Only-apartments' blog

ONLY BE AMSTERDAMMER

ONLY BE BUDAPESTER

ONLY BE VENETIAN

ONLY BE BARCELONIAN

ONLY BE BERLINER

ONLY BE VALENCIAN

ONLY BE ISTANBULITE

ONLY BE FLORENTINE

ONLY BE LISBOETA

ONLY BE LONDONER

ONLY BE NEW YORKER

ONLY BE MADRILENIAN

ONLY BE MALAGUEÑO

ONLY BE MILANESE

ONLY BE PARISIAN

ONLY BE PORTUENSE

ONLY BE PRAGUER

ONLY BE ROMAN

ONLY BE SEVILLIAN

ONLY BE PROXIMAMENTE

ONLY BE ATHENIAN

ONLY BE COMING SOON

Last posts

Paris Vegan Day, November 28th

Mónica Boixeda Only-Be, Parisian

Again, ville lumière will host the second edition of Paris Vegan Day on November 28th, 2010 from 11.00 to 23.30 (www.parisveganday.fr), an excellent opportunity to rent apartments in Paris. On this day, the emphasis will be placed on promoting the vegan philosophy, which is not only a way of eating, but a way of living and a set of practices under the slogan “we are what we eat.” Vegan culture refers to principles of ethical living, green and healthy, but without sacrificing pleasure, taste and fun. The origin of these philosophical and spiritual motivations can be dated to the sixth century AD, when the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, made a plea for a meatless diet and his followers formed a vegetarian community. It is undeniable that in Western societies the consumption of meat and animal derivatives, in the name of a mythical need for proteins that must be met at any cost, i.e. through the manipulation and mass destruction of animals. Farming practices would make even the most unrepentant sadist blush, and have given rise to diseases, such as the recent mad cow or foot and mouth disease. Others might arise from genetic manipulation, which is still very recent and does not allow us to assert that the increase in certain cancers is linked to these new scientific practices. These behaviors are seriously affecting our health. It is known that excessive consumption of meat eating is a big mistake, leading to hypertension and arteriosclerosis, as well as lead to a reduction of other nutrients necessary for our body, and may lead some to suffer from nutritional imbalances or organ... read more

Planeta award goes to Eduardo Mendoza

Mónica Boixeda Barcelonian, Only-Be

In more ways than one, you can say that the ever-controversial annual Planeta award is the event that officially kicks off literary season in Spain. Established fifty-eight years ago by the editor Juan Manuel Lara with the aim, in theory, of promoting Spanish writers, this prize has always garnered a certain amount of criticism because the winning works are published by the same editorial which runs the prize. Winners are almost certainly guaranteed best-seller status. This has led to all sorts of intrigues and rumors of awards agreed to in advance that over time have served to discredit the award in for literary purists, but the fact is that all this ivory tower controversy has never damaged prize’s promotional impact. Winning books become a media phenomenon, and the prize ensures significantly higher sales in Spain. Combined with the generous cash prize of 601,000 euros, it is one of the most coveted prizes. Still, controversy aside, there are years when the quality of the winner seems hardly debatable and that is the case with the edition number 59 just awarded to Barcelona writer Eduardo Mendoza. Another recent standout winner was The World by Juan Jose Millas in 2007, written in stunning Spanish. The following year the book won the highly prestigious National Award for Fiction. The strangest thing about the Riña de Gatos. Madrid 1936, the winning novel, which revolves around the origin of the Spanish Civil War, is that it is set, as its title suggests, the capital of Spain. Strange, mainly because Eduardo Mendoza is known, among other things, for his brilliant appearance on the Spanish literary scene... read more

Contemporary sculpture in Milan

Mónica Boixeda Milanese, Only-Be

The Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro features an exquisite exhibition which collects the work of more than 80 Italian artists who broke into the contemporary art scene thanks to their sculptures. Here is the presentation of three artists who form part of the interesting exhibition at the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, which opened on October 20th and will be open until January 30th, 2011. Maurizio Cattelan is undoubtedly one of the most famous artists of Italy, who was born in Padua in 1960. He launched his first creative ventures in the field of designing, building furniture for apartments. And hence was born his fiery passion for art, culminating in his first exhibition in Bologna in the late 80´s. His work combines sculpture with performance, creating an interesting paradox that reflects his elegant sense of humor and momentum. Vanessa Beecroft transgresses the boundaries between art and design, sexist and feminist, intelligent and coarse. Naked women in heels populate her imaginary world, which have already been exposed in several renowned museums. Her peculiar living sculptures use the figure of the immovable clone, to provoke questions about the nature of sexual attraction. Alice Cattaneo, born in Milan, makes sculptures and animated videos created using materials found in everyday life. The work of this artist is very funny and, in turn, ethereal, opportunistic and precarious. Sometimes her sculptures seem to be the result of a magical accident, sometimes it shows the dedication and the pragmatic approach that has made the art Cattaneo famous. For more information about the exhibition visit: http://www.fondazionearnaldopomodoro.it/press_eng.php?b=i&id_evento=59 Heloise Battista These are just three of 80 fabulous avant-garde sculptors whose work can... read more