Hasta La Ideas

Our latest video takes a look at the exquisite organic cuisine of Mexico’s most exclusive resort

Deep in the Jalisco state of Mexico lies what for many, is a secret paradise. The coastal resort of Cuixmala, contained within a 25,000 acre nature preserve, was founded by Sir James Goldsmith in the 90s. The eco-friendly destination features beautiful cabanas, casitas and houses, along with all the amenities one would expect from an exclusive escape. From horseback riding to prop plane flying to sailing along the Pacific Coast, the resort has something to offer everyone.

While Cuixmala is the definition of laid-back luxury, the resort is far from the main focus of the area. The nature reserve is host to a group of full-time biologists, offering refuge to a number of endemic and endangered species. Since its inception, the principles of preservation and conservation have been at the forefront of the property. The land itself is a small slice of the majestic forests which originally ran down the Pacific coast. Cuixmala’s current proprietors have done their best to maintain and encourage the natural ecology of the region. Beyond conservation of the landscape, Cuixmala was founded with organic farming as a key element of its success, providing guests with the freshest foods directly from the garden.

We recently had the chance to catch up with one of the owners of Cuixmala, Goffredo Marcaccini and the head Chef to learn about the history, cuisine and importance of the property.

Our video with snowboarder Travis Rice on his epic new film

Travis Rice’s use of the word epic to describe his new snowboarding film “The Art of Flight” barely does the powder-crushing tour de force credit. The Herculean adventure, captured by the same type of Cineflex cameras used to film Planet Earth, shows Rice and his handpicked crew as they snowboard some of the wildest terrain around the globe.

The Art of Flight is Rice’s follow up to the award-winning film “That’s It, That’s All”—both shot by Curt Morgan, a snowboarder who turned to filmmaking after a serious back injury. A self-dubbed “tech geek,” Morgan and his boutique production house Brain Farm test the limits of aerial cinematography, shooting for outlets like National Geographic, ESPN, the U.S. Marine Corps and Red Bull Media House.

Primarily filmed in Alaska, Chile, Colorado, Argentina, Romania and Rice’s hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we caught up with the trailblazer in NYC where he explained some of the details of the two-year filming process. The insanely crisp high-def shots, combined with dramatic birds-eye views, create an almost first-person effect—an astounding portrayal of what it’s like to step into Rice’s boots as he and the team shred in often untouched territory.

The Art of Flight premieres 7 September 2011 in NYC, before touring the U.S. Tickets sell online or at a variety of snowboard shops for $20 each.

Reporting by Karen Day

Our video on conceptual artist Rirkrit Tiravanija and his newest video project

Rirkrit Tiravanija has continuously proven himself to be at the forefront of modern conceptual art. Extremely social in nature, Tiravanija’s exhibitions range from feeding gallery-goers to recording footage of a road trip and displaying it, along with the car that made the journey, for everyone to see. In this video, Cool Hunting talks to the artist about his current project as part of Absolut’s 365 Days initiative in Mexico and the culture’s attitudes towards art.

Our latest video looks at a conceptual artist’s meditation on gray

by
Gregory Stefano

On a recent trip to Mexico City we had the chance to stop by the Zona Maco Art Fair to check out what’s happening south of the border. We explored some great galleries, saw some fantastic work, and one piece that jumped out immediately was by London-based artist Martin Creed called “Untitled” from 2010. We had a chance to discuss it with one of the gallery reps at Hauser and Wirth to get some insight on the scope of the work, as well as the importance of having a presence in the Southern Hemisphere. Check out the video and look out for more from our experience at Zona Maco and Mexico soon.