05/15/24: The Noble Quest to Avoid the Tourist Hoards of the Amalfi Coast
A truly grand hotel in Amalfi provides Alex Hawgood refuge from the riffraff; and travel editor Maura Egan devises the perfect weekend in Mexico City.
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The 9th Season of The Grand Tourist Starts Next Week
In anticipation of the 9th season of the podcast starting in just one week, we’re launching our new trailer today. So if you’re new to the world of The Grand Tourist, this would be a great place to start. And if you’re a devoted listener, it’s also a great way to spread the word and give us a little boost as we head into a year chock-full of episodes. Oh, and are you enjoying the podcast? Drop us a line and let us know what your favorite episode of 2023 was. We’d love to hear from you. You can listen to the trailer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
The Woman Behind Peter Rabbit Gets Her Due; Juergen Teller Arrives in Milan; A Legendary London Design Gallery Makes its Debut in the U.S.
NEW YORK, “Palm to Poplar: Devotional Labor” (Until Apr. 29)
The Shaker Museum presents the work of artist Caitlin MacBride, which depicts Shaker objects next to pieces from the museum archives, juxtaposing the historic works with their enduring influence on American Modernism. It will be presented at a pop-up gallery located in the Kinderhook Knitting Mill (while the museum’s new home undergoes construction). shakermuseum.us
MILAN, “Juergen Teller: I Need to Live” (Until Apr. 1)
These days, Jeurgen Teller’s commercial work is everywhere—and always unmistakable for its candid realism which presents humanity with its imperfections. The Triennale Milano is presenting a retrospective of his work, traveling from the Grand Palais in Paris earlier this year, which begins in the early ’90s where the artist got his start in London. With nearly 1,000 works, it’s the most extensive retrospective to date. triennale.org
RIEHEN, Jeff Wall (Until Apr. 21)
Known for his large-scale backlit transparencies, Canadian photographer Jeff Wall’s photographs have the composition of Renaissance paintings, though he has said, “I like to think that my pictures are a specific opposite to painting.” This exhibit encompasses five decades of his work, from landscapes displayed in lightboxes to his black-and-white photographs and inkjet prints, and never before seen contemporary pieces. fondationbeyeler.ch
LOS ANGELES, Fumi L.A. (Opens Feb. 2)
London’s renowned Gallery Fumi is known for supporting the careers of many design stars like Max Lamb, and others. Coinciding with Frieze L.A., it will exhibit its first show in the U.S. with a six-week showcase at Sized Studio in Melrose Hill. A stand-out is Lamb’s “BOX 2” (from Feb. 19), a series of elegant structures made from surplus cardboard. galleryfumi.com
NEW YORK, “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” (Opens Feb. 23)
The mischievous Peter Rabbit in his little blue jacket will forever captivate the hearts of children with his bumbling adventures. This exhibit, presented by the Morgan Library & Museum and organized by the V&A Museum, tells Potter’s life story and how her tiny characters came to be. themorgan.org —Vasilisa Ioukhnovets
Guest Update: Hella Jongerius Does Some Spring Cleaning; Bjarke Ingels Plans His Metropolis; And More
“I wanted to search and play,” Hella Jongerius said of her studio when we spoke with her on the podcast. Now, Jongerius has decided to bestow her extensive archive to the Vitra Design Museum, leaving her studio fresh for new projects. From her research work to her graduation work in textiles, her archive traces the trials, mistakes, and inspirations behind her designs. Expect a retrospective of her work in 2026; The studio of architect Bjarke Ingels has been busy heading into this new year. Its latest is a master plan for a city in Bhutan that’s more than 600 square miles. Located in the town of Gelephu on the country’s southern border, the plan is described as a “mindfulness city” with green technology, civic spaces, and urban planning which links the river-defined neighborhoods with nearly a dozen bridges.
Also: “Erwin Wurm: Surrogates” opens Feb. 15 at gallery Thaddaeus Ropac in London, with three sculptures by the rogue sculptor on display for the first time; The iconic American artist Edward Hopper’s childhood home is in the riverside town of Nyack, New York, and is today a museum. In an unlikely pairing, the museum will feature the abstract, frenetic paintings by contemporary artist (and outspoken podcast guest) David Salle beside the melancholy, still works of Hopper (until Apr. 28); Theaster Gates comes to the Big Apple with a solo exhibit at the White Cube New York. Titled “Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me,” (until Mar. 2) music is the throughline with drawings and sculptures that address themes of race, memory, and commemoration. —Vasilisa Ioukhnovets
