arrangiarsi

We highly recommend dallying over this short lexical review of some very expressive Italian words. Our particular favourites—all to a letter new to us—were schifoso, a really visceral way to state one’s disgust, and the seemingly overly complicated asciugamano, a portmanteau of the dry plus hand that translates to towel, but nonetheless fun to say. What would you nominate? The post’s title is another useful one that means to muddle through, to get by.

6x6

geodes: unique, computer-generated jigsaw puzzles inspired by geological formations

plot twist: cinematic storyboards told in maps

roskomnadzor: Russian law outlawing virtual private networks (VPNs) used to circumvent state-imposed censorship and corporate-imposed regionalisms is coming into effect, via Slashdot

💅: introducing Tabloid Art History, a journal that explores the relationship between popular culture  and the appreciation of classic masterpieces

celadon: there was once a colour considered so rare and beautiful that only the privileged were allowed to look upon it

haute couture: post World War II Paris reclaimed its status as the world fashion capital by staging fashion shows with dolls to save on fabric, which was in short supply

entrêpot

On the return leg of a recent trip, Jason Kottke was treated to a windshield tour of Geneva (Genf) and introduced to the city’s Freeport that is located at an private airfield annex off the main commercial runway.
The notion having a place to store goods not subject to taxation is an old one (examples here and here) but until recent times such warehousing was reserved for staples destined for the market and imminent resale and not as a tax-haven for the perversely wealthy to speculate and horde treasures until it becomes favourable again to trade amongst themselves. There’s a short documentary and more information at the link up top. Discretion being amongst the chief enticements of the Swiss facility (there are others, of course, and probably this idea of creating exclaves beholden to no tax jurisdiction will spread), no one can say for certain what all is stored in the Freeport but there seems to be agreement that were it a museum, it would be amongst the largest. As if frustrating the art world by making so many priceless works inaccessible (plus some looted patrimony) weren’t criminal enough, the building is neighbouring the old army barracks where political refugees are housed when they first arrive in Switzerland—sheltering next to the place where the despots and their associates they fled hide their fortunes.

shelfies

Translated literally as “books and things,” the tradition of painting depictions of one’s possessions—real and aspirational—is called chaekgeori (책거리) in Korean and reaches back to the Joeson dynasty.
These panels reflect near a one-to-one scale of the bookshelves that they portray and the items—symbols of status and education—are meticulously arranged. Despite the relative unknown status of the art form in Western traditions, it has nonetheless been influential, I believe, and also shows—counter to the notion that Asia society was insular and closed—that souvenirs and keepsakes from abroad were among the most treasured artefacts. Be sure to visit Hyperallergic at the link above for a whole gallery of chaekgeori screens and to learn more.