Traditional women’s dress from the rural community of Chahuaytire, district of Pisac, Calca Province. Cusco, Peru, 2012.

Qhapac dancers, Paucartambo Province. Cusco, Peru, 2010.

Traditional Majeño dancers, district and province of Paucartambo. Cusco, Peru, 2010.

Traditional women’s dress, Paruro and Canas Provinces. Cusco, Peru, 2010.

Qhapaq qolla dancers, district and province of Paucartambo. Cusco, Peru, 2010.

The Alta Moda exhibit runs through September 16, 2013, at MATE – Asociación Mario Testinto, in Lima, Peru.
www.mate.pe

The first thing you’ll notice about Toronto is the scale: it’s massive, with many of its streets dwarfing the main avenues of other Canadian cities. Downtown teems with skyscrapers, so it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed, as though the city’s size might make it impenetrable for a first-time visitor. This modern, cosmopolitan metropolis reflects a dominant aspect of our 21st-century condition: everything is available to us, but the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. The solution is simple: just scale back and pick your spots. Luckily, Toronto’s premier cultural and artistic district is compact enough for easy consumption.

Starting from the enormous InterContinental Hotel in downtown Toronto – which hosted U.S. President Barack Obama during the 2010 G8 summit and boasts a remarkable view of the city’s iconic ?CN Tower – it’s just a short streetcar ride to the art and design district known as West Queen West. As you head down Queen Street, the steel and glass mammoths gradually give way to more modest buildings housing shops and restaurants. Get off at the Dufferin stop, near Gladstone Avenue, to begin your tour at one of the neighborhood’s cultural hubs, the Gladstone Hotel.

The city’s oldest continuously running hotel, the Gladstone was purchased in 2000 by the Zeidlers, a prominent local family headed by noted architect Eb Zeidler. Following the acquisition, Zeidler’s daughter Christina began a massive restoration effort that was completed in 2005. The result is a boutique hotel that preserves the establishment’s artistic heritage, while incorporating a more modern design sensibility. Home to one of the city’s few remaining hand-operated Victorian elevators, the Gladstone offers a variety of small but smartly appointed rooms, each designed by a different local artist. Perhaps most importantly, the hotel’s hallways play host to a number of temporary art exhibits, including paintings and photographs from young, local artists. These shared art spaces help connect the hotel’s guests – many of whom are visiting artists and musicians – with the community. The Gladstone also features a casual but stylish restaurant-café, a second-floor gallery, a spacious bar that attracts a nightly crowd of young professionals and a versatile performance space.

The district’s other anchor is the Drake Hotel, located just a short walk away. After being purchased by local magnate Jeff Stober in 2000, the hotel underwent extensive renovations before reopening in 2004. In addition to its status as one of the city’s premier boutique hotels, Drake also offers perhaps the hottest nightclub and arts venue. Employing a full-time curator, the hotel features permanent art exhibitions from a variety of Canadian and international artists seamlessly integrated into the décor, making Drake something of a cross between a funhouse and a museum. There’s also has a basement-level performance space appropriately called Underground that offers a steady stream of DJs, live music and even art talks.

CREATIVITY UNLEASHED
Both hotels are flanked by a wide variety of galleries, design shops and trendy restaurants, most of which run up Queen Street West, between Gladstone and Bathurst. It’s ideal for a casual afternoon tour, the relaxed atmosphere enhanced by the establishments’ almost-comically friendly owners and staff. The classic trope of the pretentious art snob is, miraculously, nowhere to be found. Most of the galleries are modest spaces, some dedicated entirely to a single artist at a time.

Browsing the surfeit of venues, you’ll be able to sample a wide variety of work, running the gamut in terms of medium, price and quality. The galleries are largely dominated by young, emerging artists from the area, with much of the best work evincing a feel that’s idiosyncratic, if not quite outsider. Whatever your opinion of the art on display, you’ll come away with a very good sense of what the local scene has to offer.

Be sure to stop at the Stephen Bulger Gallery, which specializes in photo exhibits and includes a 55-seat movie theater with a free screening every Saturday at 3 p.m. The gallery is currently showing The Bikeriders, an exhibition of photography by Danny Lyon, whose modern photojournalism offers an inside look at 1960s biker counterculture. Think Marlon Brando in The Wild One or Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider.

When you tire of being a high-minded cultural observer and want to indulge in some shopping, head to Gravity Pope to browse the wares and take in some of the most astonishing décor you’ll see anywhere in the district. Selling designer clothing and shoes at fairly reasonable prices, this boutique is brimming with Louis XVI furniture, French chandeliers from the 1920s and a stunning staircase that was imported all the way from the Paramount Theater in Buenos Aires.

Inabstracto is perhaps the best example of the area’s penchant for design. Founded by former New York concert producer Kate Eisen, the shop sells classic mid-20th-century furniture and design pieces.

