Guide to MEDELLÍN – And a Day Trip to GUATAPÉ

Let me guide you to Medellín – which is also a great gateway for a fantastic day trip to the mesmerizing town of Guatapé.

Fernando Botero La Muerte de Pablo Escobar
Fernando Botero La Muerte de Pablo Escobar
Escobar was shot and killed by the Colombian National Police already in 1993, but like all the rest of this beautiful country, since then, Colombia progressed a lot; sadly, without the world taking notice.I wish my post will change that at least a bit.
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How to Avoid Copyright Infringement: Unexpected Traps

As I am reading posts written by my fellow bloggers, I’m getting chills. There is so much copyright infringement – and as I’m afraid that the ‘offenders’ don’t breach the law on purpose, read this post on how to avoid it.

erased painting to avoid copyright infringement
This picture is mine – what’s on it, however, is not. If I had photographed the girl from the front, I would have had a different legal problem – based on GDPR.

After I’ve notified some of those bloggers time and again individually, I finally decided to put my tips into writing for everyone.

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Trip to BELO HORIZONTE | BRUMADINHO | INHOTIM

While studying Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, I thought it might be a good idea to take a trip to Belo Horizonte at the weekend – mostly because I wanted to see Inhotim, a botanic garden full of contemporary art.

Group of drummers in Belo Horizonte
Young Belo Horizontians drumming with vigor.

Turns out, Inhotim was the only spot worth the travel. But so worth it!

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Guide to SÃO PAULO – Brazil’s Art Hub

I will not beat around the bush – São Paulo, Brazil’s Art Hub, was my favorite Brazilian city.

Mural of a boy at SÃO PAULO - Brazil's Art Hub
There’s a lot of truly amazing street art in São Paulo.

Although Bonito enchanted me with its natural beauty, Foz do Iguaꞔu impressed me with the power of nature – São Paulo is the place where I see myself living and working and being part of the cool, artsy crowd.

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Guide to MALMÖ – a city in search of 24 more nations

Let me guide you to Malmö, a city that combines in a very intriguing way the folksy charm of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s tales and the hip atmosphere of a students’ town – which it is, actually.

View of the Västra Hamnen, Malmö's "city of tomorrow" with the iconic "Turning Torso" from the city beach Ribersborgsstranden.
View of the Västra Hamnen, Malmö’s city of tomorrow with the iconic Turning Torso from the city beach Ribersborgsstranden.

In fact, Malmö has 320,000 inhabitants who share 77 square kilometers. This makes it, believe it or not, Sweden’s third-largest city – after Stockholm and Göteborg.

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most instagrammable – till death do us part: a rant

Yes, this is a rant on how Instagram deteriorates the art of photography to death. But it also makes the world a dangerous – and endangered – place.

mural of a guy taking a picture. most instagrammable - till death do us part: a rant
You’d be surprised at how many pictures death is present – even though not always visible.

I love good photography. That’s why I hate Instagram.

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A night at the KAGURA

I spent a night to remember – a night at the Kagura.

When travelling, I love to attend folkloristic spectacles. Due to the language barrier, I prefer dance shows. In Kandy on the island of Sri Lanka, I saw a dance show, in Chiang Mai in Thailand it even came with a traditional dinner. On the island of Bali, I witnessed Kecak in Uluwatu and went to see a performance every single night during my stay in Ubud.

Kagura Performance in Hiroshima
Good against evil – a classic in performing arts.

You can imagine my excitement when I found out that on Saturdays, there is a Kagura performance at the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. Saturday – perfect, I’ll be in Hiroshima on Saturday, so nothing will hold me back from spending a night at the Kagura.

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How to Visit the Biennale di Arte in Venice 2019

While Venice is a place worth visiting even when nothing special is on, here is how to visit the city during the Biennale di Arte, one of the world’s most important art events, in 2019.

biennale di arte Venice 2019: Ponte Papadopoli advertising for 2019's mega-event.
Ponte Papadopoli advertising for 2019’s mega-event.

However, the Biennials add some contemporary suspense and glamour to all the shiny renaissance the Doges left behind, and this summer, the 58th Biennale di Arte is on.

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Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art – the best-hidden gem of Istanbul

Hardly anyone I know has ever heard of the Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art, so I really think it’s the best-hidden gem in Istanbul.

Coming to this grand city on the Bosporus river, obviously, everybody is standing in line to see the antique masterpieces at Hagia Sophia and the Topkapı Palace. Or – if they venture away from Sultanahmet – the very ‘French’ Dolmabahçe.

Terrace of the Proje4L/Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art - Istanbul's best-hidden Gem
Homage to Masters of Sculpture, against the backdrop of Istanbul’s financial center view,
Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz

But hardly anyone comes to Istanbul to see the young, fresh, and daring Turkish contemporary art.

Big mistake!

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We’ll Always Have Büdelsdorf – bye:myself at the NordArt 2017

We’ll Always Have Büdelsdorf – since every year, hence, also in 2017, the NordArt is taking place in this forlorn suburb with the quirky name.

City sign Büdelsorf and a sign advertising for the NordArt2017
Welcome to the town where one of Europe’s largest art fairs is taking place; I kid you not.

Don’t judge an art event by its location: The annual NordArt is one of Europe’s biggest exhibitions of contemporary art.

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