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A recently published study by Professor Hoyu Horoku in the journal of the Department of Psychological Phenomenology  of the University of Portland has once again highlighted the long-standing debate about the unmatched power of music to get us out of the present and automatically lead us just  as a Proustian Cupcake (remember the central role played by the famous Vinteuil sonat,a not only the relationship between Swann and Odette, but also in the heart of In Search of Lost Time), to revive a past with indescribable intensity.

According to the experiments of Professor Horoku, the reason to explain the surprising emotional power of music, which is able to transcend the barriers of time, would have to do with the same part of our brain where the memories of the past  are stored and read  (on the medial prefrontal cortex) and acts as the central interface between music and memories and emotions. The results of the investigation does not appear to contribute much to those made in the past by Professor Peter Janata at the  Mind and Brain Center at the University of California, regardless of the potential applications in patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, that may receive assistance through digital lists custom music playlists, which add much less light to the phenomenon than the descriptions provided by writers, thinkers and artists throughout history.

Indeed, such things as the above description of the Proust Vinteuil sonata, effect of  the Pythagorean notions about the vibration of the bodies and the music of the spheres, or the actual string theory in contemporary physics seem to approach in a much more seductive, rich and nutritionally way the essential enigma.

Anyway, one of the most evocative , refreshing whimsical and nostalgic seductively published albums last year was Rome, an album in which the renowned musician and producer Danger Mouse, aka Brian Murton, and Italian soundtrack composer Daniele Luppi, have distilled after five years of work spent in the most extreme secrecy, their love for Italian films music of the  of the sixties and seventies to work closely with musicians who played the original scores of Ennio Morricone (the most celebrated composer of a short list that included such notable artists as Piero Umiliani, Piero Piccioni and Bruno Nicolai) recruiting for the cause the talents of Norah Jones and former White Stripes member Jack White.

Rome was recorded using technology of the time at which it pays tribute to at the Forum studies in the Italian capital, located in an old church where in the past the above mentioned Italian composers worked, whose music is closely related to childhood memories of Luppi and perhaps to a lesser extent, Danger Mouse.

Paul Oilzum

This record makes it particularly suitable to illustrate the connections between music and memory, and a soundtrack is hard to beat when you think about renting apartments in Rome

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Translated by: Marc
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Until February 12 the Pallzzo delle Esposizioni in Rome hosts the international interactive exhibition Homo sapiens. The huge story of human diversity, curated by geneticist Luigi Lucca Cavalli-Sforza and philosopher Pievani Telmo. The exhibition is an open dialogue to rethink human development process, starting with the first footsteps and continuing with the appearances of different ancestors of what we humans we are today.

This exhibition is enormously appealing to all audiences and is divided into 6 sections telling and expressing the tensions that marked the emergence of homo sapiens on earth.

The first section is “The Supremacy of Africa” and refers to the time that the Homo sapiens was the only human inhabitant  for more than 2 million years and is separated from the previous records due to their ability to create and build rudimentary tools that allowed them to be differentiated from other species. This was possible due to a larger head and it will mark the beginning of the appearance of Homo, the beginning of the Paleolithic era that will be defined by the material record imprints found of this ancestor of mankind.

The second section “Loneliness” is a recent invention and refers to the appearance after the Homo sapiens, who decided to move along walking hundreds of miles in a continent full of species, to contact their Neandertal cousins, the little flower man from and the mysterious Denisova man from Siberia.

The third section is “The Geniuses, people & languages ??and it moves us 40 thousand years into the past, when revolution comes and Paleolithic man develops sophisticated tools for a better living, such as the use of fire for cooking and heating. Parallelly  Australia and America arecolonized , this is justified by scientific research that have determined the anthropological, genetic, and linguistic  relationship.

The fourth section “Traces of the world” invites us to look at the process of domination of nature, the use of land, plants and animals, which will lead man to new situations such as conflict and migration in search of new products and land.

Section five:  Italy unity in diversity, takes a look at the special status that makes Italy a place of intersection of biological and cultural diversity, both of which will contribute to the evolution of people and the early appearance of language.

