Month: August 2017

Cubism: The Mother of it All

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As an art historian and a self-proclaimed lover/groupie/fan to the core of Modern art, I am a bit embarrassed to say that I just realized just how important my least favorite art movement was in the grand History of art. I´m talking about Cubism. Are you rolling your eyes too? For the record, it’s still and will always be my least favorite “ism” in all of the “isms” (Impressionism, Futurism, Constructivism, Expressionism, etc.) but damn did it change the course of art. To start, let’s reiterate for the 999 trillionth time that Picasso was a genius. Yes he was an arrogant, selfish, egocentric, ladies man but thankfully we’re not any of the girls whose hearts he broke. And let’s be honest, all those affairs just make him so much more fun to read about. Picasso, or as I like to call him, Pablito, painted Les Demoiselle D’Avignon in 1907. For those of you who have a huge question mark on your face, this is one of the most important works of art ever to be produced. That’s right, I …

MANILA: Made With Spice

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Contributed with love by cousins Nina Paradies & Sofia Aboitiz – two thirds of the dynamic trio that founded FINI, an apparel line inspired by their love of their home country and born out of their desire to foster local talent, revive fading traditions, and improve business practices. Both based in Manila, Nina is surf-loving foodie, while Sofi is interior design-obsessed, mother of Antonio – her french bulldog, and between good sleep and food, she would always choose the latter. The truest Filipino breakfast of champs – Nina: Breakfast at Antonio’s is by far my favorite place for my first meal of the day—the only catch is that it is outside of Manila in the mountain town of Tagaytay. Roadtrip! On a good day with no traffic you’ll get there in an hour. If you have a few days to burn in Manila it is very much worth it, the food is great and the views of Taal Volcano are even better. If you don’t have much time in Manila then you can’t really go wrong at Wildflour. Sofi: Wildflour! They have lots of savory and sweet options and are conveniently located …

MOSCOW – City of Contrasts

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Contributed with love and vodka by Marina Kurikhina –  Russian curator raised in London who has lived in Mexico City, Paris and New York. This avid traveller who worked for the Brazilian gallery Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, is  now focusing on her own independent practice and process lead art classes in Big Sur, California. To start the day and sort out my life – Cafe Bulka, it’s located in the old, central part of Moscow behind Chistye Prudi – a small lake and across from the Pokrovka Boulevard. I love the name Bulka, the word means bread in Russian but it has a colloquial charming twist to it which is impossible to translate to English. Cafe Bulka has a great internet, a sleek beautiful design, great coffee and fresh pastries that are baked daily in their kitchen. The menu is a mix of Russian and European style food, so everyone can find something they like. Getting lost – I love to walk to Red Square through Kitay-Gorod, which is one of the oldest parts of the city. You have to know the way …

ASPEN: For Younglings, Cougars, Silver Foxes & Tree Huggers

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Contributed with love  by Constanza Garza, aka. GoodGirl Baby Cakes – A dame extraordinaire, fascinated with ink who opened the tattoo shop Sigue.Sigue.Sputnik (SSS) with tattoo artist Dr. Lakra in Mexico City in 2016. She’s a lover of nature, designer of jewelry, and mother of Felix. Jump start the day at –  Poppycocks! Yes, that’s the name. Roll out of bed and get yourself there and feast on scrambled eggs and bacon, avocado on toast and anything that your imagination can fathom. For something on the go, Peach’s Corner Cafe is the place for you. It has delicious smoothies, poppy seed muffins, green machine shakes and so much more.  If you happen to visit Aspen when there’s no snow – Little Cloud Trail is a must. It takes you about 20 mins to go up and then you take the main gondola trail down.  It’s full of wild flowers and you’re just completely submerged in nature in no time. I love the contrast between nature and city at the snap of your fingers. Note and I am not kidding: you might encounter bears. Take …

OAXACA: An Artist’s Guide

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Contributed with love and just for you by Sofia Fernandez Diaz – Mexican artist, lover of nature, processes and textures, currently based in the magical city of Oaxaca. First meal of the day – The best spot for breakfast in Oaxaca is El Mercado. There are so many mercados but the best one for having a traditional Oaxacan breakfast is La Merced. Once you’re there, go to Fonda Florecita. Another place for any meal is Biznaga. Here you’ll also eat traditional oaxacan food in a beautiful patio. My favorite dish is Las Calendas which is melted  quesillo (string cheese) wraped in hoja santa (the best-smelling herb) with a heart-shaped leaf and a side of beans. It’s incredible!  They have a great variety of mezcales and beers. Oaxaca is partially known for its food, there are so many delicious places to choose from so its very hard to make a bad food choice. Getting lost – Jalatlaco is the oldest neighborhood in Oaxaca. The streets are paved with cobblestones, there are all sorts of murals, and its just incredibly beautiful. The color combinations you see all over the …