It was a long time I really wanted to spent hours breathing fresh air far from the city, totally sourrounded by nature, fields, trees, no noise. Hence I finally got to go for a walk up a little mountain!
The first meeting I had was totally amazing 😍 with there little and hardworking mules!!
Mules pictures
It was like an old frame from the past, staring at those little mules giunge up the mountain and discovering they are still used as a transfer way it’s unbelievable! So cute 😊
Here you are some other shots I took trying to go near them while they were having their lunch break:
Mules having lunch
…and these are the landscapes of the Southern Italy countryside:
Pop Art is the lifestyle that belongs to the 50’s and 60’s when the culture of consumption starter to spread beginning from America and arrivino until Europe, New York was its hear and myths of that country still are the pop icons when thinking about Pop Art movement.
It was the time when positive and negative, dreams and nightmares, luxury and poverty became part of the daily mood and artistic representations. It can’t surprise how names as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Andy Wahrol, Roy Lichtenstein and so on… turned to be symbols of a deep discomfort and illness and ended up with the worst endings. They are the perfect personification of the contrast of those days made by the sense of being a star for the whole world and the inner decadence.
Let’s try to explore this mood through some of the most important and influential works of art:
The 25 Marilyns by Andy Wahrol – 1962Marilyn Monroe’s Lips – Andy Wahrol 1962
…both created to show how the image of a big of mass media and wonderful life ad Marilyn can be repeated in a common sequence that has got nothing special: how they had become unsignificant and how the star was forced to play her role in several stages through her multiplied masque.
An artist like Robert Indiana, created the popular sculpture named ‘Love’ (that right now should be in the ma in square of Philadelphia) in order to represent the feelins and desires that could not be applied to those years:
Love Rising by Robert Indiana – 1968
…it has also become the symbol of commercial design for its layout, but remains a strong creation for its colors and shape of its letters.
It was the time for the perfect marketing of mass products: each object became the symbols of that condition, from lollipops and ice-cream to Pepsi, Seven-up and obviously Coca Cola!
Pepsi Cola Sign – Claes Oldenburg 1961
it really shows how the industry tent to be disintegrated and shuttered at least by arts.
Seven-up by Tom Wesselmann 1964Coca Cola way of life
Latest pictures show the success of capitalism which affirmed the American life and Coca Cola was by far the greatest expression of the mass product: used by Wahrol in its Green Coca Cola Bottles of 1962, and by Robert Rauschenberg for its Cola Cola Plan, the shape and color of the bottle is represented several times in sequence in order to show the different ways of consumption in the triviality and insignificance of life.
That’s how the Pop Art started to shape the general feeling and behaviour of 50’s and 60’s. More pictures and details on next article!
This is a little story about a little area in the South of Italy, a little region named Basilicata (maybe named after ‘basil’ or ‘basilica’ – the ancient Roman churches). This region is not very big and economically advanced, that’s why is not so common and some people still don’t know it exists. But thanks to the last award for ‘Matera 2019 bid book – the European city of culture‘ it’s becoming even more interesting, popular and beautiful.
And this is also why in the next New Year’s Eve there’s gonna be a great event in its biggest square – Vittorio Veneto Sq.
Vittorio Veneto Square, Matera
There’s gonna be the biggest concert of Italy with a lot of national and international artists, there’s a huge stage in the centre of the square where the old fashioned part of the city starts: Sassi, these very ancient rudes where people used to live. Now they are part of the World Unesco Heritage property and they have been relocated and restored as Italian bars, pubs and art galleries, souvenir shops and narrows that look like if you are in a painting:
Matera 2019
It will be the first time and the first chance for the city to be on TV and have a so prominent role. Hope it will play a great role by showing its charming landscape and pieces of the past…
No time to shopping, no time to look for something useful, beautiful, that reminds you of tthe person you would love to give a present? Don’t panic, you just need half an hour to go in a little accessories shop or in a big store..ideas are already here!
