CREATE & CULTIVATE 2015

Finally got the chance to write about the Create&Cultivate conference I attended a few weeks ago.

I had a good time, though I did prefer the boutique and curated nature of last year’s event. Because it was cohosted with “Darling” magazine last year, we had DIY workshops, slideshow presentations, and even an artisanal dinner to mingle with new friends. During this version, we were “thrown in” to a huge warehouse with huge sponsors and had to literally navigate the sea of people to get anything out of it or meet anyone. The intimacy was gone. The curated, specifically designed seminars were gone. It was a pretty shell with sponsors, and drinks, and coolness. All the ingredients for the party without the heart.

I did meet some interesting entrepreneurs (with a fashion bent), photograph some pretty displays, and nibble on some delicious snacks. Kept filling up on the Blue Bottle New Orleans coffee samples and my free green juices. All the things I love were there, but it was somehow not fulfilling. Might have been that Darling was no longer a cohost (Now, Allure brought out the big guns) and it was their loyal followers were that created a unique, and authentic presence in the typically superficial industry of beauty. Whatever the difference - the size, the cohosting, the nature of growing and evolving - it was not as special as last time. Would I go again and pay $350 for a ticket? Probably not. But, it’s always interesting to rub shoulders with high profile "influencers" and participate in such a "designed" event.  And, at least I had learned about a new app to upload inspiring quotes onto Instagram!

GRAFFITI MUNDO HISTORY LESSONS

I'm a major fan of international graffiti, and I was especially impressed by the street art culture of Argentina. We signed up for two GraffitiMundo tours, hoping to photograph "pretty' and colorful" graffiti. What we saw was beautiful, memorable, and powerful.

Thanks to the Buenos Aires' Graffiti Mundo tours, we got the chance to tour two different neighborhoods with totally different Street Art styles. The neighborhood closer to La Boca had a lot more abandoned buildings, so the murals got the chance to be pretty massive in scale. This series was painted on the outside of a former jail, by a local artist who resourcefully used tar and gasoline liquids to paint the super sized caricatures. 

The massive political unrest has inspired a very prominent, and strong willed art style which speaks about the Argentine people's attitude to their government. Artists have found a place and a voice to comment about life in modern Buenos Aires through their supergraphics on the abandoned walls. Hearing our tour guide's stories was a rather sombering history and art lesson. What was most powerful was that this history has been the modern history of the nation, the political unrest happening in the last 10 years! We learned about the symbolism behind the art, understanding which pieces were created for what purpose. Here, Art is not decoration but a revolutionary voice to help its people speak freely when they can't use words.

LA BOCA SUNDAY

Can't believe half a year has passed since our trip down south. It was their spring, and our Fall, and now it's our almost summer. I realized that I never posted about one of my favorite finds.

Just like Copacabana is THE place to take a walk on a Sunday afternoon in Rio (where had been thrown in straight from our overnight flight) so is San Telmo/La Boca in Buenos Aires. As a fan of the big, bright, and bold this place definitely hits the spot! All of the houses are painted in bright hues, each a work of art. Around every corner in La Boca is a photo opportunity of vivid color.

VIVA LA BOCA

When traveling, it's best to wholeheartedly jump into the deep end. We got to Buenos Aires on a Sunday and dived right into the chaotic Sunday madness at San Telmo. The taxi dropped us off in the still hung over La Boca hood, which every few minutes got rowdier and slightly more alert. The shutters came up and the people came out. But, before the chaos started, we got the chance to wander around the vivid streets, photographing the insanely saturated color combinations. 

The neighborhood is still a little rough around the edges, but that's what gives it its soul. It started as an Italian enclave in the port, the colors being born out of necessity as they were the remnants of what went into painting the ships. Now the bright hues are the symbolic look of thriving tourist destination. It's the most colorful, lively center of the city, a city which is known for passion and life.   

BUENOS AIRES MURALS

According to their website "The Graffitti Mundo tours reveal the extraordinary history of the city’s vibrant urban art culture, from its fiery political origins, to the modern context in which Buenos Aires has become one of the world’s most exciting cities for street art. We take you off the beaten path to visit hidden graffiti hotspots and open air galleries."

The tours have been developed in close collaboration with the city’s leading artists, enabling them to share their personal stories and motivations, together with the most spectacular art the city has to offer.