EAT + DRINK
The area surrounding West Queen West offers plenty of quality dining options and nightspots that reflect the neighborhood’s status as a destination for individuals of refined taste, as well as those in search of conspicuously trendy spots.

Just a few blocks above Queen Street on Ossington Avenue, Libretto Pizzeria dishes up authentic Neapolitan pizza in a casual, comfortable atmosphere. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-burning oven for 90 seconds at a temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit, giving the crust a light, almost moist texture. Start with the spicy meatball appetizer, followed by the simple, classic margherita, topped with nothing more than tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella. The experience is rounded out by a selection of local beers on tap, as well as a variety of Italian wines.

For a taste of contemporary Canadian cuisine, head a few blocks further north on Ossington before making a left on Dundas Street. There you’ll find L’ouvrier, a kitchen bar that uses locally sourced ingredients. Highlights include the steak tartar appetizer and the three-cheese tortellini, but the real reason to visit is the desserts. It’s not hyperbole to say that they’re some of the best you’ll ever try.

For a nightcap, make the short trek east to Cocktail Bar, also on Dundas. Dark and cozy, it offers high-end concoctions featuring house-made bitters, as well as craft beers. The drinks are a little pricey (as much as US$16 each), but the point is to adopt the bar’s slow, hazy rhythm and savor your selection accordingly. It’s a fitting end to a trip marked by an abundance of quality at a decidedly relaxed pace.

in

TORONTO

Antonia studied library science and works at the Museo de Historia Natural in the heart of Quinta Normal, a city park created in 1842 and modeled after the large green areas of Paris. Now, after three decades of neglect, this part of Santiago’s western sector is experiencing a renaissance. “The facilities have been improved, as have the access points, building on tourists’ new interest in this sector of Santiago,” she says.

The Museo de Historia Natural has been joined by the Museo de la Memoria – a new museum dedicated to human rights whose international renown continues to grow – and the cultural center Matucana 100, which offers theater and musical performances. The Biblioteca de Santiago and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo are also found inside the park.

With revival efforts like this, it’s no wonder that the New York Times ranked the city number one on its 2011 “Places to Visit” list and that prominent travel magazines like Travel & Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler have named it one of the five most appealing cities in Latin America. This tourist status is partly thanks to Santiago’s explosive economic growth following the 2010 earthquake, its effervescent art and film scene (including the first Oscar nomination for a nationally produced movie) and considerable urban development. It’s hard to deny that Santiago is on everybody’s lips and not just its traditional and well-heeled eastern sector.

Still in the downtown area, our guide recommends “the Basílica del Perpetuo Socorro, which many consider the most beautiful church in the city, but hardly anyone visits. It’s a scaled-down replica of the Chartres Cathedral in France.” For dining out, Antonia says to head to “the Peluquería Francesa, with a delicious historic air that emphasizes the area’s heritage and serves great food, with an emphasis on fish and meat. If you’re looking to try more standard Chilean fare, my suggestions would be Club Santiago and the Fuente Mardoqueo, in Barrio Yungay and Barrio Brasil, respectively.” On Calle República, the Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende has people around the world talking.

Readily accessible thanks to the extensive subway line, these neighboring sectors are found within the area bordered by the avenues Brasil, Alameda, Matucana and San Pablo and feature the greatest concentration of culinary offerings in the western part of the city. Restaurants are supplemented by more than a dozen cafés and teashops, all easy to find along Huérfanos and Brasil. Special mention goes to Estación Yungay, Café París and the literary café La Canela.

FROM DOWNTOWN TO PROVIDENCIA
“If you want to discover the most charming side of downtown Santiago,” says 50-year-old architect Gonzalo, “head up to the neighborhoods of Lastarria and Bellas Artes, which I think are currently home to the city’s best attractions. For starters, there’s the GAM (Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral), Santiago’s top cultural landmark and a tremendous space open to the community. From there, you can explore Lastarria, walking up the eponymous street that turns into a fantastic book and antique fair every Sunday, all the way up to Parque Forestal.”

Here, highlights include the Peruvian restaurant Tambo and the haute cuisine of chef Frank Dieudonne’s Ópera on Calle Merced. For wine lovers, Bocanariz is one of the best spots to enjoy the best Chilean selections. Come dessert time, try the original branch of Emporio La Rosa, a place that made its name with specialty ice cream flavors, like the now-classic chocolate-chili pepper. Next, enjoy a good cup of Turkish coffee at Bombón Oriental before catching a play at the Sala la Comedia or a movie at El Biógrafo. The latter is one of the few art-house theaters left in the capital and a popular one at that. Or perhaps you’d prefer to learn more about Chilean graphic arts at the gallery and bookstore Plóp.

Ready to stretch your legs and see some art? Stroll over to the Museo de Bellas Artes, located in Parque Forestal, one of the city’s other green spaces. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink nearby, including El Toro, on the other side of the Río Mapocho, which is a good starting point for exploring Bellavista, the center of Santiago’s nightlife, with alternatives ranging from jazz at Thelonious to live pop and rock at Club Chocolate.

