Italy Archives | Moss and Fog

Architecture

The Vatican Under Red Lights

October 15, 2021 Architecture

This stunning series shows one of the world’s greatest cathedrals bathed in red light, creating a whole new identity for the famed St. Peter’s Basilica.

Before we personally visited St. Peter’s Basilica, we didn’t know if a church could command our attention and respect the way that this one did. The epic size, scale, and detail of the basilica is a sight to behold, so it’s with extra awareness that we see this series by France-based photographer Aishy.

The photography captures the cathedral’s soaring ceilings, reliefs, and carvings in a new light, bringing a new sensibility to this ancient and famous landmark.

Red Lights: Vatican, shows just how much lighting and photography can change and impact a built environment, especially one as famous as St. Peter’s Basilica.

Very unique and memorable series. Via Colossal:

Colors

What Kids Eat Around the World, A Visual Essay

March 25, 2021 Colors

This visually delightful series by photographer Gregg Segal is the result of three years of travel through the USA, India, Malaysia, Germany, France, Italy, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil. Entitled Daily Bread, we see a colorful and diverse group of children, and their equally colorful food, over the course of a week.

We love the layout of the children and their fascinating foods, which are indicative of their cultures and their individual tastes. Read more on each of the children, and their take on food, on Bored Panda. Really fun work, great series.

Anchal Sahani, 9, Chembur, Mumbai, India

Greta Moeller, Hamburg, Germany, 7

Kawakanih Yawalapiti, 9, Upper Xingu region of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Ademilson Francisco dos Santos (11) Vão de Almas, Goiás, Brazil

Beryl Oh Jynn, 8, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Andrea Testa, 9, Catania, Italy

Meissa Ndiaye, 11, Dakar, Senegal

Siti Khaliesah Nataliea Muhamad Khairizal, 9, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

June Grosser, 8, Hamburg, Germany

Hank Segal, 8, Altadena, CA

Davi Ribeiro de Jesus, 12, Brasilia, Brazil

Sira Cissokho (11 yrs old) Dakar

Rosalie Durand, 10, Nice, France

Architecture

Windows of the World by André Vicente Gonçalves

March 5, 2019 Architecture

André Vicente Gonçalves knows the world’s built diversity, and has collected a vast and impressive collection of windows from all over the globe.

His travels include Portugal, Italy, Austria, Romania, Spain, England and France, and we love the way he has visually grouped the windows into categories. White and gold, those with dark shutters, classical and ornate, simple brick, and even those with elaborate tile designs.

The series is “Windows of the World”, and makes us want to start keeping a visual diary of architectural details like this. Via Inspiration Grid:

Art

Italy’s Dolomites In Colorful Infrared

March 28, 2018 Art

Infrared photography has gone from a military-purpose to an artistic choice for people wanting a bright, otherworldly aesthetic for their landscape photography. In this case, Italy’s Dolomite mountains are shown in alien blues and glowing orange, thanks to infrared’s generally unseen wavelengths. We love the way the normally green trees are rendered in a vivid sherbet orange, and the sky and lake a brilliant turquoise. Great images from Italian photographer Paolo Pettigiani, via Colossal:

Architecture

Christo’s Floating Piers

June 22, 2016 Architecture

Christo’s latest project has already made quite a splash, literally. The ambitious artist’s goal of creating floating piers that stretch miles out into gorgeous Lake Iseo was met with both skepticism and excitement. The project has been bumping around the Bulgarian-born American’s head for nearly 50 years. Realized and completed in a mere 22 months, the bright gold fabric covers more than 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes that form a wide walkway floating atop the lake’s surface. Open for a scant 16 days, we are sad to miss this impressive use of a lake as an artist’s canvas. The idea of walking atop water, in this gorgeous setting, is quite appealing, indeed. Make sure to click on the images to see them in detail. Via The New York Times:

Christo, the 81 year old creator, atop the skeleton of the floating piers. A thoughtful and self-aware artist, he’s quoted:

“I know these projects are totally irrational, totally useless,” he added. “The world can live without them, nobody needs them, only me and Jeanne-Claude. She always made the point that they exist because we like to have them, and if others like them, it’s only a bonus.”

Animals

Winter Solstice Costumes

October 16, 2013 Animals

Consider your Halloween costume downgraded. Wired has an in depth look at crazy winter solstice costumes of Europe. Photographer Charles Fréger captures some of the odd and amazing getups of Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, and other Europeans countries. All photos courtesy of Charles Fréger.

Schnappviecher, Tramin, Italy. This costume, which Fréger says is around 40 pounds, is meant to be as scary as it looks. It’s the job of the butchers and drivers of the village to protect the public from the beasts.

Strohbär, Germany. The Straw Bear costume is inspired by Germany’s rural past.

Babugeri and Chaushi, Bulgaria. The bizarre-looking costumes are made from goat skin. Traditionally, they carried a red-painted rod on their belt to represent a phallic object and would brush up against women to make them fertile. Now they just carry a stick.

Zezengorri, Basque Country, Spain. The Zezengorri is the guardian of caves and chasms who comes out every second weekend of February for the region’s carnival.

BurryMan, Scotland. Because the BurryMan’s costume is extremely limiting in its movements, two undisguised aids must guide him throughout the streets as he goes door to door frightening away evil spirits. If you give him whiskey and money, it will bring you good luck.

Macinula, Poland. In Poland, these rag-covered creatures are meant to play the role of the village clown.

Wilder, Austria. The Wild Man costume is made of a hood, jacket and trousers. Men also wear a wooden mask and lean on a big stick.

Boes, Sardinia, Italy. This animal-like creature promotes fertility in the land, cattle and women.

Design

Glass Snowboard

February 28, 2013 Design

Ever ridden an all-glass snowboard? Of course you haven’t, no one had made one before. Signal Snowboard’s Dave Lee travels to Italy and has one designed and custom made.

Art

Francesco Lo Castro’s Color

October 2, 2012 Art

Some bright colors from the future, Via The Cool Hunter:

We may be leaning toward minimalist design and monochromatic surroundings, but we also admire artists and designers who can handle color well.
Francesco Lo Castro from Florida is currently drawing our attention with his multicolor paintings.

He uses oils and acrylics, spray paint and silkscreen as well as layered epoxy resin and gold leaf, usually on a wood base. We love the combination of explosiveness and strict order, vibrancy and dreaminess, power and release in his work. Lo Castro was born in Italy, grew up in Germany, and has been active in the Miami art scene for more than a decade.

He is currently working on producing 3D animations based on his paintings, set to premiere at UR1 Festival during Art Basel week – Bill Tikos

Automotive

The Bicycle Thief

March 24, 2009 Automotive

The Times reviewed the Bicycle Thief, Vittorio De Sica’s Neorealism picture from 1949 this week. I remember my uncle Mark describing his love for the movie, and how he wanted to jump up at the end and shout “let me buy you a bike, for the love of god!!” . It’s both a tragic and beautiful movie, and one that I plan on revisiting soon.

I tried in vain to post the video here, literally for over an hour. Alas, it couldn’t be done. But the screenshot will take you to the video. Thanks!