LAOS: Majestic Buddha Park – Xieng Khuan

After leaving Vientiane on our way to the 4000 Islands in the South of Laos we passed a monumental and historic treasure site you shouldn´t miss if you are around. The local name is Xieng Khuan, but the English words for this area make it self-explanatory for what it’s about. The Buddha Park is a park filled up with over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues. There are several Buddhas spread across the square, as well scenes from ancient legends and numerous gods and goddesses.

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GERMANY: Who is Nashi Young Cho? – Singer, Jazz Musician, Political Activist, Creative Artist

What a question, the Frankfurt jazz singer Nashi Young Cho is well known in the Rhine-Main area, but also far beyond. She stands and sings on all stages, has always hosted radio broadcasts and she has been on TV. We talked and compiled an extensive interview with the artist, which is not directly reflected in music concerts or short newspaper articles. Who is Nashi Young Cho actually? We spoke with her in an interview.

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CAMBODIA: Guy & Lea Bardonnet – Delicious Pizza in Paradise

In fact, when discovering a country, you should of course immerse yourself in the local cuisine and homemade specialities and explore the unknown flavours. But we had been travelling in Asia for a while and hadn’t eaten real good bread for a long time. You rarely find this around, let alone a real pizza. It was all the more surprising to suddenly come across a cosy pizza bungalow on the beach at the farthest tip of the paradisiacal island of Koh Rong, where one of the most delicious Italian-style pizzas imaginable was baked.

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BRITAIN: Comic Illustrator Johnny Trip – Funny, provocative and sometimes pervert

By chance I came across the funny short comic strips of Johnny Trip, which he posts on Instagram at regular intervals. Mostly one shots, sometimes a few more, often funny, sometimes disturbing, but always holding the mirror up. Johnny Trip paints about the things nobody wants to talk about, puts them into characters and lets them act in the comic. And in this world it’s no problem, it’s just a comic. But Johnny’s comics often have it in them and go way below the belt. He provokes where necessary, mockes incompetent statesmen and horrible dictators, or skillfully packed criticism of religion and politics into his colourful creations. But often it is just the ordinary human quirks that we all know.

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PARAGUAY: Parque Das Aves – Foz do Iguaçu

Parque das Aves is a theme park located in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. Situated near the Iguazu River Falls, the park has 16 hectares of native forest, with 1500 animals including birds, reptiles and mammals, from 140 different species. It is a private institution that works as an integrated conservation center for Atlantic Forest species, researching captive breeding and preserving endangered animals. Its structure has 1,300 meters of trails, where birds are arranged for observation, and environments that mimic natural ecosystems for some species, such as alligators, boa constrictors, marmosets and butterflies.

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IRELAND: Mighty Murals and Creative Illustrations – KEVIN BOHAN

Kevin Bohan came to art and graffiti via detours, but better later than never. For far too long he was working in unsatisfactory jobs, he didn’t pursue what was inside him, which eventually led to many years of depression. But the way out of the dark corner was finally painting and creative design. Art is his medicine. Over the years Kevin has done countless fantastic murals in Dublin and throughout Ireland, either on his own or in collaboration with other renowned sprayers.

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GERMANY: Tamara Zippel & Die Segel – Visual Art and Abstract Performing

Walking cyborg creatures, pixeled astronauts or simply diagonally painted bodies – the wacky performances of the artist collective “Die Segel“ from Frankfurt are breathtaking productions that captivate visitors in a flood of impressions. The costumes are elaborately selfmade and seem to come from another world, self-composed music plays on the stage and the performers are illuminated with self-produced projections during their performance. It is about breaking down boundaries and playing with images and shadows. Emotional perception also plays an important role, feeling and sensing, connecting the senses and above all, stimulating reflection.

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