Here’s a selection which this month leans heavily on politics and non-fiction. At a time when it seems there’s little about which to feel hopeful, there remains a lot for us to consider. BLACK UTOPIANS: VISIONS OF HOPE AND RESISTANCE IN AMERICA, Aaron Robertson Chatto & Windus, pp. 400 Black Utopians is the first full-length…
Many cities in Italy battle for the title of “The least Italian city,” and Trieste has always been a finisher. But to be honest, Trieste competes in a different league: Maybe it’s “the most foreign city in Italy.” Once the sole port of the Habsburg Empire (and for years the Adriatic’s busiest harbor), its strategic…
Bangkok: The city summons a set of preconceptions for the first-time traveller. Chaotic, unrelenting, hedonistic. But most cities exist in the gaps between binaries. In my years spent living and wandering in Bangkok, I have grown to appreciate a metropolis that is abundant in life, creativity and industriousness. The impact of mass tourism is indelible…
The morning sun is bright but I’m surprised by how cool the air is. Arriving early at Al Mureijah Square, I realise I’m underclad for my first tour of Sharjah Biennial 16 (SB16). Titled to carry, the Biennial presents over 650 works by nearly 200 artists, including Alia Farid, Citra Sasmita, and Himali Singh Soin….
January is the moment of New Year resolutions. “I will hit the gym and scroll less, I will stop binge TV shows and read more,” I tell myself … Let’s see, I suppose. We can but try. With that, here’s a quite eclectic selection of the best books published in the last month to help…
Naples has undergone a remarkable transformation over recent times, evolving from a controversial and often overlooked city into a major Mediterranean hotspot – its music, monuments, food and football attracting visitors from across the world. It holds a special place in my heart. Despite being from northern Italy, I’ve always had Neapolitan friends who, over the…
Condo, the brainchild of London art dealer Vanessa Carlos—co-founder of Carlos/Ishikawa—involves local galleries lending their spaces for a month to foreign dealers to stage collaborative exhibitions. The model offers visitors and collectors alike a chance to discover talents they may not have otherwise come across in their city, as well as providing galleries with an…
2025 holds great promise for global independent and arthouse cinema from the return of old masters to a rich trove of breakthroughs by debut directors. Many of these films have received critical acclaim at film festivals while others have been flying a bit under the radar. Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof) In Farsi…