In the previous post I didn't tell you what I actually got in my suitcase coming back home! First of all let me say one thing: since I left LA I've never had the chance to speak english here in my home town so, I love to read in english almost everything I buy, especially fiction. But, since I'm swiss (!!) I have the luck to speak italian (mother language), french and some german. so, when I am in france, I try to buy french books, at least those that are originally written in french.

I love then to sit down in a café, with an espresso and read.

These are the books I bought in Paris:

1. Saul Leiter (Photo Poche) . Photography book (in french)

2. "Ce jour -là" , Willy Ronis (Folio) . Photography book (in french)

3. "Le testament des gouttes de pluie", Einar Mar Gudmundsson. Fiction (in french) English version.

4. "Le bateau du soir", Vonne van der Meer. Fiction (in french). English version.

5. "Le spectateur émancipé". Jacques Rancière. Non-fiction. (in french). Not yet translated but check out his other titles.

6. "Les Mystères de l'ile Saint-Louis". Roger de Beauvoir (in french).

Then I got to the airport and I needed something to read since all these books were already checked in and so I got 2 other books:

7. "City of Bones". Michael Connelly. (in english)

8. "Chasing Harry Winston". Lauren Weisberg (in english)

I am not really into Christmas decorations but these, displayed at the Galeries Lafayette, are breathtaking. It's funny how there are complaints about the economy all over the world but, during Christmas noone seems to care. At least with decorations! Power of consumption???

I read a book lately about the science of shopping and it gave me some good insight...not only about shopping also about projecting some consumeristic theories to human behaviours. The book, "Why we buy" explains the way retailers organize and advertise their store with the only intent of inviting people to go in their store and ultimately buy. From the display of windows, to lighting organization, to internal layouts. A good windows is the base of a good invitation. It is funny how strategically in many stores men fashion is the first thing you encounter. Why? Because statistically women have no problem walking through a store to go to their department. But what interested me the most was the exteriority of marketing. We see what they sell. Or at least a portion of it. You want to go deeper in to find what you are looking for and maybe more. Some store become a work of art, some of them just tell you "come in, there is more", some of them though have such a bad front window that you just do not look or maybe you don't even see. But are people like shopping windows? Do they fix their appearances to invite you in? To let them know you? Some people I hanged around with do it, but in a way a really bad store would do! What you see outside is just a big lie. Once you penetrate deep in their soul/mind what you find is scaring shit!!! Fake expensive brands as if to show their status...a fake one obviously! They hang around rich people to be elevated in some sort of new social level that exist only in their fake existence. WHY??? So, I rather prefer a shitty window that at least doesn't lie to me than one that promises gold and in fact it only offers trash! And I love trash, I even did a photo series with it...but I was looking for it!
Great book the Paco Underhill one...I probably just subjectivized too much the content!!!

This is another interpretation of space use. A temporary yet contemporary use of empty spaces. This is a temporary Benetton store in Milan. What the brand did is simple. Open a store only for a period of time. Which is nothing new if you think about farmers market (a temporary use of the city), but here I guess is part of a marketing agenda.. Smart. Sell what you still have (maybe the last things of the summer collection) and wait for the new one. I wish I had this space for myself and just hang photos, writings, and stuff. Together with my virtual artist friends!