Volume 10
Welcome back to the Isolation Diaries, our weekly round-up of the things that bring us joy and keep us motivated. This week, we’ve reached Edition 10 in this series — Wow. What have you been up to?
This week we’re getting inspired by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, reading up on the concept and vision behind their large-scale environmental installations. We’ve also started The Neapolitan Novels. Book 1 details a relationship between two women in a poor neighbourhood of Naples. However, the most important reading we can recommend for now starts with this list of books, and also this one. Education and action has never been more important than at this time.
Hannah Gadsby is back after the success of Nanette, her powerful show from 2018. Her next comedy special is Douglas, watch it: you won’t regret it. More Taika content this week, because it’s the right thing to do. What We Do in the Shadows is a documentary-style vampire series based on the feature film by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi. The series version has the added bonus of Matt Berry, though… BAAAAAAT! And—well-timed as ever—Netflix has also released Space Force, a workplace comedy with a difference.
We’ve gone quite digital this week, revisiting the beautiful Escher-inspired illusions and impossible objects of Monument Valley. The visually spectacular game allows you to interact with the environment, to move and create—All from your phone or iPad. More virtual adventures await, because the Guggenheim have digitised their art collections and exhibitions, so you can travel and experience them for yourself from home. We’ve also been inspired to create more sweet treats… but make it art. Like this vibrant matcha cake.
Our most uplifting playlist yet, Love is a joyful tribute to just that… Love. We’ve travelled to Paris and gone through the amazing Hôtel Costes playlists. A real hotel renowned for its music, Costes is its own experience. But, good news, for those who can’t get there right now (I think… all of us?), in addition to the impressive Spotify catalogue they select 15 special tracks per month to reflect a day in the life. And for more beautiful sounds, check out this one-off live performance of John Grant with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Last week, we very sadly lost our beautiful friend and client Anna Thomas, following a cancer diagnosis in March 2018. Anna was a determined, creative person with a dynamic and successful fashion brand. She was a leader in her industry and someone we greatly admired. We will miss her fun, expressive and joyful nature, her love of music and fashion. Together, we talked extensively about music and gigs… and somewhere in between, we would talk about work. See you in the front row, Anna.