From Bellavista, it’s on to Providencia, by far the fastest-growing comuna in the metropolitan region. “There are two sides to this neighborhood,” says Mauricio, a 29-year-old history teacher and resident of Providencia for seven years. “On the one hand, it’s urban and modern, a business and shopping center. On the other, it has a heritage. If I had to pick one area, it would be Barrio Italia.” Originally a residential area, Barrio Italia became a haven for antique shops in the 1990s, with a smattering of places to eat and drink. Now, 20 years later, it has become one of the most happening parts of the city for great dining, cultural events and historic heritage.

“For dinner, the classic Da Noi serves top-notch Italian cuisine. Around here, everything is so close by that the best way to get the most out of the neighborhood is to take your time and wander around. You can enjoy a corner coffee shop at mid-morning, have lunch at three and go for a drink after sunset,” says Mauricio. And that’s exactly what many visitors do every Saturday afternoon.

So I ask Mauricio to pick three spots. For coffee? “Survenir.” To eat? “Comida Mexicana.” A bar? “Santa Bohemia, although your best bet is to start with the bars on Avenida Santa Isabel and Italia, which are literally right next to each other. Otherwise, head to the Taberna Andaluza Córdoba, which has an authentic Spanish flair, world-class sangria and an owner who gives his all to bring the best of his country to this small Providencia establishment.”

THE REPUBLIC OF ÑUÑOA
A lawyer and yoga teacher, Catalina rarely ventures outside the neighborhood of Ñuñoa. She lives and works within the area delimited by the streets Diagonal Oriente, Pedro de Valdivia and Irarrázaval, where she gets around on her mountain bike. “The network of bike paths is getting better and better, and there are places like La Bicicleta that offers everything you need for your bike, in addition to coffee, tea and pastries. There’s also a handy rental service for tourists.”

Beginning in 2008, Ñuñoa started to fill up with teashops, neighborhood cafés, cheap lunchtime eateries and bakeries that filled the air with the aroma of fresh baked goods. Those in the know say that Café y Amasandería Don Diego is home to the best bread in Ñuñoa (and Chile is famous for its high consumption and enormous variety of bread). At La Marraqueta, you’ll find the best marraqueta-style bread in Santiago, as the bakery’s name implies, plus a great café cortado flavored with mint. Las Vascas, just a few blocks from Plaza Ñuñoa, serves the best blueberry cake and fabulously fresh raspberry juice.

Ñuñoa is one of the city’s hottest nightlife hubs and a great place to walk on the wild side. Remember the romantic scene in the film Dracula (1992), when the vampire (Gary Oldman) drives his beloved (Winona Ryder) to an absinthe bar and introduces her to the sensations offered by the wormwood liquor commonly referred to as “the green fairy”? At Tapas y Birra, you can sample some for yourself. The bottle costs around US$40 and includes a practical “user’s guide” to enjoying this exotic drink, a favorite of cursed writers and poets in 19th-century Europe.

Just a few months ago, Ñunoa became home to a local branch of Bar The Clinic, a Santiago nightlife classic, marking the consolidation of a new stage for the neighborhood that began in 2009 with the construction of the Boulevard Plaza Ñuñoa. “I prefer the classic spots,” says 26-year-old engineer Rodrigo, who recently moved into a nearby apartment. He suggests the generously portioned cheese empanadas at the Fuente Suiza, an eatery that opened in 1954.

For lodging, Casa Muriel is a well-kept secret, a traditional manor house transformed into a boutique hotel. Here, guests to get a sense of what it’s like to live in Ñuñoa. The same concept drives Voy y Vuelvo, a homey spot where you can enjoy excellent, homemade Chilean cuisine at very reasonable prices. Facing the small Parque Pucará, this simple restaurant is open all week long and invites visitors to enjoy leisurely conversation, well after lunch is over. Or you can just hang out and quietly observe the ebb and flow of life in the neighborhood of Ñuñoa. in

ATTRACTIONS

Basílica del Perpetuo Socorro
Blanco Encalada 2950, Santiago

Museo de la Memoria
Matucana 501, Metro Quinta Normal
www.museodelamemoria.cl

Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende
Av. República 475, Metro República
www.mssa.cl

Parque Quinta Normal
Matucana 520, Metro Quinta Normal

Galería Plóp!
Merced 349, Local 7, Lastarria
www.plopgaleria.com

LODGING

$$ Casa Muriel
Doctor Johow 720, Ñuñoa
www.casamuriel.com

$$ hotel bonaparte
Mar del Plata 2171, Providencia
www.bonaparte.cl

$$$ lastarria boutique hotel
Coronel Santiago Bueras 188, Lastarria
www.lastarriahotel.com

