“Objects have the ability to plant themselves in the soul and then tell the soul what to do” wrote Bruce Chatwin. The writer of The Songlines was inviting us to get rid of objects. Yet, he sought them out, collected them, sold them and then departed, backpack slung over his shoulder, for distant lands. What is the […]
The image of a Panama hat is indisputably recognized around the world. It is one of the few things that transcends a style or a trend, which can be seen on runways as well as on farmers, it is a symbol of both class and functionality and ubiquitous in all romantic narratives of travel and exploration. The hat is more than apparel; it tells the story of centuries of adventure, politics, art, elegance and labour.
“There is no road”, said Machado, “because the road is made by walking”. Bruce Chatwin seems to have followed this motto. His was a journey in pursuit of beauty, and objects were his driving force.
Se Partenope tornasse nelle sue penne dove si recherebbe? E in quale tempo? E chi incontrerebbe? E di cosa parlerebbe? Quel pomeriggio d’estate le mie spoglie semidivine mescolate al tufo di Megaride presero di nuovo vita. Così mi ritrovai nel mio corpo di sirena, mezza donna e mezzo uccello. Spiccai il volo per tornare al […]
John F. Kennedy visited Naples the second of July, 1963. It was a brief visit during which the President was deeply moved by the teeming and ancient energy of the place. And just as the sea does not plan its waves, which fall as they will and that’s all, he had an intuition. Napoli was […]
For some time, I have asked myself what sort of life I want.
I always come up with the same answer: a beautiful life
It sounds cliché. So, I challenge myself to respond to this: what is a beautiful life?
amed with affection. Venus, mother of Eros, spreads beauty over the world, gives vision to an opaque gaze. Her work is priceless.
While Pearl Harbor was being attacked and NYC was hiding in darkness, Nighthawks was the last light on in the city. Hopper’s characters, alone and distant in the bright colors of their non-life, are juxtaposed to the darkness of what was yet to come.
The gouache opens the world to the story of the perception of Neapolitan-ness.
The art of reproducing the sky and the light of Naples in all its contrasts of colour and the blaze in the eruptions of Vesuvius is to consider the visual identity of the Grand Tour, which penetrated the freshness of the gaze of those travellers who, for around eight years, travelled in order to “learn how to live”.
Within the context of ancient history, Rino Barbieri explains that double-edged, Italian gesture that can mean either good luck or that your partner is cheating on you.
