That’s why this is a farewell post. This post is not only to say goodbye, but also to thank you. We would like to thank you all for the support, for following us here on WordPress and on Facebook, for all your comments and e-mails. It was amazing to feel that some people were interested on what we were writing.

We’re not going to close the site. The blog will continue on-line, since maybe some people want to check it if they are planning on visiting Berlin or Barcelona, London or Lisbon, maybe Stuttgart or Freiburg, Cadaqués,… And who knows, maybe one day we write some posts again. Let’s leave the door open and see what happens.

All the best,

Sílvia Cabra & Silvia Conde

P.D. If you want to follow our new adventures, check these links out: Silvia Conde’s personal blog, Silvia Conde Soft Skin’s Facebook page.

Those who have already been there will know that Lukumas is the Greek word for doughnuts. The story says that Petros, the owner, wakes up very early every morning in order to bake these delicious fried cakes using the recipe that his family had been using in the past in the city of Salonica. In any case, I can guarantee that he bakes the best doughnuts in town. You can choose between classic, glazed, with chocolate, with white chocolate inside, with a hazelnut cream, with strawberry marmalade,… and of course with different toppings. Mmm… Believe me when I say that the adjective mouthwatering is not enough to describe them.

As a matter of fact, it’s not only about the fried cakes. The elegant room is wonderful too. On one hand, the white walls and bright lights in combination with some blackboards on one side create a perfect minimalist atmosphere. On the other, the wood table and chairs together with the green plant add a touch of nature to the whole place. Although the space might seem small, the mirrors make it bigger. What honestly caught my eye was the window between the café and the kitchen. I must recognize that in the very first place I thought it was another mirror. After staring at it for a while I realized I was wrong. Funny is that the same happened to the people that were in the room with me!

All in all, this is a great place to have a coffee (which is fair-trade by the way) and taste one of the best handmade doughnuts you’ll probably ever eat at a reasonable price. If you happen to be in Barcelona, don’t hesitate to stop by.

Text and pictures by Silvia Conde.

As they say, this is a cultural institution for production and research, exhibitions and events, coordination and documentation. This post is about one of the exhibitions I could see, “Sound Art. Klang als Medium der Kunst”, in English “Sound Art. Sound as a Medium of Art”.

The exhibition “Sound Art. Sound as a Medium of Art” presents for the first time the development of sound art in the 21th century at the ZKM Media Museum and in a public space. From Futurism to Fluxus, through to Twitter sonifications, the ZKM charts the history of Sound Art during the 20th century. However, focus is placed on contemporary practices: with works from 90 artists from which approximately 30 new productions from recent years will be represented, the visitor gains insights into the unique sound cosmos of contemporary art. The sound world visualizes its own exhibition architecture, and the exhibition visitor himself becomes the generator of sounds.

In my opinion, this was one of the most interactive exhibitions I’ve ever been to. I had never seen so many different ways to interact in a Museum. You could touch different systems, play with iPads, put headphones on, sit on chairs and listen to the sound sorrounding you,… One of the most amazing things was a table on which you could put some bottles. Depending of the combination of bottles you had, the sound coming out of the speakers was different. That was so cool!

This was not the only exposition in the ZKM. was holding more expositions. You can take a look at them here. If you happen to be in the south of Germany, please don’t hesitate to visit Karlsruhe and its Centre for Art and Media.

Text and pictures by Silvia Conde.

I’ve known Carla for a long time, since we studied Advertising and PR together in Barcelona. Truth is that from the very beginning I realised she was one of the most talented people in class. She can tell, I was insisting her for a long time on having a Tumblr with her wonderful outstanding work. In the end, she did! It’s here. She’s also into photography, you can visit her other website called Comme une image.

I met Carla in a café of Barcelona, we drank some tea while we talked about work lately and life in general. It was such a pleasant afternoon. Thanks for it, Carla!

Name, Age, City

Carla Cascales Alimbau, 23, Barcelona.

What do you do in life?

I like to think that my job is to create, create delicate, simple and beautiful things made with lots of care. I’m a graphic designer, illustrator and photographer currently in love with making handmade notebooks.

We’ve seen you are specialised on different creative areas, which one do you enjoy the most?

In the area where I really feel more professional is graphic design, and I really enjoy to work on it, but at the same time and I can’t wait to continue exploring other creative ways, such as handmade bookbinding (that I recently learned in Lisbon).

