The editorial team of Apartamento – an “everyday life interiors magazine” from Spain – is currently in Japan, and just finished hosting a series of lunch sessions called “tasca, everyday life recipes” in Tokyo. The sessions were held in the art bookstore Utrecht, where the magazine just launched their fourth issue. For five days, the shop’s balcony was transformed into a makeshift, casual outdoor restaurant. Food was served free of charge, and the menu differed day to day. The simple, wholesome meals included Finnish Wild Mushroom Soup, Minestrone, Tuna Tartare, etc. We enjoyed an exotic fusion dish called “strawberry risotto”, and felt the touch of  ”everyday life”, the theme of Apartamento, quite different from the everyday life we are familiar with in Japan. Fans of Apartamento and some of the visitors to Tokyo Designers Week joined the lunch on the terrace seats and enjoyed one afternoon in Omotesando. Click “Read More” for more images.

Last Thursday, I attended the Apartamento Issue #02 launch party, which was, surprisingly, not held at an apartment. The crowd, primarily European art types, gathered at downtown design store Matter to sip on what seemed like an endless supply of Peroni, and toast the second-ever issue of a magazine exclusively devoted to “everyday life interiors.” Also on view at the party: a sneak peek of new furniture designs by Finnish design firm Artek.

In a time of financial woes, it was nice to see the continuance of such a wonderfully niche publication, which documents the relationships of real people with the intimate spaces in which they reside. Notable subjects from Issue #02 include Interview magazine editor (and Dossier contributer) Christopher Bollen, artist Terence Koh and DJ Erol Alkan.

Images via Apartamento.

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July 2 – September 9, 2008
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