Tag Archives: Spain

Literature By The Pound

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

When I was in Madrid earlier this year, I visited many antiquarian and secondhand book stores, but some how I missed La Casqueria, Libros al Peso. Situated in the recently renovated Mercado de San Fernando in the up and coming … Continue reading →

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Barcelona’s Book Train

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Passengers on the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan National Railways) will soon have access to a virtual onboard library on trains in and around Barcelona. Select trains will display posters of forty books along with QR codes. After … Continue reading →

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Man Ray : Object to Be Destroyed

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

While I was wandering around the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia a few weeks ago, I stumbled on one of Man Ray‘s Object to be Destroyed sculptures.. Although he’s best known for his surrealist photographs, I’ve been drawn to his … 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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Watch Your Step

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The popular Spanish street art collective known as Luzinterruptus has created a humorous and dramatic installation that sheds light on a common urban problem. Portable hospital urinals were filled with yellow tinted water and led lights and then attached to … Continue reading →

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Seville the Beautiful

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

I have not been to Seville for a few years, but I’m anxious to get back to see the newly completed Metropol Parosol project. One of the world’s largest wooden buildings, this beautiful series of undulating umbrellas of interlocking wooden … Continue reading →

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Yesterday’s Rubbish

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday was the last opportunity to spend the night in Madrid’s Corona “Save the Beach Hotel”. The five room temporary rubbish B&B was designed by German eco-artist Ha Schult and was built of 12 tons of garbage collected from beaches … Continue reading →

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Not What You’d Expect

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Brian D. Butler

Spain’s ancient Andalusian city of Córdoba is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and not the place that you’d expect to find cutting-edge modern architecture. But away from the city’s glorious historic quarter the Madrid-based architecture group ParadesPino has developed a … Continue reading →

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Don’t really know why…

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Brian D. Butler

I really don’t know why Japan’s Muji stores has the “Santa vending machine” on the streets of Barcelona.

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The End of An Era

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Brian D. Butler

Thanks to Nicky Gardner for this story. When Tobias Smollett left England for France in 1763 he was in no particular rush to get anywhere. The famously ill-tempered Smollett made his way to Dover, complaining about the cold and comfortless … Continue reading →

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