• “If you dream of eating at London’s top restaurants and don’t possess a fortune, there’s a solution. During the Taste of London festival 40 of the city’s best dining spots will establish outposts in stately Regent’s Park, offering samples of their most renowned dishes at reasonable prices.” In The New York Times Valerie Gladstone looks forward to When London’s Food Comes Out to Play.
• In The Guardian Dominic Bailey hears a Chorus of approval: Athens’s performing arts festival. “International theatre, music and dance performances take place from early June to late August in venues across the city, including the sublime setting of the Herodion.”

Everyone appreciates the extras when staying in a hotel – a decent restaurant, a pool or spa, beautiful grounds. Visitors to the Hempel then, will no doubt be impressed with The Gallery, a 145 sq m space, tucked away in the basement of the eponymous Hempel hotel, itself nestled within the enclaves of West London off Bayswater Rd.

It’s not the most obvious location for an exhibition space but stroll through the softly lit lobby, take a right turn past the sofas set deep into the floor, down the uplit stairs and you’ll emerge into a large rectangular white room; minimalist fire lit at one end, artwork adorning the walls. This is Art Work Space, an independent art gallery featuring work from emergent artists in the fields of painting, photograpy and drawing.  Art is affixed to the hanging walls – large floating panels that line the room – making for a space that is stark on first impact but isn’t so large as to feel unwelcoming or cold.

Images © Dustin Humphrey (courtesy Reel Sessions Inc.), SWPA 2009

Despite its rather hidden feel, the gallery has played host to a number of exhibitions, the last being Conrad Frankel’s The First People – black and white oil portraits that recreate the intensity of old photographs, and which themselves possess an eerie quality. From January 20th – 29th is the London stop on the Sony World Photography Awards 2009/10 tour, which features some of the best photography in the world from snappers around the globe, whilst from February onwards the gallery plays host to Good Rats, a photo series from emergent photographer and filmmaker Niall O’Brien. The series sees O’Brien documenting the lives of a group of young punks as they travel around Brighton and Berlin. All exhibitions are open to the public but check online before visiting as the space is sometimes closed for functions.

The Gallery also works very well as an events space (Globalista had a very enjoyable Christmas bash there last year) – the surrounding artwork providing an element of atmosphere that trumps the bland minimalism of other venues. With capacity for up to 100 people, a smart bar and in-house catering team providing very good canapes (as Globalista can attest), it’s a very good choice for a party venue.

For further enquiries, contact Lindsay at events@the-hempel.co.uk , and for more information on the Hempel hotel and our London recommendations in general take a look at our London Report.

Art Work Space
Lower Ground Floor, The Hempel Hotel, 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, London, W2 3EA
Tel: 020 7298 9000
www.artworkspace.co.uk

CITY

• Helen Pickles of the Times tries to Rise above the crowds in Florence as she goes off the beaten path in an attempt to escape the hoardes – “It was the perfect spot from which to admire Brunelleschi’s iconic dome. And I was alone. No crowds of multilingual voices, no annoying cameras hogging the view. Florence can exhaust with its fabulousness.”
• Simon Calder of the Independent helps you navigate your away around the city of Singapore with this quick overview – find out how to get around, where to go for brunch and where to take in some culture. 48 Hours In: Singapore
• In the NY Times’ Israel With a Russian Accent (and Pork) Clifford J. Levy explores Ashdod, the self proclaimed ‘dance capital’ of Israel and examines the influence that an influx of Russian immigrants is having on the city, and across Israel as a whole: ‘“Ashdod is one of Israel’s secrets,” said David Stromberg, a journalist and cartoonist who was my navigator for the day…“You could call this the Israeli Riviera,” he said. “It has a very pan-Mediterranean feel.” Ashdod’s beaches did not disappoint, and while my wife and children swam, I mingled. I was curious as to whether adults who emigrated from the former Soviet Union as youngsters had a connection to the old country. Most of the people I met seemed pleased to be Israelis; some were more ambivalent.”
• Andrew Ferren from the NY Times is pleasantly surprised as Art Takes Root in Fertile Soil in Spain, more specifically in the city of Murcia where over a dozen new galleries and museums have popped up. “Murcia has all the charms one expects from a midsize Spanish city (population about 430,000) – a massive cathedral with a floridly Baroque façade, rows of colorful houses with elaborate balconies and lots of plazas shaded by orange trees and lined with cafe tables… that exhibition spaces like Espacio AV and cutting-edge commercial galleries like T20, which focuses on emerging artists, share narrow cobbled streets with traditional bakeries and basket weavers.”
• The NY Times’ Lionel Beehner checks out the best restaurants, hotels and art-house theatres to visit if you’ve only got 36 Hours in Telluride, Colorado. It’s like Aspen but without all the celebrities.
• Dedicated coffee drinkers might be interested to know why the New York Tmes thinks London Sips a Different Cup – Oliver Strand takes us through a rundown of all the best coffee spots in the city.
• Danielle Pergamente seeks out the places where Where Puccini Might Shop in Rome , now that the big business has gone from Via Margutta: ““Now there are all kinds of shops, but you don’t find the big Louis Vuittons here,” Mr. Moncado said. “These are high quality, elegant brands, but they’re small with a local flavor. Everything is done the way it was years ago.””

