Marc Yankus

Marc Yankus' training as a painter is apparent in his atmospheric photographs. He incorporates textures that he scans from different materials into his photography to produce foggy, sometimes mysterious landscapes.
Some of them remind me Richter’s work, I’m sure that was one of the inspirations.
On his web site you can see his photographs and other artwork.

Italia

"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you forever" says Chris Botti.
Certainly this music won’t leave you impassive!
I finally got it! “Italia” is Chris Botti’s last album (2007) with songs and music inspired by Italy.
We are used to typical for the musician slow moving orchestral pieces and this time as well he doesn’t disappoint with quality and beauty of his music.
Phenomenal version of Caruso (composed by Lucio Dalla) but also the first piece “Italia” with Andrea Bocelli just blew me away!
This music is a real treat and perfect for cold evenings...

Josef Koudelka

This photograph is a master’s observation of everyday Slovakian life (1960’) but charged with so much emotion and obviously brilliant technique.
Koudelka is an icon of the XXth century photography; especially well known for his picture of the Prague Spring and gypsies observed during the years of exile.
It’s really worth getting familiar with his work as it’s really moving. I guess that especially for us, people that can relate to this part of the world.

Hotel Aire de Bardenas

This amazing hotel, designed by Emiliano López and Mónica Rivera Arquitectos is located in the southernmost part of Navarre (Spain). The site for the four-star hotel is a wheat field, near a spectacular natural park with semi-desert landscape.
Given the site's great views but also sometimes inhospitable conditions (wind, dust, high temperatures), the idea was to design a hotel as a succession of protected and comfortable interior spaces from which to contemplate the exterior.
The hotel rooms have also an outside space with hot tubs and most of all each room has “inhabitable window” from which gests can admire the beauty of the ‘burning’ landscape.
Worth looking at other López and Rivera’s work.

Polaroid Love :)

My beast has arrived :)
Yes, my long-awaited polaroid camera! I only got it for £9,50 from ebay so I’m not sure if it’s any good…
Anyway I really look forwart to testing it.
I hope that my photos will be at least half as good as these ones by Jen Gotch. I wish!
I love her pictures, she’s a bit like polaroid Eva Rubinstein.
Have a look at her blog too.

Poetic Bath Time

“I’m not writing to you because you’re gone.
Your leaving doesn’t surprise me now. It almost
seems like the natural thing to have done, and
it’s because I find it natural that I’m writing
now to ask you to come back. (…)

It was exactly two weeks ago today. Sophia opened the little concrete door onto the terrace of her flat.”

During my visit in NAI’s bookshop, among serious architectural books, I foud this beauty. I opened it, not knowing what to expect, read the first page and just had to have it.
“Reality without Restraint bathtime in the Villa dall’Ava” by Christophe Ven Gerrewey is an example of (as I found out) architectural fiction.
Christophe is architect as well as awarded writer, also teacher at the Department of Architecture and Urban Development at the University Ghent and the Karel de Grote College in Antwerp.
This little book is a beautiful story about people and their sad stories entangled in architectural reality.

Bobo Choses

Bobo Choses is a new label. Beautiful clothes for children that I wouldn’t mind wearing myself…