Summer is the perfect time to enjoy our free time and immerse ourselves in what we are most passionate about. That’s why at Setdart we have prepared a careful selection of cultural recommendations that include books, films and series on art, luxury and design. These proposals combine aesthetic pleasure, inspiration and knowledge. Choose your favorite and let these stories accompany you during the vacations.
Must-have books for a cultural vacation
Summer is the time of the year to do what we love and to enjoy our free time. That’s why Setdart recommends ten books that range from art-inspired fiction to visual essays, so you can choose what you like best.
Do you like to discover what is hidden behind a painting and its author?
- The Magic of Silence. Caspar David Friedrich’s Journey Through Time by Florian Illies. A literary and poetic journey through the universe of the romantic painter par excellence.
- What art history books don’t want you to know by Blanca Guilera. With a pleasant tone and full of winks to pop culture, the author invites us to look at art with different eyes.
Do you feel more like reading fiction without moving away from the art world?
- Sakura by Matilde Asensi. An artistic mystery that connects contemporary Japan with a lost Van Gogh painting.
- The Death of the Commendatore by Haruki Murakami is an atmospheric and enigmatic novel where painting becomes a symbol and a portal.
Do you want a tabletop book that decorates and, at the same time, teaches you something?
- Green: the history of a color by Michel Pastoreau. A fascinating visual essay on the color green. The English edition is also perfect as a decorative object. The whole series -Blue, Black, Red, Yellow- is a publishing gem.
What is art? What is contemporary art? If you feel like getting into the debate about where art is going today, read on:
- After the end of Art by Arthur Danto. It will not leave you indifferent.
Are you interested in understanding why one work moves us and another doesn’t?
- What is Quality in Art? by Alejandro Vergara. With the clarity of someone who knows art from the inside, Vergara invites us to think about why some works move us more than others. A brief but profound essay on artistic value, beyond fashions and trends.
Is your thing more a summer of luxury and fashion?
- Stoned. Jewelry, obsession and how desire shapes the world. by Aja Raden clearly explains the history, economics and desire behind gemstones.
- Little Book of Chanel by Lagerfeld by Emma Baxter-Wright, a book that tells us about the moment when Karl Lagerfeld became the designer of the brand.
More cultural recommendations: movies, series and documentaries on art
These cultural recommendations do not end with books. Below, we share with you some audiovisual cultural suggestions that explore art from different perspectives: emotion, history, design, power and beauty.
Films
From artist biopics to thrillers set in the art market, these films invite you to look at art through emotion, desire or obsession.
1- The Girl with the Pearl Earring: A story that unveils the mystery behind one of the most iconic works of Baroque art, exploring the relationship between the painter and his muse.
2- The Monuments Men: An Allied team during World War II tries to save works of art from Nazi looting.
3- The Best Offer: Thriller about an art auctioneer and his personal obsessions.
4- Camille Claudel, 1915: Dramatic story about the sculptor Camille Claudel and her internment in a psychiatric hospital.
5- The anonymous artist: Film about the life and work of an anonymous painter, exploring the essence of art and fame.
Series
These series not only entertain: they show epochs, lifestyles and characters that marked art and visual culture. Ideal for a summer marathon with an aesthetic look.
1- Mad Men: Series that shows the culture, art and advertising in the 60’s in the United States.
2- Halston: The life and work of iconic fashion designer Roy Halston, a symbol of luxury and pop culture in the 1970s.
3- Genius: Anthology series that includes seasons dedicated to Pablo Picasso, exploring his art and personal life.
4- El ministerio del tiempo: Spanish series with time travel and episodes dedicated to historical figures of art.
5- Il Gattopardo: Adaptation of the classic Italian novel with a strong visual and artistic charge.
Documentaries
For those seeking cultural recommendations that also inform, these documentaries open the door to art from a reflective, historical and critical perspective.
1- Painters and kings of the Prado: A journey through the history of Spain through its pictorial masterpieces.
2-The Artist is Present: Marina Abramović redefines contemporary performance in a unique work of presence, vulnerability and pure art.
3- Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century: The legacy of the design school that changed the aesthetics of the 20th century.
4- The jewel of an emperor: Bvlgari: Glamour, tradition and craftsmanship behind the Italian jewelry house.
5- White Cube: Contemporary art, power and neocolonialism: Renzo Martens presents us with a documentary that makes us uncomfortable and questions.