ESCAPE

• Cathy Pryor of the Independent encounters drunken parrots, mysterious glow worms and parasitic trees as she goes on An eco-tour in Queensland’s wildlife-rich rainforest – “You look up as if at the night sky, studded with thousands of fiery stars, only the stars are insects. They live along the cave walls, close enough to see that each glow-worm reclines behind a curtain of elegant threads, as if it were in a minuscule boudoir. “
• Lisa Grainger paints an idyllic picture of Zimbabwe as she goes on safari at luxury lodge, Pamushana, adding to the recent tourism boom the country is experiencing: “Thousands of trees speckle the plains. In the distance, I can spot giraffe. At the back, above lawns overhung with baobabs and strangling figs, I can hear birds chirruping in the morning light. It’s as close as you can get to an African Eden.”Zimbabwe earns its stripes
• Sophy Roberts goes Off the tourist trail in Iceland, visiting a hydroelectric power station, meeting the only survivor of a major trawler accident, and of course, seeing the Northern Lights. She insists “Iceland is becoming far more than the sum of its dramatic cliffside spurs, lava fields and glaciers: the country, after all, is a geological infant.”
• Damian Whitworth hopes you never find Cheviot Hills: England’s quietest spot as he enjoys the wilds of Northumberland with his family and a select few others – only 12 cars a day are allowed into the valley. ‘Already you feel like you are on a rather exclusive adventure.’ Hiking in the hills with his son, Whitworth treats the reader to a lovely description of this rare wilderness.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• Martin Symington of the Times visits The rock’n’roll Swedish ski resort of Åre where the runs are impressive, the snow lasts beyond the usual April thaw and the additional wildlife all add to the fun – “As well as tobogganing, ice climbing and paragliding, you can head out over the frozen lake on a sledge pulled either by packs of bounding huskies or at the more leisurely pace of trotting reindeer.”
• James Studholme is awestruck by nature when he visits Iguassu falls: A natural wonder of spray and thunder and takes a boat trip under the falls – “Then cameras away and the main course begins. They take you unbelievably close. You get drenched. It’s tremendously exhilarating. Our guide, Carlos, persuades the driver to go in closer and for longer than normal. A tip. The more you shout and scream, the more it eggs the skipper on. It feels as if you’re completely under the falls, so dense and disorientating is the spray, even though you know it’s not possible. “
• Ed Templeton finds a great mixture of spirituality and surfing on this unusual retreat in southern India: ‘The surfboard hanging over the dining room door painted with the words “Om Sweet Om” epitomises the relaxed spirituality practised in this ashram. This is no brainwashing cult, just a group of devout, spiritual surfers who are keen to share their way of life. “India: Devoted to surf

New York

There are plenty of winter bargains to be found in New York but the Four Seasons is one of our top recommendations and it has a couple of good deals going. The ‘Stay Longer’ deal tempts you to do just that – they offer a complimentary third night with any two consecutive paid nights at the hotel. Alternatively, if you only need stay for 2 nights,  the hotel is offering $200 of hotel credit for a room, or $400 for a suite, which can either go towards another night’s stay or incidentals so you can raid that minibar guilt-free.