DINING & BARS

Peluquería Francesa
Compañía 2799, Yungay

Club Santiago
Erasmo Escala 2120, Concha y Toro

Fuente Mardoqueo
Libertad 551, Yungay

Estación Yungay
Huérfanos 2744, Yungay

Café París
Huérfanos 2080, Yungay

Café Literario La Canela
Maturana 308, Yungay

Tambo
Lastarria 65, Lastarria

El Toro
Loreto 33, Bellavista

Thelonius
Bombero Núñez 336, Bellavista
www.theloniouschile.com

Survenir
Italia 1489, local 3, Providencia

Comida Mexicana
Condell 1576, Providencia

Santa Bohemia
Italia 1493, Providencia

Taberna Andaluza Córdoba
Italia 1152, Providencia

La Bicicleta
Simón Bolívar 3742, Ñuñoa

Café y Amasandería Don Diego
Diego de Almagro 4998, Ñuñoa

La marraqueta
Dublé Almeyda 2900, Ñuñoa

Las Vascas
Pedro Torres 378, Ñuñoa

The smell of garlic and sugar. Of fried cod and custard tarts. And of coffee. Along the city’s narrow sidewalks, paved in slippery mosaics of black and white stone, the people of Lisbon calmly stroll along. Lisbon has none of the hectic pace so often seen in other European capitals but embraces a more peaceful lifestyle.

Between Baixa and Chiado, the postcard-worthy city sprawls downhill, filled with history-rich cafés, literary anecdotes, old bookstores and bakeries that will completely erase any notion of dieting from your mind.

OF POETRY AND OTHER ARTS
Let’s start our tour with three poets, who form a triangle in an area that has served as the setting for many urban encounters. In Praça Camões, the statue of the poet who sang of the wonders of Portugal’s discovery in Os Lusíadas stands halfway up the hill that rises from the banks of the Rio Tajo (known in English as the Tagus River).

Around the square, the building façades are covered in tiles. Left of the statue of Camões is the neighborhood of Bairro Alto. To the right and in front of the statue is Chiado. Across the street from this statue, bronzes of two other poets stand tall under the clear-blue morning sky. Atop a pedestal is Chiado, who also lends his name to the neighborhood. Nearby, but at ground level, is the figure of Fernando Pessoa, in front of one of his favorite cafés: A Brasileira. Between the two poets, it’s not unusual to find musicians busking for groups of tourists, and near the Baixa-Chiado subway station, these open-air concerts never end.

For fans of Pessoa’s work, the area is a Mecca. Just one block from the café is the house where the poet grew up. The Lisbon depicted in his work is still evident as you explore the neighborhood of his childhood on foot. Rua Garret, home to A Brasileira, also offers a host of other cafés and places to enjoy Portuguese sweets. They blend with a number of scattered bookstores, mostly dedicated to used books, a treasure trove of surprises for those curious enough to scour the shelves. You might come across an ancient map of the former Portuguese colonies. Or you might find a first edition of a book about the Lusitano horse. Or even a second edition of the classic Portuguese cookbook: O Livro do Pantagruel.

Walking along Rua do Alecrim, which becomes Rua da Misericórdia as you head uphill, gives you a good idea of the importance of ceramics in the Portuguese aesthetic. In addition to the tile-covered buildings, you’ll see a number of stores specializing in ceramics. For instance, there’s Fábrica Sant’Anna, where you’ll find murals, boxes, olive plates, jars, pitchers and vases. A little further along, DOC Azulejos Antigos offers valuable examples rescued from the walls and patios of old Lisbon homes.

BACK DOWN AGAIN
The Praça do Comércio, better known as Terreiro do Paço, is one of the oldest squares in Europe. The 390,000-square-foot plaza alongside the Tagus River was the site of the Portuguese royal palace for more than two centuries, until the great earthquake, fire and tsunami that ravaged Lisbon in 1755. The caravels that the Portuguese used to colonize half the planet departed from the wharf facing Terreiro do Paço. In recent years, the locals have taken up the challenge of restoring this enormous square, and today, it is not only home to the triumphal arch of Rua Augusta but to dozens of entertainment options, as well. There are restaurants, cultural centers and music to enjoy. Or you can simply sit along the esplanade and watch the gulls fly over the park on their way back to the river.

Baixa – the flat, central part of the city – bears the stamp of the man responsible for its reconstruction following the devastation of 1755. Charged with rebuilding Lisbon, the Marquis of Pombal decreed that all the buildings should be identical, with the same designs, measurements, number of floors, door widths and window sizes. To this day, these doppelganger buildings shape the identity of the neighborhood, with many of the Pombaline-style homes converted to luxury apartments after extensive interior remodels.

Baixa is filled with shopping opportunities, and the neighborhood’s commercial heritage is evident in the street names that describe professions: douradores (gilders), sapateiros (shoemakers), correiros (postal service), fanqueiros (drapers). One nostalgia-rich store, well worth a visit, is Loja Portugueza da Baixa. This dry-goods store is full of huge wooden cupboards and counters like an old-fashioned drugstore and still sells items that remind the residents of bygone days: the soaps from grandma’s house or the chocolates their aunts loved. The old brands, with their original artwork, are available for purchase. There are even cans of kerosene!

