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Last posts

The doll hospital in Rome

Mónica Boixeda Only-Be, Roman

Very close to Piazza del Popolo in Rome´s historic center, there is a small business among trendy shops and fast food establishments that often goes unnoticed by tourists. Its sign reads “Restaurici Artistici Squatriti: Ospedale delle wobbled,” ie, the tiny restoration shop of the Squatriti family, a doll hospital where old toys are treated with care and delicacy. Known to the Romans as “the shop of horror” of the city due to its disturbing window full of heads, arms and legs of dolls and a collection of figures of owls, is a place that deserves to be seen, if only by the singularity of its activity. Currently run by Federico and his mother Squatriti Gesolmina, of 76 years old, this particular hospital mix toy soldiers, puppets, Etruscan vases and forgotten antiques surrounded by the smell of plaster and wax and the feeling that time has stopped. This is a family where art restoration is transmitted every generation. The Squatriti, from Naples, were a family of actors in the Second World War. Hunger and poverty led to Frederick´s grandfather to learn the business of restoration and transmitted it to the whole family, fascinated by the magic of a small business that repaired porcelain. Since then, all of them are dedicated to the art of healing dolls. Although today, the business of restoring ancient Rome has been disappearing with the pace of modern life and few are those who resist, in this little shop of just over 15 square meters, two owners work tirelessly. Twelve hours a day, time to usually repair from 4 to 5 pieces. Most are wooden dolls... read more

Video clips filmed in Paris

Mónica Boixeda Only-Be, Parisian

Paris continues to be a source of inspiration for many artists. Indeed, the magic of Paris that both recalled the nostalgia of the 20´s and the popular May 68 is behind us. The timing of any revolution has resolved to be suspended from a golden arch. Paris city has become too expensive to live in; housing, food or transportation. However, despite the economic crisis, and despite the slightly French paranoia that exists for foreigners and immigrants, Paris is still a place where cultural diversity is a kind of inevitable boom. In other words, the face of Paris now has a thousand shapes, colors, accents, languages, foods, much more than before, no doubt. The music scene in Paris is quite diverse. Who says the French don’t know how to rock? If you go to Paris, you find that there are places for all styles; garage, psychedelia and indie rock as the most predominant ones, but there are also spaces for metal, reggae and, of course rap, which is the most popular throughout France as well as pop, you find everything in Paris. Hence, many videos are filmed in Paris yet, some from well-known musicians, among many others. Starting back in the 60´s, Paris has been the perfect scenario for some of the most interesting videos, back then there was no MTV or anything like that, and instead, these films were promoting by films artists as emblematic as Francoise Hardy, Anna Karina, Jacques Dutronc, Charles Gainsbourg, among the many stars of the French Ye-Ye. Jumping to the present, some of the latest videos filmed in Paris include “I love you” by... read more