Yep, I totally just made that word up, don’t rush to check in a dictionary, it’s not you. Luxury-land may not exist as a word in the Oxford dictionary, but it surely exists in real life. You know I was talking about free access to art in my previous post? So I thought for a change I can take you in the complete opposite direction for this post – let’s have a look at something that is not only far from free but sometimes a lifetime is not enough to earn the sort of money splashed over a game.

You’re probably thinking in the right direction already – I am talking about gambling yes – one of the few ways to earn the sort of funds you will need to visit one of the places I’m gonna list in a minute. Let’s take a virtual walk through the top 3 suites for high rollers out there. In case you’ve never heard the term – it’s a gambler who puts large sums at stake. As you can imagine, casinos want to attract those players and so they are often treated with all sort of perks – limos, private jets and yachts and those fancy suits I’m about to get into (not literally…shame). Flights from as far as China, (valued at $20,000 and more) are on the house, along with expenses on the entourage of the player (often of up to 40 people!), so no surprise those state-of-art suits are so outstanding. Oh, don’t despair, you can be a high roller too! I know just the place to start you off with some good selection of places to play online, but let’s not digress, I’ll come back to that later. So, sit back, here we go.

Marcus Aurelius Villa

Situated in Caesars Palace in Vegas, this place has it all – exotic fish, double-sided fireplace, SPA and a great view. Oh, did I mention the spa is actually on the terrace?

Rio Presidential Suite

I’m including this one just for the view – you can’t really beat it and to top it all – there is a private rooftop pool. If that doesn’t make you feel god-like I don’t know what will.

The Barbie Suite

The Palms Casino Resort sure know how to make some jaws drop. They have a suit with a real-size bowling alley (in the suit, yes, you’re reading it right – The Kingpin Suite), but this is something else.

So there, hope that was fun, I had hard time picking my favourites! Well, I wish you all someday to experience one of those in person, but in the meantime here it is, as promised – casinoroulette.co.uk – go have a look at what’s out there to pick from and good luck! Make sure you still come back to read my blog, even if it’s from some private jet or fancy rooftop pool, hey.

I thought it’d be nice to start out this new year and my new blog with a little something that may make you want and love art even more. I chose to feature two great exhibitions that are on in town right now and that ask not a high entrance fee, but no fee at all. Let’s spend a minute or two reflecting on fees. On the one hand, galleries survive thanks to the revenue they generate from their business. That includes entrance fees, too. On the other hand, if that source becomes the main leg of sustenance, the gallery is done for.

In my opinion, galleries with high entrance fees are either ones of great reputation or establishments that struggle to survive. In the first case, which is definitely predominant, they set the price as a means to restrict access for the average visitor. They target high-end connoisseurs and experts with no focus on the financial dimension of works of art. In the latter case, however, high prices especially when combined with even slightly battered look and less than perfectly arranged items, speaks of a place that’d do anything to stay in the market.

Let’s move a bit further in our speculations. What’s wrong with wanting to stay in the game? Such places can still feature amazing works of art and enlighten lots of “innocents”. Just imagine the hosts of poor art students who roam the cold London streets and pubs. Saying all that with a smile on my face, I still believe in free exhibitions. If it wasn’t for them, I would have hardly ended up in this profession myself. I preferred to spend a couple of hours in the warm galleries to wasting time in the café bars around the college.

There is no need to put those two approaches to exhibitions in a direct opposition. I’m just giving you various points of view. It is very often that one and the same gallery sets different prices for its events, depending on the season, the participants, the targeted audience and many other factors. That means that one shouldn’t judge for a place by its entrance fee for a particular event. But, let me get to action at last.

During these past holidays, I visited several of the free exhibitions in London. First, I went to see the photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron. They were made over 150 years ago and brought me back to the magic of sepia, to the vastness of expression despite the lack of colours and nuances. Although Cameron was 48 when she developed her taste for the art, she reached such summits that still impress today. You can view her work in the V&A Museum before 14th February.

Another favourite of mine is the remarkable exhibition opening Damien Hirst’s new gallery, showing works by the late John Hoyland. Since abstract art is, at best, controversial, I refrain from recommending it too often. These “Power Stations”, however, will please even uneducated eyes. Admission is free, again, and you can attend the collection at the Newport Street Gallery all the way until 3rd April.

Which exhibitions or art events did you attend during the holidays? Are any of them still open? Did you like what you saw? Are they free to visit? Do you believe in free access to art? Share your view with us.

Hello, World! I know this is a corny way to start my thrilling journey in the world-wide web presenting myself and my art queries and findings, but come on – that’s the beauty of having a “personal” space: you can get as dull on it as you like and no one can tell you how to go about it. But, I may be getting slightly ahead of myself. Calm down, start over.

Welcome to my blog. My name is Nicky, short for Nicole, of course, and I live in London. It’s correct to say “I’m living in London” as this is temporary. I came here a fortnight ago to pursue a career in art management. As part of my professional development, and because I’m truly in love with art, I decided to start my first art and gallery blog. I’m not quite sure how it will develop and what will become of it. I surely hope people will flock to it, comment and interact. I plan to share meaningful articles and news, all concerning new art events, exhibitions and trends, but also some meditated theoretical pieces, either mine or written by guest bloggers. I want this site to turn into a network where art lovers can discuss and exchange ideas.

There must be thousands of places that already do that. I guess so. That’s why I’m not sure how this one will thrive. It may remain just my own space for writing things that I care about and converse with any, even few, readers who share my views. Time will show. I want you to know that I’m open to all paths. What I want from this blog is to give me enjoyment. Not entertainment or publicity, not fame or money, but I want to enjoy what I do. When I stop enjoying, I’ll change the “do”.

Welcome and make yourself at home!
Yours, Nicky