After immersing yourself in Portuguese nostalgia, keep wandering through Baixa, losing yourself in the little cobblestone streets and munching on delicious traditional sweets, until the sun goes down. in

Lisbon

Dining

Gambrinus
Founded in 1936, Gambrinus is around the corner from the Dona Maria II Theater, near Praça dos Restauradores.
www.gambrinuslisboa.com

Cervejaria Ramiro
Don’t leave without trying the sapateira, a large Portuguese crab. Closed on Mondays.
www.cervejariaramiro.pt

O Príncipe do Calhariz
A traditional Portuguese tasca (pub), with unforgettable dishes and generous portions. You simply have to try the presas de porco preto.
www.principedocalhariz.com

Lodging

$$$ Bairro Alto Hotel
On the border between Chiado and Bairro Alto, this five-star hotel features 55 rooms and a view of Praça Camões.
www.bairroaltohotel.com

$$ Vinci Baixa
In a Pombaline-style building in Baixa, just blocks from the Tagus River.
www.vinccihoteles.com

$ Lisbon Short Stay
Apartments for brief stays in the city, located in the heart of Chiado. Featuring WiFi and small kitchens.
www.lisbonshortstay.com

Other Attractions

Oceanario de Lisboa
Home to more than 100 species from four oceans.
www.oceanario.pt

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
In addition to being a showcase for Manueline architecture, it has also served as a tomb for kings and, later, poets.
www.mosteirojeronimos.pt

Museu do Azulejo
This museum explores Portugal’s intense relationship with tiles. The mural depicting Lisbon before the great earthquake is a must-see.
mnazulejo.imc-ip.pt

Key
$ Budget
$$ Moderately Priced
$$$ Expensive

This year, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York showcased the greatest number of Latin American designers in the history of the event. Fashion has always been a vehicle for individual expression, and today, with the Latin American population being the second-largest ethnic group in North America, there’s no doubt that Latino designs will continue to catch the fashion industry’s eye in the years to come.

Latin America has piqued the interest of world-class designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci, who found inspiration in the works of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo for collections shown in 1998 and 2010, respectively. But what’s the perspective on the runways of Latin American? Who are the most important figures in the region, and how do they view fashion as Latin Americans?

Although some observers might think the region’s hottest exports are Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima, you can’t talk about local fashion without mentioning its pioneering designers. Like Venezuela’s Carolina Herrera, whose name has become synonymous with luxury and elegance around the globe and who is famous for dressing women like Jacqueline Kennedy. Or Dominican Oscar de la Renta, who designed for Balenciaga before founding his own house. Nor can we forget the clean, minimalist lines of Cuba’s Narciso Rodríguez, who created the bridal gown for Carolyn Bessette, wife of John F. Kennedy, Jr. Following in the footsteps of her predecessors, Cuban-American Isabel Toledo rose to fame with the canary-yellow dress worn by First Lady Michelle Obama at her husband’s inauguration in 2009.

Not only have these designers put Latin America on the fashion map, they have also blazed trails for new talents from the region. For instance, Francisco Costa started out with Oscar de la Renta before joining Calvin Klein, where he has been responsible for simple and chic women’s collections.

And the Latin American influence has been felt beyond the runway. Journalist and fashion critic Nina García, a judge on the television show Project Runway, has been an influential voice in the fashion world for years.

IN THE GENES
Latin Americans in the industry serve as ambassadors for the region’s culture and strive to preserve it. From the start of his career, fashion photographer Mario Testino has been famous for helping Latin American models, designers and settings gain an international profile. In 2012, Testino founded MATE, a cultural center in his native Peru that promotes and support Peruvian art. “I wanted to give back to my country, and I decided the best way to do that was through culture,” he says.

As the world has become globalized, Latin Americans have left their homes in search of inspiration and a place to develop their work. This new wave of designers – who boast a multi-cultural heritage or who have grown up abroad – are creating a new language. One great example is the work of Bruno Basso, the textile genius of Basso & Brooke, who strives to capture the exoticism, charm and spontaneity of his Brazilian heritage and temper it with a British influence.

The most innovative names in fashion flaunt their Latin roots with pride. Take Cuba’s Lázaro Hernández at Proenza Schouler or Carlos Miele, whose work is heavily influenced by his Brazilian heritage and the beautiful landscapes of his native country.

Challenging the preconceptions about the aesthetic sensibilities of Latin American designers, today’s creators are using unexpected colors and materials. Rolando Santana describes what he does as “something that has nothing to do with the floral patterns and bright colors that people might expect from a Latin American designer.” Instead, he mixes modern silhouettes with high-tech fabrics like metallic leather.

Designers like the Dominican Republic’s Hernan Lander attribute their sensibilities and early interests to their upbringing, to their families who taught them to sew or who inspired their design perspectives. Brazilian Alexandre Herchcovitch, Mexican Christian Cota and Venezuelan Raúl Peñaranda (who Forbes magazine called “one of the fastest growing design entrepreneurs”) also fondly remember the skills passed on by family members, as well as their early passion for fashion.