Section six, we are all relatives,we are all different: the intertwined roots of civilization, is a logical development of this interesting exhibition that introduces us to realize that beyond the skin color, language differences, religious or political our origin is only one.

For more information: http://www.palazzoesposizioni.it/categorie/mostra-008?explicit=SI

Nancy Guzman

A great alternative to start the year with good vibes is to rent apartments in Rome and visit the Palazzo delle Esposizioni to see this show.

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Translated by: Marc
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Following the success of previous editions in many cities around the world, this exhibition has landed in Rome. Hagens Body Worlds has contributed substantially to presenting to the public a new active awareness on the issue of donating blood and organs to save other human lives.

All specimens in the exhibition are authentic. They belong to people who have donated their bodies to science. The Institute for Plastination, which Hagens runs already has about 13,000 registered donors.

The main purpose of Body Worlds is health education. On one hand, individual specimens are used to compare healthy organs and diseased ones, such as the lungs of a smoker versus a person who has never smoked, so it emphasizes the importance of healthy living habits. On the other hand, the bodies are in positions that illustrate how we are, naturally fragile in a mechanized world.

Viewers have the opportunity to understand better  the human body and its functions, to learn about the nature of our bodies and identify the individuality and anatomical beauty inside of them.

The authenticity of the specimens that is exhibited is essential for our understanding. Every human being is unique and is distinctly different from others, and reveal their individuality not only through the visible outside, but also through the inside of the body. The position, size, shape, structure of the skeleton, muscles, nerves and determine our inner organs. It would be impossible to express that  unless these were individual anatomical true models one could interpret them as simplified versions of the real thing. The authenticity of the specimens, however, is fascinating and allows the viewer to experience the wonder of a real human body. The exhibition is dedicated to the inner individual.

The technique by which specimens are preserved is the technique of plastination, developed and patented by Hagens in 1977 at the University of Heidelberg. The first step is to stop decomposition. The body is embalmed with a formalin injection into the arteries. After dissection, all bodily fluids and soluble fatty acids are extracted and replaced when placed in a vacuum chamber with reactive resins and Elastoplast such as silicone rubber or epoxy. then light , heat or certain gases are applied. The result is a plastinated specimen with rigidity and permanence. Dr. von Hagens is still investigating to improve this technique.

Hagens is not only a peculiar person, but also a challenging, controversial and provocative one. His exhibitions have been controversial both due to the nature that he shows as to the charges which he has to face due to the uncertain origin of the bodies he has received for this exhibition. In 2002, he broadcasted  live in the United Kingdom an autopsy. English law strictly prohibits the live broadcast of this type of intervention.

For more information visit the website: http://www.bodyworlds.com/it/roma.html.

Ara

In the words of Hagens, this exhibition returns to Rome and is a true homecoming, as the tradition and the first studies of human anatomy were made in Italy during the Renaissance. Rent apartments in Rome and enjoy this wonderful lesson on human anatomy.

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Translated by: Marc
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Until January 8th, 2012 the MAXXI Foundation in Rome exhibits Omaggio all’Arte Povera organized around the installations of  Gilberto Zorio and Jannis Kounellis in dialogue with the sculpture displayed at the Museum of Giuseppe Penone. The exhibition is part of the curatorial work of Germano Cenlant who coined the term Arte Povera.

This exhibition is part of the celebrations taking place on the occasion of the 150 years of the unification of Italy, and nothing is better than to indulge into a deep discussion about this  artistic movement born in Italy in the mid-60′s of the  XX century, spreading a worldwide  generation of artists, most notably Giuseppe Penone.

Arte Povera was created as an artistic movement that is seeking commercial art as opposed to minimalism and pop art, rejecting  reductionism of the media, working with waste materials and simple things such as wood, leaves, and pieces of all kinds of recycling materials. In this quest to give a greater representation to art it seeks public participation in it  by provocative works that compel the viewer to get involved in the art.

