Welcome to The Art + Design Issue

Here at Further, we’ve long believed that travel is an art form — and a practice worth perfecting, even if it’s never entirely perfect. (Isn’t that kind of the point?) But as our new issue makes clear, art is its own form of travel: a nourishing meal for the senses, a walkabout for the soul. That’s why we’ve devoted this collection — Further Vol. 4 — to the transportive powers of art and design.

First, we bring you the latest of our signature Further Destination Guides, as we celebrate the thrilling madness of Mexico City, where the annual Zona Maco art fair just got underway (February 5–9).

As our team spent months putting this omnibus guide together, I thought of Coppola’s infamous quote about Apocalypse Now: “My film isn’t about Vietnam. My film is Vietnam.” Not to be all melodramatic, but Further’s guide isn’t just about Mexico City — our guide is Mexico City, in all its sprawling, exhilarating glory.

This CDMX-travaganza was a beast to assemble, but it’s a beauty. Big thanks to Peter J. Frank, Michelle Wolfe, and Liina Paavonpera for steering this enormous ship. And mil gracias to our contributors, a dream team of tastemakers and local experts: Karla Martínez de Salas, María Pellicer, Eugenia González de Henn, Isabel Castillo, Anya von Bremzen, Barry Yourgrau, Lucía Sanromán, Mary Holland, David Lida, Rafael Micha, Richard Hart, and Bertha González Nieves. We raise a glass of Casa Dragones joven to you all.

Back on Further’s home turf of Brooklyn, we talk with two of the art world’s biggest names, Mickalene Thomas and Derrick Adams, ahead of their dual exhibitions in London this month. Friends since their college days at Pratt, Mickalene and Derrick still live close to their old campus — so we proposed meeting at Roman’s in Fort Greene for a rare joint interview. Over a two-hour conversation (nobody wanted it to end!) the pair reminisced about ’90s Brooklyn, previewed their upcoming shows, and discussed the upsides of teaching, where inspiration comes from, and the life-changing potential of art. Watch the video Q&A and tell us these old friends don’t adore each other….

Meanwhile, on the left coast, arts correspondent Ted Loos reports on the surprising artistic renaissance underway in San Francisco. Ted spoke to some of the city’s top cultural icons and changemakers, who gathered this month for an exclusive photo shoot at Verjus, the beloved wine bar on Jackson Square. In a city so often referred to in the negative these days, how reassuring that art, culture, and unbridled creativity can still spark renewal, and more than a little joy.

• Erling Kagge Is Out for a Long, Long Walk The most interesting man you’ll meet this week tells Further why walking is the only sure medicine. (This guy’s life…freaking amazing.)

• Very Far and Away Our pal and fellow Travel + Leisure alum Heidi Mitchell finds bliss at an extraordinary lodge in New Zealand, with 36,000 pristine acres of rivers, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls to explore

• James Turrell Will Mess With Your Head In the Andean foothills of Argentina is the world’s only museum devoted to the visionary artist — and the craziest light show you’ll ever see without drugs. (Or maybe even with drugs)

• Now, Here, This Five reasons to get yourself back to Athens, which is suddenly the place to be in Southern Europe

• An Art Lover’s Guide to Buenos Aires The city’s top gallerist takes us on a tour of B.A.’s extremely cool gallery scene

• Tasmanian Devil  An art-collecting iconoclast has assembled one of the wildest, weirdest museum collections on the planet, in the unassuming harbor town of Hobart, Tasmania

• Travel by Design Our dear friend Geoffrey Weill shares his lifelong love of classic 20th-century travel posters (like the stunners at the top of this page) — more proof that art and travel make ideal companions

There’s even more to come later this month at Further — we’ll bring you the improbable tale of a Hanoi fashion designer who’s reclaimed the lost art of crafting silk from banana-tree fiber (!) to create lustrous dresses, jackets, scarves, and tunics. And we’ll share our black book of the world’s coolest beach clubs, from Comporta to Cape Town.

So go ahead and hit that SUBSCRIBE button, follow us on Instagram, and check back here often for a further dose of inspiration. See you out there, my friends.

Yours,
Peter

Peter Jon Lindberg
Editor-in-Chief
February 5, 2025