Asterisms

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

While checking out the Kandinsky 1911-1913 show at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, I ran across a new exhibition by NYC-based Mexican artist Gabriel Orozoco titled “Asterisms”. The binary show features thousands of diverse objects Orozoco collected from the Isla Arena nature reserve in Baja Mexico and an equally heterogeneous mix of items found on the Pier 40 playing fields in Manahattan. The sizable swathe of human detrious is accompanied by a series of large photographs of discrete objects organized by color, size and substance.

According to the show curators the installation evokes “several of the artist’s recurring notions, including the traces of erosion and ever-present tension between nature and culture”.

By the way, if you were wondering, asterism is a typographical term for the infrequently used symbol consisting of three asterisks placed in a triangle. It can be used to indicate breaks in text or to separate book chapters.

images © Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

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Book This Hotel

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Open for just over six months, the very cool B2 Boutique Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland is rapidly becoming an aspirational lodging destination for traveling bibliophiles. Situated in the former 19th century Hürlimann Brewery, this “Hotel with a bookmark” has managed to maintain its connection to the building’s industrial roots, but still offers the best of modern design and high tech amenities. It may be fun to stay in the old mashing room, however, the real draw for book lovers is the library-like lounge area. The amazing collection of more than 33,000 volumes was rescued from a secondhand bookshop that was going out of business. Guests are welcome to borrow and trade books from the multilingual collection.

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Venice Underwater

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

This week, extensive areas of Venice have been underwater (even more than usual). Severe weather and unusually high tides submerged three quarters of La Serenissima under an extra meter of lagoon water. Here’s what Europe’s most romantic tourist destination has looked like lately.

 

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Caught Mapping

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In this era of Google Maps, Street View, GPS and satnav systems, most of us take the humble road map for granted. We don’t appreciate the complex and tedious work that was involved in the production of accurate road maps in the days before satellites, computers and high tech printers. But if you’re an inveterate cartophile, just put on your sun goggles and take a trip with these 1940s mapmakers.

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Pity the Holiday Travelers

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In less than two weeks the United States will be celebrating our annual Thanksgiving holiday. With more than 42.5 million Americans hitting the road, Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel periods in the U.S. each year. This revealing infographic breaks it all down to a more digestible meal and offers some timely travel tips for the unwary.

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Helvetia’s Traum

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Back before the astronomical value of the Swiss franc made long visits to Switzerland cost prohibitive, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in glorious Helvetia. So, it will come as no surprise that I’m smitten by this stunning time-lapse video of Switzerland by night.

Helvetia’s Dream was created by Zurich-based photojournalist Alessandro Della Bella based on one to three hour exposures throughout Switzerland. You can see more and learn about the film’s development at the dedicated website.

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Border Land Hides Street Art Museum

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Border Land is an odd appellation for a park in the the heart of a city, but Torino, Italy‘s Parco Ignazio Michelotti now bears that name. Situated along the banks of the River Po, just across from the University of Turin and a short walk from Stazione Porta Nuova, the site of the city’s defunct zoo is now a home for frequent cultural events and also the new Street Art Museum (SAM) .

The once popular Torino Zoo closed in 1987, but now is the backdrop for the outdoor Street Art Museum. Buildings and cages that housed rhinos, elephants, monkeys and 2,500 other animals for decades now serve as legal canvases for international street artists.

H/T to Alex Barnett for the post idea.

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Hey Taxi

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

While traveling in Europe I try to use public transportation whenever possible, however sometimes a taxi is the best option for a time-sensitive trip. A new Finnish start-up booking service called Cabforce offers taxi services in 25 European cities. Users can book and pay for taxis on the company’s website or through free smartphone apps. The virtual process can help to eliminate the hassles of finding a cab and then negotiating with the driver. While easy and efficient, Cabforce is generally more expensive than simply hailing a taxi or finding one at a taxi stand.

The only European-wide taxi booking service of its kind, Cabforce may be your best option for airport transfers, in-city travel or longer suburban trips. The flat-rate pricing includes the tip, all tolls and miscellaneous fees, like those crazy baggage add-ons, weekend, night and holiday extras.

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We Still Love NY

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Millions of New Yorkers have been impacted by Hurrican Sandy, including the city’s arts community. The Chelsea arts district was particularly hard hit by flooding which devastated many galleries and studios.

NYC-based, Chilean-born artist Sebastian Errazuriz has created a series of handprinted t-shirts based on iconic tourist classics. All proceeds from the sales of the ” I Love NY”  and Manhattan MTA map t-shirts go to hurricane relief programs. You can get your t-shirts here.

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First Book

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

First Book, a nonprofit organization that promotes reading among children of low-income families, has opened a relief fund to provide books to schools and families impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Every $2.50 donation will provide a new book to a child and will be matched by First Book with an additional book.

“Even as first responders are working to provide these families with electricity, water, and other critical resources, First Book is joining forces with our local volunteers and partners to replace hundreds of thousands of lost and destroyed books in schools and libraries in low-income communities,” First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer said in a statement.

“In the months to come, as infrastructure is repaired and replaced and families are able to return home, we’ll be there to ensure that kids who lost so much will have the books they need,” said Zimmer.

During the last 20 years, First Book has provided more than 90 million books to children and schools across North America. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Washington D.C.-based group distributed 5 million books to affected families.

You cann help by visiting the First Book website.

 

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