My essentials: Rupert Cefai’s cultural picks

1. Book

Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Lately I found myself really getting interested in any literature that may explain what is it that makes us human. If we want to understand who we are and where we’re going as a species, the dominant species on Earth, we cannot ignore how we got here. This human story, covering thousands of years might also explain why as a species we spend so much energy on something we call Art.

2. Film

‘The Hand of God’ by Paolo Sorrentino. Just loved the film for a number of reasons. In a way it reminded me of my own youth in the 1980s; a number of characters in the movie in particular remind me of family members and family friends which I grew up with. The opening scene, where one character called Patrizia meets San Gennaro, and what happens next, remains one of my favourite scenes, it just pulls you in this surreal world. I love Sorrentino’s work.

3. Internet/TV

I don’t watch TV but internet is my main source of information and the equivalent of my daily bread. That’s where I get all my daily news and information about art events I would be interested to follow. I’m an avid consumer of documentaries ranging from history and art through to technology and science. So, I tend to be a daily visitor to websites such as Curiosity and BBCselect. Then there are the art websites such as hyperallergic.com, artreview.com, frieze.com and countless others...

4. Music

Savage by Gary Numan. Numan was quite popular in my youth but like most musicians of the 80s he just went off the radar. Lately I discovered his latest work. Savage is one album to enjoy both his studio and live versions.

5. Place

Lately I visited Parco dei Nebrodi in northern Sicily. At first, I was quite hesitant to go there for a multitude of reasons but when I got there I was blown away. I wouldn’t mind retiring there, in some quaint village between the hills of that park.