From Marfa’s desert minimalism to Matera’s rock-cut cathedrals and Tbilisi’s architectural anomalies.
Marfa, USA
A mecca for minimalism in the Texan desert famed also for its big night sky, Marfa’s art scene has grown to include galleries and museums like the Ballroom Marfa and The Ayn Foundation. It all began back in the 1970s thanks to minimalist artist, Donald Judd. Nearby, the famous Prada Marfa – a faux storefront by artists Elmgreen & Dragset – sits isolated along Highway 90, critiquing consumerism through its remote setting. Visitors can hike, explore outdoor installations, wander galleries, and end the day with Texas steak under starlit skies.
Naoshima, Japan
Perched in the Seto Inland Sea, Naoshima (臗”) is an island site synonymous with contemporary art. Architect Tadao Ando shaped much of the location, designing standout museums and galleries like Chichu, Lee Ufan, and Benesse House, while the municipal buildings and schools were designed by the modern architect Ishii Kazuhiro.
Tbilisi, Georgia
Set dramatically along a river gorge, Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, cradles sulphur bathhouses and medieval caravanserais alongside Soviet-era blocks reborn as galleries and nightclubs. Baroque and Art Nouveau facades give way to brutalist concrete and sleek modernist towers around the next corner. Beyond the historic core, a thriving techno scene, independent studios, and hidden cultural spaces have earned Tbilisi its reputation as the Caucasus’ most magnetic, unpredictable capital.
Matera, Italy
Once dismissed as “the shame of Italy” for the poverty and disease in its cave dwellings, Matera staged a remarkable comeback culminating in it being crowned European Capital of Culture in 2019 – and even drawing 007 himself! The city’s labyrinthine alleys and cave-cut cathedral starred in the opening chase scene of No Time to Die, with Daniel Craig racing through streets carved 10,000 years ago. This Basilicata city is peppered with chiese rupestri – rock-cut churches – along with frescoed chapels, Michelin-starred kitchens, and underground galleries. Another one on the Unesco List.