Giuseppe Penone Garesio was born in Italy in 1947. A Professor at the Ecole des Beau-Arts in Paris though his studio is in Turin. His work has been linked to nature and especially trees and their settlement within the land. They are identified as a  system similar to human life, where birth, procreation and death constantly loop. In his first writings he asks whether soil can absorb and express human soul. Since then, the artist has continued to question earth, understood as a universal substance. From his first works in the 60s, Penone’s productions has been marked by nature and the focus of its concerns. His most famous art piece is The Alberi Trees.

Jannis Kounellis was born in Piraeus, Greece in 1936. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and from the beginning was an “enphant terrible” in the art community by questioning the limits imposed by academia as well as a avid critic. In 1963 he begins using unconventional materials in his works, including live animals, fire, earth, burlap, etc.. He mocks limits by using window frames, door frames, bed frames and other items that were out of the conventionalism as part of his work. In 1967 he joined the Arte Povera movement, two years later he caused concern as he exposed horses as part of his work at the Galerie l’penthouse in Rome.

Gilberto Zorio Adorno was born in Italy in 1944. He is known for his sculptures with recycled materials , though not part of the Arte Povera movement, he is on the periphery of it. The work displayed is part of the art collection of UniCredit Commodatum and was given to MAXXI for this exhibition that rediscovers the work of these three great contemporary artists of the Italian scene.

For more INFORMATION: http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/?p=11748

Nancy Guzman

A good alternative to spend New Years eve is to rent apartments in Rome and enjoy a week of luxury visiting the most incredible places of this city and seeing the wonderful works at the MAXXI Museum.

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Translated by: Marc
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Getting into this amazing Roman palace is being immersed in the history of Italy. The Doria Pamphili aristocratic family have been accumulating in this noble mansion (which occupies a full block of downtown Rome) delicate decorative objects, fine furniture of all styles and impressive works of art of the best artists of the last centuries. All for the visual pleasure of the members of this noble clan, that even today still live there surrounded by such illustrious walls. But economic needs are imposed and The powerful Doria Pamphili family are forced to open to the public to raise cash to contribute to the maintenance of such antiquated facilities.

Thus, some of the most spectacular rooms of the palace can be booked for meetings, receptions and events of all types, those who do not have the opportunity to be invited to a elegant soirée, may, at any rate, enjoy anyways another way the Palazzo Doria Pamphili.

And to do what? I propose a multiple plan that is the best way enjoy the visit. First, we will enjoy the awesome sight of the baroque building, apart from the dozens of spectacular paintings hanging on their walls. Although the most famous painting is the portrait of Innocent X, painted by Velázquez (art work that obsessed so much Francis Bacon that he painted more than 40 versions of it).The Palazzo Doria Pamphili is a small museum, and a special gallery with a full representation of the very best of the past centuries. Caravaggio, for example, is present with weeping Magdalene and the Holy Family with a musician Angel all accompanied by the dark par-excellence painter Raphael, as well as painteings by Carracci and the French painter Claudio de Lorena.

If the gift of such a visual pleasure is not enough, the Doria family, who know quite a lot about the enjoyment of senses, organizes a series of chamber concerts by the Extravaganza Music Group. The intention is that the sounds and notes of the viols, harpsichords, lutes or harps embraces the visitors to recreate the entertaining and leisure atmosphere that the ancient inhabitants of the palace enjoyed. Undoubtedly, the traveler has a better opportunity to go back to a past time with the incorporation of live music ,a time  when the hours flowed calmly and slowly (at least for the aristocratic elite) and this is what the heirs of old Doria Pamphili propose, that the visitor feels like he is part of a privileged past. This is a plan that could satisfy the thirst for refined beauty of any self-respecting spirit.

Enter the mansion, walk its halls and galleries filled with works of art and sit down to enjoy a chamber concert is today within reach of a click. Of course, you have to make reservations well in advance. I enclose the web address http://www.doriapamphilj.it/musica.asp where they give due consideration to all practical information and a video to open your appetite

Candela Vizcaíno

I forgot: before you leave, rent some of the nicest apartments in Rome the best way to visit the the Eternal City without rushing

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Translated by: Marc
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For seasoned travelers Rome has its secrets, but for those who are first timers or already know it but haven’t had time to look for sites where you can buy the same articles that are in big department stores at reasonable prices, this little text is going to help you tremendously in your next foray to one of the most expensive cities in Europe.

