Designed by Pritzker-prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a massive art and civilizations museum in the United Arab Emirates. The museum includes a permanent and a temporary gallery enriched by loans from notable French museums including Musee du Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou.
Posts Written Byzestandcuriosity
Julie Mehretu – The Art of Intricacy
Julie Mehretu is an American contemporary visual artist, known for her multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale. Her paintings, drawings, and prints depict the cumulative effects of urban sociopolitical changes. She is included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Manila – Explore the Philippines in 4 Days
Manila was a surprise destination because I was in Asia and a friend of mine who happens to live in the region had a birthday. So, I made a small detour from Vietnam on my way to Bali. Once I arrived at the airport in Hanoi, I knew that Manila…
Byredo Makeup – Makeup as Art
Byredo’s makeup took me by surprise. The first time I saw the collection visualization I was stunned by how artistic and sculptural it is. When ordinary daily items are elevated to an art form the design lover in me is immediately enthralled.
Rwanda Travel – The Joy of the Unexpected
Rwanda has been emerging over the past few years as an intriguing and exciting travel destination. Since 2005, sustainability has been at the heart of Rwanda tourism in order to conserve and protect its wildlife. It’s one of the few rare places where you can see gorillas in the natural habitat. We also have an exciting travel partnership announcement!
Your 2021 Zest & Curiosity Preview
As we start a new year, it feels cleansing and refreshing to start looking at future possibilities. And there are many! From seductive destinations, world-class art, and gourmet food to new books to read – the new year is looking good. Also, with vaccines coming soon, we will be able…
Botero – Interview with the Artist
Fernando Botero is a world-famous Colombian artist known for his voluminous paintings and sculptures. His renowned works are in the collections of MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museo Botero in Bogotá. Enjoy our insightful interview about creativity with Maestro Botero.
The Year 2020 – Musings, Reflections, and Gratitude
The year 2020 took us all by surprise. As we all collectively went through the same experience of the immense change in all our lives and started to live new normal, there were many times I felt gratitude. In February, I had my last trip to Colombia, and I never…
Bojana Ginn – The Beauty of Art and Science
Bojana Ginn did the inconceivable – she left her medical profession as a doctor and chose to pursue art as a vocation. Numerous art museums and mathematics conferences around the world exhibited her thought-provoking work.
Zest & Curiosity is growing and needs your input
Zest & Curiosity has grown to over 11,000 unique monthly website users and is read in 161 countries worldwide. I am so grateful for this wonderful community where we share our passion for art, culture, and travel. We’ve created a special place. I would need your help and hear your thoughts what would you like Zest & Curiosity to become.
The Beauty of the Underwater World by Pepe Arcos
Pepe Arcos is an award-winning multitalented photographer that explores the magical underwater domain. He is holding the breath for minutes at a time to capture unique images of ethereal calm. As a fellow diver I understand his passion….
Singapore Architecture – John’s Top 8 Picks
Singapore architecture has a lot to offer. It is a fascinating place where Asian influence meets futuristic design. Architecture often has a strong focus on sustainability, with many instances of vegetative landscapes incorporated into high-rise buildings, with breathtaking outcomes.
Casa Brutale – Lyrical Brutalism in Architecture
Casa Brutale is a daring and thrilling architecture concept that took the internet by the storm a few years ago. Its debut instantly went viral after publication and was shared by numerous media and design platforms worldwide. Casa Brutale started also one wonderful friendship with the immensely talented architect Laertis-Antonios…
Tybee Island – COVID Escape
Tybee Island, along with Cumberland Island, is my favorite place in Georgia. It’s my happy space. Since March, as the COVID-19 collectively shattered our world, I’ve spent six months at home. My mom traveled from Europe to the States before the virus came and couldn’t leave the USA since her…
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
Van Gogh Museum was at the top of my list when I visited Amsterdam. I reserved a whole day to leisurely see it. As I entered a spectacular modern building by Gerrit Rietveld, Hans van Heeswijk, and Kisho Kurokawa I was wondering what would Van Gogh say if he has…
America in 15 Pictures By Horst Hamann
Horst Hamann traveled across America and captured these marvelous scenes, where each photo tells a story. There is something special about road trips, especially if you can take your time and see the small towns and beautiful scenery. Enjoy America, the beautiful.
Music Around the World
Discovering music around the world when I travel is another quirky passion, besides going to hair salons. Sometimes I wonder how do I develop all those curiosities, but once I start, I find so much joy within them. For someone who has an eclectic taste in music – from classical…
Neri Oxman – Mothering Nature
Neri Oxman has a very unique look at the world and a multidisciplinary approach to science and design. She piqued my interest when I read about her project “Aguahoja I” that blurs the lines between creativity and science. To illustrate, this artistic sculpture is composed of 3D-printed materials from the organic…
John Portman – The Architect
john Portman was a prolific architect who left a deep mark on the Atlanta landscape and many word capitals. Portman was praised for his cinematic interiors that artfully related interior space and elements to the individual.
Tadao Ando – Casa Wabi in Mexico
Fundación Casa Wabi is an idyllic artist’s retreat by Tadao Ando that aims to promote collaboration and social commitment through art. This beautiful foundation is located in Mexico’s stunning Pacific coastline at Puerto Escondido.
Cambodia – Kingdom of Wonder
Cambodia is truly the Kingdom of Wonder. I have a feeling that some places are destined for you, and Cambodia is one of those places for me. It stole my heart. From the wondrous temples and floating trees to its world-renowned Kampot pepper, there is something for everyone in this beautiful tropical country.
Chiharu Shiota – The Soul Trembles
Chiharu Shiota is a world-renowned Japanse performance and installation artist who is living in Berlin since 1997. Shiota puts the physical presence of the viewer at the core of her work by weaving yarn all around her performance and installations. The focus in her art is the transience of time…
Halong Bay Wonder of Nature – Dreaming Awake
In 1994, Halong Bay was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area is selected because of its stunning limestone mountains that formed thousands of years ago by rising up from emerald waters. The emerald bay has ravishing beauty that exceeded all of my expectations.
Jacquemus – The Creative Force
The first time I saw Jacquemus’ work, I was astonished by the idea to stage a fashion show in the midst of the lavender fields. It had such a dreamlike quality and was so exciting! More I learned about him, I realized that his creativity is endless.
Edward Hopper at Fondation Beyeler
Often when we think about Edward Hopper’s work, his lonely figures gazing through the widow come to our mind. During the coronavirus crisis, the international press and social media repeatedly referred to Edward Hopper as a painter for our times.
Luis Barragán – Pritzker Winning Architect
Luis Barragán was a world-renowned minimalist Mexican architect. His emotional architecture has influenced many contemporary architects, visually and conceptually. Barragán won the Pritzker Prize, the highest award in architecture and his own home and studio, Casa Luis Barragán, have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nicola Bertellotti – Phenomenology of The End
All these magnificent abandoned places witnessed past glory and grandeur. What emerges in Nicola’s aesthetic is the nostalgia of the lost paradise, expressed in love for the ruins.
Touch has a Memory
Social distancing is the new expression and the world is now as we never imagined it would be. We are abstaining from touch and are isolated in our own homes all around the world to protect the community. Globally, we are affected by the same experience as we battle COVID-19 together. There is an enormous understanding and compassion between us.