For those who prefer to stay downtown, and who are going to be in New York soon, try the Soho Grand. The boutique hotel is taking 20% off all bookings longer than 3 nights from Nov 22 – Nov 30 and from Dec 22 – Jan 3.

London

If London’s on your list as a potential destination this winter, have a look at what The Levin has to offer. Located in Knightsbridge, it’s perfectly located for a spot of shopping, and their Christmas package enables you to take full advantage. Priced at £554, it includes VIP treatment and discounts at the surrounding shops in the Sloane Street area, and an exclusive shopping guide to Quintessentially British style during your two night stay in a luxurious Executive Double room. There’s a complimentary continental breakfast each morning, Christmas Afternoon Tea for two at Le Metro, the hotel restaurant and a half bottle of Gosset Brut from the champagne bar, although with the extensively stocked mini-bar, you may find that pre-dinner drinks in your room irresistable. Offer runs from Nov 28 – Jan 3.

If you’re looking for a hotel with more romantic undertones, one place to consider staying is Blakes. With ‘opulent rooms’ and ‘a darkly sexy bar’ it’s described in our London Report as ‘the kind of place in which illicit, romantic liaisons are conducted’ but their special rates might prove the real attraction. Costing from £205 for a luxury double, this includes a complimentary bottle of champagne and mince pies on arrival, continental breakfast each morning, complimentary wine at the hotel restaurant and the gift of a grapefruit scented candle. Valid from Dec 5 – Jan 18.

Amalfi Coast

Need a complete change of scenery? A trip to the Amalfi Coast, with its picturesque towns of Positano, Praiano, Ravello and Amalfi, alongside glorious beaches it’s the ideal destination for those craving a spot of winter sun. At the moment The Villa Book, is doing a series of deals on its luxurious properties in the area – 20% off Villa Giacaranda, Villa Praiano and Villa di Mare. Ranging from 4 to 8 double bedrooms, each villa comes with maid service (Villa Giacaranda also has a chef service available upon request), its own pool, and all are set atop cliffs for the most amazing coastal views. Running for the rest of the season.

Cape Town

The classic destination for a spot of winter sun, Cape Town’s got it all – sunny beaches, great food, beautiful scenery and of course a favourable exchange rate helps too. Recommended by Globalista is the Mount Nelson Hotel – ‘an old-school hotel which is successfully updating itself and has soul as well as style’. They have a number of packages to suit all tastes – for nature-lovers, whale watching excursions; wine-buffs can indulge in a personalised tour around four vineyards, or if you don’t have a particular preference, simply make sure you book at least 21 days in advance to take advantage of their special early bird rates, starting from R2,520 per room per night.

Gstaad

Lastly, if you’re one of those people who plans to take full advantage of the winter season, where better to head than the ski slope? There are a variety of deals at hotels here but we recommend Gstaad Palace for those feeling indulgent. Described as ‘a Disneyesque Sleeping Beauty’s castle’ the palace was recently fitted with a state-of-the-art health spa and fitness centre, along with indoor and Olympic-sized outdoor pool. We’d go for the Ski & Spa Deluxe Deal – book 5 midweek nights in a double room (rates from CHF 890 a day) and you’ll receive two one-day ski passes plus 3 hours in the new Private spa, along with two aroma massages. Also included in the deal are: breakfast and dinner at ‘Le Restaurant’, free use of the spa and gym, a room with a great view over the Alps, and a welcome fruit basket. The offer runs from Jan 10 to March 11.

Nowadays, “art” is a rather broad concept, whereby almost anything is considered art so long as someone considers it art. While some of the more famous living artists are certainly talented, their work often seems more inspired by the puerile desire to shock, and earn a quick buck, than the higher creative impulses. And for those who have apprehensions when it comes to appreciating and valuing contemporary art, the alternative has been waiting in the wings for quite some time now…

Though some would call it unrefined, “outsider art,” as it is commonly known, is marginal, free, and the precious result of unbridled imagination. Indeed, it is raw, original, and quite often produced by mad men (and women.)