If you do not like getting away from downtown, you can find Discount fashion on the Plaza Spain dell’Alto. This place has all the top fashion brands at cheap prices and you will not believe that it is so close to everything. It is one of the few secrets that many people do not share.

Another good recommendations that we can give is Castel Romano Outlet. Iit will take your time to get there because it is 13 km from Rome at Castel Romano exit. If you go by public transport, which is not a bad option , grab  line B  metro, get off at the Laurentina stop and then take the COTRAL  bus going to Pomezia or Tor Vajanica, ask the bus driver for further instructions. If you are less adventurous, take a taxi. Open Hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Saturday they extend until 21:00. It is not open on Sundays and public holidays. There you can find everything you are looking for, clothes, shoes, accessories, and everything stamped with the best Italian and international brands.

If you are looking for exclusivity Bulgari Outlet offers a wide range of their products. To get there it will not be a huge effort because it is located in Via Aurelia, in the heart of Rome. It has everything in perfumery and cosmetics, scarves, clothing, ties and accessories, which, although outside the 2011 collection, it is  an irresistible offer. For those who only speak English, there will be no problem because they speak in Italian  and English, It Opens Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 18:00. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays it is closed.

For those who like to get in and out of shops, Fashion Distric is the place to visit. This outlet is on the Sol to Valmonte motorway and is a mini citadel where everything can by tried on and bought. A true paradise for those looking for cheap deals on clothing, shoes, accessories, perfumes and small and large details for your home or for gifts. A great place to go shopping now that we approaching the Xmas season. Their hours are from 10:00 to 20:00 every day and open until Saturday until 21:00H

But if you want to visit markets where you will pay little and without a doubt find the coolest fashion and what is not fashionable, the most famous place in Rome is the Porta Portese in Trastevere and the Garage Sale that withits 250 stands has everything you need. It is located in the vicinity of the Piazza of the Navy.

For more information:

http://castelromano.mcarthurglen.it/

Nancy Guzman

Autumn in apartments in Rome is a real alternative to be seduced by, so enter this date in your calendar and indulge in the pleasure of all that you can buy at a bargain price.

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Translated by: Marc
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Rome is the Eternal City, but also it’s the location with the thousand faces: contemporary and ancient, pagan and sacred, chaotic and, at the same time, organized. For centuries different people with their different ways of facing reality have chosen it to establish their particular civilization. From the ashes of what it was, at times, the biggest empire on planet Earth, to the impressive baroque basilicas, temples and palaces, everything has its space in Rome. And the joyful, mundane, noisy and eminently profane city can’t (and doesn’t want to) shake off its sacredness, what keeps her united to Christianity. Because of that, initiatives such as the Pro Sacred Art and Music Foundation had to be born and grow in Rome.

But let’s go bit by bit so we don’t get lost. We consider sacred music that music conceived originally to be performed during religious services (‘St Matthew Passion by Johan Sebastian Bach, or the ‘Requiem’ by Mozart, for example), in counterposition with the one which was conceived to be inaugurated in theatres (symphonies, camera music and operas). There’s no need to give more details on the type of music that the music lover will encounter in this international festival which has been taking place since 2002 in the most impressive religious locations in Rome. And when I say impressive, it’s almost a warning so that the traveller does not get stunned in front of such beauty. From Santa Maria Maggiore, St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls to St Peter in the Vatican, they’re used as singular locations for the incredible staging of this festival, which invites (I nearly forgot) the best choirs and orchestras in the world (from the Vienna Philarmonic to the Monte Carlo Philarmonic).

