Allison Anderson Films (November 15, 2023) – A three-week cruise aboard the Seabourn Venture from Greenland, through the Canadian Arctic to Nome, Alaska.
Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:28 What is the Northwest Passage? 01:17 Ilulissat, Greenland 02:16 Karrat Fjord, Greenland 03:00 The View of a Lifetime 03:45 What are Expedition Voyages? 04:20 Walruses 04:49 Polar Bears 06:32 Arctic History and Culture 07:13 Seasonal Changes 07:43 Life Onboard the Seabourn Venture 08:18 The Northern Lights and Nome, Alaska 09:07 My Thoughts on the Northwest Passage
For centuries the search for the Northwest Passage lured the most intrepid explorers, but it wasn’t until 1906 that Roald Amundsen finally completed the first sea voyage across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
The châteaux of the Loire Valley number over three hundred, including Chenonceau, Chissay and Chambord, that range from practical fortifiedcastles from the 10th century to splendid residences built half a millennium later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux in the Loire Valley, the nobility, drawn to the seat of power, followed suit, attracting the finest architects and landscape designers.
The châteaux and their surrounding gardens are cultural monuments which embody the ideals of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Many of the châteaux were built on hilltops, such as the Château d’Amboise, while the only one built in the riverbed is the Château de Montsoreau. Many had exquisite churches on the grounds or within the château.
Los Angeles Times (November 15, 2023) –A team of Los Angeles Times journalists travels along the Colorado River to examine how the Southwest is grappling with the water crisis. The Colorado River can no longer withstand the thirst of the arid West.
Water drawn from the river flows to millions of people in cities from Denver to Los Angeles and irrigates vast farmlands. For decades, sections of the river have been entirely used up, leaving dusty expanses of desert where water once flowed to the sea in Mexico. Now, chronic overuse and the effects of climate change are pushing the river system toward potential collapse, with depleted reservoirs near the lowest levels since they were filled.
A water reckoning is about to transform the landscape of the Southwest. Colorado River in Crisis follows Los Angeles Times journalists traveling throughout the river’s watershed, from the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the river’s dry delta. These stories reveal the stark toll of the river’s decline, responses that have yet to match the scale of the crisis, and voices that are urging a fundamental rethinking of how water is managed and used to adapt to the reality of an overtapped and dwindling river.
This documentary was filmed and produced by Albert Brave Tiger Lee, with reporting by Ian James and other L.A. Times journalists. Consulting producers included Maggie Beidelman, Robert Meeks and Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein. (46 minutes)
MICHELIN Guide (November 14, 2023) – A local product par excellence, Maltese honey represents the country’s history and culinary riches – and no mention can be made of Maltese cuisine without it being referenced.
In this video, beekeepers Ray Sciberras and Jorge Spiteri take us back to the time of the Romans and tell us all about the Apis Mellifera Ruttneri – the Maltese honeybee. We also see how the honey they produce plays a key role at the Camilleri & Sons Bakery, where among the many delicacies, you’ll find delicate Zeppoli Ta’ San Guzepp pastries drizzled with honey.
But it doesn’t stop at pastry, as chef Robert Cassar of the MICHELIN-recommended restaurant Root 81 makes clear. “Honey, in my eyes, is like butter – you can use it with everything,” he says.
National Geographic (November 14, 2023) – Dominica: The Nature Island (2023) follows the National Geographic Pristine Seas team as they partner with local leadership to conduct the first full-island survey of the marine ecosystems around the island.
The scientific results from the international team’s weeks of work will help inform the Dominican government and its people in their resilience planning to ensure their marine environment’s irreplaceable assets continue to sustain the well-being of many generations of Dominicans.
After the harrowing experiences of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Dominica committed to transforming the island into the world’s first climate resilient nation.
The Local Project (November 14, 2023) – White Rock is a secret cabin hidden in the woods in the Gaspereau Valley, an agricultural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. Designed by architect Omar Gandhi as a retreat for his family, a close friend’s family and their circle of friends and colleagues,
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Secret Cabin 00:55 – A Shared Childhood Dream 01:26 – A Walkthrough and the Layout of the Cabin 02:39 – A Sparse and Simple Material Palette 04:01 – The Modern Kitchen Design 05:33 – Evolving The Design Elements 05:56 – Favourite Aspects of the Project
it is a deeply personal project that adds a dynamic layer to his studio’s portfolio. It is possible to visualise this secret cabin hidden in the woods in other forest settings, yet the architectural nuances bring a specificity to the design that belong only to this place. From a distance, the cabin is but a small disruption amid the ever-changing colours of the forest, yet up close, its architectural presence is monumental. The steel form is a confident expression of simple geometries and a bold reinterpretation of a typical secret cabin hidden in the woods.
