If you plan to be in New York before November 28 stop by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) located at 227 West 27th Street and take a peek at its latest exhibition on the influence and impact the “Rose” flower has had in the fashion world as far back as 1700. A combination of the eccentric with the classic, wonderfully done. and worthy of a visit.
Art Fairs are gradually finding their way back to cities while adjusting to a post pandemic climate. New York city alone has a half dozen show scheduled during the months of September and October. I recently attended the annual Art on Paper Fair and was delighted to see a wide range of US and international galleries exhibiting recent works from a diversity of artists. What’s different about this show is its focus on artworks that are paper based. All works use paper as its medium, whether its drawings, sculptures, or photography……..
Recently, I attended the Van Gogh: Immersive Experience in New York City and found it to be the best post-pandemic escapism that I wholeheartedly recommend. I am careful not to call this an exhibition since it is not. So what is it you ask? A sensory stimulation that is high-tech, educational, and super enjoyable. It combines the best of a prolific artist’s works, in this case Vincent Van Gogh, with an explosion of projected lights, colorful images and a VR (Virtual Reality) experience along with music from a surround sound system similar to an IMAX theater.
In recent trip to Miami for a business meeting held at the Bass Museum I came across a rather unique exhibition from the Mexican Artist Abraham Cruzvillegas that provoked in me a desire to know more about this artist and the concept of “auto construcción”comprising of 80 pieces of recycled everyday painted objects practically floating in the air. This exhibition is part of a series of installations by Cruzvillegas on the concept of “AutoConstruccion” that reflect the conditions of his modest upbringing in Mexico and how it defines human nature and its impact on the environment.
With a forecast of a rainy weekend, my sister and I skipped the beach and decided to hangout in Manhattan. It was nice to see New York swing back to it’s Pre-Covid days. We were able to book a hotel at a decent price within the Broadway district, in part because the theaters are mostly closed until the fall. We made plans to visit the Musuem of Moderan Art, Hudson Yards, the High Line and the Chelsea neighborhood to both shop and eat……
Are you itching to get on a plane and go international soon? Maybe this summer, now that many countries have opened their borders. May I suggest Portugal? Whether you go for a week, two or three it will still not be enough to fully appreciate this magnificent country full of vintage castles, beautiful coastlines, daunting vineyards, and sooo much history. Whether you get there through the Lisbon, Porto or Faro Airport, all three offer a variety of ground transportation to get you to your destinations. Here are my favorite picks and why….
In the last year, Bansky has been consistently in the news starting with the loss of a two-year court fight in September 2020 over the trademark rights of one of his iconic artworks known as the “Flower Thrower”. In October 2020, amid the pandemic, his “Show me the Monet” painting sold for 10 million. In March 2021 he auctioned “Game Changer” that sold for 22 million donating all the proceeds to a health care charity in response to the COVID crisis. This summer Banksy is back in the news with plenty of ads about an immersive exhibition on his life and art coming to major cities in the US slated for NYC from June- November 2021.
During the first week of May, the annual Frieze Art Fair was back in New York City with a lot less pomp than usual. The Frieze Art Fair in NYC happens to be one of my favorite shows. They also sponsor a show in Los Angeles, London and now Seoul. The Frieze Art Fair features an extensive list of local and international contemporary art galleries, and commissioned artists’ projects, as well as variety of art education forums and a magazine . This year it was not held at Randall’s Island since the number of galleries was down to about 1/3 and mostly US based. International galleries were missing and clearly the difference was apparent as much of the art work was not as diverse or excitingly. Restrictions to get in were…..
In search for a cocktail recipe (preferably with Tequila) to celebrate a Covid inspired birthday/anniversary I came across this book of which upon opening it I assumed it would mostly be a collection of cocktail recipes. Little did I know that Ms. Ivy Mix was about to take me on a journey through all of Mexico, the Caribbean and South America on the history and culture of the makings of Tequila, Mezcal, rum, cachacas, pisco and many other Latin-based spirits derived from agave, sugarcane and grapes. If you love exploring the world of cocktail mixology, this book will open your eyes to new spirits less known in the US yet worthy of your taste buds.
I recently came across an interview of Sophia Loren and her son Edoardo Ponti, a filmmaker much like his father and had recently cast his mom in a film that piqued my curiosity. During the interview at the age of 86, Sophia was both enchanting and captivating. At her age, she still evoked a presence of confidence and sensuousness that immediately reminded you of her films as a young starlet. No doubt in my mind that I had to see this movie featured on Netflix. Since February is the month of love….