Photography is something I love to do and that helps me in my design projects, I definitely enjoy doing series of different natural landscapes but I don’t consider myself an specialist, I like to try with expired film, polaroid, or random shots to create different effects.

I am especially fascinated by people who is able to draw or paint and I try my best in illustration, something that relax me and make me feel present.

For now my new challenge is a creative typography and calligraphy course I will start in January by Ivan Castro (www.ivancastro.es).

What do you do when you are not working?

More and more I realize how important it is to share experiences and learn from the people around me plus most of the time I work by myself as a feelance so in my spare time I like to enjoy it with my friends and family in something related with arts, trips, exhibitions, films, books, hot tea and good vegetarian food.

What inspires you?

I find my inspiration in nature. Thereʼs nothing more simple and amazing than the natural light, the colour of the trees, the changing seasons, the shapes of the water, the texture of the leaves… It’s amazing how in nature all the elements combine to function in harmony, as illustration, typography and colors do it in a good design.

Could you tell us 3 references you’d like to share?

The first artist who thrilled was Magritte, since I was a child I’m fascinated about the way he combines normal elements of different contexts to confuse the viewer and create new worlds, I remember the first time I saw his work “L’empire des lumiéres” I couldn’t stop looking at it, there was something strange but so attracting at the same time, I’m still amazed about his paintings. 

My second reference is a is a design studio based in Hong Kong since 2006 called Gardens & Co, only the name already sounds perfect, but when I discovered their works all delicate, simple but original and clear, I was so impressed. They are my dreamed studio. I found them on Internet for a work that appeared in “package of the world” the corporate image of the blog nana, a masterpiece in my opinion.

And at last but not least Carla Andrade, she is a young spanish photographer. She is pure poetry in her pictures, she is able to capture light and colors in a so soft way, like in a painting. When I look at her pictures I feel relaxed, time goes slower. They are just beautiful, they make you dream. In my opinion Carla has a great future in the world of photography.

How do you see yourself in 10 years?

It is so difficult to say, I prefer to enjoy the present, but if you ask me I would like to travel, to learn from other people and cultures and participate in projects with professionals from other disciplines like architects or artists. I would like to dedicate to the world of art, designing for galleries and museums like Tate modern in London or Moma in New York.

Which is your dream job?

My dream job is to dedicate myself to something creative that makes me wake up every morning feeling happy, calm and proud of it.

Text and pictures by Silvia Conde.

But what’s The Impossible Project? For those of you who have never heard of it, you can read the description on their website: “In October 2008 The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid production plant for integral instant film in Enschede (The Netherlands) and started to invent and produce totally new instant film materials for traditional Polaroid cameras. In 2010 Impossible saved analog instant photography from extinction by releasing various, brand new and unique instant films.”

So, yes, this is the place for polaroid lovers! There are shops in many cities of the world: Vienna, Berlin, Tokio, New York City, Buenos Aires, Paris, Beijing, London, Sydney, etc.

In the case of Barcelona, the magnificent shop is located in “El Born”, one of the trendiest neighbourhoods of the city. It’s a white space with stone-walls painted in white colour, filled only with vintage wood furniture. The lights make the atmosphere even brighter.

In the shop, you can find from instant cameras and film to books about this kind of photography. There are bags for your Polaroid, some albums, frames… There’s a wide range of products specially created by Impossible Project, such as a kit to take care of your Polaroids so they last longer. There’s also the Poladarium designed by the German studio Magma Brand Design. Naturally, you can walk and take a look at everything while the music sounds. You can touch the cameras, take a look at the books, etc.

When I was in the shop last week, there was a wonderful exposition called “American Way of Life”. I had the chance to see with one of the people who had organised it, our friend Carla Cascales. That was great because she could explain me how they had come up with the idea and how they had collected all these pictures.

This is a collection of pictures from the 70s and 80s that include old ladies with crazy hair showing us their great belongings or people from the black community that finally fitted in this American society.

Luckily, if you like any of the photos, you can think of buying it. In the beginning, there was a selection of a hundred pictures, but unfortunately they run out of space. That’s why there are just 60 exposed. Even though, the amount of photos is large enough to understand the whole idea.

To sum up, if you happen to be in Barcelona and you like photography, don’t hesitate to visit this shop. When you go, there’ll probably be another exposition. You might also like to know that the owners have another cool shop called Chandal, where you can find very special objects from stationery, Lomography cameras, notebooks, vinyls, books, etc. Don’t hesitate to visit that one neither!