is, unsurprisingly awesome.. A couple of shots from the free permanent exhibition. Clearly a must do while in London!
The exhibition is also a good excuse for revisiting this imposing Abbey and detailing it’s fantastic medieval capitals
German pavilion: making heimat, Germany, arrival country. Four large openings where made in the German pavilion to signify Germany’s openness towards refugees: the German pavilion will be literally opened for the duration of the Biennale (the Venice monument preservation board having accepted the opening for that duration). The exhibition analyses the condition for making Heimat,
Alejanadro Aravena, curator of the 2016 International Architecture Biennale: “REPORTING FROM THE FRONT will be about sharing with a broader audience, the work of people who are scrutinizing the horizon looking for new fields of action, facing issues like segregation, inequalities, peripheries, access to sanitation, natural disasters, housing shortage, migration, informality, crime, traffic, waste, pollution and the participation of communities. And simultaneously it will be about presenting examples where
Serpentine Pavilion Architect’s Statement For the Serpentine Pavilion 2016, we have attempted to design a structure that embodies multiple aspects that are often perceived as opposites: a structure that is free-form yet rigorous; modular yet sculptural; both transparent and opaque; both solid box and blob. We decided to work with one of the most basic
Just back from Rome, so that was a perfect match ;-)… Francis Towne painted them in 1780-1781, but many do still look very familiar in the eternal town…
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, 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 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
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 », 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
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
Preah Ko Banteay Srei Angkor Vat Angkor Thom Bayon Ta Prohm Preah Khan
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