A house tour reveals an aesthetic that is elemental and layered, from the bedrooms to the kitchen. The interior design, which is defined by smoked oak, raw steel shelving and wall-mounted industrial light fixtures, complements the architecture of this secret cabin hidden in the woods. As the lead architect, designer and homeowner, Omar embraced the opportunity to inject his personality into the design. He saw this project as an opportunity to experiment within the framework of his practice, thus, several pieces of furniture created in collaboration with local artisans and makers dot the interiors.
WIRED (November 13, 2023) – Dr. Jeffrey Laitman joins WIRED to break down how our organs and body parts age from head to toe. From hearing and hair loss to sagging skin and deteriorating joints, Dr. Laitman highlights the impact of aging on the human body—and what we can do about it.
Director: Lisandro Perez-Rey; Director of Photography: Francis Bernal
FRANCE 24 Films (November 13, 2023) – Nestled at an altitude of 400 metres in the heart of the Alps, France’s Lake Annecy is considered the purest lake in Europe. On its shores, the medieval old town of Annecy is nicknamed the “Venice of the Alps” for its picturesque canals.
Out on the lake, fishermen catch féra, a delicate fish that Michelin-starred chef Jean Sulpice is particularly fond of working with. The forests that surround the lake are also a source of inspiration for the chef, who never misses an opportunity to stroll through them in search of new flavours.
Eater Films (November 13, 2023) – Nels Leader is the CEO of Bread Alone, an upstate New York bakery founded by his father in 1983. Today, the bakery is committed to the idea that everyone should have access to good bread — a goal it tries to achieve by baking 150,000 loaves every week.
Sotheby’s (November 13, 2023) – This month, we’re taking a tour of the world’s most exciting and innovative museum exhibitions with Tim Marlow, CEO and Director of the Design Museum, London.
Africa & Byzantium Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 19 November 2023 – 3 March 2024 Bringing together the art and culture of Byzantium and Africa, this ambitious New York exhibition looks in a new way at their importance to the development of the premodern world.
Africa & Byzantium comprises over 200 objects, from frescoes and mosaics to jewelry and manuscripts borrowed from many of the great collections, spanning over ten centuries of complex cultural exchange and influence.
Modigliani: Modern Gazes Staatsgalerie Stuttgart 24 November 2023 – 17 March 2024 Modigliani: Modern Gazes focuses on the 20th-century Italian artist’s portraits of modern women From bohemian Paris who stare unapologetically at the viewer, defiant and – as the director of the Staatsgalerie, Christiane Lange puts it – “emancipated”.
Works by German-speaking contemporaries Paula Modersohn-Becker, Jeanne Mammen, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Wilhelm Lehmbruck also feature, in a show that places Modigliani in the wider cultural context of the young European avant-garde.
Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC 19 November 2023 – 31 March 2024 Rothko exhibitions have always focused on his canvases but the artist drew no distinction between them and his paintings on paper – some of which were up to seven feet tall.
Forming the basis of Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, a ground-breaking show at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, many of the watercolors, acrylics and oil paintings on paper have never been seen before.
Botticelli Drawings 19 November 2023 – 11 February 2024 Legion of Honor, San Francisco Although his reputation dwindled until the Pre-Raphaelites rediscovered his work in the 19th century, Sandro Botticelli is now one of the most revered of the Renaissance masters.
There has, however, never been a significant exhibition of his drawings so Botticelli Drawings – an admirable and important project – will give us the chance to trace his artistic journey in a more intimate way than ever before.
An Atlas of Es Devlin Cooper Hewitt, New York 18 November 2023 – 11 August 2024 Devlin is a polymath and then some, with a wide ranging practice that incorporates stage design from La Scala in Milan to the Super Bowl. She is utterly compelling but hard to classify, which is why it is appropriate that Devlin herself will install her 30 year archive.
An Atlas of Es Devlin – featuring over 300 sketches, paintings, cutouts, and maquettes – will also stage a replica of her London studio along with giant film installations, a library programme including collective readings and the chance to participate in a cumulative artwork.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
Harry Mateman
Los Angeles Times
MICHELIN Guide
National Geographic
WIRED
FRANCE 24 
Eater
Sotheby’s
Boomers Daily 