We have a location which is breathtaking, specific dates (between the 26th of October and the 9th of November, from the full moon until new moon), sublime music and the best performers. With such a great plan, there will be of course celebrity guests, from his Holiness the Pope, together with his full curia, to the highest level politicians who don’t want to miss out on such a great event which is, thankfully, available to everyone with just a click of a button. Here’s the website of the organizing foundation of the event where you can find a detailed programme (musical pieces, performers, timetables and specific locations): http://www.festivalmusicaeartesacra.net/.

And if all of this wasn’t enough, the traveller that has the chance to go to any of these concerts, has to know that the festival profits dedicated entirely to preserve and rehabilitate some of the Roman monuments (also sacred) which are deteriorated the most, under the motto ‘Artem salvat’ (art saves art). One of the Mausoleums (known as the ‘Mars’ one), the south side of the façade of the Basilica and the Fountain of Della Burbera, all of them in the Vatican, will benefit from such a great initiative.

Candela Vizcaíno

Remember that the tickets are available online. With all the hassle of the trip, don’t forget to book some of the excellent apartments in Rome In autumn, the city is wonderful.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Located in the east wing of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, backing  the lovely Trastevere quarter, The Vatican Museums (http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html) are made by a memorable series of palaces built by the popes Julius II, Sixtus IV and Innocent III throughout the Renaissance to integrate into a single collection the artistic legacy accumulated formerly by earlier popes, and that has constantly expanded in works of art acquired by the new Catholic Church leaders, aspiring to the title in its own right, due to quantity and amount, as the largest collection museum in the world.

At the entrance we are  received by an intriguing and eloquent mosaic depicting the most famous passages in the life of young Ganymede, which we can see today at night in the form of the constellation of Aquarius. In Greek mythology, Ganymede beautiful beyond words, was the cupbearer of Olympus, displacing his predecessor Hebe, the daughter of Hera and goddess of youth, who’s mission is to serve the Gods nectar and ambrosia, giver of immortality, which was their beloved drink.

The most widespread and known the myth, which is included in the tile, transforms Ganymede into a Trojan prince son of Tros and Calíore who paid the consequences of his tragic beauty, unless his destiny is considered lucky in which case he was awarded the prize he deserved for his impressive appearance. One day, while walking through the fields of Troy tending the flocks of his father, an eagle landed on him and abducted him to be taken to the mountain of the gods. It was Zeus, the father of the Greek Gods. Madly in love with the outrageous beauty of the youngster, whom he wanted to have close by as a favorite lover, Zeus took the form of his most beloved animal, which later became a constellation, to consummate the famous kidnapping (some other versions have it  that Ganymede was kidnapped first by Eos, the dawn, inspired also by his love for the boy, and Zeus would have been limited to kidnap him  from her hands).

Perhaps it is not entirely inappropriate that this medallion with Ganymede’s history is placed at the entrance of the Vatican Museums. after all, out there the extraordinary exposed pieces reflect the same world of transformations, metamorphosis and plural and ambivalent sexuality as the scenes of the myths of classical antiquity, as suggested by Camille Paglia, the Renaissance rediscovery of the icon was in Apollonian homoerotic conceptualization

Paul Oilzum

Whatever your religious persuasions or sexual orientations are enter this Museum , when you rent apartments in Rome and you will find it difficult not to be seduced by the dazzling beauty that this mosaic displays

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Translated by: Marc
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Until December 11th the  MACRO Museum of Rome, in association with the American Academy in Rome and the Palazzo Rospigliosi exhibits the art project Three Amigos: Dash Snow. This project is named after the action of Massimo de Carlo to invite three friends to display individually and in three different places, therefore Nate Lowman exposes in the American Academy in Rome, Dan Colen at the Palazzo Rospigliosi and Dash Snow at the MACRO Museum.

What this unique project seeks to convey is the significance, symbolism and meaning that these three places have in common with Rome, therefore these are three works that represent the nature and essence of each one of them.

The three artists chosen are exponents of a new generation which is shaping new horizons in contemporary art. A generation that has inherited punk and shock art value. They are essentially nihilistic, hedonistic and commitment is not based on social issues, but on a strong political criticism of the system. Their forte is creating a solid technique, which accompanies a strong postmodern aesthetic view.

