Category Archives: Art

Saving Pompeii

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The European Commission, along with the Italian government, has announced a four-year, € 105 milion plan to protect and improve the archeological site at Pompeii. Dubbed Grande Progetto Pompei, or the Great Pompeii Project, the plan is the result of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

I Kidd You Not

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

If you’re a fan of TED and of book design, then you will love cover designer Chip Kidd’s terrific video . The talk just posted online, underscores the importance of print in the digital age: “Much is to be gained by … Continue reading →

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Hanging at the High Line

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

We have shared a few posts about the hugely popular New York City High Line Park project. Now we have learned from the High Line Blog about the next big thing that may be coming to the park. According to … Continue reading →

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Heavy Reading

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

At first glance they appear to be well-worn old library books, but these heavy tome are actually created from salvaged building bricks. The faux literary works are the work of Melbourne, Australia artist Daryl Fitzgerald , who stencils cover art … Continue reading →

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5,000 Books (more or less)

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Madrid-based artist Alicia Martín’s amazing installation at Casa de America cultural center in the heart of Madrid appears to pour out of the building like an avalanche of literature. This piece is part of an ongoing series of installations around … Continue reading →

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Eurostyle Urban Hacktivism

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Self-described “urban hacktivist” Florian Rivière from Strasbourg has come up with a foolproof method for crossing busy European streets. His portable crosswalk would have come in handy last week in Madrid. Check-out his website for more of his tongue-in-cheek inventions and … Continue reading →

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La Dolce Vita

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Following the devastation of World War I, and the loss of income from foreign tourism, the Italian government developed a promotional agency, ENIT, to encourage Italian tourism abroad. An integral component of the campaign was the use of fabulous advertising … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Tourism, Travel Writing | 3 Comments

Birth of a Medium

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Last year we posted a story about the first season of thePBS Arts web-original series Off Book, which explores avant-garde, experimental and cutting edge arts and culture. Now they’re back with a new series and the first episode is called … Continue reading →

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Never Mind the Hype

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

“Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied … Continue reading →

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Mild, Mild West

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Next month’s issue of Budget Travel magazine (old-school version) will be featuring an excellent short article on Amsterdam’s West neighborhoods by Maria Robertson-Textor. The city’s former industrial area has been undergoing a slow, but inexorable gentrification for the last decade … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments