No matter the time of year, for many a return to the older ways of travelling beckons, as people seek to a return to the ways and customs of yester-year. For many a traveller, overloaded by the singularity of mainstream opulence, a growing desire to seek out that which is rare, avant-garde and unique activates their inspiration. Materialism for materials-sake is becoming outdated and somewhat overused. The question remains, are we merely bored, or have become more acutely discerning?
The significance of exquisitely tucked away boutiques and out-of-town stayovers, to the adrenaline inducing escapades for the adventurous is becoming a deepening desire for the restless, especially among creatives…
When most people go on holiday they obtain a souvenir or gifts for friends and family, there is a growing audience of people seeking something more aesthetic, whether rugs from Turkey, and ikat from Papua New Guinea, or an art piece from Italy. The idea for many is to obtain items which cannot be copied, and which adds to their idea of luxury.
Eclectic and rare exceptional pieces hold the power of the memory and time it was obtained, as opposed to the value. This is the value itself.
For the passionate contemporary art collector, building such a collection creates a key to wider dialogue with like minded individuals; people who you would pass on Old Bond Street, who now enter your outer circles, as they show interest in your passions. The art scene is changing.
The connection with travel and art at closer inspection is something in which everybody can relate, perhaps without realising, as we arrive at those new hotels, serving as a catalogue of collectables on offer once we step out into the streets.
Indigenous Inspiration
For individuals seeking the eclectic as they travel beyond the mainstream trappings of suburban modernity in search of that signature piece, for one-off items, its signature will be in its ability to trigger memories, the sounds and even the aroma of the place in which it was bought, and more importantly, have a story to go with it.
In many places, the prices may be rising, but you can still find originals in old shops outside of town, or the dusty old warehouse. The antique stores hidden among the back streets and cafes of Tokyo for instance hide exquisitely hand-made or painted goods from the old days of Japan.
