11 Activities To Help You Not Lose Your Mind At Home This April
This past week I have absorbed more TV shows, movies, and Youtube videos than I have in the entirety of the past year. Like many, I thought that being confined in the limits of my home would be an opportunity for me to optimize my life. More productive workdays, better university performance, and more time to take online courses and do home workouts. Although true at first, most of the above merely lasted for the first week of self-isolation, and I soon found myself getting lost in the infinite time-space consortium, where days blended into each other and stretched forever. It was easy to see that what had originally been dubbed as my self-care month had now turned into a glorified rut. And although I came to terms with the idea that I did not need to be constantly pressuring myself to be productive during a world crisis, I did realize that I was in desperate need for ideas on how to spend my time on activities that broke my daily routine of “eat, workout, study, sleep, Netflix — repeat”.
When the time came for me and the B&A contributors of the Culture Dip to come up with ideas for our scheduled cultural appointment of the month, New York’s Met and Guggenheim, Paris’s Musée d’Orsay, and Florence’s Uffizi Gallery virtual tours were the first that came up. Along with those came the online tours of the National Gallery of Art and National Portrait Gallery. Free! Art! It sounded all great until we realised that almost every publication in the world writing guides right now had a list that looked just like ours.
That’s when we decided that we were itching for something a little less traditional and a little more entertaining. We wanted to give you a reason to slip out of your PJs into a fresh outfit, to pour yourself some wine, and to realise that there is still a point in having a cultural calendar, even when the world is — quite literally — on pause. Complementary activities that can be completed during this time along with the ones listed below include: a) an intense dance party to Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia; and b) a 24hour binge of Sex Education or High Fidelity (or both). And if you’re feeling very brave, you could try allocating some of your infinite time to watching classics like The Sopranos or The Wire. But only after you’ve exhausted the options offered in the list that follows.
1 — The Way I See It
Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or BBC Sounds
What: Podcast
“The Way I See It” is a 30-episode radio and podcast series, launched by the world-renowned New York museum MoMA. Thirty extraordinary creative thinkers chose a work that they love. Guests such as actor and comedian Steve Martin, Minimalist composer Steve Reich, stand-up comedian and actor Margaret Cho, and civil rights leader Bryan Stevenson join MoMA curators to describe how art inspires the work they do and the lives they lead.
Find more info about the podcast here
2 — Google Arts&Culture
Where: artsandculture.google.com
What: Online Experience
Google Arts & Culture is an interactive multimedia platform that allows users to explore an infinite variety of contents, ranging from individual artworks, to virtual tours, to AI reconstructions of ancient monuments. All of this, made possible through collaboration with major art and cultural institutions worldwide. The digital platform utilizes high-resolution image technology and enables users to virtually tour partner museums’ galleries, explore physical and contextual information about artworks, and compile their own virtual collection. The fun in this platform comes in the fact that not only is it educational but also interactive, so users can have fun exploring a variety of activities. Some favorites to check out include: “Faces of Frida”, which dives into the artist's life, art, and legacy, in collaboration with 33 museums, “12 Banksy Murals You Can See on Street View” and “Women in Culture”, an exploration into the impact women have had on culture through time.
3 — The Met Opera From Home
Where: https://www.metopera.org/
What: Performances
How Much: FREE
To help people stay entertained during this world crisis, The Metropolitan Opera of New York is broadcasting for free some of its best productions. A new opera stream is available everyday on The Met Opera’s website, with a duration of 20 hours (from 00h30 to 20h30, Italian time). All the representations are from the archives of the last quarter of the century. From Carmen to Tristan and Iseult, there is definitely something there for you. Take this is as the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to pour yourself a glass of wine, prepare some fancy snacks, curl up on your couch to enjoy the show!
4 — Cineteca di Milano’s Films Catalogue
Where: Cineteca di Milano’s Website
What: Digital Archive (Movies&Shorts)
If movies are more your thing and you’ve already exhausted every option Netflix had to offer, maybe give The Cineteca di Milano a try, as it offers an exclusive opportunity to explore its catalog of more than 500 films dating from the end of the 19th century. The wide selection includes Charlie Chaplin’s masterpieces, animated short films, wars newsreels, Italian classic movies and many more. Discover the streaming online by subscribing for free on the Cineteca di Milano’s website.
5 — König Galerie IGTV Livestreams
Where: igTV @koeniggalerie
What: Instagram Live
Joining the #stayhome movement by offering innovative alternatives for cultural activities is also Köning Galerie. Since the closure of the Galleries in Germany due to Covid-19, Johann König, the owner of the Berlin-based König Gallerie, guides visitors through the current exhibition on livestream on Instagram. In a live chat with the exhibiting artist, the audience is able to enter a virtual conversation about the artworks.
6 — DIOR TALKS
Where: Spotify, Apple Podcasts or podcasts.dior.com
What: Podcast
An interesting addition to the endless variety of fashion podcasts is Dior’s ‘Dior Talks’. This is a podcast aimed at bringing together both the people who directly shape the creative direction of the House and those whose artistic, cultural or intellectual impact influences its narrative. The first guest? Maria Grazia Chiuri herself. The first season, which just launched, focuses on the ways one can defeat patriarchy through feminist art and explores the overlap between feminist theory and its empirical application.
7 — Paris Opera From Home
Where: Paris Opera Website
What: Performances
When (Program):
April 6 - 12: The Barber of Seville (2014)
April 13 - 19: Tribute to Jerome Robbins (2018)
April 20 - 26: The Tales of Hoffmann (2016)
April 27 - May 3: Carmen (2017)
March 17 - May 3: Cycle of Tchaikovsky's six symphonies played by the Orchestra of the Paris National Opera, conducted by Philippe Jordan
If you’re looking to travel somewhere other than New York, there’s another opera broadcasting shows for the world: The Paris Opera! Starting on March 17th, the Paris Opera will be screening it’s most iconic shows from its archives online free of charge. From Don Giovanni to Swan Lake and The Tales of Hoffmann, you will have the chance to rediscover some of the most significant classics from home. Pack your bag(uette)s and take a virtual “trip” to one of the world’s most magical cities.
8 — Cooking Classes With Gucci’s Chef (#KitchenQuarantine with Massimo)
33k Likes, 954 Comments - Massimo Bottura (@massimobottura) on Instagram: "Tonight 8pm on @instagram TV #staytuned #staysafe #kitchenquarantine with Massimo tonight at 8pm"
Where: @massimobottura on Instagram
What: Instagram Cooking Classes
The force behind L.A.’s Gucci Osteria and Modena, Italy’s Francescana Osteria, Massimo Bottura is giving online cooking lessons on his Instagram. The chef likes to keep the meal under wraps until the nightly airtime of 8pm CET. Follow him on @massimobottura and join the #KitchenQuarantine with Massimo movement.
9 — Current Mood
134k Likes, 4,119 Comments - John Mayer 💎 (@johnmayer) on Instagram: "A new season of @currentmood returns next Sunday. See you soon with a VERY exciting premiere guest...."