Throughout 2017, we have given you our seven highlights every month. We refer to our cultural and leisure recommendations, trying to cover all tastes and desires. It will also be like this in the last month of the year. So open your senses and imagination to enjoy all these proposals, for now in a virtual way, and we hope you have the opportunity to experience all of it in first person.
The Art Basel of Miami, a classic one
From next December 7th and until 10th one of the most important contemporary art fairs of the international calendar will take place in Miami, in the state of Florida. An event called Art Basel Miami, since it is a franchise of the famous fair that takes place in the Swiss city of Basel, from where it radiates to the state of Florida, and also to Hong Kong.
Image of the previous edition of the Art Basel Miami
All the great galleries of the five continents come at the Miami Beach event, and each of them will bring their best talents, already consolidated or future bets. That is, professionally speaking, it is a must in terms of fairs. You can also enjoy as spectator or fan, especially with the unique proposals of perfomances or large formats that can be seen in outdoor spaces such as SoundScape Park or Collins Park.
The Festival of Lights in Lyon
Precisely during the same dates of the Art Basel Miami, the Fête des Lumières will take place in Lyon. That is to say, the nights from December 7th to 10th, 2017, the French city will shine in a special way, as audiovisual artists from all over the world come to project real light shows on the facades of many of the city’s historic buildings.
The cathedral of Lyon illuminated during the Festival of Lights
These are nights in which Lyon is loaded with modernity and fun. The origins of the Festival of Lights have more to do with religious matters and date back to the mid-nineteenth century. It was then when the feast of the Immaculate Conception was commemorated on the night of December 8th with a parade of torches and fireworks. Something that became a tradition, and also in evolution, since the Festival of Lights has become one of the most technological and innovative events in the world.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu at the Prada Foundation in Milan
The Mexican Alejandro G. Iñárritu is one of the most unique talents that international cinema has given in recent times. Director of films that are already pieces of art like Birdman or Babel. Now, he surprises us materializing an experience of shocking virtual reality, in which the emigrants are the protagonists. Specifically the emigrants who want to reach the United States from Central America.
Image of the work of virtual reality of Iñárritu
As in all his filmography, Iñárritu talks to us about issues of our time, in this case based on real cases that have collaborated in his Carne y Arena project. An amazing production that since June 7th, 2017, which opened at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, leaves all visitors moved by the stories and admired for the way they are told. If you want to be one of those visitors, you have time until January 15th, 2018.
A dream of Balenciaga, the cinema, an exhibition in Zaragoza
The Aragonese Institute of Contemporary Art and Cultures opened on October 18th the exhibition A dream of Balenciaga: the cinema, a show in which you can see the many designs of costumes for the world of cinema that the Basque designer made during his life. There, real surprises await us when we see how beauties of that time as Ava Gardner or Ingrid Bergman wore his garments.
The exhibition, A dream of Balenciaga, the cinema
But not only great Hollywood divas wore the designs that Balenciaga designed in his workshops in Madrid or Paris. Also the stars of the European or Spanish cinema showed them on the screens. A catwalk that fascinated the designer and that sometimes gave him a job that has gone unnoticed. However, now it is possible to rediscover it thanks to this sample that will remain in the IAACC of Zaragoza till next January 7th.
The magic of the Vienna Christmas Market
Many Christmas markets scattered throughout Europe deserve to be part of our seven highlights of December, but for this occasion we have chosen the one in Vienna. A popular and endearing event that you cannot miss if you travel on these dates to the Austrian capital, one of the most popular destinations by the end of the year.
Typical stamp of the Christmas market in Vienna
The city is surrounded these days by a magical atmosphere, whose culmination takes place with the famous concerts of the Philharmonic. But there is much more, the street lighting, the windows, the snow, and of course the Christmas Market of the Town Hall Square, the favorite of the Viennese people and the visitors. It is known as Christkindlmarkt and it lasts all of Advent, that is, from November 17th to December 26th. If you are lucky enough to travel to Vienna, you cannot miss it.
Christmas at Kew in London
A usual city in the highlights of every month is London, and logically there are also many reasons to talk about it in December. In this case, we will focus on the Royal Botanic Garden of Kew. A special green area that can be visited all year, but which takes on a special importance in Christmas, since the Christmas at Kew audiovisual shows are programmed there.
Christmas at Kew Palm House. Photo Jeff Eden
This year the program began on November 22nd and will continue until the first day of 2018. Meanwhile, children and adults can go to these Kew gardens, especially around their spectacular Palm House. There tunnels full of lights await you, light sources, decorated gardens for the occasion, fires, audiovisuals, illuminations, in short, all a waste of imagination, which of course also have the traditional Christmas characters, with Santa Claus leading.
New Year’s Eve in Sydney, the last and first highlight of the year
It’s time to say goodbye to the year. It can be done in multiple ways but it sure is the dream of many of our readers celebrate the New Year’s entry, traveling to the antipodes to be one of the spectators of the impressive show that takes place in the port of Sydney. If that place is magical any day and at any time, on New Year’s Eve it reaches its zenith.
Fireworks over Sydney Harbour
Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, knows that it has one of the most beautiful corners of the country with its harbour, the famous bridge or the iconic building of the Opera House, paradigm of contemporary art of the past century. Well, all this is illuminated by one of the most impressive pyrotechnic shows on the planet. A show that is visible from the coast, the port or on yachts and that is always of a superb quality.
Anyway, New Year’s Eve in Sydney is a light explosion, music and color. In Horse, we think it’s the perfect metaphor of how we want your year to end. And more importantly, it helps us to wish you a 2018 full of stellar moments.