Other regional designers, like Sergio Dávila, continue to explore their roles as designers, finding innovative ways to incorporate their cultural heritage into their work. The first Peruvian to show a collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Dávila uses traditional Peruvian materials like alpaca wool, organic Pima cotton and silk, to give a Latin feel in the fabrics used in collections that have a totally international look in terms of the final silhouette.

In this dynamic and modern climate, we can expect new explorations of the continent’s heritage to be an inspiration for future designers, with the Latin American fashion world continuing to serve as a sleek and stylish vehicle for cultural expression. in

I saw the best chefs of my generation destroyed by the molecular and technological innovations of Ferran Adrià (which he himself later laid to rest). I watched chefs from my country who had passed through el Bulli welcomed as heroes following their stints at this culinary Mecca. These same chefs have grown bored with the pyrotechnics and are dusting off old recipes to recreate, invent or recover a sense of identity. As I heard someone say, “The cuisine of the future lies in the past.”

The current vanguard is rooted in a heritage of flavors and techniques that draw from a sort of culinary genealogy. The cuisine of tomorrow tastes like home, showcasing the flavors of the past with elegance and sobriety, a Polaroid snapshot of past victories. It evokes a time before preservatives, artificial flavors, vacuum-sealed packaging, frozen ingredients and milk in cartons.

This is the principle behind some of the finest restaurants in the world: Noma, Celler Can Roca, Ostería Francescana and, in South America, DOM. There are no fake ingredients, and in this honesty taken to an extreme, we find luxury. These recipes reveal something authentic and unique, resulting in an original cuisine that transports diners to another time, with an identity that leaves a new taste in their mouths. In this new/old cuisine, time and space are no barrier; Phu-Quoc and Máncora, Salta and Guanajauto, Tokyo and Copenhagen become connected on your palate through something as simple as a truly delicious meal. It’s more than enough to justify the trip, or as the Michelin Guide would put it, the detour.

EL GRAN GATSBY EN SADLER’S WELLS
May 14-18
One of the most important dance theaters in the world, Sadler’s Wells London Dance House provides the stage for the famous Northern Ballet company to present The Great Gatsby, based on the book by U.S. author F. Scott Fitzgerald. This new work follows the rousing success of the recent Cleopatra.

Sadler’s Wells London’s Dance House
Tickets from: US$18
www.sadlerswells.com

ERIC CLAPTON
May 17-26
The rock and blues legend Eric Clapton celebrates 50 years of performing with a new world tour that began in U.S. state of North Carolina. He’ll also play seven shows at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London, exploring his extensive and varied songbook.

Royal Albert Hall
Tickets from: $90
www.royalalberthall.com

LICHTENSTEIN: A RESTROSPECTIVE
Through May 27
One of most popular exhibits on the London scene today is dedicated to U.S. artist Roy Lichtenstein. The Tate Modern displays 125 pieces that extend beyond his famous aesthetic based on comics and advertising to include sculptures, collages, drawings and works on paper.

Tate Modern
Admission: US$20
www.tate.org.uk

Santiago

CAT POWER
May 25
Two years after her last visit and having recovered from health issues, the U.S. singer-songwriter returns to perform at La Cúpula theater, resuming the tour promoting her album Sun, which has received excellent reviews around the world.

Teatro la Cúpula
Fábrica 1503
Tickets from: US$48
www.puntoticket.com

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: PHOTOGRAPHS
Through May 31
This exhibit of 126 images spans the past 20 years of this important weekly publication, which dates back to 1896. The exhibit also highlights the production process, with e-mails, mock-ups and galleys. It also features work by journalist Elizabeth Rubin and photographer Lynsey Addario from the war in Afghanistan.

Centro de Extensión UC
Alameda 390
Admission: Free
www7.uc.cl/extension

Guayaquil

SEÑORA BONITA
May 10-11
Perfect for getting the audience in the mood, this spectacle brings together some of world’s most romantic songs. Several singers will interpret hits from Camilo Sesto, Julio Iglesias, Rocío Dúrcal, Pimpinela, Roberto Carlos, Juan Gabriel, Yuri, Rocío Jurado, José José and El Puma, among many others, with Alejandro Cañote leading the band.

Teatro Centro de Arte
Tickets: US$25-US$45
www.ticketshow.com.ec

Medellín

LANG LANG
May 21
To celebrate the orchestra’s 30th anniversary, the Filarmónica de Medellín is hosting one of the new icons of classical music, 29-year-old Chinese pianist Lang Lang. The artist will perform under conductor Alejandro Posada.

Teatro Metropolitano
Calle 41 No. 57 – 30
Tickets: US$ 48-US$262
vive.tuboleta.com

Bogotá

PET SHOP BOYS
May 25
The British electronic duo returns to Colombia after a 20-year absence as part of the world-spanning “Electric Tour.” The men behind such hits as “West End Girls” and “It’s a Sin” promise a quality show.