Ideas about cheap presents – for friends, sisters, colleagues…
Cheap gift – ballerinas for rings
…they’re are perfect for your colleagues and friends who love and wear rings!
Cheap gift – pie de poule hat
It could be ideal for your trendy friends who love the latest trends
Black whool and golden hat
It’s for an easy person who love to wear comfortable
Grey hat with studs
ideal for lovely and delicate persons
Pon pon hat
for cute and happy people who love to have fun!
Finger food set
The perfect present for the friends you share your aperitivos with! So you can Aldo enjoy your homemade finger food ape!
Chinese or Japanese chopsticks
…to enjoy together the take away sushi dinners!
lovely chocolateHomemade cookiesBody lotion
#NoteOfTheDay Souvenirs by Steve Goodman and John Prine (a lovely guitar duo), 1989
This is what I want to share with you. It was planned that on 18th I would have been in Brussels for work. The unplanned was the attack to Paris of some days ago and above all, the panic that media are able to create.
Media have obviously the aim to inform people and it’s exactly what you expect to see that it’s shown each time you watching your TV or listen to your radio; everything converges into a challenge for the scariest news. And mass-media become the way to spread the panic more than the info.
Anyway after lots of hours spent searching for the latest news, here you are what my mind figured out..
Step 1: at the airportStep 2: countdown to BrusselStep 3: the super regular and strict squares of GermanyLanding in Frankfurt
And then some world news…
World news about terror in the air – and suspects on the ground 😥The Wall Street Journal about France answer
But here we go, I’m in Brussel. It’s cold, it’s dark – ’cause it’s after 6pm – and at the airport there was this slowly motion scene where everybody seemed to feel quiet; not any tragic views, nor police everywhere 😳
Destination reached: Place de Luxembourg
This is one of the central square of the city and maybe the place at most risk because it’s where the European Commission is…exactly one of those place that many articles or news cast suggest to not go during those days. And obviously I was there ✌️
Just 5 minutes walking from the Museum of Natural Science full of dinosaurs remains and bones, projections, music and special guests- where I spent the belgian night enjoying the ceremony of .EU Web awards:
.EU web awards
Embalmed ostrich
Music was very unconventional, by an Italian band named Khora Quartet and also the special guest was very unexpected: Flavia Pennetta, the winner of US Open 2015, Pilar del Castillo from the Euro-Parliament and members of Eurid, the European registry for .eu top level domain
Khora quartetFlavia Pennetta- US Open 2015 ChampionPilar del Castillo from the Parliament
Well, the autumn has started some days ago, but Tuscany doesn’t seem to be aware of it. So lucky. That’s the reason why, on last Saturday I decided to have a trip in the countryside and breath a little of freshness and smell those flavors and perfumes you can only have among the fields, trees, olives, grapes, under the sun.
It took just 1 hour to get there, in Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti – Florence area.
It was love at first sight, a very small village (like mine) on the top of a silent hill that looks like abandoned, a ghost village. I passed the day just in front of it, where a little family of farmers welcomed my friends and me to have a little tour there with a final wine tasting stop. Glamourous.
Tuscany – Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti countrysideVineyard in Tuscany countryside
It was lovely to spend hours just by staring at those colors: graveyards were half yellow, half orange, pale orange, and also red, maybe brown too. But the grass was so green that it was hard to think those leaves were going to fall down and cover it completely.
Also, while listening to our favorite team leader explanations and descriptions about the wine process and olive oil productions, it was impossible to not get lost in the surrounding… yes, everybody was always ahead toward the next explanation and room, but I took my time in order to have those souvenirs I’m gonna show you right now:
Tuscany Landscape – Greve in Chianti agriculture and cultivationTuscany farmers and avant-garde
The last one picture shows you a little example of how much the farmers of Tuscany are keen on new trends and technology: it’s not about how virtual they are, but it’s about how can they grew their business just improving little by little their activities, remaining still so nature. Anyway, what I want to say you it’s to pay attention looking at this pic: www.pastaalpesto.com and cooking lesson are the signal under the windows, so smart! Have a look at their websites if you’re interested in having cooking lessons about traditional Italian homemade pasta.
