A Taste for the Horrid – “Ist das Kunst oder kann das weg?”
The German phrase gives a very good sarcastic expression of a concept that sounds more or less like this: “is this art, or can I throw it in the rubbish?” There are art currents which focus precisely on trash or kitsch taste, and have their place in specific environments and …
Beati Monoculi in Terra Caecorum
In the land of the blind, blessed are the one-eyed.This is the English translation of the Latin proverb. Having an incomplete culture, with some gaps, is still better than none. Nobody in the world can boast knowing everything, possessing all human knowledge; it would be plainly impossible. Having lived long, …
Being Seen as Part of the “Masses” Doesn’t Suit You? Let Me Tell You How to Make Your Family Identity Even More Elite and Unreachable.
I was talking the other day to a friend, of how important it is for people to keep a personal identity that is distinguishable. We were talking of those who make the decision to move to a different city or country, thus walking away from their roots. Those who made …
Switzerland in the Holy Land
“Something is missing here, we are missing! Something has to be done!” – this was Father Gottfried’s first thought on a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Over the course of many years the Basilica has been decorated bit by …
Architect: yes and no. How to choose the right professional.
More than ten years ago, we moved our atelier from Italy to Switzerland. Soon we learned that the Swiss are very much attracted by Italian art, much more than we had had the chance to see previously as visitors. We could see the interest of the most requiring among our …
Covering Irregular Surfaces Is a Headache: How to Make It Go Away
Lately we have been called by an architect with a somewhat unusual request by one of his clients. While discussing the renovation of his villa – a luxurious building with some retro flavour, on the shore of a lake – the client pulled out a catalogue of whirlpool tubs, with …
Making mosaic with broken tiles is always a bad idea: here is why
We are often asked the same question by people who approach art mosaic for the first time: “Can you make me a mosaic with the leftover tiles, with the tiles I recovered, or that were given to me?” Our answer is always invariably the same: “No”. In this post we …
Do not let anyone choose for you. Hunt away boredom, and avoid huge mistakes!
After the divorce, Mrs Adriana lived on her own. She worked full-time in her own perfumery, which was well on its way, and allowed her an easy, carefree life. Every evening, upon coming home, she relaxed by filling the bathtub and spending some twenty minutes in the water. Night after …
Coatings for the Elite. How to fight off banality without copying from magazines like everybody else.
New aesthetic trends in residential buildings are revolutionising the way in which house owners think and achieve the decoration of the living spaces. Even here in Switzerland, the times of the “grey boxes” are over: they are going out of fashion. The contractor of a new building wants it to …