Centro de eventos y conciertos BIMA
Tickets: US$113-US$289
vive.tuboleta.com

Quito

CUANDO LOS ACORDEONES ILORAN
May 3
Celebrating its seventh anniversary in Quito, the radio station La Otra FM presents this show, which brings together some of the best representatives of vallenato at a party that promises plenty of fun. Jean Carlos Centeno, Las Musas del Vallenato and Adriana Lucía are just some of the artists set to perform.

Coliseo General Rumiñahui
Av. Ladrón de Guevara (no address number)
Tickets: US$20-US$50

LIMA

JESSE Y JOY, NOEL SCHAJRIS, REIK Y ARIZTIA
May 31
Perfect for fans of pop ballads, the “Díselo con Amor Fest” brings together a group of bands and soloists from different Latin American countries. It promises to be one most important events of the year for the genre.

Jockey Club del Perú
Av. El Derby (no address number)
Tickets: US$31-US$121
www.teleticket.com.pe

Buenos Aires

CLÁSICO SUDAMERICANO
May 5
Few rivalries are as extreme as the one between Argentinean soccer clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate. On Sunday, May 5, they’ll play the latest installment of this classic matchup at La Bombonera stadium in the heart of the La Boca neighborhood. Soccer fans won’t want to miss it.

Estadio La Bombonera
Barrio La Boca
www.ticketbis.com.ar

ARTEBA
May 24 – 27
Argentina’s most important art fair (and one of the most notable in the region) was founded in 1991. At the 22nd arteBA, 100 respected galleries from South America and the U.S. will welcome 120,000 visitors.

La Rural (pabellones Azul y Verde)
Avenida Sarmiento 2704
Tickets: US$10 general. From 1 p.m to 9 p.m.
www.arteba.org

Mexico City

ÉPOCA DE CALENDARIOS
All Year
To commemorate the 18-year anniversary of the Museo Soumaya on Plaza Loreto and pay homage to Galas de México, the renowned maker of trading cards (cromos) and posters, the Fundación Carlos Slim is hosting an exhibit of more than 1,500 of these colorful images throughout 2013. In addition to showcasing images that have decorated Mexican homes for decades, the exhibit will explain the history of Mexican trading cards and the process of making them.

Museo Soumaya Plaza Loreto
Av. Revolución y Río Magdalena
Admission: Free
www.soumaya.com.mx

“I want to eat roast chicken at Le Grand Colbert (2 rue Vivienne), like Diane Keaton did in Something´s Gotta Give.” That was my birthday wish on a trip to Paris. In the film, Keaton tells Jack Nicholson that the place has “the best roast chicken in the universe.” Once at the restaurant, we found ourselves surrounded by Americans who, like me, had been inspired by the film to pick this establishment from the immense array of dining options that Paris has to offer. We loved the chicken just as much as the excellent, home-style Boeuf Bourguignon that we ordered the next day at Le Polidor (41 rue Monsieur-le-Prince), a less pricey restaurant founded in 1845 that Woody Allen chose as the setting for Owen Wilson’s encounter with Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris. With movies on the brain, we just had to stop by Café des 2 Moulins (15 rue Lepic), a typical Parisian café that would have remained unremarkable if it had not been the setting for some of the most romantic scenes in the film Amélie.

These film-inspired dining excursions were already a tradition of mine. Several years ago, I was driving with a friend along I-95 in Connecticut, and we stopped in the small coastal town of Mystic to grab a bite at Mystic Pizza (56 W Main Street), the restaurant that lent its name to the film starring Julia Roberts. Since then, I’ve become addicted to visiting restaurants where movies have been filmed, to get a literal taste of the action.

Fans of Sleepless in Seattle flock to the Athenian Inn (1517 Pike Place), where Tom Hanks and his friend discussed the dating scene of the 1990s. There is even commemorative plaque on the table where the exchange took place, although it pales in comparison to the sign posted at Katz’s Delicatessen (205 E Houston Street) in New York, which reads: “We hope you have what she’s having,” recalling the unforgettable scene in When Harry Met Sally in which Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm. Why not try it for yourself?

Like a seismograph records the tiny movements that precede a large-scale earthquake, faint signws in the European art scene during the final decades of the 19th century predicted a future upheaval.

One of these small tremors was Van Gogh’s disappointment upon settling in France. In 1886, the painter arrived in Paris from Holland to find a scene that took the wind out of his sails: the social and political commitment with which he had grown up was nothing more than a memory among his Impressionist peers, who had carved out a comfortable niche in society creating inoffensive and complacent art. The tormented artist endured four years in the French capital before his death in 1890.

