The Brera Gallery was officially established in 1809, even though a first heterogeneous collection with educational purpose existed already from 1776 – and then increased in the following years – alongside the Accademia di Belle Arti, requested by Mary Therese of Austria to offer the students the opportunity to study lofty masterpieces of art close up. Brera become a museum to host the most important works of art from all of the areas conquered by the French armies. So unlike other important museums in Italy such as the Uffizi, Brera did not start out life as the private collection of a prince or nobleman but as the product of a deliberate policy decision. Paintings confiscated from churches and convents throughout Lombardy with the religious orders’ dissolution began to pour into the museum in the early years of the 19th century, soon to be joined by artworks of similar provenance from other areas of the Kingdom of Italy. This explains why the collection comprises chiefly religious works, many of them large altarpieces, and accounts for Brera’s special aura on which later acquisitions have had only a minor impact.

Special architecture

Eat on the rooftop and watch a beautiful sunset. Great food and ambiance.

Recognized institution in the cultural landscape of Lyon, but especially since its national partnership with the Contemporary Art Biennial of Lyon, the Foundation Bullukian is now a showcase for contemporary art, in full center of Lyon. Work art of Buckminster Fuller about spherical triangulation circles found in nature.

Book Dealers is an institution in itself. If you're looking for second-hand almost new books, this is the place to go. 

Cosy little restaurant with a giant kitchen island unit in the centre which doubles as a display and seating area. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a focus on fermenting.

I can never decide if I like pies or thighs more. Figure it's not the worst problem to have. Chicken biscuit is so good it should be listed as a narcotic. If you live in NYC and you haven't been, GO! If you are visiting and you find yourself in Williamsburg, GO!

Mcgolrick Park at midnight in the snow. Any early morning with all the bums and drunks passed out on Nassau Avenue. NYC still looks best between 3am and 6am, just before the light comes in to shine on all its flaws.

It’s a really big beautiful botanical park in Tokyo with a nice green house. I went there a few months ago after the big typhoon hit there, many trees were knocked down by the killing wind, even big ones. Recently some newscaster’s body was found there, but hey, it’s still an amazing park.

For those who like looking without truly seeing, walking without thinking and see themselves as mere useful cogs - benches are, in fact, useless objects in a big city. However, for many Spanish people, benches are the last paradise for contemplation and hope in places where there is no time for such 'waste'. Benches are an invitation to stop. They are a place to turn our backs to cars, buses and motorbikes and watch inwards. Benches take us to invisible places inside our heads. They help us watch passers-by as if we are watching a movie. A movie featuring real, everyday characters. And those sitting are actors as well. They become both audience to and player in a huge live theatre. The drama is built frame by frame, minute by minute. This is the way that life passes for those who contemplate the invisible. The bench helps us to look outwards to the city and inwards to ourselves, and to watch the great cinema that is the city. And a city like Madrid is full of amazing stories. foto by Eneida Serrano

Built to revitalize a former trash incinerator, the square is the perfect place to spend an afternoon drawing, talking to friends and thinking about nothing.

Fun shopping for very well-curated vintage. It feels like a series of art galleries that sell clothing and housewares.