EDIT #2 From Palette to Palate
Alentejo-Florence-MXC: artist families around the world & narco-aesthetic tableware
Welcome to Edit #2 of ISLAND POST.
For those who just joined (nice to have you!): this is a mental escape in the form of a newsletter, in which I want to share bits of what I love with you: the stories of people I meet, unique places and design(ers) I encounter, tales of my travels, food, music, films and more. Delivered to your inbox monthly.
In this Edit: Special artist communities around the world, transcendence of art and food, a less known Portuguese region that is perfect for your next road trip and the upcoming art week in Mexico.
Francesca <3
BLANK100 ARTIST RESIDENCY IN RURAL PORTUGAL
BLANK100 is a nomadic project supporting artistic exchange founded by my visionary friend Carla Benzing. Their artist residencies take place at Craveiral Farmhouse (a nice place to stay and discover Portugals not so known region Alentejo) and has hosted both upcoming and established artists like Dennis Buck, Marlene Huissoud, Johanna Dumet, Malte Zenses and Jeewi Lee. Nestled in the Portuguese countryside in Alentejo, artists find themselves immersed in an environment that's both unfamiliar and inviting, challenging them to rethink and reshape their creative processes.
And that’s not all.
Follow the journey of BLANK SABOIA: Nestled in the heart of Alentejo, this upcoming venture will be a destination for art away from the art world - a creative community in the middle of nature. It will include an art centre, artist studios, music studios, artisan workshops, a restaurant, beautiful villas and bungalows to rent and more.
Blank100 Project | Blank100 IG
‘THE DISSOLVING PALETTE’ PRINTS BY ALICE MOREY
‘The Dissolving Palette’ is a series of 25 unique works on paper available via BLANK100, that have been created as a whole and separated afterwards. It was a conceptual dinner hosted in Berlin that marked the launch of this series of artworks. Alice gives autonomy to natural ecosystems and biochemical reactions, stepping away as sole creating agent. Rather, she is allowing natural and edible ingredients to create their own universe of microorganisms, disassociating from the human arrogance that initiated the anthropocene.
Alice Morey (b. 1986 in London) lives and works in Berlin. She is represented by Lehmann + Silva gallery in Porto. “Morey is interested in the passage of time. She finds beauty in decay and contrasts it with pain. She has been juxtaposing natural and artificial materials for years in order to explore the concept of change. Her performative work could be compared to rituals, as she undertakes actions charged with symbolism in a ceremonial tone. She acts either as an alchemist or a contemporary witch who manipulates natural processes. The artist explores the creativity behind rituals and their role in the historical and cultural processes which underlie our society” (Extract found at Hošek Contemporary)
ALICE MOREY Artworks | ALICE MOREY News | ALICE MOREY IG
ALENTEJO & A WEEK ABROAD: PORTUGAL’S HIDDEN (ROAD TRIP) GEM
I talked about Alentejo above, which is one of Portugal's hidden gems and offers a quieter, authentic escape from the more frequented tourist hotspots of the country. It’s the perfect destination for a road trip (also in winter): rolling hills, unspoiled beaches and vineyards. Its rural and unique character was perfectly captured through the lenses of A Week Abroad. In these nice travel books, local insiders share their top picks: rare local products, hidden restaurants, traditional crafts, wild landscapes, basically the addresses that your friends could have given you all around the world. The books are also available as ebooks.
A WEEK ABROAD Shop | A WEEK ABROAD IG
GIVEAWAY
Win your Alentejo edition from A Week Abroad*.
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NUMEROVENTI IN FLORENCE: HISTORIC STAY, ARTIST & CHEF RESIDENCY
«There is a basic problem that is quite common in the contemporary creative industry. Most people who work in this field start doing what they do because they are passionate about it. But, after a few years, they find themselves doing something completely different. Because there are deadlines or organisational problems» (read in Lampoon Magazine). This is a notion keenly understood by Martino di Napoli Rampolla, the founder of Numeroventi, a unique project born in Florence in 2016. I am half Florentine and I know Florence as a city that is so rich in culture, but which feels a bit like a living museum. Numeroventi breathes new life and energy into this heritage by fostering transdisciplinary and international collaborations. It is more than a residency, it's a nexus where art meets hospitality, underpinning the role of art and design as catalysts for new ways of living and interacting with the world. Numeroventi is also a beautiful palazzo that can be booked for your next stay a Firenze.
NUMEROVENTI Project
NATALIA CRIADO’S ‘NARCO AESTHETIC’ INSPIRED TABLEWARE
One of Numeroventi’s past artists is Colombian-born Natalia Criado. I instantly fell in love with her table ware, which is a dialogue between the cultural legacies of her native Colombia and her adopted home in Italy. Parts of her collection are inspired by the narco-aethetics of Colombias 70s derived from drug traffickers and their exuberant lifestyles. I have to admit, I’ve heard this term for the first time exploring Natalias past exhibitions and found it quite amusing. She experiments with embedding her work with words like exaggeration, abundance, and voluptuousness, explores bad taste, transgression, and excess. Her unique pieces, however, are exceptionally intricate and characterized by a focus on craftsmanship, in contrast to the lavishness typical of narco-aesthetics.
NATALIA CRIADO Shop | NATALIA CRIADO IG
TIP: MEXICO CITY ARTWEEK 08.-11.02. & SALÓN ACME ARTIST FAMILY
One of my highlights at Mexico City Artweek was Salón Acme, which has established itself as a vital space for showcasing the work of young artists, positioning itself as the edgier, more locally-focused counterpart to the mega-artfair Zona Maco. It is set in a beautifully preserved building, which alone is worth a visit. Salón Acme is a platform by artists, for artists, that promotes dialogue between emerging and well known projects. La Bodega de Acme gives continuity to the work of artists who have participated in previous editions of the Salon. The idea is to be part of the artist’s development and to promote their current work. The artweek takes place from 08.-11. February and is a good occasion to pay a visit to MXC. And when you are there, eat at Taverna next to the Salón in a truly special location.
SALÓN ACME IG