Three years later, in 1893, Norwegian Edvard Munch made the needle jump again with The Scream. In this disturbing painting, the figure of a man seems about to explode with anguish, an image rendered as European painting had never seen before. Both the subject matter and its execution were powerful indications that the spirit of the 19th century was being left behind and another emerging: the artistic vanguard of the 20th century.

The fact that this spirit was referred to as “the vanguard” captured much of the buzz of the era. The original expression – “avant-garde”– is French and comes from military vernacular. And its connotations of confrontation were no coincidence: the Great War was a growing rumble. The members of the vanguard were quite diverse, but they shared a number of common characteristics. They rejected naturalism, questioned rationalism, rose up against Impressionism and defied academic convention. They abandoned the rules of perspective in painting and meter in poetry and sought a new language for narrative. They were also part of urban and cosmopolitan movements.

In Paris, the disciples of the master Cézanne – Picasso, Braque and Leger – put a spin of his legacy, exploring the possibilities arising from the destruction of traditional figurative forms. Structures and colors changed, giving rise to odd shapes in arbitrary hues, as seen in Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. In this work, the female figures are fragmented and strange, and all classic conventions of space disappear.

THE CUBIST REVOLUTION
In 1908, an art critic wrote that Georges Braque “scorns form and reduces everything, sites, figures and houses, to geometric schemas and cubes.” This simple description gave rise to the term “Cubism,” a sufficiently simple label for a successful, new movement that would be rounded out by names like Robert Delaunay, Juan Gris and Constantin Brâncu?i. Within a few years, Cubism had spread throughout Europe, and in 1911, the Cubists showed their work at a group exhibition in Paris. Meanwhile, Europe was staring down the oncoming abyss of war.

In 1916, Austrian art critic and writer Hermann Bahr wrote of the feeling spreading throughout the continent during the First World War: “Never was any period so shaken by such horror, by such dread. Never had the world been so deathly silent. Never had man felt so small.” One of the leading figures of the Austrian vanguard, Bahr pointed to one possible escape in the face of such a dark diagnosis: “Art also screams, into the deep darkness, screams for help, screams for the spirit. This is Expressionism.”

Just like opposing camps aligning around respective causes and identifying themselves with specific emblems, the members of the vanguard voiced their discontent with the existing legacy of art, forming their own battalions and creating their own strategies. Expressionism, Dadaism, Cubism, Abstractionism, Futurism and Surrealism were the symptoms of a tremor that was unsettling Europe and even the U.S., with its epicenter in Paris and satellites in Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Rome, Milan and New York. The avant-garde broke with the bourgeois conventions of an art world that had grown stale, toothless and boring.

For example, German expressionist Otto Dix recorded the least heroic aspects of the First World War in images of mutilated bodies and bleak forms that captured bitterness, resentment and desperation. And he tapped an unusual muse. To reflect the ugliness and cruelty of his models, Dix copied the style of caricatures scribbled in urinals, which seemed to him the most direct translation of these powerful feelings. But this wasn’t the only time that public bathrooms would provide inspiration.

ART IN THE TRENCHES

Otto Dix, Andre Breton, Tristan Tzara

After the war broke out in 1914, many intellectuals took refuge in neutral Zurich, where a handful of artists created Dadaism, the most curious and extreme of all the vanguard movements. Dadaism sprang from a kind of manifesto for life, and the collective spirit of those it united was more important than any specific work of art. More than anything, Dadaism was the negation of the rational, an exaltation of all things spontaneous, contradictory and anarchic.

Romanian Tristan Tzara, one of the movement’s ideologues, explained in an interview that, in order to understand Dadaism, you had to place it in context. It was 1916, the war seemed like it would never end, and the members of the movement – who included Tzara, Hans Arp and Hugo Ball – felt a great “impatience to live.” This sentiment endured, finding new expressions and traveling beyond Swiss borders. After first embracing Cubism, Cuban-born Frenchman Francis Picabia adopted Dadaism and published the magazine 391, experimenting with different font styles and ironic, nihilistic language.

Marcel Duchamp already had a career as a painter when he introduced the concept of “readymade” by sending a now-famous urinal to a 1917 exhibit in New York under the name Fountain. This exhibit was supposed to open with a conference given by Duchamp’s friend Arthur Cravan, who instead of delivering a talk, showed up drunk and tried to take off his clothes in front of the audience in an impudent Dadaist gesture. Painting as the hegemonic form of artistic expression was clearly on the wane.

The anarchic freedom of the Dadaists found further support in the philosophy of Karl Marx and the research of Sigmund Freud. This new current – Surrealism – expanded from poetry to the visual arts like a flash fire in dry grass, branching out in several tangents from the main current tightly controlled by André Breton, who some called “The Father of Surrealism.”

As the new century progressed, this spirit of renovation spread. It survived the First World War into a second stage that began in 1930. A new generation emerged from the multiple fissures – political, social, technical and scientific – of a changing society to dig its own trench in art. These guerrilla fighters would shake up the established notions of art in a revolution extending far beyond Europe, tracing the new frontier of what is known today as Contemporary Art. in

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