The big back-to-school buzz in London is about the Museum of Everything, dedicated exclusively to outsider art. The museum opens in mid-October, in conjunction with the Frieze Art Fair. The labyrinthine space is housed in an old dairy, which later became a well-known recording studio in Primrose Hill. The museum is the brainchild of one James Brett, an eccentric and creative fellow whose vision for the museum was inspired by William Brett (no relation), who has a quirky museum with the same name on the Isle of Wight. (Outsider arts can also be found at an annual fair in New York or at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago. A handful of other museums dedicated to the work can be found in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, America, and Ireland.)

During the early 20th century, the work of insane-asylum patients gained attention after a Dr. Hans Prinzhorn published Bildnerei der Geisteskranken (“Artistry of the Mentally Ill”) in 1922. French artist Jean Dubuffet also began collecting what he termed art brut in the 1940s, an assemblage now permanently housed in a museum in Lausanne. In 1948, Dubuffet formed the Compagnie de l’Art Brut with other artists including the father of Surrealism, Andre Breton. His interest in outsider art was predicated on the purity, and possible superiority, of creativity unaffected by mainstream cultural influences.  This proposition eventually gained momentum, much as the Surrealist and Dadaist movements had arisen out of a rebellion against the establishment and a search for non-“normal” authenticity.

Since the initial interest in art brut, outsider art has achieved cult status, and a handful of offshoots have surfaced. Under the “outsider” umbrella, folk art, naïve art, intuitive art, and visionary environments have emerged to define works that stand apart from the ordinary. In an ironic twist, outsider art is in fact accessible to everyone, and most people have participated in it in one way or another.

And so one wonders, what is outsider art exactly? Who makes it? And where can one see it? Well, outsider art comes in a multitude of mediums, and can be anything from a roadside rock and sculpture garden to an unconventionally decorated house to an indigenous craft. All types of people produce the work. Many are mediums, others mystics, prisoners, dreamers, visionaries, and lonely eccentrics.

Probably the most famous outsider artist is Henry Darger, an orphan and a recluse who was institutionalized as a child. In his Chicago apartment, Darger produced 15,000 pages of text, and hundreds of large-scale illustrations, maps, collages, and watercolors portraying his childhood idols, “the Vivian Girls.” They appear in battle scenes amid monsters and nature. The work has a naïve quality, though Darger was clearly a great talent.

Nek Chand, another well-known outsider, is famous for his forty-acre rock garden in Chandigar, India. Others include Kiyoshi Yamishita, a Japanese wanderer and graphic artist who was likely an autistic savant, and Madge Gill, an English medium who created thousands of drawings guided by a spirit she called “Myrninerest.” George Widener, an outsider with Asperger Syndrome, makes spectacular floating pieces out of numbers and burnt paper. Oftentimes, the work is only discovered after the artist’s death.

Brett finds this work dynamic because it exists “in every country, in all price ranges and from an array of wonderful creators.” For him it is not “outsider art” but “insider art,” “because it reflects the private interiors of the artists who create it.” Brett also hopes to invite individuals from around the world to show their collections. Among the supporters and individuals associated with the museum are: Ed Ruscha, Eva Rothschild, Lee Friedlander, Hans Ulrich Olbrist, Paul Noble, and Annette Messager.

This article originally appeared in takimag.com

By Mandolyna Theodoracopulos

Quick links:

• FAMILY
• CITY
• OUTDOORS/ADVENTURE
• ESCAPE
• ANCIENT WONDERS

FAMILY

• They may have a far more modest budget and no security detail but Rachel Johnson and family can still Holiday like the Obamas in Yellowstone – “You are in a landscape that, like the bison and the best of America, is wild and free. And you can’t put a price on that, even if you do fly thousands of miles and fail to see a grizzly. “
• Kate Simon visits the Barbados Sports Camp, a free sports centre on the Caribbean island, where children on holiday can Sign up for sun, sea and sport on Barbados. Football, cricket and netball stars from the UK are flown over to coach at the centre near Bridgetown during August.
• In Start to Finnish: A strenuous canoe trip in Finland’s lake district is the perfect family escape, journalist Ben Ross takes his family on an adventurous canoe trip along the lakes and rivers of Finland, and finds time to enjoy cultural and historical sights that Finland has to offer.

