Flàneries

Newsletter - #31

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

— Henry David Thoreau.

Ciao a tutti!

While everyone is looking up, the real show is often somewhere else. Wide eyes, suspended expressions, noses in the air: a human gallery lit intermittently in the dark of the Roman night.

That’s how this recent period began for me, in the heat of Rome for a few days, following the heat of Paris and the humidity of Macao.

Being in Rome on the day of its patron saints' feast is quite an experience, and I don't think I ever watched the fireworks during the years I lived there.

It’s something to experience at least once.

But I had also never truly explored some of the eastern neighborhoods, where I found accommodation for Thibault, who has started his first real work internship. I confess that the eastern area along the Casilina, between Pigneto and Tor Pignattara, pleasantly surprised me: neighborhood life, less traffic, and spaces dedicated to outdoor bars and restaurants.

In short, a different Rome.

Before stopping in Rome, however, I spent a few days in Macao, China.

Not that I was thrilled to spend conference days in a modern, surreal complex, among shopping malls and reconstructions of the Eiffel Tower, St. Mark's Square, or London's Big Ben. Add to that 80% humidity, which didn't exactly encourage me to make the most of even the few free hours I had.

But I reconnected with an old friend who has been in China for over 35 years, and luckily, I spent a few hours doing something different. It was a beautiful moment to catch up after many years, reflecting on the shared experiences that deeply shaped our identities.

Traveling in South America during this period is always stimulating, partly because the temperatures are pleasant. The mini-tour took me, in the span of a week, to São Paulo and, for the first time, to Bogotá. Well, rather than São Paulo, it was mostly the Interlagos circuit for the 6 Hours endurance race, where I promoted one of our road safety projects.

During the three days at the circuit, I took a few hours to visit the Mercado Municipal in the heart of the city. A very dynamic and surprising reality.

Finally, I moved on to Bogotá, Colombia. The city sits at an altitude of 2,600 meters, with an average year-round temperature of around 20°C (the difference between the good season and the not-so-good one is simply the rain). I decided to spend my "three free hours" around Plaza Bolívar, the heart of the historic center.

This is exactly where the zine I’m offering in this issue comes from: Cara y Cruz, heads or tails. These are my impressions from my first time in Bogotá, on the edges of its most important (or at least most famous) square.

Cara y Cruz: Three Hours at Plaza Bolívar

Three hours, one square, two worlds. Around Plaza Bolívar, Bogotá's historic center splits in half. To the north, quiet and manicured order; to the south, the vital and unstoppable chaos of the street. Through the immersive lens of a 16mm, this issue explores the borderline between chaos and calm. Wide scenes that breathe the history of the city alternate with close-up urban collisions, capturing the accelerated heartbeat of a Bogotá that never stops.

hope you are all doing well. Have a great summer! Luca

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