Dash Snow is one of those artists who was born breaking the mold. He was born in a wealthy family in New York, in 1981, and at age 13 he ran away from home to live in urban ghettos and explore the world of drugs, sinking deeply into them.  In 2006, the prestigious New York Times called him one of the ten most promising artists of the new generation, he was able to expand his work to Europe and other continents where he was invited to expose.

His work is based on images of New York, specifically the marginal life of the streets and its underworld, he captures images with a Polaroid camera as a memory in order to remember that moment the next day. With those photos he built collages and sculptures of his stories of fragmentary marginal existence. Snow died of an overdose in 2009, at 27 years old, leaving his work unfinished.

Nate Lowman was born in 1979 in the United States. His work has been defined as down and out and works in collages, appropriations and paintings. Lowman plays with the concepts and does it in a playful way, something that attracts a lot of the viewers who find irony in the most complex works of this artist who is not afraid to work with appropriations and taking advantage of the objects he finds. He is one of the most successful young artists and his works are exhibited today in the world’s most prestigious galleries.

Dan Colen was born in New Jersey in 1979. His work also belongs to the  appropriations, paintings, sculptures and graffiti world. He studied BA in Painting at the School of Design of Rhode Island. Eclectic in his proposal, Colen started producing photorealistic series and then changed to the spray paint world to experiment with abstraction. His work today are part of the major galleries and exhibitions around the world.

For more information: http://www.macro.roma.museum/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/three_amigos_dash_snow

Nancy Guzman

Come with three friends to enjoy your stay while you rent apartments in Rome Then visit this great exhibition divided in three museums throughout the city

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Translated by: Marc
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The peculiar stove provided with a long tube, depending on the color of smoke, lets you know if the cardinals of the Catholic Church have agreed on the choice of a new Pope, a method that  has been in used at least since the time of the pontificate of Sixtus IV ( 1471 and 1484.)

We owe to him, among other things, one of the most extraordinary periods in the history of nepotism, The Vatican reluctantly under the Spanish Inquisition during particularly virulent years announced what was to happen in the coming centuries: (the Catholic Monarchs began to build a foundational story of the future Spanish government under which Spanish and Catholicism, was imposed by force as the glue that give cohesion to political project of Ferdinand of Aragon) the ex communion of those who enslaved people converted to Christianity, the institution of the day of the celebration of the Immaculate Conception and, especially the promotion of urban and architectural activity in the city of Rome, which included the restoration or reconstruction of dozens  church, as well as thepaving and widening of many of the streets and buildings as significant as the Sistine Chapel (http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Main.html), which not in vain bears his name, following a model of proportions attributed to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem.

To honor the importance of this space, it was precisely where the famous stove was placed in the conclaves responsible for the election of the new Pope. Sixtus considered appropriate that the decoration should consist of a representation of the most revealing scenes of the sacred history, including the life of Christ, and called for the task some of the most renowned artists of  the Cuatroccento, from Botticelli to Ghirlandaio.

On the original decoration of the ceiling of the room, designed as an astral plane where the luminous effect caused by the combination of the tremor of the flames of the candles and wax applied gold on a blue background resembled the movement of the stars in the sky following  the music of the celestial spheres, Michelangelo Buonarotti completed the project over the first half of the sixteenth century painting the heavena  one of the undisputed masterpieces of Western art history.

Although it is hardly a new discovery (and certainly nothing unusual in this age and in any other time) the recently published book by Elena Lazzarini, Professor of Art History at the University of Pisa, “Nude, art and decorum. Aesthetic variations in the treaties of Cinquecento art”, develops the importance of bisexual brothels , curiously called in Italian Stufa frequented by Michelangelo and other artists as places where he was inspired to draw the virile, muscular bodies of both men and women, which proliferate in the chapel.

Paul Oilzum

Stove to stove, if the mere contemplation of the heavens provokes a conscience religious experience, it is also true that in every culture lies in the sacred order an essential etymological ambivalence that identifies evil and goodness, purity with filth, as you will observe in the Sistine Chapel when renting apartments in Rome

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Translated by: Marc
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