But let’s go further to have a look in the surrounding area: here we are the wine cellars, where the wine is stored, and the welcoming barrels which show you the trail for they called winery !
Wine cellar – MontefioralleBarrels – Montefioralle vineryGallo nero – the black cock guarantee
Maybe the Black Cock – or better Gallo Nero is one of the most recognized certified wine labels in the world. It is clearly related to the Chianti area but the cock is only for those wines from the premier central region – Chianti Classico is the best one. Why a black cock? Its origins are historically-based, here you are a great explanation and a funny old story.
Then, let’s see the most tasteful lines of this article: homemade products, bread, ham, chees and a refill wine card you can top with your money and use by enjoying several type of wines:
cheese cellarsmoked hamwine, bruschetta with chees and ham and special wine card
It’s extraordinary to see how these little villages build their business and help growing their tourism by taking care of the customers experience and its total engagement.
la Menagere – Florence
This is how it introduces itself: a bunch of things, interesting, nice and a little vintage. But the place is much more…completely restyled, it’s very huge and you can enjoy every parts of your day inside of it: it works for breakfast, lunch, a simple tea with friends, very good meals – those which sound and taste a little American 😉 – even if the name it’s French and its business card says Florence since 1896 (?!)
Anyway, what I found most interesting was its internal design and weird furniture. In fact La Ménagèreshows exactly how much the static and conventional things are changing, including also the restaurants that maybe are one of the most traditional concept we have – ore better, we had.
Now you can enter a trattoria and buy flowers, cakes, stylish chairs or pictures, things for your home and so on..it means to buy the whole experience.
Have a look:
lovely vintage table
stylish arts lampvintage wallwanna take them with mejazz concerts at nightway down to the ground floor As you can notice, my pictures aren’t exactly based on their menu and meals 😁 maybe because I appreciate the sorrounding concept more than the restaurant. They got it.
If you are around Via de Ginori (near Cappelle Medicee and leather market of Florence) have a look inside this concept-restaurant!
It’s a new trend that is spreading in the marketing and communication worlds. Storytelling or tell the stories is what commercials and newspapers do everyday, but now they’re doing it in a new different way. Interactive, because obviously you have to play with a story, live it and have an active role. Transmedia is the new word that we can add to the previous ones, and it’s worth to say that they go on very well: transmedia interactive storytelling, tell a story through images, pictures, videos, maps, people that you can experience and share.
We’re already in a cross-communication stage, because now the need is to reach people through several channels and make them feel into a total experience.
What I want to say is that it’s nothing so complex, you just need your story, your mobile – iPhone, iPad or whatever – and try to use the apps I’m going to list right now. That’s it!
Here you are some examples of what Interactive Storytelling is:
See New York Times – journalistic storytelling A story about passwords in everyday lifeHoward tells his storyWe can’t see him but we can listen to his story through his voice, watch a series of pictures appearing into his image and showing us his story: we can feel his lost numbers story about the 700 people he lost in his company on September 11th. Just try to imagine…
Eleanor, shield number storytelling
Eleanor, who found a special protection in his husband shield number when he used to work in a police dept.
Alexandra, storytelling about her mom Her password is like a new story in her life, with her children, after her mother’s death: passwords, secrets, tears you can hear while she speaks.
Here you are some tips and apps you can explore that can help you to tell your stories: Medium, Adobe Slate, Pixotalefor visual storytelling. Storehouse and Stellerfor basic tools to storytell.
New storytelling is the way we can interact with our readers, find your own way. Everybody has a story to tell, just choose to do it with all you can use: videos, pictures, labels, screenshots, signals, movies, cuts, interviews, songs, sounds, voices.