CITY

• Chris Haslam lets us in on The inside guide to Paris, New York, London and Rome with recommendations from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and London-based actress Helena Bonham Carter
• Christopher Michael finds that ”Tokyo is paradise for bikers” in Access all areas: a bike tour is one of the best ways to see the busy streets of Tokyo.   The tour encompasses the fish markets, the tiny backstreets of the old district, the financial high-rises and the Imperial Palace.
• Simon Calder recommends the best of Budapest’s two halves in 48 Hours In: Budapest. “Hungary’s capital will prove welcoming and warm well into autumn – ideal for spending a day on either side of the Danube.”
• Laurence Downes goes in search of the spirit of Chalinos, a legendary Mexican singer In Los Angeles, Mexican Songs Without Borders – “he patiently explained, in Spanish then English, the curious pull of Chalino. The first time you listen to him, he said, you can’t stand it; he’s too harsh, too nasal. The voice makes you wince. Then you play him again, and you still hate him. But something about him grabs you — his honesty, his passion, the story — and you want to listen to him again and again.”
• In Save or Splurge – Istanbul Seth Sherwood outlines the best things to do in Istanbul whether you’re budgeting for $250 or $1000 a day.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• Colin Nicholson goes on a walking holiday for hikers on a budget, and finds that Trekking the Via Alpina in Austria is more than just walking.  Nicholson, and his party of five, found spas, gondolas, schnapps and dancing along their way.
• To see the endangered mountain gorillas most tourists fly direct from Uganda’s Entebbe airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Michelle Jana Chan thinks they are missing out. Driving across Uganda to meet gorillas gives you a “chance to witness rural Ugandan life, and the opening of two new lodges has made the journey as comfortable as it is rewarding.”
• Sarah Barrell is surprised by Québec’s unusual great outdoors as she discovers a zoo in Canada. But Zoo Sauvage is “no usual outing to the zoo”. The 12,000 conservation park offers treks where you track moose and caribou, spot black bear and bison, and camp out overnight.
• Gap years are no longer just for students. Family, grey and career gappers describe their gap years sharing the trials and tribulations of their travels.
• Nick Boulos enjoys the Thrills and chills in Canada’s most northerly territory and recommends the Inuit tour as the best way to see the stunning frozen scenery, to spot a polar bear and to gain an insight into Inuit culture.
• If you want to push the boundaries… Matt Crook recommends East Timor.  ”It ticks all the boxes for the extreme traveller, and earns maximum bragging points for those travellers’ tales exchanges.”  But it does mean ignoring the advice of the Foreign Office.

ESCAPE

• In Turkey: Cut price heaven or holiday hell? Nicky Holford seeks out the unspoilt parts of Turkey in search of a genuine experience – “At last we had escaped the blight of ugly development that has sadly invaded much of Turkey’s coast. Ucagiz and nearby Simena…are protected by their status as archeological sites. So extensive are the ruins that you could easily stub your toe on Byzantine rubble or a hidden sarcophagus simply going to the minimart for supplies.”
• Stephen Bleach finds there’s not much to do at Angsana Velavaru in Maldives: the world’s first hotel in the sea – still, who needs activities when you can lie back and enjoy your man made island?

ANCIENT WONDERS

• As Jan Morris visits the ruins and museums on a cruise of ‘Ancient Wonders’ from Jordan to Greece, she found herself more thrilled by the Modern marvels of the Med
• The town of Matera, just above the heel of Italy, is home to caves which have been settled since Palaeolithic times. John Hooper discovers Italy’s extraordinary hotel in Matera’s ancient cave dwellings which is determined to preserve the character of this remarkable environment.